Barley added to diet?

[jim maceri]

Has anyone heard of the benefits of adding Barley to your dogs diet? I spoke to a person from England and he kept talking about the use of barley to help control diabetes in both people and dogs. Just wondering if anyone has heard of such a thing.

[jim maceri]

Re: Barley added to diet?

I found this on the net...

Barley fights diabetes
Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes affect over 80 million Americans. Health and nutrition professionals remind us, however, that this disease can be controlled and even prevented. It’s a matter of making some simple but important lifestyle choices including losing weight, increasing physical activity and including plenty of whole grain, high fiber foods such as barley in the daily diet.
Barley is an excellent food choice for those concerned about type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes because the grain contains essential vitamins and minerals and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, particularly beta-glucan soluble fiber. Research shows that barley beta-glucan soluble fiber promotes healthy blood sugar by slowing glucose absorption. For example, findings from a clinical trial published in the December 2006 edition of Nutrition Research showed that mildly insulin-resistant men who ate muffins containing barley beta-glucan soluble fiber experienced significant reductions in glucose and insulin responses, compared to responses after eating muffins made with corn starch. In a clinical study reported in the August 2006 edition of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, data showed that subjects who ate cookies and crackers made with barley flour enriched with beta-glucan soluble fiber also experienced significant reductions in glucose and insulin responses compared to responses after eating the same products made with whole wheat flour. A long-term study published in the August 2007 edition of the Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice journal reported a 30-percent decrease in HbA1c (average blood glucose level) in type 2 diabetics who consumed a healthy diet including pearl barley that supplied 18 grams of soluble fiber a day. Regardless of the form of the grain, there is always a ready source of beta-glucan soluble fiber in barley. Unlike many grains which contain fiber only in the outer bran layer, barley contains fiber throughout the entire kernel. So whether it’s whole grain or processed barley products, dietary fiber, including beta-glucan soluble fiber, is available in amounts that have a positive impact on improving blood glucose levels.
It’s easy to include barley in a healthful and delicious diet. Choose barley flakes for a hardy cooked breakfast cereal. Add pearl or whole grain barley kernels to your favorite soups, stews, casseroles and salads. Or use cooked pearl or whole grain barley kernels as a fiber-rich addition to your favorite stir-fry or Chinese take-out entrees.

[glazzbabe]

Re: Barley added to diet?

WOW!
I am cooking barley for Rockey, Lolie and myself! Thanks for the great info maybe come up with a barley based puppy cookie!

[Patty]

Re: Barley added to diet?

I've known a few people who have used barley when they needed to add a carb source to their dog's diet in order to stop a drop in bg. (Theoretically, it may not cause as much of a spike as wheat as the study indicated but is still a grain and thus a carb source.) Like anything, it works for some and not for others.

I tried it with Ali early on and she was allergic. Got really itchy.

Personally, I love beef/barley soup

[eileen]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Barley was a main staple of Mildred's diet for about 4 years.

I used several combinations...tilapia, barley and pumpkin and when she tired of this I switched to chicken, barley and pumpkin.

She saw less of a spike with barley compared to brown rice.

glazzbabe, you need to keep in mind that barley is a carb so will spike the blood sugar if fed as a ' cookie'.

[glazzbabe]

Re: Barley added to diet?

so some treat ideas? Thx

[SandyL]

Re: Barley added to diet?

so some treat ideas? Thx

Blue Buffalo makes biscuits called Health Bars. My hubby gives Tiggy one in the morning and it really doesn't spike her BG at all

Sandy

[eileen]

Re: Barley added to diet?

so some treat ideas? Thx

Green beans, broccoli, cubed chicken breast...in the summer time freeze dollops of canned pure pumpkin on a cookie sheet, many dogs love these but be sure to give outside or on a surface that can be cleaned.
They store nicely in a freezer baggie.

[jjefferjo]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Hey Eileen!
What was your portion size for (Barley, Pumpkin Talapia ) for Mil's meals and how did you cook the Talapia?
Thanks Jj

[eileen]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Hey Eileen!
What was your portion size for (Barley, Pumpkin Talapia ) for Mil's meals and how did you cook the Talapia?
Thanks Jj

I bought frozen Tilapia fillets and oven baked them.

The portions were 6oz Tilapia, 4oz barley and 4oz pumpkin. I weighed out each ingredient separately for each individual meal.

So Mil could not pick thru the food I mixed it all together before bagging. I prepared about a weeks worth at a time.

Before feeding I warmed in the microwave with then adding a dollop of plain nonfat yogurt on the side. She loved yogurt and would save it for last, I laughed many times over this as it was almost like a dessert to her.

Mildred had high triglyceride issues so had to watch carefully.

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Jim,

I add Barley to Abby's diet. The food I have her on now, I add a little more complex carb to. Barley and Steel Oats is another that may even out blood sugar. I use it so she will not spike after a meal, and stay with her throughout the day so it may still be there, when insulin is working.

I have, however, gone back to Brown Rice, because for her I think it works better.

I have tried the following:

Pearl Barley
Steel oats
Brown Rice
Oatmeal
Lentils

[jim maceri]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Even on 11 units, Spirit can drop at times 80-100 points with short walks. I don't want to play with the dose because when I lowered it to 10 he would spike over 210 at time so I'm looking for something that may stay with him a bit longer especially at the 4-6 hour mark after injection during the day. I would also like to find a treat that I could use to give him a little bump before his walks. Haven't found the right thing yet so suggestions are appreciated. The dose of 11 units seems perfect at night when he is inactive.

[jesse girl]

Re: Barley added to diet?

i have used a milkbone type biscuit actually not the healthy type i believe it had molasses in it also what it did for jesse was a quick bounce maybe a start in 15 minutes and maybe was done in 1.5 hours where it had no impact. a health type snack wont give the immediate glucose needed in this situation so maybe look for a snack like this its not a huge amount to have any impact i believe on health

jesse needs a targeted snack 2.5 hours after shot in theory the snack hits insulin when it is at its strongest for jesse without it in most occasions she will get a bounce back up added food with meal and shot has no impact on this the snack is the only thing that works and she usually will stay flat most of the day . it really is amazing how one thing makes so much difference

i thought the higher fasting was from food but added more food with the snack and got a lower fasting it just shows how much the body is involved in trying to balance things out

[eileen]

Re: Barley added to diet?

Even on 11 units, Spirit can drop at times 80-100 points with short walks. I don't want to play with the dose because when I lowered it to 10 he would spike over 210 at time so I'm looking for something that may stay with him a bit longer especially at the 4-6 hour mark after injection during the day. I would also like to find a treat that I could use to give him a little bump before his walks. Haven't found the right thing yet so suggestions are appreciated. The dose of 11 units seems perfect at night when he is inactive.

JIm, a very dear friend of mine who also had a diabetic Newfie used Fig Newtons before walking as her Emily was extremely sensitive to exercise too.