Diabetic 2

[1chris-T]

I moved from Vancouver to London a couple of months ago. Haven't yet found yams. Don't know where to look. But, was told by my nutritionist in the US that it is an excellent veggie to eat if u happen to be a diabetic. I used to eat lots when in Vancouver until someone else told me to decrease the amount of yams I was consuming. My question is : where can I find the best yams in London and is the portion of food really that important?

Thanks.

[MEJones]

Hi 1chris-T

From my understanding a yam is the same as what we in the UK call a sweet potato. If they are not exactly the same they are very similar and you can find them in most UK supermarkets.

The portion of yam/sweet potato is imortant as it all comes down to the carbohydrate content. The more carbohydrate the higher your blood glucose levels will rise. E.g 100g of sweet potato contains roughly 20g of carbohydrate and most diabetic experts will tell you anything with less than 10g of carbs will have minimal impact on your blood glucose. So the more you eat the more carbs you take in. If you are diet controlled for your type 2 then keeping the portion smaller is a good idea but if you are on insulin injections then you will simply just need more insulin for a larger portion.

If you want a yam and not a sweet potato then your best bet is a local greengrocer or an African/Caribbean specialist grocery store, which can be found with a quick google.

tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p...

[christinehennequin in reply to MEJones]

Thanks ME Jones:

U r right : a yam is the equivalent of a sweet potato except for the fact that the inside is orange. I guess that the reason why I said that i haven't found any in London is bc i am looking for huge ones. "the yams" that I was used to are kinda jumbo size. I must have passed them by without paying them any attention.

Also, I have always eaten big portions of any kinda food. Is there any way to get good glucose numbers (I am at 7.2 presently, which my gp considered as good) while eating big portions? I guess all green stuff would be the answer but it isn't very appealing. Btw, i am on 1500mg a day of Metformin (5 tabs a day). No insulin.

Thanks

1chris-T

[Praveen55 Star in reply to christinehennequin]

Consider ketogenic/LCHF diet in consultation with your Doctor. A diabetic need not remain hungry. We as diabetics have to limit the consumption of carbohydrate which raises our blood sugar most.

I am Type 2 diabetic maintaining non-diabetic blood glucose numbers by diet alone without any medication. I eat all those foods which I always wanted to eat but was afraid to eat in the past. I call it a M.E.A.L plan:

M >>> Meat >>> Chicken/Beef/Pork/Fish( fatty ones like salmon)

E >>>>>Eggs (whole)

A >>>>> Added fats >>>> Olive oil/Butter/Ghee/coconut oil

L >>>>> Low carb vegetable grown above ground.

Plus flax seed/chia seed

Snacks: Cheese, full fat yoghurt ( Greek ), nuts.

My HbA1c is 36 mmol/mol( 5.4%).

What is 7.2 which you quoted? If it is HbA1c (7.2%), it is HIGH. You MUST work towards achieving lower number. Recommended target level is less than 6.5%. Please see page 3 of the attached Canadian Diabetes Guidelines. In fact, one should control HbA1c to less than 6% unless there are some compelling reasons not to do so. In the UK also, normal recommended target is less than 6.5%.

guidelines.diabetes.ca/cdac...

SAY NO TO BREAD, PASTA, RICE, POTATO.

ONE HAS TO BE CAREFUL WHILE FOLLOWING A LOW CARB DIET WHEN ON MEDICATIONS. ONE SHOULD MONITOR BLOOD GLUCOSE AS YOU MAY NEED TO ADJUST THE MEDICINE DOSES IN ORDER TO AVOID BLOOD GLUCOSE GOING TOO LOW( HYPO). BETTER, FOLLOW DIETARY CHANGES UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.

[MEJones in reply to christinehennequin]

A 7.2 is a really good score and if you’re still eating carbs then it’s an excellent score. If you were diet controlled alone I would have suggested LCHF (low carb, high fat) but because you have less control on the tablets and risk having hypos then I do think still having carbs is important.

Have you tried alternatives to starchy foods such as caulirice? It doesn’t sound appealing & takes some getting used to, but they do a Mediterranean version that actually tastes nice + if you buy the plain one you can always add seasoning such as chilli power or curry powerder for taste. Like you said lots of greens is a great way to fill up but can seem like you’re denying yourself things that you like. I’ve not tried them but Morrison’s do a low carb range of tortilla wraps, pasta & bread which you may like to try. groceries.morrisons.com/web...

If you want to make greens taste better & keep carbs low then you can add cheese to them or even toss them in butter/olive oil and season to give them a zing, or try making something like cauliflower/broccoli cheese as a side instead of potatoes. Because you are on medication having carbs is important so you could top up on meat/vegetarian protein & veggies but still have a small/medium sweet potato or even a small regular potato. It’s all about eating & then really monitoring your blood glucose to see how your body is reacting & then making adjustments, it’s a lot of laborious work but worth it in the end. I’m type 1so in a way I have more control as i carb count and adjust my insulin ratios accordingly but you can’t do this on tablets. As a rule most diabetic practitioners say anything with less than 10g of carbs won’t effect sugar levels. Finding what’s right for your body is essential as everyone is different. Keep adjusting and see what works for you.

Don’t be too discouraged if you get some higher readings whilst you’re figuring it all out. I love carbs so understand why you don’t want to give them up, good luck & happy munching.