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Low Carb diet problems

J

jennywren8

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3
I have Type 2 and my latest HbA1c test was 55. I have been told to limit my carb intake to 150 a day and am having difficulties.
I cook all my food from fresh ingredients but it appears to me that to adjust to low carbs I need to eat more fat. My problems are that I am dairy allergic and also have to follow a low fat, low fibre diet for upper GI conditions I have. I also have difficulty walking due to a long term back problem which has left me with no feeling in the bottom half of my legs. I do what exercise I can mainly stretching and definitely not aerobic. I feel overwhelmed now about what to eat. I have seen a dietician who seemed more overwhelmed than me and had no real answers!
Any advice gratefully received.
 
jennywren8 said:
I have Type 2 and my latest HbA1c test was 55. I have been told to limit my carb intake to 150 a day and am having difficulties.
I cook all my food from fresh ingredients but it appears to me that to adjust to low carbs I need to eat more fat. My problems are that I am dairy allergic and also have to follow a low fat, low fibre diet for upper GI conditions I have. I also have difficulty walking due to a long term back problem which has left me with no feeling in the bottom half of my legs. I do what exercise I can mainly stretching and definitely not aerobic. I feel overwhelmed now about what to eat. I have seen a dietician who seemed more overwhelmed than me and had no real answers!
Any advice gratefully received.
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Jenny, welcome.

I'm sure there will be some options open to you, but it could be helpful, to help us make relevant suggestions, if you could give us an idea of what you have been eating.

There are lots of non-dairy fats around, so don't panic there. Are you allergic to all dairy or is it mainly milk or yoghurt things you can't have. Some folks find they can have cheese, but not milk.
 
Hi @jennywren8 this is a dilemma. Essentially you are being told to do low carb, whilst also doing low calorie - like a cutting diet for a body builder about to show. The first note is that the 150 grams of carbs a day is "lower" compared to the SUK / SAD (standard UK / standard American) diets, but would for the majority in LCHF / Keto world be up to 10 times higher in carbs than accepted.

I believe to get some substantial progress i.e. time over effort 150 should become somewhere around 75 grams per day upper limit. There are many different types of fats, the not so good ones are margarine, canola / rapeseed and sunflower oils. I would consider olive oil, coconut oils, as you have indicated issues with diary these types have not been specified. I would keep a detailed food diary, research the food types that are compatible with your GI issue, select the lowest in carbs and highest nutrient density, and eat to your meter https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/eat-to-your-meter.html (test before and after how your blood glucose changes 30, 60, 90 and 120 mins). You will need to find the balance of foods that suit your GI issue (which may ease on lower carb, enabling a possibility to eat more regular fat) and your blood glucose / satiety.

By having a diary you can note what food combinations ticked the boxes for enjoyment of food, blood glucose control and respecting your GI issues.
 
I can't have any dairy but can have soya milk. I also have vegan cheese in my diet. I am mainly vegetarian but eat white fish and very occasionally chicken or turkey. I can eat eggs. All vegetables are ok although I don't like onions or garlic very much.
In fruit I mainly eat berries, apples, and bananas. I can't eat citrus fruit at all. For salad I can't eat lettuce or rocket but can eat other leaves, tomatoes beetroot celery etc.
 
Instant suggestion would be to drop the bananas
 
jennywren8 said:
Too much meat and my digestive tract plays up big time but I can eat it probably 2 x a month.
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Jenny, I'm tagging our fried, @Mel dCP who is actually a longstanding and knowledgeable T1, but she does have some considerable allergies, including dairy and some meats, so she may have something useful to add.
 
@jennywren8 when you say eating mostly veggie, does that include bread, rice, pasta, potato?
 
It’s worth considering that some digestive issues are likely at least partially attributable to previous dietary habits, and may improve over time as this changes. Of course they may not, but it would be wise not to write off any possibilities based on what you used to eat :)
 
It is difficult to give you diet advice when you are allergic to things Many here on the low carb high fat diet eat a lot of meat but you say you can only eat it a occasionally and only chicken or turkey and both are good so is fish but can you only eat white fish and not oily fish like salmon trout and fresh tuna. Maybe the vegetarians on this group could give you ideas for alternative choices for meat and dairy which may makes thing easier for you. Hopefully some will come along to help
 
Coconut oil is a brilliant dense source of energy for vegetarians looking for fat sources. It’s also lush :D
 
jennywren8 said:
I can't have any dairy but can have soya milk. I also have vegan cheese in my diet. I am mainly vegetarian but eat white fish and very occasionally chicken or turkey. I can eat eggs. All vegetables are ok although I don't like onions or garlic very much.
In fruit I mainly eat berries, apples, and bananas. I can't eat citrus fruit at all. For salad I can't eat lettuce or rocket but can eat other leaves, tomatoes beetroot celery etc.
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Hi @jennywren8,

Do you like avocados? -- They are kind of a vegetarian superfood on low carb. Also nuts (especially macadamias, almonds, brazils, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts) are quite filling.
 
Just a quickie, as I’m at work - I’m allergic to all meats and cow dairy, but I eat loads of fish, eggs and quite a lot of vegan meat replacements such as Quorn, Beyond Meat burgers, and there’s a mince that is surprisingly good, but can’t remember the name right now. And leaves. Lots of spinach, both cooked and as a salad. Courgettes, aubergines, broccoli etc. Will be back later, just arrived at my job (Ambulance crewing today).
 
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