Dear Anne,
Good point. But the point that I was trying to make was not about blood glucose control but rather satiety.
Besides, I have written before about the low glycemic index of barley. A small serving of barley will have very little effect on anybody's blood glucose level, unless:
(1) they are awfully sensitive to carbs;
or
(2) they eat it will high glycemic add-ons.
Dear Christopher,
While the glycemic index is usually just applied to carbs, a low-carb breakfast could help us think better -- if it were fish. New studies show that fish can make us think better too. And fish is, of course, no carb and therefore no glycemic. Which reminds me that my fish (yellowfin tuna) is almost ready for my dinner!
Dear Christopher,
Well, I don't call it a recipe. I coat all my fish with a little extra virgin olive oil and bake it in the oven at 325 degrees for about half an hour on a cedar or alder roasting plank that I bought online from Cooks' Nook (http://www.cooksnook.com/Nature's-Cuisine-Roasting-Planks.html). I add different spices at different times. This couldn't be more tasty, more simple, or more healthy!
Check out my post Quick Cooking Oat Groats, by verdungal Saturday, July 21, 2007 , this method can be used for cooking barley or any other whole grain.
Soak your groats in acidulated water overnight. In the morning, rinse them , then add more water or milk for cooking.( You will need double the amount of liquid to grains. ) Just place them in a blender for one minute. Now put the mixture in a saucepan on medium heat for just five minutes, or until mixture thickens.
Sometimes , I like to add a grated apple to give a little variety.
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David, you are sure getting it right! Just wondering how much barley did you eat and did you add anything to your breakfast, like flax or fruit?
Be sure to pass along anything else that will help us all.
Verdungal
Thank you. Here is my standard recipe:
1/4 cup hulless barley and 1 cup water in a small rice cooker for as long as it takes (about 40 minutes)
A little cinnamon
A few slivered almonds
A little non-nutrient sweetener (stevia or Splenda)
A little salt or salt substitute (Sunny Paris or Mural of Flavor from Penzey’s or Spike)
One tablespoon of freshly-ground golden flax seeds
A few fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries (washed just before adding them to the bowl)
2/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk (heated in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes)
Lately, at the recommendation of my favorite Certified Diabetes Educator, instead of using a rice cooker for the hulless barley, I am baking it in the oven for about 8 hours at about 225 degrees (note that oven temperatures are not precise, so you will have to watch it as it gets nearly cooked). This makes an even better tasting, creamier barley.
David,
I have a few questions for you.
Where do you get hulless barley? Here at my local health food store in Iowa City, they have... I can't remember exactly, I think "hulled" and "pearl". I imagine you use hulless for the lower GI.
Also, you mentioned baking it in the oven overnight. And I think you said you eat this almost every morning. Do you make a fresh batch overnight every single day, or can you make a big batch and eat it for a few days?
Dear Christopher,
I buy my hulless barley from Bob's Red Mill. They call it BARLEY, WHOLE HULL-LESS at http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=61
I cook up a pretty big batch -- 2 cups of barley and 8 cups of water. That lasts me about a week.
Dear Zoey,
I haven't done that, but I am confident that you can use a crockpot for it.
David