Questions about protein powder and milk sugars

[bnybny]

Hi,

I'm new to diabetes (first insulin shot last night--so happy it was absolutely painless!) and I'm trying to figure out what/how to eat. I'm finding it hard to eat so frequently and on such a fixed schedule (I have to test 4 times/day), so occasionally I forget to eat enough. I'm a 30 year vegetarian with numerous food allergies (esp. to soy, sulfur or most nightshade containing foods) and I don't believe in eating artificial sweeteners at all.

As a vegetarian, I'm finding that most everything is some form of carbohydrate, so, instead of changing the majority of my diet, I'd really just like to cut out extraneous sweets and bolster my protein uptake. Is protein powder an acceptable protein for those with diabetes? Am I mostly o.k. so long as I keep the ratio of protein to carbs in balance? (Powder would also be ideal for me as I have temporary problems chewing and long-term problems swallowing.)

Also, a question about milk sugars. Presently I'm getting much of my protein from Greek yogurt, milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. I'd even considered adding powdered milk to my smoothies as an inexpensive form of protein powder. How bad is milk to a diabetic? (It's been one of my favorite things since early childhood, so I'm not interested in giving it up.)

Thanks so much!
bnybny

 

[PhilT]

Low carb protein powders are available, based on milk, whey and other proteins including vegan blends. http://www.myprotein.com

Lactose in milk is a disaccharide - glucose + galactose so is a concern for diabetics.

If you get a good quality yoghurt it will have been fermented long enough to make most of the sugars into acid, so check the label for carbohydrate / sugars content - it can be less than 4g/100ml or more than 7 depending on brand. Asda's ES full fat greek yoghurt is one of the lower ones http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore ... 0000513156 and has 7% protein.