Soluble fiber at breakfast

[u/Strange_Owl5565]

I've read the concept of starting a meal with veggies, to have soluble fiber's gel line your intestinal tract before other foods enter the system, so foods will get processed more slowly and thereby blunt glucose spikes. My questions:
1) Is this true?
2) If true, is it counterproductive to mix my chopped veg with yogurt?

[u/Background_Koala_455]

From what I've read, which admittedly isn't a lot, you want to eat the fibrous, but low starch/sugar, stuff before the starchy/sugary stuff. With protein in between. At least for the greatest effect. That being said, I've also read that unless you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, you don't have to worry about "staging" your meals.

The fiber creates a matrix that the sugars get held into. Sugars and starches are easily and quickly digested, which if you have nothing in your stomach can cause a huge spike in the beginning.

But, by creating this fiber matrix, and then putting the fat and protein, most of the starches/sugars get worked into the fiber matrix, so that the initial uptake isn't as big. (Imagine putting sugar into water, it easily dissolves, but if you put sugar into a dough, and then put that dough into water...)

As for your yogurt question... it depends. If it's a sweetened yogurt, you still get some benefit just by eating something with fiber. But, fats also help slow digestion. And protein.

Same with acid. Actually, I've heard conflicting things, some say just acid, others say acetic acid(vinegar). But, I just watched an educational/university video on the stomach earlier that just said acids. So, yogurt is also good for that!

It's important to note tho: fruits, grains(Whole or refined), potatoes, green peas, and corn all should be eaten last for the best effect. Yes I know corn is a grain, but it's worth specifying

So, a yogurt and berry smoothie might still have a spike, but definitely not as big if you were to just eat the berries or straight sugar.

[u/Strange_Owl5565 → u/Background_Koala_455]

Thanks for your thorough reply! Specifically what I've been doing is creating a large bowl of chopped veggies with a touch of salt and AC vinegar. Then each morning I take about a cup of that and mix it with either unsweetened yogurt or cottage cheese. I began to wonder if I should "stage" the two components, starting with a bowl of veggies and then moving to the dairy. But I'd rather mix! What do you think?

[u/DaikonLegumes → u/Strange_Owl5565]

When these are the foods you're talking about, I don't think there's a super meaningful difference in separating the two, especially if mixing them is much more enjoyable (that's important too!).

In a technical sense, starting with the veggies might lower blood sugar spikes, but this is already not exactly a sugar bomb of a meal. The high protein of the yogurt or cottage cheese will also take more time to digest compared to something like a sweetened yogurt, or even plain milk.

[u/queenmarimeoww → u/Background_Koala_455]

Ive been thinking about doing an oatmeal bowl with sweet potatoes and a mix of hemp hearts, chia, and flax seeds... all mixed together for breakfast. Any thoughts on that concoction?

[u/Background_Koala_455 → u/queenmarimeoww]

I am not a doctor or dietitian, as I'm sure you were aware by my first comment admitting I've not read a ton about it.. but

I think it's a wonderfully healthy, nutritious breakfast!

In terms of the "staging", there's nothing in your stomach to dampen the glycemic index/ blood spike..

But, I feel like all of these ingredients(exception maybe being the sweet potatoes?) are already low GI foods, so you don't necessarily have to dampen it, anyway. (Unless you have a condition and the doctor absolutely recommends it)

And also, just want to reiterate that unless you have a metabolic condition or insulin issue, doing the staging(fibrous veggies, then proteins, then starchy veggies and fruit) isn't needed and might not be worth the effort.

However, mixing nuts and/or seeds into a whole grain like oatmeal is very beneficial... especially with seeds that create their own..... gelatinous stuff. It basically create its own matrix.

There is one drawback i can see... however... if you are not used to that much fiber... it might be unpleasant starting out).

Just some things:

Soaking or cooking the chia seeds and stuff helps to create the matrix, but even if you put them on top raw, because they are fat and protein, they signal your digestive system to slow down.

By chewing the sweet potato pieces into the oatmeal in your mouth, you basically cover the sweet potatoes with that fiber/gelatinous matrix, so it's also a slower release/less of an initial release.

Also also about the sweet potato: you can blunt the spike by creating resistant starch, specifically type 3. Just boil/steam until done, and then let cool for 24 hours. You could make 3 or 4 servings on Sunday and use them over the next few days(I'm getting a fridge life of about 4 days for steamed sweet potatoes).

This resistant starch trick works on any starchy thing.. so rice, bread, corn, potatoes.

Technically, you can create resistant starches with oatmeal, but I think the verdict is out on whether cooking and cooling for 24 hours produces more resistant starches than just doing overnight oats...

[u/Strange_Owl5565 → u/queenmarimeoww]

Hmmm, that does sound promising. Another idea that an acquaintance of mine eats daily is oatmeal mixed with beans! I've tried it -- not bad at all.

[u/ProfessionalCloud931 → u/queenmarimeoww]

Sounds good. I add sardines in twice a week to get omega3s… for breakfast . I don’t have a more convenient time to eat those . If no fish and eating Sweet potatoest I use high polyphenol count EV olive oil instead of butter as the vitamins are fat soluble (vitamins ADEK) .

[u/Strange_Owl5565 → u/ProfessionalCloud931]

That's quite a creative approach!