I need to work more on meal ideas. Right now I have go to's for 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 snacks, and a variety of dinners which mostly are meat or poultry with 1 - 2 fresh vegetables or mixed, steamed or pan fried. I build in a little more variety with a homemade vegetable soup or taco salad that I'll eat over a period of 3 - 5 days. It helps when my husband cooks his favorites. He's on the diet with me, though just for weight loss.
Chapter 10: Diet Guidelines Essential to the Treatment of All Diabetics in
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution (2011) has the best discussion I've read so far on foods to eat, not eat, or limit. It's 30 pages. If you don't want to purchase the book - (though it's one of my favorite references when I'm researching a question) - it might be helpful to check it out from the library and copy the chapter or most helpful pages.
I think that chapter is what got me off to such a good start. The problems I had early on were mostly due to my ignorance about water and salt intake.
Insuring adequate potassium, magnesium, and calcium intake continues to be a bit of an issue. Am taking nutritional supplements, which have helped, but not sure I've got that completely handled.
The other remaining challenge is fat intake. I've got carbs and protein handled reasonably well - (like many here, I was eating too much protein initially) - but need to buckle down and take a good look at my fat intake.
I continue to find myself going down rabbit trails, two or three a day, as I continue to research and question whether I'm on the best diet and eating the best foods to restore my health. Still listening to lots of lectures and reading sections of lots of books. I should post a picture of my book stack...
What I've found is that each expert/writer has a lot to offer, but I've yet to find one book that answers all my questions, though a few come close, particularly Richard Bernstein and Jenny Ruhl, perhaps because they both diabetic - (Bernstein's a type 1, Ruhl's a type 2) - and have interacted daily with those on the LCHF diet for years and years. I might add Trudi Deakin to that list too, but the formatting and graphics of her book frustrate me. But, and this is important for many people, it provides
the most concise overview of how to do the diet. I also like Volek and Phinney's book, particularly it's index. I use this book as a reference too.
I think once I've answered most of my concerns and questions, I'll get a lot better at doing this diet.