Diabetes Food Suggestions
 

There was another thread where someone requested to know of foods that are good for people that have been diagnosed with diabetes. I hope you will consider following this letters advice but please check with your doctor as to whether your diabetic condition will allow these suggestions especially with Splenda as it contains an ingredient that gives some diabetics side effects that are less than perfect.

I want to state that you must follow what your doctor recommends as each condition of diabetes is different.

I was diagnosed with a mild form of diabetes mellitus four years ago with an A1C reading of 7.1. After three months, I lost 20 pounds and my A1C dropped to 5.8 and I have been in control since. I did slip once to a reading of 7.1 but got it back into control in a couple of months. I was eating some things that were not good and did not realize it. In addition to thinking I was bulletproof and cheating too much. Cheating begets cheating that leads to putting things in one’s mouth without thinking of the consequences.

The following has worked for me:
1. Oatmeal, (not the packets that contain a lot of sugar).
2. Egg-Beaters.
3. Multi-grain bread.
4. Lean Cuisine dinners.
5. Apples or pears. Summer fruits have a ton of natural sugar.
6. Yogurt Light, (fat free).
7. Almonds, (a handful is possible)
8. Healthy Choice Soups.
9. Sandwich with plain tuna and no mayo or almost fat free cold cuts
10. Barilla Multi Grain Pasta, (omega 3 type).
11. Sugar free jelly with Splenda.
12. Sugar free syrup with Splenda.
13. Water with meals.
14. Fiber One cereal, (bran is best).
15. Fat Free milk.
16. Multi-grain English Muffins.
17. Mills organic pancake mix.
18. Triscuits with Healthy Choice Soup.

A Day of food is:
1. A bowl of oatmeal with a packet of Splenda. Large water for breakfast or two slices of multi-grain toast with one slice that has egg beaters and the other sugar free jelly or a bowl of Fiber One cereal with a slice of multigrain toast with sugar free jelly.
2. Two cups of coffee, (black with no sugar).
3. Yogurt at 10 AM for a snack or a piece of fruit.
4. Lunch is a Lean Cuisine dinner with an apple, large water. You can tell I’m single. I like the “Chicken Primavera”, “Chicken Mediterranean” and “Shrimp with Angel Hair” pasta choices, (low in fat and sugar content).
5. Almonds at 3 PM for a snack.
6. Dinner is a can of Healthy Choice soup with a sandwich of tuna or lean almost fat-free cols cuts, (turkey or ham). A substitute for a sandwich could be an apple or pear or Triscuits.
7. A cup of tea with fat-free milk and two slices of multi-grain toast with sugar free jelly for a snack at 10 PM if needed.

Warning:

Some sugar free choices including bran cereal will taste lousy at first but you will find that you will get use to the taste after eating it for a while the foods that have a lot of sugar will taste really yucky like processed cake.

Guidelines:
1. Eating in small amounts lets your body burn some calories off and gets you to the next snack.
2. It’s all about portion control.
3. It’s a lifestyle change in eating habits, not a diet. IMHO - Diets fail as it hints that you are depriving yourself of certain foods.
4. I try not to eat anything that has more than 10 grams of sugar on the label.
5. I try to not eat anything that has more than 30% fat total for every 100 calories.
6. Meat should be as lean as possible, (ground beef at 93% is much better than 70 or 80%).
7. It is recommended that you exercise three times a week, (minimum).

I got my last test results back today and my A1C is 5.7. My sincere hope is these suggestions help someone to eat healthier and control their diabetes. Doctors have a ton of literature that explains a lot about food choices. You owe it to yourself to stay healthy and control this insidious disease as the alternative is not pretty.

Best Wishes for everyone’s future health.

Whole wheat would be even better than multi-grain, wouldn't it?

I look at the sugar and fat content. I thought that whole grains food are better for your health including your heart.

There is one multi-grain bread that is low in calories and contains a decent amount of fiber. It's made by Arnold and called Heathy something or you can buy a multi-grain bread that contains double the amount of fiber. As long as it not white bread.

In general, whole grain breads and products that contain a decent amount of fiber is what I tend to eat.

A find these suggestions very good and will print out for my husband who has type 2 insulin dependent diabetes, and we fight his blood sugar all the time. However, could you explain you statement about Spenda not being a good choice for "some" diabetics??

Thanks.

Richard and Lee in Tampa

Sorry Duplicate post.

The Monroe Diabetes class taught us that it is important to have the right amount of carbs VS proteins at each meal and snack. Of course cutting out hydrogenated oils, fats and sugar is good. The emphasis was more fresh products, serving size and the carb/protein equation.

I really can't explain except a person I used to talk about his diabetes said Splenda had an ingredient in it that was not good for him. As far as I know, it will not harm you but I am not a doctor.

One time the nutritionists said not to use too many packets when trying to sweeten something. I generally don't have more than two packets a day, (oatmeal and tea).

I have been using it for several years with no problems. In my case, my doctor says it does not affect my diabetes but I would check with your doctor.

Look out for hydrogenated oils in bread. I believe Sara Lee is one of the few without.

Thank you 2BNTV
 

Will copy this thread and use as a great guide for the "ole boy"....

p.s. He is doing GREAT...Lost 30 lbs. and we BOTH feel great!

I just wanted to add that the list of foods I posted is not everything you need to consider when dealing with diabetes. As anyone knows that deals with this condition, there are many more factors that go into controlling this disease.

A plethora of information is available from any doctor and everyone should do what is best for them. I just wanted to post some foods that have helped me in controlling my condition.

I did not mean that every diabetes sufferer is exactly the same and there are a lot of things to be aware of.

This subject is close to my heart and it is herediary im my family. Several members have passed away from not trying to control their eating habits.

If I sounded like this was everything one needs to know or like I know it all, I apologize.

2bntv
 

I for one appreciate all your good info and hope everyone will take this awful disease seriously....Like I said b4, NOTHING that goes in the "pie-hole" is worth losing a limb, your sight or your life!...Not even BEER!

Try unsweetened almond milk!!!! no sugar vs. 11 gm in whole/skim milk.

I do the oatmeal, fresh veggies, high protein stuff
all in all , works well

Like John N. just posted, We try to eat fresh veggies, for fruits we eat berries, our protein is seafood, and we don't drink milk. Another good milk alternative besides almond milk is coconut milk, and coconut creamer for coffee (Sweetbay has this).

Someone earlier in this thread asked if whole wheat is better than multi-grain and the answer is NO. Whole wheat bread has a higher glycemic index than white bread. And instead of multi-grain, look for something that says WHOLE grain.

My body is extra sensitive to carbs, so those are very limited for me. If I ate the foods recommended in the first post, I would be in trouble. But that is just me, and everyone is different and must do what is best for them.

For those who eat oatmeal, we have found the most yummy oatmeal ever. It is called "steel-cut oats" or "Irish oatmeal". It is in the grocery right next to the regular rolled oats. Try it, please! Here is our recipe:

Follow directions on box for the amount of oats and water and salt (don't leave out the salt, very important). Then when you first begin to boil the oats, add a generous amount of chopped walnuts, so they cook right along with the oatmeal. When the oatmeal is done and in your individual bowl to sweeten use "DaVinci Caramel Syrup" (sweetened with Spenda and available for $5 at Sams Club). Add a little almond or coconut milk, and 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon (1 Tablespoon for each bowl). We also add a handful of fresh blueberries or cut up strawberries. THIS IS SOOOO GOOD.

A typical day for us is:

Breakfast - Steel Cut Oatmeal, eggs, coffee.
Lunch - Tunafish salad (no bread) or a "green smoothie"
Supper - Fish - or Shrimp - or other seafood with Salad w/ home-made dressing (I've got good recipes for dressings if anyone is interested)

Just went to a new doctor last week and had my blood tested -- No sign of diabetes! :clap2: