FURTHER UPDATED WITH BARLEY CEREAL, BARLEY GRASS PILLS, AND BARLEY BREAD

This is just a short post to report further progress lowering my insulin needs by using barley.  I am eating Tsampa cereal each morning, barley bread in the afternoon as a snack, and barley pills each time I eat, for the equivalent of what I consider to be 3 servings of barley daily.

My insulin dosage is down to 15 units Lantus daily and I am burning about 400 more calories, even on reduced Lantus.  This appears to be cumulative, getting better the longer I follow the regime.

I am not a health professional, but my own take on this is that by having the cereal and barley bread daily, plus 4 pills barley grass, I am cutting out the higher glycemic index choices for most of my meals.  In addition, the barley makes it so I am never hungry now, and my digestion has become much better.  The barley encourages the growth of gut bacteria that actually directly lower blood sugar by sending hormonal messages, and increase the feeling of satiety.  You can't get any better than this for someone who has diabetes.

It remains to be seen if I can go less than 15 units Lantus. It does seem to be reducing my insulin needs throughout the time I am on 3 servings barley daily, and I hope I can go further in reducing my insulin needs.

RENEWED SUCCESS YESTERDAY WITH BARLEY, BARLEY PILLS, AND EXTRA CALORIES

Yesterday, my post prandial after lunch was 115.  I had taken 20 units insulin, as usual, but I ate 1600 calories, and had an extra Panera asiago cheese bagel.  I woke up with fasting glucose of 107.  The barley is working its magic really hard now.  This is so much better than 28 units of insulin twice daily that I was using, now down to 20 units daily to burn 400 more calories.

I have given thought to how people can integrate barley into their food as diabetics, and some caution is necessary.  When barley improves their metabolic rate, a change in medications is needed.  If dieting software is used, this is possible to track by how many calories are burned.  But I highly suggest that the person’s doctor needs to be involved on any large medication changes.  So, with this caveat, I can highly recommend barley for any diabetic.  But it will be necessary for them to track what they are eating and note the increased metabolic rate.  So my suggestion is to use dieting software (I use Calorieking) and take careful notes of what you are eating and how much medication you are using. Work with your doctor to track medication amounts. 

Since not everyone has diet software, and most don't test as much as I do, I am closing this section of posting on barley.  If you can track what you eat, and work with barley, it is definitely worth it.  But it requires vigilance, and time to make barley bread, and taking barley pills religiously.  So, be vigilant, record your food nutrition with software, and work with your doctor.

A BREAK WHILE I RECOMPUTE MY BARLEY AND INSULIN

Well, this has been tougher than I thought, but I won’t give up.  Yesterday, I went back to 1200 calories, and got caught in the same trap I did several days ago.  I was really hungry on 1200 calories, had to eat more, and shoot insulin as a result.  I am having trouble adjusting my insulin dosage to my new metabolic rate with the barley.  1200 is too little, 1400 is too much.  I think it will come around at 1300 calories, but I am going to sign off for a few days while I work this out.

From what I can see, the barley has given me about 100 free calories every day on less insulin.  But it is choppy waters until I figure out how much more I can eat without having to take more insulin.  This is a good problem to have, but I will be away while I figure it out.  Thanks for coming along for the experiment on barley.

If you work with barley for yourself, be sure to work with your doctor, as your medications will need to be adjusted.  And it would be great to figure out your newly won free calories, so use barley wherever you can.

DAY 6 BACK TO 1200 CALORIES AND 2 SERVINGS BARLEY

My fasting glucose this morning was 105, but I ate 1400 calories yesterday and had to take extra insulin.  So the insulin is what is talking on my fasting glucose today.  I will be going back to 1200 calories to see what the barley is doing, rather than 1400.  My body is just not ready for those calories.  I did learn the extent of the metabolic increase with the barley, but could not sustain it day to day at 1400 calories.

So, here is the 1200 calorie menu today, and I will stick to that.  We should see more improvement on the barley and 1200 calories.

BREAKFAST:  1/3 cup Tsampa cereal, 1/3 cup blueberries, stevia, 2 tbs half and half

LUNCH:  Breakfast wrap made of Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 2 scrambled eggs, onions, green pepper, ham and 2 pieces bacon, small apple

DINNER:  3 oz sirloin tip steak, baked potato, salad, Dole Sugar Free Peach Cup

SNACK:  1/8^th loaf barley bread, coffee

Minus 30 minutes walking – 163 calories

Total net calories 1200

DAY 5 WITH 3 SERVINGS BARLEY, BARLEY GRASS PILLS AND EXTRA CALORIES

My fasting glucose this morning was 155, and I took 10 units insulin.  This reflects the fact that I had 400 extra calories yesterday, to see what would happen to my fasting glucose at that level.  It returned to my normal fasting glucose of 155, but golly, I ate 1600 calories yesterday.  Breakfast post-prandial then was 139 .  I added Little Debbie Spinwheel to snack,  110 calories.  After dinner, added On Protein Cake Bites, 1/3 package for 72 calories.  Total added calories 230.  Later, a small croissant and an extra tangerine.  Total added calories for the day, 400.

This is amazing.  The extra calories are what pushed me up to 155 fasting glucose, but it took 400 calories extra to do that.  That is the best measure I have so far of how much the barley is increasing my metabolism, as the fasting glucose is my usual fasting glucose, only it was produced today on 1600 calories yesterday instead of 1200.  I will not challenge with extra calories today, but I will keep up the planning for 1200 calories and probably eat about 200 extra calories, to see if 20 units of insulin and 1400 calories will get me down into lower fasting glucose readings.

NEWS FLASH: There’s a new product out at Walmart based on protein cake and frosting, called On Protein Cake Bites.  There are 20 gm protein per cake bite package, and 25 carb grams.  I eat one cake bite at a time, (which is 1/3 the package) and that is what I had for dessert at dinner.  Delicious, and it added protein that I needed.

So, here is the menu for today:

BREAKFAST:  1/3 cup Tsampa cereal, 1/3 cup blueberries, stevia, 2 tbs half and half

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 2 oz sliced deli chicken, 2 slices bacon, tomato, romaine, 1 cup chicken soup, dried apricot

DINNER:  Bamquet Turkey and Dressing Dinner, 1/3 cup Lucky Leaf, whipped cream, ¼ cup Great Grains

SNACK:  1/8^th loaf barley bread, coffee, 1 On Protein Cake Bite

Minus 30 minutes walking – 163 calories

Net Calories 1198

DAY 4 WITH 3 SERVINGS BARLEY AND BARLEY PILLS

My blood sugar readings are responding nicely to 2 servings barley plus 4 barley grass pills daily.  I was at 118 when I woke up this morning on 20 units insulin and about 1400 calories.  I am pretty sure I will need to eat 1400 calories, instead of 1200, because my hunger has increased.  My metabolism, in a word, is picking up with the barley.  I will not plan all 1400 calories, I will leave the extra calories up to the moment, and what I feel like eating.  But I will note calories, insulin dosage, and fasting blood sugar on a daily basis.  I have seen a definite improvement since I started experimenting with barley and barley grass pills.

So, here is the menu for today with 3 servings barley, plus 4 barley grass pills:

BREAKFAST:  1/3 cup Tsampa Cereal, 1/3 cup blueberries, stevia, 2 tbs half and half

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 3 oz Great Value Uncured Pork Ribs, romaine, ½ cup carrot and raisin salad, 2 Voortman Sugar Free Peanut Butter Wafers

DINNER:  ½ Slim-Fast Protein Shake, 1 cup barley and cheese casserole, salad, 1 cup butternut squash, ½ Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie

SNACK:  1/8^th loaf barley bread, coffee

Minus 30 minutes walking – 163 calories

Net Calories 1191

NOTES ON DAY 3 OF BARLEY AND BARLEY GRASS PILLS

Yesterday was a complete flop in terms of meeting the 1200 calorie goal, but I still woke up this morning on fasting glucose of 128 – on 30 units insulin.  You know how the best laid plans evaporate at times.  I was besieged by little Daisy Girl Scouts to buy cookies, then we treated everyone to pizza.  I got my two servings of barley in, and my barley pills, but the rest of the day was a complete washout.  Better luck today, but there are a lot of happy Daisy Scouts today.

So, here is the menu for today.  There should be no interruptions.

BREAKFAST:  1/3 cup Tsampa cereal, 1/3 cup blueberries, stevia, 2 tbs half and half

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla made into cheese quesadilla, grilled with 1 oz cheese, one cup 15 bean soup, tangerine

DINNER:  3 oz sirloin tip steak, ½ cup baked potato, ¾ cup garden medley vegetables, salad, 3 Voortman Sugar Free Peanut Butter Wafers

SNACK:  1/8^th loaf barley bread, coffee

Minus 30 minutes walking – 163 calories

Net Calories 1192