I wonder if any one can help my husband has type 2 and will not eat chicken or fish. I have a lot of problems trying to find food that he will eat. I look at the labels of anything I buy for him but I would like to buy cakes for myself but he gets really miserable if I even eat a mars bar so there is no cake in the house or biscuits except those which have no sugar. I feel a bit selfish if i eat anything he can't have. But regards his meals i really am having problems so help or ideas would really be appreciated.
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Can anyone help with food choices.
- Thread starter kelvin18
- Start Date
ButtterflyLady
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- Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
There are some great food ideas in the recipes and low carb areas of the forum. To replace chicken and fish, you could use meat, cheeses, and eggs. Creme fraiche or clotted cream is a quick and tasty way to make a low carb sauce.
If I had a non diabetic spouse I would be ok with them eating mars bars, cake or biscuits as long as I didn't see it or know about it, lol. When I can't avoid seeing those foods or people eating them, I just remind myself of the damage they would do if I ate them.
I think in a relationship there needs to be some give and take, ie the non diabetic tries to avoid tempting the diabetic, while the diabetic tries to accept things without being over-sensitive. My life became much easier once I accepted that while having diabetes does limit my choices, I am choosing to be healthy instead of having fleeting pleasure that can worsen my health. I honestly would not enjoy high carb/sugar food now because of what it does to me.
If I had a non diabetic spouse I would be ok with them eating mars bars, cake or biscuits as long as I didn't see it or know about it, lol. When I can't avoid seeing those foods or people eating them, I just remind myself of the damage they would do if I ate them.
I think in a relationship there needs to be some give and take, ie the non diabetic tries to avoid tempting the diabetic, while the diabetic tries to accept things without being over-sensitive. My life became much easier once I accepted that while having diabetes does limit my choices, I am choosing to be healthy instead of having fleeting pleasure that can worsen my health. I honestly would not enjoy high carb/sugar food now because of what it does to me.
Redsnapper
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Have a look on the forum at the what have you eaten today thread.Always a great source of inspiration for me.Also there are extensive recipe ideas,with loads of ideas for breads and cakes,puddings etc.All diabetic friendly, but do test with his meter afterwards, I'm sure you will find some "keepers".
It may mean more time in the kitchen,so see if you can get him indoors to get a pinny on and get stuck in ;-)
It may mean more time in the kitchen,so see if you can get him indoors to get a pinny on and get stuck in ;-)
Hi, I know that reducing sugar or sugary foods helps although these are slow release. It is more important to reduce fat and carbohydrate to reduce the sugar levels in the blood. I don't know where you are calling from, if it is the UK get your GP or Diabetic Clinic to refer you and your husband to the Expert Program this will teach both you and your husband what foods to eat and which to avoid and what proportions to put on the plate etc. regards
Glynne
daisy1
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@kelvin18
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and it may help you to help your husband in his food choices and give you some ideas. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and it may help you to help your husband in his food choices and give you some ideas. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Daphne917
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,351
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I have no problem with my husband eating biscuits, sweets etc - I just make sure that there is something low carb in the cupboard for me as well! For example we both like Popcorn so he has the unhealthy Butterkist (daren't even look at the carbs!!) whilst I have Tyrells sweet and salty @ 5.6 carbs per bag. When he has a Toffee Crisp or Bounty I have a couple of squares of 80% chocolate.
Hi and welcome
This thread has some fantastic ideas for lots of lower carb options, including some fantastic desserts and cakes you could enjoy together.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/vegetarian-vegan-low-carb-recipe-index.61859/
I eat a lot of beef, lamb, pork and turkey, and all those are great when lower carbing.
My partner isn't diabetic and eats what he likes. I encourage it.
He doesn't touch coffee or choc though, due to over indulgence in the past. But he encourages me to eat and drink them whenever i like - although i stick to 70% cocoa solid choc, because that is lower carb.
I guess we like to see each other happy.
This thread has some fantastic ideas for lots of lower carb options, including some fantastic desserts and cakes you could enjoy together.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/vegetarian-vegan-low-carb-recipe-index.61859/
I eat a lot of beef, lamb, pork and turkey, and all those are great when lower carbing.
My partner isn't diabetic and eats what he likes. I encourage it.
He doesn't touch coffee or choc though, due to over indulgence in the past. But he encourages me to eat and drink them whenever i like - although i stick to 70% cocoa solid choc, because that is lower carb.
I guess we like to see each other happy.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bluetit1802
Legend
I'm afraid I have to take issue with this. Sugar and sugary foods are quick release, not slow release and need to be avoided. I agree it is essential to reduce carbohydrate as all carbs convert to glucose once in the system and glucose is just what a diabetic does not want. However, fat will not increase blood sugar levels. I don't know where you got that from. In fact, fat helps to keep post meal blood sugar spikes down.
He doesn't need to eat chicken or fish. He can eat any sort of meat to go with his vegetables or salads. Starting the day with eggs is a good choice - cooked any which way, or bacon and eggs with a tomato and mushrooms cooked in butter. He just needs to reduce the starchy carbs. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals are the main ones to reduce or avoid.
My husband eats what he likes, and always when I'm there. It doesn't bother me one iota. I know I'm the one eating healthily, not him.
