Anyone else living in France?

[chinta]

I've got one arriving on Friday from Amazon.

Frederic is this LCHF diet on dietdoctor for real? I've read recently that butter is better than low fat spreads etc. but CREAM!! I think this diet could suit me quite well I do like chocolate but I'm not a chocoholic so it won't be hard to cut it out. Being able to continue eating red meat sounds great - there's lots in the eat as much as you like list that I really like and there's very little in the avoid list that I will find hard to cut out, except perhaps rice and pasta. I currently eat a lot of both. Are they something you can have on occasions or do they have to go completely? I also like the idea of being able to have alcohol occasionally - that would be something I would miss! If you think this is a good way to go I'll give it a try. Before you mentioned this site you said that you used Dr Bernstein's diet, so why mention the LCFH site or is Dr Bernstein's similar? I know that getting the BG level down is the most important thing but I am very overweight too so if I lost a few (lot) kgs it would be fantastic! In recent years no diets I have tried have worked for me.

 

[fredericmarcel]

I think the most disappointing thing for me is that I was looking forward to going to Bayeux at Christmas to buy some lovely goodies from the beautiful chocolate shops and patisseries. Fresh cherries steeped in cherry brandy and dipped in dark chocolate, or candied pineapple covered in white chocolate, or of course, chocolate truffles are now obviously definitely out of the diet. I have to say though, giving up French bread is not a sacrifice to me. I really find it quite bland, boring and doughy. Croissants however, that's another matter. We also eat a lot of pasta, jacket potatoes and white rice, which I am obviously going to have to now cut down on, or do I need to cut them out completely?

Obviously you are not met the French bread like Poilane and all varieties of baguette tradition. What you get is the ordinary bread. That is not what I was writing about.
Your way of eating is obviously not very adequate for diabetes. I suggest you acquire a meter (you should not have to pay for it). That is the first step. At the same time, buy a book which will be your guide to dealing with your diabetes.
This would be helpful and adequate : http://www.amazon.fr/First-Year-Dia...16487&sr=8-3&keywords=diabetes+the+first+year
Take an appointment with a diabetologiste once you understand type 2 enough.
And explore Dr Bernstein, the Newcastle diet and the Blood sugar website.
If you choose the Newcastle solution, you might be lucky to benefit from the mentoring of SunnyExpat. To have a mentor with an actual experience with managing successfully diabetes is an essential.blessing.
First, do anything to lower your fasting blood glucose under 5.5 to diminish the risks of the horrible complications of diabetes.
Become a patient expert, someone who has made a mission of being the captain of her ship.
And, I am almost forgot : this book is medically middle of the road and you might like it :
http://www.amazon.fr/Thriving-Diabe...916954&sr=8-1&keywords=thriving+with+diabetes

I hope you like to read.
Sorry for the truffles and sweet goodies. Diabetes puts us in a different world. I find my present life much more interesting than when I thought food was something important to get pleasure from.
Now, I eat to give energy to my body (that was food is made for) and I enjoy eating like I never had.
The taste of avocado, of almonds, of bacon!!!
But, of course, I had to give up lots of things that I thought I could not live without.
You can, of course, for social reasons, decide to keep your way of eating (potatoes, rice, bread etc). But in this case, you will have to take meds and be quite careful to monitor your blood sugars. Diabetes is a silent killer. When the complications arrive whatever in your heart, your kidneys, your eyes or the nerves of your feet and legs, it is too late.There was no warning.
But you know all that.
This is my last advice. Of course I am here if you need anything. But adding more would be contrary to the English art of understatement, wouldn't it.
Best wishes. You have started on the right path by joining this community.
Frederic

 

[chinta]

Thanks for all the advice Frederic and yes, thankfully, I do like reading!!! There is so much on the LCHF diet that I like and no measuring etc makes it easy to do. In the past when I have done things like Slimming World I have found it more difficult because of the lack of fat but I think I can forego the starchy carbs if I can have things lie sole meuniere! or put a bit of cream in my tomato sauce. I love homemade soups, so as of today I shall be making a load. Just one last question. When you do have an insatiable craving for some starchy carb what would you have? I also presume that if you can have high-fat cheeses you can have cheddar, camembert, cantal.....?

 

[fredericmarcel]

I love cheddar. Strangely enough, it has become my favourite cheese. I buy it at Monoprix http://courses.monoprix.fr/RIDE/Cheddar-extra-mature-affine-12-mois-au-minimum-2201480
I eat camembert rarely because cheeses à pate dure like cantal, comté, ceddar, edam are recommended. But I buy blue cheese or roquefort regularly.
To answer your question, I had not had any craving for starchy carbs. Once I had read Dr Bernstein's book, I knew what I had to do. And he explains very well (as does the author of the diabetes revolution which I very strongly recommend) that the cravings are a direct result of the carbohydrates metabolism. If you do not eat any or very little, you do not have the highs and lows in sugar that cause craving. All I feel (and very rarely) is a nostalgia for "paradise lost". I know that the cost for indulging is to high so it is not difficult to resist. But cravings: none. And this is an experience that all the people who follow this path because of diabetes experience. You will be surprised to discover that your options for cooking are enormous. There are many books with low carb recipes and websites too. Just search low carb recipes in amazon.ot https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=low carb recipes uk
To succeed you need these conditions :

1. Fear of the complications of diabetes
2. Courage and determination to fight and win
3. A desire to understand
4. A good medical team that wants you to be well and happy
5. The support of your husband, your family and your friends
6. Not care about what people think of the way you are managing your life

That is a recipe for success and, yes, happiness if happiness mean leading the life you want and accomplishing what you deem worthy of you.
Hope I do not sound too pompous.

 

[fredericmarcel]

I agree entirely, there are many ways to beat diabetes, it's important to know all the options, and benefits from the methods that can be tried.
It's good to discuss every available option.
Particularly for those of us that are not fortunate to be dealing with our home healthcare, as some things are not immediately clear in different countries.
There must be many french advocates of LCHF, equally I'm sure there may be a french version of the 'Newcastle Diet' which I'm hopeful you can advise us on?
I'm always impressed by the French ability to converse in english so fluently, my foreign language skills are nowhere near as good, but then again, I can normally manage present tense.

I find managing present tense is the most important and difficult thing in the world

 

[chinta]

Well I think I can meet all six of your criteria. I shan't be telling my mum though - I'll never hear the end of it, how she's told me for years that I need to lose weight, how I've brought it on myself, I should have known better, it's the only thing my dad has ever given me..... However, my husband makes up for her tenfold. He's been reading almost as much as I have and as far as he's concerned, despite the fact that he is 6ft and only 12 and a half stone, he will eat exactly what I eat. I have told him that I am quite happy for him to have potatoes (one of his favourite foods) but he said if I can't have them he won't. The only thing he won't give up for me is beer!

 

[chinta]

One more question, can I get a glucose meter and strips etc from the pharmacy just with my carte vital and the 100% or do I need a prescription from my doctor?

 

[fredericmarcel]

One more question, can I get a glucose meter and strips etc from the pharmacy just with my carte vital and the 100% or do I need a prescription from my doctor?

You need a prescription from your doctor and he should declare your diabetes as a maladie invalidante prise en charge à 100%

 

[fredericmarcel]

Well I think I can meet all six of your criteria. I shan't be telling my mum though - I'll never hear the end of it, how she's told me for years that I need to lose weight, how I've brought it on myself, I should have known better, it's the only thing my dad has ever given me..... However, my husband makes up for her tenfold. He's been reading almost as much as I have and as far as he's concerned, despite the fact that he is 6ft and only 12 and a half stone, he will eat exactly what I eat. I have told him that I am quite happy for him to have potatoes (one of his favourite foods) but he said if I can't have them he won't. The only thing he won't give up for me is beer!

Your husband would be interested in knowing that low carb diet helps marathon runner and cyclists
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-L...2&keywords=the+art+of+low+carbohydrate+living
This is a very important book on the science behind low carb.
You can ask me as many questions as you wish.
If we do not support one another who will?
I am paying forward a guy in California who helped me tremendously when I started this journey of self discovery.

 

[chinta]

Thanks Frederic, your information is so useful.

 

[fredericmarcel]

Here is an intersesting website for the self-management of diabetes
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/

 

[chinta]

Thanks for that but having a quick look at the recipes it's advocating everything the LCHF diet doesn't. I just looked at a smoothie recipe and it's suggesting low-fat, articifically sweetened yoghurt and skimmed milk!!

Can you tell me if it's OK to have shop-bought mayonnaise on the LCHF and also, is gluten-free bread lower in carbs?

I've been taking the Metformin for 6 days now and trying to follow the very LCHF diet. I've lost 1.5kg and the aweful heartburn that I have had almost constantly for the last year appears to have vanished! I even feel like I have a bit of energy, which has been missing for a long, long time. Perhaps it's all psychological but it's certainly cheered me up from how I felt earlier in the week. Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[fredericmarcel]

Sorry. I just looked at the section about ketones and did not read the rest.
Soja based ayonnaise is not recommended by Dr Bernstein.
Here is a link http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/...ayonaisse-is-not-a-good-high-fat-option/22391
But I suppose if you do not eat often, it is not a problem
I googled "gluten free bread and low carb" Here is the result :
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...v=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gluten free bread and low carb
Low carbs gluten free recipes http://authoritynutrition.com/15-low-carb-bread-recipes/
Congratulations for your good start!
The weight you have lost is water. The real fat weight loss will come one week after another.
I advise you read the Atkins book about diabetes. You would find it really helpful.
But the bible is Dr Bernstein's book.
The energy is not psychological : it is one of the normal results of a low carb diet.
Keep up the good work!
And do not hesitate to ask any question that you wish.
You will pay forward later once your diabetes is stabilized for good and you want to help a newbie.

 

[chinta]

Having spent many years trying to lose weight I realise that the initial loss is water but it's still a psychological boost to see those scales going in the right direction. I have very little willpower which is why my diets have always failed in the past. However, despite having known the dangers of diabetes before being diagnosed it has still hit me hard, knowing that with a BG of 22 I am at very high risk of cardiac problems. On the other hand, it is really helping to stop me from cheating. I have recently been buying freshly pressed clementine juice and have found some lovely highland shortbread; both of which I have thrown away unopened, feeling like they are poison. I hope it continues. The "by-product" of losing weight will be the help that it should give to my arthritic knees.

 

[fredericmarcel]

Do not forget to add salt for a while to avoid carb flu
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-flu.69937/

About cheating
http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/topic/77811-do-you-cheat/

Knowing that eating things I love has never made me happier makes it easy to eat frugally. I have never felt better in my life.

Tai chi for arthritis

http://www.arthritis.org/living-wit...rkouts/other-activities/tai-chi-arthritis.php

http://www.amazon.fr/Tai-Chi-Arthritis-Import-anglais/dp/B0032YNDI2

I practice Dr Paul Lam's most recent divd Tai chi for rehabilitation which was recommended by one student on dr Bernstein's forum. It took me a time to learn the movements. But it helps me enormoustly with problems in my legs caused by lumbar spinal stenosis.

 

[chinta]

You're fast becoming know as the guru in this household Frederic. I'm slowly trying to work out meals. Breakfast is something I've never really had. The nearest I come to breakfast is a cup of coffee and a couple of biscuits or maybe a slice of toast and jam. I really love greek yoghurt but with jam in it. So this week I've started having greek yoghurt and I made my own compote with fresh raspberries, blueberries and a small amount of canderel. I think I prefer it just with blueberries. I know they have quite a bit of sugar in (but I'm hoping not too much). Does that sound like an acceptable breakfast? I'm waiting for my glucose meter that I ordered from Amazon to arrive, then I willl get a better idea of the personal effect on me.

 

[fredericmarcel]

I'd rather think of myself of a mentor who pays forward the mentoring he benefited greatly from. It can make such a difference.
It took me more than a month to understand that breakfast was a meal the function of which was to acquire fuel and nutrients to live another morning.
My breakfast is one egg with 1 slice of bacon or salmon. A piece of cucomber and/or celery, advocado; Some cheese (cantal, comté or old english cheddar).
Once you forget about the traditional English or French breakfast, you won't look back.
You probably have figured out that a electric scale is as important as your glucose meter. In fact both work in synergy.
They are indispensible to educate yourself to what is good for you and what is threatening you.
It took me a long time to finally realize that I could function well with much less food than I thought imaginable.
After four months,I have adapted and I know how much of any food is within my goals.
And as (touch wood) my blood glucose is now previsible, I just need to test my fasting blood glucose every morning.
The secret is to accept your condition and not try to live in both words. None of us has chosen to be a diabetic. But since that what life has thrown at us, we might as well find a way to enjoy ourselves and create a space of wellbeing that we cherish.
I am conscious that this is bordering on guruness, so I will start working again.
I wish your household a very happy weekend.
Frederic

 

[chinta]

I
My breakfast is one egg with 1 slice of bacon or salmon. A piece of cucomber and/or celery, advocado; Some cheese (cantal, comté or old english cheddar).
Once you forget about the traditional English or French breakfast, you won't look back.

Frederic

I hadn't though of cheese. That's a good option for me. One thing I always miss on "traditional" diets is cheese. Also, I think it was in Dr Bernstein I read that Babybel is a good option. This is great for me as a snack option. Bon weekend.

 

[chinta]

One last question because I'm sure I won't find this on any nutrition tables, what do you think about whether or not I should eat andouille? A great apero if it's OK! I usually only have about 4 or 5 thin slices.

 

[fredericmarcel]

Here is the answer on a very useful tool
http://informationsnutritionnelles.fr/andouille

and http://www.menunature.com/inscription.php
https://cronometer.com/?logout=true