No refined sugar or carbs.. what do you eat?

rosebette

Have you thought about being tested for anemia? Back in my premenopausal days, I had terrible PMS (depressed, ornery, and tired 10 or more days before onset) and heavy flow. It turned out I was anemic. The regular blood test that I had at the doctor's didn't pick it up, but I was rejected several times from donating blood because the test they give there showed low iron. There's an additional test for iron you can ask for. I began to increase my uptake of iron rich foods -- eggs, red meat, dark green vegetables. Also, often women are low in magnesium before onset, so I also started taking a magnesium supplement. By the way, chocolate is high in mangesium, which is why women at that time crave it! The other thing that helped me was to avoid salt before and during my TOM.

singingflutelady

My hypoglycemia showed up on a fasting blood test. My sugar drops when I haven't eaten anything for a while (it doesn't spike before it drops, it just drops). I'm weird though as I am not diabetic.

Annie_01

Francl27 wrote: »

kristen6350 wrote: »

Meat, eggs, full fat dairy? Not really sure what your goals are though...

Just nothing that will spike my blood sugar.

Keep the ideas coming! I just wish veggies were not so expensive right now.

I understand about the expense. When I had to go low sodium my hardest purchase was chicken. I had always paid $ per lb but to get chicken that didn't have the "solution" shot in to it I had to pay $$$ per lb. It took me some time to accept that if I wanted to go low sodium that I had to be willing to pay for food items that made my life easier and healthier. Any diet specific food is more expensive and seldom on sale. I just adjusted my budget in other places.

Yes some vegetables are expensive right now...others are still reasonable. Focus on the less expensive and save the higher priced vegetables for maybe once a week. Search the internet for recipes that will allow you to add plenty of the less expensive vegetables.

The other thing that I had to get over when my diet changed...spend my time finding solutions instead of whining about things. I have no idea if what you are doing is correct or necessary but if you feel it is then you are going to have to find a way to make it work.

I recall seeing many of your posts about always being hungry so I know you have been battling this for some time. If this new way of eating works for you then go for it...adjust your budget to include the foods that you can eat for those 10 days by maybe lowering the cost of food for the other 20 days.

QuilterInVA

Take a look at the www.Whole30.com. It isn't a diet but rather a 30-day elimination of the foods that give people problems. After the 30 days, you begin adding them back and noting if they produce symptoms or distress. That way you know what you need to avoid. I wonder at your beans, though for they are loaded with carbs.

lemurcat12

On vegetable expense, I checked the grocery yesterday and a head of cauliflower is back down to $2.99, at least.

QuilterInVA

In the winter, frozen vegetables are often a much cheaper option. Frozen vegetables can actually be more nutritious than fresh because they are frozen soon after picking and fresh has been warehoused, driven around, stored at the store and half the nutrition is gone.

lemurcat12

I agree, but I know Francl already eats lots of frozen veg, so didn't think there was a need to tell her about them.

vrojapu

I can totally relate to your problem. I've found protein shakes very helpful and will often chug down just protein powder dissolved in water, even! Hope this helps.

Springfield1970

If you are using the glycemic index to decide what to eat remember that if you add protein and fat to these foods, the whole thing becomes a different glycemic load.
As far as getting cross with people asking you to clarify with doctor, the questioning is probably mostly in benefit for everyone who may stumble across this thread and get ideas about self diagnosis when the issue could be lying in another place completely. I know it's your thread but its a public discussion.

Maybe an issue that needs looking at as it is a health risk.

Also, how do you know it's not just one thing, like caffeine, so maybe a proper elimination diet might be an idea. Taking one thing away per month? Caffeine drives my reproductive system haywire.

slvc0721

if you want to amp up the protein and turn down the carbs, at breakfast with your eggs instead of toast, as you said you eat toast, have a few slices of avacado it's a healthy source of protein and fat. At lunch instead of having your tuna,egg salad or turkey and cheese on bread, put it in between lettuce to cut the carbs.

Francl27

Springfield1970 wrote: »

If you are using the glycemic index to decide what to eat remember that if you add protein and fat to these foods, the whole thing becomes a different glycemic load.
As far as getting cross with people asking you to clarify with doctor, the questioning is probably mostly in benefit for everyone who may stumble across this thread and get ideas about self diagnosis when the issue could be lying in another place completely. I know it's your thread but its a public discussion.

Maybe an issue that needs looking at as it is a health risk.

Also, how do you know it's not just one thing, like caffeine, so maybe a proper elimination diet might be an idea. Taking one thing away per month? Caffeine drives my reproductive system haywire.

I know that doing it all at once was not a good idea but frankly I don't want to gain another 2 pounds (which is pretty much what's been going on the last 2 months). I'm sure I'll get to test it out at some point when it won't be possible for me to stick to my diet though (honestly don't know how people do it. Today I went to a birthday party where all there was to eat was pizza and cupcake and everyone asked me why I didn't want pizza. That and I didn't get to have lunch until 2pm because of that too. Good thing I had a snack beforehand).

I will definitely mention it again with my doctor when I see her in a few months though. I'd love to figure out what I can and can't do exactly, it's just tough when it only happens 10 days a month.

slvc0721 wrote: »

if you want to amp up the protein and turn down the carbs, at breakfast with your eggs instead of toast, as you said you eat toast, have a few slices of avacado it's a healthy source of protein and fat. At lunch instead of having your tuna,egg salad or turkey and cheese on bread, put it in between lettuce to cut the carbs.

Yeah I'm doing that! 3 days so far and so far so good.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

On vegetable expense, I checked the grocery yesterday and a head of cauliflower is back down to $2.99, at least.

Been eating cauliflower all week! Broccoli is on sale tomorrow, so that will be a nice change, lol.

jgnatca

There is a test you can do to figure out how low your blood sugar is dropping. Get yourself a glucometer. Suppliers often offer them for free or nearly free, sometimes with a coupon. You would only need a dozen tester strips or so to test over a couple days. Take a baseline fasting measurement first thing in the morning and then when you get the "shakes". People who are insulin resistant may feel like their sugars are bottoming out even when they are not.

Triplestep

I avoid refined sugars and starchy stuff; I just feel better when I do. I've cut them out completely in the past, so I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

I make this Vegetable Chickpea Curry in a slow cooker, divide, and freeze. Use frozen veggies to reduce prep time. I make the following adjustments for taste and a bit of carb reduction:

• Doubled the curry powder after reading the comments section.
• Didn't use the serrano chili, or red pepper, but added a tsp of chipotle pepper.
• Substituted sweet potato for the white potato.
• Used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. (you could eliminate it; there's not much in there).
• Subbed cauliflower for the green beans - the beans just tasted wrong.

I also make a slow cooker "chocolate chili" with turkey instead of beef, and also frozen veggies. I can give you my recipe, but you can just search for it online. It's popular among the paleo people, but they don't add veggies. Sometimes I eat it plain, or if I've burned a lot of calories that day, I add some brown rice. It's pretty filling either way.

I no longer eat toast with my eggs, but I do toss a wedge of laughing cow light into the pan while they're cooking. It's not exactly "unprocessed" but it's not sugar and it makes the eggs more filling.

One of my go-to snacks is anjou pears with boursin cheese. The cheese is a bit pricey unless you buy it at a warehouse club.

Speaking of which, chocolate mint Stabilyze bars are half price at Costco right now with an instant rebate. Obviously these contain sugar, but in case you decide to reduce the refined sugar and not eliminate, these are touted as low glycemic. I cut them in half, and they are quite satisfying.

Sabine_Stroehm

Francl27 wrote: »

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

So it looks like this is my lot 10 days every month. I could cry.

I'm already sick of beans, but I need something more filling than plain veggies...

Help?

I'm confused how you are coming to this conclusion? You have had no blood sugar test show this up according to your thread last night.

I really can't work out why you would want to do this under the guise of blood work. Are you just wanting to try low carb out? If so just try it, you have been on these boards way long enough to know which foods low carbers eat.

Ok listen. I've been suffering from horrible PMS for almost 2 years. Feeling awful and weak and shaky and dizzy all the time until I end up eating sometimes 2000 calories over maintenance to make it stop. I've tried everything I could think of, until I read up on hypoglymecia linked to PMS, so I figured I'd give it a shot and just cut refined carbs to see if it helps. So far it's been 2 days and I'm not hungry, my hormones are in control, and I'm not eating the whole house (ok I cut down on caffeine too, which sucks). Before, even one piece of toast with my eggs in the morning would set me off... So that's good enough for me. However I've been eating a whole lot of beans and I'm wondering if there's any other filling options that I could eat without raising my blood sugar... plain veggies just don't typically cut it for me. I know I probably can't have potatoes, and I'm unsure about carrots (but testing that tonight I guess).

So yeah, I'm asking for options... I never intended to cut anything from my diet so I never really paid attention to all the low carb threads (besides, is it still low carb if you eat 150g of carbs from fruit, veggies, and oats?).

So no, I'm not trying 'low carb' out, just looking for things I can eat to keep me full without raising my blood sugar for 2 weeks every month. The rest of the time, I can eat anything I want without any issue.

I know you're young, but are you perhaps perimenopausal? The shaky and dizzy has me wondering... hypoglycemia and insulin resistance being issues in peri.
Dizziness is my PRIMARY menopausal symptom. Not fun. And yes, I've had some reactive hypoglycemic episodes with peri. It's very real.

I try very hard to limit my refined carbs and sugars. I have for years, but do find I have odd sugar cravings now that meno has hit full on.

Perhaps read up on south beach? it's a whole diet built around not spiking blood sugars. The recipes might be tasty and give you some inspiration. I find the info pretty helpful. Earlier versions (the original book) talked about GI but then the descriptions of what to eat were more "load,response, impact", and in later books he goes into the difference between index and load etc.

GOOD LUCK!

Yi5hedr3

Turkey, cheese and eggs

auddii

Francl27 wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

It matters because only a doctor can truly diagnosis a medical condition and tell you what the correct treatment is. you already incorrectly tried to treat yourself by saying that you are hypoglycemic and you wanted to lower your blood sugar, which was was pointed out is not correct.

go to a doctor, get tested, figure out the correct problem, and get the correct treatment….

As I said, my blood work is fine and doctors are brushing it off. I'd have to get tested during PMS *when* my sugar level drops (or whatever happens when I get the shakes). That's just not possible.

I don't need 'treatment' either (quite sure there isn't one, anyway). This is just a diet that seems to be working, so I was just asking for food options... not what your opinion about my health is.

You can buy your own machine and test strips and test you blood sugar when you get symptoms. The strips are expensive without a prescription, but I felt it was really worth it when I was having problems.