Advice re substitute foods in low carb recipes please?

Hi

Brief history - I am 63 next week and I have a history of heart disease (3 stents 6 years ago, no issues since), most of my life 'slightly' above normal blood pressure, high cholesterol and the obligatory overweight. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 10 years ago but only had real symptoms about 2 years ago. My goal is to come off Metformin and other medications. My glucose level this morning is 6.8 (124) which is a dramatic reduction from only 1 year ago, along with a reducing hbA1c of 7.7% (from around 12% a year ago.

I started on the low carb lifestyle around 10 months ago and have so far had success in that I have gone from 95Kg to 85Kg and dropping. I am 100% confident in reaching my target weight of 75kg in as long as it takes. I am feeling great.

My problem is slightly unusual. I live in rural Thailand which is idyllic but has a distinct lack of supermarkets stocking everyday products. So many of the recipes I look up on here and on the Internet in general, while they look delicious, are not viable here as I can't buy half the ingredients.

For example let's take breakfast. I now know a million ways to cook eggs but some mornings the thought of an egg is enough to want me to make toast but on the bright side, there is nowhere here that sell's bread so all good there. I see many recipes with avocado (love) but can't buy anywhere. I love berries but again not available and no Greek yoghurt anyway. I can get lots of fresh fruits. some off my own trees (mango, coconut, pineapple, grapefruit) and can buy many more at the local markets but these all seem to be the 'bad fruits' with the wrong sugars. I use them as snacks in moderation as I feel they must be better than crisps/chips.

I am one of these people who wake up hungry so I am looking for either suggestions or web links for breakfast alternatives.

My diet consists now mainly of pork and chicken, and green vegetables (plentiful), eggs (!). I now never eat rice (the Thai think I am crazy), potatoes (hard to find anyway), noodles/pasta or root vegetables, cereals (not available)

So in summary I am on a low carb diet while I like it or not! But it's working and needs minimal effort. I just need more food choices.

Good luck to all - if you can't give up bread move to Thailand I recommend it

Tom

woodenone46 said:

Well you might well hve to adapt quite a few recipes towards what you can purchase in Thailand, however why not take a look at www.dietdoctor.com
There are a lot of recipes on there including some Vegetarian that you may be able to use.

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Thank you I will check that out - always looking for new recipes.

wiflib said:

You can eat anything (low carb of course ) at any time. When you realise that particular foods needn't be attributed to particular meals, it becomes so simple.

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I like the way you think. I have been living in Asia for some time and do mix it up a little more than when back home in Scotland, but breakfast in my house is, as always, rice-based!

bangkokdiabetic said:

My Problem in Thailand is the Opposite to many supermarkets and all of them sell everything I should not eat !! Then the Label which tells me how many carbs has a label in Thai stuck over it a language I can barely Speak let alone read. However there are times when I whish I had your problem then I would not be tempted so much. What medication are you on and perhaps you could let me know what you really want and I could post it to you. That is if its not too high in Carbs

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Hi, thanks for your kind offer, I should be more thankful of less temptation! I do use a few mail order, cash on delivery companies that deliver out of Bangkok for some things, but not all come here as I am about 5 hours from Bangkok.

Meds I think are the usual suspects

Soluble aspirin 75 Mg 1 per day
Statin 40 Mg 1 per day - my cholesterol levels have been in the required range for a year or two.
Bisoprolol Fumerate 5 mg - Beta Blocker
Metformin 3 x 500 Mg per day
AMlodopine 5 Mg Blood pressure/heart.

I can only get these where I live sporadically but I stock up when I am in Cambodia or have friends come visit.

bangkokdiabetic said:

Can you tell me what type of statin If Crestor they now have a generic version Rosuvastatin Sandoz I think comes in 20mg but 1\2 price of Crestor you take and I will check with my pharmacy on prices next week and let you know

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Hi no not Crestor. Its Atorvaststin and I have been on it for many years, at least 10. As I mentioned my goal in all this is to come off as many meds as possible by the end of this year. I get most of them from Cambodia which is way cheaper and more available than where I am now. I have a friend coming soon and he will bring me more supplies of the ones I am low on but as it turns out I can et Atorvastatin in the nearest town 1 hour away which I have to go to regularly, I am working on them getting the concept of sourcing and ordering my others! Thanks for your input though.

woodenone46 said:

Well you might well hve to adapt quite a few recipes towards what you can purchase in Thailand, however why not take a look at www.dietdoctor.com
There are a lot of recipes on there including some Vegetarian that you may be able to use.

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Hi checked out your recommended site and thanks, there are many practical recipes here. Also the usual impossible to get ingredients like smoked salmon, venison, cap mushrooms, but plenty to go on. Thanks.