Some advice on breakfast and yoghurts please

[AmyGreen]

Hello everyone.
Hope you are all well.

I'm still fairly new into my diagnosis (pregnant as well so I've been told I've got to keep my control very tight).

I've been struggling the most with breakfast. Ok well I haven't in the sense I've found one slice of seeded brown bread with bacon and eggs is ok, but I'm getting bored of it. Plus I love bacon but can't see it being good for me to eat every day.
I'm quite a fussy eater. Today, however, I did have a cup of tea, follwed by a bowl of rice krispies. I do miss cereals and have been slowly seeing if there are any out there my blood sugars can tolerate. So far I've tried shreddies and shredded wheat (I always have semi skimmed milk) and so far they've not been the best, 1 hr after bs usually 8. something. Anyway next on my list was Rice Krispies and it was only 6.4. Couldn't quite believe it. Maybe it helped because I had my levimir propbably half an hour before eating today as well as having the cup of tea first. Next on my hit list is Special K and then I guess that's about it.
I don't like museli, porridge, wheetabix etc (again I am fussy which definitely isn't helping).
I would like some advice on yoghurt, as I can imagine that would make for a nice breakfast. Also a nice snack. Since being diagnosed I've hardly had any yoghurt. I don't like natural yoghurts. Just don't like the taste at all. Once I had a Weight Watchers yoghurt only about 7g carbs per pot with some sandwiches for lunch (the sandwiches I have are ok) and my bs an 1 hour was high, so I put it down to the yoghurt and haven't had any since. I do miss them. Any advice would be very welcome.
I know it doesn't help as I don't like lots of things and I just don't want to get stuck into a routine of eating the same thing every day. I still get upset how I can't have chocolate, sweets etc anymore, but I know I've got to buck up and deal with it. I'm hardly having any fruit either as I just worried by bs reading will be high, but at the same time I know I need to eat some foods so I know what reaction I have to it (eg rice krispies I expected would give me a high reading). I am limiting carbs in general anyway and did get my HBA1C down from 105 to 62, so I must be doing something right, but I guess with any newbie, changing bad eating habits can be a struggle at first but over time will get easier I guess.

 

[daisy1]

Hi Amy and welcome to the forum

You of course need to go by the instructions you have been given as you are pregnant, but have a look at this basic information for new members and see how this fits in with what you have been advised to do. Some more members will be along soon to give you their ideas. Ask any questions you like as there is always someone here to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED MEMBERS

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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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 blood glucose 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.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Are you in the habit of reading the package labels on food to check the carb content? Some cereals are scary. Also with Yogurts, be very careful. There are very, very few fruit yogurts that aren't loaded with sugar. I have Irish Yogurts 0%/0% i.e. they have articial sweetners not sugar. You CAN have chocolate but really only the 85% varieties. I have 85% Green & Blacks which is very low carb. You do get used to dark chocolate and now the sugary, milk varieties taste wierd. BTW, why not have bacon every day?

 

[CathyN]

Hi - TOTAL GREEK YOGURT is great because you can add things to it, like raspberries, blueberries - even a small dash of honey and it doesn't have the more sour taste of natural yogurts. And I know you say you don't like porridge but have you tried ALMOND PORRIDGE? No oats involved - I didn't invent the recipe, you'll find it in the low carb diet/recipe forum. Very easy, very quick and delicious. You could always have a hard boiled egg with a crispbread/ burgen soya and linseed bread.

You are right, making these changes is difficult and takes time, but you'll do it...... the problem is the most breakfast cereals are too carby for diabetics - or you would have to eat such a miniscule amount for it not to spike your BG, it wouldn't be satisfying enough to get you through to lunch. The almond porridge does sustain till lunch.

Good luck with everything x

 

[Cobra3164]

Heloo. I have allways hated eating breakfast and lunch but obviously not that is not an option. With the yoghurt question I use low fat natural not fat free thats like white water no taste at all, to give it a bit of sweet flavour I find a bit of honey can make it delicious but in just a small enough amount to give flavour but not to send my BG spiralling.

Best wishes

Simon aka Cobra3164