I spent a year and a half going to a nutritionist to learn how to eat, and that one done after I had already had diabetes for 20 years. I'm just trying to pass what I learned from her on to you. Keep in mind everyone is different. I'm a relatively thin person and I sit at a desk and do office work all day--not a major output of calories being burned by any means. A yogurt is more than enough fuel for me. The thing that I want you to keep in mind, and is echoed in everyone else's posts as well, is more protein/less carbs. It's probably not reasonable for a "working man" to live on no carbs at all, but you are going to need to start thinking about how much of them you consume in a serious way. I just feel like the equivalent of five sandwiches a day is too much and that you need to find reasonable substitutes for some of those slices of bread.
As for your final question....about eating starchy vegetables in their most natural state. If you like potatoes, stick to eating them baked rather than fried or made into something like scalloped potatos, twice baked potatoes, or in a casserole. If you like corn, eat it right off the cobb (cooked obviously, not raw). To eat corn in the form of, say tortilla chips, is not the same as eating fresh, healthy corn. Limit yourself to one ear, though. The same goes for any wheat products that you consume. I hope all the slices of bread that you are eating in a day are of the whole wheat variety and not processed white bread. Also pasta, if you eat it, stick to the whole wheat variety and not the regular kind--1 cup. I can't think of anything else that will shoot my blood sugar to an all time HIGH like eating a bowl of regular spaghetti.
Again, it's probably not realistic for you to make a drastic change in your diet. Even though it would greatly benefit you, it would be too difficult and frustrating. I fear you would abandon it in relatively short time. Small changes here and there can make a big difference though. You need to educate yourself and begin making changes in as many areas as you can. Start small and work your way up if that's how it has to go.
As for myself, I eat relatively little carbohydrate. I eat lean meats and proteins and then I eat as many fresh vegetables as I can, in as many variations as I can--salads twice a day, steamed veggies, grilled veggies, veggies with a little garlic and olive oil, etc. Also some fruits, nuts of all kinds--preferably raw nuts right from the shells. There is a bounty of great foods in the world that are healthy and beneficial for us. Again, best of luck with it.
Yes all understood. It¡s so strange, as we have so much of the best ecologically grown veggies in the world. My wife just cannot work out how to incorporate much of it into her cooking! I sweep up avocados and we drive over them all the time! Walnuts have been falling onto my patio for weeks! I can pick wild asparagus & setas(Spanish Mushrooms)within 50 yards of my front door! Eggs of the ground etc etc! We are going to down load all these answers and collate them. It's wonderful the effort you are making. thanks. My confidence grows proportionately with my understanding!
Re breakfast: Part of the problem with a diet based on quick acting carbs like bread is that it leaves you hungry after a few hours. Eggs are the ideal food to base your breakfast around. Add bacon, sausage or the meat of your choice or low carb veggies,mushrooms, or all of the above. I think you will find it has much more staying power, both in regards to hunger and useful energy. The reason is that fat and protein are released much more slowly, and they have minimal effect on a T2's blood sugar.
Very easy & cheaper to make your own nut flours. Just grind almonds in a food processor. Use pulse & grind until it's a meal. Too long & you'll end up with nut butter.
Low carb is moderate protein & high fat, which will keep you from being hungry. Carbs make us hungry because they're digested quickly.
I'd be in big trouble with home bread delivery. Bread's my weakness.
I'm trying to educate my wife along side me. Respectfully, if I tried to leave the house after having One sugar free yoghurt and one crisp bread I would be light headed in no time.Why I do not know, but I have to eat every 4 hours B/Fast/Lunch/Tea/Main Meal !
When you feel light-headed: test - don't guess! Maybe you're low, but maybe you're high. Use that meter at your peak after meals and you will start to see that you could have a satisfying breakfast that keeps you going all morning without filling it full of carbs. Here are some ideas to get you started: Breakfasts
Forget "sugar-free" or "low-fat" or "low-anything". Eat real foods, just modify the portion sizes with common sense and feedback from your meter.
Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
Everything you mentioned is wonderful for you! Avocados, walnuts, asparagus, mushrooms, eggs. As you begin to eat fewer carbs, be sure to eat not only more protein but more fat. The fat in particular will make you feel satistied and keep your energy up/ Especially that wonderful Spanish olive oil ;)
Tell your wife she can use all the eggs she wants in cooking for you - omelettes, souffles, and so on. Stews and soups are wonderful, as long as they don't have too many starchy vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc.). I make lasagna now with eggplant slices instead of pasta.
It will be a learning experience for you both, I hope an enjoyable one.
Thank you so much, but please read my other posts! I can only eat a maximum of 3 eggs a week. I usually have them boiled! I had a 3 egg omelette Monday so that's it till next week ha! Egg Plant? Aubergine?! They have just gone out of season here! We may get some forced grown after Christmas! I would love to try Lasagne that way! Do you boil the Aubergine first then slice it? or ??? Albert
Alan you have just described my destruction, and my most fav, Brekkie! An English Breakfast! My cardiologist would stop treating me if I were to eat Egg's Bacon & sausage + Mushrooms! Egg's, Bacon, Sausage? Cholesterol, Salt, & fat! I have to take blood thinners to keep my heart Stent's clear. Two Heart Attacks were enough! But I would love an English Breakfast drool........ing! So I am in a kinda diet regime, and that's why it's so hard already.
There is virtually nothing left, as each diet restriction cancels out the other. hahaha! I'll be the only person ever to diet in ever decreasing circles and disappear onto my meter! But, with so much positive info I'm confident we can engineer a (compromise) diet. Tonight Chicken salad! By the way. I love Vinegar on salads and eat Pickled Onions English style! Cannot find anything relating to vinegar and diabetes. Do you use it?
Thank so much. It never occurred to me to test for high I always assumed it to be low. I have struggled using my meter over the last 10 years as the test strips are SO expensive. The needles for the auto pin are also very expensive to. 2 for $1. NHS give me a big bag of sharps for the finger pricking. Boy the auto pin is a doddle compared to those, but I'm real clumsy with the sharps, and avoid using them COWARD! Still I take on board all you say and must must test more!
cannot forget any of those suggested!
OK, muleman, you made me laugh out loud imagining the happening "ever decreasing circles and disappear onto my meter"! With my husband on lowish fat, me on lowish carbs, plus my celiac, it could happen to me, too! I truly wish you good luck on developing your new diet.
You are indeed between a rock and a hard place. Just what is a healthy diet is a topic fraught with contradictions, and has been the topic of many contentious discussions here on TuD.
The Medical establishment recommends what you are eating for breakfast. I'll bet that if you check different meals with your meter you will find the recommend foods are causing your blood sugars to go to very unhealthy levels. It all boils down to fat. There is abundant research which concludes that both low fat high carb and high fat low carb have about the same effect on blood lipids. The dangerous combination is high fat high carb. The problem is the recommended low fat high carb diet is not good for diabetes. One of the deadly consequences of uncontrolled blood sugars is heart disease.
This topic has been discussed in depth on the Bernstein Forum as well as in general topics here on TuD. You will find many links to studies showing high fat low carb does not have an adverse effect on the lipid profile for most people. I would research this issue and then make an informed decision. Finally after making any changes you will need to monitor what effect it has on your body. One thing that I have learned from participation in this forum is that everyone is different and can have different reactions to the same program.
Vinegar seems to lower my sugar after a meal. Some people drink it diluted with water. That doesn't appeal to me so I add a little extra to my salad.The recommended type is apple cider. I often add pickles to my salad for the same reason.
Chicken salad sounds like a good choice. I often have what I call a meat salad which is just a salad with meat on top as a complete meal. Have your meter readings responded favorably to your diet modifications? That's the bottom line.
Yes, aubergine, sliced thinly, salted for a bit, sauteed in olive oil then layered. Any kind of summer squash works, but aubergine is my favorite! I sometimes do it with soft goat cheese mixed with the ricotta.
I did see that you limit your eggs to 3 a week. Is that under orders from your cardiologist?
Muleman, I truly admire you for jumping in here and sorting through all the information you've gotten. It takes courage which you clearly have in abundance!
Alan you have just described my destruction, and my most fav, Brekkie! An English Breakfast! My cardiologist would stop treating me if I were to eat Egg's Bacon & sausage + Mushrooms! Egg's, Bacon, Sausage? Cholesterol, Salt, & fat!
The problem is that your cardiologist has got it wrong.
Breakfast cereal will kill you because of the high post-meal blood glucose levels. Bacon, in moderation, will not. You can read more about eggs here: Eggs, Carbs and Cholesterol
I told my doctor I was eating bacon and eggs most mornings of the week nine years ago. He asked, because he was astonished at my weight loss and my HbA1c improvements. So that was the first time I printed out a version of that eating plan; to give to him.
A year later I was in the back of the audience at a local diabetes support meeting when a stranger I had never met was speaking to the group about her excellent personal weight loss. She told us that when she was diagnosed the doctor had got his receptionist to print out a copy of "Alan's diet" for her. She was quite astonished when I said g'day after her talk :) Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
