As a food scientist, I combine oats with seeds, proteins and herbs to keep blood sugar steadier and support calmer inflammation – turning a simple oatmeal roll into a smarter, anti-inflammatory meal.
I’ll dive into it deeply over the next few days. This is so useful and this is explaining why I am having less inflammation with how I’m combining food! (Although cold chicken and rocket followed by gluten free Christmas mince shortbread slice, isn’t ideal - it’s also just a couple of days and a better option)
The base consists of 400 g cottage cheese, 3 eggs, 1 tsp baking soda, and 400 g quick oats.
Add whatever seeds, nuts, spices and herbs you like. I usually just use what I have on hand and vary it a bit. Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, oregano, ground ginger, walnuts, etc.
Mix all the ingredients for the base in a bowl and let it sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes before baking. You can put it in a food processor and blend it until smooth, but I usually skip that step. Just add whatever you want.
Form 8–10 balls and place them with some space between them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the rolls in the middle of a preheated oven at 210 °C for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack and serve immediately.
These rolls fit well into a Mediterranean diet because they combine whole grains, healthy fat sources and herbs in a way that supports a balanced and nutrient-dense meal. They can also be adapted to a low-carb diet by reducing the amount of oats and increasing the proportion of nuts, seeds and eggs to promote a more stable blood sugar response. For a ketogenic diet, the base can easily be adjusted by replacing the oats with low-carb alternatives such as almond flour or ground flaxseeds, which significantly lowers the carbohydrate content while maintaining the structure.
A person asked me: “Is oatmeal bad for those of us with lipedema?”
Even though we all live with lipedema, our bodies are not identical. Foods like oatmeal can be tolerated very differently from person to person, especially when you factor in things like insulin resistance, total carbohydrate intake, gut health and activity level.
From a food science perspective, oats are not “bad” in themselves. Oatmeal is a whole grain that contains soluble fiber, especially beta-glucans, which can slow down glucose absorption, support the gut microbiome and help improve cholesterol levels in many people. For some with insulin resistance, a moderate portion of oatmeal eaten together with protein and fat can fit into a blood sugar–friendly pattern. For others, particularly those who are very carb-sensitive and notice more swelling, pain or fatigue after higher-carb meals, even oatmeal may feel less suitable. Both experiences are valid, and this is why blanket statements like “oats are bad for everyone with lipedema” are too simplistic.
I write from a food science background, and my own way of eating is a Mediterranean-style diet. In practice that means lots of vegetables, olive oil, fish, legumes, nuts, some fruit and mostly minimally processed foods, with carbohydrates coming mainly from whole-food sources. This way of eating has worked well for my lipedema for years, and just as important, it is a pattern I can maintain long term without feeling deprived. For me, that has been crucial: a diet only helps if it is realistic to live with over time, socially, mentally and physically.
Ketogenic diets have shown promising benefits for lipedema in some studies, especially when it comes to pain, inflammation, body composition and metabolic markers. At the same time, keto is demanding to follow, can be socially and psychologically challenging, and is not appropriate or sustainable for everyone. In my case, a strict ketogenic diet is not something I can or want to maintain in the long run, while a Mediterranean-style pattern is.
So rather than labelling oatmeal as universally “good” or “bad” for everyone with lipedema, it makes more sense to look at the overall pattern of eating, your individual metabolic situation (for instance whether you have insulin resistance or not), and what you can realistically sustain over time. The most important thing is to find a way of eating that supports symptom management, metabolic health and quality of life for you – and that you can actually keep living with.
Thank you for this substack so much!
I’ll dive into it deeply over the next few days. This is so useful and this is explaining why I am having less inflammation with how I’m combining food! (Although cold chicken and rocket followed by gluten free Christmas mince shortbread slice, isn’t ideal - it’s also just a couple of days and a better option)
I think I’m your first paid subscriber? I’m having trouble navigating ..how do I message you?
Hi Valerie, and welcome as a paid subscriber to LipedemaScience 🤩💛💫
I’d love to help you with navigation. If there’s a particular topic about lipedema you’re interested in, please let me know 🤗
Best, CarinaW
Hey readers! 🤗💛
Some have asked me for the recipe.
The base consists of 400 g cottage cheese, 3 eggs, 1 tsp baking soda, and 400 g quick oats.
Add whatever seeds, nuts, spices and herbs you like. I usually just use what I have on hand and vary it a bit. Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, oregano, ground ginger, walnuts, etc.
Mix all the ingredients for the base in a bowl and let it sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes before baking. You can put it in a food processor and blend it until smooth, but I usually skip that step. Just add whatever you want.
Form 8–10 balls and place them with some space between them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the rolls in the middle of a preheated oven at 210 °C for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack and serve immediately.
These rolls fit well into a Mediterranean diet because they combine whole grains, healthy fat sources and herbs in a way that supports a balanced and nutrient-dense meal. They can also be adapted to a low-carb diet by reducing the amount of oats and increasing the proportion of nuts, seeds and eggs to promote a more stable blood sugar response. For a ketogenic diet, the base can easily be adjusted by replacing the oats with low-carb alternatives such as almond flour or ground flaxseeds, which significantly lowers the carbohydrate content while maintaining the structure.
🤩💛
A person asked me: “Is oatmeal bad for those of us with lipedema?”
Even though we all live with lipedema, our bodies are not identical. Foods like oatmeal can be tolerated very differently from person to person, especially when you factor in things like insulin resistance, total carbohydrate intake, gut health and activity level.
From a food science perspective, oats are not “bad” in themselves. Oatmeal is a whole grain that contains soluble fiber, especially beta-glucans, which can slow down glucose absorption, support the gut microbiome and help improve cholesterol levels in many people. For some with insulin resistance, a moderate portion of oatmeal eaten together with protein and fat can fit into a blood sugar–friendly pattern. For others, particularly those who are very carb-sensitive and notice more swelling, pain or fatigue after higher-carb meals, even oatmeal may feel less suitable. Both experiences are valid, and this is why blanket statements like “oats are bad for everyone with lipedema” are too simplistic.
I write from a food science background, and my own way of eating is a Mediterranean-style diet. In practice that means lots of vegetables, olive oil, fish, legumes, nuts, some fruit and mostly minimally processed foods, with carbohydrates coming mainly from whole-food sources. This way of eating has worked well for my lipedema for years, and just as important, it is a pattern I can maintain long term without feeling deprived. For me, that has been crucial: a diet only helps if it is realistic to live with over time, socially, mentally and physically.
Ketogenic diets have shown promising benefits for lipedema in some studies, especially when it comes to pain, inflammation, body composition and metabolic markers. At the same time, keto is demanding to follow, can be socially and psychologically challenging, and is not appropriate or sustainable for everyone. In my case, a strict ketogenic diet is not something I can or want to maintain in the long run, while a Mediterranean-style pattern is.
So rather than labelling oatmeal as universally “good” or “bad” for everyone with lipedema, it makes more sense to look at the overall pattern of eating, your individual metabolic situation (for instance whether you have insulin resistance or not), and what you can realistically sustain over time. The most important thing is to find a way of eating that supports symptom management, metabolic health and quality of life for you – and that you can actually keep living with.