Struggling with food and open to suggestions?

[Patrick66]

I'm autistic with ADHD, dysythmia and social anxiety disorder, as well as seasonal affective disorder, obviously diabetic (type 2), with fibromyalgia (very bad) and I've had two strokes.

And I struggle with food.

My last Hba1c was 81, my highest ever, and I've taken steps to cut carbs, cut anything sweet etc.. but my problem is that I eat a very narrow range of foods. It's an autistic thing to do with taste, sight, smell etc, and that range of foods is shrinking. If I eat too much of one thing then my stomach starts to revolt and I simply can't eat it anymore. It makes me physically sick.

The diabetic dietician felt I ate a sufficient range of foods to get through the weeks, but now the weeks are months and I am starting to feel nauseous at the prospect of yet more chicken, more broccoli, more fish, more eggs etc, and I feel like I am running out of ideas and inspiration whilst trying very hard to go backwards.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you.

 

[Melgar]

@Patrick66 your range of foods - chicken , broccoli and fish - how do you cook them ? Are you able to vary your recipes containing those items or do you simply cook them and not add other ingredients which, of course, would change their taste.
I’m AuDHD too ( I also have dyspraxia and coeliac ) . I also limit my foods, I’m texture sensitive, but I am able to vary my meals. For instance, when using chicken - breast only - I can have it pan seared with salt pepper and olive oil, Piri piri coated chicken, Coronation chicken or sometimes I flatten my chicken and coat it with GF breadcrumbs . I can also curry it. I tend towards having salad with my foods. Can you eat salad stuff or is it just broccoli? Broccoli you can cook in different ways, it depends on what you can tolerate .

I can go through phases of eating exactly the same thing for weeks at a time, like spicy salmon sushi and sashimi, I ate that exact combo for months.

Edited to add carried chicken .

 

[dawnmc]

How about roasting your veg, and making cheese sauce with philly and cheddar. Peppers stuffed with mince and seasoning.

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Patrick66 , Apart from the food suggestions as above, have you considered different diabetes medications which may allow you a wider scope of food without having your BG go high all the time?

According to your profile you're on metformin only, and there are lots of medications that can help. A very low carb diet isn't for everyone and eating is important. If eating in itself is such a struggle, maybe medications like gliptins, flozins, gliclazide or insulin can help you find a balance between your diabetes and your food struggles.

 

[There is no Spoon]

but my problem is that I eat a very narrow range of foods.

Hi @Patrick66 If your anything like my daughter its not only a limited range of food but also how its cooked, in her case always plain with no sauce or variety of flavour profiles.

She tends to have the same 5 meals repeated again and again with very little variation. We would probably get away with eating just roast chicken, sage and onion stuffing, gravy, and raw carrots & mushrooms, often skipping the veg if she had her own way. In addition to this I always rotate a meal in every couple of weeks like roast beef instead of chicken once every 3 weeks.

What I find helps is to always have at least 3 of the 5 options in the fridge so she always has a choice.
I am sure you can appreciate some days you don't want the texture of chicken there is always the option for her of salmon or even simpler just baked potatoes with a filling on the side. (can't mix foods) And yes its disappointing when suddenly she becomes fed up with a food which then has to be stricken from the list of options.

Is this is in any way familiar, food preference's and texture sensitive, do you give yourself options to vary each meal on that day if your just not in the mood for it. I'm sure lots of us could provide recipes, if you are able to let us know what food you like to eat and how your food is prepared.

 

[Patrick66]

How about roasting your veg, and making cheese sauce with philly and cheddar. Peppers stuffed with mince and seasoning.

I can't tolerate peppers. I have a very low tolerance for anything remotely spicy.

 

[Patrick66]

@Patrick66 your range of foods - chicken , broccoli and fish - how do you cook them ? Are you able to vary your recipes containing those items or do you simply cook them and not add other ingredients which, of course, would change their taste.
I’m AuDHD too ( I also have dyspraxia and coeliac ) . I also limit my foods, I’m texture sensitive, but I am able to vary my meals. For instance, when using chicken - breast only - I can have it pan seared with salt pepper and olive oil, Piri piri coated chicken, Coronation chicken or sometimes I flatten my chicken and coat it with GF breadcrumbs . I can also curry it. I tend towards having salad with my foods. Can you eat salad stuff or is it just broccoli? Broccoli you can cook in different ways, it depends on what you can tolerate .

I can go through phases of eating exactly the same thing for weeks at a time, like spicy salmon sushi and sashimi, I ate that exact combo for months.

Edited to add carried chicken .

I try to do different things eg baking, roasting, but just the same few ingredients is really starting to repulse me. I find i cook food but then just can't stomach more than one or two mouthfuls.

 

[Patrick66]

Hi @Patrick66 , Apart from the food suggestions as above, have you considered different diabetes medications which may allow you a wider scope of food without having your BG go high all the time?

According to your profile you're on metformin only, and there are lots of medications that can help. A very low carb diet isn't for everyone and eating is important. If eating in itself is such a struggle, maybe medications like gliptins, flozins, gliclazide or insulin can help you find a balance between your diabetes and your food struggles.

I really should update that, lol. I've not been on metformin for a while now, but on canagliflozin. I don't know if changing and having greater freedom (as such) would help, because I am still limited by what I can physically cope with and that's a narrow range to begin with.

 

[Melgar]

I try to do different things eg baking, roasting, but just the same few ingredients is really starting to repulse me. I find i cook food but then just can't stomach more than one or two mouthfuls.

I tend towards hypo-sensitivity with taste, so I go spicy. I have a vast array of worldwide spices . It’s one of several hypo-sensitivity reactions I have. Are you hypo or hyper sensitive to taste?
Another hypo sensitivity for me is heavy base music. I like it loud, and my only other hypo-sensitivity is visual detail . I love detail , I can get lost in visual detail for hours.
Food texture and the smell of food can be a real problem for me. I gag and wretch, but I do like sameness of meals , that is until I get bored with them, so I’m guessing this is where you are at.

 

[PhilC72]

I'm autistic with ADHD, dysythmia and social anxiety disorder, as well as seasonal affective disorder, obviously diabetic (type 2), with fibromyalgia (very bad) and I've had two strokes.

And I struggle with food.

My last Hba1c was 81, my highest ever, and I've taken steps to cut carbs, cut anything sweet etc.. but my problem is that I eat a very narrow range of foods. It's an autistic thing to do with taste, sight, smell etc, and that range of foods is shrinking. If I eat too much of one thing then my stomach starts to revolt and I simply can't eat it anymore. It makes me physically sick.

The diabetic dietician felt I ate a sufficient range of foods to get through the weeks, but now the weeks are months and I am starting to feel nauseous at the prospect of yet more chicken, more broccoli, more fish, more eggs etc, and I feel like I am running out of ideas and inspiration whilst trying very hard to go backwards.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you.

The advice to eat proteins is sound, although I have travelled the path of ending up hating the foods.

I've tended to cut through it all be developing a hobby with fresh gourmet coffee, which has no effect on my BG and is apparently good for the liver.

It may be worth exploring treatment options. I went through 5 kinds of medication trying to get my T2D under control. In the end I've ended up on insulin and while ppl dread this, it's got things under control and allows room for the occasional treat which helps my sanity.
They will also give you a Continuous Glucose monitor if you're jabbing which was transformational for me (after a couple of months of blind panic/frustration, I think we might have similar character types!).

If you can find a Men's Club in your locale I'd recommend that as it's a place to vent and escape from all the other things you mention.

Hope that helps.