Hi, I currently focus on eating a variety of nutritious foods, lots of fresh veg and some fresh fruit every day, I reduce the amount of starchy carbs I eat because they are low in nutrition. I eat good fats and have some form of protein with each meal. I am reading about doing low carb but not being able to eat fruit, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar or any starchy food puts me off - I don't eat meat so my diet would be very limited, mostly green veg and a small bit of protein which puts me off. I have not finished reading yet, I am interested in this low carb because you don't get hypo's or if you are low you don't get the severe symptoms which really appeals to me so I may change my mind. I have had diabetes for nearly 30 years and my health so far is good. I was prescribed a statin drug years ago after the breakdown of a very bad relationship, my cholesterol went up to 6 but after 6 months came down to 5.something, they still prescribed a statin drug 10mg but I reduced it to 5mg and that is all I take other than insulin and vitamins and I don't take it everyday, I miss the odd day because I don't believe I need it really. Everything else is good and I have spikes but I do test often and if it is high, I bring it down with insulin. I also gets lots of exercise and drink lots of water which I believe helps to avoid complications. Low carbing will help to keep a tighter range that is true.
I low carb, am vegetarian, and just to keep things interesting, I am coeliac as well
When you low carb as a veggie, the rules change somewhat, I do use balsamic vinegar fruit and my carbs tend to come mainly from vegetables and the protein component , usually pulses , legumes and tofu . As a rule, my diet is a very healthy one, I rarely hypo and when I do its explainable. Much of the info on low carb is aimed towards omnivores, so you do have to like to cook, be creative and test more to discover your own threshold.
From the omnivore low carb information comes the idea that you can't eat certain things, but it's not necessarily true when you are vegetarian , and very personal to each person. I really can't say that my diet is limited, as I do make some good low carb meals with a lot of variety, and also include some adapted baked goods in to it.
A good resource is Celia Brooke's " Low Carb & Gluten Free Vegetarian " , though it says Gluten Free in the title, it's good for any vegetarian that is looking to lowering their carb intake because it automatically excludes wheat and other gluten containing grains.
Oh, and as a Type 1, who doesn't eat meat, your carb threshold for achieving a good HbA1c , less post prandial spikes and avoiding hypos whilst controlling your insulin doses is entirely personal. Some may need to go very low carb, others have a better tolerance at a different level. I would describe it as being " Low(er) Carb " , but still within the parameters of " Low Carb ", if that makes sense
You would, at least initially have to remember to test 2 hours post prandial to see what foods result in an unacceptable spike , but this lessens somewhat as you learn what works and what doesn't .
Signy
Edited to say- from what you describe , you probably are eating at a lower carb level already
You probably wouldn't need to alter that much, just a tweak here and there , should you wish to give it a whirl
