Off to see a friend for first time in 3 years.

[Mark Parrott]

Well, tomorrow I'm meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in nearly 3 years. We've been friends since 1992 & were inseparable for many years. It was always tradition on a Saturday to go round his parents for a sausage sandwich & cakes. I'm imagining this might happen tomorrow, even though it's not Saturday. His dad has had type 2 diabetes for a few years, but thinking back, i'm sure he carried on eating what he liked & I knew no different at the time so said nothing. So, the question is what do I do or say? I can imagine turning down the cakes & sausage sandwiches will end up with funny looks. If I say I don't eat bread or cakes, they will say why? They know i'm type 2, but probably don't understand what we can & cannot eat. Do I take my own lunch? Do I take my own Burgen bread for the sausage sandwiches? I don't want to seem rude.

 

[AndBreathe]

All of that is up to you, Mark.

Regarding your bread; if that was going to be your middle ground compromise, tipping the balance of a potentially uncomfortable lunch to a more enjoyable experience, you could just say something like, "Do you mind if I have mine on my own bread. Since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I find I don't really get on with ordinary bread any more."?

As there is now a requirement for me to be GF in many ways that sort of conversation got easier for me, personally. In other people's minds, "doctors' orders" usually trumps a personal choice.

If your friend's father has continued with his pre-diagnosis diet, then I would only say anything about his diet, if he brought it up, and asked, and then I might tend to turn it to what I do and what works for me, rather than appear to be critical of his approach.

Whilst I do feel deep concerns for some people's eating patterns. They are adults and often have no really interest in changing, so I am as likely to be more in danger of losing a friend than gaining a convert. One size (or way of eating) doesn't work for all, and I have learned, over time, to accept that. For all I know the other person, on their eating plan may not be doing too badly on it. Who am I to interfere?

Of course, if someone shows an interest, I will talk to people about my approach, until the cows (grass fed, obviously 🙂 ) come home.

Edited to add that interest in another (non-NHS diet) way of tackling diabetes often comes a while after any initial conversation, my experience.

 

[Amigo]

Well, tomorrow I'm meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in nearly 3 years. We've been friends since 1992 & were inseparable for many years. It was always tradition on a Saturday to go round his parents for a sausage sandwich & cakes. I'm imagining this might happen tomorrow, even though it's not Saturday. His dad has had type 2 diabetes for a few years, but thinking back, i'm sure he carried on eating what he liked & I knew no different at the time so said nothing. So, the question is what do I do or say? I can imagine turning down the cakes & sausage sandwiches will end up with funny looks. If I say I don't eat bread or cakes, they will say why? They know i'm type 2, but probably don't understand what we can & cannot eat. Do I take my own lunch? Do I take my own Burgen bread for the sausage sandwiches? I don't want to seem rude.

In your particular situation Mark, off the Diabetic Register and in reality much more able now to tolerate the odd treat, I’d probably have the sausage sandwich (30 grams of carb from the bread isn’t going to be mega). Hopefully they’ll be decent sausages. In terms of cakes, I’d probably say I get really full easily these days since losing weight and just keep have a very small taste of cake.
You’ll spend and probably spoil the whole visit otherwise trying to explain the complexities of diabetes and sadly his father doesn’t want to know by the sounds of it. I definitely wouldn’t take my own bread or make too much of an issue of it. You’ve been able to weather more carby meals than this so in your case I wouldn’t worry.

Enjoy meeting up again, that’s the main thing 🙂

 

[Mark Parrott]

In your particular situation Mark, off the Diabetic Register and in reality much more able now to tolerate the odd treat, I’d probably have the sausage sandwich (30 grams of carb from the bread isn’t going to be mega). Hopefully they’ll be decent sausages. In terms of cakes, I’d probably say I get really full easily these days since losing weight and just keep have a very small taste of cake.
You’ll spend and probably spoil the whole visit otherwise trying to explain the complexities of diabetes and sadly his father doesn’t want to know by the sounds of it. I definitely wouldn’t take my own bread or make too much of an issue of it. You’ve been able to weather more carby meals than this so in your case I wouldn’t worry.

Enjoy meeting up again, that’s the main thing 🙂

Thanks @Amigo & @AndBreathe. They will be Richmond skinless sausages though. But hey. Maybe just go with the flow.🙂

 

[Amigo]

Thanks @Amigo & @AndBreathe. They will be Richmond skinless sausages though. But hey. Maybe just go with the flow.🙂

Ooo Richmond sausages 😉

Suggest a walk afterwards!

 

[miguel81]

Ooo Richmond sausages 😉

Suggest a walk afterwards!

I LOVE Richmond sausages, not available here in Spain but my sister on her twice annual visit brings loads. Unfortunately she can only come here once next year so she bought me double the amount in September which are in the freezer - in twos - and I ration them. Enjoy.

 

[Northerner]

I LOVE Richmond sausages, not available here in Spain but my sister on her twice annual visit brings loads. Unfortunately she can only come here once next year so she bought me double the amount in September which are in the freezer - in twos - and I ration them. Enjoy.

I wonder if it's something to do with ex-pats? My Dad, who lived in Holland for the last 30 years of his life, loved Richmond sausages too! They must be a nostalgic food for a lot of people 🙂

 

[miguel81]

They are. Although the Spanish make lovely sausages, chorizo and corillios especially, there is nothing that goes with mash, peas and onion gravy like Richmond do. A lot of my friends in the UK dismiss them as being too 'pink' but I love their taste.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Richmond sausages are very high carb though. About 9g each. They are OK in sarnies, but personally I like mine with a lot more meat.

 

[SB2015]

Go with the flow and enjoy the company of an old friend.
If they put on sausage sandwiches they will have gone to efforts to recreate your earlier visits.
Just enjoy every mouthful and ask for brown sauce!!! It is one day.