[HQ Victor]

Hello,
I have lupus and went to the doctor for blood tests. One of the tests showed my glucose at 215. This was 3 hours after eatting a bowl of cornflakes (no sugar added). I did have a hard mint just before the test. They want me to do a fasting glucose when my GP gets back from vacation. I used my mothers kit this morning and when I woke up it was 127. I'm wanting to try some healthier things but from what I've read online what I thought was healthy wasn't. The diabetes website wants me to buy books and that's all well and good but I want to know NOW what I should be eatting. I am really concerned about one thing. Because of the disability I live with my parents. I have severe damage to many joints and am unable to cook meals for myself. I know my parents aren't going to change their eatting habits and I can't prepare meals on my own usually. From what I've read there are lots of preparations that go into making a healthy meal and I don't know how that is going to happen. Are there simple foods that can be eatten to keep the glucose down? I mean, I've always just grabbed a sandwich and chips or something when I needed to eat. I don't know what I'm going to do for prepared meals.

[princesslinda]

Welcome Victor! Glad you found the forums. Learning what to eat can be challenging. The best way to learn is to try something, test your blood sugar 2 hrs after the first bite. This will show you how different foods affect your blood sugars, and teach you to make smarter food choices.

Many of us find that "white" foods like bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, can cause our blood sugars to rise quickly.

I find that eating lots of green veggies, salads, lean meats, fish, cheese, eggs, nuts....that sort of thing, helps me keep my numbers at the level I want.

Sugar-free jello and jello pudding are good for the sweet urge.

As far as what your parents cook, you can probably find some blood sugar friendly things you can all enjoy...they may even be cooking them already. You can have most meats (just avoid the breading and sweet sauces). Surely your mom would prepare green beans or broccolli or spinach or a salad to go along with the usual meal if she realizes it will make you have a healthier, longer life.

Keep celery around to snack on...you could have it with peanut butter or a little ranch dressing. Find some low-carb tortillas and have your lunch meat on them instead of regular bread if that's something that's easy for you to prepare.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be that much more trouble. I understand that with your disability you may have more challenges in the preparation than some of us, but I think if you sit with your mom (or whomever does most of the food preparation) and explain that you need to avoid certain things, you can come up with a workable solution.

Hope you post often...let us know how you're doing. We're all here to help each other.

[HQ Victor]

Thank you for your reply. You make it sound so much simpler. I have to say, that "white foods" is about my staple. I love my bread and rice. I wonder if the "white wheat" bread is ok.

From what you've said it sounds like I can do it. She does cook balance meals with meat, starch, vege I just don't know what of it I can eat. I'm working on finding that. Thanks again for replying.

[princesslinda]

Victor, you'll be fine! It's a learning process, and it does get easier the more you do it.

Like you, I was a "white food" fan myself. I live in the south, nothing like biscuits, dumplings and rice. I now have small portions of brown rice which works well for me.

As for bread, I don't know how the white wheat will work for you. If you must have bread, be sure and check the labels and find the lowest amount of carbs and the highest fiber. Fiber slows the digestion of carbs and can help you not have as high of a spike. Nature's Own has a double fiber bread that has good "mouth feel," though not exactly like white bread...or try having only one piece of bread with your sandwich. Cut the bread slice in half and pile it high with fillings.

You don't have to give up everything you like, you will just have some things less frequently. Try long-cooking brown rice...it has a nice nutty flavor.

Do you like yams/sweet potatoes? If so, bake it, slice it open, add a couple packs of Splenda, some butter, cinnamon and a few pecans....you have sweet potato cassarole....or have your mom slice the sweet potato like french fries, put on a cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, salt and cumin for a nice side.

The first little while after diagnosis, I pretty much lived on eggs, meat, green beans and salad....which got old pretty fast. I've since learned to make things I enjoy more blood sugar friendly.

If you buy the low-carb tortillas (Walmart has "Mission Brand") you can have fajitas. I even eat peanut butter on the tortillas when the urge hits.

Don't think of it as "I can't have this or that," rather think of it as "I can have anything I want, but I choose not to have some things." You will feel lots better when your blood sugar is not high.

Cereal is hard for me...it has a lot of carbs. I have tried the "Kashi Go Lean Protein," but even it pushes me a little higher than what I like. I eat mostly eggs for b/fast or some lunch meat and cheese or a protein shake.

You'll be fine!

[davef]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Sounds like you are having a rough time at present and with the possibility of diabetes is adding to your full plate.

As Linda said you will be fine, it can be hard and even overwhelming at the start but please believe that things do get better.

Linda has given you great advice about foods and I followed her advice when I was diagnosed and it made a HUGE difference (thanks Linda).

There are some great recipes in the recipe section and I bet your mom would enjoy preparing them.

Ask lots of questions, you are not alone with this and have just found a whole bunch of new friends to help you on your journey.

[lrhughes]

Victor - Welcome to the club!
Linda and Dave have some great advice, so if I can jump on the band wagon, there is a good website(one of many) that will help you determine what food will raise your BS quickly and which one will raise it slowly. The lower the glycemic index (GI) the better:
The Glycemic Index

Hope this helps. ........ as my fellow southerner indicated, this is quite a learning experience.

[HQ Victor]

Thank you very much for your replies. I appreciate the link I will bookmark it.

[EeyoreButterfly]

The thing you need to watch for is carbs. I was told to stick to about 45 grams of carbs at each meal and 15g carb optional snack. Some like to eat lower carb.

The best thing to do is to test, test, test. If carbs are your staple, you probably aren't going to be able to just suddenly low carb. Work on slowly reducing, testing as you go, and then making changes as necessary. Every body reacts to foods differently and what one person can eat may send another person sky high.

There are lots of great free resources out there, and if you have a local bookstore a book like Diabetes for Dummies or the Everything Diabetes book will get you started and give you some good advice, especially because you don't know yet which type you are.