Diabetes is unique in that there seem to be so many contradictry ideas as regards diet.
Sometimes I feel like giving up but then I realise how crazy that would be. My husband and I follow the traditional high carb diet and would like to give the low carb a try. However, we both can`t face giving up pasta, rice and potatoes. I have started using high fibre multigrain bread but still feel that a sandwich made with white bread is a dream that I am still trying to forget
How ya doing hat? Listen I was only recently dianosed. Less than two weeks ago. I immediately cut the booze and most of the high sugar high carb stuff and started eating a lot better. I feel better already and have started noticing the wieght coming off. You can still eat the potatos and rice, just less of it, and when you DO eat that stuff make sure you are also eating some high protein foods with it. Hope to hear back from you soon.
Before I was diagnosed my meals were OK as my husband was diabetic.
For example I started using lentils which I had never used before. The trouble was that I used to snack all evening on all the wrong foods. The only solution I found was to avoid having any snackable food in the home. I don`t have much will power in the evening!
My HBA1C is 6 so not too bad.
I just feel it is an uphill struggle and diet has taken over my life.
Hey hat,
I'm gonna have to go along with you on the diet sort of taking over one's life as I have never before given a second thought about what I eat or snack on. Boy oh boy are those days over! However I must still count myself lucky that at this stage all I have to do is adust my eating habits and start getting into better shape via working out etc. No meds thank God! Just keep pulling on that rope and never I mean NEVER give up! I try to look at the disease as some kind of beast that I need to beat down with a club or something, just keep beating it until it submits to your will. Stay strong hat!!!!!
My husband had a by-pass 2 1/2 years ago and found out he was diabetic. My BG was very low. All of a sudden my BG went up and I was `slightly over the limit`.
We had already been walking at least 30 min a day .
I always read that a diabetic diet is the diet that EVERYONE should be following.
The positive side is that since I stopped snacking I`ve lost weight and gone down a dress size.
I can easily pass by a delicious cake but would die for a fresh well filled sandwich !
The trouble is that my husband is having chol. pills because of his diab. and by-pass and I am slightly high there too. The doctor says that as my HDL is high I don`t need medication yet.
Thanks to everyone for their interest. I can`t understand some friends who just ignore their diet, don`t exercise and don`t check their BG even though their reading is higher than mine.
Hi Hat776!!
It can be a struggle and I applaud your effort to eat healthier. I know there are foods we crave that we used to eat all the time that now for one reason or another are really bad for us. I take it that your husband is diabetic and you are not. It is good of you (and good for you) to help him control his diabetes. There is a great resource for information about diets for diabetics located here.
One of the things I missed the most was cakes and breads. Eventually tired of missing out when everyone else was having dessert, I decided to try out sugar free alternatives. Boy what a mistake that was. First of all, most sugar free alternatives are sweetened with Maltitol. Not sure if you have ever experienced Maltitol, but it's the same effect as eating Exlax when you are craving a Hershey Bar! Not a good thing!
Secondly,did you know that most sugar free snack foods (cookies, cakes, etc) are worse for us than if we had eaten the real thing!?!?!?! What an epiphany that was!! My doctor said, " As a diabetic, you shouldn't eat any processed sugar, and should limit everything else. But as a human, you will do yourself a world of good if you just learn moderation. Give up the idea of sugar free, because with the additives it's worse for you than eating a whole cake. You can have a very small portion of regular birthday cake, or you may have a cookie or a small piece of brownie. Just not the whole thing."
Taking that into consideration, I find that I rule the diet, not vice versa. I try to make the focus in my life, not about eating. I gave up the junk (chips and stuff) and started keeping lots of crunchy veggies and some fruits in the house. Also, Dave Mendosa's Glycemic Index helped me stock the house with foods that were good and helpful in managing my diabetes. You can find information about the Glycemic Index here.
It also helps if you add some activity to your life. Now notice, I didn't say exercize. I said activity. I like to walk and walking after a meal helps your digestive system do it's thing. One of the many issues with diabetes is neuropathy, and the digestive system can be effected. Walking helps aleviate some of that.
Well enough for now. Make sure you stay in touch, let us know how you and your husband are doing!
Vicki M
Hey Vicki M,
Pretty decent of you to try to prop up hat. I been doing the same. I too am fairly angry about this whole diabetes thing but quickly decided to channel into knocking the disease down and stomping on it through diet/excercise in order to stay off any meds. Anyway your post to hat was darn good! I just joined the community a few days ago and I think I made the right choice. Hopefully talk to ya later....
Hey Zachfan,
We're at a time in our lives when we have to take control of us and not allow other things to take control of us. My having diabetes was no shock for me, as it has run in my family for generations. We've also been obese people for generations. I have not had much luck changing that in my lifetime, however my children are not obese and are having better luck than I am.
It's nice to have a forum like this to share ideas, get kudos for wins and consolation and support for loses. Thanks for checking in!!
Vicki M
I have also been comfortable on a high card diet as well. I have been diagnosed 4 months. I have cut down on my portions but not cut out completely my carbs. When I feel deprived I have a diabetic chocolate I got at christmas! My husband loves them! I haven't strayed too much from the meat, veggies but limited the carbs some.
Hope this helps!
I take my pills regularly - exercise {walking every day} - practically eliminated sweets, cakes, chocolate etc - don`t fry - but if I had to eliminate bread and pasta completely I don`t think I could bear it. My diab. is under control.
I`m trying to accept wholegrain bread but still yearn for a slice of good old white.
Be careful with diab. chocolate - I`ve read that it`s not that good for you.
Being new at this, 4 months, I find I love my D choc. However, it seems anything carb [potatoe, pasta, bread etc] related rases my blood sugar and I am afraid to eat anything! I guess it is trial and error! I love my carbs but they don't like me at all!
Diabetic candy, choc N|OT good for you!
extra sweet
Hi Extra Sweet!
There is such a controversy about Carbs and diabetics. It's all the talk these days. David Mendosa has a very good article about it located here. He also talks about the low glycemic diet in his article. I have found David's glycemic index to be very helpful in choosing food alternatives.
Take a look and tell me what you think?
Vicki M
I am new here... so bare with me!
I was diagnosed 5 years ago with borderline diabetes... I am now full blown type 2 and taking pills and insulin. I have been overweight most of my life this being the highest weight ever. My husband tries to be supportive but it ends up giving me "should have" type of lectures...
He really doesn't understand. He really does not know the kind of pain I am in also...
I have tried everything as far as diet goes but I keep falling back to my bingeing days. I had a short term job for 3 months that I loved but it was very stressful. It had a negative effect on my diabetes. I have been off work for 4 weeks (other than a cold) I have been doing much better.
I have decided to be less angry and more proactive. I am the type person that needs to understand everything so I have been searching the internet, reading books and asking questions... I have learned that there are no true answers that apply to everyone. Everyone is different.
As far as diet goes, I am not looking at it as a diet. I need to get rid of that word. I am looking at my trouble foods (like chips) as poisen or as something that I am allergic to. After all, I am. The way I eat chips would make my blood sugars go sky high... that is a type of allergic reaction.
I have rid our house of trouble foods. Our breakfast cereals are very healthy and my children (ages from 12-16) are starting to eat them!
I want to join life again so finding the right combination of foods is my beginning!
I wish you all the best.
I don`t have much will power so just don`t buy snack food. I manage to control food quite easily during the day but find it SO difficult in the evening. If I read or watch TV my hand automatically reaches out for something to nibble on. I usually get one of those hand held computer games and that takes my mind off food.
I know what you mean. I am reading everything. I was in so much pain this fall that I think it finally made me accept the fact that I have diabetes.
Changing habits is a very slow process but I am beginning!
I used to get upset about my children snacking on cereal... now after reading the labels I see that it is a really good snack (in comparison). My cereals are whole grain and healthy for me so I love this suggestion of snacking on it.
Hi Metaour,
A good friend of mine told me once that the first word in the word DIET is DIE. It has stuck with me.
But I am proof positive that an old dog can learn new tricks. There is alot you can do with whole grain cereal to make a good snack that is good for you. Did you know that if you snack on a cup of whole grain cereal, it will act like a sponge in your stomach soaking up the acids and will make you fill full longer as well as combat excess acid which can cause heartburn. Killing two problems with one good tasting snack!
Here's a recipe. You can change the ingredients to taste, but you get the idea.
Happy trails mix - Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix. n. Killing two problems with one good tasting snack!
What I do is take 1/4 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt and add some chopped fruits, this week was blueberries and strawberries and then add the whole grain cereal with some chopped walnuts. Now when I first saw this recipe, I thought, nah not for me. I am not the yogurt type, but I tried it, and it was GOOD. If you mix it up and let it sit for a few minutes, the oats will soften and it becomes almost like lumpy pudding. I was impressed!! :)
Hope this helps. There are lots of us out here if you need some advice, support or just want to vent about a bad day or share a day that's been particularly good!!
Stay in touch and let us know how you're doing!
Vicki M
I stopped reading the labels. I figure if there are enough ingredients that it has a label listing then there is probably something not good for me there! lol.
Seriously, I think one of the most important parts of the label is the servings per container. Something might seem healthy at first until you read that a 4oz package has 16 servings!! Hardly seems worth the bother right!???
I posted a whole grain cereal recipe above, but here are some other ideas. Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing!!
Vicki M
Peanut Butter Grahams
Spread low-fat peanut butter on a graham cracker. Top with a banana slice and you'll have at least some of your protein and starch exchanges covered.
Prepare sugar-free fruit flavored gelatin. Add small chunks of fruit before chilling. The gelatin is a "freebie" and, depending on how much fruit you add, you may have to count this snack as a fruit exchange.
Following is a list of snacks you can purchase at most supermarkets. These are great snacks to take with your wherever you go. They are calculated to supply 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrate or one carbohydrate (1 bread/starch) exchange:
One small apple
Eight animal crackers
Four medium fresh apricots or seven dried halves
1/2 of a banana rolled with 2-tablespoons Grape Nuts cereal
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
Twelve Bing cherries
Two chocolate mousse bars (Weight Watchers)
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
Three dried dates
Two small dried figs
Two sugar-free fudgesickles
Three gingersnaps
36 Goldfish (adds 1 fat exchange)
Three graham crackers (2 1/2-inch square)
1/2 low-fat granola bar
15 grapes
Five kumquats
Three Lorna Doones (adds 1 fat exchange)
12 loquats
Five slices melba toast
One small nectarine
1 cup skim milk
Three thin sliced Norwegian Kavli flatbread (2 thick sliced)
One small orange
One small peach
Three peanut butter sandwich crackers (adds 1 fat exchange)
One small pear
16 Mr. Phipps Tater Crisps (adds 1 fat exchange)
Two small plums
24 oyster crackers
3 cups popcorn (popped by hot air, or low-fat microwave)
Three dried pitted prunes
15 fat-free potato or tortilla chips
3/4 ounce pretzels
2 tablespoons raisins
Two rice cakes (4" diameter)
Seven Ritz crackers (adds 1 fat exchange)
Six saltine crackers
Two Stella d'Oro Sesame Breadsticks (adds 1 fat exchange)
One tangerine
15 Teddy Grahams (adds 1 fat exchange)
Five reduced-fat Triscuits
Six Vanilla Wafers (adds 1 fat exchange)
Six Waverly Wafers (adds 1 fat exchange)
12 Original Wheat Thins (adds 1 fat exchange)
13 Reduced-fat Wheat Thins (adds 1/2 fat exchange)
1 cup nonfat fruit-flavored yogurt (sweetened with sugar substitute)
1/2 cup of either I Can't Believe It's Yogurt or TCBY frozen yogurt
Vicki,
Thank you for the suggestions.... I seem to have lost a little weight but I still have problems with bingeing (though they are getting smaller). My 16 year old daughter seems to live on raw veggies and cereal (I keep only healthy cereals in the house) Sometimes I think I am to concious about what I am preparing that we tend to over eat even good foods.
I just got a scale and was going to portion out snacks and bag them. I thought I might set aside the days snacks in the morning -- maybe I would even look forward to it... knowing that that was all I got... I wouldn't eat it until I am really hungry.... Maybe it will help me understand hunger verses emotional eating!
Mary
I envy my mother. She only eats when she is hungry and is quite capable of leaving a one inch square piece of a sandwich because she says she is full up.
On the other hand I am quite capable of spending a whole evening nibbling away even though I am full up.
I am beginning to understand how a drug addict feels. Sometimes I end up searching for something to nibble on . The funny thing is that at that time a salad wouldn`t do.
I talk to myself and tell myself how stupid I am being and how I will regret it later. I tell myself that the sandwich I am craving will only keep me happy for about 5 min even if I have small bites each time.
I wish I could be hypnotised so that I only eat when I am hungry. It would solve all my problems.
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