Help!

[Chi11y]

Hi all thanks for all your support when I joined! like most new diabetics I am sure I am not the only one struggling with their diet!!

Can someone clarify some do's and dont's?

Is wholemeal bread ok or do I need to buy wholegrain?
How do people cook a sauce for pasta I used to use passata but nurse said some varieties are full of sugar??
I know I am not to eat bananas or grapes, am eating strawberry, raspberry and fresh pineapple are these ok?
Also I am finding I am raiding the crisp vending machines at work is this ok or should it be avoided?

Sorry for the download of required information!!!

 

[Mark T]

...Also I am finding I am raiding the crisp vending machines at work is this ok or should it be avoided?...

That was always my failing - yes you want to avoid that! Crisps are generally empty carbs (because they have no other useful nutrition) in any case.

 

[Copepod]

Best advice is to compare nutritional information on labels or websites.
Many people find it helpful to carry a small book, such as a Collins Gem Calorie Counter Guide.
Generally, berries are low in sugar, compared to other fruits.

 

[Klocky]

Hi all thanks for all your support when I joined! like most new diabetics I am sure I am not the only one struggling with their diet!!

Can someone clarify some do's and dont's?

Is wholemeal bread ok or do I need to buy wholegrain?
How do people cook a sauce for pasta I used to use passata but nurse said some varieties are full of sugar??
I know I am not to eat bananas or grapes, am eating strawberry, raspberry and fresh pineapple are these ok?
Also I am finding I am raiding the crisp vending machines at work is this ok or should it be avoided?

Sorry for the download of required information!!!

Are you testing your blood sugar levels to see how foods affect you? For instance, I can't cope with bread at all of any variety but I know others can, so testing is the only way to find out.

Re bananas and grapes, I was told that could eat a small handful of grapes and with bananas, it depends on how ripe it is - the firmer the better apparently (no rude comments please!).

Finally, it would be well worth checking whether they do any courses in your area for diabetics, where I live they run a course called Juggle which gives you loads of extremely helpful info on diet and nutrition - I know they are called other things elsewhere but unfortunately I cant at the moment remember any of them - worth asking at your surgery if they run something similar locally.

Good luck

 

[Northerner]

Wholegrain is much better than wholemeal as the seeds/bits slow the digestion. Some wholemeal bread is not much better than white bread (which is actually worse than eating pure sugar! 😱) I'd recommend trying some Burgen soya and linseed bread - really lovely and good for your levels (usually, some people cannot tolerate bread of any kind).

With the passata, check the labels and get the lowest sugar ones. Grapes are definitely a no-no, bananas are OK if they are not too ripe - the riper/blacker they are, the faster they will hit your levels! I believe strawberries and raspberries are the lowest GI/carbs and fine as long as you don't eat them by the punnet-load 😉

I used to love crisps, but stopped eating them soon after diagnosis because of the carb content and (in my case) needing to inject insulin for them. Surprisingly, I completely lost the taste for them and even ended up throwing some away because they went past their best before date before I had any desire to eat them! Instead, I now have nuts if I want a nibble - they contain 'good' fats and fewer carbs.

 

[Natalie123]

Hi! I was told that British fruits are generally the lowest GI, personally I find grapes ok in small quantities or after a meal but bananas don't work well for me - everyone is different it seems! The only way you can tell is to test before and after meals to see what happens. Seeded bread is better than wholemeal. Try not to eat too many crisps, but the odd treat wont hurt. As for pasta sauce, I use tinned tomatoes and lots of fresh veg: garlic, mushrooms, aubergine, courgette, pepper, onion ... fried in a tiny bit of oil, add the tomatoes, a bit of puree, balsamic vinegar and some fresh basil at the end (you can add any herbs you like, oragano is nice too, if you use dried herbs add just before the tomatoes). Probably less sugar than passata and lots of veg will give you rather a lot of your 5 a day