Diabetic snacks

southerngurl, Apr 17, 9:13am
Just found out I'm diabetic, and wanna buy/make things for lunches, to go with my main part of my meals. Also would like ideas for snacks to take with me during the day for morning and afternoon teas.

cgvl, Apr 17, 9:11pm
depends on whether you are a type one or two and if on medication what type, frequency and amount. Your doctor or doctors nurse should have given you a lot of information regarding diet etc and referred you to a diabetic clinic also.
Your best bet is to talk to a diabetic dietician and specialist nurse and join your local diabetic support group.
Basically you need to read labels on everything, watch the amount of carbohydrates (CHO) stated on packets per 100gms and reduce or substitute sugar in your diet, The rest is by trial and error IMHO.

I will bump the diabetic thread as there maybe some tips and info in there to help as well.

pixiegirl, Apr 17, 10:43pm
hi southerngurl & cgvl - seen my diabetic nurse the other days and snacks are now only if needed - they seem to have done a complete 360 degree turn up here with the eating plan cgvl and she said if my sugars drop to a lowish level than have a snack and if not dont worry. They dont seem to be pushing the high carbs as much. Southerngurl have a read of a thread called Food lies etc - buzzy and the others talk a lot about high carbs andhow they affect the body and sugars etc - very worthwhile read and very eyeopening - I have cut down carbs a lot from what I was - I found the more I ate them the more I wanted them. Another good thing to get if you haven't already gor one is to get a meter - that way you can test yourself on a regular basis and see what foods affect you. Also a great book was recommended to me which is called the Diabetes Solution - can get it from the library and it isa well recommended read especially for someone who has been diabetic for long time. Agree with cgvl best to read labels on everything - will take you longer shopping lol but sugar can be everywhere in food - hidden under all sorts of names even in the stuff with the lovely little red tick on it! ! Keep us posted on how you are going and never be afraid to ask any questions - everyone is here to help each other.

uli, Apr 18, 12:27am
it would help soo much if you could just start your post with - "I am diabetic1"

Or " I am diabetic 2"

as really these are two completely unrelated diseases...

Then if you could add:
I am D2 and have the following medication...
we would know that this is another completely whole new ballgame ...

Do you actually realize that you can heal yourself from D2? altogether?

I am very lucky to have a very "enlightened" GP - and although I am not diabetic - it is so nice to talk about the options...

However he tells me that he only had 1 patient who was determined enough to get out of D2 via diet - all the other ones (I would guess thousands) would not bother ... he didn't really want to answer my question about how he felt about this ...

southerngurl, Apr 18, 12:56am
I'm D2, i don't need to hear about things i need to do, i've had that info thrown at me all week. I've been given a list of good ingredients but I can't think of ways to put them together for lunches etc.

And Uli, I'm not one of those not doing anything about it, I thought i'd done enough with change of diet and loss of weight, but obviously i haven't which pisses me of so much. They have said that another 10-15 kg might be enough to rectify things, but at the moment ive been whacked hard by these new meds that I'm just starting to get on my feet again.

I just want ideas for small snacks and to go on the side of lunches.

cgvl, Apr 18, 2:05am
southerngurl.
Snack idea's try vege sticks ie celery, carrot etc,
olives are ok if you like them.
crackers but read the label to check fat and sugar cho content. off hand can't remember the ones I use but rice crackers are probably ok.
Avocado, tomatoes, the cherry ones. You could try cubed cheese, some fruit but here you need to watch if it puts you high.
I have found (trial and error) that a good hearty cooked breakfast ie bacon and eggs will keep me going until lunch. Follow that with a big salad with fish or cold meat and I'm fine until tea time, but I do snack of fresh vege while getting tea ready. Have found no need for snacks but those are a few suggestions.
I'm off out for a bit so will have a think and see if I can come up with anything else for you.

pixiegirl, Apr 18, 3:22am
hi again southerngurl, I feel for you - know what your week has been like - there is just so much info at you all at once but hang in there. Sounds like you have been doing a lot of the right stuff already with the weight loss etc. Do you have a meter - if not get hold of the diabetes nurse and arrange to get one - seriously they are good and you will be able to guage what works best for your body. I find same as cgvl if I have a good brekkie, yes bacon and scrambled eggs I am not on the hunt for something to snack on. I used to get so frustrated when shopping as they seemed to have shelves dedicated to gluten free, weight building but nothing for diabetics. I wanted it simple - I just wanted to walk up to the item, know I could have it and that was it - but no such luck.
Snacks are my problemas I usually tend to head to all the stuff I shouldn't be eating. What about hard boiled eggs as a snack - they should be fine I think. I will also put on my thinking cap for you and see what else I can come up with.

The information people give you is worthwhile following up on but can understand your head must be spinning after this week. I know mine was when I first found out I was diabetic back in the early 90's. I sat in the car and cried for an hour, than kicked myself in the butt and told myself not to be so stupid. I recommended that book to you as it was written by a diabetic doctor and the symptoms he went through - well damn it could have been written for me. I will have a look in the diet book of his as well and see what he recommends as snacks and let you know.

Anyway please keep us in the loop with how you are getting on etc, we all learn from each other here. All the best and remember you are not alone.

lythande1, Apr 18, 4:13am
Type 2. All you need to worry about is sugar - cut it out totally. And carbohydrates - specifically flour based items, potato, rice. Cut them way down. That's it. The dieticians will bang on about the usual standard crap too - fat, salt etc. That has no effect on the sugar levels, sugar and carbs of the sort I mentioned do.

southerngurl, Apr 18, 5:24am
I've had a glucose reader and insulin pen since thurs and find both easy enough to adapt into my everyday life. Like you Pixie that was what i wanted, to be able to walk up to shelves and find food for me, I'm so stoked that Thrifty juice is on the allowed list, cos as good as water is sometimes you want a little something else.

My dietitian's awesome, I thought she'd give me a huge list of what i have to cut out, but instead it was just a small (surprisingly small) list of what I have to cut back on. I'm not a big carb eater anyway because it plays up with my IBS (Irratable Bowel syndrome) and things like dairy i can't have a lot of cos it reacts with my Migraines,

Theres a triple banger, Diabetes, IBS, and Migraines. . what else does a girl need.

Good to know about the book, i'll get it i think, also I think i'll get diabetes for dummies, cos its doing everyone elses head in as well :)

The hardest thing is breakfast, I can't normally stomach food at that time of day, tends to make me want to vomit, but i'm getting used to the idea of something like tomato on toast, or weetbix... anything like bacon and eggs in the morning -the smell is bad enough Lol... .

thanks for the info guys...

gilligee, Apr 18, 5:38am
Do not beat yourself up Southerngirl. Diabetes 2 is a progressive illness. Once you have sorted out your food intake sensibly just relax. No amount of dieting and exercise can 'cure' diabetes but they can help control it and keep you feeling good.

southerngurl, Apr 18, 5:43am
well its gotta be abetter feeling than i've been for the last few weeks, total utter crap is putting it nicely...

uli, Apr 18, 8:04am
Ahh - look basically what you need to do is - you need to go on a low carb diet - there is so much out there - and even here on TM - BUT - because the diabetic nurses do not trust you to actually stick to it - they will give you medication.

And to avoid low blood sugar coma (because of the medication) they will tell you to eat carbs - to be "safe" ... bloody ridiculous and hilarious at once - if it wouldn't be so serious to your health...

Basically ALL you need to do being a D2 is to cut out the carbs - which is so easy to do - it will take 2 weeks of all your determination and then you will be over the "wants and needs" ...

But then - please do not take my advice as gospel - ask you diabetic nurse - and she will most likely tell you that you "need" to eat porridge to start your day ... while I would say you need bacon and eggs cooked in butter ... so there you go - google, read and educate yourself - and then take a decision - do you want to be part of the big "Pharma con" or do you want to take charge of your life? ? ?

Sorry to say - there is no easy way out - you need to learn and take decisions for yourself - rather than take pills ...

Very very good luck to you!

uli, Apr 18, 8:05am
Wrong!
My GP says that you CAN cure D2 with diet and exercise alone ... so there you go!

southerngurl, Apr 18, 8:27am
I dont think it will be any time soon that i eat food like that, i can't stomach it at that time of the day. .

yeah my doc said it can be cured too. . long as i get itdown low enough and keep it maintained. . I could come off the meds... might not be next week or next year but it can happen...

uli, Apr 18, 8:35am
southerngurl - please give it a try - and do not wait until next year or the year after.

There is heaps of help here.

Read his thread:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages. asp
x? id=75&p=145
which is all about support for low carb people

or this one:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages. asp
x? id=654&p=40
which is all about the Food Lies told by Doctors, Dietitians & Others ...

or this one:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages. asp
x? id=45&p=15
which has lots of low carb recipes for you to try and comment on.

Or join the low carb community and get all the help you need to get started and keep going:
http://www.lowcarbcooking.co.nz/forum/index. php

Just don't give up please - make yourself go into the right direction and as early as next month you could be free of med's ...
Give it a go - we are all here to help you make it happen :)

southerngurl, Apr 18, 8:42am
LOL don't worry i'm trying to be off this ASAP. . I'm already at the gym twice a week, and as soon as i feel better (this has really whacked me for a 6) then it'll be 3 or 4 times.

Diet we've already started on. . which has been good :)

uli, Apr 18, 8:45am
Glad to hear southerngurl - just remember "never give up" LOL :)

southerngurl, Apr 18, 8:47am
hey I have given up the booze to stop the abuse of my liver 5 years ago. .

and lost 50 kg to help my heart. . This is just a fork in the road for me :)

pixiegirl, Apr 19, 2:32am
just a quick thought with the carbs southerngurl, I asked my nurse the other day about low carb and no carb however apparently one of the tablets I take needs the carbs you eat - because I am lowering my carbs (50 years of bad habits here guys and I know it wont happen overnight) she has decreased this one tablet and hopefully may be able to come off that one all together. Well done for how far you have come. Keep up the good work.

joybells63, Feb 13, 9:42pm
it is not *standard crap* when diabetics are sitting ducks for heart disease and strokes... .

The information about fat and salt is CRITICAL.