Low carb food choice?

[michael8626]

Hello,

First time post, go easy on me!

I am 37 years old, a few kilos overweight and have been insulin depended for the last five years. For the last couple of months my diet and blood sugar levels have been all over the place.

The results of my last eye check found ‘diabetic activity’ in my eyes. Reading that on the letter from the eye clinic has refocused me on my medical condition that at times I am ashamed to admit do not take seriously.

Hence my joining this forum that I must say I have read from time to time.

In the past I have ‘tried’ low carb diets to lose weight. These work for me and lower my blood sugar levels dramatically. I can stick to this type of diet for around a month and it is usually boredom, through my perceived lack of food choice, which causes me to revert back to my old eating habits.

I must admit to being a ‘traditional English’ type of food person but can anybody recommend any websites or books that detail low carb menus or food choices so I can expand my shopping list?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

 

[fergus]

Hi Michael,

Good to meet you.
One thing I'd suggest is trying to change your perception of a lack of food choice. Granted, there are foods you need to avoid on a low carb diet, but I'd say everyone should be avoiding them for the good of their health. On the other hand, think of all the foods that conventional wisdom says shuld be restricted but are suddenly back on the menu on a low carb diet. I'm thinking of meat, without the fat removed, eggs, cheeses, cream, in fact all of the 'guilty pleasures' that are now fair game.

I'd recommend Prof. Charles Clark's 'The Diabetes Revolution' as a book full of great recipes for the foodie in you.

All the best,

fergus

 

[AliB]

Hi Michael

The site 'Low Carb Diabetes' has a recipe section that might help.

There are low-carb cookery books around - I have one '500' low carb recipes' which you should find on Amazon if you are interested. Apparently the 'Low Carbohydrate Gourmet' book is good too.

Although we are happy to experiment, for our meals we often have the meat with a good selection of veg, but no potato or starchy carb veg. Last night we had roast chicken with creamed cauli (mashed with butter, salt and a dash of cream), broccoli and carrots. I had a small slice of a corn on the cob. There was a little carb in the carrots and corn and in the drizzle of gravy. I'm not bothered about the potato at all. I have plenty of butter so don't need much gravy.

Tonight I chopped up the cauli leaf stalks, an onion, added some mushrooms and broccoli and fried it off in a pan with plenty of butter and some olive oil. I added some of the chicken from the night before and the leftover gravy plus a little water and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile I baked a potato in the microwave. My hub had the potato and some chicken mix and I just had a good bowlful of the chicken and veggie mix. It was delicious.

I often do a stir-fry with meat and veg. It's quick and delicious. I often use pak choi or choi sum sliced up, a courgette or two chopped up, onion and mushrooms and run a carrot or two through a 'mandolin' slicer and add that. Its not too much to add much carb but adds a lovely orange twang to the mix. You can use whatever veg you fancy.

If you like sausages, M & S Premium ones are 93% pork - 8 for £2.29. Unlike a lot of sausages which contain a lot of rusk and often consist of less than 50% meat, they are very meaty and low-carb (and gluten-free too).

 

[sugarless sue]

There are low carb recipes here on this forum.

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4871#p35474

 

[michael8626]

Many thanks,

I will have a look at some of the suggested material, hopefully it will give me some ideas and inspiration.

I will keep you posted!

Regards
Michael

 

[michael8626]

I am sticking to it, feeling better in myself, have more energy and I am starting to lose weight.

If I did have to have chocolate (!) please could some kind soul 'evaluate' Sainsburys no added sugar dark chocolate with sweeteners (to give it its full title)!

100g
502 kcal

Carbs 36.0g
of which sugars 2.0g
polyols 29.6g
of which starch 4.5g

Fibre 10g

Carbs ? 'net carbs' ? Please enlighten me!

 

[NickW]

Hi Michael,

Well done on sticking with it, and great to hear that it seems to be working for you!

The best dark chocolate from the point of view of low-carb is the 85% stuff; Lindt and Green & Blacks both do them, and I think Sainsbury's do their own-brand version as well. From memory it's something like 19g carbs per 100g, as opposed to the 36g in the one you just posted; so roughly half the carbs. It took me a bit of getting used to though, but I love it now (not that I eat it often, maybe twice a month; and find that about 20g at a time gives me a fix, rather than scoffing an entire bar of milk chocolate!)

The chocolate you've posted uses polyols in place of sugar. These are supposed to have a smaller impact on blood glucose than plain sugar and they contain slightly fewer calories (so from that point of view polyols "should" be better for the diabetic), but in reality many people find that there's not much difference. Personally, given the choice, I'd simply go for the 85% stuff that's made with real sugar, and not eat too much of it.