Going out for a coffee with friends.

[Sue192]

I haven't had any trouble in restaurants ordering extra veg etc - with so many people being gluten-intolerant it's not such an issue to be 'different' now perhaps? - but I must give a plug for the chef at the Abbotsbury Swannery. A carb-laden menu so I just ordered a locally-made burger without the bun and the chips (there was a salad garnish). Sat down at the table and the chef came up to me and asked if I'd like extra salad. "Thank you, yes please." He goes away; few minutes later he comes back: "would you like some grated cheese too? Local cheddar?" Ooh, yes please!" Both questions were quietly asked, with no fuss. Upshot was a MASSIVE salad and a MASSIVE bowl of yummy grated cheddar! It can be a problem asking for something not on the menu but he really made my day.

 

[Alexandra100]

Yup... The continental breakfast, it's called, and I guess it would look like lunch to others... Never thought about it! It's a bit of a hotel staple.

That's funny, because here the "continental breakfast" signifies just a hot drink with rolls, butter jam as contrasted with the "full English" fry up.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

That's funny, because here the "continental breakfast" signifies just a hot drink with rolls, butter jam as contrasted with the "full English" fry up.

I never saw one without boiled eggs, cold meats and cheese... Rolls, croissants and bread, milk, juice, coffee and tea too. (Possibly cereal). Usually oranges and the like... The best continentals were in Venice, Disney and Brussels, but Amsterdam certainly knows how to do a buffet too. I miss traveling... It's been years. (Sickly cat. He'll live to be 100, but we can't leave him with a sitter for long.). Ah well... Once diagnosed I thought my traveling days were over, but really... There's diabetics everywhere, and restaurants who accomodate 'em. One day we'll see Venice again.

 

[AloeSvea]

I am a social bunny, and love to go to cafes to meet friends. I am also a tea and coffee addict, so cafes are all good as someone with SIRD T2D at prediabetic BG levels. Everyone who knows me knows about the diabetes, and that I treat with food and physical activity, so if I arrive on foot after a decent walk, and order an americano and a chicken salad, hold the dressing, or liver pate with boiled eggs hold the bread - no one blinks an eye.

Do I miss the baked goods? Oh course! But - I can't eat cake! Those cute cupcakes. Or biscuits/cookies, or any baked goods whatsoever in conventional cafes, and treat my T2D with diet and exercise only, so I don't. (waiting for the day when no-sugar added cafes which include goods baked with almond and hazelnut and coconut flour sweetened with stevia come into being! I think we might see it).

After four years being diabetic I did cave one time, and bought my once favourite cafe-kitchen-baked cookie, at a cafe and boy did I enjoy eating it. Now I bake very- low-carb (keto recipes, or paleo without the honey etc) cookies fairly regularly now to deal with the reactivated sugar addiction! (Which was obviously coming from somewhere before I bought the cafe cookie.) But homebaked low carb cookies don't spike me, and atkins low carb bars with a ton of artificial sweeteners in them do. so there I am in the kitchen baking.

At cafes, the most uncomfortable (but usually not toooooo uncomfortable) for me and my friends and family is if they are prediabetic, or have metabolic dysfunction that badly affects their health, and I know it, and they know I know it, and they order high blood glucose/insulin spiking/ forming foods. I find that very hard. And I have friends who just find my low-carbing presence too hard and so meet me for coffee very rarely which is sad. (I am thinking of a lovely woman whose mother died from T2D complications in her 50s, we are in our 50s, and is dealing with her own insulin resistant tendencies by not dealing with it - good ol' denial. In my my defence the only time I talked to her about low carbing was when she asked me about it. But hard for her to do the denial thing with me who has crossed the diabetic river sitting in front of her.) But I do the good friend/family thing and say nothing and keep a blank face, as their choice is their choice, and I have always done my low-carb rave to these friends and family members at the beginning of their diagnosis.

I also have friends who have lung disease and continue to smoke, and I apply the same principles - see it as their choice to live (and die) how they wish. And these friends may very well outlive me, so - yeah. (not the ones dealing with or dying of lung disease where the lung damage is already too great.)

Addictions are very hard, and a strong addiction can be very very hard, to break. We know it can be done, but my understanding is you can't make anyone want to break an addiction. They really do have to want to do it themselves. And people choose to live and die with an addiction all the time.

So - at the cafe - eat something! Just not something that will raise your blood glucose albeit as little as possible . You choose the cafe, so you know you can?

 

[Ross.Walker]

Hello friends. After being diagnosed with type 2 in Jan 2016. I now have my diabetes under control sort off (HBA1C was 55 in Mar 2018 down from 122 in Jan 2016).
Tomorrow I am going out with friends for a coffee I have not done this in 2 years. I am not sure what I can have if my friends all choose a coffee place. Any suggestions.. tips or advice appreciated.

how did it go?