It must be in my genes!

[Beardyrich]

Hi folks, well, like most of us on here I've been diagnosed with diabetes, in my case type 2.
I have also just found out that my 2 brothers also have it. One is in remission and the other has just come off metformin.
I have never been really ill or been diagnosed with anything before so this is a bit of a shock for me. It's great that there's so much information available for us and, of course, forums like this are fantastic too. To be honest, I feel a range of emotions. Angry, confused, disappointed, hacked-off, saddened. It's something I need to get my head around but I will do it.
Already started on a low-carb/low fat diet and the weight has been coming off nicely during the last week.
There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice though, particularly concerning food and alcohol.
Is it actually OK to have an Indian curry once a month with a couple of pints, or cod and chips from the chippy? The outlook looks so bleak when I think that I really used to enjoy these things and that perhaps I'll never be able to eat some of my favourite things again.

 

[Andy HB]

When I was diagnosed, I took the view that I could eat what I wanted. So long as you can combine that with regular weight loss and also maintain overall good blood sugar levels, then all will be well.

I didn't go particularly low carb (150g a day was my average!), but I did go for a brisk walk (once I was able to maintain the pace) every day. But if low carb works for you then go for it. This is something that you have to work out for yourself really. It seems as if there is quite a range of what works.

My brother was diagnosed shortly after me so it is in our genes too (Mum also had type 2 but due to other problems that she had, it did seem to take a bit of a back seat).

Alcohol is a bit of a tricky one. If over done it will cause you problems. Not least because it usually has lots of calories so will impact any weight loss regime. Also, some drinks can be very high in sugars (if you're in to sweet wines etc).

Moderation is my motto (even if I don't live up to it at the moment!).

Andy 🙂

 

[Ljc]

Hello Beardyrich. Welcome to the forum. All those feelings are perfectly natural and will ease as you learn more and gain control over your diabetes
Of course the occasional treat is fine. You may well find like I have that over time your tastes change and that you don’t enjoy some things like you used too.

With a Indian meal I would have less rice and no bread . Personally I don’t do low fat.

Ask all the questions you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help.

If you haven’t already done so , I suggest you have a read through this forum
useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.
I suggest you start with these
Maggie Davies letter.
Test review adjust by Alan S
For future reference you’ll find the above and much more in the thread called Useful links for people new to diabetes , which is at the top of the newbies forum.

 

[CathyB]

Hi and welcome! I think we can all relate to those mixed feelings, I know at the start I was convinced I would starve to death 😱 Now I love my diet and the results it has brought. I chose low carb, between 50 to 100 a day, cutting the carbs means your body will need something else for energy so you don’t need to go low fat, just focus on good fats, I have butter, cream, full fat Greek yoghurt, bacon & olive oil. I guess it’s personal choice, best advice would be to read as many back posts as you can, then ask any questions you might have. We are quite a friendly bunch

 

[Drummer]

Don't try to do low fat - fat is an essential part of your diet - you can't live without it - and eating lean protein can make you seriously ill, plus it is broken down into glucose so it is pushing the broken part of our metabolism as type twos - switching over to burning fat is the best option.
You could have a weekly curry night but use cauliflower instead of rice - I do have a fish from the chippy once in a while, but I do not eat the batter. I much prefer the low carb foods I can eat without gaining weight.

 

[Beardyrich]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am starting to get my head around which foods I should be eating and at the moment it follows this...
No white bread, white flour products like cakes, biscuits etc. Using flatbreads, pitta bread, rice crackers and oaty biscuits (can't remember the name) instead. Other carbs from leafy and root vegetables and salads but not starchy things like potatoes or parsnips More protein like tinned tuna (in brine), mackerel, eggs, chicken. I tried Quorn last night which was tasty. I have also started using Benecol instead of butter. Not keen on the taste but the fats are beneficial. Rapeseed oil spray for frying (maybe once a week) and rapeseed oil/vinegar/mustard as salad dressings. We use semi-skimmed milk anyway so I think that's ok in tea/coffee etc. Defo no sugar but use a sweetener instead. On the odd occasion I'll have reduced-sugar jam or some peanut butter spread on a cracker or biscuit.
I think I'm doing the right things??? I have also lost about 10lb in weight so reducing my BMI from 35 slowly. I was going to get some cheese the other day but was put off by the high amounts of saturated fat on the labels. Any advice on this please?

 

[CathyB]

You are part way on the right track, remember whit or brown bread is still high in carbs, if you want bread in your diet (I couldn’t cut it completely) try LivLife, Waitrose and Asda sell it and it’s very low carb. Rice crackers, pitta and oatcakes, I would check the carb content, personally I wouldn’t eat them but if you are it’s worth checking your bg before and around 2 hours after eating to see the impact, ideally you are looking for a rise of no more than 2.
Fat is not a problem if you are really low carb, cheese is a good source of energy, butter is also fine, bacon and eggs are a great breakfast. If you are worried about the weight and cholesterol then don’t be, you will still lose weight on low carb high fat, I lost 4 stone and my cholesterol is now back in normal range. When I was diagnosed I was following slimming world thinking I was doing the right thing!!
Don’t be afraid to have a juicy steak with mushrooms, or stir fry / salad and a nice coleslaw, I use cauliflower as my rice replacement or mashed instead of potatoes. Once you get your head around it, the diet is great, you will look and feel much better. Remember whatever you do must be sustainable as it’s a way of life not a way for a short while.

 

[Drummer]

I was just wondering about the bread, crackers and oaty biscuts - you need to count up the carbs from them and test your blood glucose to see if you can tolerate them - they are carbs just as much as any other grain. Butter is fine - no carbs in there - but I don't use rapeseed oil for anything, my salad dressing is olive oil, no low fat anything crosses my threshold. Reduced sugar jam is still rather high carb, so you might need to reconsider that if you need to lower your levels. Cheese is fine - it is low carb.

 

[Beardyrich]

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated. I took a look at the carb content of my flatbreads and pittas and found them to be similar to the oat and barley bread we get from Tesco so I might stick with that instead and although the salt level is high, I don't use salt in anything else so I don't think that'll be a problem.
. I will try and find the LivLife bread though when I'm next in Waitrose or Asda. Ryvita Thins look good and they're quite nice as a snack or for lunch at work.
I am still a little confused about whether or not to use butter and hard cheese as the levels of saturated fat isn't good in either. Most of the info I've read suggests using oils and spreads with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, Benecol springs to mind and I use a small amount of rapeseed oil for cooking or salad dressing with mustard and vinegar. I tried quinoa for the first (and last) time recently but didn't like it so I'll be looking to replace that with something else soon.
All the best!