Linda, I find Edam and Gouda cheese is fairly low fat and tasty. I also eat Jarlsberg cheese slices because they are the thinnest slices I have found and also it is a fairly low fat cheese.
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Why do I have the Monty Python “Cheese Emporium” video playing in my brain? I highly recommend looking it up on YouTube for a humorous start to your Monday!
Are you sure about 50% of calories from protein? Most people find that they have trouble eating more than 30-35% of calories from protein. In order to achieve a diet with 50% protein you basically have to eat primarily made up of just meat and seafood. Most low carb high fat diets have a macronutrient ratio with “normal” levels of protein of about 25% of calories. Then if you have about 10% of calories from carbs then the remainder comes from fat.
Eating a high protein/low or no fat diet can be dangerous and can lead to what is called “Rabbitt Starvation.”
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My endocrinologist has always been onboard with reducing carbohydrates in my diet. She has no particular recommendation on diet – paleo, low-carb, south beach etc. Together we define success or failure based on the numbers – are my A1C, triglyceride, cholesterol, frequency of hypo/hyper glycemic episodes within the normal range?
We don’t discuss the emotional side of diabetes. We don’t talk about whether or not I like eating only one slice of pizza or never eating cake or ice-cream. We don’t discuss what I’ve given up to help manage my diabetes long term. From both our perspectives trying to eat like normal people is irrelevant. It’s a recipe for depression to focus on what has been lost instead of focusing on what is possible. I spoke with a friend who is a clinical social worker and he helped me put “D” into perspective when I was at a low-point
Whether or not your diet is low-carb or not is relative. There is no one definition.
According to Institute of Medicine, the organization that sets the recommended daily intake of nutrients, adults and children over the age of 1 should eat 130 grams of carbs a day. ~ WebMD
Low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD): less than 50g carbs and 10% calories daily of a 2000kcal diet
Low-carb diet (LCD): 50-130g carbs daily and between 10-26% of calories of a 2000kcal diet
Moderate-carb diet (MCD): 130-225g carbs daily and between 26-45% of calories of a 2000kcal diet ~ Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndromel
My current average daily carbohydrate intake is about 100g. My most recent A1C was 6.2 and has been as low as 5.5 (back when I tried eating about 70g carb per day and actually exercised).
Some people need more daily calories than others. A 165 cm man who sits in front of a computer most of his day needs a lot fewer calories than a 165 cm man who hikes/jogs/runs everyday. My advice is to reduce your carbohydrates and eat more fat and protein but design your own diet. Call it the @Jessica_Strickland88 diet. If your diet helps you achieve your diabetes management goal – whatever they are – then continue. If not, then adjust as needed.
As stated above, my diabetes management goal is simple. Do what I must in the present to reduce the risk of complications in the future. It’s long-term versus short-term thinking. It’s similar to retirement planning – look at the numbers, adjust, leave out the emotion.
I won’t get into arguments about whether low-carb is feasible or not etc. There are many sources of credible information on this topic. Do your own research, make your own decision, and live with the consequences of your decisions.
The word consequence means: the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier: Consequence is not a bad word. It’s just always used in that context. The consequence of me going to graduate school is that I can often negotiate a higher income. The consequence of me eating a slice of cake at dinner is a sleepless night spent fighting hyperglycemia.
Anything less than 200 grams (about seven ounces) of carbs a day could be called “low,” but most advocates of low-carb eating call for much less. Dr. Richard Bernstein says to eat 6 grams of carbs at breakfast, a maximum of 12 grams for snacks, and 12 grams each at lunch and dinner. Twelve grams is about the amount in one average slice of bread.
Jenny Ruhl, keeper of the website Blood Sugar 101, recommends starting at 15 grams of carbs per meal. Others are much looser in their recommendations. Any reduction in carbs is likely to help, they say. In a comment two years ago, reader Calgary Diabetic wrote: “I think a good definition of low carb would be the amount of carbs per day that you can safely eat and maintain your blood sugar in the normal range at all times.”
You may have to decide for yourself how low you want to go, depending on your meter readings and how you feel. ~ Low-Carb Diabetes: What You Need to Know
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Another good book to offer up that just came out a few weeks ago…
Always Hungry? By David Ludwig.
Dr. Ludwig is an endocrinologist at Harvard School of Medicine and a big researcher in nutrition and metabolism. He really talks about the nitty gritty of how insulin, fat and BG work together. Like many others, his research and reviews of other research suggests it’s really not the fats that are the culprits, it’s the sugars and refined carbs and other things with very high glycemic loads.
I was frustrated by insulin resistance and trying to lose some weight. Really reading the science behind how insulin functions in my body was an eye-opener and I’ve really changed my eating habits for the better, have lost weight, and have much less insulin resistance and more stable BGs. This is NOT a book aimed for folks with Diabetes but I found it easy to extrapolate how I could use it. He does have a really structured three part eating plan in the book along with recipes, etc. as well but I have done very well following my own personalized variation.
Cheers,
Emily
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Brian is right, at 50% you are way too high in protein. eskimos living on seals on the ice were only on 20% protein and 80% fat.
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I have recently started a LCHF way of life too and my BG is amazing! My A1C used to be in the 8’s and I am sure it will be in the low 6’s now. I have had to lower my basal by 15% due to lows, and it still needs some tweaking.
I started because I have weight to lose and I first cut out gluten to see if that was having a negative effect on my digestive system, and come to find out it did. I started a dynamic weight loss program at a local natural healing place ( Dr. Dan’s Natural Healing Center in Newburyport, MA) . I am learning so much and am losing about a pound a week. This is lifestyle change and the end of bad A1Cs for me.
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Brigid, I’m happy that LCHF is working for you. Great job!
Just don’t let “natural” Dr. Dan convince you to substitute cinnamon for your insulin!
That said, Native Alaskans also have some of the shortest life expectancies of any ethnic group— so I’m not entirely sure they have it all figured out.
sam, do you know if this life expectancy was longer before they adopted more western diets, or is this population youre talking about still eating this 20/80 split? just wondering if you knew?
to the OP, i have eaten about 100 carbs a day the past couple of years but had fallen off the wagon (for a couple of the last months of last year-ok, maybe more) and when i got back from my holidays i decided i had better start eating like i did when first dxed with t1 4 years ago-measuring and counting everything carby, 3 meals a day, restricted snacks. i was really SCARED back then. its good to be a bit scared-for me anyway.
right now i am eating about 50 grams a day. my blood sugar is friggin awesome. im waking up under 100 every day and have not broken 200 since i started on 5th January. its been an adjustment, of course, but it will be worth it if i can grow old without any major complications.
between meals, i curb hunger with nuts and cups of tea and recently have become a big fan of cream cheese on celery sticks, a snack i was eating at a friends house during the holidays. saying that, im not starving on 50 carbs a day. i usually go from one meal to the next without snacking.
my endinosaur is completely oblivious to diet and nutrition, but she doesnt try to convince me otherwise, which is fine. i trust people on this forum much more than doctors when it comes to day to day D things.
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All the stats I’ve seen are current and lump all Native Alaskans together. Some still live the traditional Eskimo lifestyle/ diet, but it’s a very small minority and I suspect that they aren’t well represented in studies-- there would also be difficulties comparing them on an even playing field also, since they generally aren’t accessing modern medical care, etc…
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Congrats on your honest self-assessment and acting on it. That’s probably the most consequential step in getting back to better habits.
I love reading things like this because it’s my reality, too. Good for you and Happy New Year!
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My breakdown is more like this based off of a 1800 Calorie intake …
CARBOHYDRATE PROTEIN FAT
GRAMS per day 22g2 47g 80g
GRAMS per meal 4.4g 49.4g ** 16g
CALORIES per meal 18 cals 198 cals 144 cals
CALORIES per day 90 cals 990 cals 720 cals
I get a full days worth of all of the daily vitamins needed (Yes I do take multi vitamins).
Based off of this the breakdown is like 5% carbs 55% Protein and 40% fats.
** The note here indicates that I break up my Protein intake to 30g portions and split them around 2 to 3 hours apart.
I eat on average of 5 to 6 small meals per day to achieve this.**
I am sure you can adjust the ratios to more fats and less Proteins but this has worked for me.
Mind you with my Life style change I am also loosing some weight and have been exercising.
I will be adjusting meals to add some more carbs and fat to up my caloric intake once I get to my
desired weight.
The whole point is the fact that you can manipulate things to fit your particular lifestyle and body no 2 people are the same. These ratios may not work for some but they work for me. And I am not starving myself by no means …
I check my keytones Daily to make sure I am not causing any issues with the kidneys …
The human body can process around 230 - 301 grams of Protein a Day and I am within that
limit based off of my 1800 Calorie diet.
No Rabbit Starvation , No Headaches, All my blood tests come out good as far as liver function … So Yes I am Sure I do around 50% of my diet in Protein.
But thanks for sharing
You also have to take into consideration that eskimos have to deal with a environment that is very cold … and to keep the body warm they need the surplus fats.
If they had a warmer climate they would not have the “need” for such fat reserves and thus not consume as part of their diet a 80% portion of fats. So the use of them as a valid example to this topic is rather Null.
but as Sam19 says …
“That said, Native Alaskans also have some of the shortest life expectancy of any ethnic group— so I’m not entirely sure they have it all figured out.”
Diet is only one of many factors potentially contributing to the shorter lifespan.
In Alaska, Riskier Lifestyle Contributes to Shorter Longevity
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Seem to be getting hung up on the fat. I posted the 20/80 to show that it’s too much protein at 50% calories
Do you count weight grams? 990 calories is about 10 sardine cans Of protein
A majority of the Protein I consume Daily is in the form of Protein Shakes… Walmart makes one that is 30g Protein and Net 1 Carb per serving.
Its rather easy in today’s age to Consume More protein without all of the other Fat’s etc added … This is one of the things that May throw off many calculations
when you think of eating just Protein such as Fish. Chicken etc… If I were then My fat intake would be much more than what it is.
What’s the name of that protein shake from Walmart?