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puzzled....diet questions

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Posted 1/17/2010 3:06 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone,

    I have been reading messages on this forum and have found it helpful and really good input from the moderators.. I have posted in the past on other forum about doing low carb diet to manage reflux.  Now I have a new problem:  fasting blood glucose level is too high..

   Here are my questions: 

  #1    How do I eat strict low carb without increasing my cholesterol level? This happened to me in the past.  My cholesterol levels (LDL) went up so high on the low carb/high fat diet that my dr. wanted me on a statin.  I solved this problem by  cutting out much of the saturated fat and  added in some whole grains,  fruits , some legumes,even dried fruits, and root vegetables...  Cholesterol levels are good now and reflux still pretty well managed. BUT gotta change the diet again due to the wake up call of prediabetes. Do you think I need to completely give up grains, legumes, root vegetables, and most fruit?

   #2  Do I eat dairy or not?  I have read conflicting info on this. I don't know what to think.  Very puzzled on this one.

   #3  Need snack ideas.. My weight is low and I have to eat in between meals to maintain it.. I exercise a lot..

  Thanks in advance for any suggestions..

Posted 1/17/2010 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, welcome back.  #1.  I don't know.  When I went low carb, my cholesterol came down to normal levels.  They had been high when I was first diagnosed as pre-diabetic and my doctor was going to put me on statins.  That was when I asked her to give me 6 months to see if I could get myself in order (blood sugar, weight, cholesterol).  And I did with the low carb diet.  So, I don't know why your cholesterol was high.  I wouldn't say my low-carb is high fat, however.  I eat all kinds of meat, fish and poultry but also lots of vegetables (no potatoes) and salads.  In addition, I do not eat anything made from flour.  The fruit I eat are cherries and berries about 3 times a week.  #2.  I eat yogurt, plain or with some crushed berries or with a little artificial sweetener.  I also use sour cream and cream in cooking.  I eat cheese.  I always look at the carb content.  #3.  For snacks, I eat nuts, cheese, celery with cream cheese.  Congratulations on not having an overweight problem!  I suppose to maintain it, you need to eat more snacks?  I'm sure you'll get other responses.  The bottom line for the blood sugar is that the carbs will keep it elevated.
Posted 1/18/2010 11:57 AM (GMT 0)
Lanie, thank you so much for taking the time to reply. That is great you have done so well with the low carb diet. I wonder if my mistake before was in going hog wild with the fat. I thought I could eat as much as I wanted, including lots of cream ( which I made into creme fraiche!, coconut oil, butter, and full fat cheese). I guess I'll have to pay attention to how much fat I"m eating. May I ask how many carbs you eat in an average day? I"m trying to figure out how low to go. Also, when you eat lots of vegetables, does that include the higher starch kind such as winter squash or lima beans?
Posted 1/18/2010 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
I have never figured out how many carb grams I eat in a day!  Honest!  I don't eat the vegetables with higher starch content, so I only eat winter squash (like acorn squash) at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I don't eat lima beans, mostly because I've never liked them!  I eat a portion of beans maybe twice a week: northern, pinto, red, black - those kinds.  And I like garbanzo beans, so I eat them in a salad or make hummus maybe once a week.  I'll saute onions and eat them with the beans with olive oil as a warm vegetable or I make a marinated bean salad in warmer weather.  The vegetables I eat most are: bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and lots of spinach fresh or cooked.  Don't forget that we may metabolize differently, so I may have to eat fewer carbs to be able to control the blood sugar than you can safely eat.  After about 4 years, I've figured out what and how much I can eat.  For example, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes and the winter squash raise my blood sugar a lot.
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