Newbie with lots of questions

[Rachaub1]

Hi I'm the wife of a type 2 diabetic who has just been found to have a very slight level of maculopathy. We've been told that if he can control his sugars it will probably go away by itself. But that's the crux of the problem. A few weeks ago we tried him on a low carb diet of about 30g a day and his sugars stayed at around 7 all week. But then we dropped back to our old diet and they shot right back up again. We are going to have another go at it and wanted to know if 30g was a good level to start at. I have so many questions but I'll start with that one. All opinions are welcome. Tia

 

[Brunneria]

I would say that being around 7mmol/l for the whole week, when it is his first week of low carbing, is a very good start indeed.

There really are no hard and fast rules for low carbing, or for individuals, since some people do excellently on 120g carbs, and others need to drop to less than 20 g carbs to see the benefits.

If I were you, I would go back to that 30 g and stick there for a few weeks. See if the numbers drop over time. Maybe have a few test meals and portions, see if his reaction is better and worse with certain foods (I spike with grains and dairy far worse than I spike with root veg and sugar), and find out how it feels to low carb for longer than a week.

Then, once you are settled, you can add more carbs if possible until you know his personal tolerances.

Ultimately, it has to be sustainable, and that means finding foods and portions and treats that are enjoyable and the right mix of compromise and self denial. No point in creating some Spartan regime that means you hop off the wagon at the sight of a donut, or a too liberal 'just one won't hurt' mindset that means you are indulging 5x a day - neither of those will work in the long run.

Hope that helps.

 

[bulkbiker]

Agree with @Brunneria personally I go very low carb.. probably less than 20g per day seems to work for me but try and test its the only way to know for sure.

 

[Rachaub1]

Thank you folks, we'll do that. It's so complicated isn't it. Need to find a good low carb recipe book too. What do you do for breakfasts? Don't have time to cook most days so need some ideas that don't involve cereals.

 

[bulkbiker]

I've said it before and i'll say it again bacon or nothing (my own speciality is nothing to eat just a couple of mugs of tea).
We nearly all eat too much and too often in my humble opinion.
There are lots of recipes on the forums or www.dietdoctor.com
Have a hunt around or use Dr Google.

 

[bulkbiker]

Can I ask.. as you had such great results with low carbing why did you stop doing it?

 

[chalup]

Full fat unsweetened yogut with a few nuts or berries is quick and easy. Also pre-cooked hard boiled eggs and cheese strings. Breakfast casseroles are also good and can be made ahead of time and served cold or microwaved.

 

[Rachaub1]

Can I ask.. as you had such great results with low carbing why did you stop doing it?

We ran out of eggs lol we basically had to live on frittata and omlettes! I need some inspiration as I'm not a very good cook! I need some good easy recipes to ring the changes as we got a bit bored and slipped back. But as I'm worried about his maculopathy, we need to sort it out and do it properly this time.

 

[Rachaub1]

Full fat unsweetened yogut with a few nuts or berries is quick and easy. Also pre-cooked hard boiled eggs and cheese strings. Breakfast casseroles are also good and can be made ahead of time and served cold or microwaved.

Thank you, he's not much for yoghurt tbh but the breakfast casseroles sound great!

 

[ExD]

Look on the sticky posts at the top of the 1st page, this one is a really good place to start.
Low Carb - explained in 60 seconds http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-explained-in-60-seconds.98116/
Then have a good throw-out of all your highly processed cakes, biscuits, cerials and breadbread (try Burgen soya and linseed) and stock up on full fat milk, cream, cheese, eggs, raw and deli meat and all the vegs you like. RI found the most difficult thing was to rid myself of the fear of fat after so many years of brainwashing that it was bad, bad, bad.
Then cut yourself some loose - its taken him years to get here so its not going to go away in a few weeks, and 7 is not such a bad reading at all! Sp you can relax.
I'm not an expert, but 20g or even 30g is very low - if you try for 50g or under to begin with there won't be a temptation to cheat (you know the one, a quick mars bar and we won't count it).
As to breakfast - one slice of Bergan and plenty of butter (not marg) doesn't spike me much at all.
But we're all different.

 

[chalup]

Stir frys are a good easy main meal, just dont use store bought sauces. I use dehydrated garlic and ginger in small amounts sauteed in the oil until the whole house smells wonderful then bring on the meat and veg until cooked. Splash of sugar and gluten free soy sauce and cook it uncovered until the soy sauce is evaporated and thick. Instead of rice or noodles I use barely cooked bean sprouts added right at the end. Yum and very easy.

 

[Rachaub1]

Look on the sticky posts at the top of the 1st page, this one is a really good place to start.
Low Carb - explained in 60 seconds http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-explained-in-60-seconds.98116/
Then have a good throw-out of all your highly processed cakes, biscuits, cerials and breadbread (try Burgen soya and linseed) and stock up on full fat milk, cream, cheese, eggs, raw and deli meat and all the vegs you like. RI found the most difficult thing was to rid myself of the fear of fat after so many years of brainwashing that it was bad, bad, bad.
Then cut yourself some loose - its taken him years to get here so its not going to go away in a few weeks, and 7 is not such a bad reading at all! Sp you can relax.
I'm not an expert, but 20g or even 30g is very low - if you try for 50g or under to begin with there won't be a temptation to cheat (you know the one, a quick mars bar and we won't count it).
As to breakfast - one slice of Bergan and plenty of butter (not marg) doesn't spike me much at all.
But we're all different.

ExD I'm with you with the fear of fat, I've downloaded a so called carb counting app but its not very good as it still concentrated on counting calories and he, and I, can't help worrying about his fat intake. Mainly because he has family history of heart problems. I'll have a look at the sticky you mentioned. Thanks for that.

 

[Rachaub1]

Stir frys are a good easy main meal, just dont use store bought sauces. I use dehydrated garlic and ginger in small amounts sauteed in the oil until the whole house smells wonderful then bring on the meat and veg until cooked. Splash of sugar and gluten free soy sauce and cook it uncovered until the soy sauce is evaporated and thick. Instead of rice or noodles I use barely cooked bean sprouts added right at the end. Yum and very easy.

Stir fries are a good idea although I will have to leave the garlic out, he's not a big fan lol or bean sprouts although I am so I can throw some in after I've finished his and the kids!

 

[Energize]

My current breakfast is a slice of cooked ham with a thin slice of cheese, or Dairylea cheese slice and then roll up the ham/cheese, cut into bite-sized bits and enjoy with a coffee with cream, instead of milk

 

[ExD]

Since embracing this LCHF diet I have lost my fear of fat, as both hubby and I have improved our cholesterol counts over the last year. You need your calories from somewhere, and for us - its from fat. I read somewhere it has been proved to have no effect on heart problems. Read, read and read on the net.

 

[seanj67]

Bacon cooked in the microwave and fried for a few minutes with eggs and cherry tomatoes..... quick and delicious or replace bacon with haloumi cheese.

 

[Rachaub1]

My current breakfast is a slice of cooked ham with a thin slice of cheese, or Dairylea cheese slice and then roll up the ham/cheese, cut into bite-sized bits and enjoy with a coffee with cream, instead of milk

This sounds great for me as I'm only 5ft and a dogend tall and need to lose some weight but hubby is 6ft 5 and I think he may feel a bit unsatisfied lol mind you its a good start and I can work on that so thanks for this its got my creative juices going.

 

[Rachaub1]

Read, read and read on the net.

Thanks I am that diet doctor link is fab. What I need now is a day off work to try some recipes. Dying to try oopsie bread as we need an alternative to real bread....I had no idea it was THAT high carbs!

 

[Rachaub1]

Bacon cooked in the microwave and fried for a few minutes with eggs and cherry tomatoes..... quick and delicious or replace bacon with haloumi cheese.

Unfortunately we have to be up really early in the morning and we currently have our son sleeping in the open plan living room/kitchen so any amount of cooking is out, even the microwave. But it sounds lovely for my days off, thanks.

 

[ExD]

Personally I don't like Oopsie bread - it tastes too 'eggy'. We stick with Bergen with soya and linseed but strictly limited. A boiled cauliflower head, mashed with feta cheese (or any cheese you have) and butter is almost indistinguishable from potato mash (you can also use celariac but its awful to peel and chop.
I've read about people making a pizza base with whipped eggs and a lot of grated cheese shaped into a 'cake' - which I'm going to make when everyone else is having a pizza - I'll tell you if it works or not.
We miss our apples and pears too, and we used to eat a lot of grapes. Getting somewhat fed up with berries.
I stopped using flour as a thickener for stews and now use double cream stirred in at the end - but not too much or I get indigestion (OH doesn't). He's lost a couple of stone on this Low Carb High Fat diet, but I doubt I've lost a couple of lbs. I've been told I'm not eating enough fat (!).