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Low carb on holiday

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waterlily2

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I’ve been doing quite well with low carb for blood glucose levels but going to New Zealand on holiday for 3 weeks, want to enjoy my holiday but don’t want to ruin what I’ve achieved so far. Diagnosed before Xmas so first recall will be just after I come back. Travelling around the country so won’t have a lot of control, was booked before I was diagnosed. Does anyone have any tips as to how I can try not to go off diet too much?
 
Bluetit1802 said:
My tip ...... have a wonderful stress free holiday. It sounds out of this world.
Eat meat, fish, eggs, veggies, salads, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados. I'm sure you will find these things there!

Enjoy. :)
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Thanks for your help bluetit, it is a trip of a lifetime for me and keeping it stress free is def my goal
 
waterlily2 said:
sounds like you’ve been there.
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Last time was about five years ago, when a friend of ours went to "the top paddock".

We have had a coach tour and a train tour on two different occasions over there as well, so you should have a great time.
 
Just basics for how to eat out anywhere.
Read through the entire menu and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.
I have my favorite restaurant substitute broccoli, which is one of their sides, for Pasta and add chicken, which they offer elsewhere, to make broccoli chicken alfredo.
I have had them take the chicken salad, only offered at lunch, and put it on a salad instead of bread, for dinner.
Take the protein from one item and combine it with a veggie from another.
Have them put the protein on a salad.
Check out the options for other meals. You may be there for dinner, but the ingredients for lunch or breakfast are still in the kitchen.
Just ask.
Restaurants usually want to please you so you can recommend them to others.

Hope you have a great vacation!
 
waterlily2 said:
Hi, I’ve been doing quite well with low carb for blood glucose levels but going to New Zealand on holiday for 3 weeks, want to enjoy my holiday but don’t want to ruin what I’ve achieved so far. Diagnosed before Xmas so first recall will be just after I come back. Travelling around the country so won’t have a lot of control, was booked before I was diagnosed. Does anyone have any tips as to how I can try not to go off diet too much?
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You just don't have the control over what you eat on holiday. Most hotels do low carb cooked breakfasts; but when you're on the go you sometimes have to make poorer choices because there's nothing else. You can usually find meat and salad dishes. My main problem was with food on the plane. It was high carb and nasty. Take nuts as a snack. If you have a freezeable cool bag you can take lidl rolls cheese etc for the outward journey. Have a wonderful time.

NZ is brilliant.
 
I do think you may be overthinking this, and causing yourself unnecessary concern.

IMHO in order to make Low Carb a lifestyle that is sustainable it needs to be normal, and not something you have to think about constantly.

When I was diagnosed, I knew it was a disease that I would have for life, and therefore to make it manageable I would need to find a lifestyle that worked for me. I wanted that lifestyle to be one where I never had to think about Diabetes.

I know some people like to micro-manage their condition, and I have all respect for them, but that wouldn't work for me.

I know what I can't eat, so I never think have to think about it.

There will always be food you can eat, and it'll be lovely scrumptious food as well, so I just concentrate on that and forget about everything else.

Enjoy your vacation.
 
dbr10 said:
You just don't have the control over what you eat on holiday. Most hotels do low carb cooked breakfasts; but when you're on the go you sometimes have to make poorer choices because there's nothing else. You can usually find meat and salad dishes. My main problem was with food on the plane. It was high carb and nasty. Take nuts as a snack. If you have a freezeable cool bag you can take lidl rolls cheese etc for the outward journey. Have a wonderful time.

NZ is brilliant.
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That’s a good idea for the plane, thanks
 
britishpub said:
I do think you may be overthinking this, and causing yourself unnecessary concern.

IMHO in order to make Low Carb a lifestyle that is sustainable it needs to be normal, and not something you have to think about constantly.

When I was diagnosed, I knew it was a disease that I would have for life, and therefore to make it manageable I would need to find a lifestyle that worked for me. I wanted that lifestyle to be one where I never had to think about Diabetes.

I know some people like to micro-manage their condition, and I have all respect for them, but that wouldn't work for me.

I know what I can't eat, so I never think have to think about it.

There will always be food you can eat, and it'll be lovely scrumptious food as well, so I just concentrate on that and forget about everything else.

Enjoy your vacation.
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Thanks for your reply, I totally agree with what you’re saying, has to be manageable for life. Still trying to get to grips with it n you are right, I may be overthinking it. I have felt better in myself doing low carb n when I try something carby end up bloated so I should probably just listen to my own body and it’ll keep me right
 
Have a great time! I live in nz. I will post up a few tips when I have time this weekend
 
Ahhh, New Zealand, land of the long white cloud, a beautiful country, people as generous as the Canadians and full of first class food. Enjoy the fish, vegetables, meats. go for a hangi, (a meal cooked in the ground), see the geysers and have a wonderful time.
 
As others have said it’s a holiday have fun and enjoy! Having said that though I totally understand that you may want to take a cautious approach.

Meat, seafood, eggs, dairy and veg are normally very good here so enjoy them all. Veg suffers in winter though so be warned if you are here then. We don’t import that much so we are more seasonal with what is available. NZ wines are very good.

Most motels here have some basic kitchen things, including toasters which makes breakfast easy. For a good low carb bread try the paleo bread or almond linseed from https://www.venerdi.co.nz Carbs listed are total not net so two pieces of the paleo bread only have 8g of carbs. It is not sold everywhere but is fairly available. If you like peanut butter try pics peanut butter. PB and toast is my simple go to breakfast when I am traveling if I don't want to cook something or go out. The bread makes good sandwiches too.

In general I have found that more expensive restaurants are easier to find low carb items at. Often you don’t need to do a lot (or any) changing with what is on the menu. The cheaper places here fill you up with cheaper, carbier, food. As to things you can find pretty easily there are lots of all you can eat Chinese places in larger cities in food courts, it is usually pretty easy to select lower carb items from these. Kebab shops are all over the place too (larger cities) and nearly all do salad sorts of kebabs, if there is rice just say don’t include it. Lots of Thai and Malaysian around coconut curries at both should be pretty good and can be quite filling. Add a side of veg if you are hungry.

Smaller towns (and we have a lot of them) are harder so be warned and come prepared if you really want to go low carb then. Still, not too hard to find a place that does steaks and then swap out fries for veg. Breakfasts are pretty good nearly everywhere and often served late so you can always get one for lunch. I get them to swap out toast/hashbrowns for spinach, mushroom, or tomato.

If you go to Queenstown a burger at Ferg’s is worth it, get the giant one. You can eat very well in all of the bigger cities without too much difficulty so you should be fine in any of them unless you are trying to keep carbs really really low.

Have a great trip and happy to help if you have any specific questions!
 
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