Confused

[mariana7]

Hi! I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a couple of years ago. I must admit that even though I want to be healthier, my eating habits are not the best. I'm not a a great cook and am basically very confused about what I should eat. I've been eating Dr. McDougall's soups every day at lunch but have a hard time figuring out what to eat at breakfast especially. I get up at 5:00 AM, eating a little past 6:00 but can't eat lunch until 11:45. I definately need food that will sustain me for that long. Should I eat a snack and, if so, what should I eat? Is oatmeal ok to eat for a diabetic? Should I eat something in the evening to help with my readings?

I get so confused by this carb thing and want my blood glucose level to be normal. It's in the mid 100's most of the time with the highest reading when I first get up. I would appreciate any advise that I can get to become successful. Thanks!

[landog]

Have you read Dr. Neal Barnard's book?

Best Wishes!
-dog

[talkingmountain]

Mariana,
Welcome and don't be worried that you are confused. If I were a "conspiracy theorist" type of person, I'd swear that the food industry wanted us all confused so that we would just give up and keep eating their profitable junk food!

Anyway, I agree with the others - you will find the info in Prevent & Reverse Diabetes by Neal Barnard to be VERY helpful. Ignore hiss recipes though - use Dr. McDougall's recipes or recipes from www.engine2diet.com or www.fatfreevegan.com instead.

As a former Atkins dieter, it's been hard to adopt this mindset. But unrefined carbs -- thick-cut or steel-cut oats, polenta, whole-grain porridge, etc -- are good for you, even as a diabetic. The less refined, the better, so brown rice is better than bread, for example.

Snacks are good too.

The bottom line is, eat when you are hungry. Just eat whole, unprocessed foods (e.g. a nuked sweet potato, not sweet potato chips). Eat fruits, veggies, & unrefined grains. Avoid oils/fats.

I was on the verge of being type II diabetic (in fact, I so expected my blood tests to come back saying I'd finally "crossed over" into diabetes that I was reading Dr. Barnard's book while waiting to pick up my results!) but am now not even close. My usual day is as follows:

About 5:30 a.m. Huge bowl of thick-cut oats (recipe below)
About 10 a.m. I'm hungry again & usually have a boiled or baked potato and a piece of fruit, small can of chickpeas, 1/2 of my lunch, or other sustaining food. (If I try to "not" eat, then I usually fall off the wagon with the junk food around the office!)
Around 11:30 Lunch, sometimes only half of it, while doing email at my desk
Around 12:00 Walk
Around 2:00 Rest of lunch or a large snack of fruit & something bread-y.
Around 6 pm Supper
Around 8 pm Dessert

Favorite Breakfast Oatmeal

1. Night Before:
Oatmeal "recipe" adapted from Esselstyn book:
Slice a banana into a large microwaveable bowl or mug.
Cover it completely plus some, with Bob's Red Mill thick-cut rolled oats or similar thick-cut rolled oats.
Top with cinnamon, cardamom, & a couple of tablespoons of raisins or cut-up prunes.
Pour almond milk (or other low-fat non-dairy milk substitute) in until it just covers the raisins.
Cover if desired & Place in refrigerator overnight.

2. Next Morning:
Place bowl/mug, uncovered, in microwave.
Microwave for 2-4 minutes on high.
Eat!