Needing help... Newly diagnosed with Diabetes...

TminusFitnessN321

Hello,

I have a family member who has been newly diagnosed with Diabetes in his late 30s. He is waiting for his Diabetes management class in a week or two, but as a family, we want to eat the same foods as he does so he doesn't feel alone and we can eat better, be healthier, and supportive. Any diabetics out there who can help with some tips?

Thank you!

chpjr_615

The diabetes class will answer all your questions.

RodaRose

It takes time to change lifelong customs and habits, but other than that eating low carb/ low sugar is relatively simple to undersand.
Get rid of the bread, pasta, cereal, potatoes, sodas, sports drinks, pizza, candies, crackers, jams and jellies, catsup. and sugary salad dressings (check labels of the salad dressings for number of carbs).

Instead try something like this:
baked or grilled chicken/pork/beef/fish with roasted broccoli and cauliflower (or other similar vegetables) and a fresh salad or sliced cucumbers.

Keep fruit very low or go by what your medical team wants.
Create dishes that are meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg, and vegetable- based. Vegetables can be frozen or fresh.
On some programs beans and peas are o.k.
Some programs say that winter squash and sweet potatoes are o.k.
Most programs say that nuts are o.k.

There are amazing things you can do with cauliflower: shred it to use it like you used to use rice or potatoes. Make it into a crust to use for pizza, . .
http://www.pinterest.com/thesneak50/cauliflower-recipes/

Here are two more different crustless pizza recipes:
http://myfridgefood.com/Recipes/20999/Crustless-Pizza
http://wellnessmama.com/1614/meatza/

Make an account on https://www.pinterest.com
and search for low carb, paleo, . . .

Have fun and good luck to your family member.

lisadragonflower

The class will help with a lot of your questions... I'm more familiar with Type 1 Diabetes, than Type 2, but a good first step is to learn how many carbohydrates are in the foods you all normally eat. Meat and fish has no carbs, cheese is very low carb. Everything else has carbs. Foods with higher sugar contents are going to have more carbs. Like carrots and grapes are high carb, but spinach and apples have less.

A diabetic does not have to completely avoid pasta, cereal, fruits, chips, or ice cream, etc. They just have to be careful with portion size and total carb counts for each meal. Some foods are just too high carb to be "worth it" to eat. For example, a can of regular Coke has as much carbs as an entire lunch. So as a family, you can eliminate sugary sodas, fruit juice, or any other high carb snacks from the house. Especially any snacks the newly diabetic enjoyed eating before diagnosed - if they are too high carb to fit into their new meal plan.

GlucernaBrand

It's great that you're being so supportive of your family member. The American Diabetes Association has good information here: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/?loc=db-slabnav This will help you learn more about diabetes and also prepare you with questions for the diabetes class. Often the classes encourage family members to attend, so be sure to ask about that. ~Lynn /Glucerna

LoupGarouTFTs

I haven't cut pasta or rice or potatoes entirely out of my diet since being diagnosed with Type II diabetes in April. I just eat smaller quantities of them less often. As someone else posted, protein is a very good thing to have. I try to have some kind of protein at every meal and find myself eating a lot of chicken; however, I also enjoy fish, shrimp (high in sodium so watch out), and ground beef. I have a huge salad at either lunch or dinner almost every day with some kind of protein, some kind of cheese, egg, and dressing. I also enjoy Blue Bell No Sugar Added ice cream several times a week and think that Murray's sugar-free wafer cookies make pretty good bedtime snacks when I take my metformin. I've seen recommendations for diabetics to drink raw goat's milk rather than cow's milk. I work on a goat farm, so I can get it and find I like it better than cow's milk.

One word of caution: if your family member is taking metformin, it's likely that his appetite will be affected. There are days I can barely manage to choke down a meal and a snack. If that's true with your family member, he's not being difficult. Met has that effect on a lot of people and may cause, to be polite, gastrointestinal issues. Cajoling him to eat at such times is probably not a good idea. I keep protein bars on hand for those times. Avoid meal replacement shakes, though, unless they are designed for diabetic diets.

Your family member is lucky to have such concerned relatives. You deserve a pat on the back.:happy: