Snacks

[Cosmos22Marigold]

Can anyone give me some ideas please as i m trying to follow the mediterranean diet to help with my pmr. I am only just about to start but i feel i will need a snack in the evenings. So many of you have suggested the diet and i realise i am not helping this illness by eating all the wrong foods. I dont want to eat nuts in the evening but cant think what to have. if i need something. I follow the forum so closely and you really have helped my journey so far. Your ideas would be appreciated. X

[SnazzyD]

Any reason for no nuts?

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SnazzyD]

Teeth are the problem. Just had to have three loose ones out and waiting for a denture. Ohhhhh to get old. I can cope with that but its the pmr i need to get rid of.

[SnazzyD in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Cashews are the least bothersome I find. Might try the soaking tip below myself.

[stevebran in reply to SnazzyD]

Not sure that cashews would be the best choice for a low carb diet?

[SnazzyD in reply to stevebran]

I think it was fine for me because I had cut out all, pasta, rice, potato, bread, sugar and maize.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SnazzyD]

I'm really giving it a go. Anything to help.

[Janstr]

Apart from nuts which are excellent on the med diet, you need to try to look for protein items to fill you up. You can buy crisp baked chick peas, or pottles of mussels if you like them. You are also allowed 1 piece of fruit a day, & they say apples are good.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to Janstr]

I think maybe I'll keep the apple till the evening. Good idea thanks.

[Thelmarina in reply to Janstr]

Can I just say how much I love the word pottles? I want lots of pottles (what about a pottle of chocolate? 😱😋😈) 👍

[Janstr in reply to Thelmarina]

It’s used a lot in the South Island of New Zealand, especially for strawberries

[Sharitone in reply to Thelmarina]

A chocopottle?

[Thelmarina in reply to Sharitone]

You’re talking my language! 👍😅

[HeronNS in reply to Janstr]

Why only one piece of fruit?

[Janstr in reply to HeronNS]

1 piece (particularly apples) was recommended for a Mediterranean diet recommended by my husband’s GP to control diabetes. It’s a low carb diet

[HeronNS in reply to Janstr]

Oh I see. I assume one's vitamins and minerals and fibre will come from extra vegetables?

[Janstr in reply to HeronNS]

Yes, the diet has a huge amount of veges & protein. It worked with my husband who was in the diabetic range & with the diet came down to below the pre-diabetic area. It has also meant for me that I haven’t developed the pred moon face. We aren’t fanatical about it, & don’t follow if out. (That is when we do out; fond memories of pre Covid days; we are still in lockdown here)

[SusyTe]

Nuts are a great snack. Apple slices spread with healthy peanut butter (like Manilife - the deep roast version is delish). Higgidy spinach and cheese mini muffins (tastier than they sound and lower carb). Mini cheese portions. Slice of frittata. Avocado with vinaigrette. Smoked salmon or mackerel pate spread on chicory or little gem leaves.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SusyTe]

That all sounds good so if i keep the apply till the evening with the penut butter that should satisfy me. Its just knowing i can have something if i need it. Thanks.

[SusyTe in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

If you soak the nuts overnight in salted water in the fridge and then rinse and dry them out on a low temp in the oven they are much softer and “activated” so easier on your teeth and to digest. I keep them in a pot in the fridge.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SusyTe]

Thanks. I'll give it a try too. All these things will help IF i do want a snack. Once i get eating properly i might be ok but i know what I'm like for picking in the evenings .

[Nextoneplease in reply to SusyTe]

Ooh those all sound brilliant, just my sort of thing 😊

Been very busy with family lately so can’t plan food easily but some of those are easily come by 👍

Thank you x

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SusyTe]

Just had apple with peabut butter and absolutely loved it. Thanks.

[SusyTe in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

It is a delish snack, isn’t it. The Whole Earth and Manilife butters are the more healthy ones. 😊 x

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to SusyTe]

I went out special yesterday and got the manilife one and now i know its special to my other ones in the cupboard. Really worth buying and paying a bit extra.

[SusyTe in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Oh yummy! Glad you like it. 😊 x

[Griggser]

I make these crispbreads which are healthy and satisfy cravings. easypeasyorganic.com/2013/0...

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to Griggser]

I'll have a go. thanks

[Meggsy in reply to Griggser]

Thank you Griggser, I have printed the recipe and will make these tomorrow. I hope your shingles pain has subsided.

[Griggser in reply to Meggsy]

I just made a new batch😃 Shingles left me with post hepatic neuralgia, nerve damage, which is driving me nuts with the itching when the nerves fire off.

[Meggsy in reply to Griggser]

Oh dear, I do sympathise with you. I had shingles (midriff) the same time as you and it was so painful. I just can’t imagine having it in the eye followed by more pain and itching. Horrendous!

[Hidden in reply to Griggser]

A chemist told me, Aloe Vera Gel, & it really does help. But it must be gel. I also have this nerve damage after Shingles on side of face....& it is still there after 3 years!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Remember that it is low carb Mediterranean that will help most - and I think one of the most important things to get our heads around is cutting the snacking habit that is now believed to contribute a lot to weight problems these days. Constantly snacking without increasing the total content of food eaten is fine - but it rarely happens like that!

As a child I ate 3 meals a day - and there really weren't snacks around, no money in our house. It is a habit I have never actually developed apart from having nuts in a tub on the table. But once I have had dinner in the evening, I eat nothing else. I never eat while watching TV!

But a tub of prepared cucumber sticks kept in the fridge is a good mouth-feel snack with very few calories or carbs.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, i remember those days too so i must get into the habit of no snacking now. Cucumber seems a good idea and i love it so no problem there. I do a lot of baking so I'm in the kitchen some evenings as i dont watch much tele. Depends how i feel. I'll get my knitting out again if my hands allow. I get the cramp so much in my fingers even with the baking. One thing after another isn't it but I'll give the cucumber a try. Many thanks.

[Longtimer in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Since I have lost weight, I put it down to no snacks, especially in the evening....Many times I have read to have evening meal before 7 pm, then put body in no food situation til breakfast..very good to lose weight, or stay at a weight, and very good for pre-diabetics....It's surprising how quick the body gets used to it...

It certainly helped me....

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to Longtimer]

Good advice and I'll try and be positive on not eating in the evening. Definitely my worst time is then. Thanks.

[Telian in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Me too - evening time seems to be what can I eat time! Terrible habit.

[SusyTe in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Having given some ideas for snacks I do admit that I rarely eat them now as we do intermittent fasting and I close my window in late afternoon so don’t snack while watching TV. But if I did I would go for one of those options. 😊

[jinasc]

Keep a whole cucumber wrapped in foil and when that wanty feeling comes, cut one inch off and eat it...........if you need another couple of inches it does not matter. Loads of minerals, practically zero calories.

Put 'cucumber+calories' in your search engine........

BTW they clean windows and mirrors as well 🥒🥒

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to jinasc]

Cucmber seems to be my best bet so ill give that a go. Thanks.

[GOOD_GRIEF]

Grapes, You can eat a whole cup of grapes for 60-65 calories.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Calories are good but i thought they were about 28 carbs. Am i wrong. Hope so and then i can have some grapes.

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

I avoid nutritionally empty carbs. In my book, the nutritional value of fruit outweighs the carbs.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

And do you feel ok doing it like that. I'm just trying to keep the pmr away and also help keep this weight off. Whatever works I'll have a go. Thanks for reply

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Everyone's different, but I never had blood sugar problems and gained only 7 pounds while I was at higher levels of pred. Lost it all and them some when I got down to 10 and below, without really trying beyond being able to move around more.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Thats sounded good but ive always had a weight problem and things just got worse when sitting about so much. I've always been very active until the last year. I am going all out to get this pmr sorted and back to how i was or nearly.Its certainly been a wake up call.. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

Just remember my grandma's rule:

Everything in moderation including abstinence.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

I say that but then I cheat so now I mustn't. Thanks.

[Temoral in reply to Cosmos22Marigold]

One tip...if you clean your teeth after your eve meal, it sometimes puts you off snacking...the psychological approach 😉 my mother in law just used to repeat to herself..moments on the lips, a lifetime on the hips 🤗

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to Temoral]

So strange. My daughter in law has just left after a quick visit and said exactly the same thing. Clean you teeth after your meal. So true about lifetime on the hips. Thanks.

[Karenjaninaz]

I have the opposite problem. I have reactive hypoglycemia tied in with the adrenal insufficiency that I have after long-term prednisone. My blood sugars dropped to low levels between meals and overnight. This morning it was 65. Last night I went to bed after a snack of peanut butter with a little juice from fruit and half-and-half for fat. Even on prednisone, right now for a pulmonary problem of 15 mg, my sugars do not go up. I cannot do low-fat or my sugars will be so low I’ll feel like fainting. I am under the care of endocrinology for this. I had gotten down to five and three-quarter milligrams when I had an asthma exacerbation and was put on very high doses of prednisone in the hospital. So now I’m on 15 mg and next week I go down to 12 1/2. I do not have any PMR symptoms and have not gotten down long enough to see if they’ll emerge. I am also on oxygen at home. I’m becoming a high maintenance organism.

[Cosmos22Marigold in reply to Karenjaninaz]

So sorry to hear of all your problems. Mine are nothing compared to those but on this forum its a mind of information about almost everything so were here to help each other with so much advice and could never get it anywhere else. I do hope you can get some relief on all your concerns. Wishing you better x

[Griggser]

Blimey you sound to be very similar to my situation. I had opthalmic shingles in my right eye. The nerve damage has left me with the numb feeling in my face and eye with electric shocks and a very frustrating itch. Sleeping does give me some respite but as soon as I lift my head off the pillow it starts again. Then there’s the side affects of the drugs, weight gain and dizziness being the main ones.

[Griggser]

Thanks for the reply and the useful link. I did have a Stellate Ganglion Block procedure by is an injection into the neck. This gave me some relief for about 2. days. I’ve got a telephone consultation with the pain clinic this week so hopefully they’ll come up with something else to try🤷‍♂️

[Karenjaninaz]

Thank you!