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My hubby is a type 2 diabetic who is really struggling with keeping his blood sugar down lately. We decided to revolutionize his diet regarding carbs switching to low carb products. We recently discovered low carb bread at a specialty bakery but holy cow it is $4.50 per loaf versus $1.75 for the cheapest regular bread at a large chain supermarket. I have invested in a bread machine and bought some of the bakery’s bread mix to make my own but even that is almost $3.00 per loaf. Does anyone have any good low carb bread receipes I could try? He is switching out potatoes and rice in favour of slaws and salads but he does need a little carb. I don’t mind eating the low carb either as I’m finding it easier on my digestive tract. Any advice would be appreciated.
All good diabetes clinics will have a dietician on staff and I recommend for any diabetic (being a Type 1 myself for 41 years) to arrange a consult with a registered dietician who deals with diabetes as a specialty. Also to have an endocrinologist as a doctor looking after you. Why mess around with a generalist when a specialist is cutting edge (sort of like bladder cancer and urologists).
The long term complications of diabetes are nasty and include heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputation, kidney failure for which diabetes is either the leading cause or one of the leading causes. Moderate exercise on a regular basis (even a long walk) combined with well rounded eating habits and appropriate medication are the three most common balancing points, as I am sure you know.
Diets don’t work. Life style changes are better.
Done preaching. But this health issue is also very close to my heart – and I’ve had a heart attack and bypass surgery!
Thanks for your insight Greg. My hubby too, had a diabetic related heart attack back in 1999. This was partly due to the doctor not informing us of the “wicked three” (High blood pressure, high cholesterol combined with high blood sugar). He has been on meds since to address all problems. He does exercise fairly regularly (walking, golfing) etc. We did have a consult with a dietician but her recommended diet was one full of chemicals and artifical sweetners, not what we liked. I have recommended to my hubby to contact the Canadian Diabetes Association but he won’t. Diet changes are helping. It seems if he can be consistent about the type of carb he ingests then his sugars stay (with meds) in the normal range. Funny enough sweets don’t raise his blood sugar too much just starches like bread and pasta, rice. So our goal now is to experiment with lower carb versions that he can enjoy in small portions and not have the worry of his sugar shooting up.
That being said it took a long time for my hubby to accept the fact that this was a life long condition with no known cure at this time. He was always under the assumption if he took a few Metformin then he’d be cured. When that didn’t happen he had a really rough time mentally. He has “matured” in this area finally.
I have found that things like pasta and pizza (even gluten free) spike my blood glucose levels as they are more complex carbs. I also know that combining protein with carbs extends the “life” of the carb so that its action is more long term. “Grazing” is also a good eating style, that is, not having three larger meals, but having six times for smaller portions (B, snack, L, snack, S, snack). I’ve never been very good at doing this as I do not really like to snack. But I maybe am paying for that. I’m type 1, of course, and on an insulin pump, so it is quite a different thing from a type 2.
If he can keep his hemoglobin A1c below 7 mmol, he will be in great shape. As you know, that measures the average blood glucose level over the last 12 weeks or so. I also stick my finger six or seven times a day to get instant blood glucose readings. Many type 2 diabetics don’t do this – but they probably should much more frequently. Then eating becomes more of a science based on a knowledge of what the level already is before you eat more and push it higher.
Ain’t medicine grand?
My hubby has gotten better about testing his blood sugar; usually 4-6 times a day. He has found he can tolerate small amounts of low carb pasta and bread without a spike. Gluten free products are not low carb. The amount of gluten in a product doesn’t have any effect on the blood sugar. We are still experimenting with learning to make low carb bread. I’ll post again later about our results.
Gluten-free is in fact “high” carb if there is such a thing. When they replace the wheat with other non gluten containing flours they tend to also add sugars and fats and increase the carbs significantly. People sometimes think that eating gluten free will help them lose weight and exactly the opposite tends to happen unless they watch the carbs. Gluten itself is from a protein so it does not affect your blood sugar directly.
I find small portions are better than low carbs.
I do well on whole grain bread , brown rice, wheat pasta . Yams, squash vegies. As for sweets. I allow one sweet a day or two small portions a day.
My levels have been down to normal levels for the most part . As for drinks, I try to drink ice tea or coffee (decaf for both).
Salads, mushrooms, tomatoes with low fat dressing is good, plus sliced meats and some cheeses.Protein isn’t a factor, so at times I snack on salami, pepperoni, roast beef on whole wheat crackers or bread.
Just a few of the things I do that have kept me off pills or insulin for years now. Plus try to lose weight (if needed) and get exercise daily,.Even 15 m inutes is better than nothing.
good luck , it is habit forming doing all these things. Second nature now.
Well, this is going to hurt (me), but Greg is right. And I really don;t like to say that publicly. Maybe he’ll be nice to me now. And throw your pasta sauce recipe away.
Ki
http://www.food.com/recipe/best-low-carb-bread-bread-machine-102631
This sounds like a good one , marysue And it goes great with my spaghetti sauce!
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