I am type 2, almost 2 years post diagnosis. My levels are pretty good now, last Hba1c was 6.7 so my diet is fine in that respect...BUT... I am overweight and struggling terribly to lose anything. I walk most days for around half an hour to an hour- but have a dodgy hip that is suffering. I am on a very tight budget and I eat more carbs than maybe I should, because I cannot afford to buy much else. I am sure I am not the only poor diabetic in the country- any suggestions on low cost dietoptions and/or no cost exercise other than walking?
the cost of healthy eating
- Thread starter flaky
- Start Date
Try filling two empty plastic milk containers with water then sitting and lifting them like weights.Do ' standing ' press ups against a suitable height work top by standing about 1 foot /18 inches away from work top leaning hands on it then doing press ups,if this one hurts hip then don't do it! Have a look in charity shops,you often find exercise gadgets that people bought and then never used! Again if you have a dodgy hip be careful which you buy.
Hi flaky, welcome to the forum. I do agree and so will many others to eat healthy is costly but with a little planning you can spread the cost ie: making up some of your own sauces etc and using your freezer. I am sure you will be given some very good ideas soon keep looking on the forum and good luck, junieliz
Frozen veg and fruit is often cheaper and may actually have more vitamins and minerals than veg and fruit bought from supermarkets and market stalls.
Frozen meat and fish tend to be a bit cheaper too, when something is on offer buy things in bulk, have a cooking session and freeze in portions.
I find healthy eating is cheaper because I cut out all the junk food (thats for me anyway)
Also shopping at Lidl/Aldi/Netto is much cheaper too, if you are in the UK that is.
As for exercising, hmmm careful with that hip, but have a look on google for 'chair exercises' and here is a link for exercises to relief hip joint pain, swimming is probably good too, but I suggest you check with your doctor first before you do any exercising, you dont want to make things worse do you. http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-reli ... -pain.html
All the best
Karen
Frozen meat and fish tend to be a bit cheaper too, when something is on offer buy things in bulk, have a cooking session and freeze in portions.
I find healthy eating is cheaper because I cut out all the junk food (thats for me anyway)
Also shopping at Lidl/Aldi/Netto is much cheaper too, if you are in the UK that is.
As for exercising, hmmm careful with that hip, but have a look on google for 'chair exercises' and here is a link for exercises to relief hip joint pain, swimming is probably good too, but I suggest you check with your doctor first before you do any exercising, you dont want to make things worse do you. http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-reli ... -pain.html
All the best
Karen
Soup can be a cheap ,filling meal as well.You can use less expensive meat in it and it can be made in bulk and frozen.You would just have to watch that you do not add too much carb like rice and pasta to it.
I'm in!
I'll fake a hypo by the pick'n'mix, cause a bit of a distraction, and we can divvy up the fillet steaks by the trollys outside? Sir Terry's profit margins will cope, I'm sure.
All the best,
fergus
I'll fake a hypo by the pick'n'mix, cause a bit of a distraction, and we can divvy up the fillet steaks by the trollys outside? Sir Terry's profit margins will cope, I'm sure.
All the best,
fergus
Come on guys, stop encouraging law breaking! I don't want to be looked on suspiciously every where I go, "watch that diabetic, she'll steal stuff" see the trouble you'll cause!
<and slightly worse, I am a diabetic with a slightly Australian accent, no one will trust me ever again :mrgreen: >
I agree with above posters though, it is often cheaper to cook everything from scratch rather than buying junk food or pre-prepared food, although it does rely on being a little more organised. Also, take advantage of the BOGOF offers and buy in bulk where you can (although watch some of the shops, sometimes it is cheaper to buy 2 x 100g packs of something than 1 x 200g pack of something - cheeky bandits).
<and slightly worse, I am a diabetic with a slightly Australian accent, no one will trust me ever again :mrgreen: >
I agree with above posters though, it is often cheaper to cook everything from scratch rather than buying junk food or pre-prepared food, although it does rely on being a little more organised. Also, take advantage of the BOGOF offers and buy in bulk where you can (although watch some of the shops, sometimes it is cheaper to buy 2 x 100g packs of something than 1 x 200g pack of something - cheeky bandits).
You could pretend you are not with us at all and do your level best to just distract the cops chasing after us! I mean you could just yell 'help me quick' or flash your thigh or something like that.
you could all come to morrisons were i work it a very big store with only one gard so when the alarms go no body takes any noties so if some of you go out one door the other door will be a free for all im just not telling you witch morrisons i work at :lol:
ChocFish said:
:lol: :lol: :lol: if I flashed my thigh it would cause a serious road traffic accident with everyone laughing!
Seems I'm quite late replying to this one, but I've only just seen the thread from the newsletter!
I lived in the UK until about December last year, and am a keen cook who is used to usually having a next-to-nothing budget myself! I'd would advise the following which helped me:
1) I'm assuming you're in the UK here by the way as this is a UK site, but the topmost one would be to avoid supermarkets. I did to try and avoid the pesticides and E numbers etc. in my food and never looked back. I know it's hard nowadays, but if you hunt around you may well find a grocers, a close by farm shop ([or farm in general who'll be happy to sell to you] - don't worry about needing to bend down or pick the veg as they'll have done this and will carry it to a car for you if you do drive), or sometimes there are local cornershops, which, if run by Indians sometimes provide a veg store. I found all of these, especially the first 2 far cheaper on a weekly run than the supermarket, and I like to think a bit healthier too. As the next step suggests, root veg is a best buy and can be made to go a long way.
I'd like to argue with the above too
I'd say AVOID BOGOF offers and everything of the sort. Supermarkets thrive on distracting people - placing more expensive items at eye level, littering the store with offers and tons of other tricks like this in order to get people to spend more in their stores. If you have to shop at a supermarket, write a list beforehand, and stick to it. Never shop when you're hungry, and always check the shelves for the cheapest (but healthiest - no good buying a tin of tomatoes if it's just 1 tomato in a ton of water and sugar) products and keep your hard earned money yourself rather than letting them have it. You can do what I did and see why I'm suggesting this - go for a normal shop, taking advantage of anything that looks tasty or is on offer & keep the receipt, then on the next shop, use this method and see the immense price and healthiness difference!
2) I used to cook on a Sunday a big batch. Soup has already been suggested as one cheap option but I used to do either stews (which use non-tender, cheap cuts of meat and can be left to cook), or mince dishes (lasagne, shepherd's pie etc.) a lot. You can put a ton of cheap, cubed root vegetables like swede, carrot, parsnip, etc. in (ok maybe not too many potatoes if the carbs aren't that good for diabetics) not only will all these veg bulk up a soup, stew or mince dish to make the pennies go further, but they'll make you fuller/need less of the meal, and also they're healthy. These I'd cut into small portions and put in the freezer to have over the coming weeks. They go quite a long way, and if you're better-willed than I am, keeping to the sliced "normal-person" portions will help watch the calories, though I could never manage to have just the one portion myself! :wink:
Having said that, I used to do that more in winter (well apart from the soups). I guess you could start looking at both salads which would be a cheap, healthy option now, or making quiches/flans which again are a one off cost, bit of cooking effort but which could then last in the fridge (under cling film) for a few days food.
I lived in the UK until about December last year, and am a keen cook who is used to usually having a next-to-nothing budget myself! I'd would advise the following which helped me:
1) I'm assuming you're in the UK here by the way as this is a UK site, but the topmost one would be to avoid supermarkets. I did to try and avoid the pesticides and E numbers etc. in my food and never looked back. I know it's hard nowadays, but if you hunt around you may well find a grocers, a close by farm shop ([or farm in general who'll be happy to sell to you] - don't worry about needing to bend down or pick the veg as they'll have done this and will carry it to a car for you if you do drive), or sometimes there are local cornershops, which, if run by Indians sometimes provide a veg store. I found all of these, especially the first 2 far cheaper on a weekly run than the supermarket, and I like to think a bit healthier too. As the next step suggests, root veg is a best buy and can be made to go a long way.
I'd like to argue with the above too
I'd say AVOID BOGOF offers and everything of the sort. Supermarkets thrive on distracting people - placing more expensive items at eye level, littering the store with offers and tons of other tricks like this in order to get people to spend more in their stores. If you have to shop at a supermarket, write a list beforehand, and stick to it. Never shop when you're hungry, and always check the shelves for the cheapest (but healthiest - no good buying a tin of tomatoes if it's just 1 tomato in a ton of water and sugar) products and keep your hard earned money yourself rather than letting them have it. You can do what I did and see why I'm suggesting this - go for a normal shop, taking advantage of anything that looks tasty or is on offer & keep the receipt, then on the next shop, use this method and see the immense price and healthiness difference!2) I used to cook on a Sunday a big batch. Soup has already been suggested as one cheap option but I used to do either stews (which use non-tender, cheap cuts of meat and can be left to cook), or mince dishes (lasagne, shepherd's pie etc.) a lot. You can put a ton of cheap, cubed root vegetables like swede, carrot, parsnip, etc. in (ok maybe not too many potatoes if the carbs aren't that good for diabetics) not only will all these veg bulk up a soup, stew or mince dish to make the pennies go further, but they'll make you fuller/need less of the meal, and also they're healthy. These I'd cut into small portions and put in the freezer to have over the coming weeks. They go quite a long way, and if you're better-willed than I am, keeping to the sliced "normal-person" portions will help watch the calories, though I could never manage to have just the one portion myself! :wink:
Having said that, I used to do that more in winter (well apart from the soups). I guess you could start looking at both salads which would be a cheap, healthy option now, or making quiches/flans which again are a one off cost, bit of cooking effort but which could then last in the fridge (under cling film) for a few days food.
OMG! I seem to have this uncanny knack of creating hysteria wherever I go! Thanks so much for the suggestions- but even more, thanks for the laughs!
Since my original post, I have found work- not bad at my age (cousin to Methuselah) so, I will be able to afford to eat better and my exercise levels will go up too- so its a total win win. I do like the idea of a distraction mass shoplift though- and the running is additional exercise too. My! we diabetics are smart!
Since my original post, I have found work- not bad at my age (cousin to Methuselah) so, I will be able to afford to eat better and my exercise levels will go up too- so its a total win win. I do like the idea of a distraction mass shoplift though- and the running is additional exercise too. My! we diabetics are smart!
lol :lol: what are you lot like !!!! count me in !!! it sounds fun. And if we do get caught and go to prison the food will be free anyway. horray !
I can just see the headlines in the papers now.'National shoplifting website uncovered' oh the shame!! :lol: :lol:
I find healthy eating cheaper than junk. I buy fresh fruit and veg at Lidl and their cheese, fish and meat are good too. I cook everything from scratch. the nearest we come to "ready meals" is a pack of fish fingers. We don't have snacks. We don't eat "padding" .
I don't plan in detail, just go in to Lidl a couple of times a week and see what looks good and what I can make with it.
My local Lidl has a bus stop just outside and I have my bus pass.(over 60)
We're both diabetic and eat low carb. No bread, just a few baby potatoes. almost nothing in a packet. I save on household bills elsewhere too. Nothing left on standby, low energy lamps, walk or bus, don't use the car.Laundry washed at 30 degrees. Use simple cleaning products such as liquid soap and white vinegar and Lidl's microfibre cloths. All the little pennies mount up
I don't plan in detail, just go in to Lidl a couple of times a week and see what looks good and what I can make with it.
My local Lidl has a bus stop just outside and I have my bus pass.(over 60)
We're both diabetic and eat low carb. No bread, just a few baby potatoes. almost nothing in a packet. I save on household bills elsewhere too. Nothing left on standby, low energy lamps, walk or bus, don't use the car.Laundry washed at 30 degrees. Use simple cleaning products such as liquid soap and white vinegar and Lidl's microfibre cloths. All the little pennies mount up
