Exactly how low is a low carb diet?

[Trina_P]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post as I was only diagnosed in July with Type 1.

I've learnt so much from these forums and figure you guys know more about what diet is better for my glucose levels long term than any doctor or dietician who isn't living with it and monitoring it every single day.

I keep seeing articles and posts everywhere about LCHF but I'm trying to find some general guidelines as to what that consists of. I've been trying (and failing) to stick to 100g a day (I am a carb addict!) but then how many grams of fat, protein, and ultimately saturated fat (I want to lose about a stone).

Breakfast is the toughest meal too. Managed to get it to about 30g by adding 2 eggs to my porridge (sounds gross but with a generous helping of cinnamon and sweetener it's delicious) but I'm worried 14 eggs in a week is bound to have an effect on my cholesterol. Such a shame because the eggs really keep me full.

Any suggestions and advice would be a major help as I feel I'm feeling my through through the darkness at the minute! Also as I mentioned I'm a huge carb fan, so if you could suggest a way I could wean myself off them in the beginning that'd also be fab!

Thank you!

 

[jack412]

eggs are good..so are full meat sausages and chops, fried tomato ..porridge can be a problem..
100g of carbs and you're still craving says you need to drop some more.
how much carb.. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/carblevel.htm
Atkins induction diet is an easy way to start, google will give you recipe and food lists free

it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

A low carb diet will most likely reduce your carb cravings.

This is a good place to start: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

Take note of this from the webpage:

• Avoiding the carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar decreases your need for medication to lower it. Taking the same pre-low-carb diet dose of insulin might result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You need to test your blood sugar frequently when starting this diet and adapt (lower) your medication. This should ideally be done with the assistance of a knowledgeable physician. If you’re healthy or a diabetic treated either by diet alone or just with Metformin there is no risk of hypoglycemia.

 

[DeejayR]

I'm T2 on no meds but I find the book Carbs & Cals useful. I just look at the carb values in it but all the other stuff like fat content, protein & calories is in there too. Might be worth checking it out on Amazon.
Porridge, eggs, cinnamon & sweetener is a challenge I have to try Do you cook the eggs with the porridge or what? (Some people can't take oats but I'm ok with whole grains and fat added)
People on here who eat lots of eggs say they're no problem. I eat lots. I've read on here that the amount of cholesterol in our bodies isn't decided by what we eat.

 

[PaulinaB]

I'm not on low carb, but I started eating much more eggs for breakfast instead of cereal/porridge and my cholesterol has been lower and lower on each blood test since. So I wouldn't put a direct link between more eggs = higher cholesterol. Your overall composition of the meals and activity has a lot of impact on this.

 

[sanguine]

Hi Trina

Trudi Deakin's guidebook (link below) and a recent review paper on low carb (ditto) suggest the following:

Moderate carbs - 130-225g per day (26-45% calories on a 2000 kcal/day diet)
Low carbs - <130g per day
Very low carb/high fat - 20-50g per day, less than 10% calories from carbs.

You could also subdivide 'low carb' into:

Typical low carb 50-90g per day
Liberal low carb 90-130g per day

 

[tim2000s]

And on the subject of Cholesterol, much of what we have been informed by governmental and health agencies has been proven to be incorrect. Dietary cholesterol doesn't increase blood lipid cholesterol levels and there is little evidence of any links between Cardio Vascular Disease and Cholesterol levels. The studies that were used to drive this have been shown to be flawed.

It has been determined that the key lipid levels that need to be looked at are Triglycerides and Low Density Lipid (LDL) Cholesterol. Lower Trigs and lower LDL are considered to be important, as are higher levels of High Density Lipids (HDL).

What has also been determined is that a high carbohydrate diet leads to higher levels of LDL and Trigs and lower levels of HDL, while changing to an LCHF diet inverts these proportions, delivering low Trigs and LDL and higher HDL. It also changes the particle size of LDL, generating "large, fuluffy" particles as opposed to "small, dense" particles, which are more dangerous.

There are a number of videos online that discuss this.

There's also this guide on the forum that explains a lot of what is being put in this thread: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/

 

[Kat100]

Hello,
So much to read about , what ever diet you choose read , make a plan for yourself ..
Some people change their carbs at different times of their health or diet ..I am learning ...life long learning ...

Perceptions are different on what makes up a low carb meal ...can be confusing

I am medium carb ...but there is no tick,box for anyone's diet I never think , lots of methods and tweaking yes ...but while I say I am medium carb I will have what I consider low carb meals as well , so perhaps I should say on average ...not sure on the right word ...
I don't eat eggs often never have and I had high cholestrol , not now though...

I do eat oats and grains ....lentils etc ...
What ever you do ..let us know how you get on best wishes Kat

Should say I am type 2

 

[Trina_P]

Thanks for this guys, really useful. Don't think I could ever reduce it the 20g like the Atkins but I'm just beginning, you never know.

The porridge I make in a pan with 30g of oats and put in enough water so that they're swimming a little then put them on a medium heat. Whilst that's heating up I break two eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, then beat together thoroughly with a fork. Take your pan off the heat and let it cool slightly, this is when I weigh out my 30g of blueberries (although I just read not to eat them too often!). I also add about 2tsp of sweetener and 2tsp of cinnamon and give it a good mix. The porridge should be cooler by now and this is when I pour the egg in. Give it a really good stir and make sure it's thoroughly mixed in before putting it on a medium to low heat. I find by putting the eggs in when it's cooler the egg doesn't cook too quickly, otherwise you can end up with little bits of egg white floating around in your porridge I give it about 5 minutes just to make sure the egg is cooked. Then I taste just to see if it needs anymore sweetener or cinnamon before serving. Also something to note, if you need to add more liquid because it's getting to gloopy, I've been adding lactose-free milk, but any kind of milk will make it a little bit creamier, but water will be fine if you're worried about the carbs in it.

Let me know if you try it and what you think. I don't get hungry at all till lunchtime.

 

[tim2000s]

@Trina_P , I might leave that to others. I'm not a hige fan of porridge at the best of times and that, to me, sounds grim. Another point to be aware of - Porridge oats tend to spike people;s blood glucose levels. It's worth checking your readings at an hour and two hours post eating this!

 

[Trina_P]

Hello,
So much to read about , what ever diet you choose read , make a plan for yourself ..
Some people change their carbs at different times of their health or diet ..I am learning ...life long learning ...

Perceptions are different on what makes up a low carb meal ...can be confusing

I am medium carb ...but there is no tick,box for anyone's diet I never think , lots of methods and tweaking yes ...but while I say I am medium carb I will have what I consider low carb meals as well , so perhaps I should say on average ...not sure on the right word ...
I don't eat eggs often never have and I had high cholestrol , not now though...

I do eat oats and grains ....lentils etc ...
What ever you do ..let us know how you get on best wishes Kat

I think this seems to be what I've taken from the forum so far, and it's very sensible advice. We all have different bodies and lifestyles so there isn't gonna be a one-size-fits-all plan, each individual can make informed choices after reading the information. I feel much more optimistic after reading all this this morning, it feels more attainable and knowing that there is a huge group of people on here ready to offer help and advice is really encouraging

 

[sanguine]

Thanks for this guys, really useful. Don't think I could ever reduce it the 20g like the Atkins but I'm just beginning, you never know.

Carbs are addictive. Once you reduce them you may well wonder why you ever ate so many. Before I was diagnosed I lived on bread, cereals etc. Now I don't touch them and don't want to. Take it step by step, increase your fat to compensate for the calories, you might surprise yourself.

I do about 30-50g carbs per day although I tend not to count any more.

 

[Ali H]

I was with a friend yesterday and she was told to eat porridge every day to keep her blood pressure down. She was also told to eat a banana every day to help her low potassium levels. She does basal bolus too and mostly exists somewhere around 14 mmol......!!!! She said that until her Dr tells her porridge is no good for a diabetic and neither are bananas she won't change anything. She also eats a high fruit diet. I despair at the education that has been given to people but also that people are not open to new ideas and changes in dietary advice.

Ali

 

[Robinredbreast]

I think this seems to be what I've taken from the forum so far, and it's very sensible advice. We all have different bodies and lifestyles so there isn't gonna be a one-size-fits-all plan, each individual can make informed choices after reading the information. I feel much more optimistic after reading all this this morning, it feels more attainable and knowing that there is a huge group of people on here ready to offer help and advice is really encouraging

Hi, you had a sensible head on those sensible shoulders and what ever you choose to do, make sure you do it because you want to. Reducing carbs is good for anyone, it will take a bit of tweaking to get to the right place for you.
Remember carbs are in many foods, not just, rice, bread, pasta, grains, potatoes, but in fresh fruit, yogurt, some vegetables, and milk, For me, a good well balanced diet is a sensible one, but how low you would like to go? it's entirely your choice.

Good luck and all the best.

RRB

 

[Trina_P]

@Trina_P , I might leave that to others. I'm not a hige fan of porridge at the best of times and that, to me, sounds grim. Another point to be aware of - Porridge oats tend to spike people;s blood glucose levels. It's worth checking your readings at an hour and two hours post eating this!

It does make mine spike but I love porridge Maybe I should consider it as a treat once a week!

 

[DeejayR]

Thanks for this guys, really useful. Don't think I could ever reduce it the 20g like the Atkins but I'm just beginning, you never know.

The porridge I make in a pan with 30g of oats and put in enough water so that they're swimming a little then put them on a medium heat. Whilst that's heating up I break two eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, then beat together thoroughly with a fork. Take your pan off the heat and let it cool slightly, this is when I weigh out my 30g of blueberries (although I just read not to eat them too often!). I also add about 2tsp of sweetener and 2tsp of cinnamon and give it a good mix. The porridge should be cooler by now and this is when I pour the egg in. Give it a really good stir and make sure it's thoroughly mixed in before putting it on a medium to low heat. I find by putting the eggs in when it's cooler the egg doesn't cook too quickly, otherwise you can end up with little bits of egg white floating around in your porridge I give it about 5 minutes just to make sure the egg is cooked. Then I taste just to see if it needs anymore sweetener or cinnamon before serving. Also something to note, if you need to add more liquid because it's getting to gloopy, I've been adding lactose-free milk, but any kind of milk will make it a little bit creamier, but water will be fine if you're worried about the carbs in it.

Let me know if you try it and what you think. I don't get hungry at all till lunchtime.

Classy. Tomorrow I'll have a go. I soak my groats (whole grain oats) in a thermos of hot water overnight with cinnamon & chia seeds and then bung in sundry berries, yoghurt, seeds, nuts & cream & reheat in the morning, about three times a week. It's probably between 30-40 carbs just one bowlful, so quite a dose. But it hasn't spiked me in six months.

 

[Totto]

I occasionally have pinhead oats cooked overnight as a treat, no milk but with cream. I love oats, I just can't tolerate them very well.
So only small helping now and then.