Tips for the newly diagnosed

By tabby9146 Latest Reply 2015-02-12 09:50:59 -0600
Started 2015-02-12 09:22:47 -0600

I have some time and thought i'd share some tips that I remember from D. class. I remember how I came here to DC when I was newly diagnosed and got so much helpful info. the first thing most want to know is what to eat. Eat a variety of foods include vegetables, whole grains (though they may bother some but fine for most) non-dairy foods, some fats and lean meats or meat substitues. trying not to eat too much food or too much of one type of food. space your meals evenly throughout the day is possible. avoid skipping meals. cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fats. all three are linked to high blood cholesterol levels and can lead to heart disease, they raise your risk. two main things to consider are the carbs and the "bad" fats. you can have carbs. some can have more than others. You can decide which method is best for you: carb counting, plate method, or glycemix index. look them all up to see how. eat lots of fruits and vegetables, I am not saying many fruits per day, but there are many small fruits with only 15 grams carbs and pair them with a protein, such as natural peanut butter (watch the amt of PB , and say low fat cheese) choose whole grain over processed grain products. include dried beans like kidney beans, pinto beans, and lentils in your diet, choose lean meats and remove the skin from chicken, no sodas at all, they told us that in D class. moderation…moderation… choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats. olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, though, there is controversy about canola oil but in all of my D. literature they say it is o.k. eating too much of even healthy foods can cause weight gain. exercise daily. even 10-15 mins a day is so much better than none,. start off slow if you need to. they say now, researched has proven, that doing 10-15 mins. one part of the day, and then 10-15 another, is just as good as combining it all at once.

3 replies

GabbyPA 2015-02-12 09:50:59 -0600 Report

These are great points and a good foundation to build on.

One thing that I learned the hard way as well is to not "save up your carbs" for a big meal or a carb loaded meal. What I mean is if you plan to have pasta for dinner, don't skip the other carbs in your day to eat more pasta. A carb loaded meal will really mess up your numbers. It would be better to spread it out thru the day as you mentioned. That was one of the rookie things I used to do, and it didn't help me at all.

tabby9146 2015-02-12 09:35:06 -0600 Report

Trans-fats. Found in most margarines, snack foods, heavily processed foods and some cooking oils, these fats (often listed on food labels as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oil) can reduce HDL ("good") cholesterol levels and raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Also, avoid heated polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean oil used for deep-frying. These fats are oxidized; consumption may have a variety of negative health effects.
Animal protein. Excessive animal protein has been shown to raise levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that in high concentrations may contribute to heart disease. Instead of animal protein, try whole soy protein - aim for two servings of whole soy, such as tofu or edamame, per day.
Sodium. Excessive sodium has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Avoid processed and canned foods, taste foods before you salt them and do not add salt while cooking, avoid foods that are visibly salted and read labels (aim for no more than 1,500 mg sodium per day).

tabby9146 2015-02-12 09:26:33 -0600 Report

fpcus more on filing your place with non-starchy veggies and having smaller portions of starchy meats and foods. examples of foods with 15 carb grams: 1 small piece of fresh fruit, 1/2 c. of canned or frozen fruit, 1 slice of whole wheat bread (there are so many brands and so many different amounts) pick 100% whole wheat, 1/2 c oatmeal, 1/3 cup pasta, whole wheat or whole grain pasta is better than regular, and I use Barilla protein plus, or Dreamfield's, 4-6 crackers, 1/2 english muffin 1/2 c black beans . sweet potatoes are better for you than white. they have fiber and other nutrients that for most anyway, do not raise BS as much and as fast. Try to eat 3-5 servings of veggies a day. a serving of veggies is about 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. when looking for frozen or canned veggies, the ones in sauces are higher in both fat and sodium. look for low sodium. a hard boiled egg is really good, a handful of nuts, seeds, things like that, and eggs for breakfast paired with a small piece of fruit and maybe some low fat cheese mixed in with some veggies as an omelet, many can get away with steel cut oatmeal, the processed instant oatmeals are not good for you. you will have to test, test test in the beginning to see what you can and can not eat and how it affects you.

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