Curious

[derry60]

I totally agree- when foods were natural it was better but we must also remember that there was less diagnosis, less awareness and people died earlier and probably ( if there was undiagnosed diabetes) had all the complications that we are all aware enough to try to avoid now, like amputation, vision problems etc. But as natural stuff was the only thing causing bg rises - without all the processed food we have now- it maybe did not go so high. I am trying hard to wean myself off a highly processed diet and it’s very difficult- there was usually someone (a woman) at home to prepare all these from scratch meals, but now it’s gotta be done when we get in from our 12 hour shift and masses of prep on our days off. But I will get there.

I am going by the research when the medical peeps said that Diabetes was quite rare back in the day. So they must have records

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yes so much processed food now. Also years ago peeps didn't eat as much pasta either. Curious though as they did eat white bread, but then bread was better back then

Sliced white processed bread was unheard of when I was a kid. It was a new phenomenon. Shop bought was always full uncut and unprocessed loaves, mostly baked on the premises by proper bakers. Or people made their own. I had never heard of pasta when I was a teenager, and never once saw it served like it is now - I do remember tinned spaghetti though.

 

[derry60]

I can confirm that.

I can remember my doc smoking a pipe in his office back in the early 70s lol

 

[eggs11]

Yes so much processed food now. Also years ago peeps didn't eat as much pasta either. Curious though as they did eat white bread, but then bread was better back then

I think Jason Fung mentioned white bread on one of the videos I watched of him - he remembers having white bread sandwiches in the 70s, but thinks the reason it didn't affect people so much then was it was still an eat 3 times a day culture - and now people are always snacking - so our insulin is required much more frequently. I grew up in the 70s and even then I remember that was correct, we had very clear meal times, and if we had a treat it would be something like a small bag of plain crisps with the salt in the sachet that we had to add ourselves - I remember thinking it very exciting!

 

[eggs11]

Speaking of pasta - I've read that the way we eat mountains of pasta in Britain is at odds with how it is served in Italy, where it's more of a side dish, with small portions only.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I can remember my doc smoking a pipe in his office back in the early 70s lol

The GP that brought me into the world in 1947 was still my GP when I was 18. He always had a lit pipe in his mouth, in his surgery and on home visits. (Yes, they did a lot of home visits in those days.) I never saw him without it.

In 1964 I had a road accident. An ambulance was called to the scene. The ambulance man gave me a cigarette to calm my nerves! He also gave me a cup of tea from a flask with loads of sugar in it. How times have changed!

 

[derry60]

But there were plenty of meals including eg roast potatoes + Yorkshire pudding + maybe parsnips, quite possibly followed by jam roly poly and custard. I also have fond yet horrified memories of Saturday tea with crumpets followed by jam doughnuts. As Bluetit has pointed out, lots of people died in the past of heart disease and strokes, as did everyone in my family. I now think they may well have been pre-diabetic without knowing anything about it. We should not idealise the past, rather make sure our future is better.

Many people were too poor to have Crumpets and desert after..I am going way back to the early 1900s My parents would of never have seen a doughnut in their day..Many people could just about afford to have a dinner for the whole family. Even if some had a jam roly-poly, flour was different back then and the additives were not there back then either, same as bread. My father used to complain about the bread as the years went on saying that the bread was awful..No doubt sugar would not have been added either.

 

[derry60]

Speaking of pasta - I've read that the way we eat mountains of pasta in Britain is at odds with how it is served in Italy, where it's more of a side dish, with small portions only.

Really? I did not know that, yet the Italian cooks lead us to believe that it is part of a main meal

 

[Bluetit1802]

eat 3 times a day culture - and now people are always snacking - so our insulin is required much more frequently

I think this is spot on. No-one grazed when I was growing up. 3 square meals a day, and a small supper at bedtime. Oh and a third pint of milk at school break time.

 

[eggs11]

Really? I did not know that, yet the Italian cooks lead us to believe that it is part of a main meal

https://seeitalytravel.com/11-rules-for-eating-in-italy/ - they like Japan, like multiple courses, so it's not the main event as we might think it is. I guess not so much a side dish, more that it's one smaller dish in a meal made of smaller dishes.

 

[Bluetit1802]

flour was different back then and the additives were not there back then either,

As part of my social history, I have details of a flour miller found to be adding allum to make his flour whiter, which ended in the death of a young boy. This was around the 1840s.

This is interesting
http://www.breadpages.org.uk/History/H11.htm

 

[eggs11]

I think this is spot on. No-one grazed when I was growing up. 3 square meals a day, and a small supper at bedtime. Oh and a third pint of milk at school break time.

You've taken me back to memories of our class's crate of milk bottles that arrived each day - and one of us would be 'milk monitor' and pierce the foil tops and add a straw for each of us!

 

[Bluetit1802]

You've taken me back to memories of our class's crate of milk bottles that arrived each day - and one of us would be 'milk monitor' and pierce the foil tops and add a straw for each of us!

Yes, and it was always warm! In my day we got it throughout school, right up to and including 6th form. Then it was stopped for secondary schools.

 

[eggs11]

Yes, and it was always warm! In my day we got it throughout school, right up to and including 6th form. Then it was stopped for secondary schools.

It was warm - I didn't enjoy it!

 

[derry60]

I have been doing family and social history for above 20 years and have accumulated at least 100 death certificates of ancestors and many off-shoots going back to when they were first introduced in about 1837. Possibly more than 100. You would be surprised how many died of heart problems and strokes in the 1800's. A lot. My 2 x great grandfather died in hospital in 1897 of "diabetes" at the age of 71. I imagine Type 2 but it hadn't been "invented" in those days, but was clearly a cause of death. Fascinating stuff.

As for spuds, I dug my heels in when I first started low carb and continued to eat spuds. I still do, including the odd half pack of crisps occasionally. I used my meter to tell me how many and which type. Mashed, stewed and jackets off the menu, but roasted, new boiled and chips still on it. In small portions and always with fat. More than my tolerance level and I spike. With me it is grains (like @zand and @lucylocket61 plus some others on this forum.)

I have been doing family and social history for above 20 years and have accumulated at least 100 death certificates of ancestors and many off-shoots going back to when they were first introduced in about 1837. Possibly more than 100. You would be surprised how many died of heart problems and strokes in the 1800's. A lot. My 2 x great grandfather died in hospital in 1897 of "diabetes" at the age of 71. I imagine Type 2 but it hadn't been "invented" in those days, but was clearly a cause of death. Fascinating stuff.

As for spuds, I dug my heels in when I first started low carb and continued to eat spuds. I still do, including the odd half pack of crisps occasionally. I used my meter to tell me how many and which type. Mashed, stewed and jackets off the menu, but roasted, new boiled and chips still on it. In small portions and always with fat. More than my tolerance level and I spike. With me it is grains (like @zand and @lucylocket61 plus some others on this forum.)

Mind you people used to smoke back then, many drank also..So it is hard to say whether it was because of the food that caused Heart Disease strokes or smoking etc. Interestingly people also ate a lot of meat fat back then. I can remember my mother giving me a pork chop as a kid and saying "Eat the fat its good for you keep the cold out" Aso they would of had filthy bad smog

 

[derry60]

Yes, and it was always warm! In my day we got it throughout school, right up to and including 6th form. Then it was stopped for secondary schools.

Ha ha ha I loved the milk in the Winter but not the Summer lol

 

[derry60]

The GP that brought me into the world in 1947 was still my GP when I was 18. He always had a lit pipe in his mouth, in his surgery and on home visits. (Yes, they did a lot of home visits in those days.) I never saw him without it.

In 1964 I had a road accident. An ambulance was called to the scene. The ambulance man gave me a cigarette to calm my nerves! He also gave me a cup of tea from a flask with loads of sugar in it. How times have changed!

It doesn't bear thinking about now does it. I really hate the smell of ciggies now..I got my eldest son to give up. My younger son in his 20s has never smoked. My 43 year old..Has been ciggy free for nearly a year now

 

[Sue192]

Many people were too poor to have Crumpets and desert after..I am going way back to the early 1900s My parents would of never have seen a doughnut in their day..Many people could just about afford to have a dinner for the whole family. Even if some had a jam roly-poly, flour was different back then and the additives were not there back then either, same as bread. My father used to complain about the bread as the years went on saying that the bread was awful..No doubt sugar would not have been added either.

I am sure the introduction of the Chorleywood Process for mass-producing bread has contributed. Buy a loaf from an artisan/traditional bakery - here's one that sells its bread in the area http://www.evershotbakery.com/ - and it is a world away from Hovis, Warburtons etc. Then there's the insidious adding of sugar and corn syrup to everything. You have to be very careful these days when buying something you think can't possibly have sugar - I was caught out by hot-smoked salmon with black pepper. Yum, I thought as I munched away; halfway through: 'this is too sweet'. Sure enough, Demerara sugar was one of the ingredients. Ok if it said sweet chili but pepper-coated? Lesson learnt!

 

[derry60]

I have been doing family and social history for above 20 years and have accumulated at least 100 death certificates of ancestors and many off-shoots going back to when they were first introduced in about 1837. Possibly more than 100. You would be surprised how many died of heart problems and strokes in the 1800's. A lot. My 2 x great grandfather died in hospital in 1897 of "diabetes" at the age of 71. I imagine Type 2 but it hadn't been "invented" in those days, but was clearly a cause of death. Fascinating stuff.

As for spuds, I dug my heels in when I first started low carb and continued to eat spuds. I still do, including the odd half pack of crisps occasionally. I used my meter to tell me how many and which type. Mashed, stewed and jackets off the menu, but roasted, new boiled and chips still on it. In small portions and always with fat. More than my tolerance level and I spike. With me it is grains (like @zand and @lucylocket61 plus some others on this forum.)

I have heard that Red potatoes are the best for people who are diabetic if they can tolerate them, and also good cold in a potato salad..Something about eating potatoes cooled that makes then less starchy.

 

[Sue192]

You've taken me back to memories of our class's crate of milk bottles that arrived each day - and one of us would be 'milk monitor' and pierce the foil tops and add a straw for each of us!

That's taken me back too! Those cute little 1/3 pint bottles and being milk monitor! We were given two biscuits with the milk, usually Sport biscuits (sort of a malted milk) and the milk was lovely - cool and creamy. We must have been posh as I don't remember warm milk Mind you, the building was a fridge winter and summer....