Hubby Type 2

[HennyP]

Hello all,

I hope you all staying safe and managing to sustain yourselves in theses crazy time.

My hubby has recently (Yesterday) been diagnosed with Type two. I was brought up with a Cholesterol and diabetic catastrophe cooking world (cordon bleu) . So I’m looming to learn and discover cooking at is healthy and not a cholesterol diabetic nightmare. Any thoughts/advice on food combining diabetes and cholesterol would be amazing. Take care Heeny

 

[Drummer]

Probably not worth worrying about cholesterol, but if your husband is an ordinary type two then reducing carbs is the way to go, grain of any sort, potatoes, sugary foods, even tropical fruits will push up the blood glucose levels.
Meat, fish and seafood, eggs and cheese are good, Greek yoghurt is a common item on the menu, cream in coffee or with berries for dessert. Avoid seed oils and use butter, fats from the meat, and have low carb veges and salad.

 

[HennyP]

Morning Drummer, thank you for that. Carbs are our pitfall. We have already swooped to whole-wheat and whole grain. I’ll look at low carb veg etc. many thanks and stay safe

 

[Drummer]

I'm afraid that whole wheat/grain is not that much of a reduction in carb content - unless you don't like it and that makes you eat less.

 

[Docb]

Hi @HennyP and welcome to the forum. My first question usually asks what was the HbA1c reading that led to the diagnosis. The reason I enquire about it is that it gives you some idea of the hill that has to be climbed and so give an idea of the magnitude of the changes that need to be made in diet to get things back under control. So, do you know what his HbA1c was? If not it is a good idea to get it from your GP surgery.

By way of background, a HbA1c of over 48 will get you a diagnosis. If it is just a bit over, then getting it down by some small changes in diet like you have started with might suffice. If it is well over (current forum record is around 150 with many over 80) then a bit more thought has to be given if you are going to use diet as the big stick in getting things back under control. In that case, all that stuff you have been told about what constitutes a healthy diet needs to be parked and your focus has to be put on reducing carbohydrate intake. It does not matter if it is cane or fruit sugar, refined or unrefined or starch, brown or white, it is all carbohydrate and as such will influence blood glucose levels. Many on here have successfully used a low carb route as you will find if you read around the forum.

 

[HennyP]

The

Hi @HennyP and welcome to the forum. My first question usually asks what was the HbA1c reading that led to the diagnosis. The reason I enquire about it is that it gives you some idea of the hill that has to be climbed and so give an idea of the magnitude of the changes that need to be made in diet to get things back under control. So, do you know what his HbA1c was? If not it is a good idea to get it from your GP surgery.

By way of background, a HbA1c of over 48 will get you a diagnosis. If it is just a bit over, then getting it down by some small changes in diet like you have started with might suffice. If it is well over (current forum record is around 150 with many over 80) then a bit more thought has to be given if you are going to use diet as the big stick in getting things back under control. In that case, all that stuff you have been told about what constitutes a healthy diet needs to be parked and your focus has to be put on reducing carbohydrate intake. It does not matter if it is cane or fruit sugar, refined or unrefined or starch, brown or white, it is all carbohydrate and as such will influence blood glucose levels. Many on here have successfully used a low carb route as you will find if you read around the forum.

 

[HennyP]

afternoon Docb. Thank for that.
The number he was given was 79.
As carbs constitute a large part of our diet it will be a big change for us both. (My Italian roots for pasta particularly). Though having worked in the food world I’m always up for a challenge.
stay safe
HennyP

 

[Sharron1]

afternoon Docb. Thank for that.
The number he was given was 79.
As carbs constitute a large part of our diet it will be a big change for us both. (My Italian roots for pasta particularly). Though having worked in the food world I’m always up for a challenge.
stay safe
HennyP

Hi and welcome. My first Hba1c was 74 which with all the low carb advice recieved from others on this forum, I was able to reduce it to non- diabetic levels. As for pasta, i eat a pasta substitute (zero carbs) it needs a sauce.

 

[rebrascora]

I think quite a few of us were carb monsters pre diagnosis, but now that I follow a low carb, higher fat way of eating, I really don't miss or crave them. I ate mostly wholemeal and wholegrain to start with so it was obvious that portion reduction was the only option. For me, using a Blood Glucose meter helped to motivate me to reduce carbs because I could see meal by meal what they were doing to my levels. The first few weeks were difficult but once you cut right back on carbs and eat more fat, you don't feel hungry any more and don't crave the carbs and I now eat far less that I ever did before but don't feel deprived.
I start my day with coffee with double cream in it and this morning I had a 2 course breakfast (Creamy natural Greek yoghurt with mixed seeds and raspberries followed by fried mushrooms, halloumi and an egg with a large salad and a big dollop of cheese coleslaw) and then I don't eat again until this evening. I think we may be having roast chicken and veg tonight or it may be sea bass pan fried in butter with broccoli and a couple of small pieces of sweet potato. The key to going low carb is to increase your fat intake. Interestingly many of us find that our cholesterol has reduced despite eating significantly more fat. Can only assume it has something to do with cutting the carbs and perhaps also getting more exercise. Feel fitter and healthier than I have in 20 years and I am now feel in control of my diet whereas before I was always hungry and craving more. I still find it hard to believe how easy it is not to eat bread or pasta and refuse cake and biscuits and not want to eat a whole packet of sweets or a whole bar of chocolate. I have the odd square of dark (70+%) chocolate as a treat every other day and I eat 3 jelly babies if I have a hypo but I consider them like medication now rather than sweets and would prefer a piece of dried fruit given the choice.

 

[HennyP]

Hi and welcome. My first Hba1c was 74 which with all the low carb advice recieved from others on this forum, I was able to reduce it to non- diabetic levels. As for pasta, i eat a pasta substitute (zero carbs) it needs a sauce.

Hi Sharron, that’s fantastic about getting levels back down. If I can ask, how long did it take to get the those levels?
stay safe HennyP

 

[HennyP]

I think quite a few of us were carb monsters pre diagnosis, but now that I follow a low carb, higher fat way of eating, I really don't miss or crave them. I ate mostly wholemeal and wholegrain to start with so it was obvious that portion reduction was the only option. For me, using a Blood Glucose meter helped to motivate me to reduce carbs because I could see meal by meal what they were doing to my levels. The first few weeks were difficult but once you cut right back on carbs and eat more fat, you don't feel hungry any more and don't crave the carbs and I now eat far less that I ever did before but don't feel deprived.
I start my day with coffee with double cream in it and this morning I had a 2 course breakfast (Creamy natural Greek yoghurt with mixed seeds and raspberries followed by fried mushrooms, halloumi and an egg with a large salad and a big dollop of cheese coleslaw) and then I don't eat again until this evening. I think we may be having roast chicken and veg tonight or it may be sea bass pan fried in butter with broccoli and a couple of small pieces of sweet potato. The key to going low carb is to increase your fat intake. Interestingly many of us find that our cholesterol has reduced despite eating significantly more fat. Can only assume it has something to do with cutting the carbs and perhaps also getting more exercise. Feel fitter and healthier than I have in 20 years and I am now feel in control of my diet whereas before I was always hungry and craving more. I still find it hard to believe how easy it is not to eat bread or pasta and refuse cake and biscuits and not want to eat a whole packet of sweets or a whole bar of chocolate. I have the odd square of dark (70+%) chocolate as a treat every other day and I eat 3 jelly babies if I have a hypo but I consider them like medication now rather than sweets and would prefer a piece of dried fruit given the choice.

Wow! It would be fab not to crave carbs Thanks you for that Stay safe HennyP

 

[Drummer]

Make sure that sweet potato doesn't cause spikes - it is actually higher in carbs than ordinary.

 

[rebrascora]

Make sure that sweet potato doesn't cause spikes - it is actually higher in carbs than ordinary.

I just have a small portion and inject insulin to cover it, otherwise yes it would spike my levels. I appreciate it may be misleading to mention sweet potatoes to a type 2 but many type2 diabetics do get away with a small portion of potatoes or sweet potatoes occasionally or a small portion of rice or pasta. Not everyone needs to go as low carb as yourself, but you make a valid point, that sweet potatoes are carb rich and need to be tested to find the appropriate portion size that the individual can tolerate.

 

[emmgeo]

Hi

I was diagnosed diabetic after an illness (probably better to look back through my old post than me explain) anyway to cut a long story short, I bought a book called carbs and calories counter and my wife measured out and cooked my meals weighing everything like in the book.
I got myself a pushbike and cut out most carbs and managed to loose six stones in a year, I was about 20 stones before loosing weight.
I have not got a lot of will power and if it wasn't for my wife keeping my eating under control (even though it was her great cooking that got me big in the first place lol) I would have not lost so much weight.
So change your husbands diet a bit a little exercise and he will be fine, if I can do it anyone can.

 

[Drummer]

I just have a small portion and inject insulin to cover it, otherwise yes it would spike my levels. I appreciate it may be misleading to mention sweet potatoes to a type 2 but many type2 diabetics do get away with a small portion of potatoes or sweet potatoes occasionally or a small portion of rice or pasta. Not everyone needs to go as low carb as yourself, but you make a valid point, that sweet potatoes are carb rich and need to be tested to find the appropriate portion size that the individual can tolerate.

We do react differently - I only tried sweet potato once and found it was, for me, worse than ordinary - I don't eat any potato these days, but feel that it can be misleading for sweet potato to be 'a good option' when for some, it really isn't.

 

[trophywench]

Might help if you happen to like the taste. We only tried em once and frankly - neither of us wanted to buy any more.

 

[rebrascora]

I like them and feel they bring more to the table than normal potatoes as I believe they are higher in fibre and vitamin C, so a small portion occasionally is worth "spending" my carb allowance on, like roast carrots and swede were on my menu last night with one small ordinary potato piece along with cabbage and cauliflower cheese and roast chicken.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @HennyP

It is important to recognise that everyone will have an individual tolerance to carbohydrate in their diet, and different people will have different reactions to the same foods (even eating things at a different time of dat can make a difference) so it’s important not to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’ or limit yourself in an unsustainable way.

What you are looking to develop is a way of eating that you can maintain long-term, and which suits both your tastebuds and your husband’s BG levels. It is likely that this will involve moderating or reducing carb intake, but it’s wise to make a series of small changes rather than ditching everything all at once and then abandoning the approach as unworkable.

Absorption of carbs is very individual and is based on complex factors such as genetic make-up and gut biome, so it’s a question of experimentation and a bit of trial and error 🙂

It can really help to keep a food diary for a week or so, particularly if you can include an estimate of the total carbs in different meals. This can seem like a bit of a faff, but even just the exercise of looking up different ingredients can help you discover where carbs are lurkung, and which of your meals have the highest carb values.

A BG meter with a ‘test-review-adjust’ approach can then help you modify and tweak meals to improve BG outcomes and reduce ‘meal rises’.

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50

Good luck and let us know how you are getting on 🙂

 

[HennyP]

Hi

I was diagnosed diabetic after an illness (probably better to look back through my old post than me explain) anyway to cut a long story short, I bought a book called carbs and calories counter and my wife measured out and cooked my meals weighing everything like in the book.
I got myself a pushbike and cut out most carbs and managed to loose six stones in a year, I was about 20 stones before loosing weight.
I have not got a lot of will power and if it wasn't for my wife keeping my eating under control (even though it was her great cooking that got me big in the first place lol) I would have not lost so much weight.
So change your husbands diet a bit a little exercise and he will be fine, if I can do it anyone can.

likewise I don’t think I’ve helped in the food department (worked as a coon of the Cordon Bleu ilk. It’s great to hear your success story. Will power is also an issue for hubby (I am a recovering anorexic/bulimic) so there is a real battle of the wills . I think I will have to try and rediscover my maths skills (are long lost) and start a food and carb diary.
many thank HennyP

 

[HennyP]

Welcome to the forum @HennyP

It is important to recognise that everyone will have an individual tolerance to carbohydrate in their diet, and different people will have different reactions to the same foods (even eating things at a different time of dat can make a difference) so it’s important not to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’ or limit yourself in an unsustainable way.

What you are looking to develop is a way of eating that you can maintain long-term, and which suits both your tastebuds and your husband’s BG levels. It is likely that this will involve moderating or reducing carb intake, but it’s wise to make a series of small changes rather than ditching everything all at once and then abandoning the approach as unworkable.

Absorption of carbs is very individual and is based on complex factors such as genetic make-up and gut biome, so it’s a question of experimentation and a bit of trial and error 🙂

It can really help to keep a food diary for a week or so, particularly if you can include an estimate of the total carbs in different meals. This can seem like a bit of a faff, but even just the exercise of looking up different ingredients can help you discover where carbs are lurkung, and which of your meals have the highest carb values.

A BG meter with a ‘test-review-adjust’ approach can then help you modify and tweak meals to improve BG outcomes and reduce ‘meal rises’.

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50

Good luck and let us know how you are getting on 🙂

Thank you. He has started Metformin and being retested in 3 months and go from there. Quite a lot of work needed in the meantime. Thank you HennyP