Jacket Potatoe

[Daphne917]

I can eat potatoes but in small portions such as 3 new ones or 2 roasts, chips (15-20), tbls of mash and a small jacket. The only way to tell if you will be ok is to test.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

I quite like jacket potatoes with soured cream, however I have stopped eating them in my quest to get my blood sugars down to non-diabetic levels. A large jacket potato is about 60gr carbs which is a massive amount, double what someone would eat daily on a keto diet. I still need to lose about 7kg to no longer be overweight and since excess carbs is stored as fat, eating potatoes is not going to help.

Looking at the Success Stories and Testimonial threads on here it does seem that the most success in getting down to non-diabetic HbA1C levels is by people on a strict low carb diet. These people seem to reverse their T2 between 3 and 12 months on a LCHF diet, and sooner if they also do Intermittent Fasting. Since cutting out all the major carbs (breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta) my fasting blood sugars have dropped significantly and are usually in the low 5s (today 5.0). My HbA1C was 44 a couple of weeks ago and I expect it to get below 42 into the non-diabetic range at my next test in three months time. When that happens I will stop taking Metformin and be on no diabetes medication.

You can choose to eat lots of carbs if you like such as baked potatoes. It is your choice and you have to live with the consequences. I was getting mild neuropathy symptoms (pins and needles in my hands) and I prefer to not exacerbate the problem by having higher blood sugar levels than absolutely necessary.

 

[serenity648]

The OP is not suggesting she eat lots of carbs. She is asking if she can try to eat a jacket potato safely. None of us know the answer to that, as we are not her. So she can safely try one and test. One potato to test her reaction is not dangerous, therefore it is safe. She does not yet know what level of carbs, and type of carbs is safe for her at this time. It is individual. It may be that she can continue to eat a certain amount of jacket potato, tailed to her reaction.

I refute the idea that only those who go very low carb have the most success in getting their blood sugar numbers down to a normal level and weight loss. Many, many posters on here do not do a very low carb diet, and they have achieved normal blood sugars and weight loss.

Suggesting that those who approach the lowering and testing of their carb reaction cautiously are somehow not taking their diabetes seriously, and are taking unnecessary risks is, i think, neither helpful or accurate.

We are all different, some have multiple medical issues, some have different reactions to others. These all have to be taken into account when making choices about carb amounts. What works for some may neither work, or be necessary for others.

I agree with carb restriction, no doubt about that, but based on ones own individual responses, not being told how much and what I should eat, and how much, based on the experiences of others, when those suggestions are extreme. There is a place for very low carbing, if necessary, but i dont think it should be a default recommendation for people at the start of this journey, before they know their limits.

Removing or severely curtailing a whole food group is a big leap, when a newbie has more than enough to deal with at first, and may make the whole dietary approach seem overwhelming and not worth trying, which is the opposite of what is needed.

 

[Resurgam]

The joy of low carb eating is that it is so effective in reducing blood glucose levels and it totally adaptable to the needs o f the person doing it. In the first 24 hours after diagnosis I ate s piece of beef and bacon and eggs, drank water. After that I ate very low carb foods in small amounts for a week or so.
If you have a meter you can see what you can eat and make your own rules and limits changing them as you see the trends emerging.
What you can't do is eat the same diet as someone else and expect the same results.
I can't eat high carb foods and maintain low blood glucose, I can't eat some foods thought low carb and maintain low blood glucose - what I can do is be totally smug and happy about my numbers - and also be happy for people who manage to get their numbers under control either by diet or medication or both.

 

[Daphne917]

I am T2 diet controlled and tend to eat more carbs than many on the forum in that I probably have approx 100g per day - my last hba1c was 38 and my FBS currently range from high 4s to mid 5s and my readings 2 hours after eating are usually between 5.5 and 6.5 however, I do have a nemisis which is scampi - for some reason my BS spikes at around 8 2 hours after eating it (it does come down a little at the 3 hour point) so it is an occasional treat now - hubby still has it when we go out for a meal as it's one of his favourites!!

 

[Robbity]

Are jacket potatoes bad for diabetics

In general it's not a good idea to eat high carbohydrate foods which raise glucose levels (and in the main are not actually essential in a healthy diet either) particularly if you're a type 2 aiming to control your diabetes through your diet.

I, with many others on the forum, choose not to eat high carb content foods that most likely triggered our diabetes in the first place. I can get food related migraines, so I avoid those foods that will trigger one; if I was nut or gluten intolerant then I'd avoid like the plague any food containing nut or gluten. So it follows that the same goes for dealing with my diabetes - I see no sense in eating food that my body won't tolerate well, even if I may have previously enjoyed it. I value my eyesight and hands too much...

If you'd prefer to eat high carb foods, then you need to be aware of any potential issues that they may cause, and to use a meter to test your reaction to them and make your decisions based on your personal results. It's your body, your diabetes, and your decision how you deal with it.

Robbity

 

[GrantGam]

I, with many others on the forum, choose not to eat high carb content foods that most likely triggered our diabetes in the first place.

As much as I agree with the majority of the post in which I've quoted; I don't entirely agree with it all.

It would be unusual for a high carbohydrate foodstuff to cause T2 diabetes by itself @Robbity. I would think that it would be more appropriate to link potential causes of T2D to (including and not limited to) excessive amounts of high carb foods, elements or inactivity, genetics, obesity, medication(s), stress, lack of sleep, etc.

To say that a 'high carb food item' causes type 2 diabetes is (in my opinion) a little misleading. If that were the case; everyone who's eaten a baked tattie would be a member of this forum

 

[leslie10152]

I am T2 diet controlled and tend to eat more carbs than many on the forum in that I probably have approx 100g per day - my last hba1c was 38 and my FBS currently range from high 4s to mid 5s and my readings 2 hours after eating are usually between 5.5 and 6.5 however, I do have a nemisis which is scampi - for some reason my BS spikes at around 8 2 hours after eating it (it does come down a little at the 3 hour point) so it is an occasional treat now - hubby still has it when we go out for a meal as it's one of his favourites!!

I have problems with all crustaceans and shell fish. Calamari and octopus ditto! Just can't have them because they send me into the stratosphere. Found that one out the hard way!

 

[leslie10152]

I try very hard to avoid high carb foods. Usually if I purchase pre-prepared meals, I watch for carbohydrate per serving information. I try to stay under 22-25 carbs. I would rather do my own prep so I can be sure I know what is in the meal. From time to time I have bad reactions from unknown items in prepacked meals, so I keep a record of these items for future reference.

Canned foods are good, as I can split the portion and mix it with steamed veges. A quick on the go meal that I can trust not to lay me low. I can get canned mixed veges and split it into three meals with ease. It helps with portion control too.

 

[Robbity]

As much as I agree with the majority of the post in which I've quoted; I don't entirely agree with it all.

It would be unusual for a high carbohydrate foodstuff to cause T2 diabetes by itself @Robbity. I would think that it would be more appropriate to link potential causes of T2D to (including and not limited to) excessive amounts of high carb foods, elements or inactivity, genetics, obesity, medication(s), stress, lack of sleep, etc.

To say that a 'high carb food item' causes type 2 diabetes is (in my opinion) a little misleading. If that were the case; everyone who's eaten a baked tattie would be a member of this forum

And is not actually what I said! Being pedantic - I didn't say "caused" I specifically said "most likely triggered" in this sense:
Medical definition of Trigger...
Something that [either] sets off a disease in people who are genetically predisposed to developing the disease, [...or that causes a certain symptom to occur in a person who has a disease.]

And my post was intended as a general comment: I was quite careful to say "high carb foods" - no mention of potatoes in any shape or form.

However, for me personally, being "forced" into eating a high carb diet was almost certainly the final straw that finally pushed me over into diabetes - and removing those same carbs from my diet again got me down over just a few months to my current pre diabetic levels.

Robbity