Its OK saying about hb1ac

[rinfrance]

It ok for doctors etc to go on about Hb1ac however how does one go away. We have found sugar being put into batter, sugars in tinned beans that are supplied in restaurants, sugar being put in mashed potato!!! and even in chili concarne. So presumably we must not go away!!!
I have a daughter who lives in the UK it takes about 12 hours to get there so a meal is necessary somewhere. However we found sugar being put on chips "to make them crispier" and goodness knows what else. I suppose that not eating and no or rather controlled injections of insulin are the way!
We had just come back from the UK and the diabetic doctor threw a wobbly as my wotsist had gone up.
it is OK to say something, yet there appears no laws to make cafe's restaurants etc put what rubbish they are putting in foods. Until legislation is introduced to that effect then frankly we stand no chance. We have seen a certain pizza chain putting 150 cal coke out when the client asked for light. Even if there was legislation then there is still no obligation to serve sugar free stuff.
Anyway as stated apart from not eating!
I also think some diabetic doctors do not understand the problem. Ours KNOWS that I have problem with drugs etc. That without Desloratidine I get chest pains and that actarapid causes me problems, yet she still wondered why I took Novomix at night and not Actarapid. Worse the actarapid does little except bring my sugars down with a bang yet give an hour in bed and they are up to 8.5, at least the Novomix keeps the sugars down for about 6 hours when the liver then pushes the sugars up to about 8.5.
Frankly the medical profession need to get to grips with the various problems, not just spout "you must keep" or " 4 out of 5 cannot control".
Incidentally we found out that here in France the licence holder for a type of cola was putting in more sugar than the normal in the UK and US. The normal here in France having about 2 x that of the UK and US. I contacted the mark holder in the US and the French company Orangina lost the contract. We were told actually in hospital when I was diagnosed that if it says Orangina or Kellogs on the packet do not touch it and if it said Nestle read the small print VERY carefully! They for example make a coffee with about 2-3 spoonfuls of sugar in a small cupful.

 

[jack412]

It's an unlucky dip I'm afraid. Most processed food isn't good to eat. The only thing you can be sure about is what comes out of your kitchen

 

[Totto]

I wouldn't worry about a gram or two of sugar on my crisps. I worry about the amount of starch in crips so avoid them completely.

 

[noblehead]

Actrapid is an old insulin, you will find your control is better on a basal/bolus regime. To avoid mix-ups with soft drinks make sure you buy them from a bottle, can or carton that says diet or sugar-free, the lines on the drink dispensers in pubs and fast-food chains are often mixed up and dispense the wrong drink.

 

[phoenix]

It's an unlucky dip I'm afraid. Most processed food isn't good to eat. The only thing you can be sure about is what comes out of your kitchen

Absolutely, we also have to drive 10-12 hours just to get to the ferry in France. We take normally take a cold box with our own food for at least one meal. We most often take roast chicken, salad, separate dressing, some pain aux cereals , and some fruit. My OH drinks diet coke but I tend to drink water. In winter we may take a flask but I'm quite happy to drink French coffee, even those service stations with just machines dispense a long espresso with or without sugar.
If we go by the overnight ferry we would tend to eat at a 'proper' restaurant in Caen or Le Havre (quite often fish or moules) .
In the opposite direction we would a picnic in the evening (sometimes on board) , eat a cooked breakfast on the ferry, a second picnic midway and then eat when we get home . There is no need to eat processed rubbish, just a need to plan ahead.

 

[Ambersilva]

@rinfrance Most of the foodstuffs you have mentioned I would not consider eating even in my own kitchen. When being dispensed a coke in a restaurant which cannot be served in a bottle I test the liquid for sugar content with my glucose meter. I even test the bottled stuff which arrives at the table uncapped and may have been topped up with the draught stuff.

 

[rinfrance]

I wouldn't worry about a gram or two of sugar on my crisps. I worry about the amount of starch in crips so avoid them completely.

Not crisps that should not be eaten period (grease, sugar and salt, add that to the starch), but what some call French fries or even potato wedges! Glucose meter, do you use your blood tester?
You obviously use Brittany Ferries, well having their breakfast means that your potato waffle is high in sugars and or starch, the sausages have loads of starch in them, and the bacon is stuffed with glucose! We now avoid Ferry food completely.The pain aux cereals is also stuffed with sugar and again hard wheat so if I eat them its goodnight Vienna. Whatever we do we find there are problems. As others have said its pretty difficult in ones own kitchen let alone on the run! I go along with the bottled stuff, in fact now we only have a carafe of normal water, we have discovered that some bottled water has sugar or salt added. Even it seems they are now putting sugar in kebab meats!

 

[phoenix]

More often than not we use LD lines, but prefer to use Brittany on the return journey.
When travelling I test very frequently. I don't find it causes problems for my overall averages. I use an insulin pump but previously used a basal bolus regime as mentioned by Nigel (I changed because of the exercise I do)

One thing when travelling for such a long time is insufficient exercise. There are a couple of service station stops that we use to allow me to go for a walk ( one has a large lake and some woodland which is good, but there are lots of aires that are in pleasant places for brief walks)

If you are uncertain then for breakfast you could eat fried or scrambled eggs and fresh tomatoes or mushrooms (that is what I actually often have, you are offered the choice. Actually I doubt there is going to be much, if any sugar on bacon but it will always be high in salt. On BF the restaurant also offers a cold buffet.
If that doesn't suit then you could always take a picnic breakfast
I've very happy with my pain au cereales and I can assure you there is no added sugar, I sometimes buy the flour mix to make my own and it is just a mixture of grains/seed and flours. almond or walnut breads I often use are naturally even lower in carbs. If you buy industrial breads like Harry's then that is a different matter.

If you have found normal bottled water with sugar in it then report it to ANSES since they control and test bottled waters in France and it wouldn't conform to regulations. (if it's a flavoured water then that is different)
Water naturally contains sodium, you can avoid high levels, if you look at water that can be used in babies bottles .
Just avoid over processed foods, that really isn't too hard in the UK and is probably easier in France.

 

[Alan S]

It ok for doctors etc to go on about Hb1ac however how does one go away. We have found sugar being put into batter, sugars in tinned beans that are supplied in restaurants, sugar being put in mashed potato!!! and even in chili concarne. So presumably we must not go away!!![snipped for brevity, but read it all]

I understand your concern about processed foods, but you seem unduly concerned about sugar. Sugar is just another carb to me. I am more worried about the starch in batter, the carbs in beans and the starch in potato than the sugars added to them. It's the total carbs that count for my meter when I test at my post-meal peak, not the proportion of sugar

I travel a fair bit; travel was top of my bucket list when I received my double diagnosis. I don't have a big problem being selective eating strange foods in strange places because I always start with small portions, choose fairly carefully and test after meals for the first few days to discover the dishes with hidden carbs in sauces and thickeners.

 

[this is too difficult]

@rinfrance Most of the foodstuffs you have mentioned I would not consider eating even in my own kitchen. When being dispensed a coke in a restaurant which cannot be served in a bottle I test the liquid for sugar content with my glucose meter. I even test the bottled stuff which arrives at the table uncapped and may have been topped up with the draught stuff.

Now then. Does that work? Dip strip in the drink?

 

[Ambersilva]

Now then. Does that work? Dip strip in the drink?

Yes! Just dip strip in the drink to suck up some liquid. If there is enough sugar to measure it will produce a reading. If there is a little or no sugar present in the drink, my Bayer Contour meter will alert me to seek medical attention immediately!

 

[this is too difficult]

I am going out for lunch tomorrow then.

 

[this is too difficult]

That one has worried me for ages. Thanks.

 

[Brunneria]

Yes! Just dip strip in the drink to suck up some liquid. If there is enough sugar to measure it will produce a reading. If there is a little or no sugar present in the drink, my Bayer Contour meter will alert me to seek medical attention immediately!

Definitely some sample tests needed.

I love a good experiment!

 

[Alan S]

That one has worried me for ages. Thanks.

I'm not sure it works for all strips, try it and see. If you buy your own strips it could get expensive.

I use a simpler approach. I never buy a drink dispensed by post-mix. Ever. I cannot control what is coming out of that machine, nor whether the manager connected the right syrup to it. It is not unknown for managers to connect the regular syrup when the diet runs out.

If I cannot buy it in a sealed bottle or can, I don't buy it. The same applies when I get a mixed drink in a bar. I buy the shot straight and a can or bottle of diet drink on the side.

 

[this is too difficult]

Im in my caravan with no drinks but will be trying that on Monday.

 

[this is too difficult]

Im in my caravan with no drinks but will be trying thative

I'm not sure it works for all strips, try it and see. If you buy your own strips it could get expensive.

I use a simpler approach. I never buy a drink dispensed by post-mix. Ever. I cannot control what is coming out of that machine, nor whether the manager connected the right syrup to it. It is not unknown for managers to connect the regular syrup when the diet runs out.

If I cannot buy it in a sealed bottle or can, I don't buy it. The same applies when I get a mixed drink in a bar. I buy the shot straight and a can or bottle of diet drink on the side.

I've been doing that too. But if my Meyer can tell the difference It will make q diiferrence to us eating out

 

[this is too difficult]

P

Im in my caravan with no drinks but will be trying thative

I've been doing that too. But if my Meyer can tell the difference It will make q diiferrence to us eating out

Most of mine turn out bad.

Definitely some sample tests needed.

I love a good experiment!

 

[this is too difficult]

P

Most of mine turn out bad.

OK will try.

 

[AndBreathe]

Definitely some sample tests needed.

I love a good experiment!

Alternatively, and more cheaply, Diastix work well, with just a quick dip and wait 30 seconds. I mean, Diastix aren't much use for urine testing..........