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Food
- Thread starter seastar44
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Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
How high @seastar44 ? And do you test your own blood sugar at home? That’s a good way to see what foods work for you.
Full fat plain Greek yoghurt plus seeds, nuts and/or a few berries is good and low carb for breakfast. Eggs plus tomatoes and mushrooms is good too.
If you list an average day’s food for you currently, you’ll get suggestions for swaps and improvements.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum, you will get lots of suggestions some of which may suit you but a bit more information would help people make appropriate comments. What was your HbA1C that has given you your diagnosis as that will indicate how much work you need to do and have you been prescribed any medication, do you have weight to lose.
This link may help you find some ideas for the meals you mention as well as some good explanation and some do's and don'ts.
lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
This link may help you find some ideas for the meals you mention as well as some good explanation and some do's and don'ts.
Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home
lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
Spathiphyllum
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
As Michael Pollan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pollan ) famously said:
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Hi the 3month one is down to 70 but doctor wants it down to 50 or less if says the same they talking about insulin injections that's why I need a diet and more exercise .I do check my sugar at home not all the time I did this morning and it was 12.8 so any advice would be well come thanks again seastar44
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I reduced my HbA1C from 50mmol/mol to 36 mmol/mol by following the principals in the link I posted. There are many oral medications that are usually tried before insulin and unfortunately some doctors use it as a treat rather than giving sensible dietary advice.
If you would like to post some examples of typical meals then people may spot some foods which may be an issue.
If you would like to post some examples of typical meals then people may spot some foods which may be an issue.
I know I eat to much bread for. Breakfast I have 3 weekabix with strawberrys and toast lunch a bacon sandwich dinner roast potatoes pork loin and greens and some times corn beef egg and chips I know I'm eating the wrong things but being a oap l have to watch the pennies any advice I will take on board thanks seastar44
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I think that is why you are not making much progress, far too much carbohydrate. breakfast cereal, bread, potatoes are all high carb foods. There are substitutes for potatoes which are no more expensive, swede, butternut squash, celeriac.
Many people have full fat Greek yoghurt with berries for breakfast, and have 1 slice of bread rather than 2 for a sandwich.
By adding lots of veg to meat dishes can make for cheap meals.
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Ah, well looking on the bright side, that explains your higher sugars. It also means you should be able to improve them 🙂
I know food is expensive at the moment, but if you choose carefully, I’d hope you can get some less carby meals. For breakfast, Greek yoghurt plus seeds, nuts and a few berries is good, or a couple of eggs plus tomatoes and mushrooms. Drop the bread at lunch. If you feel you need something to replace it, try a low carb bread or a couple of Ryvita or similar.
Roast is ok, but drop the potatoes (or have one little one) and fill up on extra veg. Same goes with pasta and rice, drop or reduce it, or find a lower carb alternative eg courgetti or cauliflower rice.
Spathiphyllum
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Returning to Seastar44's question:
Seastar, it sounds like what your doctor was telling you is that you need to lose weight.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess fat in your abdomen, in and around your liver and pancreas. Sometimes people can develop excess abdominal fat even when they're not fat all over-- but Type 2 diabetes is far more common when people are overweight or obese, as officially defined in terms of BMI (body mass index). A BMI over 25 means you are overweight, and a BMI over 30 means you are obese.
You haven't said what your BMI is; or what your weight and height are, which would allow us to calculate your BMI.
But-- over two-thirds of all adults in the UK are now overweight or obese, so the odds are that you are too. Even if you are not officially overweight-- if your BMI is, say, 23-- losing weight is likely to improve your blood sugars.
So, back to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants":
What Michael Pollan meant by "Eat food" was 'Eat real food, not ultra-processed food'. From what you've said about what you eat, you're not doing too badly on this point.
"Not too much": You don't tell us the amount you're eating, so we can't tell whether you're eating too much.
"Mostly plants": You do tell us the kinds of food you're eating-- and it looks like you're not eating anywhere near enough vegetables.
If you ate more vegetables and less of other things-- less meat, and less bread and potatoes and so on-- you would be much healthier in all sorts of ways. Amongst other things, you would lose weight: you would be eating food that was far less fattening, but you would still feel fuller for longer.
And if you ate more vegetables, you would probably save money!! Many vegetables are a lot cheaper than bread or bacon or eggs.
Finally, you say you know you need more exercise, which is good! Exercise is excellent in all sorts of ways, including helping you to lose the excess abdominal fat and helping to lower your blood sugars.
You should ask your GP practice whether you can make an appointment with someone to help you put together a diet and exercise plan. We on this forum can help with lots of things-- but we're no substitute for talking things through with your GP or practice nurse. All best wishes!
Seastar, it sounds like what your doctor was telling you is that you need to lose weight.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess fat in your abdomen, in and around your liver and pancreas. Sometimes people can develop excess abdominal fat even when they're not fat all over-- but Type 2 diabetes is far more common when people are overweight or obese, as officially defined in terms of BMI (body mass index). A BMI over 25 means you are overweight, and a BMI over 30 means you are obese.
You haven't said what your BMI is; or what your weight and height are, which would allow us to calculate your BMI.
But-- over two-thirds of all adults in the UK are now overweight or obese, so the odds are that you are too. Even if you are not officially overweight-- if your BMI is, say, 23-- losing weight is likely to improve your blood sugars.
So, back to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants":
What Michael Pollan meant by "Eat food" was 'Eat real food, not ultra-processed food'. From what you've said about what you eat, you're not doing too badly on this point.
"Not too much": You don't tell us the amount you're eating, so we can't tell whether you're eating too much.
"Mostly plants": You do tell us the kinds of food you're eating-- and it looks like you're not eating anywhere near enough vegetables.
If you ate more vegetables and less of other things-- less meat, and less bread and potatoes and so on-- you would be much healthier in all sorts of ways. Amongst other things, you would lose weight: you would be eating food that was far less fattening, but you would still feel fuller for longer.
And if you ate more vegetables, you would probably save money!! Many vegetables are a lot cheaper than bread or bacon or eggs.
Finally, you say you know you need more exercise, which is good! Exercise is excellent in all sorts of ways, including helping you to lose the excess abdominal fat and helping to lower your blood sugars.
You should ask your GP practice whether you can make an appointment with someone to help you put together a diet and exercise plan. We on this forum can help with lots of things-- but we're no substitute for talking things through with your GP or practice nurse. All best wishes!
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @seastar44
Hope you find a way to make some adjustments to your menu to gradually reduce your blood glucose levels. As others have said, cutting back on your total carbohydrate intake (not just ‘of which sugars’), can be a very effective way of doing that.
Maybe have a look at some of the Diabetes UK meal plans for ideas - there’s a low carb plan if that appeals, but also others which focus on other things, including budget-friendly options.
Meal plans and diabetes
Eating nutritious, healthy and downright delicious food is that bit easier with our meal planners. We've created multiple different weekly meal plans to suit all types and tastes. They're nutritionally balanced, are calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight. They also...
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