OT - diabetes diet

[ephraimh]

My wife has type 2 and takes insulin. She is increasing her insulin as instructed and her A1c levels are not going down.

Would someone please suggest what foods she must drop and what to replace them with? We know the carbs must be cut back enormously. What grains and fruits, and other stuff should we avoid or avoid? We eat a lot of processed food out of convenience, her fatigue, and general emotional predisposition. I am in a wheelchair and have epilepsy. Even if I could stand and cook the stress would cause seizures. I've been on SS disability for 15 years. Thanks

[Julie]

Ask her doctor for a referral to a nutritionist/dietician to whom the doctor should send her history. We are NOT doctors, and while some here are pretty knowledgable about Cpap, we would be irresponsible to even suggest anything re a diabetic's diet (tho' I'm sure many will chime in with their histories and advice).

[jnk...]

I choose to follow the advice written by Dr. Jason Fung.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/book-change- ... jason-fung

[ephraimh]

Thanks, JNK.

[bwexler]

There are some simple rules, but they are not easy to follow.
Avoid sugar.
Avoid imitation sugar.
Avoid stuff that turns to sugar in your system.
Almost anything white turns to sugar, white flour, white pasta, white rice, white potatoes.
Alcoholic beverages.
Sweetened and artificially sweetened carbonated beverages.
Fruit juices concentrate the fruit sugars.

As you probably already know, processed foods do an excellent job of hiding sugar, salt and
many other things in their ingredient list under names we can't even pronounce, let alone understand.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list but rather a place to begin your research.

Physical exercise is also a relevant component of beating diabetes.

[chunkyfrog]

Moderation, not abstinence.
A little more walking--less bread, pasta, and sweets.
Small changes are easier to maintain.
Second helpings can be delayed--indefinitely.
Cutting something in half is almost always a good choice--"regular" size is often hog size.
Are you eating all of that? Give some away.

[Barbee]

I try to limit my carbs to 40-50 per day. I dont eat any fruit with the exception of berries and no fruit juice at all. I switched to a high fiber, whole wheat bread but not at every meal. I eat vegetables with every meal. If theres something Im not sure if its spiking my sugar I test by taking my sugar before eating, 1 hour later, then another hour later.
I am not a soda drinker, and that makes a huge difference. My hubby is a diet soda drinker and it messes him up big time.
Excercise is super important. One of the easiest ways to lower your numbers is by regular exercise. Just 20-30 minutes a day can make a big difference.

[Okie bipap]

My wife brought hers under control by following the South Beach Diet. This is modified Mediterranean diet that calls for a lot of fresh vegetables, fish, and chicken. It is also low carb, especially the first few weeks.

[zonker]

i don't know what your financial situation is, only that you mentioned you're on ss disability. but it's that disability i'm thinking of. you don't want to stand and become stressed, thus leading to seizures.

i've been thinking about this all afternoon and finally decided to google "prepared meals for diabetics". i came up with-

https://www.freshnlean.com/diabetic-meal-delivery/

https://www.bistromd.com/diabetes/diabe ... ry-program

https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-d ... uidelines/

-among others. i didn't check into them, but i would imagine that it wouldn't come cheap.

maybe one of them has an option for just a few meals a week?

anyway, i hope this helps!

[TropicalDiver]

As others have noted, limiting carbs (to some extent) combined with exercise (if tolerated) can be very helpful. Vegetables (other than corn and potato) along with lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats (such as nuts) come to mind.

Diabetes can be a hard disease in many ways and (especially when part of metabolic syndrome) has many, many, complications to watch for. This challenge really requires the help of your PCP (and, ideally, medically trained coaching staff as well)

That said, I agree with Julie -- talk to your PCP about a referral to a dietitian. Ideally, the dietitian helps come up with a plan unique to her needs. Some things I would want to see considered when that plan is developed:
a) Your (and her) limitations around food preparation.
b) Any issues around food allergies or intolerances -- as well as any other medical concerns (including, but not limited to, diabetes).
c) Balances the need for various proteins, fats, nutrients and carbs.
d) Focuses on foods that help both manage blood glucose levels but also help with related cardiovascular and other concerns.
e) Accomplishes weight loss (if appropriate) or maintaining a healthy weight.
f) Plans for easy to grab (pre-made -- perhaps by you) but healthy snacks.

I would also see if your PCP can refer her to a class on managing diabetes in general -- ideally see if you can attend as well. I would also think about tools that might be especially valuable (a way to prep certain foods while seated, kitchen scale, perhaps something like an instant pot, etc.) for you.

[Jack Burton]

I have type 2 diabetes and I eat low carb high fat.
No grains, no potatoes and no sugar.
Vegetables every meal keeps the trillion or so little friends who live in my gut happy.
I actually like vegetables now.

Someone mentioned Dr. Jason Fung already, I concur.

Please check out https://www.diabetesdaily.com

[SewTired]

The easiest way to dive in to control your blood sugar is to follow either Mediterranean diet or Weight Watchers. I have nothing against Keto or other suggestions here - many work. But the failure rate is high, especially long term, when many people try to switch their lifestyle too dramatically.

Portion sizes are the biggest problem. Limit potatoes to 3 oz. Limit rice to 1/2 cup. Limit fruit to normal serving sizes (many fruits in grocery store are super-sized - 2-3 servings. If you can limit yourself to 2 'breads' per day (potatoes, rice, bread, pasta), you will find your blood sugar getting under control pretty well without eliminating any food item.

I personally find that pineapple is one of the worst fruits for me for blood sugar, but I combine a few chunks with my stir fry.

I found more success eliminating all junk food and most processed food from the house. Less temptation helps tremendously and most of that stuff isn't healthy for you anyway.

[SewTired]

Ask her doctor for a referral to a nutritionist/dietician to whom the doctor should send her history. We are NOT doctors, and while some here are pretty knowledgable about Cpap, we would be irresponsible to even suggest anything re a diabetic's diet (tho' I'm sure many will chime in with their histories and advice).

Irresponsible? Really? and you are on a cpap board?

[Captain_Midnight]

Some good advice above, especially to reduce carbohydrates (esp in the evening).

A few years back, the woman who's cubicle was next to mine mentioned to me that she'd been diagnosed w type 2 diabetes.

I suggested that she look into the Zone diet, which restricts carbs but is fairly well balanced. She lost 50 (50) pounds in less than 3 months, and her blood sugars were normalizing.

And, she found herself on diabetes patients online forums (similar to this fine apnea forum), and corresponded with others and found that if she reduced her carbs even more than the 40 30 30, her blood sugar was even better.

When it comes to diets, there are several good ones, and lots of success stories. Mine is that the major reduction of (1) sugar (including fructose in processed 'foods', (2)the reduction of other carbs, especially grains and especially wheat, and (3) the reduction of dairy all give me the most energy during the day, the best sleep at night, and the best waistline.

As an aside, I do believe that diet threads are among the most interesting and the most valuable to all of the members on this fine forum.

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[Arlene1963]

As an aside, I do believe that diet threads are among the most interesting and the most valuable to all of the members on this fine forum.

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