If Vegan can why cant we.............. There is no such thing as a Diabetic Diet ????

[Jenny105]

This is interesting . My 1st HbA1c yielded 96 . 2nd test yielded 38 (too low in Nurses opinion have been 58), Average finger prick around 8.8 - 9 over 7-90days on 1-3 tests a day. Most advice is from this forum. No other advice was given.

B4 the coming test I'll write to my GP &Nurse to explain how I have been managing my diet, ask what the result means in light of this low carb regime. (Bread appears a problem ?)

I might up the Carbs for a couple of weeks ?see how that goes, but it might skew the results for the test ?

Does anyone use My Desmond I was registered for that but havent used it - I was thought to be Type 1.5 initially. Desmond only covers Type 2 - my present diagnosis
PS APOLOGIES see my reply to INKA . Im only using VEGAN and FREE from as examples of what can be achieved if there's a will and stores see a market. Im changing to upping my carbs to see what happens and to see if i can increase my weight which is a problem for me !!!!!!! 😱

 

[nonethewiser]

Never read or heard that there's universal diet for people with diabetes, unless I'm wrong.

Did low carb for short while & found shopping easy, fruit & veg isle as you go in shops butchers fish cheese counters elsewhere in store, still visit them frequently even though diet is more varied now.

Finding out carb content of food is hardly rocket science, look at label or Google search it, can even get apps which scan barcodes to see what item contains.

So shops supermarkets cater for all needs in general, in fact we are spoilt for choice IMHO.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

In the UK there is supposed to be the nutritional values per 100g on the side of the box for everything.
I just look there.
Waitrose is currently doing a range of slow cooked 'ready meals' - sort of and they are happily suitable for me and I am on fewer than 20g of carb per day.
I think it is a bad idea to have low carb on food because most of the time their idea of low carb is my idea of high carb.

 

[Inka]

Whilst I agree with your comment, there is a lot more to being Vegan than just not eating meat - that is being vegetarian.

Being vegan is much more restrictive and I suspect there are far less "true" vegans than suggested.

True, yes, but many vegetarians eat meals that happen to be vegan so they’re in the market for vegan food too. If you look around at the plethora of foods labelled “plant-based” or similar, you’ll see it’s increasing in popularity eg vegan ice creams, vegan fruit pastilles, plant-based milks, etc etc.

The main reason I didn’t agree with the opening post here is that people with diabetes eat a variety of diets. My comments about vegans was just because i’m fed up in general with vegans being the scapegoat for lots of things or being treated as weird.

 

[Inka]

Hi I'm not suggesting diabetic friendly label. As ive said maybe I'm wrong but isnt low carb what we are looking for. (i know one might have to look for fats, etc. Maybe this wouldnt solve this problem. But what i need is a low carb symbol or label. That would sift out having to turn over every soup tin, bread packet, beans, ice cream etc etc.etc Just need to pick the lo carb symbol to check. It would make my shopping and treats easier

People with diabetes eat a variety of diets. Not everyone eats low carb. Not only that, low carb is pretty easy to source anyway - meat, fish, cheese, eggs, etc are all carb-free. So someone on a very low carb diet can easily shop in the meat plus aisles and in the veg aisle. If they’re following low carb recipes, they’ll already know to buy coconut flour, almond flour, etc so just head for that.

 

[Jenny105]

Its more like , pasta, spaghetti, ice cream , fromage frais , yogurts, some occasional picnic meals eg coated items , bread (not labelled) and bread labelled in packet, fruit in tins , any packet item, any tinned item, chocolate, cocoa, hemp , millled seeds , nuts , . Ive found some specials but am still searching for new ideas.. I shop at 2 stores online or by store.

 

[Jenny105]

True, yes, but many vegetarians eat meals that happen to be vegan so they’re in the market for vegan food too. If you look around at the plethora of foods labelled “plant-based” or similar, you’ll see it’s increasing in popularity eg vegan ice creams, vegan fruit pastilles, plant-based milks, etc etc.

The main reason I didn’t agree with the opening post here is that people with diabetes eat a variety of diets. My comments about vegans was just because i’m fed up in general with vegans being the scapegoat for lots of things or being treated as weird.

Sorry I wasnt getting at VEGAN or FREE FROM . I'm amazed at how quickly the superstores thought these were runners and how quickly they appeared, Nothing to do with the product itself nor its ethics. Sorry I wanted to make an effect. IVE LEARNT A LOT THRU THIS POST. My test has been put back to Aug so I'm upping my carbs to see how I get on
APOLOGIES TO FREE FROM and VEGAN that was only using an example of what can be done if theres a will and a market.

 

[Drummer]

All it would have taken was a shield on the front of the pack with the carb content as a percentage - it would not have needed to be red amber or green because carb intake cannot be classified as good or bad, no matter what the rules are.
Oh - shield is a technical term for the coloured outlines in the panel of traffic light system.
I do find the nutritional information can be presented in rather small print and often multiple options - I can now recognise 'carbohydrate' in quite a few languages

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Low carb is not the answer for everyone, it only seems to be this forum (and the other red forum for diabetes) that seem to push this so much. As soon as a newbie joins and asks for advice, it's "low carb diet" right from the start.

I like this forum but this is a real bug bear of mine, sorry!

Yes, I got all that "advice" before I reversed my diabetes.
Fortunately I ignored it, as it seemed to me once you put your foot in the trap, it was low carb" for life.
I wanted to focus on the diabetes instead of the diet.

 

[Lynne888]

iTS DIABETIC WEEK ---Every time i go into a Supermarket I see Vegan vegan vegan .... Freefrom , free free .
Ive been a Diabetic , type 11/2 for a few months , now type 2. I dont see LoCit LoCit LoCit ????? Why not . LoCit = Low Carb it . Its Nowhere .
I have to handle boxes this way, that way, upside down ,sideways all thru Covid, at risk to my health beCAUSE the CARBS arent listed on the front why not ??
Surely there are more diabetics watching their Carbs than Vegans watching out for animals . WHY isnt there a move to have Lo Carb shelves, Lo Carb areas , Lo Carb symbols . what are manufacturers afraid of
I say IF WE AND DIABETIC orgs made a great big SHOUT we could put our needs high on the supermarket shelves. Im sure we have enough buying power

I’m completely new to this and naively thought there would be a low carb section somewhere in the supermarket! I absolutely agree with others, wouldn’t want a diabetic section, just a shelf, like the gluten free stuff, but with low carb. I’m sending for bread online and two loaves with a postage came to £21! I’ve had great info on here and I now know of a lot of items that have low carbs and I’m buying them but it would help if there was a specific section.

 

[LancashireLass]

True, yes, but many vegetarians eat meals that happen to be vegan so they’re in the market for vegan food too. If you look around at the plethora of foods labelled “plant-based” or similar, you’ll see it’s increasing in popularity eg vegan ice creams, vegan fruit pastilles, plant-based milks, etc etc.

The main reason I didn’t agree with the opening post here is that people with diabetes eat a variety of diets. My comments about vegans was just because i’m fed up in general with vegans being the scapegoat for lots of things or being treated as weird.

I agree with you completely, it's becoming very popular!
My point was that it does seem a bit like the latest "trend" to be vegan and lots of people who claim to be vegan just aren't. They don't really know what it actually means to be properly vegan, they are just jumping on the bandwagon because it's cool at the moment. And that is not aimed at anyone inparticular at all, just a general observation of todays society.

My sister has been vegetarian for many, many years and has tried going vegan in the last few months, but she can't because she can't find a vegan cheese that she likes.....and she will not give up her cheese!!

Me, I could never be vegetarian - I love a bacon buty too much!! (and yes, I use white, sliced bread 😱)

 

[Proud to be erratic]

All it would have taken was a shield on the front of the pack with the carb content as a percentage - it would not have needed to be red amber or green because carb intake cannot be classified as good or bad, no matter what the rules are.
Oh - shield is a technical term for the coloured outlines in the panel of traffic light system.
I do find the nutritional information can be presented in rather small print and often multiple options - I can now recognise 'carbohydrate' in quite a few languages

Completely agree.
The OP astutely made the point that one has to clamber all over the packaging just to find the obscure carb details. Given that most diabetics have more than a passing interest in the carb % along with numerous non-diabetics for whatever reason, that seems to me to be a pretty big part of the population. I realise what we have today is still much better than previously, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be a lot better.

 

[LancashireLass]

Yes, I got all that "advice" before I reversed my diabetes.
Fortunately I ignored it, as it seemed to me once you put your foot in the trap, it was low carb" for life.
I wanted to focus on the diabetes instead of the diet.

I tried low carb but it just wasn't for me, I was obsessing about counting carbs and I cut my diet back so much that I was miserable. Like you say, it's almost like a trap because as soon as you change slightly, the problems come right back.

I would much rather enjoy a few carbs and be happy 🙂

 

[LancashireLass]

Completely agree.
The OP astutely made the point that one has to clamber all over the packaging just to find the obscure carb details. Given that most diabetics have more than a passing interest in the carb % along with numerous non-diabetics for whatever reason, that seems to me to be a pretty big part of the population. I realise what we have today is still much better than previously, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be a lot better.

Can I ask how you know this? Where did you get the information that most diabetics are carb concious?

 

[DaveB]

Hi. This subject has along history and the Food Industry Lobby is the main problem. They are very powerful. Carbs are the most profitable food so they lobby behind the scenes to suppress anything that is anti-carb. They influenced the NHS EatWell Plate by funding the university 'Research' that SACN (the body within the NHS) used. Most of the Establishment, and, dare I say including DUK, have always followed the government line. You will find virtually no one who will break that line despite the amount of evidence from the various forums alone that Carbs are the problem. Most support Calorie control rather than Carb control because it's simple despite the science not being there. Package labelling has been directed by the EU as well as the UK and the stupid Traffic Light Labelling has a high level of support despite being useless. I could go on but little will change. I'm sure some on this forum will disagree with me as they always do. Just study the science behind the body's metabolism and do your own research.

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi I'm not suggesting diabetic friendly label. As ive said maybe I'm wrong but isnt low carb what we are looking for. (i know one might have to look for fats, etc. Maybe this wouldnt solve this problem. But what i need is a low carb symbol or label. That would sift out having to turn over every soup tin, bread packet, beans, ice cream etc etc.etc Just need to pick the lo carb symbol to check. It would make my shopping and treats easier

I think you have a point, Jenny. Whole sections of the supermarkets we shop at now house vegan or plant-based foods. Some of these items I buy, but I have to say that an awful lot of vegan products are carb-heavy, which is no good to me. I used to be vegetarian many years ago (long before D) and if Mr Marten is out or away for any reason I tend to eat veggie on my own.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Can I ask how you know this? Where did you get the information that most diabetics are carb concious?

Probably going from the regulars on here, and the red site, we'd top out in two or three figures compared to the NHS clinics I went to that had zero.

 

[Landrover Jason]

Low carb is not the answer for everyone, it only seems to be this forum (and the other red forum for diabetes) that seem to push this so much. As soon as a newbie joins and asks for advice, it's "low carb diet" right from the start.

I like this forum but this is a real bug bear of mine, sorry!

Agree. I use CGM which allows me to see how my body reacts. I notice that I have a problem with bread but not with pasta for instance.
Portion size, balanced intake and exercise work for me. There is no "diabetic diet" we are all different to a degree

 

[Robin]

Can I ask how you know this? Where did you get the information that most diabetics are carb concious?

Probably going from the regulars on here, and the red site, we'd top out in two or three figures compared to the NHS clinics I went to that had zero.

Dont forget most if not all people with Type 1 diabetes (and I know we are a minority) are carb conscious from the need to count them to match insulin.
I'm not looking for LOW carb stuff, but it would help if I didn’t have to get a magnifying glass out to check out the carbs at all. Or do complicated maths because I want to add dry goods to a mixed recipe, and the packet only tells me the carbs in a cooked portion. (that’s my particular bugbear)

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Dont forget most if not all people with Type 1 diabetes (and I know we are a minority) are carb conscious from the need to count them to match insulin.

But, as many of them on here say, they don't low carb, in fact that would be a completely useless piece of information as it's the total carbs in the meal that matter for that.
So, from the figures though,
there are around 5 milllion vegetarians in the UK.
This site, 30,000 members, maybe 100 a day active posters.
Many varied diets, certainly not all low carb.
So, definitely a very low figure in the grand scheme of things.