Diabetic101 Food Regimine – for Me (Part 2 of 2)

Well, here we go.

Yesterday, I talked about diabetes and my life around it. Today, I will discuss the foods I have found and use to live my life.

Okay, here’s that CYA statement again: I am not a doctor nor am I a specialist, so, don’t take what I say for Gospel truth. Do some research on your own and talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. I am not responsible for any choices you make before, after, or during your reading of this material. I am me; you are you; we are different. ‘Nuff said.

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My biggest problem was going from so many carbs a day to so little (face it – 800 down to less than 250 a day is a big drop). Being in rehab helped that. The full-time stay meant I couldn’t eat anything outside of it, so I got used to it. But the big motivator was that I had died on the table and, while that might not have been that scary, the idea that I might “almost die” and be a real medical mess did scare me.

For awhile, I admit I was regimented; I just ate the same basic thing over and over. After awhile, however, this does get old. I wanted a “diet” (meaning a way of eating for life). So, I began checking labels on packages and cans. I began doing some research on the Internet.

I started making lists. Then, I would eat, test, eat, test, and modify that list and start over again. This does take time. However, now, it is worth it. Think of it as practicing for something you love. I did; I loved living (still do).

One of the things that really changed how I do my meals was realizing that the 75 carbs a meal and 30 carb snacks twice a day was still too much for my system. So, I had to lower it once again. Now, it seems settled. A positive, recently, was the understanding that for every one gram of fiber in a food, I can take off 1 carb. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is if you look hard. After over two years of it, here is my basic list of what I eat:

Breakfast Food:
Polander sugar free seedless blackberry preserves
2 carbs / tablespoon with 3grams of fiber.

Bread- Healthy Life High Fiber bread
Cereal – Cheerios (high fiber) and Quaker Oats (1Cup of oats and 2/3 cup Soy Milk and 1/3 cup Water)
Eggs
Pancake (there are some low carb/high fiber)
Syrup – Best I have found is IHOP’s sugar-free syrup which has 5 carbs for 1/4 cup
Sausage

Lunch
Cheese (most is 0 carbs except sliced-processed cheese)
Soup – I like Progresso Light Sante Fe / Barley / Southwest Vegetables
Peanut Butter (7 carbs for 2TB if you use Jiff)
Fiber One Cottage Cheese (wow!)
Crackers (Saltines has 10 carbs for 5 Crackers)
Baloney

Dinners

Baked Shrimp, even Grilled Shrimp
Cheeseburger (Can’t help it, I like McDonald’s – with the bun – that’s the carbs)
Meatloaf (Mom and I like Cracker Barrel)
Green Beans
Beets                                                                                                                             Asparagus
Carrots
Spaghetti – I only eat Dreamfield’s. The package says 5 Carbs / serving as opposed to 40 or so in regular. There is a HUGE controversy over this. My contribution to that blog was simply that I eat it, test, and it has never caused my Bs to raise significantly. It might yours. I do know that you are supposed to cook it “Al Dente” which really means “the teeth”. Think undercooked, chewy. You also cannot reheat it. That causes the way it is made to change and your sugar will go up. Just make enough, eat it, and enjoy. But, test.
Spaghetti sauce – I don’t have any in the cabinet right now. I go to Kroger’s. They have some cheese sauces and a tomato-based that are only 2-3 per serving. Read the labels.
Canned Pineapple – no sugar added, packed in water.
Tuna (mostly any fish, for that matter)
Vienna Sausages (Hey, I like ’em)

Drinks
Water – bottled or tap
Nestle’s splash water – barely flavored – no carbs – I like this a lot
Coffee – very little cream – cream has some carbs.
Soy Milk : Fiber in the milk and very low carbs.

Sweets / Desserts
Snicker’s Bar – okay, yeah, once in a while and I eat it cut into 2-4 parts depending on the size of the bar. I make each part = about 15Carbs or 1 serving. Small, I enjoy once in a while.
Kellog’s Fiber Plus bars – High Fiber – 25 carbs and 9 Grams of Fiber = 16 Carbs or 1 serving
Fudge Ice Cream : Blue Bunny Freedom Sugar Free Bars. Ice Cream with Fiber! Amounts to about 6 Carbs a Bar.
Some of their Ice Cream is low also.
Swiss Miss Sensible Sweet Diet Hot Chocolate
4Carbs per package. I used two Packages to 1/2 cup of hot soy milk and 1/2 cup water. Equals about 11 Carbs a cup.
Nestle’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – 1TB = 10 Carbs
Cookies (read the label) I have found that I can have 2 of McDonald’s chocolate chip cookies and a Double Cheeseburger and be okay.
Pumpkin Pie – I only have this when I make it myself. I use the recipe from the back of the Libby’s brand pumpkin and substitute Spenda for sugar and bake it with no crust.

Spices and Condiments
About any spice
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Mayo – Only Real Mayo (sandwich spread and such has carbs) Real Mayo has no carbs
Dill Pickles
Mustard (Ketchup, but has carbs)
Sweeteners- I can only use Splenda (I have found that I am very allergic to Aspartame).

My basic list of foods. I think (well, I know) that is enough for now for me to enjoy a good, varied diet. I do need to point out a few things:
1) I said I am allergic to Aspartame. So I use Splenda. You may not need to do this.
2) I can’t figure out how to make that trademark sign so understand that any brand names should really have that mark – pretend they are there!
3) Read labels – for carbs for fiber for serving size.
4) This all works for me. I “got used” to some of the tastes. After a time, it tasted fine. If you don’t care for a taste, try it for two weeks. If you can’t stand a taste, try it twice 🙂
5) I listed these as meals. You can mix and match as you please. I eat cheese for breakfast a lot of times as a “filler” – no carbs. I have found that the high fiber counters out the, um, more unpleasant effects of the cheese.                                    6) Oh yeah, my blood pressure is really managed by my meds and salt, right now, doesn’t seem to bother it, so I don’t watch my sodium- you might need to.                                                                                                                             7)  The above are not the only foods.  Look – read – test – redo- have fun!

I guess that’s it. I will go back to the old standard of “if you have questions, put them in the comments”.

Here’s to your health/
Namaste,
Scott