? for Type 2 diabetics or healthy eaters

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JustAnotherThou

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I was recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic. I am trying to follow a diabetic diet, although with all my research I can not find how many grams of sugar a type 2 can have (if any). My dr told me to eliminate as much sugar as I can (along with eating more whole grains, veggies and stuff). I guess I didn’t realize until recently that almost everything (it seems) has sugar in it. When I read labels I am trying my hardest to find things without sugar at all. Is there a level of how many grams per serving is OK? For example, I love Special K berry cereal. It has 10g of sugar per serving. Canned peaches is another one it has 14 g. Is that considered a lot for someone who is type 2?

I am not asking this question for medical advice. I just know that there are probably some people on here that are more knowledgeable than I am about nutritional stuff.
 
I’m not diabetic, but I try to eat healthy most of the time. The best choices for cereal are the ones with the most fiber and the least sugar. I stick with All-Bran, shredded wheat, Cheerios, and oatmeal for the most part. 10g of sugar per serving is a bit much, IMO, esp. considering that a “serving” is usually 3/4 of a cup or so, and most people eat twice that much at one sitting. I avoid canned fruits simply because I prefer things fresh, but if you are wanting to eat the canned ones, stick with the ones that are packed in water and not syrup. The syrup adds quite a bit of sugar. A google search of low-sugar diets could give you some good sources, but it might be wise to talk with a dietician since you are new at this. Ask your doctor for a referral, and then your insurance should pay for it. Good luck to you, and God bless.
 
I have insulin resistance that goes along with my PCOS. So what I do to avoid sugar is not count grams–that would drive me bonkers 😛 , I just watch ingredients. I try to avoid sugar and white flour, and eat a lot of whole grains.

For your example of cereal, I just look for cereals where sugar is not one of the first 3 or 4 ingredients, and the first couple of ingredients are whole grains. For the peaches, get the ones in juice, not syrup (lots of added sugar there!). You have to read labels! The ingredients are listed in order of what is the largest amount, so if sugar is the first, second, or third ingredient in a food, that means it has a lot of sugar. If sugar is the last or nearly last on the list, then there isn’t much sugar in it. Of course you have to know all other names for sugar, like corn syrup, fructose, cane juice, etc. Anything with -ose at the end is a sugar, and anything listed as syrup is sugar. They try to be sneaky! And I always buy baked goods that are listed as whole grain since they have a lower glycemic index than anything with refined white flour. It’s tough sometimes, but it’s worth it to stay healthy.
 
You might ask your doc to set you up a consult with a dietician.
 
My Dr has referred me to a dietician, although I can’t get in to see one until May 21st.
Thank you for your responses. I am ashamed to say I thought 10g would have been considered low 🤷 My dr has given me 6 months to try to control this with diet alone, before she prescribes meds, so I am trying to start now.
I have been reading labels for years for high fructose corn syrup, we have a couple factories in town that make that stuff and no one can tell me that stuff is not TOXIC!!!
I usually eat fresh or frozen fruits, with the exception of peaches. My great grandfather owned a peach orchard when I was younger and to this day I can’t eat a peach off the tree 🤷
 
I’m a nursing student, and in the hospitals, we do “carb counts” for Type 2 patients. Then, insulin is given to “cover” the number of carbs eaten during the meal. So I think that good control of Type 2 means avoiding sugar and also being aware of the type of carbohydrates you eat. Complex carbs are what you should go for- whole grains, low-starch veggies, and brown rice. Another way I look at labels is to check on two things- I like to make sure that sugar is less than 10g per serving, and that sugar is NOT one of the first four ingredients listed. It’s amazing how many foods are eliminated just by checking those two things. Then go for whole wheat pastas, breads, pita pockets, and tortillas, plain cereals like shredded wheat, grape nuts, all-bran when you’re buying your grain products. Also, shopping the “outer aisles” at the grocery store goes a long ways- you’ll find that all of the processed, refined, sugary, starchy stuff is packed into the middle of the store. See how much you can find by walking the outer aisles first and then pick out a few “essentials” from the middle aisles and see if your cart looks different than it usually does.
 
I have type 2 diabetes and control it pretty good with diet and metformin.

I eat a large majority of raw foods. I eat whole grains and whole grain bread. If you can find a bread with 9 ingredients or less…choose that one. I eat Ezekial Bread. It is made with sprouted grains and prepared bibically. I get it through Azure Standard. They have a website and do deliver.

Sugar is hidden in many ways…look for sugar, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, etc. Make sure that it is not one of the 1st 4 ingredients…that is very good advice.
Yogurts is one thing that I had to avoid as it has too much sugar and a high glycemic index.
Also, regular exercise helps lower insulin levels.

Avoid canned fruit, even the ones with a light syrup have a lot of excess sugar.

When I started eating more raw veggies I automatically and maybe instinctually reduced my sugar intake.

Good luck to you.
 
The good news about your diagnosis is this is the way you should be eating all the time.

If you don’t want to count calories/grams of sugar, you can follow an Atkins or South Beach type of diet (less portion control) and get about the same effect.

I have had many patients with resting glucoses of 170 drop to 105 after starting Atkins.

Atkins is a lifestyle, not a diet. It does you justice to read his book and take in what the late, great Dr. Atkins had to say about the subject of diabesity.

Anyway, in short, Atkins Lifestyle is a caveman diet - meat, berries, leafy green vegetables, and nuts (and some cheese). As someone noted - it’s all the outer aisles. Your cabinet goes bare as your fridge gets packed.🙂

And of course, check with your own personal physician as I don’t have a complete whole health history on you.
 
Scanner said:
Your cabinet goes bare as your fridge gets packed.🙂
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I have been trying to talk DH into a larger fridge, maybe my next shopping trip will convince him 😃

Actually I grew up on a cattle farm and we ate meat daily (almost every meal). Since I moved far away from my family and can’t get good meat anymore it seems that all type of health problems have been creaping up. 🤷
DH & I ordered 1/4 of an organic cow, our cow won’t be ready until July 😦
I can’t eat most store meats because a lot of them have some chemical in them to keep them looking red and I am allergic to that chemical. I found that out the hard way when I went away to college!!
Anyway, thank you for all the advice.
 
My mom is Type 2 and about 3 years ago I had an A1C done which was high. It was during a very stressful time at work, very little sleep for months etc… However since I really don’t want to be blind or loose my feet someday I jumped right in…

I’m a big guy but I use to be about 60lbs bigger. The first thing I did was to start working out, cut my carbs almost completely and quit sugery types of food.

Don’t get me wrong I didn’t go atkins type but I tried to make sure that the carbs I did it were whole grain etc… After about 4 months I had lost about 60 lbs and my next A1C was pretty much normal.

Since then I have added more carbs but still rarely eat major sugars like cake, candy etc… As I said, I’m still a pretty big guy but the blood sugar has held steady for the most part.

So I don’t think you have to kill yourself worrying, that will raise your blood sugar as well. Just be sensable. If you want some ice cream when everyone gets it, just get a half a scoop or a few bites to get the taste. I do still eat ceral, Honey Bunches of Oats and Cherios (no sugar on the Cherios though) and it’s not bothering me but that’s me…

Use your test kit, see how the sugar effects you. For me if I eat a small bowl before bed my BS is better the next morning. However I’ve got a friend who is the exact opposite (he is full blown Type 2).

Another suggestion, if you can (depending on where you live) buy your fruits and veggies at a local farmers market rather than at a grocery store.

Did you know that many areas in Europe, the less industralized ones like Serbia etc… have almost no Type 2? One of the theories, which makes sense, is that it’s because their produce is allowed to ripen on the vine.

In the late 80s body building found that certian combinations of amino acids really helped muscle growth w/o steroids. To really build muscle you HAD to have a good diet. The bottom line was that protien wasn’t just protien.

What they have found is just like that, sugar isn’t just sugar, as there are a number of different amino acids, there are ALSO a number of different macro sugars. Some of these we gets pretty much ZERO of in the US because our fruits and veggies aren’t allowed to ripen on the vine as these sugars do not develop until the end. If our bodies are looking for those, naturally, to help them regulate insulin, then removing those could definitely throw off how our bodies deals with the few types of sugar we do get…

Anyway just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

Joe
 
JustAnotherThou said:
I was recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic. …I am not asking this question for medical advice. I just know that there are probably some people on here that are more knowledgeable than I am about nutritional stuff.
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Uncontrolled diabetes has serious health consequences. Nutrition takes on medicinal qualities. You need professional advice that we can’t give you on this forum. Ask your doctor for a referal to a registered dietitian, (R.D.) They specialize in diets for disease. A diabetic diet isn’t only about eliminating refined sugar, although that is part of it. A dietitian–who answers specific questions and personalizes the dietary plan to the individual–is usually very important in managing diabetes.
 
I am not a Type 2, but I am a Type 1 who experiences a LOT of insulin resistance.

Before I got pregnant this time, I started the Carbohydrate Addict’s Lifespan Diet (Drs. Heller). It’s another low carb, low glycemic index -]diet/-] lifestyle. On this plan, you are allowed one “reward” meal a day which has its own limits. This diet was designed to cut carb cravings, lower insulin resistance and lower cholesterol levels.

I do agree that a dietician is helpful. However, not all of them are trained to my liking. The one that I met with at the beginning of this pregnancy recommended All Bran as a cereal choice. When I brought up that All Bran has Aspartame in it, she was surprised. There were some other things that struck me as not quite right. But, I don’t remember what they were now.

A LONG time ago, I began to cut artificial sweeteners out of my diet because they are allowed to use sugar as fillers to bulk them up. They put in as much as they can without having to report it on the label. Once I cut that garbage out, my insulin requirements (and A1C) dropped considerably.

The other great advice is to implement some sort of physical activity. It doesn’t have to be some aggressive program. Just begin with something that is do-able. Maintain that program and then add extra little things in over time. A great one is to park farther away at the store. Less time looking for a spot and exercise to boot!

Oh, another thing to look out for/cut out is MSG. It can really boost insulin resistance. The only problem is that food manufacturers don’t have to list MSG as such on the label. They can use terms such as “natural flavoring” or “spice.” There was another term listed in the Carb Addict’s book. But, I’ve forgotten it.

Best of luck to you as you begin a healthier lifestyle. Some of the best advice that I’ve learned over the years is that if you don’t do so well at a particular given time, don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, use it as a learning experience and grow from it.

If you have any questions or need support/to rant, you may feel free to PM me.
 
gardenswithkids said:
Uncontrolled diabetes has serious health consequences. Nutrition takes on medicinal qualities. You need professional advice that we can’t give you on this forum. Ask your doctor for a referal to a registered dietitian, (R.D.) They specialize in diets for disease. A diabetic diet isn’t only about eliminating refined sugar, although that is part of it. A dietitian–who answers specific questions and personalizes the dietary plan to the individual–is usually very important in managing diabetes.
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I am going to see a dietitian if you saw on my previous post. I don’t quite agree with you that nutrition advice should only be sought by medical professionals. I actually have find that there are a lot of people that eat healthy every day can give very practical advice. My cousin is type 1 diabetic and I have not heard back from him or my aunt since I emailed them the same questions I asked here. Although, I do remember MANY times as he was growing up that the dietitian would insist that they change his diet and it would mess him up pretty bad.
If at all possible I would rather try to get this under control with a better diet, which my dr also recommends. She gave me 6 months to try anyway 😃
I do feel that people on here have given me some VERY sound advice that is not medical advice it is lifestyle advice 😃
Thank you for your concern though. I agree that it is a serious disease and needs to be taken seriously.
 
This is the carb meal plan the dietitian set up for my type 2 diabetic DH:

45-60g carb for breakfast
60-75g carb each for lunch & supper
30g carb for an evening snack

He had much better control of his sugar when he limited himself to the lower number – or less.

The recommendation is that canned fruit be the type packed in juice, not syrup; things like bagels, while bread, fries, pancakes, juices should be avoided or eaten less frequently.

Some food are OK but may contain more carbs than you’d expect. 1/2 medium potato is 15 g carbs; 15 grapes = 15g carbs.
 
Are you testing your blood sugar several times a day? In the morning for a fasting level and 2 hours after meals? That’s the way to tell if your diet changes are enough.

I hope you get it under control. Good luck!
 
JustAnotherThou said:
I am going to see a dietitian if you saw on my previous post. I don’t quite agree with you that nutrition advice should only be sought by medical professionals. I actually have find that there are a lot of people that eat healthy every day can give very practical advice. …I do feel that people on here have given me some VERY sound advice that is not medical advice it is lifestyle advice 😃
Thank you for your concern though. I agree that it is a serious disease and needs to be taken seriously.
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Sorry, I missed post #5 where you wrote you had an apt. set up in May with a dietitian. :o I agree that many people can give practical advice on healthy eating, but not everyone who thinks they eat healthy knows a diabetic diet.

Even if we know about our own or someone else’s diabetic diet, you asked for very specific advice such as how many grams of carbohydrate to eat. What someone’s husband or cousin’s uncle’s sister probably won’t be what you need. And what do you need? We don’t know. People with type II diabettes are often overweight; simply loosing weight oftens helps control their blood sugar levels. But maybe you aren’t overweight–we can’t tell. If a person with diabetes does need to loose weight but has kidney damage or heart disease (both common in diabetics) some types of weight loss diets may cause complications. Exercise is generally good too, but most every article or book cautions about checking with your doctor before begining an exercise program. I know you say you are just asking about diet and lifestyle and think that you received sound diet advice here, but do you know enough about diabetes yet to know if you hadn’t?

I am glad that you are taking your diabetes seriously. It must be a little scary for you right now. Prayers for you and your health. :gopray:
 
Diet is a very controversial issue right now. Many dieticians give good advice, but others don’t. The ADA with their food pyramid is stuck back in the 1950s and no one should listen to them.

I would recommend reading a book by Dr Steven Gundry called Diet Evolution. Dr Gundry is the leading cardiac surgeon in the country, who has invented several cutting edge technologies for heart surgery. He is not a flybynight MD with an eye for a quick buck. His book goes the next step beyond Atkins, with a gradual evolution into a diet which is ideal for good health. It does not involve any carbohydrates, which he thinks are killing us. (vegetables are all right)

I eat no more than 15 gms of carbs at a meal, and have been surviving fine for several months, and have lost 12 lbs.
 
The best thing you did for yourself was to make that appointment with the dietician. But you might also consider a diabetic counselor. I see one about every six weeks. She is wonderful and has given me many tips.(Insulin resistant here) The important thing to remember is that everyone is an individual and what works for one may not work for another. You best source of info should be your counselor/nutritionist.

Kathy
 
I agree with Viki59. Much of what dietitians and doctors are teaching us is to keep us sick enough to keep their incomes steady or increased.

I just found the following website that seems to have some good low-carb lifestyle info. Low Carb Luxury

I plan on implementing as much of this as I can. Right now I am using over twice the amount of insulin I was before I was pregnant. I can only imagine what my triglycerides level is right now… 😦
 
Thank you all again for you suggestions and prayers.

Jessamy - The Dr is not making me check my blood sugar at home as of yet. She really believes if I just get my diet under control that I could reverse this in a matter of months. She has given me 6 months to change my diet, lose some weight and hopefully get this under control quick. She has referred me to a dietician to help, I hope I get a good one.

Exercise is also at the top of my list. DH and I have started walking every night and I have been walking to work every morning.

For all of you that have recommended various books, thank you. At this time I think I am going to just do the “Shop on the outside of the Store Diet”, this is also what my Dr recommended for me to do, until I can see the dietician. Our Farmers Market is also starting up in a couple weeks, I love the fresh fruits and veggies they offer so I am hoping to be their best customer this summer!!! DH & I started to eat more organic food awhile back, now I have to give up the organic cookies!! 😦 LOL (they are 100% better than other cookies) 👍

I do have to say that it is sad that a diagnosis such as this is what it takes for some of us to get our selves in gear to a healthier lifestyle. I highly suggest anyone who is in risk of type 2 get tested and take it seriously.

I will keep you all posted how things go with my change in eating and exercising!

God Bless all of you!!!
 
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