A low GI diet may not help your blood sugar.

[Lamont D]

n=6
I am an experiment that is testing all the time
I cannot for the rest of my life stop, even though I'm on meds, if my pancreas gives out I'm !?,;:&£8 ??
I was in poor health and struggling.
All my life signs were heading for the morgue!
I low carb and it's working wonderfully!
My life signs are as good as a thirty year old!
There is one more thing I'm doing and that is cooking in animal fats. I stay away from vegetable fats!
We, on this forum, are at the forefront on changing the mindset of medical thinking, why?
Because it works!!!
Sweden has made the first steps. Where they go, many others will follow.
We are the desciples of low carbing, people diagnosed come here for help and we do a great service to get sufferers to think outside the box, to believe that a new lifestyle will give a better healthier future. To reduce carbs to disobey their doctors and DSNs to go against the tide.
We have to continue to advise and to do it so it satisfy every personal needs, as we are entirely different.
But at the core of all the differences is the message that you will feel and be much better the less you eat of carbohydrates and sugars in any way shape or form!
It's logical and it works.
It doesn't matter, how low (carb) or how high (fat) as long as the posters get the message and follow.
Education and learning is priceless and so is a friendly answer, for someone who is desperate, we have and will be here to help, I will anyway.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Cancer council recommends 9 serves of fruit and vegetables per day .... if you don't eat fruit that's a heck of a lot of vegetables to chow through. You would probably get the same nutrients in vegetables as you do in fruit but you certainly wouldn't find them in any other food.

As for your second statement, I agree. As a society we have been brainwashed into thinking that fat is bad for us. I think some health professionals are gradually moving on from this though .... I saw a GP recently and he spoke of 'resistant starch' and how "fat is not as bad as we once thought'. I was most impressed.

I eat that much veg a day. Not too taxing.

 

[JTL]

I'm in my sixties and have never been a fruit lover.
Probably four bananas a year half a dozen pears an orange and some sultanas in a curry ... that's it.
I've never had a sweet tooth never been into chocolate sweets cakes pastries etc.
Now I'm diabetic I actually eat more fruit than ever and I'm enjoying it.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Ya, I'm sure fruit is fine in moderation. I used to eat more fruit, but stopped mainly to help reduce my carb intake.

 

[Lesleywo]

Apologies to @urbanracer as like so many other posts that start out on a totally different topic, this one seems to be turning into a LCHF debate. Why does this always happen?

 

[Lamont D]

I think that's because a lot of posters low carb but not necessarily LCHF.
Also because of the many success stories through low carb, that they want to pass the message on.

 

[cold ethyl]

I low carb, probably moderate fat . I don't eat much fruit these days - maybe half an apple now and then or some berries or rhubarb. I'm sure we do need a wide range of foods to get all our nutrients but I always remember a friend telling me her friend worked on the five a day campaign and that optimally it should be ten a day, only one if which is fruit. Also overheard a lady in coffee shop moaning that her dentist had told her to stop all fruit as the enamel on her teeth was jiggered and that said dentist was reaping the financial rewards of increased dental decay following the introduction of the five a day as most folk just eat fruit. Given the risk to my teeth, I'm happier getting my vitamins from vegetables and using my carb allowance on a few higher carb veg like carrots, beetroot etc.
my pre diagnosis diet was one that would be pretty heavy in lower GI foods - brown rice, wholemeal bread etc and fruit and I ended up 5st overweight and diabetic. I tend to think of it as a halfway house for those who currently eat a highly processed diet of fats and carbs - the pizza and Doritos diet as I think of it - it's a start but I don't think it's going to be e long term solution to BS control. I understand some folks being hesitant about the high fat element, especially with regards to weight control, so I've found portion control of the higher fat foods alongside low carbing the thing that has worked best for me.

 

[Lesleywo]

I low carb, probably moderate fat . I don't eat much fruit these days - maybe half an apple now and then or some berries or rhubarb. I'm sure we do need a wide range of foods to get all our nutrients but I always remember a friend telling me her friend worked on the five a day campaign and that optimally it should be ten a day, only one if which is fruit. Also overheard a lady in coffee shop moaning that her dentist had told her to stop all fruit as the enamel on her teeth was jiggered and that said dentist was reaping the financial rewards of increased dental decay following the introduction of the five a day as most folk just eat fruit. Given the risk to my teeth, I'm happier getting my vitamins from vegetables and using my carb allowance on a few higher carb veg like carrots, beetroot etc.
my pre diagnosis diet was one that would be pretty heavy in lower GI foods - brown rice, wholemeal bread etc and fruit and I ended up 5st overweight and diabetic. I tend to think of it as a halfway house for those who currently eat a highly processed diet of fats and carbs - the pizza and Doritos diet as I think of it - it's a start but I don't think it's going to be e long term solution to BS control. I understand some folks being hesitant about the high fat element, especially with regards to weight control, so I've found portion control of the higher fat foods alongside low carbing the thing that has worked best for me.

It's funny cos I don't have a problem with the fat content of the LCHF diet, it's the lack of fruit and veg that would prevent me getting my carb intake down really low. I do eat a lot less carbs than I used to and I am actually starting to question the value of the GI in terms of individual foods. It would be interesting to see if you ate a low GI fruit (say an apple) with a piece of cheese, and a high GI fruit (banana) with piece of cheese... would the banana combo give you a higher rise? I'm thinking the GI would only come into play if the fruits were eaten on their own. I might do some testing on myself ... not with bananas though cos they're about the one fruit I don't like!

 

[cold ethyl]

It's funny cos I don't have a problem with the fat content of the LCHF diet, it's the lack of fruit and veg that would prevent me getting my carb intake down really low. I do eat a lot less carbs than I used to and I am actually starting to question the value of the GI in terms of individual foods. It would be interesting to see if you ate a low GI fruit (say an apple) with a piece of cheese, and a high GI fruit (banana) with piece of cheese... would the banana combo give you a higher rise? I'm thinking the GI would only come into play if the fruits were eaten on their own. I might do some testing on myself ... not with bananas though cos they're about the one fruit I don't like!

I probably eat more veg now than I did non low carbing to fill my plate up in the absence of the mound of rice or pasta. Loads of mushrooms for breakfast, celery and raw carrots with my lunch, salads in a box if I'm off out on a drive , and then cauli and broccoli or peppers and courgettes with main meals to name a few.
I always ate my apples with cheese so continue that now , just half an apple. Even the anti low carb dietician on my DESMOND course advocated sharing a piece of fruit ( which is what she and her hubby do) as it is much sweeter these days and bigger than when I was a kid.

 

[urbanracer]

Apologies to @urbanracer as like so many other posts that start out on a totally different topic, this one seems to be turning into a LCHF debate. Why does this always happen?

No worries. I'm actually quite interested in LCHF and I'm trying to cut down my carbs. So it's all good to me.

 

[Brunneria]

Living in the UK, none of us ate much fruit until maybe 50-100 yrs ago.

You were very lucky if you could afford to buy fresh fruit - or the sugar to preserve it.
You might have had access to a fruit tree, orchard, or grew your own. But that meant gluts of fruit followed by none for most of the year. Apples would last the winter, if you kept them properly. Most other fruit had to be eaten fresh, bottled, dried or made into jams and jellies - and eked out until the next glut.

Most of the native fruit (apples, pears, gooseberries, sloes, cherries, red, black, white currants, raspberries, strawberries...) are less sweet. Especially before all the selectively bred uber sweet varieties were created.

For some reason I think plums and apricots, nectarine, grapes, all arrived with the Romans. But that is a vague memory, not sure where from. Sugar didn't become widely available until a couple of hundred years ago, and tropical fruit like oranges and bananas weren't really available until after WWII - unless you were very rich and had your own hothouse. (All dates v approximate, cos it's late, I'm tired, and I don't think total accuracy is necessary to make my point )

So, for most of the population of the British isles, fruit was a limited seasonal treat. The current, luxurious availability of international fruit is a new and amazing thing. Pity we take it so for granted.

 

[Lamont D]

It's funny cos I don't have a problem with the fat content of the LCHF diet, it's the lack of fruit and veg that would prevent me getting my carb intake down really low. I do eat a lot less carbs than I used to and I am actually starting to question the value of the GI in terms of individual foods. It would be interesting to see if you ate a low GI fruit (say an apple) with a piece of cheese, and a high GI fruit (banana) with piece of cheese... would the banana combo give you a higher rise? I'm thinking the GI would only come into play if the fruits were eaten on their own. I might do some testing on myself ... not with bananas though cos they're about the one fruit I don't like!

Because I have very little dietary advice about my condition. I am always having to experiment with my meals and trying to find a variance in certain foods that don't raise my blood glucose much if anything at all. So instead of just doing certain specific types of food, I am now experimenting on mixed meals with various and many combinations in broths, soups, curries and salads (of course) to determine wether I can limit myself to very small servings of carbs
I still have a fear of having too much carb because of the consequences.
I will one day share my findings. But most of the results about carbs are very negative, less so than certain sugars, including some fruits, which don't have an adverse effect, as long as it's not a medium to large portion.
For example, a couple of spoonfuls of fruit salad, with a couple of spoonfuls of full fat yoghurt will do very little to my BSLs. But add another spoonful of fruit and I will spike a little.
It is a fine balance and it's trial and error!
I am certainly eating a lot more veg especially leafy variations of lettuce, rocket and spinach. Beetroot,toms, cucumber. And more.
Low carb is working for me, it's my last chance of not getting diabetes and good health, I do not want to return to them bad old days!

 

[Paul59]

5.9 this wonderful morning, just took night reading, 5.9, not a bad day i'd say.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

5.9 this wonderful morning, just took night reading, 5.9, not a bad day i'd say.

Try here: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...our-fasting-blood-glucose-in-a-morning.23574/

 

[JTL]

Living in the UK, none of us ate much fruit until maybe 50-100 yrs ago.

You were very lucky if you could afford to buy fresh fruit - or the sugar to preserve it.
You might have had access to a fruit tree, orchard, or grew your own. But that meant gluts of fruit followed by none for most of the year. Apples would last the winter, if you kept them properly. Most other fruit had to be eaten fresh, bottled, dried or made into jams and jellies - and eked out until the next glut.

Most of the native fruit (apples, pears, gooseberries, sloes, cherries, red, black, white currants, raspberries, strawberries...) are less sweet. Especially before all the selectively bred uber sweet varieties were created.

For some reason I think plums and apricots, nectarine, grapes, all arrived with the Romans. But that is a vague memory, not sure where from. Sugar didn't become widely available until a couple of hundred years ago, and tropical fruit like oranges and bananas weren't really available until after WWII - unless you were very rich and had your own hothouse. (All dates v approximate, cos it's late, I'm tired, and I don't think total accuracy is necessary to make my point )

So, for most of the population of the British isles, fruit was a limited seasonal treat. The current, luxurious availability of international fruit is a new and amazing thing. Pity we take it so for granted.

Northern Europeans are a very hardy species.
No or little fruit but lots of seafood veg meat eggs.
How on earth did we ever manage?
I'm having grave doubts about this GI stuff.
People saying they eat lots of brown rice whole grain pasta etc etc ... it's all high carb and is lethal for me!
I'll stick to my LCHF but as I've said before the high fat bit is a little misleading ... I don't sit here eating lots of fat.
What I do is avouid the messed about industrial cut stuff ... why nick the cream off my milk?
That's like a drug dealer cutting his gear is it not?
I want the full natural product thank you .... same with butter cream yoghurt etc ... it fills me up and damps down my appetite.
Since I quit with the G.I stuff and went LCHF my life has imporved no end.
Thanks to this place.
Each to their own I know .....

 

[Lesleywo]

Living in the UK, none of us ate much fruit until maybe 50-100 yrs ago.

You were very lucky if you could afford to buy fresh fruit - or the sugar to preserve it.
You might have had access to a fruit tree, orchard, or grew your own. But that meant gluts of fruit followed by none for most of the year. Apples would last the winter, if you kept them properly. Most other fruit had to be eaten fresh, bottled, dried or made into jams and jellies - and eked out until the next glut.

Most of the native fruit (apples, pears, gooseberries, sloes, cherries, red, black, white currants, raspberries, strawberries...) are less sweet. Especially before all the selectively bred uber sweet varieties were created.

For some reason I think plums and apricots, nectarine, grapes, all arrived with the Romans. But that is a vague memory, not sure where from. Sugar didn't become widely available until a couple of hundred years ago, and tropical fruit like oranges and bananas weren't really available until after WWII - unless you were very rich and had your own hothouse. (All dates v approximate, cos it's late, I'm tired, and I don't think total accuracy is necessary to make my point )

So, for most of the population of the British isles, fruit was a limited seasonal treat. The current, luxurious availability of international fruit is a new and amazing thing. Pity we take it so for granted.

Haha yes, this is bringing back memories of my childhood Christmases in England. We used to get an orange and some nuts in our Xmas stockings (and a little packet of penguin mints). OMG can you imagine the reaction today if we gave the kids an orange in their Santa sacks??!! We also had tangerines, mandarins, clementines and satsumas .. they were the traditional Xmas fruits in our household ..... Aunty Joy always had a box of dates or figs still on their stems alongside a box of Turkish delight (still love that stuff).

Mum used to buy 4 golden delicious apples a week from the greengrocers .. one each and that was it. As you say, the vast array of fruit available all year round we take for granted. And the wild berries growing in the hedgerows ... we pay a fortune over here for raspberries, blackberries and the like.

My fondest fruit memories are the beautiful apples my grandad grew in his garden ...he had 3 apple trees and I always remember seeing them wrapped individually in newspapers and stored in the drawers of an old chest in the spare bedroom.

Eeeeh they were the days .... and you tell kids today and they don't bluddy believe ya!

 

[Lesleywo]

I think the term LCHF is misleading .. I mean, what the heck is high fat anyway? I reckon anything that isn't low fat is considered high fat. To me it just means eating whole, full fat products the way nature intended. There are some high fat foods I generally avoid but that is because I don't consider them to be healthy foods, not because of their fat content (too much bacon, sausages, salami etc. - not for the fat content but for the nitrate/preservative content).

I must admit the high fat label does conjure up images of people sitting around eating clotted cream by the tablespoon straight from the tub whereas in reality these foods are eaten in moderate amounts alongside other foods. I think the problem is in the label.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

My diet is about 60% of calories from fat. In Canada the healthy diet guideline is from 20 to 35% of calories from fat.

 

[JTL]

I know zilch about calories.

 

[Lesleywo]

I know zilch about calories.

That's all you need to know Jack