Can anyone help my 91 year old mum please?

[Reallyneedinghelp22]

Hi there, thank you for letting me join. I am writing on behalf of my mum, who is 91, and was diagnosed with type two diabetes approximately 10 years ago.

My mum keeps very strictly to a very low carb diet as recommended by the nurse at her GP surgery. Her blood sugars were a tiny bit high when she last had her bloods done a few weeks ago, and the nurse recommended that she cut down/ bread and potatoes and any carbs. Diet is as follows –

Breakfast – very small amount of porridge with a few blueberries.

Lunch – some cheese and a few tomatoes, or some plain fish and cabbage and carrots

Dinner - more plain fish, veggies

Snacks – plain nuts, a square of 90% dark chocolate, piece of fruit.

As I mentioned, my mum is extremely strict with what she eats, and having spoken with her last night, realise that she is now not eating any potatoes, any bread, pasta or rice. My mum does not have any salt, or gravy, mo mayonnaise, and does not eat red meat or chicken. She cooks from scratch. She mentioned last night that she has not had a potato for weeks, but sometimes allows herself a slice of bread, a couple of times a week.

I am really concerned at my mum is not getting enough food, and she’s frightened to eat much more because having been told not to have any carbs.

I do hope that it is okay to post it on behalf of my mum, she is very soon, and I just want to try and encourage her to eat a bit more really.

Thank you so much for reading this.

 

[Drummer]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
The foods which a type two can eat are usually very nutritious - but it seems that your mum is restricting her diet for other reasons than the diabetes.
The lack of salt might cause cramps - we do need some salt.
The lowest carb fruits are berries - I have some packs of frozen ones and eat them with yoghurt, cream or icecream as most fruit is quite high carb - as is most bread though there are a few which are not all that high per slice, though the slices are small.
Porridge, being a grain, is high carb - and often carbs eaten in the morning can have a higher impact than other times of day, but I appreciate that on such a restricted diet it must be difficult to find something suitable.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Hi there, thank you for letting me join. I am writing on behalf of my mum, who is 91, and was diagnosed with type two diabetes approximately 10 years ago.

My mum keeps very strictly to a very low carb diet as recommended by the nurse at her GP surgery. Her blood sugars were a tiny bit high when she last had her bloods done a few weeks ago, and the nurse recommended that she cut down/ bread and potatoes and any carbs. Diet is as follows –

Breakfast – very small amount of porridge with a few blueberries.

Lunch – some cheese and a few tomatoes, or some plain fish and cabbage and carrots

Dinner - more plain fish, veggies

Snacks – plain nuts, a square of 90% dark chocolate, piece of fruit.

As I mentioned, my mum is extremely strict with what she eats, and having spoken with her last night, realise that she is now not eating any potatoes, any bread, pasta or rice. My mum does not have any salt, or gravy, mo mayonnaise, and does not eat red meat or chicken. She cooks from scratch. She mentioned last night that she has not had a potato for weeks, but sometimes allows herself a slice of bread, a couple of times a week.

I am really concerned at my mum is not getting enough food, and she’s frightened to eat much more because having been told not to have any carbs.

I do hope that it is okay to post it on behalf of my mum, she is very soon, and I just want to try and encourage her to eat a bit more really.

Thank you so much for reading this.

What is her hba1c?

 

[Reallyneedinghelp22]

Thank you so much for your reply . It’s difficult it’s it?! I will try and find some low carb bread for her, thank you. I can also encourage her to eat a few more berries.
I daren’t mention the porridge, as it one of the very few things that she eats, but I’ll definitely try and encourage her with other things. I wish that she would feel comfortable eating a jacket potato now and then . The other diet restrictions that she has are for her blood pressure. She is a super clean eater, but she’s just not getting enough food inside her!

Thank you again for your time

 

[Reallyneedinghelp22]

What is her hba1c?

Hi there, I’m not sure about that. I can’t ask her because she wouldn’t remember it from her latest appointment which was a few weeks ago now. I have never heard of the Newcastle diet, I will have a look at that -thank you very much!

 

[Reallyneedinghelp22]

What is her hba1c?

And well done .

 

[Leadinglights]

As you say it sounds as if she is not eating enough food, is she overweight?
There are lots of foods she could have that are not carbs but would be nutritious, certainly chicken, eggs, cheese, high meat content sausages, she could have butternut squash instead of potatoes as it is much lower carb as well as celeriac or swede. There is pasta made from edamame or black beans which are low carb.
Full fat Greek yoghurt with berries with small portion of a low sugar granola is what many have for breakfast or eggs in any form with tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked salmon and just 1 slice toast.
Kvarg deserts are low carb and she could have sugarfree jelly and cream for pudding.
It really does depend on what her blood glucose level is as to how strict she needs to be.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Hi there, I’m not sure about that. I can’t ask her because she wouldn’t remember it from her latest appointment which was a few weeks ago now. I have never heard of the Newcastle diet, I will have a look at that -thank you very much!

That's a very low calorie diet, not recommended here.
If it was me, at 91, if my hba1c was reasonable, I wouldn't be overly fussy to be honest.
Or I'd go for high calorie foods and not get overly upset about cholesterol.

 

[Drummer]

Thank you so much for your reply . It’s difficult it’s it?! I will try and find some low carb bread for her, thank you. I can also encourage her to eat a few more berries.
I daren’t mention the porridge, as it one of the very few things that she eats, but I’ll definitely try and encourage her with other things. I wish that she would feel comfortable eating a jacket potato now and then . The other diet restrictions that she has are for her blood pressure. She is a super clean eater, but she’s just not getting enough food inside her!

Thank you again for your time

A jacket potato? Why would you want her to eat a starchy vegetable?
One thing which I find tasty are the stir fries in the frozen aisle at lidl. There are three variations, and I find that chopping some cooked meat into fairly small pieces and adding them in once the veges are fairly well thawed over the heat is about the right time to get everything warmed up and cooked through.
There is more and more hints that cholesterol is just not the bogy man we were supposed to think it, and for older women higher than average levels it is actually more associated with longer life, and one cardiologist pointed out that over half his patients had below average levels - so it is just not adding up. We make cholesterol anyway, we don't absorb it directly from food, our livers construct it from its component parts.
If you can find some low carb bread boiled eggs might be an option for breakfast, or yoghurt with berries - or there is porridge made with various things other than oats.
Baked goods made with low carb ingredients might help - biscuits buns and cakes are all possible, though you might need to find the ingredients on line.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

A jacket potato? Why would you want her to eat a starchy vegetable?
One thing which I find tasty are the stir fries in the frozen aisle at lidl. There are three variations, and I find that chopping some cooked meat into fairly small pieces and adding them in once the veges are fairly well thawed over the heat is about the right time to get everything warmed up and cooked through.
There is more and more hints that cholesterol is just not the bogy man we were supposed to think it, and for older women higher than average levels it is actually more associated with longer life, and one cardiologist pointed out that over half his patients had below average levels - so it is just not adding up. We make cholesterol anyway, we don't absorb it directly from food, our livers construct it from its component parts.
If you can find some low carb bread boiled eggs might be an option for breakfast, or yoghurt with berries - or there is porridge made with various things other than oats.
Baked goods made with low carb ingredients might help - biscuits buns and cakes are all possible, though you might need to find the ingredients on line.

Because without knowing anything about her, apart from "Her blood sugars were a tiny bit high" it's madness to just jump onto "all potatoes are bad" live on stir fried and meat, go keto and extreme low carb.
A few grams of carbs in a baked potato may make very little difference.

(And rumours high cholesterol helps you live longer? That's only to sell books to people that want to believe it)

 

[Leadinglights]

We are all trying to speculate without having enough information and hopefully the OP will come back with some details to fill in the gaps.
HbA1C, medication, mobility etc.

 

[workaway32]

Your mum's diet seems decent to me. If she is 92, she is doing something right. If she wants to monitor her diet closely then I don't see a harm in that and I don't think you need to be desperately worried (unless she is really underweight).

If I was her I'd be eating chocolate cake at every meal though (I'm type 1, if I get to 92 it will be a miracle).

 

[Jenny65]

At 91 I would worry that restricting her further would remove anything she enjoys and at her age she needs to enjoy her food, if the HbA1c figure is only slightly higher eg gone from 44 to 45 then I wouldnt worry too much, but thats from my own perspective because if I am still around at her age I would want to eat some enjoyable food and not worry too much about other things, I hope that isnt insensitve, I just mean that she must be doing something right to be the age she is, so as they say if it aint broke...🙂

Hopefully the GP or DN can provide more information to clarify what slightly higher reading means as well.

 

[Drummer]

Because without knowing anything about her, apart from "Her blood sugars were a tiny bit high" it's madness to just jump onto "all potatoes are bad" live on stir fried and meat, go keto and extreme low carb.
A few grams of carbs in a baked potato may make very little difference.

(And rumours high cholesterol helps you live longer? That's only to sell books to people that want to believe it)

If a potato had only a few grams of carbs I'd be saying go for it - add in some butter or cream and a piece of salmon or some sausages because older women are often not eating enough protein and losing muscle mass can make any stumble into a serious fall resulting in further deterioration and even death - but as an older woman myself I know just how to eat these days so that I can safely haul knitting machines about, get my mobility scooter up or down a curb when there is no slope, and other things which have people rushing up to assist. The scooter is my take on electrical mobility as I'll never be able to justify any other electric vehicle.
It is only on the internet that information from perplexed HCPs seems available - as they acknowledge that if they started to protest to fellow HCPs about it they'd lose their jobs, but they are very uneasy about accepted 'knowledge' on cholesterol and are revising their methods as they see how accepting what they can measure for themselves alters the lives of their patients for the better.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

If a potato had only a few grams of carbs I'd be saying go for it - add in some butter or cream and a piece of salmon or some sausages because older women are often not eating enough protein and losing muscle mass can make any stumble into a serious fall resulting in further deterioration and even death - but as an older woman myself I know just how to eat these days so that I can safely haul knitting machines about, get my mobility scooter up or down a curb when there is no slope, and other things which have people rushing up to assist. The scooter is my take on electrical mobility as I'll never be able to justify any other electric vehicle.
It is only on the internet that information from perplexed HCPs seems available - as they acknowledge that if they started to protest to fellow HCPs about it they'd lose their jobs, but they are very uneasy about accepted 'knowledge' on cholesterol and are revising their methods as they see how accepting what they can measure for themselves alters the lives of their patients for the better.

Not really true.
Just the book sellers touting the same nonsense with a lot of back slapping by the same circle selling their books as well.
But, we all believe either the truth or what we want to believe in the end.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

At 91 I would worry that restricting her further would remove anything she enjoys and at her age she needs to enjoy her food, if the HbA1c figure is only slightly higher eg gone from 44 to 45 then I wouldnt worry too much, but thats from my own perspective because if I am still around at her age I would want to eat some enjoyable food and not worry too much about other things, I hope that isnt insensitve, I just mean that she must be doing something right to be the age she is, so as they say if it aint broke...🙂

Hopefully the GP or DN can provide more information to clarify what slightly higher reading means as well.

I agree with you entirely.
I'd do exactly the same 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Not really true.
Just the book sellers touting the same nonsense with a lot of back slapping by the same circle selling their books as well.
But, we all believe either the truth or what we want to believe in the end.

I do't think there is anyone here on the forum selling books. We speak as we find and what works for us and our bodies. Baked potatoes are a relatively high carb food, but as yourself and @Jenny65 have mentioned, having a perfect HbA1c is really not that important once you get to 91 and enjoying whatever life you have left is.
Obviously, if the lady in question's levels are significantly high (70s or above), then maybe having a baked potato every other day (assuming she enjoys them anyway) may not be the best advice, but if we are talking 40s 50s or even 60s I think it is much less of an issue and the nurse either doesn't understand how restricted this lady's diet already is or is being overly officious in wanting her to try harder and perhaps increasing medication would be a better alternative to allow her a greater enjoyment of food if levels are a bit too high.

As @Leadinglights says, we really need a bit more info on the situation like actual HbA1c results, medication etc in order to make appropriate comment.

 

[Drummer]

L Bathum et al
Scandinavian Journal of primary healthcare 2013:31.172 - 180
Our population based study shows that high TC, HDL and LDL in the elderly are also associated with lower all cause mortality compared with the group with recommended low lipoprotein levels.

I have this tendency to take down notes which can prove problematic for some. It did used to concern me that it threw an unfavourable light on medical practice, but I had to give up and accept that it was deserved long before Covid struck.

 

[Leadinglights]

It seemed from what the OP had said her Mum was on a self-imposed minimal diet as she said 'she eats clean' but we just don't know.

 

[Reallyneedinghelp22]

Hi everyone, thank you for all your replies and questions. I will try and answer your questions as thoroughly as I can. My mum probably weighs eight stones, and is very thin. She does not eat any meat, chicken, pork at all, and will not eat these because of ethical reasons. I have told her about the butternut squash idea instead of potatoes, and she does eat a lot of butternut squash so she is going to up her intake of this. I have also found some Edamame pasta for her which I will pick up next week, so thank you for those ideas. My mum does not have milk, plant milk, cream at all. She will eat cheese and plant base butter.

I appreciate that my mum being 91 may feel to you and me as a time to have whatever you fancy to eat. I mean, I totally would! It is a different matter though, saying to my mum that ‘you might not have long to live at 91’ so eat what you want. I do have to handle this with some sensitivity in regard to her age.

The reason that I said that I wanted her to eat a jacket potato, was, at this point, I would be happy if she just ate more food! And also, I am not an expert in diabetes, and don’t know all the protocol.

My mum is very active, no problems at all with mobility, and looks after herself. The other consideration is that at 91, with diabetes, she does get tired, and doesn’t want to have the hassle of cooking lots of new things. I mentioned that “her blood sugars were a tiny bit high “as that is what she told me following her appointment with the diabetic nurse. She did not remember any numbers. My mum was not diagnosed with diabetes until about 10 years ago approximately, and she is very reluctant to talk about her health, medication, etc at all, so I have to be gentle in my approach to her.

Yes, my mum “eats clean”. by this, I mean that my mum will possibly have a square of chocolate a day, and the occasional biscuit, but most of her food is made up of fish, vegetables, porridge, and berries, cheese, nuts. She does have yoghurt sometimes, but she never has any mayonnaise, salad, cream, sauces, gravy, or anything like this– she has always eaten like this, which is why I guess that she is still so active and healthy at 91.

I personally think that the nurse who saw her was being overly officious, and my mum is from a generation where did exactly what the doctors told you, even though I try to encourage her to have a treat sometimes.

Thank you to everybody for all your help, I do appreciate it as I am not sure about the ins and outs of diabetes.