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Friday 5 May 2017

Diabetes and Smart Eating

A couple of weeks ago my husband was hospitalised with DKA, which is where the body develops ketones in the blood from undiagnosed diabetes.It is type 2 and unusual to have such symptoms, but it seems it was complicated and accelerated by pneumonia. Scary time, as he could have actually died. I guess the key signs were craving sweet drinks, foods. He had turned into a sugar gremlin. Then, when he started to feel unwell, sleeping all the time, then violent vomiting I just rang 999; Apparently, saving his life.
A few weeks on, and his sugars are almost back to normal.He has lost two stone in a month. I have learned a lot of things already, and will share them here.
DIABETIC FOODS CAN HELP
I have discovered Gullon Spanish biscuits, sugar free from Poundland. The wafer ones are delicious, and I can eat them.
Oppo Icecream bought at Ocado. This is sweetened with Stevia, and apparently yum.
Blackcurrant no added sugar jam-Tesco. Stabilised with sorbitol.
Chocolate sweetened with stevia- available everywhere.
Just be aware too much can send you to the toilet!!
SMART CARBS IS NECESSARY
We had little advice and of course the food the hospital as giving:orange juice, jam puddings??????
I would say these are our go to foods:
Sweet potatoes, mash made with swede and cauliflower added.
Low carb bread (half veggy flour), brown sour dough, wholegrain.
Brown basmati rice, quinoa, porridge.
What we have done is reduced the carbs at dinner, and also swapped for smarter alternatives as mentioned.Snacks are limited to really low, or no sugar foods, or maybe toast, or nuts.
The thing is, we do not need all those carbs in the diet, and we found cutting out sugar not enough, as the refined carbs convert quickly to sugar. Key here is low carb diet. I haven't quite worked out eating out, but dried chips are a no, unless just a few, and no battered fish!
I am still on a learning curve, and will share recipes soon. A really nice drink is hot chocolate made with almond unsweetened milk, and cocoa powder, sweetened with xylitol.