Lorry drivers

[mantha81]

Hi,
My husband is a lorry driver and although isn't massively overweight (not what anyone would consider a stereotypical lorry driver) but he is in the overweight category of the BMI calculator. He has a heart condition, constantly tired and a few other bits and pieces.
He has to pack up a week's worth of food so I, in the main, prepare his meals but this isn't always the case and sometimes he relies upon packet food which is loaded with unhealthy carbs/fat etc.
He has been told that because of this heart condition, he is at risk of stroke and potentially other things; I am worried that one may be diabetes as he gets older (or even sooner).
I have looked at loads of meal plans and I'm just not sure where to start as to what I can prepare for him and so as to not end up cooking loads of diferent things, will satisfy the family as well. We have a 14yo boy and 8yo girl in the house as well as me with oodles of FODMAP food intollerances (pulses for eg make me poorly as well as stoned fruit, including apples - although he can eat these fooods).
Although us three are the least important in this post, I really need help with a 'lorry drivers' meal plan and if there are any drivers on here, how to increase exercise. This isn't just me by the way, he wants to know too!

If anyone can help with how we can structure our meals and help him with his heart condition (Afib/Aflut/AT), high risk of stroke and subsequent potential conditions such as future diabetes, we will be eternally grateful.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @mantha81 and welcome to the DCUK forums.

I'm sorry about your husband's health condition(s).

I'm going to tag @searley who is a HGV driver (although T1 not T2) .

As for the diabetes, is there any T2 in your husband's family and has he had an hba1c test recently?

How does the week's worth of food work? Does he have a fridge to keep it in?

I'm (possibly naively) hoping that he's had a chance to talk to a dietician?

Once more, welcome.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @mantha81 and welcome to the forum.
I would hesitate to start taking action against T2 Diabetes just because a person is overweight and tired, rather than actually having either pre or full T2 Diabetes. Especially if heart problems come into the picture, because the best diet to avoid T2 Diabetes and lose weight and keep it off (LCHF) is still considered by many to be unhealthy for Cardio problems. If you look in the 'Sucess Stories' on this forum you will see that many (including myself) have lost substantial weight, gain energy and focus, normalised Blood Pressure and put T2Diabetes into medium term remission using this approach.

That said, there are medical studies with conflicting results, depending upon who funded them. So let's say that the science is not settled!

The next best way to lose weight and put T2D into remission is a very low calorie diet - but this means huger and loss of energy and is only advised for 8 to 12 weeks before dietary deficiencies become a problem. This form of 800 calorie per day diet is known as a 'Newcastle Diet ' or Michael Moseley's 'Fast 800 Blood Sugar Diet;' etc. The extra disadvantage of this method is that once the diet ends, unless an appropriate longer term healthy way of eating is adopted, the problems just come back in the next months to years.

 

[AloeSvea]

Hi @mantha81.

When I do long-distance driving I love having a store of cold-cuts meat on hand - literally in my hand when it comes to sausages. (If finances allow, and mostly is - high quality high percentage of actual meat, and I have my favourites.) Messier finger food is spiced meats, like marinated and baked chicken wings and nibbles are great too, but I need to be picnicing for that, with a bunch of wet wipes and paper towels on hand for cleaning up to keep the steering wheel good. Those are my fave travelling foods.

My next travelling-food fave is homemade keto pizza, as in the fathead pizza recipe (made with cream cheese, almond flour and lots of mozzarella cheese). I have meat-lover toppings, and capsicum. More cheese on top. I make my own marinara sauce for the red sauce on the base.

Mixed salted nuts are great too. But again - for picnic-ing, due to salt on the hands and needing to wash them off.

I'm dairy tolerant, so cheese and keto crackers are a staple, but I prefer not to eat it on the road, due to crumbs. Stopping off at a beautiful spot to eat cheese and nuts can be very pleasant.

I have three different sized chilly bins for different distances of driving. Packing these is a major part of prep for a big driving day. (Also for my sparkling water, and caffeinated bubbly drinks no sugar for if necessary.)

You would need to know how your husband's artery health is affected by dairy though, I guess? Does he know?

But meat and high meat percentage sausages are very filling, and well digested by the stationary body (in the driving seat). My understanding of high protein food, with healthy fat as part of the package, is, that there isn't excess energy left for storing as body-fat on him and will be used by him to run that body much like the diesel or petrol and oil will be running the lorries!

Meat, fish, seafood, and veg to his liking - my understanding is you can't go much wrong with that. Clean energy.