What foods did you have to give up when you became diabetic?

[Lana F]

I'm sure we can all agree that processed and preserved foods are bad for us because they give us inflammation and inflammation (the chronic kind) has a funny way of mistakenly attacking normal, healthy cells in our body; and thus the cycle begins (vicious as it may be)! When I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 15 years ago, I wasn't the health food fanatic I am now, and I didn't really understand what eating processed and preserved foods could do to a body. Actually, I thought the main culprit was sugar, so I tried to stay away from sweets because I wasn't aware that carbs (that don't get burned off by our bodies) get turned into sugar and that sugar gets turned into bad fat, if it isn't immediately used for fuel by our bodies. Needless to say, that didn't help my diabetes management! It wasn't until several years later my (then) date opened my eyes to carbohydrates and told me how carbs get turned into sugar and the whole she-bang! (As I sat and ate my tiramisu right in front of him.) I don't think it registered because it wasn't until just recently (2 years to be exact) that I finally gave up all processed and preserved foods for good! I thought I'd die if I didn't get my chocolate fix every day, but the funny thing is, the less bad food I ate, the better I felt and the less I craved it. Now, the only thing I crave is peanut butter (grind your own!) and I attribute that to the lack of too much protein in my diet. I used to love brownies and pizza with a passion like no other and never dreamed I could go without. And yet, here I am, 2 years later, and I could care less about them! All I have to think about it how ****** I felt when my blood sugar was always high and that alone is enough to make me lose interest in bad food. What about you? What foods did you have to give up when you became diabetic? What foods do you stay away from now that you're diabetic and need to control you blood sugar? Thanks in advance.

 

[Pasha]

Bread, rice,hummus, chocolate,icecream,peanuts,pasta,potatoes etc the list is long and pretty well known.

Now I just eat raw vegetables, olive oil, hard white and yellow cheese[ pecorino] olives, almonds, pecans and fish,meat and chicken.Everything else is OUT. The results are great, good BG control, less joint pains, far improved mobility , very good lipid test results.

For me and I am sure many others, its the way to go, because the results are amazing.

 

[LucySW]

No eggs? Cream? Butter?

 

[LucySW]

What Pasha says - but I eat eggs, butter, cream. Lots and lots of green veg, cooked mainly but lots of salads.

I was sad to give up hummus and chickpeas, beans and lentils. I love those, and root veg too. I can have a little bit of them tho, if I bolus.

I don't miss sweet stuff, except for fruit. I love mangos and watermelon. Again, I can have a little bit, sometimes.

But it's so worth it - I want to be well, healthy, on a good path not a bad one. That's much more important. It's all so worth it!

Lucy

 

[sanguine]

I still have a bit of hummus most days at 10.7g/100g as part of my tapas-style lunch.

 

[CollieBoy]

i gave up carby veg, bread,grain flours, carby fruits and upped my good fats & oils, fish and meat, nuts & eggs.

 

[Pabloincampo]

Why is Houmous bad, and chickpeas, and lentils? what am I not understanding?

 

[LucySW]

Because they have a high carb content. And they spike me, every time. Not all carbs spike everyone - you have to try it and test after 1.5 hrs. Then you'll see. It's personal!

100g boiled chickpeas = 20g carb. 42g per drained 240g can. Cooked lentils are 12% carb; raw brown lentils are 49%. Raw red lentils are 52%. Check the nutritional databases : http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list. Subtract fibre from carb, and you get the net carb (which is what UK figures give).

LSW

 

[Pasha]

No eggs? Cream? Butter?

Yes, I eat eggs,1 poached, every day, cream, no because I cant control my love for it.

 

[Pinkorchid]

I found these articles which may be of interest to those who like lentils chickpeas beans etc Could be good news for vegetarians who eat these as a good source of protein

http://www.examiner.com/article/beans-and-lentils-help-diabetics-control-blood-sugar
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2221934/Beans-beans-good-heart-eat-stave-type-diabetes-controlling-blood-sugar-levels.html

 

[phil1966]

Apart from the obvious cakes and biscuits, I've given up bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and any other starchy veg along with milk in my coffee

 

[zand]

I found these articles which may be of interest to those who like lentils chickpeas beans etc Could be good news for vegetarians who eat these as a good source of protein

I have skimmed through the first article only. It was a study over 3 months comparing legumes with wheat products. I think many of us would agree that wheat is one of the worst things to have as a diabetic.

 

[Merrylizard1314]

@Lana F, it was interesting to see your mention of the inflammatory process in the body and the damage that can ensue, if it becomes chronic. Three years ago, when I had a blood test, the CRP ( a marker for inflammation ) was at a very high level, 112, actually. Now, just last week, it is 2. The given normal range is <5. I am almost halfway through the ND and when I come to the end, I am looking forward to eating low carb, portion controlled food again. I have not eaten bread, pasta, rice, or cereal for over 2 years, and I have to say that, as a Scot, it was a wrench to give up porridge, but I tested with the meter, and there was a spike, which lasted for longer than 2 hours, and I always ate it with cream and salt ( and a silver spoon ) so that was difficult, to never eat it again.
Sometimes, when there is a bit of a discussion about favourite foods, it is like "food porn" designed to arouse desire for something in particular. One of my favourites is smoked salmon and mushroom frittata, which can be eaten hot or cold with salad. A surprising finding, which others have found, and you too, I think, is that , on the whole, giving up things is not as difficult as it first seems, and soon becomes quite normal as other more nutritious foods take the place of spiky foods.

 

[KateA]

I have given up sugar and a lot of carbs. Rice was a big part of my diet, as were beans and lentils. My health, ie, heart, limbs and eyes are an even bigger part of my life so it was an easy decision to make. I can have a glass of wine or a gin and tonic (in moderation) so life is good. It is not so much giving up foods but choosing new ones.

 

[LucySW]

I found these articles which may be of interest to those who like lentils chickpeas beans etc Could be good news for vegetarians who eat these as a good source of protein

http://www.examiner.com/article/beans-and-lentils-help-diabetics-control-blood-sugar
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2221934/Beans-beans-good-heart-eat-stave-type-diabetes-controlling-blood-sugar-levels.html

Well - this ignores the rather stunningly obvious fact that beans etc are full of carb. So if you want them, you'll have to bolus for them. Or eat just a little and then starve that day, if you're a Type 2. This is part of the official brainwash that carbs are good for you.

Well - particularly if you're a Type 2 - they're not. News???

 

[LucySW]

@Lana F, it was interesting to see your mention of the inflammatory process in the body and the damage that can ensue, if it becomes chronic. Three years ago, when I had a blood test, the CRP ( a marker for inflammation ) was at a very high level, 112, actually. Now, just last week, it is 2. The given normal range is <5. I am almost halfway through the ND and when I come to the end, I am looking forward to eating low carb, portion controlled food again. I have not eaten bread, pasta, rice, or cereal for over 2 years, and I have to say that, as a Scot, it was a wrench to give up porridge, but I tested with the meter, and there was a spike, which lasted for longer than 2 hours, and I always ate it with cream and salt ( and a silver spoon ) so that was difficult, to never eat it again.
Sometimes, when there is a bit of a discussion about favourite foods, it is like "food porn" designed to arouse desire for something in particular. One of my favourites is smoked salmon and mushroom frittata, which can be eaten hot or cold with salad. A surprising finding, which others have found, and you too, I think, is that , on the whole, giving up things is not as difficult as it first seems, and soon becomes quite normal as other more nutritious foods take the place of spiky foods.

@Merrylizard , this was a brilliant post. Hear, hear to it all!

 

[Pinkorchid]

I have skimmed through the first article only. It was a study over 3 months comparing legumes with wheat products. I think many of us would agree that wheat is one of the worst things to have as a diabetic.

The second one is just about the affect of beans lentils etc on BG levels it was not compared with wheat

 

[Pinkorchid]

Well - this ignores the rather stunningly obvious fact that beans etc are full of carb. So if you want them, you'll have to bolus for them. Or eat just a little and then starve that day, if you're a Type 2. This is part of the official brainwash that carbs are good for you.

Well - particularly if you're a Type 2 - they're not. News???

It would be interesting to know if anyone here does eat them especially the vegetarians..I have lentils sometimes and they are fine for me

 

[LucySW]

Yes. I guess if you can get away with it, terrific. I wish I could! I love chickpeas.

Sorry about tone - didn't mean to sound dismissive.

 

[zand]

It would be interesting to know if anyone here does eat them especially the vegetarians..I have lentils sometimes and they are fine for me

I'm not vegetarian but I have lentils sometimes. I'm not that keen on them, so the portion is always small enough to be OK for me personally; if I enjoyed them I might be tempted to overindulge.