babycham said:
I know what you are going to say - too much ready food, but after working all day the last thing i feel like doing is cooking from scratch, as their is 4 of us in the family.
Hi Babycham,
You must be a mind reader!!
Your lifestyle is your choice but actually what I was going to say is that all your meals are very high in carbohydrates, and its carbohydrates that cause high blood sugar. It may come as a surprise to you but your weekend "indulgence" breakfast of bacon and eggs is by far the healthiest meal in your list. Can I make some suggestions?
For breakfast try a week where you concentrate on eggs or bacon and egg. The eggs could be boiled, fried, scrambled or poached. If you really have to have bread or toast then have one slice of a low-carb variety (like Weightwatchers bread) - around half the calories per slice of normal wholemeal. Avoid bananas completely - probably the highest sugar content of all fruits. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you that jam is almost pure sugar!
For lunch either make your own sandwich using low-carb bread, or have a salad - if you can't buy a salad at or near work then take one as a packed lunch. Low-fat yogurts are not as good for you as you think - most low fat ones are high in added sugar! Remember that your enemy is carbohydrate, not fat.
Again your evening meals are nearly all high-carb based (pasta, rice, potatoes). If, like me, you really love pasta then use a low-carb one (unfortunately Dreamfields is the ony one available in the UK - it is very tasty but quite expensive - Google them to find a local outlet or you can buy online). Whatever you do don't have pasta AND bread unless it is low-carb pasta and low-carb bread. If you are cooking something fresh at the weekend then try having half the potatoes but more meat or other vegetables to compensate. Have a look round the forum - there are various recipe threads and I'm sure you will find something that whets your appetite and isn't too time-consuming to prepare. Alternatively there are loads of low-carb diet books available.
Finally your snacks - all very high in carbs, yes even the sugar free sweets - these are made with polyols instead of sugar, but polyols will raise your blood sugar almost as much as pure sugar will (and polyols are also a powerful laxative!). Many people think they can eat as many "diabetic sweets" as they like because they are "sugar free", without realising that what is used instead of sugar does just as much damage. The other problem with high-carb snacks is that they are often very short-lived. Half an hour later you fancy some more (the "Chinese meal" syndrome)! Instead try eating a protein snack like a cube of cheese or some ham on a cracker and/or a handful of nuts (but not peanuts or cashews as these are not nuts and are quite high-carb). If you really feel like a piece of fruit then go for a low-sugar one like plums or apricots.
Just for one week try going really low-carb, keep testing (ideally pre-breakfast and pre-evening meal) and see what effect it has on your BG levels. Your present levels are very high, and probably have been since you were diagnosed. If you can't get them lower then you are heading for some very serious problems a year or two down the line. I hope that you are currently having your eyes tested for diabetic retinopathy and your feet for neuropathy? If not get down to your GP and ask for this to be done asap.
