Daily intake of food types....

[HelenHanfe]

Been AWOL for a bit, in a funk...but I'm making progress...

Wanted to ask people their advice on the following :

Up early doors (before 5.00) & go for a walk/jog for an hour, with water
Breakfast - usually Pink Total with some nuts or spoonfull of nut based muesli
Mid morning - carrot/celery sticks and nuts
Lunch - usually low fat cottage cheese with pineapple, on a green salad. Or homemade vegetable soup, with oat cakes. An apple & a yoghurt.
Afternoon - almonds / more veg sticks or half an apple
Evening - usually quorn / salad (or vice versa, with the lunch soup)
Milk in the evening, to wash down the Metformin 🙂

Drink plenty of water during the day and am trying to exercise in the evening, as well, even if it's only out walking... Pretty much the same every day, but it suits me to do that....

Do you think this is OK ? I don't eat when I get up, before I go out, as it's too early. Do you think I'm getting enough of what I need, from the various food groups ?? Don't eat meat / fish / poultry...hence the quorn....completely given up bread/pasta,rice, etc. I take a multi vitamin with iron - since before diagnosis, due to limited veggie diet.

Would appreciate hearing what people might think about the above.

Thanks/HelenHanfe.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Helen, good to hear from you again 🙂 I'm not really qualified to comment on diet (not at all qualified, in fact!) - have you thought about asking your GP to refer you to a dietician to make sure you are getting all you need? Could be a double-edged sword, as some dieticians are clueless about diabetes, and some unwilling to stray from conventional wisdoms and guidelines, but if you get a good one then it would probably help a lot 🙂 How do you feel - do you feel fit and healthy? Any problems, such as prone to infections etc.? Are you getting enough calories?

 

[HelenHanfe]

Hi Northerner 🙂. I am in touch with a dietician - but to be fair, she uses the current NHS blurb, which doesn't work for me.... I'm using the new WeightWatchers plan, which is much more suitable to diabetes...but my concern was really about 'energy'....is what I'm eating, food group wise, suitable for getting the right energy, now I'm out exercising / jogging ?? I've upped my protein, I'm eating good fruit and veg....that I can work out, having almost nil carbs....so is this good enough for me to keep / up my jogging, etc. ??
I feel OK...it's hard work, but I'm going in the right direction...but I want to do more.. I have much better control over my BS...due for my annual review, etc. in a couple of months... Not getting any infections...and I'm controlling the calories, via the WW plan....
I've never really done much exercise - have found out how much I enjoy it..but people talk about getting energy from carbs / carb loading, etc. to 'go the distance'...and I'm short in that department, obviously !

 

[Northerner]

I've never really done much exercise - have found out how much I enjoy it..but people talk about getting energy from carbs / carb loading, etc. to 'go the distance'...and I'm short in that department, obviously !

Well, all this carb loading lark is fine if you don't have diabetes, but as you suggest - not great for us! You may find that, as you progress with your exercise, you may benefit from the occasional 'boost', but I think for most people it's a bit of a myth that you need to have loads of carbs. I've been a runner for over 30 years and until I was diagnosed I hardly ever used to eat anything before going out for a run - even long runs of 20 miles or more - and I coped fine. I still do, it's just that I have a slice of toast an hour or so before a run, 12g of carbs so not really 'loading'! The rest of the time I just eat normally. I think it's really only when you have little in the way of alternative sources of energy, body fat for example, and doing a lot of exercise, that you might experience problems. I have run half marathons fuelled by no more than three jelly babies! 🙂

Just keep an eye on your blood sugar levels and be guided by how you feel energywise would be my advice, as long as you are getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need 🙂

 

[Lilian]

I am thinking are you eating enough fat. The body can use two kinds of fuel - carbohydrates or fat. If you have lowered your carbohydrates without increasing the good fat (not synthetic rubbish) your body is not getting sufficient fuel. If you have lowered your carbohydrates sufficiently your body should turn to fat burning within a few days, and you need to give your body energy and good fats is the best way, because you do not need so much insulin and they do not raise your BG by much. So you should be looking more at eggs, cheese, full fat yoghurt, (can you get full fat cottage cheese), streaky bacon, chicken with it's skin, fat on the ham or other meat if liked. Butter and cream. In fact you want to keep away from anything marked low fat because it usually has more sugar in it. Weight Watchers I think is a low fat diet. One thing about fat in the diet is it makes you less hungry than on a low calorie / low fat diet. As you are fat burning instead of carbohydrate burning if your body feels it needs some food it takes it more easily from your stored fat. If carbohydrate burning then you have to be starving hungry before any fat is released from your body but fat burning and it is released as soon as it is needed. A bit like water retention. The best thing for that is to drink more water.

 

[Robin]

I assume if you've got stores of body fat, your system will metabolise these to use for energy, once it is adapted. If you need more calories in your diet, I find good sources of vegetarian fats are nuts, seeds, ( I eat omega seed mix from Grape Tree, sprinkled on cereal or porridge) nut butters, and avocados.

 

[KookyCat]

Hi HelenHanfe
My only comment would be it seems to be both low carb and low fat, which makes me wonder if you're getting enough calories. The energy for exercise can come from any food you eat including fat. It will snatch carbs first because they're easy quick energy, but if pushed will use anything you give it. Plus omega fatty acids are good for cardiovascular health amongst other things, so maybe add in some avocado, olives, olive oil or walnuts. Personally I'd ditch the sweet fruit and have olives and avocado instead, same mineral and vitamin profile as most sweet fruits but full of lovely omegas. Course if you like sweet fruit it's not an either or situation, you can have both. I think your diet looks pretty darn good, very similar to mine actually (so I'm bound to say that) but I have have more beans (not the baked kind), chickpeas, pulses etc and olives and avocado in my salad, plus flaxseed and walnuts for the essential fatty acids, also eggs but that's for B12 because I struggle to absorb it! Glad you're enjoying the exercise, and hope you continue to have good control 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

Hi Helen, welcome back!

I can't see to much of a problem with what you are eating, what does your meter tell you?

The only comments I would make would be to ditch the low fat for regular & also pineapple is very high in carbs, replace with berries?

 

[HelenHanfe]

I'm happy with what I'm doing and I'm getting on OK with the readings. Just the exercise thing is new to me and I wondered if what I was eating was sufficient enough. I mean, if I'm eating next to no carbs, having upped the protein, is that a good thing ?

Comments appreciated - regarding ditch low fat for regular....is that from a BS readings point of view or do you mean I would benefit more in regard to energy ?

 

[Robin]

I'm happy with what I'm doing and I'm getting on OK with the readings. Just the exercise thing is new to me and I wondered if what I was eating was sufficient enough. I mean, if I'm eating next to no carbs, having upped the protein, is that a good thing ?

Comments appreciated - regarding ditch low fat for regular....is that from a BS readings point of view or do you mean I would benefit more in regard to energy ?

I think you might find low carb/low fat unsustainable, and it's better to introduce some good fats so you don't feel hungry, than suddenly find your body is craving a quick fix, and end up binging on carbs.

 

[Martin Canty]

, if I'm eating next to no carbs, having upped the protein, is that a good thing ?

When you become keto adapted the body becomes more efficient at using fat for energy.... Many of use function extremely well & have great results on LCHF.

As for energy, as a volunteer first responder (and Search & Rescue team member) and diabetic I find reassurance in the fact that I have about 70,000 kcal reserves of energy contained in my body fat which I can utilize quite freely rather than having to worry about getting enough carbs. Also my trail snacks tend to be more nuts rather than the so called protein "energy bars" that I used to carry.... Much better for BG control as I don't get the spikes on nuts.