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Few conundrums!

N

Nicksellick

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
Hi Everyone,
I was diagnosed T2D in October 2021 with an A1c of 118! I'm delighted to report, that with a mix of metformin, diet and exercie, my latest A1c was 43.
I have relaxed a little, but generally am low(ish) carb, exercise more, etc, etc.
I have a few food related questions. If anyone would like to chip in with advice, thoughts, stuff to read, I'd be very grateful.
1. Ghee, Good or bad? I have read conflicting reports abot this and other dairy fats. Butter, cheese, cream, full fat milk, etc. etc.
2.Likewise grains. Does the good in a whole grain outweigh the bad in that they are carb heavy?
3.Similarly fruit. Does the nutritional boost from fruit outweigh the sugar hit? I have been eating apples and berries, but haven't had a banana for over a year!
4.Porridge. I know it's also a grain, but porridge? Good or bad?

I am trying to eat as healthily as I can, sausages aside, I'm doing ok, but any guidance would be very much appreciated.
Cheers Nick
 
Hearty congratulations on the remarkable lowering of your A1c and being honest enough to ask for advice. I don't feel able to offer anyone advice on what or what not to eat, sorry. Other people will be more help.
 
Hi @Nicksellick and welcome to our forum.

1. If you eat dairy, Full fat is recommended. Less carbs and a good source of natural fats and protein.
2. Grains. Depending on how intolerant you are. Generally, food containing grains, are not recommended because of the high carb count. And the higher spikes to your blood glucose levels. And if you have insulin resistance, the more insulin you will produce, which is why the best thing is to reduce. A carb is a carb to a T2!
3. Fruit. Same as grains, however, small pieces of northern fruit, berries, are less likely to spike you too high.
4. Porridge. Same as a grain.

What you are asking about are so called healthy food. What you are is a T2. This means that these carby foods are not healthy for you.
For every carby, starchy, sugary foods there is a healthy T2 alternative.
Dietdoctor.com is a great source as is our low carb forum.

Keep asking
Best wishes.
 
I’m a type 1 diabetic so take my view with a grain (lol) of salt. My main goal is to focus on low GI foods as these digest slower and don’t result in a big spike in blood sugar. I often use type 2 recipe books (such as the ones from here: https://diabetes.gifts/best-diabetic-diet/) to make recipes as they tend to be lowish carb and be “good carbs” that are slow release and match my insulin curve. To answer your question directly.
1. I don’t have a problem with cheese at all, but full fat milk does make my blood sugar spike a bit. I just tend to put a small amount in my coffee. I wouldn’t personally have a lot of it.
2. Wholegrains are pretty good! I eat small amounts of them. White rice is basically the devil for me.
3. Fruit isn’t great for me and i only have it when having a hypo. In the diabetic solution (https://diabetes.gifts/top-5-books-every-type-1-diabetic-should-read/) Bernstein explains how he stays healthy even though he hasn’t eaten fruit in years. I don’t eat fruit any more and all my health markers are good. I think as a type 2 you probably have more flexiblity here.

Good luck! One thing you could do is buy a libre 2 once and try all these goods and see what impact they have for you. My biggest advice would be moderation.
 
Hi Nick. Congratulations on your progress!

First thing to say is that you can find out the impact on your blood glucose by testing - are you doing that? I've found that the problem with answering questions about "is this food OK for me?" is that nobody can really say for sure. We appear to react to different foods in different ways. I am OK with legumes, for example, but definitely not with pastry or potatoes.

Ghee is fine for me. It's entirely carb free (at least what I buy is). I eat a lot of full fat dairy produce and (as you'll see from my signature) blood glucose is low, weight is down, and as it happens total cholesterol is down as well.

I don't eat grains, including oatmeal, porridge etc. I don't think the rapid rise in my BG is helpful. They are foods I really used to enjoy but I'd rather have the low BG and no symptoms, thanks.

I eat strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries in small quantities occasionally (once every 2 weeks?). I don't really have any other fruit. Too much sugar. Again, I used to enjoy bananas, mangos, melon, pineapple, etc. but the calculation is the same as for grains.

I do eat sausages, but I go for the 95% meat/fat and above, or the all-meat bratwurst and Polish sausage that you can get in Lidl and Aldi. Many UK sausages have quite a bit of filler - usually oatmeal and these I avoid.

As I said, the best way for you to work out what you can and can't eat is to try the food and test before and after. You're obviously doing a lot right already, so you might only make marginal gains, but can't say for certain.
 
Nicksellick said:
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I am trying to eat as healthily as I can, sausages aside, I'm doing ok, but any guidance would be very much appreciated.
Cheers Nick
Click to expand...
If you want sausages, there are high meat content ones available - e.g. Heck pork sausages and some of the Waitrose own brand Cumberland ones are 97% meat and virtually carb free, and feature regularly on my low carb "menus".
 
Thanks for that. Really useful. Do you mind me asking what sort of things you do eat?
Cheers Nick
 
The sort of food others eat is useful background information but it cannot be over emphasised that we are all different .
The type of food  you can eat is the type that does not spike your blood sugar levels
 
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