“NEWBIE”

[AK53]

Hi Everyone ‍♀️

I am seeing my GP tomorrow. He rang me on Thursday to let me no I have diabetes. He said he’s gonna use some tablets to help and not insulin injections.
I think that means a change of lifestyle for life.
I’ve spent the weekend looking and changing to a plant based diet.
But I can’t find just 1 store that sells plant based products in a wide range.
I go to Waitrose, then Tesco, then Asda for my fruit and veggies and alpro - Thank goodness I do this all online.
Just before discovering this website I discovered Amazon do snacks and treats ( and chocolate ) for diabetics
But I was just wondering if there was just One store specifically stoking foods for diabetics or is the shopping around the best there is
If anyone knows of this store could you let me know please.

Thank you
AK ❤️

 

[Inka]

Welcome @AK53 🙂 People with diabetes eat a wide variety of foods so no, there isn’t a store just for people with diabetes. You can just shop at your normal shops🙂

A low fat plant-based diet has been shown to be one way to help diabetes. However, I notice you mention “plant-based products”. Apart from things like tofu, plant milks and the occasional quick meal, a plant-based diet should be based on natural plant foods - ie green veg, other veg, fruit, nuts, seeds, tubers, beans, grains. It should not be based on junk plant-based foods (ie the processed burgers, etc).

Forks Over Knives have lots of plant-based recipes:

Recipes Archives

Are you looking for delicious vegan recipes to satisfy your appetite and cravings? Click here to access tasty and nutritious recipes you can enjoy guilt-free!

www.forksoverknives.com

Along with Plantstrong:

Plant Based Recipes: Easy Whole Food Plant Based Recipes

Discover easy plant-based recipes perfect for any meal, from breakfast to dinner. Our recipes are ideal for beginners and those on a plant-based diet.

plantstrong.com

And NutritionFacts:

Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes

nutritionfacts.org

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

It is no longer permitted to sell and market foods labelled ‘diabetic’ after a long campaign by Diabetes UK. Foods marketed in that way were historically just as bad for people with diabetes as the standard versions. Plus they were usually charged at premium prices!

Diabetes is a complex and varied collection of conditions, with a wide range of appropriate menus and meal choices, including onmivorous, plant-based, pescatarian, and flexi. Some will find more success on a moderate or lower-carb menu, while others will be looking for lower calorie options for weight loss. Still others will simply need a healthy, varied, balanced diet the same as it recommended for everyone - with a few occasional treats.

So a single shop that sells things which are suitable for people with diabetes would essentially need to stock the same foods and choices as a regular supermarket. 🙂

Much better to have a store that stocks everything, and then pick and choose the foods that work for you and your approach to managing your diabetes. Of course there will be things in that store that are no good for you and your diabetes, but just don’t choose them 🙂

 

[Martin.A]

Hi Everyone ‍♀️

I am seeing my GP tomorrow. He rang me on Thursday to let me no I have diabetes. He said he’s gonna use some tablets to help and not insulin injections.
I think that means a change of lifestyle for life.
I’ve spent the weekend looking and changing to a plant based diet.
But I can’t find just 1 store that sells plant based products in a wide range.
I go to Waitrose, then Tesco, then Asda for my fruit and veggies and alpro - Thank goodness I do this all online.
Just before discovering this website I discovered Amazon do snacks and treats ( and chocolate ) for diabetics
But I was just wondering if there was just One store specifically stoking foods for diabetics or is the shopping around the best there is
If anyone knows of this store could you let me know please.

Thank you
AK ❤️

When you see your GP you should ask what your HbA1c is. Being just over the threshold for diabetes (above 47) is not the same as being well over, eg like those of us diagnosed with an HbA1c in 3 figures, and will determine how much you need to do to in terms of lifestyle changes, especially around diet. In the meantime, welcome to the forum.

 

[AK53]

Thank u so much everyone for taking ur time to give me ur advice. It is much appreciated and I will ask my GP about my levels - I never knew there were different levels. I have a lot to learn and I am so glad to able to get the advice from all of u - it has made me feel a lot better and less lonely.
AK ❤️

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank u so much everyone for taking ur time to give me ur advice. It is much appreciated and I will ask my GP about my levels - I never knew there were different levels. I have a lot to learn and I am so glad to able to get the advice from all of u - it has made me feel a lot better and less lonely.
AK ❤️

Although a plant based diet can be helpful for some people unless it is a change you want to make then modifying your existing diet will be as good. All carbohydrates convert to glucose so foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, bread, breakfast cereals as well as obvious cakes, biscuits, fruit juice and sugary drinks.
As mentioned if you are only a short way over the diagnostic threshold then being given the opportunity to make changes and see if they are successful before medication is a good plan as even with meds you would need to do that anyway.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach successful and that is suggested as being no more than 130g carbs per day, it is not NO carbs. Making good choices on what you have and portion size is important.
Have a look at this link for some good information and some meal plans to suit various tastes and budgets. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Foods like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables (most), salads and fruits like berries with small portions of any high carb foods. Many make lower carb substitutions which are just as tasty if not more so.

 

[Drummer]

I just cut out the high carb foods seed oils and low fat options, but eat anything else.
My intake of carbs is restricted to a maximum of 40gm a day. I’d be a bit lost trying to eat an all plant based diet, but I would never try to, as a B.Sc. I know the requirements of most living things, plus my own experiences trying to follow the G.P.s diet sheets means that my diet is firmly in the omnivore camp.

 

[Inka]

Eating a whole food plant based diet isn’t hard, Drummer It provides enough protein and calcium, with only B12 needing supplementing. Of course, many people eat it for reasons other than health too. More than that, it’s possible to eat largely plant-based and add occasional items of your choice.

 

[Drummer]

Eating a whole food plant based diet isn’t hard, Drummer It provides enough protein and calcium, with only B12 needing supplementing. Of course, many people eat it for reasons other than health too. More than that, it’s possible to eat largely plant-based and add occasional items of your choice.

Would I be able to eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day on a plant based diet?
I do eat a wide variety of plant sourced foods, all under 11% carb - I just can't see how to access the protein and fat for body maintenance.

 

[Inka]

Would I be able to eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day on a plant based diet?
I do eat a wide variety of plant sourced foods, all under 11% carb - I just can't see how to access the protein and fat for body maintenance.

Well, yes you could eat any number of carbs on a plant-based diet. However, the plant-based diet might improve your insulin sensitivity and allow you to eat more carbs. I remember that you usually only eat two meals a day. If somebody had a very restricted intake of food for whatever reason, then that might make things a little more tricky, but a healthy plant-based diet can supply more than enough protein. How many people do you know with protein deficiency? Most of us get more than enough protein. Basically, if you’re eating enough calories, you’ll be getting enough protein.

Here’s an article by a plant-based athlete who mentions protein:

Slaying the Protein Myth

An ultra athlete and record breaker busts the protein myth that more is better and that you need animal protein for performance.

www.forksoverknives.com

But there are many similar articles on the internet and information showing that excessive protein isn’t good either.

 

[Lucyr]

Would I be able to eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day on a plant based diet?
I do eat a wide variety of plant sourced foods, all under 11% carb - I just can't see how to access the protein and fat for body maintenance.

You can eat more carbs on a plant based diet, your low carb diet increases insulin resistance but a plant based diet improves insulin sensitivity. I was a vegetarian for 21 years, there’s plenty ways to get enough protein on a plant based diet, there’s lots of options like nuts, seeds, lentils, chickpeas, beans, soy, quinoa, tofu, etc.

 

[Drummer]

I was encouraged to eat healthy carbs for around 45 years, but it made me feel unwell and I was hugely fat, just about spherical.
I don't think I am suited to increased carbs, as following the GP diet printout my blood glucose was up in the high teens for years, as far as I can tell. I am far happier under 8mmol/l as a maximum.

 

[AK53]

Hi Everyone,
U have all been so helpful and supportive that I wanted to give u an update.
My HbA1c = 94 and my levels are Triglyceride = 6.65 - GP gave me tablets beginning with M - it was a lot of info to take in and she was talking really fast.
Now I’m on google trying to find out what this all means
But I was told Sugar is my enemy and to cut it out Immediately!! - She also put me in contact with a dietitian/nutritionist as I have so much to learn about portion sizes especially and hidden sugars and good fats and bad fats - it’s mind blowing

Thank u so much Everyone
It’s so great to be able to get it out of my system and have people to share with.
AK ❤️

 

[Martin.A]

Hi Everyone,
U have all been so helpful and supportive that I wanted to give u an update.
My HbA1c = 94 and my levels are Triglyceride = 6.65 - GP gave me tablets beginning with M - it was a lot of info to take in and she was talking really fast.
Now I’m on google trying to find out what this all means
But I was told Sugar is my enemy and to cut it out Immediately!! - She also put me in contact with a dietitian/nutritionist as I have so much to learn about portion sizes especially and hidden sugars and good fats and bad fats - it’s mind blowing

Thank u so much Everyone
It’s so great to be able to get it out of my system and have people to share with.
AK ❤️

Pleased to see that you seem to have had a productive review with your GP. An HbA1c of 94 is pretty high but as I said before, some of us were diagnosed in 3 figures but have still managed to bring it down, in some cases back into normal range. Your triglyceride number is pretty high, too - below 2.3 is the recommended non-fasting level, below 1.7 fasting. Some good information here:-

Understanding your blood fats: cholesterol and triglycerides | CVD

www.myhealthlondon.nhs.uk

My guess is you've been prescribed Metformin. Also, good to see you've been put in contact with a dietician/nutritionist - that doesn't always happen.

Please be ware that it's more about carbohydrates in general than just sugar and your GP should know that, but it is a good idea to cut out the usual sweet stuff like cakes, biscuits, desserts etc and also cut out or reduce starchy carbs like pasta, rice, potatoes and bread. Time to start taking note of the nutrition panels on food packaging as you start out on your diabetes journey.

 

[AK53]

Yes ur right - time to start understanding what those nutrition panels mean
Thank goodness Uni is on a summer break - it gives me time to study me ( for a change ) - I’m a mature student ( that was me believing I put myself first for once - but no it’s actually only the beginning )
AK❤️

 

[Drummer]

Hi Everyone,
U have all been so helpful and supportive that I wanted to give u an update.
My HbA1c = 94 and my levels are Triglyceride = 6.65 - GP gave me tablets beginning with M - it was a lot of info to take in and she was talking really fast.
Now I’m on google trying to find out what this all means
But I was told Sugar is my enemy and to cut it out Immediately!! - She also put me in contact with a dietitian/nutritionist as I have so much to learn about portion sizes especially and hidden sugars and good fats and bad fats - it’s mind blowing

Thank u so much Everyone
It’s so great to be able to get it out of my system and have people to share with.
AK ❤️

My HbA1c was 91 at diagnosis and 41 when tested 6 months later - but my nickname back in the day was 'No Fear' so I cut carbs to no more than 50 gm a day after a 3 day no carb turnaround.
The tablets are most likely Metformin - I advise that you do not plan any outings in the near future. You might have no trouble at all but I found dealing with explosive faecal incontinence got old very quickly.
Sugar is not the problem - it is carbs which have to be dealt with, starch and sugar from all sources become sugars in the blood.
Your dietician might regard unsaturated fat as benign - saturated fats as just about demonic. I have been able to go out in the sun without sunscreen in the last few years, after cutting out seed oils. I used to need factor 50.
To be safe, evaluating carb intake and then reducing it gradually is the safer option. Cutting out the high carb foods made a big difference to how I felt.

 

[AK53]

I think ur right
As I don’t eat sugary snacks - it takes me a whole year to eat 1 packet of biscuits - just not my thing ‍♀️ but I can devour a jacket potato in the blink of an eye (skin included) I eat a lot of whole meal and rye bread about 6 slices per day and brown rice ( when I’ve got no potatoes) I don’t eat pasta ( it doesn’t fill me up for long enough) I don’t eat cakes at all so for my desserts I would have either had a bar of chocolate ( with nuts ) or pre cut mango and blueberries - a typical evening meal - which I have for lunch ( coz I don’t want a heavy tummy at night ) consists of courgettes, sweet red peppers, garlic ( loads ) meat ( chicken breast or 5% fat mince beef ) with a jacket potato or rice and lentils
So it has to be those hidden sugars which I never knew about - all this time I thought the humble potato ( especially being jacketed ) was the healthier choice ‍♀️

 

[Leadinglights]

I think ur right
As I don’t eat sugary snacks - it takes me a whole year to eat 1 packet of biscuits - just not my thing ‍♀️ but I can devour a jacket potato in the blink of an eye (skin included) I eat a lot of whole meal and rye bread about 6 slices per day and brown rice ( when I’ve got no potatoes) I don’t eat pasta ( it doesn’t fill me up for long enough) I don’t eat cakes at all so for my desserts I would have either had a bar of chocolate ( with nuts ) or pre cut mango and blueberries - a typical evening meal - which I have for lunch ( coz I don’t want a heavy tummy at night ) consists of courgettes, sweet red peppers, garlic ( loads ) meat ( chicken breast or 5% fat mince beef ) with a jacket potato or rice and lentils
So it has to be those hidden sugars which I never knew about - all this time I thought the humble potato ( especially being jacketed ) was the healthier choice ‍♀️

Yes, definitely many of those foods are high carb and will do you no favours, but any meat, fish, eggs, cheese with lots of veg or salads are fine, just restrict the potatoes, rice, bread to maybe a very small portion of find lower carb substitutes.

 

[Inka]

Drummer did what worked for her @AK53 but there are other diets, including the whole food plant-based diet which is not the same as the GP diet. The cause of Type 2 has been suggested to be fat, in particular animal fat. Vegans have a significantly lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, as do vegetarians.

A broad church - low carb is not the only way

Just a gentle reminder to members that our forum is supposed to be a friendly and supportive place, which encourages members to find their own way through the available options to find a diabetes management approach that meets their ambitions, and is appealing and sustainable for them. While...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

I Lost 53 lbs & Reversed My Type 2 Diabetes With a Plant-Based Lifestyle! - Center for Nutrition Studies

I reversed my type 2 diabetes and I am now living an active lifestyle. No more checking blood glucose and no more taking medication!

nutritionstudies.org

How I Reversed Type 2 Diabetes, Dropped More than 100 Pounds

At size 48, Howard had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and fatigue. Then he went plant-based. Read his story.

www.forksoverknives.com

 

[Inka]

@AK53 You should choose the diet that suits you as an individual. Take a look and make your choice. Members here eat a wide variety of diets.