New diabetic struggling with meals

[Bogie]

I haven't seen it mentioned, so I'll add it here: Once you stop eating "sweets", you'll find your sweet tooth will not nag at you as much. It's tough getting it out of the system; for me, I felt deprived. But after a while, I felt better and got to where veggies, especially raw ones, became my treat. I know it sounds crazy.

Yes indeed! Sugar withdrawal. Especially to those of us who were sugarholics Besides the veggies and other natural replacements for snacks there are more and more "sugar free" foods/snacks as Diabetes becomes more talked about and recognized and, of course, be cautious of "No sugar added" - really read the labels as that does not mean no sugar but rather nothing added to the existing sugar of that food item ... and of course, watch for the total Carbs. As a side-note ... beware of high Sodium/salt because it increases blood pressure (so forget all about frozen prepared food because the Sodium content is insane). Sodium is also a big part of creating Kidney Stones and you really don't want to aggravate your situation.

LOL, throw away the Sugar and High Carbs, and throw away the Salt .... both are food enhancers that addict us to all sorts of the sweet and salty foods that do not do us any good but please the palate. Your life will change and so will your health.

 

[slinkimalinki]

Yes indeed! Sugar withdrawal. Especially to those of us who were sugarholics Besides the veggies and other natural replacements for snacks there are more and more "sugar free" foods/snacks as Diabetes becomes more talked about and recognized and, of course, be cautious of "No sugar added" - really read the labels as that does not mean no sugar but rather nothing added to the existing sugar of that food item ... and of course, watch for the total Carbs. As a side-note ... beware of high Sodium/salt because it increases blood pressure (so forget all about frozen prepared food because the Sodium content is insane). Sodium is also a big part of creating Kidney Stones and you really don't want to aggravate your situation.

LOL, throw away the Sugar and High Carbs, and throw away the Salt .... both are food enhancers that addict us to all sorts of the sweet and salty foods that do not do us any good but please the palate. Your life will change and so will your health.

Actually if you are cutting out the processed foods, that are high in salt, you will need to add salt to your food as our bodies do need salt.

 

[paulus1]

get yourself a decent carb counting book. 120carbs a day to start is probably ok. then slowly reduce as you feel you can. you really do need a meter. guessing how your body reacts to food is very bad for you. you will learn not to listen to the diet advice from your nurse its sad that its the only way you will get good control.

 

[Bogie]

Actually if you are cutting out the processed foods, that are high in salt, you will need to add salt to your food as our bodies do need salt.

It is almost impossible to avoid salt as just about any food you buy contains salt /sodium in some way I did not say all "processed foods" but rather "frozen" prepared foods. To be more specific, frozen TV Dinners, frozen prepared meals of just about any kind, frozen prepared foods of different kinds. Most are extremely high in Sodium/Salt. Frozen TV dinner example: (full package - 1 serving) Sodium 1300 to 2500 mg (totally crazy levels), Carbs 49-80 g (Sugar 22+g), Fiber 5g. Frozen Lasagana 1 cup serving: Sodium 490 mg, Carbs 33g (sugars 5g), Fiber 3g. Unless you purposely target salt/sodium for no salt or almost no salt foods, you will always be getting salt somewhere. A diet loaded with salt is associated with double the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke, in people with Type 2 Diabetes. To add to the life challenge, high salt diets increase the risk of kidney stones ... if you haven't had one - well, you don't want one. I have had many over the years (usually 5 at a time) but only one now lingering around for a few years and the decline is due to diet change. The pain that comes with it is totally debilitating, requires powerful pain-killers, and usually requires a hospital emergency visit along with possible removal procedures (not nice). A good start is salt-free butter or margarine (if you use butter or margarine). We do need salt in our diet, but in today's diets we get way too much. It is called "the silent killer".

 

[Resurgam]

As I do not have salt in my diet I add a minute amount of it to my coffee, along with a slightly larger amount of cinnamon.

 

[lucylocket61]

As I do not have salt in my diet I add a minute amount of it to my coffee, along with a slightly larger amount of cinnamon.

thanks for that idea. I must try this as i have almost no salt in my diet and, now I realised fairly recently that I need some, have been looking for ways to add it.

I often drink bovril now too, or put salt in my broths.

 

[slinkimalinki]

It is almost impossible to avoid salt as just about any food you buy contains salt /sodium in some way I did not say all "processed foods" but rather "frozen" prepared foods. To be more specific, frozen TV Dinners, frozen prepared meals of just about any kind, frozen prepared foods of different kinds. Most are extremely high in Sodium/Salt. Frozen TV dinner example: (full package - 1 serving) Sodium 1300 to 2500 mg (totally crazy levels), Carbs 49-80 g (Sugar 22+g), Fiber 5g. Frozen Lasagana 1 cup serving: Sodium 490 mg, Carbs 33g (sugars 5g), Fiber 3g. Unless you purposely target salt/sodium for no salt or almost no salt foods, you will always be getting salt somewhere. A diet loaded with salt is associated with double the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke, in people with Type 2 Diabetes. To add to the life challenge, high salt diets increase the risk of kidney stones ... if you haven't had one - well, you don't want one. I have had many over the years (usually 5 at a time) but only one now lingering around for a few years and the decline is due to diet change. The pain that comes with it is totally debilitating, requires powerful pain-killers, and usually requires a hospital emergency visit along with possible removal procedures (not nice). A good start is salt-free butter or margarine (if you use butter or margarine). We do need salt in our diet, but in today's diets we get way too much. It is called "the silent killer".

Sorry, I don't eat any processed or frozen or pre-prepared foods, so adding salt to my very healthy fresh food is just what I do.

And frozen meals are processed foods too

 

[Bogie]

Sorry, I don't eat any processed or frozen or pre-prepared foods, so adding salt to my very healthy fresh food is just what I do.
And frozen meals are processed foods too

Awesome and congratulations! I think many of us would be envious of you with fresh foods. In today's society that is very hard to accomplish. We do need salt and we do need protein to balance our Diabetic diets. I must confess that I doubt I could be as disciplined to maintain a fresh food balanced diet.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

Awesome and congratulations! I think many of us would be envious of you with fresh foods. In today's society that is very hard to accomplish. We do need salt and we do need protein to balance our Diabetic diets. I must confess that I doubt I could be as disciplined to maintain a fresh food balanced diet.

No discipline needed really. I have Some kind of protein and the what ever combination of a nice ground vegetables or salad. It’s pretty easy really.
Makes grocery shopping pretty quick.
I think sometimes we over think LCHF.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Awesome and congratulations! I think many of us would be envious of you with fresh foods. In today's society that is very hard to accomplish. We do need salt and we do need protein to balance our Diabetic diets. I must confess that I doubt I could be as disciplined to maintain a fresh food balanced diet.

Why is it hard to accomplish? I don't understand. What particular problems do you have with it?

 

[lucylocket61]

Not difficult at all. I eat no processed food, unless you consider milk, cheese, olive oil and butter to be processed

 

[Bluetit1802]

Not difficult at all. I eat no processed food, unless you consider milk, cheese, olive oil and butter to be processed

I have to add bacon and 97% sausages to that list.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

I have to add bacon and 97% sausages to that list.

And cheese.

 

[LouWilk059]

Would ikea meatballs be ok? I see on myfitness pal they have extremely little carb. Sorry for all the questions. Also the cream sauce but I don’t mind skipping that if it’s bad

Looks like the meatballs and sauce is okay, about 5 grams carbs for 10 meatballs and another 5 for 1 tbsp sauce. I'm assuming there's some sort of breading added to the meatballs and thickener in the sauce. If you made your own, you could omit/reduce the carbs. FYI you're safe to eat meat (real meat, not processed) and above ground vegetables.

 

[Rachox]

I have Ikea meatballs occasionally. We are quite a way from a branch though. However 8 meatballs and a third of the packet of sauce comes to 18.2g carbs which fits into my 50-70g carbs per day

 

[Grateful]

Awesome and congratulations! I think many of us would be envious of you with fresh foods.

My wife and I have been doing it for 30 years (almost no processed foods). Three decades of fresh food did not stop me developing diabetes one year ago: carbohydrate-heavy things such as wholewheat bread, potatos, pasta, rice, sugar in many forms, milk, and the homemade granola I had for breakfast count as "fresh" foods too. And beer -- which I am very fond of -- is basically liquid carbs, including the better "craft" beers.

What is true is that if you have Type 2 diabetes, it is much easier to control the carbohydrate content of your food if you prepare all food yourself using fresh ingredients. After my diagnosis, I simply cut out almost all of the carbohydrate-heavy ingredients in the recipes, and eliminated all of the recipes that do not work at all without carbs. It was an enormous change in my diet, but it continues to be "home-cooked" and "fresh."

I can't imagine doing it with processed, pre-prepared meals from the supermarket. About the only exception I make is that I do buy pre-prepared salads, because I can see the ingredients (and read the label) and it is just too much hassle to hand-prepare a single portion of "mixed salad" for my lunch every day.

 

[Jon K]

I was diagnosed 2 years ago so I'm still new to this.

What I've learnt so far is that a meter really helps to work out what affects you and what doesn't.

My choice was the Accucheck mobile as it was easy to use and the testing cartridge isn't too expensive. It works out at about 50p per test. I usually test 3 or 4 times a week now, usually just after a big meal so I know whether to go for a walk or not. Walks help bring down a peak. There are times I test 3 or 4 times a day if I'm looking for blood sugar peaks I can't explain and want to find the cause

The way I approached my diet was to avoid things that peaked by blood sugars, so refined sugar was out. Potatoes, pasta and rice were on the "watch it" list because they are easily digested carbohydates. Peas and sweetcorn were avoided because they too contain carbohydrate so swap them with something like beans or brocoli.

Basically check the nutritional info and try to stick to things with less than 10% carbohydrate and keep an eye on the animal based saturated fat. The fat in nuts and avocados looks scary but it's not that bad for you. The fat in chinese spare ribs is bad for you though - anoyingly.

So things like chickenand salmon are great, as well as other meat, but watch the fat content. Vegetables and salads are fine mostly. Keep away from deserts and minimise the potatos, pasta, bread and rice.

I was taught to work on the basis of half a plate of vegetables, quarter of protein, and a quarter of carbohydrate, but to be honest I tend not to have much carbohydrate at all.

I do like museli and porridge which are both high in carbohydrate so I eat those before going out on my bike or going for a walk as they tend to spike my blood sugars, but they are useful in keeping the cholestrol under control. I sweeten them with raisons and fruit which is the only sweet stuff I eat at all.

I can go with wholemeal options without causing major problems, so one slice of wholemeal toast for breakfast isn't a disaster and I've got the hang of wholemeal yorkshire puddings which was a bit of a relief.

So some meals might be:
rare steak with asparagus, one small potatoe piece and lots of vegegables
scalops and other shellfish/salmon/calamari in a salad
roast chicken, broccoli, green beans, wholemeal yorkshire pudding (3 if I'm being naughty) and one roast potato
fish sagwalla curry with a bit (three desert spoons) of pilau rice

Snacks are usually nuts, eggs, cheese and porridge or museli if I've got some activity planned.

If you get the chance, do the DESMOND course because it will give you a much better understanding of what you can and can't do.

I lost 6 stone (now 12st 4lbs) and am no longer on medication with an HbA1C of 38 at the last test. But it's hard work and a bit depressing and scary at the start. I do a 2.5 mile walk every lunchtime at work and twice a week I go cycling as well as occasional walks after eating to keep the spike under control.

The exercise is important as it builds muscles which can act as a soak for the excess glucose in the blood. It takes at least 3 months of slogging it out before it even begins to become a natural thing. After a 6 months it becomes habit forming and you feel odd if you don't go out. Even today when it was tipping it down with rain and freezing cold, I still went cycling for 2 hours and felt good about it.

So my advice is:
1. take all the advice you can get, but especially the DESMOND course
2. Get a meter. I chose the Accucheck mobile - it works well for me.
3. Find some fun stuff to eat that doesn't affect you.
4. Do the exercise - even if it's raining and you really don't want to.

Don't panic - it'll take you 3 months at least to come to terms with what has happened.

jon

 

[Resurgam]

I might have mentioned this before, but I have eaten very little processed food for decades, and although my husband does eat carbs they are from unprocessed foods, for the most part, and at various reunions we have been to, we look far younger than our contemporaries, and I can always tell when the bus driver is new to the route as my bus pass is checked.
At 66 years old my hair is still mostly dark brown, and I am told that I do not look over 50 years old.

 

[Bogie]

I envy those of you who love all types of non-processed food, fresh foods, or have adapted to them ... and have the time to prepare what you need. As we age change is hard. Decades of "sinful" foods that tasted great, sugars/candy/pop being part of almost daily consumption, and being mostly a "meat and potato" and loving desserts type person, really challenges a diet reversal. That said, I do not eat a lot - never have. 6 feet tall (1.83 metre - 183 cm) and dropped from 208 pounds (14.8 stone) down to 173 pounds (12.3 stone) over the last year and a half. Target right now is 170 lbs (12.1 stone) and then down to 165 lbs by end of this year latest. Weight isn't my issue but I feel better losing a few pounds of weight. Diabetes is a family inheritance of many generations on my mother's side (she is 92 and type 2 on insulin), and all 3 sisters (younger than me) have type 2. I will be 70 in June. Genetics on my mother's side keep us all looking younger than we are

For me a morning reading of 5.4 to 5.8 mmol is low and I feel it. Used to be in the 8 to 9 range but Jardiance helped in that. Most mornings now are 6 to 6.8. Breakfast is a BOOST Diabetic drink/shake. 14 carbs and a lot of vitamins/minerals. Lunch might be a Tuna sandwich using Weight Watchers 2 slices of Whole Wheat with Quinoa (14 carbs). Dinner/supper varies and there are snacks in-between and at bedtime (example: Cheddar cheese and crackers, or toast and peanut butter and no sugar added jam). Sweet treats are zero sugar chocolates or Coke or Pepsi Zero sugar soft drink. I used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola. OK, OK, plus the occasional sinful whatever. Never been one for lots of veggies and a lot of them bother my mild IBS.

I am sure that the vast majority of Diabetics are occasional "sinners", and many with extreme challenges to change how they eat. This is why I comment as a non-strict diet person that warns about common foods that most people are used to in today's society. I attend the occasional Diabetes "education" sessions and every time hear so many different stories and challenges and frustration. Many in denial. Many do not check their levels - maybe scared to. Each time different people with some being very quiet and just listening, some seem to be ashamed that they are Diabetics as if it is the plague, and some (very few) could tell you how many carbs are in anything and keep a diary on what they eat, the foods they use, and how many carbs per certain size serving. Some use medications (those that do use Metformin), some on insulin. I use Jardiance and very pleased with the results. Many many more Type 2 than Type 1. I often feel like standing up in the front of the room and saying, "My name is James and I am a Diabetic", hoping that the shy ones would be more open, receptive, and share.

I still work and love it (knowledge worker for a training company and work from my home office online all day long). Except for the recent extreme Winter weather, our 4 dogs (small, medium, large, and extra large) keep both of us exercised with walking them a few times each day. Living in a 3 floor townhouse is like having a built-in stairmaster for exercise all day long.

This forum has been my biggest source for information gathering and for awhile I just sat back and read many questions, answers, pros/cons, and different opinions. I started using the Dario as my testing device, because of this forum, and love it (I'm a techie guy so it fit right in).

This thread about struggling with meals has brought out many great comments, experiences, and recommendations.

 

[Alexandra100]

At 66 years old my hair is still mostly dark brown, and I am told that I do not look over 50 years old.

I'm sorry to say, my buspass has NEVER been challenged! However at 75 my hair like yours is mostly brown, and I do wonder from time to time why. Until I had to change my diet to low carb, rationing vegetables and virtually giving up fruit, I assumed it might be due to my high intake of anti-oxidants. I thought the reduction might lead to greying hair and felt a bit sad about that, not that there is anything wrong with grey hair. However so far my hair is exactly the same. I certainly still eat entirely "unprocessed" food (unless "processed" includes cheese and frozen raw fish). It's a nice idea that this may be having a helpful effect.