Diet decisions NOT based on diabetes

[Harpar]

Don't buy Kosher or Halal on principal.
Don't eat any grains, feel much better for that.
Luckily, we are in a position to grow or raise virtually all our own food - but that actually takes a lot of a hard work too. Its not just the growing of the stuff, its the picking and processing - beans all need topping and tailing before going in the freezer, peppers all need slicing and freezing, toms need de-skinning and bottling, beans for drying all need harvesting and podding etc. etc.
Eggs from the chooks.
Meat - chickens and rabbits, possibly pigeon next year too. Pork and lamb from local farm.
Basically I like my animals to have been happy and healthy.
Try to avoid stuff that incurs transport or air miles, if I can produce it myself I do, even if the product can be bought cheaply I can't justify buying it, specially if it has travelled half way round the world, if I am perfectly capable of growing it myself.

 

[Loobles]

I just read a thread where several people commented on how budget is a major factor in what they eat.
Goodness, I so understand. There was a period of about 15 years in my life when every food decision was made after I counted the coins in my purse.

So it got me thinking. What factors other than blood glucose control affect your diet choices?

Vegetarian/vegan eating is an obvious factor. So is Kosher (apologies if I have phrased that wrongly). Avoiding pork. Food intolerances, allergies, gallstones, IBS... It's a minefield!

What are your food choices, and why?

Luckily, cost doesn't need to come into it very often. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't go and by some Kobe beef or anything, but I don't need to pick and choose brands based on the money in my wallet; I consider myself very fortunate. Value for money comes into it though, I wouldn't pay a given amount if I felt it was overpriced though, out of principle.

For me, it matters if it's British or local and I'll pay a few extra pennies for locally sourced stuff...though I don't get my knickers in a twist if locally grown stuff isn't available. It matters to me if the produce is from animals kept in better conditions...only the finest eggs from daily massaged chickens kept in 5 star air conditioned hen houses for me

What else matters? Nutrition content matters, even aside from the carbs, I never did buy stuff that's full of artificial ****...like Sunny Delight and stuff like that. Though I have made exceptions for chocolate eclairs - cos you know...the cream is dairy and counts towards my 2 a day

There must be more, but I've run out of time now as I'm off for a swim...

Later x

 

[IncyWincy]

I can't have caffeine as it gave me high blood pressure and palpitations. I was in my early 30s and borderline for blood pressure medication until a nurse suggested decaff tea and coffee. Within 2 weeks my blood pressure was normal. Unfortunately decaff coffee gave me "instant migraines" so I now avoid coffee full stop.

I am intolerant to hard cheese. I noticed it triggered a migraine a day or so after I ate it so apart from a very little parmesan etc. I don't eat it at all. Luckily cheese was never my favourite food group. I always thought blue cheeses and things like brie tasted disgusting but I do miss extra mature cheddar on toast with a slosh of Lea and Perrins. I can still eat mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone etc.(stuff that has no age). I think the chemical in cheese that causes migraine is called tyramine. For the same reason I avoid red wine.

 

[noblehead]

I am intolerant to hard cheese. I noticed it triggered a migraine a day or so after I ate it so apart from a very little parmesan etc. I don't eat it at all. Luckily cheese was never my favourite food group. I always thought blue cheeses and things like brie tasted disgusting but I do miss extra mature cheddar on toast with a slosh of Lea and Perrins. I can still eat mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone etc.(stuff that has no age). I think the chemical in cheese that causes migraine is called tyramine. For the same reason I avoid red wine.

Interesting, my father suffered from awful migraines and he did sweat that cheese was a trigger for the them, mind he still ate it

 

[semiphonic]

I always go for the best ingredients I can afford at the time, unfortunately I rarely make this decision based on ethical reasons

 

[Kezzer4321]

My rule used to be based on length of time it takes to cook... I used to have a rule that if it took longer than 30 mins I wouldn't eat it. Going for ready prepared foods and microwave friendly meals with ready prepared veg....

Now that I am restricting certain foods, its become all about the taste.

 

[Totto]

We mostly eat our own produce, that is vegetables, lamb, mutton, eggs and the occasional chicken. I buy butter, cheese and other dairy, organic when I can find it, cheese is tricky but most other dairy no problem. Coffee is organic and fair trade, tea rarely so. In the winter it happens I buy avocado and can´t really afford the organic ones. Stuff like potatoes, celeriac and carrots we buy in large quantities for our farm shop and eat what is left and some more. Will probably go easier on the spuds but make a large dent in the celeriac sack this winter.

Fish is what we catch and then I do some fishing at the local supermarkets. Generally herring in different shapes, being Scandinavian. Herring is cheap and fatty so good choice.

I buy organic coconut oil but usually go for the cheaper brands of olive oil in large quantities.

We plan on planting an orchard next autumn. We have apples and pears for our own consumption but not much more and customers ask for fruit and berries.

 

[julifriend]

Picking up on @catherinecherub mentioning food banks, my company provides a BP fuel card for my company car and as I do around 40k miles per year I rack up Nectar points like there's no tomorrow. What I now do is accumulate the points over a couple of months and then do a shop specifically to put in the food bank at my local Sainsbury's and pay using the Nectar points. Those of us in a position to help those in greater need should do so.

 

[andcol]

My diet decision is not to eat green stuff because that means mouldy food (plus green stuff just tastes disgusting). Oh wait that is exactly how I got here! Oh well no hope for me then

 

[forge]

My wife cooks" normal" evening meals for us but with no potato or the grainies (pasta rice etc) I cook the occasional BBQ and our son is with us for a while and he does some cooking too he likes the slow cooker and cooking with diet soda and he does specialist curry etc and stir frys,

I bake cakes and biscuits with nut flours and casual dessert things like frozen yogurt slices and choc rum balls. (I am finding new things all the time) My son makes small chocolate cakes 3 at a time.

I eat a banana a day because I have been low in potassium.

We all scrounge up breakfast, if there is nothing else I have 1/2 diet jelly and albran cereal and sometimes a banana (my wife sets jellies so there is always a jelly in the fridge) and sometimes lunches independently and sometimes together, if our son does it is bacon and eggs, If my wife does it it is salad and tinned fish or ham. and if I do it is patties cooked in the sandwich press toaster. I make the patties from cooked or frozen veg and tinned fish or ham and 1 or 2 eggs and nut flour and olive oil with a dash of curry powder.

When my wife cooks corned beef I use the left overs to make a peanut butter satay with cabbage and the satay"gravy" is made from a paste using crushed baked beans, ginger, garlic, curry, sweetener, and peanut butter. It tastes great it is very popular and I was just asked to make it tonight. 2 or 3 cups of diced corned beef grows into 6 servings of satay.

I have baked 6 bread rolls with nut flour and some wheat flour and they are OK but a lot of messing around..

Food wise life is interesting.

 

[douglas99]

I intend to travel.
Mainly europe, but maybe further.
Small motorhome, and a lot of diving.
The food will have to be cheap, and with minimal storage.
So I intend to eat fresh vegetables mainly.
Some meat, some eggs, whatever I can buy to supplement the staples.
There will be supermarket tins and dried food, but I see a lot of beans in my future.

 

[seaspray1998]

@Catherine.

THANK YOU for highlighting that there are people struggling to eat a healthy diet, simply due to poverty, not because they make poor diet choices due to being fat, lazy morons.

I struggle simply TO have enough food to eat, let alone the healthy stuff which costs SO MUCH MORE

 

[seaspray1998]

If I dont literally 'stalk' the reductions counter at my local Asda, then I dont have food to eat and certainly not the healthy stuff.

And I have to hang around for hours to do so, to swoop in at the right moment (it's literally a military exercise) to get the reductions, and face getting sworn at and threatened to be punched in the face, from others trying to do the same

 

[AnnieC]

I do always try to buy local free range eggs I like my eggs from happy chickens. Do not really avoid foods for any ethnic reasons we are pensioners so can't afford to be to fussy but we do eat well and I cook our meals from scratch no ready made stuff

 

[seaspray1998]

@Juliefriend - that's very sweet of you

 

[seaspray1998]

And when you try to tell the medical fraternity (who earn 60k and above, so have no clue) that budget plays a big factor in my food choices, I just get met with the attitude (other then outright hostility) that I'm in denial, lying and attempting to trying to avoid losing weight

 

[claymic]

I have been using Morrison supermarket and have to say that I do like their meat. I do try and buy free range eggs and I only get 97% sausages. I tend to be intolerant to milk and cream so I use almond milk or lactofree stuff but they are hardly ever on offer. Seem to be okay with cheese though

 

[seaspray1998]

Added to which the goverment cuts to the NHS - means my attempt to improve my health is being significantly hampered.

For example - I was only offered 15 mins with a dietician every 3mths! My blood tests take longer!

Or vascular surgery where the option they try to make you take, is permanetly wearing compression stockings - because surgery costs money.

Other then varicose veins left untreated can negatively impact on ones health, it is hardly a thing that sais 'come hither' wearing support stockings at a potential date!

 

[TomGreen101]

Blood glucose aside it has to be which foods you enjoy the most, there's no point in eating food you dislike or find a chore just to get through the meal, however with some family history of CVD I do have to be a little careful in my food choices.

My Diabetic nurse tells me to eat what I like & not avoid foods. She says she will medicate accordingly. I send my meals to her once a week & she advises accordingly. I used to avoid certain foods bit not now.

 

[Brunneria]

I have a bit of a thing about carrot and tomato. I don't like them together. The flavours are wrong somehow.

Oh, same with egg and baked bean juice. They shouldn't touch. Ever.

And the really important thing about both a full fry up, and a Sunday roast, is that my last full mouthfuls contain a small portion of everything. Very important.

Also, I've always wanted to eat off a blue plate. Someone once told me that 'there is no blue food, so all food contrasts well against a blue background'. So of course I want to try it!