Diabetic eating.

[UtahDan]

So I'm borderline diabetic and trying hard to lose weight and not die before the Utes basketball program gets back to the dance. So I'm hoping there are others of your in the same boat and that we can share recipes, strategies, what we are eating, etc.

One thing I have I have started eating for breakfast is Ezekiel Bread with almond butter, usually with a single overhard egg. Ezekiel bread gets its recipe from the Old Testament, is unleavened, and has five kinds of sprouted whole grains. Really low glycemic index. I also like steel cut oats with nuts and berrys. I am having a hard time finding good snacks. Almonds are not bad though. Anyway, curious to hear the experiences and advice of others.

[LA Ute]

So I'm borderline diabetic and trying hard to lose weight and not die before the Utes basketball program gets back to the dance. So I'm hoping there are others of your in the same boat and that we can share recipes, strategies, what we are eating, etc.

One thing I have I have started eating for breakfast is Ezekiel Bread with almond butter, usually with a single overhard egg. Ezekiel bread gets its recipe from the Old Testament, is unleavened, and has five kinds of sprouted whole grains. Really low glycemic index. I also like steel cut oats with nuts and berrys. I am having a hard time finding good snacks. Almonds are not bad though. Anyway, curious to hear the experiences and advice of others.

I follow a modified version of the Zone diet, which has its roots in management of diabetes. How do you feel about strawberries? 1 cup of them with one-half cup of low far cottage cheese, with a small handful of almonds thrown in, give you a balance of low-density carbs, lean protein, and monounsaturated fat that works pretty well. If you want to use frozen strawberries and a splash of milks with the above, with a blender you can make a nice little smoothie that is a treat. I add Splenda because I have a sweet tooth, and that is controversial for some. Not for me!

[old_gregg]

i'm type 1 so not exactly in the same boat, but i do try to minimize carbs. i eat a lot of eggs (2 scrambled almost every morning), dairy protein (greek yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese), raw almonds, etc. one thing that's been very helpful is the agave sweetener they sell at costco.

[Danimal]

I've been on a low carb diet for about 18 months now. I've lost about 25 pounds and feel great. It was very difficult to start and it took 3 or 4 tries before I was able to stick with it. Snacks are hard because most snack items are carb heavy. Sunflower seeds are one of my favorite. Both shelled and unshelled. I like that I eat a lot less when I do the shelled because I'm busy cracking them and spitting them out. Plus I feel like I'm in little league again.

[UtahDan]

I've been on a low carb diet for about 18 months now. I've lost about 25 pounds and feel great. It was very difficult to start and it took 3 or 4 tries before I was able to stick with it. Snacks are hard because most snack items are carb heavy. Sunflower seeds are one of my favorite. Both shelled and unshelled. I like that I eat a lot less when I do the shelled because I'm busy cracking them and spitting them out. Plus I feel like I'm in little league again.

Ooh, that is a really good idea. I assume those are available unsalted. And congrats on the weight loss. I've dropped about 30 lbs since the fall but that's a drop in a bit bigger bucket for me.

[Danimal]

Ooh, that is a really good idea. I assume those are available unsalted. And congrats on the weight loss. I've dropped about 30 lbs since the fall but that's a drop in a bit bigger bucket for me.

Losing 30 pounds is awesome. You should be proud. Are you still going meatless?

[UtahDan]

Losing 30 pounds is awesome. You should be proud. Are you still going meatless?

No, back on the meat. Just stopped eating out, eating refined carbs, sugar. Once the weather is better I need to add some exercise...probably shouldn't put that off.

[Danimal]

No, back on the meat. Just stopped eating out, eating refined carbs, sugar. Once the weather is better I need to add some exercise...probably shouldn't put that off.

I'm pretty good about exercising at the gym when there's a good game on to help pass the time. Otherwise it gets really boring. I've been enjoying walking around the neighborhood with the dog as a way to stay active without the gym. Doesn't help with the cold though.

[LA Ute]

i'm type 1 so not exactly in the same boat, but i do try to minimize carbs. i eat a lot of eggs (2 scrambled almost every morning), dairy protein (greek yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese), raw almonds, etc. one thing that's been very helpful is the agave sweetener they sell at costco.

Tell me more about that agave sweetener. Is it low in carbs?

[Pheidippides]

Tell me more about that agave sweetener. Is it low in carbs?

Agave is pretty much all carbs. Think of it like honey, except with a super low GI. Also, it is what they use to make tequila.

[LA Ute]

Agave is pretty much all carbs. Think of it like honey, except with a super low GI. Also, it is what they use to make tequila.

So not a great fit for a low-carb diet. My problem is that I love oatmeal (steel-cut) but like I sweeten it a bit. (Other foods as well.) I'm trying to cut back on Splenda and looking for alternatives.

[Pheidippides]

So not a great fit for a low-carb diet. My problem is that I love oatmeal (steel-cut) but like I sweeten it a bit. (Other foods as well.) I'm trying to cut back on Splenda and looking for alternatives.

Oatmeal is also not a great fit for a low carb diet, btw.

I am also not a fan of low carb diets, unless by "low carb" what you really mean is "low high GI carb".

[old_gregg]

Agave is pretty much all carbs. Think of it like honey, except with a super low GI. Also, it is what they use to make tequila.

exactly. for me, it responds much better to my rapid-acting insulin (novolog) than comparable sweeteners.

[LA Ute]

Oatmeal is also not a great fit for a low carb diet, btw.

I am also not a fan of low carb diets, unless by "low carb" what you really mean is "low high GI carb".

I misspoke. I was really talking about the glycemic index and the rate at which the food is absorbed. Steel-cut oats are supposed to be good for that (in moderate amounts) and has always worked for me.

[Pheidippides]

I misspoke. I was really talking about the glycemic index and the rate at which the food is absorbed. Steel-cut oats are supposed to be good for that (in moderate amounts) and has always worked for me.

Then agave syrup is very good for you too. Very low GI, especially for a sugar, although it does have a bit of a flavor to it. Very subtle.

I do not want to come back here and see you downing margaritas as a result of this advice.

I am a huge fan of steel cut oats, although I sweeten mine with maple syrup, the GI index of which is somewhere between honey and table sugar. But as you probably know the nutritional values of steel cut oats are unchanged from their rolled brethren.

[LA Ute]

Then agave syrup is very good for you too. Very low GI, especially for a sugar, although it does have a bit of a flavor to it. Very subtle.

I do not want to come back here and see you downing margaritas as a result of this advice.

I am a huge fan of steel cut oats, although I sweeten mine with maple syrup, the GI index of which is somewhere between honey and table sugar. But as you probably know the nutritional values of steel cut oats are unchanged from their rolled brethren.

Thank you, young fellow sir. Good information. I mainly eat steel cut because I like them better, but supposedly they make one feel satisfied longer than the rolled oats, because one's stomach has to work on the outer bran, which rolling obliterates. As a matter of glycemic index, however, I don't know how big a deal this is:

Another thing to consider with any grain- or carbohydrate-based food is its glycemic impact. I’ve talked about glycemic impact in previous articles. In a nutshell, the glycemic impact is the speed at which a food is digested and converted into blood sugar. Foods that have a lower glycemic load are more slowly converted into blood sugar. When it comes to your blood sugar, lower and slower are generally better.

Because steel cut oats are so much chewier and denser and also somewhat less processed than rolled oats, you might expect that their glycemic load would be lower. Again, however, the differences are really not that big. Steel cut, stone ground, and rolled oats are all in the same ballpark as far as glycemic load goes.

So to me it's really a manner of preference. I enjoy (and will eat) any kind of cooked oats.

[UtahDan]

I do not want to come back here and see you downing margaritas as a result of this advice.

This is making me thirsty.

[Pheidippides]

This is making me thirsty.

So are these pretzels.

[big z]

I'm not a diabetic but it runs in the family. if you have netflix check out this show http://www.forksoverknives.com/

I've started implementing a vegetarian/vegan diet and i can say it's not that bad. I was eating a little bit of meat here and there but decided to give it up for Lent.

I'm still struggling with dairy, but i've starting drinking Almond milk and it's not that bad.

[wuapinmon]

String cheese
Pistachios
a slice of deli turkey with a piece of red bell pepper, a sliver of onion, and a slice of avocado, all rolled up like a flauta.
Deviled eggs
hardboiled eggs (mix granulated garlic, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and some ground guajillo together and put it inside a folded up piece of wax paper for rolling the eggs around in--easy on the salt to not overpower the other flavors)
Discover the wonder of freshly ground cinnamon sticks. They are naturally sweet and taste like Red Hots without the sugar.

Homemade Kimchi (a pound of kimchi has 120 kcal) (this is very very easy to make, just wear gloves when mixing)
Homemade Dill pickles
Homemade buttermilk
Homemade cottage cheese.
Homemade hummus
Homemade baba ganuj (eat with crisp vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, and celery)

I think a quart of garlic dill pickles is around 100 calories.

I'm not diabetic, but I'm trying to eat like I am.

[utebehindenemylines]

I'm not a diabetic and not following any specific diet. In general I try to eat around 500 cals under my TEE as I'm trying to cut about 10 lbs.

I try to get about 220g of protein, 230g carbs and 100g fat a day. 1-2 days a week I will cut my carb intake down to <50g. I've seen pretty decent results, I'm down about 7 lbs since the start of the year.

I base my diet around these:
93% lean ground beef
Chicken
Lean Steak (occasionally)
Whey protein
Milk
Eggs
Fat Free Greek Yogurt
Spinach
Lettuce
Green Peppers
Brown Rice
Oatmeal

I find it harder to eat healthy in the winter because fresh veggies seem so much harder to find and I love to grill (it's hard to do in 20 degree winters).

I'm really interested in trying that homemade Kimchee

[Mrs. Funk]

Just don't eat like my grandma with her wildly uncontrolled diabetes. Living with my grandparents made me crazy. She wouldn't eat snap peas because they're high on the glycemic index but gigantic bowls of ice cream were okay because they have milk (her words). I still can't decide if she's delusional or willfully self-deceived

Diabetes runs like crazy through my family (along with obesity, cancer, and other super happy fun things) so each day is a battle to make better decisions than I did the day before. Today's struggle is to not eat the entire pan of Meyer lemon bars I made last night.

[happyone]

Some of you form CUF know my story, but never the less

I was diagnosised Type 2 about 7 yrs ago fasting blood sugar 300, a1c 13.5

It took me a couple of years, but I am now off of meds and 100 lbs lighter

I try a keep my meals at fairly constant times of day

I don't particulary rule out any food, but I try and keep my carb intake to about 12-15 (10-20 gm = 1 serving) servings a day with no more than 4 per meal normally this breakdown

breakfast 2-3 - normally a piece of fruit and a non-fat yogurt
lunch 2-3 - cup of soup and an open face sandwich
afternoon snack 1 - glass of milk
dinner 3-4 - whatever the family is having
bedtime snack 1-2 - glass milk and slice of toast

I normally eat whole grain/high fiber carbs

for what else to eat I normally follow the food pyramid except for grains - I try and limit them to 8-10 servings per day.

I get some kind of cardio exersize (mainly walking) every day

good luck

[UtahDan]

Chicken Curry:

2-3 tablespoons of curry paste to taste
2 cans coconut milk
2 chicken breasts
Broccolli
Carrots
Snow peas
Baby Corn
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce to taste
Small amount of palm sugar to taste

Yummy. Last night we ate it with some whole grain brown rice (which I only had a little of) and today and took it to work and just ate it more or less like a soup. We make it with huge protions of the veg. I find if I buy real imported Thai curry paste from an Asian market that if I use enough of it to get a nice flavor that it is way too hot for Super and the kids (though perfect for me). We used an American brand last night and it was a decent compromise (it was red). Masaman may still be my favorite however, and seems to be less spicey than the imported red or green we have tried.

I worry a little about all the calories and fat in the milk, but I'm not having a huge amount of it and the carbs and sugar are very low, plus it has some fiber.

[happyone]

One other thing about diabetic eating - Portion Control, Portion Control, Portion Control

Get a set of measuring cups and measure everything you eat - at least until you get you eyeballs calibrated. After that recalbrate every six months or so.