[fgummett]

Originally Posted by princesslinda

If i'm going to have something sugary or carby, I want something I can savor and enjoy like a nice dove dark chocolate mini, not something i'm just going to quickly swallow like soda.

I'm with you Linda! If I'm gonna have something I'd rather have something real -- dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher has minimal BG effect) is always on my shopping list and I must admit when thirsty I drink nice ice-cold water

[reefedjib]

Originally Posted by princesslinda

I haven't found a substitute for real Coke that I like, so i've switched to Diet Mtn Dew or Diet Dr. Pepper. I didn't drink regular Mtn Dew before diagnosis, so the diet tastes fine for me. If you have a hankering for juice, Ocean spray now has sugar free add ins in "Cran-Grape," "White Cran-Peach" and "Cran-Pomegranate." O fat, 0 Carbs, 0 sugar.

If i'm going to have something sugary or carby, I want something I can savor and enjoy like a nice dove dark chocolate mini, not something i'm just going to quickly swallow like soda.

You can do this!

I am not sure about the diet sodas but I'll try the drinks you mention. Who knows? The juice, on the other hand, is awesome info. All three of those sound delicious and 0 Carbs. Awesome!

I am a Dark Chocolate slave at >70%!

Thanks for the recommendations and the encouragment!

[Josselyn]

Originally Posted by fgummett

I'm not a big fan of Atkins -- I read his book only after Gary Taubes' and Dr Bernstein's. I found Atkin's over-hyped and it tends to garner a negative reaction from most people who hear you are doing it. It is an old idea that was around long-before Atkins... in fact I believe it was the way we -- humans -- always ate, until our nutritionists thought they knew better than Mother Nature.

Here is an on-line version of a book on the subject from 1975 -- The Saccharine Disease - Contents

Dr Bernstein's is aimed directly at those of us with D and it does contain dietary advice. Taubes is not a diet book but lays out clearly the history of where we went wrong, as well as detailing the biochemistry affected.

Another author to look up is Michael Pollan -- Unhappy Meals -- NY Times...

I don't follow any diet book but I gave you a sample of my daily menu in another thread... basically if you avoid ALL packaged and processed foods* and only eat real whole foods you will be off to a good start -- that does not mean you need to feel deprived or hungry all the time either

*This requires vigilance.. don't be fooled by OJ (might as well drink Cola), breakfast cereals or most breads -- even so-called "whole-wheat" are still mostly refined/concentrated carbohydrates/sugars.

I largely agree with you, fgummett...except in one minor area:
People seem to hate the word "diet." One's Diet is simply what one eats! To go on a diet is simply to control what you eat!

Daily, this becomes our choice whether we follow a beaten path (such as Atkins or Bernstein's approach) or if we glean information from multiple sources and apply them in a way that makes sense for us in the long term. When one is discussing low carb eating in the mainstream, Atkins and South Beach are well known...and Atkins gets the bad rap largely due to the many people who thought eating pounds of bacon and sausage was the way to go. It's scary how few people of my own acquaintance started eating like that without ever having actually read the book. The program is far healthier than most would believe, but for its two week induction period where veggies are limited to a couple of daily green salads...20 grams of carb.

Your dietary suggestions are excellent, but seemingly (to this Newbie) hard to pull off (in total) from the beginning. For instance, the supermarkets here are limited in their stock, there is no local health food-type store, and I work full time and go to grad school...so cooking from scratch is a challenge. Being new (and scared), I want to do it all...correctly...and NOW.

For me, if I didn't have an Atkins shake to grab for breakfast most mornings, I probably would skip breakfast (just like before). I use Atkins as a guideline, as to which veggies might be the better choices, and how to add certain carbs back...while still managing my weight loss.

Bernstein's book and regime sets the bar pretty high, doesn't it? I take what I can from that, too. And from the people here, like yourself. I think its wonderful to have a forum like this that provides such resources to people with diabetes.

And, before I go - for reefedjib, I have a suggestion for a tasty 0 carb drink: Talking Rain ICE (in individual plastic bottles). It's carbonated, fruity, artesian well water with antioxidants. Delicious. 5 calories, 0 carb. Worth looking for (I found them at BJ's this time)...it got me off Coke (I abhor diet soda, except Sprite Zero).

Have a great day, all.