Carbs or Cals

[lorac2608]

I was diagnosed with type 2 in mid December and need to control my diet as well as taking Metformin, I have got the recommended book Carbs & Cals but am unsure which to count, either or both and how much. Any advice please.

 

[mo1905]

I would concentrate on the carbs as these are what raise your BG levels. If you need to lose weight then try to keep an eye on the cals but only after levels are under control. Good luck !


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[rdfeinman]

I was diagnosed with type 2 in mid December and need to control my diet as well as taking Metformin, I have got the recommended book Carbs & Cals but am unsure which to count, either or both and how much. Any advice please.

The reasons for emphasizing carbs:
1. There is no biological requirement for carbohydrate at all although nobody suggests that you need to go to zero.
2. Research has shown improvements in blood glucose, CVD risk factors by reducing carbs even if weight is not lost.
3. If you do want to cut calories, nothing is better than low-carb diets. You cut calories without having to think about it which is an obvious advantage (low carb has much better effect on appetite.
4. Check out my blogpost at http://wp.me/p16vK0-hG. Titled "American Diabetes Association Embraces Low-Carbohydrate Diets." it is not true but it is not a joke. It makes the case for eating as few carbs as you are comfortable. For many people with type 2 it is a virtual cure.

Richard David Feinman, Professor of Biochemistry, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

 

[Daibell]

I agree with Mo. Although fat contributes a lot of calories, carbs affect blood sugar with only a minor effect from fat. Carbs can also result in more fat deposits around the body than fat itself; fructose being a well-known offender

 

[Beachbag]

Low carb for this type2 too ( insulin dep) I've been low carbing since October. My BGs are down from upper teens to an overall average of 7.1 and will come down more. I've lost seventeen pounds, am eating better than ever, have loads of energy and I never feel hungry.
Whichever you choose I wish you lots of luck

 

[noblehead]

Definitely carbs, you can look at cals later if you start to put weight on.

 

[lorac2608]

Thanks, I'm trying to keep the carbs below 250 & cals below 2000. Not doing too bad at that, had one blip over Christmas.

 

[Yorksman]

I lost 30kg, dropped my fasting levels from the 9&10s to the 4&5s and my hba1c from 86 to 37 in 1 year by watching both carbs and cals.

I cut out all obvious sugary stuff, chocolate bars, sweets, biscuits, sugary drinks etc and then cut out all refined carbs, most breads, white rice, potatoes etc. I did however continue with brown rice, rye bread and wholewheat pasta and wholewheat noodles

I also cut down on the fattier foods, so went in for low fat cheeses, cutting the excess fat off bacon and meat cuts like chops and also limited my portions. I also used oil sprays for frying or dry fried where possible.

I increased my intake of fish and poultry, garden vegetables, pulses and legumes and salad veggies and I use of tins of tomatoes to make sauces and spices to add flavour. The same dish can be of italian, chinese or indian style more or less by switching a few spices. I have two red meat, two poultry, two fish and one veggie day per week.

An easy meal would be something like chopped onion, garlic fried in a little olive oil, a tin of tomatoes added with some chopped red chilli and some king prawns served with 60g of Blue Dragon Wholewheat Noodles which, testing has proven to be be OK for me. You have to test. You can't take these things on trust. Cooking your own meals from scratch, if yuo have the time, is just about the only way you can really control what you eat.

You will see people make claims but what works for them may not work for you. We all have different metabolisms and produce different enzymes in different quantities. 10% of the people on this board will not produce enzyme lactase for example. In fact, that is the normal condition, producing lactase in adulthood is the unusual condition.

And don't forget to increase your physical activity if you can. It releases several hormones which trigger the release of certain digestive enzymes which act on your blood lipids.

 

[lorac2608]

Sounds good to me except for the exercises because I'm paraplegic incomplete which means very little activity, so will have to do it all with diet & get a blood monitor.

 

[Yorksman]

I'm very sorry to hear that. A lack of mobility brings many problems other than the more immediately obvious. Cooking too may prove to be difficult. A couple of small tips however, a slow cooker should be of help. You can sit and prepare veggies and meat, fill a heat proof bowl which you then put in the slow cooker. This saves you having to move a big bowl around when washing and you can also cook for one. You don't have to keep an eye on it and it doesn't matter if you over cook by an hour or so. You should be able to cook some healthy meals cheaply and easily. If you don't like or have had enough of stews, a soup maker too should be of benefit. It's quicker but you can still have chunky soups and, most importantly, you control what goes into it. If you get a blood monitor, over the next few months, you will learn a lot about what works and what does not work for you.

There are some videos of people exercising with paraplegia incomplete on youtube and the good news is that you don't have to do too much for exercise to benefit your digestive system. It's not like cardio vascular fitness or building up stamina. You're not trying to 'get in shape' as it were. There's no need to 'pump iron'. You're just trying to release some hormones. Short and regular during the day is best and basically whatever movement you do is better than none.

 

[dwelldon]

Can you give me some ideas of what are low carbo food. I am newly diagnosed and still trying to know what too eat

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[2christine]

low carb food is anything that does not contain ,sugar, flour, starch mainly.

 

[lorac2608]

The book I was recommended was Carbs and Cals it's designed with diabetics in mind. Its a visual guide with about 2000 pictures of food and drink with all the values of carbs, cals, fat & sugar etc. I got mind off Ebay fot £10. There's also a smart phone app that calculates and records each meal for you.

 

[dwelldon]

Do you know the name of the app

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[))Denise((]

It is called carbs and cals, just like the book.. £3.99 for both apple or android. The problem I have with it is that you don't know the size of the plate you are looking at and you can't necessarily find the food you are looking for.

 

[dwelldon]

Thanks for the app, its pretty good. Should give me some idea of what I am putting in my body

 

[Chuckles21]

What's the best sort of diet foods I should take to lower my blood sugars but give me energy to walk 5 mile a day in my job?


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[noblehead]

What's the best sort of diet foods I should take to lower my blood sugars but give me energy to walk 5 mile a day in my job?


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This will get lost in this thread Chuckles, try starting a new thread of your own and you'll get more answers from fellow type 2's.

 

[candiloo]

If you keep the carbs down you will lose weight. I did Atkins for ages, still do and if I counted the calories you would have a heart attack, but none of them are carbs, so the weight stays off.