Newly diagnosed type 2

jicjacs said:

Hi was just wondering, does anyone know a good yoghurt I could have, I've seen loads of people saying plain Greek yoghurt, which I bought and put some blueberries or strawberries in, but yuck it's horrible for my taste buds uurgh. I like Muller light, but don't know if I can have them...

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I find the full fat greek yoghurt really nice and creamy. Or as many will tell you have double cream with berries ..even nicer

Welcome to the forum! Once you get over the shock of being told you are diabetic, examining your diet and the effect of food on you body becomes quite an interesting science experiment. It is a good idea to get a blood testing kit and keeping a log of what effect certain foods have on your blood sugar levels. If you are after yoghurt, try Alpro yoghurt - I like both the almond and coconut versions. In terms of 'treats', it is easiest if you develop a love of making your own (if you don't already like baking!). Try some recipes from here: http://www.diabeticgoodbaking.com/ Start your own Pinterest board for recipes to try - there are loads of websites dedicated to low carb or keto diets. Many other recipes can be followed with some adjustment eg sweetener instead of sugar. I make custard / baked custard and other sweet treats using sweetener. Bread is a bit trickier. Try making crackers or savoury pancakes using almond flour as an alternative. Eggs are my best friend - I eat at least 2 a day. Please feel free to ask for any further advice. It does get easier!

I've only been going at this a month and it is tricky. Luckily/ unluckily my family history meant it was less of a shock. All my seemingly unrelated symptoms were suddenly explained.
I shop with my glasses on and check carbs on every packet. But if I'm shopping by myself there are whole aisles I miss out now.
I am in the process of trying new carb sources now to see if there are any I can tolerate occasionally by testing after meals. I have to keep in my mind that I am in control of t2 not it of me.
Definitely get a bg monitor if you don't have one. I got one from Tesco for £10 it's doing it's job fine. I am beginning to know of something doesn't agree with me as I'm recognising highs. Test before eating and 2 hours after.
This forum has been a great source of advice. I have to book my DESMOND course as my referral has only just come through and my first appointment with Diabetic specialist nurse isn't until the end of Oct.

For yogurt I find Arla Protein yogurts pretty good. There’s 5-7.5g per 100g carbs and they are a nice large 200g pot so don’t feel hungry.

For biscuits google keto biscuits, in fact google keto anything you fancy. Thousands of recipes on line. Also google fat bombs.

jicjacs said:

I try and do a lot of home cooking but was looking for bread, biscuits and treats, to no avail,(very naughty I know) is it ok to eat the sugar free wafer biscuits, sorry for asking soo much questions..

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Hi @jicjacs, welcome to the forum. It does take a bit of time to get to grips with everything. It's a lot to take in but you will get a lot of good advice and support on here. Don't worry about asking questions, it's how we all learn. You will soon be giving advice to newbies!
As to the 'sugar free' biscuits. Have a look at the nutritional information on the packet. They usually have an even higher carb content than the standard version.
There are lots of recipes for low carb biscuits online. Have a look at www.dietdoctor.com

As you bought some peanut butter, if it is the crunchy variety you could make these peanut butter cookies. There are other recipes for biscuits on @ewelina's blog http://www.diabeticgoodbaking.com/

@jicjacs The peanut cookies are nice, and quite easy to make.
You don't have to use Xylitol as a sweetener. Any sweetener will work - I use Sucralose based sweetener which to my taste is the nearest to sugar. Tesco and Sainsburys sell their own brand version which is cheaper At £1 a can than the better known 'Splenda'.
Xylitol is highly toxic for dogs so shouldn't be kept in house if you have a dog.

My personal limit is 10 percent carbs, as it has always seemed doable, and it worked for me, very well.

I have just come across this website: https://www.lowcarblab.com/best-low-carb-bread-recipes/2/ 50 different types of low carb breads to make!

With respect, if you are a T2D any bread, cookies, etc., including low carb versions are off the menu. Think good fats and protein. The carbs on your plate should be leafy green vegetables e.g kale, broccoli, peas, etc, and fatty nutrient rich carbs like olives, avocado, walnuts, etc. Dairy should be the creamy fatty variety, e.g. full fat natural yogurts and cheese.
Milk is lactose, which is another form of sugar and like fructose processed by the liver, i.e. turned into fat. You don't want to be eating or drinking food that turns straight into fat unless you are on a true keto diet and or practising intermittent fasting. If you are, then your burning fat and can afford to eat some fat forming food.

Mongolia said:

I have just come across this website: https://www.lowcarblab.com/best-low-carb-bread-recipes/2/ 50 different types of low carb breads to make!

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jicjacs said:

Hi was just wondering, does anyone know a good yoghurt I could have, I've seen loads of people saying plain Greek yoghurt, which I bought and put some blueberries or strawberries in, but yuck it's horrible for my taste buds uurgh. I like Muller light, but don't know if I can have them...

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You can add some double cream, and a little stevia based sweetener (I use very very small amounts of Truvia, it is much sweeter than they claim). I part mash raspberries into mine. Dorset dairy or Total 5% depending on where I shop.

I have been low carb for over a year now. I've been in remission for a year and have lost loads of weight, plus reduced blood fats while eating cheese and double cream.
If you are missing bread, then an occasional slice of a high protein/low carb would be ok as long as your overall carbs are low, otherwise try 90 second keto bread (there are several versions, I like a little flaxseed added into mine).
Cauliflower rice works well, although it won't absorb as much liquid. Make it in the oven not the microwave for a better flavour.
For breakfast, if you eat it, try bacon, omelette or a chia/flaxseed porridge mix (ordinary porridge is too high in carbs for most of us).
If you join the lowcarbprogram there are weekly menu plans for the first 12 weeks and loads of recipes as well as videos/advice. I found it a really great help at first.
Good luck!

jicjacs said:

Hi aealexandrou, as I'm still learning everything about diabetes, I don't want to sound silly but what is intermitting fasting, sorry for asking but I haven't a clue ..

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Intermittent fasting, also called time restricted eating, is where you compress your eating into a short window of say 8 or less hours a day. Your body is made up of trillions of cells, of which 99% will replicate and the new cell will eat the old one. Any remnants of the old cell will be stored in your fat and in theory when you lose the fat those debris will flush away in the usual way. A bad cell will replicate into an equally bad cell. You can improve it with better nutrition. The process is called autophagy. Fasting for long periods of time, say 12 or more hours will give that process a boost. If you fast for 16 hours or more you trigger stem cell growth. These are spare, completely new healthy cells whose only role is to replace bad cells. In theory they repair anything defective in your body and generally act to rejuvenate you. If your suffering from diabetic fatty liver disease, and most PreT2D and T2Ds do, then repairing your pancreas and liver are as important as reducing your visceral fat.
But IF is difficult unless your body is converted from burning sugar/carbs for energy into burning fat.
Sugar is addictive, a quick shot of energy. Your body can only use a fraction of the sugar you consume, and all carbs convert to sugar. What's not used is converted into fat, mainly visceral fat that is stored in and around, and damages your organs, particularly your liver, hence fatty liver disease which is pandemic and the precursor to diabetes. In the meantime the excess sugar hangs around in your blood keeping your insulin high. The constant built up of visceral fat and high insulin will lead to diabetes and or numerous other chronic metabolic diseases.
When you stop consuming carbs, and accordingly sugar, your body turns to burning its fat, which produces ketones. This is a more constant and efficient source of energy. Because your body has an abundance of fat, stored over many years, it can eat 24 hours a day. You stop feeling hungry because you carry your own food supply. That makes IF an easy progression.
Becoming fat adaptive is the difficult part because sugar is so addictive and your body will crave for it. Which is why I recommend a gradual progression into it by going low carb high fat, then keto. I was only on LCHF for a few days before going Keto, which I did for a week before I started skipping breakfast and then a week later lunch. I have had a 3 to 4 hour eating window now for over 4 months.
I have lost 17 kilos and came off my meds within 3 weeks. I have lost 4 inches of my waist and 1.5 inches of my neck. My blood sugar levels are normal if not better than normal and I feel substantially more energised and healthier.
I hope the above helps. Good luck.

aealexandrou said:

With respect, if you are a T2D any bread, cookies, etc., including low carb versions are off the menu. Think good fats and protein. The carbs on your plate should be leafy green vegetables e.g kale, broccoli, peas, etc, and fatty nutrient rich carbs like olives, avocado, walnuts, etc. Dairy should be the creamy fatty variety, e.g. full fat natural yogurts and cheese.
Milk is lactose, which is another form of sugar and like fructose processed by the liver, i.e. turned into fat. You don't want to be eating or drinking food that turns straight into fat unless you are on a true keto diet and or practising intermittent fasting. If you are, then your burning fat and can afford to eat some fat forming food.

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I have to disagree on one point... All grain based breads and cookies etc are off the menu... If you use almond or coconut flour and such, you're perfectly fine. It's the grains that are the problem. And with all these recipes, they're nowhere in sight.

jicjacs said:

I don't like milk /cream either only a small amount in tea but willing to try different foods. Definitely NOT try Greek yogurt again though

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Don’t give up! All Greek yoghurts are slightly different, as are all creme fraiche. Some creamier and some bitter.