[Tiggletaggle]

Hi everyone

My GP had urged me to contact the Aust Diabetes assoc in order to help get myself together. So I did and yesterday I headed off to a workshop on cooking held by the Diabetes Association.

Once there. our group was presented with a table of food which was quite literally carb heavy....and the meals that they made in the demonstration included a dessert that had wine, brown sugar and icing sugar PLUS a sponge base in it....

I was a bit confused as I have found that carbs seriously affect my blood sugar levels... so I pulled the presenter aside and asked her about low carb diets.

To cut a long story short she told me that I need to eat lots of carbs...when I pointed out that I couldn't she told me that i need to eat Weetbix breakfast cereal in the morning. I explained that I tried that early on (with half a weetbix) and it spiked my levels significantly...

IN the end ( I was a little exasperated to be honest) I asked her what was mo re important....good blood sugar levels OR eating carbs....and her answer was that I need to do both.....

I feel quite frustrated because this low fat, low salt approach (dare I say it, a traditional diabetic diet) is OBVIOUSLY not working for me and yet they can't provide an alternative..

Does anyone else have experience with this??

Kind Regards

 

[Shanny]

I have no experience in Australia, Tiggletaggle, but I can tell you we get exactly the same insane instruction in the States. It's a hoax, pure & simple. And the victims are we patients who lose our health if we follow their dictates. If we follow our own good sense and ignore them, we are labeled liars & non-compliant patients.

It makes me crazy that their way of eating is the only option ever provided, and their only solution is more & higher medication for people who adhere to their diet. It would be a step in the right direction if the medical community would at least give equal time to low-carbing, and stop arguing that we NEED carbs. That's the biggest load of horsefeathers ever. I could just scream - couldn't you?

 

[Tiggletaggle]

Wow Shanny I had forgotten the part when she said that my doctor might need to up my metformin so that I can tolerate carbs... I'm already on 2000mg per day....

This afternoon I am spending on the net trying to figure out the low carb thing....if anyone has any advice how to get started, how many carbs to eat or any website that can help... I would appreciate it....

Thanks so much for your reply Shanny...... It's very much appreciated

 

[Guest]

hi TiggleTaggle yep, I know all about it. lol. I'm a person that does need carbs, but I don't like eating too much of it. My last dietitian appointment I had I asked why I keep getting hypos when I eat vegetable carbs? The answer I got was "eat more vegetable carbs at one sitting" I was thinking ????? I responded with "oh well vegetable carbs obviously doesn't work for me and if you don't mind I'm not keen on having over half my plate full of carbs." For me I function a lot better on a small amount of wholegrain carbs with each meal. I don't function well on vegetable carbs. Food aside, I can still get BGLs out of control when in pain (as I have been for days) and it's very annoying. Plus there's other things that impact BGLs. But I guess for you, just trial what foods you can eat. I get the diabetic living magazine here and I notice the same thing with their menu, it's carb rich. I don't use the recipes to be honest. I like the articles in it though. I have decided to steer clear of artificial sweetners myself too, so I use the LoGicane sugar and sparingly. Everyone is different with diet... it's a case of finding what works for you. I don't agree with everything I'm told and I do experiment myself.

 

[Shanny]

I think you must already have a workable program going since you've already identified certain foods that spike you, and I think you just need the assurance to go against the precepts being taught in this cooking class. If you're already eating to your meter, then continue in that practice. Your numbers don't lie.

If you aren't using a meter, then get one & start testing an hour after meals so you learn which foods raise you higher than 7.7. That is a rough cutoff point for when we begin to sustain internal damage from high blood sugar levels.The foods that raise you higher than that, will have to be avoided in your menus, or at least sharply restricted.

As you prowl through our threads, you'll find the tricks & treats we use that enable us to enjoy eating the low-carb way, and DO take special note of our recipes board & the what's-for-dinner thread for a good idea of our menus, snacks, etc.

Above all, just hang out with us here & ask all the questions you want. You & I are on the same dosage of the same medication. I've done fine on metformin for two years now & I delight in my low-carb meals!

Welcome back to the forum & I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted!

 

[Tiggletaggle]

Thanks ONLYMEP......I really appreciate your reply... I'm sorry you're in pain at the moment and thanks for the heads up that external factors can affect BSLs too....

I'm supposed to have been doing trial and error for the last 3 months but I only stuck with it about 6 weeks... much more error than trial.... and my GP is not very impressed.....I have found it tricky to cook for me and my family and totally challenge the way I've always eaten...

BUT excuses will only get me so far and it's obviously time to pull my finger out

Thanks for the confidence

Hope you feel better soon and thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[Tiggletaggle]

Shanny!!

I don't think I've ever been able to get below 7.7....maybe once or twice but certainly not on a regular basis.. Perhpas if I just stop eating I'll solve the weight and diabetes issue! *LOL*

Just noticed that you said to test an hour after foods.... I've always been told 2 hours....Is it a more accurate reading after an hour??

I appreciate all the help

 

[Guest]

Thanks ONLYMEP......I really appreciate your reply... I'm sorry you're in pain at the moment and thanks for the heads up that external factors can affect BSLs too....

I'm supposed to have been doing trial and error for the last 3 months but I only stuck with it about 6 weeks... much more error than trial.... and my GP is not very impressed.....I have found it tricky to cook for me and my family and totally challenge the way I've always eaten...

BUT excuses will only get me so far and it's obviously time to pull my finger out

Thanks for the confidence

Hope you feel better soon and thanks for taking the time to reply!

thanks you're welcome. I'm sitting here with a heat pack on my neck as it's been stiff for days along with a headache (but probably more migraine as left eye keeps going blurry). I agree re: excuses... it can be hard when cooking for others. My family love their carb vegetables and they get frustrated with me when I say I can't just eat that! So I always cook small amount of wholegrain/low GI food such as rice/pasta. I have to be careful to not eat too much of that though. I'm not a big meat eater either and don't like more than a fist size serve on my plate. Look out for other things like drinking plenty of water, sleeping well, staying stress free (lol). It's certainly a balancing act. I'm sure you will get a perfect eating plan happening for you.

 

[Tiggletaggle]

Remaining stress free... ?!!??

I think I"ve just come up with the first part of my regime ....

Must be waited on hand and foot at all times by Husband and Children...

That should keep the stress levels down I'll pitch it to the family and let you know how they respond!!!! *LOL*

Migraines are horrible things..... Hope you're heat pack is helping.... What did you do to get a stiff neck???? I hope it was something exciting?!?!?

 

[Shanny]

Testing at one hour after meals will show you the "spike" - how high you went from the food you ate. The 2-hour test is often recommended to confirm that your levels are dropping back to a pre-meal level. There are a few really "wicked" dishes like pizza, that will keep building up for hours & hours, so if any of us want to enjoy pizza, we have to eat only the toppings & leave the crusts.

It can indeed be tricky cooking for the whole family, but rest assured the diet that will keep YOU healthy is a terrific diet for everyone else in the family too. My non-diabetic husband has been eating "my" low-carb/high-fat meals all this time, and when he had his medical checkup this spring, his cholesterol had dropped like a rock! Plus it just makes sense trying to teach our kids about real honest-to-goodness healthy eating . . . not all the silliness we hear from the media.

If you plan the meals around protein, fats & high-fiber, you can keep everybody well fed & healthy. The high-fiber comes from veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, asparagus, artichokes, celery, squash, etc., and all the leafy greens like spinach, collards, turnip, etc.

If you can avoid foods made with cereal grains (wheat, oats, rice, etc), as well as pasta, potatoes, bread, milk, etc., you'll be off to a blazing start. You can enjoy all the high-fat condiments like mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, cheeses of all kinds & real heavy dairy cream without budging your BGL & the low-carb & high-fat is a great combination. and BACON! Heehee! Bacon & eggs are GOOD FOR US!

All the goofy low-fat endoctrination we've gotten all these years is just part of the same hoax I mentioned before.

 

[Shanny]

Gotta get to bed over here, so see y'all tomorrow!

 

[Guest]

Remaining stress free... ?!!??

I think I"ve just come up with the first part of my regime ....

Must be waited on hand and foot at all times by Husband and Children...

That should keep the stress levels down I'll pitch it to the family and let you know how they respond!!!! *LOL*

Migraines are horrible things..... Hope you're heat pack is helping.... What did you do to get a stiff neck???? I hope it was something exciting?!?!?

sounds like a good plan to me if you do get stressed, seriously test your BGLs. Keep testing for various scenarios as you soon learn what exactly does affect you... not just food.
As for my neck... I have no idea! But interestingly, my colleagues at work have been complaining too with stiff necks and some tell me their grown children have also been complaining of stiff necks and feeling extremely tired. Well the tired bit for me wouldn't be obvious as I'm tired all the time lately. But since when has a stiff neck been contagious? Is there some weird virus going around Perth?

 

[Guest]

Gotta get to bed over here, so see y'all tomorrow!

have a good sleep Shanny It's early Saturday evening here.

 

[jwags]

When I was dx'd, I was at 240 fasting ( 13.3) I was given the same food advice. I even went out and bought tons of "Diabetic" cookbooks. I was surprised that the average carb serving was 30-40 carbs. My bgs were terrible even on Metformin. It took me a few months, to make the decision I needed to find another way. That is when I found Dr Bernsteins book , Diabetes Solutions
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars. Official Web Site At first I thought it was way too strict, but I tried it and yes it works. Over the last few years I have learned how to make some tweaks to it. But now I can keep my fastings mostly in the 80's and 90's
4.4 - 5.0. I know you won't find a dietician to approve this, but if you want to keep your eyes, kidneys, limbs and avoid heart attacks and strokes this is a good plan. I learned several years ago, I am in control of my body, not some CDE.

 

[Patdart]

Well said, jwags! Another good Way of Eating (WoE) to study is the Atkins diet. I read both and sorta combined the information of both and with my cardiologist's strong approval, I began to ignore the advice I was given and decided I had to save my own limbs and eyesight, etc. Exercise is a problem for me as I have severe arthritis in my back, but I do what I can in that regard. My last blood glucose was 5.2 and my cholesterol numbers are great, so I believe we have to take our own care mostly in our own hands, altho' we need to consult with our doctors, we must realize they don't learn a lot about nutrition in med school.

 

[d33na]

hi Tiggle...*waves from Perth*

 

[Shanny]

As for my neck... I have no idea! But interestingly, my colleagues at work have been complaining too with stiff necks and some tell me their grown children have also been complaining of stiff necks and feeling extremely tired. Well the tired bit for me wouldn't be obvious as I'm tired all the time lately. But since when has a stiff neck been contagious? Is there some weird virus going around Perth?

Actually, when you mention grown children suffering over there, there IS a stiff neck that can be contagious, because I was tested for it myself years ago when I sought doc's help with my own "stiff neck". He ran vital signs & a coupla reflex tests and before I knew what was happening, I'd been whisked to ER and headed for an isolation room. Suspected meningitis. Young adults/college students are so at risk that there are major campaigns to get them vaccinated before they go out into the germy world alone. You might be wise to check in with your doc, Mep. It may not be - mine turned out to be a bulging cervical disk - but if it DID happen to be meningitis, it can be deadly in a hurry.

Basic symptoms, in no special order, are:

>> drowsiness/confusion
>> severe headache
>> stiff neck
>> dislike of bright lights
>> rash anywhere on the body
​

and all symptoms might not be present in all patients

 

[Guest]

Actually, when you mention grown children suffering over there, there IS a stiff neck that can be contagious, because I was tested for it myself years ago when I sought doc's help with my own "stiff neck". He ran vital signs & a coupla reflex tests and before I knew what was happening, I'd been whisked to ER and headed for an isolation room. Suspected meningitis. Young adults/college students are so at risk that there are major campaigns to get them vaccinated before they go out into the germy world alone. You might be wise to check in with your doc, Mep. It may not be - mine turned out to be a bulging cervical disk - but if it DID happen to be meningitis, it can be deadly in a hurry.

Basic symptoms, in no special order, are:

>> drowsiness/confusion
>> severe headache
>> stiff neck
>> dislike of bright lights
>> rash anywhere on the body
​

and all symptoms might not be present in all patients

goodness... I forgot about that. I've heard of it. But today I'm feeling much brighter than yesterday, just tired. I don't have any rash... but those symptoms are similar to migraine. I took a strong pain killer last night that knocked me out. I know I have a neck problem anyhow (along with 2 other vertibrae in my back) and I'm thinking it was just that playing up on me... it perhaps is just coincidental that others were complaining of stiff necks around me. I have the common problem of pinched nerve at very top vertibrae of my neck. But my muscles all tighten up.... I just haven't had all my muscles tighten up like that in a while. I was seeing a chiropractor who explained to me that when my joint isn't moving right it can cause a migraine. We're approaching winter here and there are a lot of bugs floating about. I've had staff off work sick with bad colds and gastro bugs. But for me I probably should get myself back to the chiropractor for an adjustment to get that joint moving properly. I'm glad I'm not in pain today at least. Having days of pain can wear you out. I use pain killers sparingly too. Last night the one I took gave me bad stomach pain (Mersyndol Forte).

 

[Tiggletaggle]

Thanks for all your replies!!

Nice to see so many Perthites here