Re: Maxine in Australia

[Guest guest]

Rolf,

Thanks for your welcome and explanation that there are varying thoughts on diet.

I hope your experiments with low GI work as well for you as they do for the

persistent in Australia and Europe.

Having lived only with the GI and readings where 5 is OK but 8 isn't and a

consistent 10+ means a change in treatment, I am totally befuddled by the use of

other readings you all quote for Type 2 where no insulin is taken. I have never

heard of them before. This has been quite an experience. I managed, on the low

glycaemic diet, to keep my daily average finger prick reading (before food in

the morning) or two hours after any food throughout the day) to between 5 and 6

for four years.

Then, eventually, as I have already said, my inability to move much caused a

rise to around 8 consistently. I moved onto Metformin and continued on the diet.

I am back on the 5-6 readings.

For anyone who is interested, here is my diet, but remember I keep quantities

low to maintain a 1600 calorie a day intake as I am paraplegic.

I start the day with, of all things for you Americans, a glass of America's own

Ocean Spray Cranberry Classic to help prevent the bladder infections which haunt

paraplegics.

For breakfast I have oatmeal porridge (without salt like the Scots and without

milk and sugar like the Aussies) with a generic brand of All Bran on top (the

generic All Bran has less sugar than the real thing and has a lovely nutty

taste). With this I have a banana and two of either a mandarin, half an apple,

strawberries galore, half a pear, an apricot etc. leaving the remainder of my

diet quota for fresh fruit for dessert at night.

With every meal I have a drink of water or lo-cal cordial and a cup of lemon

herbal tea with fresh grated ginger in it. The ginger has taken the place of two

teaspoons of sugar and I love it (a trip to Bali showed me the advantages of tea

with ginger in it!).

For lunch I have a sandwich of multi-grain bread and salad with lo-fat

cheese and lo-fat finely shredded ham and a small tub of lo-fat yoghurt. I don't

have the artificially sweetened type of yoghurt - usually just a fruit flavoured

one. Doctors here are trying to encourage us to cut down on artificial

sweeteners - in fact, in one state the Diabetes Association feels a small

quantity of sugar does less harm than the artificial sweetener! LOL!).

For dinner I have Basmati (special type of white) rice, or pasta, or a mash of

sweet potato, or sweetcorn with 120g of meat and as many vegetables as I wish

with the exception of only one small potato (I cut mine up finely and make my

own potato crisps on an olive-oil sprayed tray in the oven, for munchies

watching TV). I usually cheat and have a small ice-cream with my mango or other

fresh fruit dessert.

I rarely eat between meals (feel too full) but because of a medical condition

must have several litres of fluid a day so usually have herbal tea or various

drinks I have found to be OK for me.

I finish off the day with another Ocean Spray Cranberry Classic - thank you

America for that gem. I eat out about twice a week and have little trouble

keeping on diet as most restaurants now appreciate the words `lo-fat' or

`diabetic' (even Mcs!).

My only problem, as I stated before, is that it is hard for me to exercise and

my weight is rising. I can't cut calories much below 1600 and not be hungry so

must find some way of exercising my muscles to make my insulin work.

Maxine in Australia

Rolf said: I am about to convert myself to a fairly good following of the GI

(remember that GI is primary in Europe)....I can't understand the exchange

system that is part of GI, but I can understand the science of GI, and the

science of complex and simple sugars, carbs, and starches (this is what is the

base for the GI).......The whole thing is complicated yet simple if you work at

it.....Talk about weird---I can eat 2 cups of pasta with my evening meal with

meat sauce and have a normal 120 bg in the morning.....I don't get it---pasta

does not increase mine......I only eat unprocessed grain in my grain foods. Like

whole grain breads.....as little as possible of processed grains-----I eat fried

rice (1/2 cup) if I have rice, but can only eat a small baked potato (counts

about 22 gr. carbs)...my insulin exchange is 4 units per carb count (15 gr.) One

of the secrets is to elliminate fructose (in processed foods) which reduces cell

resistance...........

[Guest guest]

Hi Roseanne,

Thanks for the website.

I have lactose intolerance so rarely had milk and never had it on my porridge

(the diet allows lo-fat milk and sweeteners if you like). I find that not having

sweeteners has made it easier to accept a more savoury palate. Porridge by

itself was yuk, so I eventually found this nutty tasting allbran! I have ginger

in my weak lemon herbal tea to make it more palatable. Fruit provides the rest

of sweetness.

On this diet, once it is established, you can have a piece of lush cake or

something equally as yummy once in a while. Christmas Day and birthdays we are

allowed to blow the diet but I find now that it is not so hard to keep on it,

even at those times - just small scale wickedness. LOL!.

Porridge without milk and sugar? does have exercises for

those who are confined to wheel chairs. His website is incase you're interested

is www.richardsimmons.com Roseanne