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the fabulous Dr Bernstein, a question though

S

samcogle

Well-Known Member
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411
Location
Durham
I have eventually got round to buying the Dr Bernstein book and thought I would be doing everything I should on the low carb front. I was reading the what you can and can't eat bit of the book and discovered a 'no' list that included cottage cheese, milk, carrots and parsnips. I eat loads of cottage cheese especially for breakfast and also carrots and parsnips in my evening meal. Now I am a bit panicked as I thought it was ok to get your carbs from these foods but is it?
 
Any root veg that grows underground is usually higher in carbs.It depends on the portion size you use ,Sam!
 
I wouldn't let Dr Bernstein catch you eating parsnips, Sam. They're steeped in starch.

Tesco full-fat cottage cheese is around 2.5g carb per 100g, which I wouldn't class as carb-ridden.
Perhaps the Americans glaze their cottage cheese in honey or something. :?

Regards,
timo.
 
Bernstein is advocating a VERY strict 50 or less per day of carbs He's also very anti fructose, which is why he bans certsin other veggies and fruits. ( I got this information from him secondhand via David Mendosa). However if you don't need to be QUITE as strict as Bernstein, then a little of these foods won't do any harm.
 
phew, thanks. I know that veg such as carrots have carbs in them so I was using them as part of my carb intake rather than bread, pasta etc so when I read that chapter I freaked. Will stay away from the parsnips then
 
samcogle said:
phew, thanks. I know that veg such as carrots have carbs in them so I was using them as part of my carb intake rather than bread, pasta etc so when I read that chapter I freaked. Will stay away from the parsnips then
Click to expand...

Is what you're doing working? If so just carry on!
 
It is doc, my levels are mainly in the 5's with the odd high of 7 but being ever the 'not happy' person I want some in the 4's :lol:
 
Hi Samcogle

I too bought the Bernstein book this week and nearly freaked out when I saw he advised not eating carrots, tomatoes and all fruits! What a scary book - not that I undestood most of it - being new to diabetes I still have lots to learn.

Have been low-carbing since my diagnosis 7 weeks ago and my numbers are around the 5's with the occasional 6 - and I too would like to get some more 4's (have had a few but not regularly), however I love carrots, tomatoes and definitely fruit - so I reckon I can continue eating these in smallish quantities - as Hanadr says Bernstein is very strict and a little of these foods won't do any harm.

Just found macadamia nuts and they are lovely - but Bernstein says to avoid these because they are too moreish - hey he may be right but a girl's gotta have a treat every now and then!!
 
Hi reetpetite, I love macadamias too
Welcome to the forum and I am impressed that you have such good levels, it's taken me a few months to get my head around it all and just started hitting 5's. I had a 4.5 when I was away camping a last week but I think that was due to several glasses of red wine :lol:
 
Hi samcogle

I'm so glad I found this forum early on in my diagnosis otherwise I would probably have followed all the advice given by the doctors and NHS. I would rather take info and advice from people who are actually diabetic and able to give help and support to others - I think this is why I got my numbers under control fairly quickly.

I'm still getting my head around it too and reading lots of books, although I do find some of them quite depressing. As I said in my earlier post, I nearly freaked when I read Bernsteins book - but I also believe that he is right in so many things.

I've never had a 4.5 so you are way ahead of me my lowest has been 4.8 - maybe I should drink more wine!!! Bought some more macadamias today - don't suppose they will last long but I do believe a girls got to have a treat or two, or three, or four - oh hell :!:

Best wishes

Rita
 
yep Rita, I am the same and found this forum very quickly. I have fallen off the path of straight and narrow recently...ever since the endocrinologist praised me for doing so well...not sure why I do that when someone praises me...maybe I just can't cope with it hahaha. Anyway I am trying my hardest again and am sure everyone has lapses...as you say we all have to have some treats...mmmm macadamia nuts...I think you should share them.
Sam x
 
Sam,

Don't beat yourself up about falling off the path of the straight and narrow - we are only human and I am sure it will happen to me at some time. You look to be doing fine to me and congratulations on your weight loss so far.

I have lost one and half stone so far and have another 3 and half to go - it's slowed a bit over the past few weeks (come to think of it about the same time I discovered Macadamia's!!) - have you got Bernstein's book 'The Diabetes Diet' - I bought it recently but have only flicked through it - I haven't yet tried any of his actual recipes but some of them sound scrummy. The only problem is they are so American and everything is in 'cups' - but I will have a go sometime I quite fancy his Peanut chicken stiry fry - gosh what is it with me and nuts :lol:

Take care

Rita
 
hi Sam,
I'm exactly the same - when I get a really good reading my instinct is to think, Oh, that's good, I can have something naughty now! I suppose it's called "human nature"... or at least nature for some humans! :wink:
 
Hi All
Re dear old Dr Bernstein - he's the guy that saved my life. I found his book shortly after being diagnosed 9 years ago and although I didn't know if I could do it I thought it was worth a try. Brain fog lifted within 2 days and I lost 6 kilos in as many weeks and then discovered a breast lump which I never would have found if the 6 kilos had still been there. No **** now, but 6 years after all the surgery I'm still here. Mind you I have to say the Low carb diet did nowt for my sugar levels, which remained haywire until I started pumping recently and are still nowhere near as good as you lot with your 4s and 5s! I think I'm doing well if I can stay under 10 all day - but it's early days. The reason I stayed commited to Low carb is because I feel better on it, although I'm now more relaxed than in the beginning and do eat small amounts of fruit, root veg and the odd slice of (dare I say it) toast and marmite. I try to save that for hypos though.
Good luck all.
Pegletbee
 
wow Peg that's good and not so good if you know what I mean.
I have looked at the recipes in the book and have a craving for cheese cake so must try the recipe. I think there is a converter on line that tells you what a cup is in kgs. I am nearly back on the straight and narrow but off to a friend's for tea and she has warned me there is an awful lot of carb available on her buffet so trying to fill up before I go so I won't be tempted. Not sure what it is with me but I can't pick the ham off a butty and throw the bread away as I have a huge problem with waste. No wonder my poor dog is getting fatter :lol:
 
I know what you mean Sam.
I live in Holland at the mo, and they eat masses and masses of bread. I've started to eat a bit again recently, but didn't eat any at all for 5 years and had great fun teasing people because some of them genuinely do believe that if you don't eat bread you will DIE! Little do they know that for some of us it's the reverse which is more likely to be true. Anyway - I still get funny looks when I have to eat at a buffet or something for work and I just eat the fillings of the sandwiches and leave all the bread. The looks get even funnier if I try to explain!
Good luck with the party anyway. We all fall off the wagon now and again I think. It was cherry clafoutis which did for me the other day! Was nice though!
Best
Peg
 
I am jealous on so many levels, 1 that you live in Holland and 2 that you can leave the bread and just eat the fillings :lol:
I survived the buffet by just not checking my blood sugar and ate carefully as I could although the chocolate cupcakes did get me a bit and after 2 I felt quite ill which is good as next time I am tempted I can just think of the totally sick feeling I had all the way home
 
Bernstein is a T1, I think his advice is good, but I still have a reasonable amount of pancreatic function left, so I think being a bit more liberal is ok - especially if your meter agrees. My gurus tend to be other T2s.

As far as cup measurements go, I bought a little cup in IKEA that does the conversion for me. Very helpful and it wasn't expensive. There are also measuring cups on my local market for a similar price.
 
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