Struggling Diabetic

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Having recently completed the DESMOND course I was told to eat everything in moderation (not cakes and biscuits obviously but certainly rice, pasta, potatoes etc) but to watch portion sizes and keep to lower fat foods. Unsaturated spreads most times rather than butter. I've noticed many people on here advocate very low carb and very high fat - In a confused as ever and don't know which way to go!
Good luck with everything though :)
When everyone contradicts one another, and google just brings more sites shouting dogma's at one another... Whip out a meter and see what works best for you. I'd take butter over margarine any day, personally. And I've cut carbs practically completely. Which might not be for you. It's a personal puzzle, and you will find a solution to it if you trust in your meter.
 
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Julie1972

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks so much for that. I use my meter regularly and have a list of meals which are fine for me - I'm just torn as I do love my carbs and cream. I will just have to carry on reading and learning!
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Carbs are the problem which includes beer but wine and spirits are OK.
 

MrsA2

Expert
Messages
5,574
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Unsaturated spreads most times rather than butter. I've noticed many people on here advocate very low carb and very high fat -
Best seems to be low carb and healthy, not high fats (not necessarily very low carb, and not necessarily high fats, just using real unprocessed not so unhealthy fats)
Have a read of the ingredients of the "spreads". If you can understand what each ingredient is, and would it eat on its own, then the spread might well be OK.
Butter consists of milk, and maybe a little salt.
A good memory trick is JERF, just eat real food IE food with nothing (or at least very little) done to it before you buy it
Example is yoghurt, good plain yoghurt is a one ingredient food just thickened by straining off some of the liquid. So called low fat yoghurt have a list of ingredients including thickeners and water and chemical flavourings and preservatives.
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks so much for that. I use my meter regularly and have a list of meals which are fine for me - I'm just torn as I do love my carbs and cream. I will just have to carry on reading and learning!
Well, cream's still on the menu if you want it to be, it is low carb and high (non-overly-processed) fats... I can't actually have it because it aggravates my rheumatism, but every now and again I have some anyway, because it is worth the pain! I mean... It's CREAM!!! ;)
 

boggle

Well-Known Member
Messages
77
Type of diabetes
MODY
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Carbohydrates
There is a lot of conflicting information for diabetics.

Was told I was 90% likely type 1 diabetic in May with a hbA1c of 104 and a weight of 14 stone 4lb. I have not had another hbA1c but today my cgm tells me my estimated hbA1c is 34 and my weight is now 12 stone 12 lb and I'm about 7lb away from a normal bmi.

For me, what has worked has been a ketogenic diet, which really is a very low carb diet and 'high' fat.

If you cut carbs your body will convert more protein to glucose via gluconeogenesis. However if you increase your fats (and cut carbs out) your body will start to burn fat as your primary fuel. A byproduct of fat burning is ketones, which can be measured (blood, urine and breath). The body makes no distinction between dietary fat and stored fat. It can take a while for the body to adjust the biomechanics for burning fat and during this time I still craved carbs but these feelings fade.

I base a lot of meals around eggs, salmon and fatty meat paired with low carb veg and or salad. I mostly cook with ghee and lard because these have a high smoke point compared to butter and olive oil.

I avoid seed oils because of high omega 6. Apparently you need a ratio of 1:1 omega 3 and 6. Most people will get this ratio if they cut out omega 6, rather than increasing omega 3. Also seed oils are not natural, have a look at the way it is produced. ( I am not talking about cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil etc ). Also seed oils cause oxidative stress.

After one becomes fat adapted it feels natural to skip a meal now and again, so now I only eat when I am hungry. Often I just do OMAD (evening meals are the most sociable) and I have went 24/36/48 hours without a meal as I wasn't hungry as my body is fed via its own fat stores. Everytime you eat your body responds with insulin and insulin switches the body to storing fat. Hunger is influenced by a hormone called grehlin.

Common meals for me:
Cheese omelette
Beef/Mushroom Stroganoff
Steak + Pepper/Stilton sauce, fried mushrooms, roast tomatoes.
Sausage, bacon, scrambled/fried egg, avacado
Salmon, asparagus, poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
 

KennyA

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,913
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks so much for that. I use my meter regularly and have a list of meals which are fine for me - I'm just torn as I do love my carbs and cream. I will just have to carry on reading and learning!
Cream has effectively no carbs. I eat much more cream than I used to... I've reduced both my blood sugar and (as a spin-off) weight. Use your meter and check what cream does to you.