Eating Alot Veggies and Cheap Test Strips

[mycort]

Hi All,

I have a 2 part question:

1) I've heard from my diabetic manager that you can eat as
much vegitables that can fill a room and your sugar will remain
normal. I just want to confirm if this is true? Thing is, since I cant eat too much rice or bread, I have been substituting my diet with alot more vegitables, mainly Brocolli and carrots. Now I eat a good amount of this stuff to keep me full. Is eating too much of veggies some how increase and make your sugar
level higher? At the moment, i'm not sure becuase I'm on insulin.

2) With my kaiser plan, I was paying about $20 bucks for 200 test strips. Since I've changed plans, now i'm paying $50 for the same amount. Does anybody out there know of a place to buy these cheaper, like Costco?

Thx,

Ed.

[Gary_W]

I can't answer the test strip question as I live in the UK.

As to the veg question, go buy a carb counter book as that will tell you exactly how many grams of carbs are in 100g of a particular veg. That can help you decide how much to inject to cover what you eat.

Most veg are pretty low in carbs, but they are there. If you really did eat enough to fill a room then they will give you problems. And if you are counting potatoes as a veg then you can get into trouble with this rule :)

[LancetChick]

Hmmm..... let's see, the veggies I definitely have to shoot up for are carrots, corn, dried beans, peas, potatoes. Beets are very sweet, but since I can't stand them, I don't know if I'd need insulin for them or not. I may also be forgetting veggies that I need to shoot up for.

[Cyborg]

There aren't many free foods, including veggies. Some veggies are much easier on the bg than others. Personally, I eat a lot of broccoli, green beans and salad. I try to avoid peas, corn and potatoes.

[nneighbour]

The carbs in carrots are low, but watch out or you may just turn orange! It's been known to hapen.

[Jedi99]

Hi i've been told that white baking potatoes are not nearly as good as yams, also carrots will spike sugar levels if you eat too many.I eat at least 2 stir frys a week and find that they are very filling.green peppers are ok I think.

[ladytaz]

Now I LOVE me some broccoli and cauliflower and eat those two more than any other veggies ... raw, cooked .... don't matter to me. ;)

As for your strip question, you will not find them any cheaper than you're already getting them for!! Believe me, I've searched high and low!!! I'd be BEYOND thrilled if I could get 200 for $50!!! I don't have insurance, so therefore have to pay out of my own pocket!! Those suckers are NOT cheap!!! Cheapest I've found them for is on eBay at 100 for about $50. I go thru about 70 or so strips per week.

[sweetcheeks]

its the green veggies that you can eat tons of

lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers things like that.. everything else you must count

[mzizgayle]

I cannot do corn at all, even have to watch products with corn syrup, etc in them, carrots if shredded and in salads. Re the strips, I would not know,they don't make a generic brand and haven't heard of any place offering them at a lower price.

[kgm0612]

I do well with salad greens, broccoli and green string beans without having to give extra insulin. Most other veggies raise my BS.

Karen

[princesslinda]

Green veggies cause the least problems for me. I eat lots of green beans and cucumbers, pickles and salads. I stay away from potatoes and corn. Baked sweet potatoes have a negligable effect on my levels.

When you eat something "new," you might consider checking your levels 2 hrs after you begin eating...just to see how particular foods are affecting your levels. (I know this may be a problem for you considering how expensive they are, but it's the best way to learn what you can eat regularly and what to avoid).

I try to eat a lot of green veggies and lean proteins for the most part. I am on metformin as well.

[parrotletzoo]

Ok, now in response to the yam vs white potato comment earlier... Yams won't raise my bs one bit because THEY'RE NASTY!! bleh I wont eat them lol

ik
ik
ik

Green peppers, pickled vegs (dill or hot, not sweet) and celery are my best vegs for not loweing bs levels.

[mycort]

Great feedback, appreciate this alot.

AS for veggies, i do eat alot of brocolli. So if green veggies not spike your BS that much, what about canned green beans and pea's? I got lots of cans that i bought and eat these alot too. can you eat tons of these also?

[princesslinda]

The problem with canned vegetables is that they have LOTS of sodium in them. I remember once reading that a can of green beans have the same amount of sodium as a bag of potato chips.

Also, go easy with green peas...they are starchy and can raise blood sugars. When I did Weight Watchers, they were counted as a bread (corn did too). I've eaten peas once or twice since diagnosis, just a little serving, without problems.

The fresher the better where veggies are concerned. That way, you control the salt and can keep in the nutrients. Frozen ones are good as well, as they are "flash-frozen" to maintain their nutrients and aren't as high in sodium as canned.

I do eat canned veggies on occasion for convenience, but I have high blood pressure and try to limit the amount I consume.

[Harold]

Great feedback, appreciate this alot.

AS for veggies, i do eat alot of brocolli. So if green veggies not spike your BS that much, what about canned green beans and pea's? I got lots of cans that i bought and eat these alot too. can you eat tons of these also?

Sometimes I will eat a whole can of green beans, but I do not have to watch my salt intake so there is no problem. As an alternative to canned veggies you might want to look at frozen and see what's available.

[Jill-O]

I also would love to have 200 strips for $50! My prescription is only for 100 a month and I have a $25 co-pay (but would love to pay $50 and have twice as many). I'm going to request a bigger prescription when I see my doctor next week. The cheapest place I have found to get additional strips is eBay where I can get 100 for about $45 or so including shipping. Just have to check out the seller's feed back and be sure and pay attention to the expiration (and that it's factory sealed).