Newbie

[neilnst]

Just joined to see if i can get the help and support.. I have type 2 and really struggle with diet ideas.. My job means I work overseas the majority of the time and really have issues with some of the foods, that coupled with being a fussy eater really puts me on the back foot. After doing well it all quickly goes down hill. Any suggestions would be much appreciated TIA

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
People often feel they have to be eating this or that just because they are 'good' foods for diabetics but there is absolutely no need to eat foods you do not like.
Being selective with what you do like to eat, making sure they are not those very high carb foods which will increase blood glucose.
It will depend on where you are overseas as some places will have very suitable meals, meat. fish, veg and salads some not so good.
Have a look at this link for some inspiration for meals, you may find some which you like and there are some good principals to follow on which to base your own meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @neilnst

Eating well while travelling can be a challenge. Partly because what’s on offer can be a tricky combination of being less than ideal for blood glucose / weight, and also delicious and very tempting.

However there are options and alternatives increasingly available which can keep both your tastebuds and blood glucose levels happy.

Have you been living with T2 for long? Are you carrying any extra weight that you’d like to shift?

Perhaps it would help to keep a food diary for a week or two. In terms of blood glucose management it is the total carbohydrate content (not just ‘of which sugars’) which will have the most bearing on blood glucose levels. Writing down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the carbs in the portion you ate can help you spot your ‘big hitter’ meals, and also where carbs and natural sugars may be unexpectedly lurking (eg fruit which can be both ‘healthy’ but also a bit of a challenge BG-wise). Then you might consider how to tweak and adapt meals to look for swaps, portion reductions, or things you could simply drop for a while. It might also highlight meals/snacks that you really enjoy which carry less of a carb load, and which might form the basis of some variations.

 

[Spathiphyllum]

Welcome to the forum @neilnst

Eating well while travelling can be a challenge. ... In terms of blood glucose management it is the total carbohydrate content (not just ‘of which sugars’) which will have the most bearing on blood glucose levels. ...

Another challenge for eating well while working or travelling abroad is that there is no single international system for food labelling! I only discovered this recently.

In the UK and EU, labels will say (amongst other things) "Carbohydrate" and give a number, and then there will be a sub-number for "of which sugars", and then a separate number for "Fibre".

Turns out, though, that fibre is technically a carbohydrate-- it just doesn't matter to diabetics, because it's 'unavailable carbohydrate', meaning your body can't turn it into glucose.

So, for example, Japanese food labelling gives a number for "Total carbohydrate", and then gives sub-numbers for fibre and for available carbohydrate-- the latter being what UK/EU food labels mean when they just say "carbohydrate".

The worst are US labels! They give a number for "Total carbohydrate", and then give a sub-number for "Dietary fiber"-- so, to get the information you need as a diabetic, you have to subtract the latter from the former.

Is there some sort of travel guide for diabetics, with country-specific information that might help neilnst?

 

[Leadinglights]

Another challenge for eating well while working or travelling abroad is that there is no single international system for food labelling! I only discovered this recently.

In the UK and EU, labels will say (amongst other things) "Carbohydrate" and give a number, and then there will be a sub-number for "of which sugars", and then a separate number for "Fibre".

Turns out, though, that fibre is technically a carbohydrate-- it just doesn't matter to diabetics, because it's 'unavailable carbohydrate', meaning your body can't turn it into glucose.

So, for example, Japanese food labelling gives a number for "Total carbohydrate", and then gives sub-numbers for fibre and for available carbohydrate-- the latter being what UK/EU food labels mean when they just say "carbohydrate".

The worst are US labels! They give a number for "Total carbohydrate", and then give a sub-number for "Dietary fiber"-- so, to get the information you need as a diabetic, you have to subtract the latter from the former.

Is there some sort of travel guide for diabetics, with country-specific information that might help neilnst?

The giveaway for anything that is American, recipes, packets etc is the spelling of FIBER as opposed to FIBRE in the UK.

Some of the things we get in places like B&M and Poundland, it is a bit of a challenge to actually find the carbohydrate amount in the multiple languages on the packet.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I was only aware that the US included the weight of fibre in the total carb figure. I thought everywhere else, certainly in Europe, listed net carbs.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Some of the things we get in places like B&M and Poundland, it is a bit of a challenge to actually find the carbohydrate amount in the multiple languages on the packet.

And my particular favourite… listing carbs per 100g on a snack item, but NOT including the weight of the item anywhere on the packet. 🙄

 

[Spathiphyllum]

I was only aware that the US included the weight of fibre in the total carb figure. I thought everywhere else, certainly in Europe, listed net carbs.

I only found out about the Japanese system because a Japanese friend brought me some goodies, and I had to ask her to translate the label!