Low Carb, Low Gi, Blood Sugar Stability Advice

[Kasakets]

Hi, I'm brand new to this forum. I've been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years and have only recently made a significant effort to eat healthier and have a better control of my blood sugar. Prior to this, I wasn't eating an extremely unhealthy diet but I wasn't committing enough attention to the specific factors that have an effect on blood sugar control, i.e glycemic index, fibre content, etc. This knowledge I have gained recently has had a significantly better impact on keeping blood sugar levels lower and more stabilised, which is a huge contrast to the advice given from NHS staff and recommended literature. I feel that the carbohydrate counting courses and literature I was given was more detrimental to me as it focused on the idea that "you can still eat whatever you want!" by using carbohydrate counting. Additionally, a lot of serving suggestions and types of food included in such literature were ignorant and lacked moral consideration. Personally, as harsh as it may sound or difficult as it is to swallow I believe I should have been given a much stricter outlook -

"You are diabetic, you are compromised, it is a bad idea to be consuming high GI foods and high levels of carbohydrate in general but that doesn't mean you can't be healthy"

If I had been told this, then I definitely wouldn't have spent years in an uncontrollable see-saw of hypo's and hyper's.

The issue I'm having at the moment is that, due to the vast amount of knowledge, there is a lot of contradicting evidence which can get a bit frustrating. Generally, I think that common sense is one of the biggest aids as it's usually pretty obvious in knowing whether you're consuming processed, artificial ***** or real, fresh food. The tips I was given from a very young age that give an overview of a healthy, balanced diet were mostly centred around plenty of fruit and vegetables which I think is pretty steadfast advice. However, due to being diabetic and requiring a low GI/low carb diet a lot of the research I have done seems to me to be a little dubious... Both the paleo and atkins diet seem very extreme, especially the paleo which seems to loath any carbohydrates and love all proteins. I suppose I just feel a little overwhelmed and can't assign real conviction to any 'evidence' as I quickly find opposing theories. Any advice or suggestions on what to cut out or introduce would be greatly appreciated

To give you a better idea here is my usual rotation of meals.

BREAKFAST:

Bananas
Mandarins
0% Fat Greek Yoghurt
Mix of Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Grapes, Sweet Black Cherries
Chia Seeds
Smoked Salmon
Cottage Cheese
Ryvita
Scrambled Eggs (Using only 1 Yolk)
100% Whole Grain Bread

LUNCH:

Watermelon
Bananas
Almonds
Peanuts
Pistachio Nuts

DINNER:

Aubergines
Courgettes
Quorn
Spinach
Tomatoes
Onions
Butternut Squash
Kale
Broccoli
Salmon
Tuna
Olive Oil
Kidney Beans
100% Wholewheat Pasta and Spaghetti
Spaghetti Squash
Sweet Potatoes

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Hi, I'm brand new to this forum. I've been a type 1 diabetic for 10 years and have only recently made a significant effort to eat healthier and have a better control of my blood sugar. Prior to this, I wasn't eating an extremely unhealthy diet but I wasn't committing enough attention to the specific factors that have an effect on blood sugar control, i.e glycemic index, fibre content, etc. This knowledge I have gained recently has had a significantly better impact on keeping blood sugar levels lower and more stabilised, which is a huge contrast to the advice given from NHS staff and recommended literature. I feel that the carbohydrate counting courses and literature I was given was more detrimental to me as it focused on the idea that "you can still eat whatever you want!" by using carbohydrate counting. Additionally, a lot of serving suggestions and types of food included in such literature were ignorant and lacked moral consideration. Personally, as harsh as it may sound or difficult as it is to swallow I believe I should have been given a much stricter outlook -

"You are diabetic, you are compromised, it is a bad idea to be consuming high GI foods and high levels of carbohydrate in general but that doesn't mean you can't be healthy"

If I had been told this, then I definitely wouldn't have spent years in an uncontrollable see-saw of hypo's and hyper's.

The issue I'm having at the moment is that, due to the vast amount of knowledge, there is a lot of contradicting evidence which can get a bit frustrating. Generally, I think that common sense is one of the biggest aids as it's usually pretty obvious in knowing whether you're consuming processed, artificial ***** or real, fresh food. The tips I was given from a very young age that give an overview of a healthy, balanced diet were mostly centred around plenty of fruit and vegetables which I think is pretty steadfast advice. However, due to being diabetic and requiring a low GI/low carb diet a lot of the research I have done seems to me to be a little dubious... Both the paleo and atkins diet seem very extreme, especially the paleo which seems to loath any carbohydrates and love all proteins. I suppose I just feel a little overwhelmed and can't assign real conviction to any 'evidence' as I quickly find opposing theories. Any advice or suggestions on what to cut out or introduce would be greatly appreciated

To give you a better idea here is my usual rotation of meals.

BREAKFAST:

Bananas
Mandarins
0% Fat Greek Yoghurt
Mix of Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Grapes, Sweet Black Cherries
Chia Seeds
Smoked Salmon
Cottage Cheese
Ryvita
Scrambled Eggs (Using only 1 Yolk)
100% Whole Grain Bread

LUNCH:

Watermelon
Bananas
Almonds
Peanuts
Pistachio Nuts

DINNER:

Aubergines
Courgettes
Quorn
Spinach
Tomatoes
Onions
Butternut Squash
Kale
Broccoli
Salmon
Tuna
Olive Oil
Kidney Beans
100% Wholewheat Pasta and Spaghetti
Spaghetti Squash
Sweet Potatoes

Hi and welcome. I will tag @daisy1 who has some info for people new to the forum. Personally I would avoid 0% fat yoghurt, ryvita, bread, quorn, pasta, spaghetti, and sweet potatoes. I would eat full fat yoghurt as the carbs are lower.

 

[RuthW]

I eat all that and, barring inexplicable events, keep my blood sugars in the "normal range" (70-140 mg/dl) just by carb counting and timing my boluses right, keeping my basal right and a bit of exercise. I've been diabetic for 48 years and got my pump about a year ago. I also became a Born Again Diabetic at that point, and I share your philosophy on food. The other useful rule is "eat to your meter". So while I think there's nothing morally wrong with eating pizza and chocolate ice cream, I tend not to do it because the quantities of insulin involved appal me these days.

My favourite wholemeal carb form is rice - seems to keep my blood sugars pretty steady. I see that's not on your list. I eat all kinds of beans as they all give me a peculiar sense of well-being, as well as a good blood sugar profile.

Since I do eat carbs, I tend not to combine them with high fat, as that does seem to give me some insulin resistance (but not every time, and it isn't very predictable).

I eat as wide a variety of veg as I can - all those vitamins, minerals and trace elements count for me. I've never met a vegetable I didn't like. I eat apples and pears often. I don't eat watermelon as it spikes me - i find it difficult to judge what Im eating with it.

I avoid processed meats because they are very strongly correlated with stomach and bowel cancer. But i still eat them very occasionally. I don't believe in 'forbidden foods' really (unless people are talking about their religious preferences). Honestly, i think if you have found the diet for you, that's OK

 

[Kasakets]

Hi and welcome. I will tag @daisy1 who has some info for people new to the forum. Personally I would avoid 0% fat yoghurt, ryvita, bread, quorn, pasta, spaghetti, and sweet potatoes. I would eat full fat yoghurt as the carbs are lower.

Thanks I can understand why it's best to avoid all of the foods you mentioned (I am slowly letting go!) except for yoghurt. The one I have called Fage Total 0% has very low carbohydrates?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Thanks I can understand why it's best to avoid all of the foods you mentioned (I am slowly letting go!) except for yoghurt. The one I have called Fage Total 0% has very low carbohydrates?

I'm not familiar with that brand but I just compare the carb content of various types and usually the lowest carb is the full fat option.When they reduce/remove fat they have to add sugar for flavour.

 

[daisy1]

@Kasakets

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members which was mentioned above. You have received some useful replies to your post here and I know there will be many more. Ask any questions you may have and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[tim2000s]

My favourite wholemeal carb form is rice - seems to keep my blood sugars pretty steady.

Different strokes for different folks @RuthW . I find brown rice and white rice to have more or less identical reactions on my bg levels, and it requires precise timing of insulin to avoid a fairly sharp increase in BG. The ones that I find really have a great correlation with a limited increase in BG rises are wild red or black rice. They are much lower GI and GL.

 

[phoenix]

That low fat dairy is higher in carbs than normal fat is a bit of a myth. If you make plain yoghurt or cheese from skimmed milk or semi skimmed milk then all you are doing is removing the fat not adding carbohydrates. In many countries they traditionally make soft white cheeses and yoghurts from the skimmed milk left when cream is taken off.

Rice is really variable because of the proportions of the different types of starches it contains and how much you cook it for. Wild rice isn't really rice but I agree it works well for me, I tend to use a mixture of wild, basmati brown and white. I bought some carmague red rice when we were in the area a couple of weeks ago so it will be interesting to try that (it's daft we live about two and a half hours away by road and I can't buy it locally, you can buy it in Sainsburys)

I think bread is a hard one, many loaves in UK supermarkets look good from the outside but are actually made with very finely ground flour (it was whole once). The breads that I find to be lower GI are made from coarsely ground flours with some intact seeds, I also find breads that are made with some nut flour good .The way it's made seems to make a difference, traditionally made breads using long proving techniques or sourdough are in my opinion better. I find it much harder to find bread that 'works' for me in England than here in France

I find new potatoes even home made wedges lower GI than sweet potatoes but sweet ones are more nutritious.Celeriac and Jerusalem artichoke are also useful.

I sometimes use corn on the cob as the starch in a meal, and sometimes quinoa or bulghar In winter I sometimes use whole grains in casseroles. Lentils and chick peas are low GI and high fibre.
Oh and I do include oats for breakfast (the coarser varieties not instant)
(for all starches portion size is important, I'm low carber but I will eat 3/4 of a roll if a whole one is too heavy )

. Personally, I would add at least some raw veg (dressed with an olive oil vinaigrette, probably cultural but the French guidelines do include 1tbs of raw olive oil and a portion of raw veg at one meal every day )
Again personally, I'd eat a bit less fruit and a perhaps a different source of protein/fat at lunch (eggs/smoked fish/cheese tend to be frequent but I don't eat those that often at breakfast)
wider variety of veg (peppers, endives , green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, mushrooms, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, it just depends whats in season and available)

Oh and for stability, I still find that eating 3 meals at regular intervals with no snacks works better than having meals at irregular times. I also find that on the days I eat my main meal at lunch time I have excellent results . I find that annoying! When I was first diagnosed , the consultant insisted that it's better that way (locally everyone has two hour lunch hours and eats the main meal then anyway )I was used to eating the main meal in the evening and I still mostly do so but I have a sneaking suspicion that she was right)

 

[zand]

That low fat dairy is higher in carbs than normal fat is a bit of a myth. If you make plain yoghurt or cheese from skimmed milk or semi skimmed milk then all you are doing is removing the fat not adding carbohydrates. In many countries they traditionally make soft white cheeses and yoghurts from the skimmed milk left when cream is taken off.

That's often true as regards actual amounts of carbs, but the percentage of carbs and protein will be higher because there is no fat. To me having full fat dairy is important because the fat satiates and stops the hunger pangs later.

 

[phoenix]

The differences are negligible for most of us
per hundred grams. http://uk.fage.eu/product/yoghurt/total-0-170g
full fat yoghurt 3.8g carb, 9g protein
2% fat yoghurt 3.8g carb, 9.9 protein
0% yoghurt 4g carb, 10.3g protein
Even with a pump I wouldn't try to distinguish between those amounts, no-one is that precise in portion sizes. It's similar with white cheeses (fromage blanc) which have about 4% carb; not surprising as they use the same basic ingredient just a different technique for making it.
I'm sure that fat satiates, although when it's been looked at experimentally with disguised products then protein has been found to be higher but we don't eat unidentifiable splodge normally. When eaten undisguised plain boiled potatoes have come out top. I think that eating a lot of any one thing is probably extremely satiating, and maybe that's to do with reward Eating little but butter or cream or alternatively plain pasta or boiled potatoes would be for most people unrewarding, mix the two together with some seasoning and we could probably all eat far more (but that is by the by and not really to do with this thread)

 

[tim2000s]

we don't eat unidentifiable splodge normally

Have you seen my cooking?

On a less light note, I've found that by eating a higher protein content diet I snack far less - I'm just not hungry. When I lower protein and increase fat (all based on macros - it's usually modifying something like a meat in sauce recipe to include more oils) I'm more likely to snack than higher protein but less likely than high carb. I find it's not the feeling of fullness at the time, rather the length of time that the feeling lasts for that is the real measure of satiety.

 

[RuthW]

Different strokes for different folks @RuthW . I find brown rice and white rice to have more or less identical reactions on my bg levels, and it requires precise timing of insulin to avoid a fairly sharp increase in BG. The ones that I find really have a great correlation with a limited increase in BG rises are wild red or black rice. They are much lower GI and GL.

Yes. I think you do have to eat to your meter. But also some products are simply not available in some places. So, for example, basmati rice is much better from my point of view than other white rices, but it's not available where I live, where the most common rice is the most horrendous ultra-short grain white rice, which always gets cooked with a big dob of butter and is Death to Diabetics. So, I cook wholegrain rice (with no butter) and there is a very significant difference in my results.

And wild rice and black rice? I have never clapped eyes on them so far. I shall live in hope....

And for me, while protein does reduce hunger, I'm not keen on the later rise in blood sugar which I can get from eating a lot of it, as I find its timing and degree less predictable than the degree and timing of rises from carbs. I find high fiber foods satiate, so that's my route (and the OP seems to be choosing that route, too).

High fat raises the rail of gall stones, too, of course. Whatever you choose, life is full of risk.