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Italian girl

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Type 2
Newly diagnosed borderline type 2 I'd appreciate any tips to lower levels using diet please!! Glad to be part of this group!!
 
Welcome. I’m 3 months into the journey and still finding my feet. The thing I’ve learned is that everyone is different and what works for one person may not for another. It’s also a lot to get your head round so don’t expect to get on top of things immediately. I was put on metformin and have cut out everything carb wise that is not low GI, skip cards for breakfast most of the time and hit the gym to lose wait and gain muscle as I’ve read that helps your body process the glucose. Seems to be working as my hba1c has dropped from 100 to 52 in 3 months. For you the solution may be totally different but don’t stress you will find it. I also got a lot of support from this forum, a lot more than the docs. There’s good people on here who will help you
 
Thanks Lazydave (Although you dont sound lazy to me!) The first thing I've done is to cut down on carbs and hope I can continue to lower my count this way. I'm not on meds thank goodness! I'm experimenting making cakes and savory buns using ground almonds - so far they are delicious, and these help to overcome feelings of rejection when faced with the normal bread, cakes and biscuits!! Living in rural Italy means the grocery stores and restaurants don't cater for us who have low carb needs so it's a challenge!
 
Ah yes I know that feeling well. Not being catered for is the norm I think, but I can see how it must be especially bad where you are. I’ve got to the stage where I don’t expect there to be much and just order a few starters or sides when I’m out. Very very occasionally I have a small taste of something like a slice of someone’s pizza. I think my taste buds have changed now as anything too sweet isn’t nice. I’ll be interested almond flour recipes if you have any you can share?
 
Most of the dietary recommendations will tend to be using foods readily available in the UK but you will probably have access to many things which are not here or are expensive. There are recipes on the website sugarfreelondoner which has both sweet and savoury low carb dishes.
Many do find substitutes for the high carb foods using edamame or black bean pasta or ribboned courgettes or cauliflower rice in stirfrys or butternut squash. But there is still plenty you can have by basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts with just small portions of any carbs and plenty of veg and salads. Go easy on fruit as some are high carb, berries are the best.
This link may help you both with some ideas for low carb meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
 
I do chicken and fish with vegetables - lots of onion, peas, lettuce, leeks, tomatoes, brocolli, cauliflower, peppers, etc.
Fruit for breakfast with Greek yoghurt.
Salad for lunch, or homemade low carb bread with meat/salad.
Or some home made egg frittata.
Just had a subway salad.

I use Konjac noodles for stir fries and a nice mushroom soup that lasts a few days.

Use fresh ingredients for everything, and have cut out rice, pasta and bread.
 
I buy several swedes when I go shopping and use them instead of potato for mashing. I do them in a pressure cooker to save time and energy, then mash them with butter or cream for dinner, reheat with a couple of eggs mixed in for breakfast, served with bacon - called bubble and squeal here.
I think I prefer it to potato anyway, plus it is far lower in carbs.
 
Drummer said:
I buy several swedes when I go shopping and use them instead of potato for mashing. I do them in a pressure cooker to save time and energy, then mash them with butter or cream for dinner, reheat with a couple of eggs mixed in for breakfast, served with bacon - called bubble and squeal here.
I think I prefer it to potato anyway, plus it is far lower in carbs.
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Thank you Drummer that sounds great but unfortunately I live in the part of Italy that doesn't grow swede, parsnips or turnips and they are not in shops here! Sadly it's the land if pizza, pasta risotto and gelato ... and chips! - I'm doomed! I like the sound of bubble and squeal though!!!
 
Lazydave said:
Ah yes I know that feeling well. Not being catered for is the norm I think, but I can see how it must be especially bad where you are. I’ve got to the stage where I don’t expect there to be much and just order a few starters or sides when I’m out. Very very occasionally I have a small taste of something like a slice of someone’s pizza. I think my taste buds have changed now as anything too sweet isn’t nice. I’ll be interested almond flour recipes if you have any you can share?
Click to expand...
Hi, I just use ground almonds in cakes (I can't get almond flour but ground almonds are just as good) instead of flour, (same weight as in a usual cake recipe) and substitute a sweetener such as stevia for sugar. Really yummy if you add blue berries before baking! I make scones the same way. I really like grated cheese and onion in the mixture which make a nice change from just making sweet scones.
 
Drummer said:
called bubble and squeal here.
Click to expand...

One of the best things about leftover veggies is cooking it up like that! We often cook extra veg to make sure there’s enough!

Interestingly I’m only familiar with it as ‘Bubble and Squeak’

I wonder if that’s a regional thing?
 
Italian girl said:
Thanks Lazydave (Although you dont sound lazy to me!) The first thing I've done is to cut down on carbs and hope I can continue to lower my count this way. I'm not on meds thank goodness! I'm experimenting making cakes and savory buns using ground almonds - so far they are delicious, and these help to overcome feelings of rejection when faced with the normal bread, cakes and biscuits!! Living in rural Italy means the grocery stores and restaurants don't cater for us who have low carb needs so it's a challenge!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have made a strong start @Italian girl !

Great that you’ve found a way of making cakes and savoury buns n a lower carb way - have you got a glucose meter to check your response to smaller portions of regular sources of carbs? You may get some pleasant surprises!

I have no idea whether there will be anything in the DUK ‘mediterranean’ food plan that you could adapt with the groceries available near you?

Mediterranean meal plan

Mediterranean diets have been associated with reduced risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol which are risk factors for heart disease. A Mediterranean style diet can therefore provide a great option for people with diabetes, as it could help reduce the risk of certain diabetes...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

You may need to adapt the suggestions based on your individual tolerance to carbs, or course.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
One of the best things about leftover veggies is cooking it up like that! We often cook extra veg to make sure there’s enough!

Interestingly I’m only familiar with it as ‘Bubble and Squeak’

I wonder if that’s a regional thing?
Click to expand...
It is just a family thing - bubble and squeak is fried up leftover veges, just as usual, but it became bubble and squeal when I was eating low carb and added the mixed in eggs and bacon on the top - I even have an oval double roasting dish ideal for a family sized serving.
 
Have you ever tried frying left over mixed salad? It's delicious! I hate wasting food and so when I had a lot of left over salad I kept it to the next day. It didn't look so appetising so I wacked it in a frying Ian and saute it. It's even more delicious if it already has salad dressing on it!!
 
Italian girl said:
Have you ever tried frying left over mixed salad? It's delicious! I hate wasting food and so when I had a lot of left over salad I kept it to the next day. It didn't look so appetising so I wacked it in a frying Ian and saute it. It's even more delicious if it already has salad dressing on it!!
Click to expand...
I did try lettuce soup once and it was revolting.
 
Drummer said:
It is just a family thing - bubble and squeak is fried up leftover veges, just as usual, but it became bubble and squeal when I was eating low carb and added the mixed in eggs and bacon on the top - I even have an oval double roasting dish ideal for a family sized serving.
Click to expand...

Goes so well with eggs and bacon. 😛
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Goes so well with eggs and bacon. 😛
Click to expand...
I took some to a Christmas party once, hot from the oven, along with sausages and some low carb trifle. I set it out on the table, went back to the car to get my melodeon and chatted to the band leader, got back to the table and was brought the freshly washed up dishes. Nothing left but the faint aroma....
 
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