@Inka Thank you very much. I submitted an additional request to the surgery and marked it urgent. Have just been on the phone to a lovely nurse. Seems to be the steroids which are the problem, plus the covid. So we're trying halving the steroids and some gentle walking to try and reduce the blood sugars. I'm on metformin and aloglyptin plus a whole host of mental health meds and asthma so the balance has gone out of the window for the moment, hence why I'm feeling so rubbish. I'll keep monitoring the situation overnight and get back in touch if it's no better tomorrow.
I didn't understand why the nurse recommended a jacket potato and cheese for dinner. Surely that's lots of carbs? However, I'll give it a go and see what happens.
If you are okay with eating eggs I would recommend them.
They are a great food and have very low carbs and are nutritionally dense and there are so many ways to cook and eat them. They are also easy to eat if you are feeling poorly. You can just eat hard boiled eggs if the fancy takes you and they are not very high calorie either. Pretty good as something to eat as a 'holding pattern' until you feel better.
Frozen berries are good - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries - a handful of those thawed or you can microwave them and have some sweetener with them.
Almond milk - unsweetened - widely available in supermarkets I get mine from tesco and use Alpro brand.
You can also buy ground almonds and use that to thicken stuff or to make mug cakes. The stuff I have listed below feel like treats but they are quite good nutritionally having plenty of the nutrients beneficial to health without being carb heavy. The fats are important in order to keep the calories at a level so you get the fuel you need. Plenty of water or decaf tea/coffee is important when keeping carbs low and if you are ill you need to keep well hydrated.
This is a cut and paste of a comment I made to a friend on Facebook who wanted quick and easy help with food to enjoy but not spike her sugars:
The quickest easiest snacks to keep bloods low and make you feel you've had a real treat:
Buy Tesco Extra Thick Cream or Double Cream (1.6g carb per 100ml )
Buy Dr Oetkers Fine Dark Cocoa Powder (8.9g carb per 100g)
Buy Pure Via 100% Erythritol Nature Sweet 250G (0 digestible carbs and 0 calories)
Tesco Madagascan Vanilla Extract 60Ml (it is high in sugar but you only use drops so it is ok - remember to shake it before using it and use a dropper if you have one)
Tesco Virgin Organic Coconut Oil 300Ml
Organic cocoa butter drops - fewer than 0.1g carb per 100g
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Launch-Organic.../dp/B084QCL4GW
Tesco ground almonds.
Eggs
Frozen berries - whichever you like best.
Baking powder.
Blonde psyllium husk -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BZSRRJY/
With this list you have everything you need to make zero carb chocolate mousse, actual chocolate to coat things with like the berries so you can have chocolate coated strawberries if you want them, chocolate cake/mug cake and if you buy cranberries you can make jam with them and the erythritol as well.
Chocolate mousse/dessert.
Mix a teaspoon or less of the cocoa powder with some double cream/extra thick cream and add some erythritol to taste. You only need an egg cup full of this and you can make it in moments when you need a hit of chocolate that tastes and feels incredibly decadent. You can add a drop or two of vanilla extract for extra oomph and if you really want to push the boat out you can whip some double cream up with a fork (exercise which also lowers blood sugars) and put it on the top to make it like the expensive and high carb/calorie chocolate desserts they sell in the chill cabinet. Sometimes I bung a walnut half on top.
Chocolate mug cake.
A soup spoon or dessert spoon full of almond flour
teaspoon of psyllium husk
half teaspoon of baking powder
two teaspoons of erythritol
couple drops of vanilla
a teaspoon of double cream/extra thick cream
A beaten egg
teaspoon of cocoa powder
Mix it all in a microwaveable mug/cup/small bowl
Microwave on full power for 90 seconds (800 - 900W) reduce or add a few seconds depending on your microwaves power.
It is done when you can touch it on the top and it feels like a cake and isn't sticky. Let it cool and either tip it out or eat it from the mug. You can put some more double cream on top if you like.
Berry Jam.
Melt some berries (a handful) in a microwaveable container in the microwave on full power. If you have cranberries use some of these as they make the jam gel naturally. If you don't you can use a small amount of gelatine sprinkled in (or you can use chia seeds - just chuck a teaspoon in - it makes it look like there are seeds - which is because there are! LOLS) add erythritol to taste and stir in until it melts - again you can add some vanilla if you feel it needs it.
Hard chocolate.
Melt some cocoa butter drops (about ten or fifteen) in a microwaveable bowl.
Stir in some erythritol until it dissolves.
Add some cocoa powder (maybe a teaspoon full)
pour it into a silicone container
Stick it in the fridge and when it cools you have chocolate you can use as chocolate chips in another mug cake or with whipped cream or your chocolate dessert.
