[Richard157]

Hi Jeanann, you seem to be off to a good start. I think you should have a small breakfast, maybe a piece of fruit. I don't advise you to eat bananas though, they can raise your BG a lot and rather quickly. I like a cup of sliced strawberries wit some Rediwhip cream from the spray type can. There is almost no carbs in the Rediwhip. I use Sweet 'n Low as a sweetener but some people prefer Splenda or Stevia. Several small meals throughout the day with few carbs is better than 2 or 3 heavier meals. That way you can more easily exercise and burn off the smaller amounts of carbs between meals.

Many diabetics eat frequently and have fewer carbs at each meal. If you had 20 carbs at breakfast, 30 at lunch, 15 as an afternoon snack, 30 at dinner, and 15 in the evening that would give you a total 110 carbs for the day. If you have a lot more carbs than that now, you should work towards the 110 gradually so your body can adjust without getting so hungry. The fewer carbs you eat, the more weight you will lose and the better control you will have with your diabetes. Some diabetics eat as few as 50 carbs er day. I don't advis that, you need enough energy to get through your day and 50 carbs is not enough for many people.

Wheat bread causes me to have high BG's, almost as bad as white bread. Whole grain bread digests more slowly and raises the BG slowly. That is a better plan. Low carb bread is best for me. I buy oatmeal bread, it has 8 carbs per slice. That is my favorite. I buy whole grain pasta rather than wheat pasta. I never eat hot dog or hamburger buns. If I want to eat at McDonalds I take two slices of my low carb bread with me and replace the bun with them. That gives me a low carb meal. You can give them your bread and have them make your hamurger or Big Mac with it.

These are things I do, you may have your own way that suits you better.

 

[Richard157]

I have trouble with oatmeal, even the plain unsweetened one. I have heard of "steel cut oats" that are much better for diabetics but I have never looked for them at my grocery store. Maybe Shanny knows something about them. There are also whole grain cereals but I have not tried them.

My oatmeal bread is made by Country Kitchen, that is the brand name here in NY. That brand might not appear in CA. There are oatmeal breads that are high carb so look carefully at the labels.

Some Type 2 diabetics have said that cinnamon helped a little. One person said she sprinkled a little on a slice of toast and on something else. I think she puts a little in her coffee. She has a half teaspoon of it per day.

 

[Richard157]

My goodness gracious Shanny. What won't they think of next??? lol!

 

[Richard157]

Welcome 888pongsky, we are pleased to have you with us. I had the beginning stages of retinopathy in both eyes a few years ago. I worked very hard to get my blood sugar under better control and the problem disappeared. I have not had any more retinopathy for almost 3 years now. It is continual high blood sugar that causes diabetes complications. If your mom can get good control and have a very low A1c, preferably below 6.5, then her eyes may improve very much. Of course this assumes that the damage already done is not too extensive.

Good luck to you and your mom. Ask all the questions you want. We are here to help!

Richard