Diabetic diet questions.

agreed. you can't really trick your brain.

too many carbs.. actually it's not.
when reading nutrition labels..
you always subtract the fiber count from the carb count.
one serving of this bar is 21g carbs - 11g fiber = 10net carbs.

1-serving of carbs = 15g
always limit your meal to 1-carb

although, I never eat artificial sugar substitute products. There are just better choices & it's just not good for you. Those sweeteners will give you the runs if you eat enough... it's not natural & your body can't process it then, rejects it.

I do whole foods only. If I feel the urge for something sweet, I choose fruit.

Carb's are very important for fuel source.
I always eat protein & fiber along carbs. it will slow down the carb burn.

it will takes a little time to learn but, It's not hard.... & you will win if you learn the numbers game.

..Slayer

 

The tricking your brain comment is in regards to tastes and demand.

You crave sugar because it stimulates receptors in your brain. By trying to mimic the sensation of cookies and candy with “better” options, you are never fixing the demand side of this equation, only the supply. Fixing the demand will fix the problem, quickly.

I am aware of net carbs. One has the be careful of trying to skirt lines when faced with a devastating condition such as diabetes. Even 10 carbs for a treat is a lot when you are trying to fix your insulin resistance. One has to ask, is this piece of candy worth it? Diabetes is a life threatening disease that can be fixed in most cases. Fix it first then experiment with select treats IMO. Everyone will respond differently of course, one has to know their own system

 

8 net carbs per bar is high?

 

Don't forget to subtract sugar alcohols

 

For someone with a healthy gut and metabolism, no.

For someone trying to fix type 2 diabetes or really trying to lose weight, yes in my opinion it is. Especially in the beginning phase of diet correction.

I believe in the 25g of net carbs per day max. I just wouldn’t want to spend a 3rd of them on a bar.

Real food is always a better option

 

Key point someone mentioned, everyone is different, so keep that in mind. So when it comes to chocolate, that Lily bar is loaded with crap. Chocolate is not a sweet treat, it's the sugars and cocoa butter and fake crap that makes it a sweet treat. I have real chocolate that will make you cringe. Real chocolate has health benefits. I use it mainly for my REAL Texas chili. Read the labels, seriously. That Parmesan cheese is all processed crap. A block of Parmesan cheese, from Parma, and a cheese grater is what I use. It last a long time. If I want shredded cheddar cheese, I buy a block of the real stuff and grate it myself. Bag cheese is processed. So my basic dinner would be mostly Veg, a starch or soup, once in a great while a salad, but sometimes I make leafless salads, and some sorta meat. Key: mostly veg. Do not become a Vegan, it is unhealthy. Also, a good substitute for starch is Pear. Cube it up and saute in butter until brown. The Pork Party Roast shown in it's beginning stages, first seared, then cooled down and slow cooked for 8 hours at 145. This was supposed to be dinner last night, until my Aunt from Colorado makes a surprise visit. Long story short, went to one of are finest restaurants last night...........and I thought it sucked, why everyone else thinks it's good. Moral of the story: Good food does not have to cost alot, it just needs alot of Love.

 

Almonds are a great snack. They're high in fiber, and fiber offsets carbs. I like these, but just about any version that doesn't have added sugar are great. Lily's also makes several sugar free snacks. These are my favorite. They use Stevia as a sweetener, but they don't have that Stevia aftertaste.

 

Avoid snacking... If you are, your meals are incomplete. You don't need fiber either...

 

So I've dealt with this for a while. About 5-6 years ago, I got back into fishing and also started hunting. So I have a source to fresh fish and sometimes, meat. For other diet, I pretty much cut alcohol (I know...) and processed sugar, which meant no bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. Once I got my numbers in place, I gave myself cheat meals on the weekend.

Lots of chicken/turkey/fish and veggies, lots of spinach omelets, plain oatmeal/cheerios with berries. Pretty much cut out processed stuff. It's hard, but I've got a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters. Small price to pay.

 

The cheat meals will only hold you back. The oatmeal, cheerios, and vegetables, especially spinach (oxalates) will as well.

 

Dude. Get real advice from a dietitian. Some of the responses here are just ill conceived nonsense.

 

And/or a CDCES. (Certified diabetic care and education specialist)

Source: Me: Wife is a CDCES and has been for about 15 years. (Given that I'm also diabetic, believe me when I say having her as a wife and diabetic resource is invaluable.)

If you're wondering who they are.... they're essentially diabetic nurse specialists. Dietitians help you with your diet and such; a CDCES will do much of that but will ALSO help with medication questions/interactions, etc.

 

Wynnded, thanks for the info. A weekend cheat meal of a couple slices of pizza, or pasta/rice, hasn't hurt and my A1c and BS was still normalized. The issue was when my weekend cheat meal became 3-4x per week. But I understand what you're saying. The plain oatmeal/cheerios and spinach or other greens absolutely didn't hurt. In response to that and BlueCrush's comment, I work in the healthcare field and still consulted with not only my doctor and a registered dietitian. While my diet could have been more strict, it was clearly better than what the average middle aged guy is eating.

Couple the above with the fact that I was doing weight lifting and ruck hikes 5-6x per week, to get in shape for hunting and deep sea fishing, which are year round hobbies for me. My biggest issue again was lack of discipline with diet and taking too long of a break between December and March (not as much hunting or fishing going on) so I was getting complacent. But again, no processed sugar (or foods with processed sugar) and no booze. The latter sucks...

 

I'm not keto, although I did spend about 8 months on a high protein keto diet.

I found the app Carb Manager was a huge help. I still use it to this day, though now I am lifting heavy 5-6 days a week and don't restrict carbs outside of a high-protein balanced day.

I'm not a doctor, but common knowledge and my experience are that protein kills hunger better than any other micronutrient. Balance your protein out to a fairly equal amount 4-5 times a day for best results.

Good luck!

 

Sounds like you're on top of things! Keep it up.

Protein is a macronutrient, like fat which satiates hunger better than protein as well as having less effect on BG. Keep at it!

 

I realize protein is a macronutrient.. And it's better at satiating hunger more immediately and for a longer time period than fat or carbohydrates.. It also has the lowest impact on blood sugar/BG levels...

ETA: Sorry - in diabetics protein can increase BG. I'll leave my first comment as it was inaccurate and I want to correct myself.