Despair - food problems

[Enclave]

Carrots are fairly high in carbs ! I have around the 30g of carbs a day with high fat foods and it works for me .... If you do low carb it needs to be quite low and remember that fat is important for energy...
I think it's easier for me as I am vegetarian

Edit to add .. Fats are not the bad guys they have been made out to be .. Low fat foods are ..along with high carb foods ... Are the bad guys

 

[wd6ecc]

Hi Everyone,

I have been a T2 for around 4 years, and started out on Metformin and Gliclazide, and when they stopped working I am now on Humulin twice a day. My main issue is that despite really trying to avoid anything that is going to have high carbs/sugar/fructose content, it seems that whatever I eat, my numbers sky rocket.

For me, breakfast is the biggest issue, since a lot of fresh fruits, including berries, bananas and citrus fruits will balloon my BG from around 5.2/5.5 from overnight fasting to well over 11/11.5. So - I avoid those, I avoid toast, bread and the majority of cereals, which for me, even a tiny amount sends my numbers rocketing again. So I am really frustrated to find something that I can eat for breakfast that will not make my numbers go so high.

I am sure that these day time highs are likely to have been pushing my HBa1c on the higher side, and I want to get these under control.

I have tried soya milk/yoghurts but these have an undesirable side effect of giving me constipation, I have tried eggs, which are great and do not have a dramatic effect on my numbers, but they come with the nasty high fat content, so I can only have those occasionally.

I did first think it was portion size, but my numbers rocket if I have just one shredded wheat or a single slice of toast!

At this rate, the only things that I know I can eat are raw vegetables, which have little or no effect on my BG.

Add into this, that I have now had to up my Humulin to 20 units at night to get my BG around 5 in the morning, I am falling into despair!!!

Has anyone on here had a similar problem and how did you manage your way out of it? I know everyone is different, but any help would be greatfully received, as I am really starting to pull my hair out.

I was told by mg DN that I should avoid fruit smoothies as they only offer short term glucose and I run the risk of Hypo's, but what about smoothies with more veg in them? Would that work?

Cheers, Mark.

 

[wd6ecc]

just try bacon and eggs i have them every morning works fine for me give it a try

 

[Yerusha]

Many people here will agree that there is a mass of confusion as to what is good and bad to eat, the problem is even worse for me as both my doctor and the nurse at the Desmond Program advised me that eating all things Brown in Portions is OK.. and here people are telling us to avoid brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice, and such. My doctor has also put me on cholesterol tablets so i have cut out cheese, butter and eggs. My morning meals is either Quaker Oats or Dark Rye Bread with sardines, tuna, or salmon, my last check up showed my BG was still a bit high!! where is the sugar coming from!!! I eat only baked fish, chicken, or turkey with root veg for dinner (getting tiring and boring now) but i dread to know what i can eat so anymore spikes i am switching to salad, salad, and only salads....

 

[britishpub]

where is the sugar coming from!!!

The Oats and Bread for a start, plus any other Carbs you eat.

Your body converts them into Glucose which you can use for energy, but which, if you don't use it your body cannot deal with because you have Diabetes.

 

[DawnPhenomenon]

Many people here will agree that there is a mass of confusion as to what is good and bad to eat, the problem is even worse for me as both my doctor and the nurse at the Desmond Program advised me that eating all things Brown in Portions is OK.. and here people are telling us to avoid brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice, and such. My doctor has also put me on cholesterol tablets so i have cut out cheese, butter and eggs. My morning meals is either Quaker Oats or Dark Rye Bread with sardines, tuna, or salmon, my last check up showed my BG was still a bit high!! where is the sugar coming from!!! I eat only baked fish, chicken, or turkey with root veg for dinner (getting tiring and boring now) but i dread to know what i can eat so anymore spikes i am switching to salad, salad, and only salads....

All things brown? Chocolate!!

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Many people here will agree that there is a mass of confusion as to what is good and bad to eat, the problem is even worse for me as both my doctor and the nurse at the Desmond Program advised me that eating all things Brown in Portions is OK.. and here people are telling us to avoid brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice, and such. My doctor has also put me on cholesterol tablets so i have cut out cheese, butter and eggs. My morning meals is either Quaker Oats or Dark Rye Bread with sardines, tuna, or salmon, my last check up showed my BG was still a bit high!! where is the sugar coming from!!! I eat only baked fish, chicken, or turkey with root veg for dinner (getting tiring and boring now) but i dread to know what i can eat so anymore spikes i am switching to salad, salad, and only salads....

The doctor and nurse are using dietary advice that is decades old. Eating cheese, butter and eggs won't make much difference to cholesterol levels because the body makes its own cholesterol and the more carbs we eat, the more it makes. Dairy foods and eggs are very nutritious and form a large part of my diet. My cholesterol levels are normal. There are lots of foods you can eat without increasing your BGs.

 

[janice1956]

Hi Mark, I can very much relate to where you are coming from. I am feeling at a complete loss as to what I can eat and can't. It seems most food, even those classed as low carb, low sugar send my BS sky high (although that are rather high to start with). I beginning to think I might try a rabbit diet of carrots, carrots and more carrots. I only have to look at a bowl of cereal and my BS goes through the roof!

I know the felling well T2 with Coeliac so very confused how to get the BG down. Diagnosed 5 years ago been on metformin both normal and SR but without much success, also had the dreaded met bum on both. Taken off Metformin a month ago and put on Gliclazide 40mg morning and evening. I am disabled so can't do much exercise hence now gained 10lb and still getting BG reading of 13 in the afternoon. Doc then suggested Sitagliptin which gave me to go with the Glic but the side effects off the Sitagliptin were so bad I returned to the GP and he said to stop them. He upped the Glic to 80mg in the morning and 40 mg in the evening and I have still not had a fasting BG under 8. I don't eat that much in the way of bread as the gluten free stuff is not that nice. I do like potatoes but on eat 4 really small new potatoes of a bit of mash. Can't eat normal cereals only gluten free one's about twice a week then I get really high numbers. Any suggestions from any coeliac/T2 sufferers would be greatly appreciated.

HBa1C 48 (probably higher now)
Chol 4.4
CKD Stage 3

 

[Wayne78]

Hi Mark,
I have been diabetic for 14 years and was following conventional treatment all this time, until i decided to try some other means of helping myself.
From what you are saying you have been feed some conventional advice and those clearly not working.

My biggest suggestion is to get active by doing some walking at least 20 min. per day.everyday and you don't have to overwork yourself doing so.
Do some muscle building workout at least three times per week. Exercise has the same effect as insulin.
I have found exercising combine with the other suggestion to be doing wonders for me.

Make vegetable smoothies instead of juicing, a combination of fruits juice increases the sucrose level in what you consume.
When making the smoothies add a piece of fruit if you want to sweeten up the drink.

For Break Fast try having an omelet, with some raw vegetables,Make a dressing from olive oil or coconut oil,apple cider vinegar, a little mustard.
Make protein a big Priority at breakfast and have a small amount of carbohydrate the good type..
Later in the day have a little sweet potato salad, made with a similar dressing to the one you had for break fast,or some cereal.dd to this more veggies.
you are to avoid artificial sweeteners entirely, if you can find stevia leaf, you can use that instead.
Take some apple cider vinegar with water 15 min. before each meal.Have cinnamon powder sprinkle on foods your'e having.
these suggestion will help you, apple cider and cinnamon power has blood sugar reducing components.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Hi Mark,
I have been diabetic for 14 years and was following conventional treatment all this time, until i decided to try some other means of helping myself.
From what you are saying you have been feed some conventional advice and those clearly not working.

My biggest suggestion is to get active by doing some walking at least 20 min. per day.everyday and you don't have to overwork yourself doing so.
Do some muscle building workout at least three times per week. Exercise has the same effect as insulin.
I have found exercising combine with the other suggestion to be doing wonders for me.

Make vegetable smoothies instead of juicing, a combination of fruits juice increases the sucrose level in what you consume.
When making the smoothies add a piece of fruit if you want to sweeten up the drink.

For Break Fast try having an omelet, with some raw vegetables,Make a dressing from olive oil or coconut oil,apple cider vinegar, a little mustard.
Make protein a big Priority at breakfast and have a small amount of carbohydrate the good type..
Later in the day have a little sweet potato salad, made with a similar dressing to the one you had for break fast,or some cereal.dd to this more veggies.
you are to avoid artificial sweeteners entirely, if you can find stevia leaf, you can use that instead.
Take some apple cider vinegar with water 15 min. before each meal.Have cinnamon powder sprinkle on foods your'e having.
these suggestion will help you, apple cider and cinnamon power has blood sugar reducing components.

Good suggestions about exercise. I would add that for people with health issues that make walking difficult, aquajogging is an excellent alternative. Moving against the resistance of the water gives you a good workout, with no pressure on the joints.

 

[Wayne78]

I know the felling well T2 with Coeliac so very confused how to get the BG down. Diagnosed 5 years ago been on metformin both normal and SR but without much success, also had the dreaded met bum on both. Taken off Metformin a month ago and put on Gliclazide 40mg morning and evening. I am disabled so can't do much exercise hence now gained 10lb and still getting BG reading of 13 in the afternoon. Doc then suggested Sitagliptin which gave me to go with the Glic but the side effects off the Sitagliptin were so bad I returned to the GP and he said to stop them. He upped the Glic to 80mg in the morning and 40 mg in the evening and I have still not had a fasting BG under 8. I don't eat that much in the way of bread as the gluten free stuff is not that nice. I do like potatoes but on eat 4 really small new potatoes of a bit of mash. Can't eat normal cereals only gluten free one's about twice a week then I get really high numbers. Any suggestions from any coeliac/T2 sufferers would be greatly appreciated.

HBa1C 48 (probably higher now)
Chol 4.4
CKD Stage 3

Try and increase your Vegetable intake, reduce the amount of potatoes you are having and starch consumption.
All starch consumed is converted into sugar. and if your blood is already high this will only increase it.
It would have been great if you mentioned your level of disability, this will let us understand where you are at and to suggest some type of exercise for you.

 

[Wayne78]

The Oats and Bread for a start, plus any other Carbs you eat.

Your body converts them into Glucose which you can use for energy, but which, if you don't use it your body cannot deal with because you have Diabetes.

There are two type of carbs, fast acting> eg. bread and slow acting eg. sweet potatoes.
Fast acting carbs should be consume when you experience a low hypo attack and slow acting when you want to keep blood sugar level stable.
Exercise is a key component here also.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

There are two type of carbs, fast acting> eg. bread and slow acting eg. sweet potatoes.
Fast acting carbs should be consume when you experience a low hypo attack and slow acting when you want to keep blood sugar level stable.
Exercise is a key component here also.

I could be wrong but I thought people having a hypo were supposed to eat something really rapidly absorbed, like glucose tablets or lucozade, then something that will be absorbed a bit more slowly such as bread?

 

[janice1956]

Try and increase your Vegetable intake, reduce the amount of potatoes you are having and starch consumption.
All starch consumed is converted into sugar. and if your blood is already high this will only increase it.
It would have been great if you mentioned your level of disability, this will let us understand where you are at and to suggest some type of exercise for you.

Hi Wayne78 Thank you for the advice my disability is due to a damaged cervical spine. I had 2 disc removed 18 years ago and had the bones fused together, this did not affect my walking etc. But 8 years ago I had further surgery on my cervical spine and ever since I can barely walk. I am on morphine for the pain and I've been told things will never get better. I can barely walk 15-20 mtrs and I end up falling over it's so hard sometimes as even with sticks it does not help. I also have a shoulder problem which has been treated with surgery so that make's walking with sticks very difficult. Then to make matters worse I am asthmatic and the exertion makes the asthma worse too. I swear is If was a horse the would have put me down by now lol.

 

[Wayne78]

I could be wrong but I thought people having a hypo were supposed to eat something really rapidly absorbed, like glucose tablets or lucozade, then something that will be absorbed a bit more slowly such as bread?

you are right, however, bread of the white type will be absorbed rapidly and you have to be mind full of whole wheat because sometimes they add the white flour to these product. the bread should be whole grain are some root starch plant