Diagnosed With Diabetes? 4 Tips for a Low-Carb Diabetes Diet

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Very interesting comments regarding low carb for diabetics. I am a believer in low carb meal plans and as a Type 1 have tried it and blood sugars have decreased markedly. I am looking for a low carb meal replacement but find that some of them have high sugar content. Does anyone have a suggestion as to which meal replacement is the best for diabetics? Also, the American Diabetes Association should be advocating low carb diets....they're so behind the times!

Marlee of WI 10:41PM December 26, 2012

I'm with the low-carbers! I've been eating about 60g of carbs per day (NOT per meal!) for the last 6 months, and I've lost 24 lb. (down to BMI 24.1) and have had the best lipid numbers ever. Now THAT'S a big deal! Especially since diabetics are at such great risk of heart disease.
There are no nutrients in grain or fruit that can't be found in low-carb vegetables and meat and cheese. Plus I'm almost never hungry, and when I AM hungry, I can always eat. I don't feel deprived at all, which is the opposite of what most people experience on low-fat, high-carb diets. All carbs do is spike your BGs, and then, for Type 2's at least, plunge them just as fast, resulting in Chinese Restaurant syndrome. For Type 1's the problem is that it's hard to dose for carbs, because the insulin lasts longer than the carbs do, resulting in lows 4 hours after eating. If you take less insulin to prevent the low, you will go high 2 hours after eating. It's a no-win situation!

Natalie of NV 10:30AM April 01, 2011

Low carb has been wrongly vilified by everyone...Atkins called a quack, etc., fat causes heart attacks, etc. Instead, we've been told that we can eat anything we want...get most of our calories from carbs. Problems? Just inject yourself with the right amount of insulin. Even small amounts of refined carbs make my blood sugar go out of whack. Worse, I immediately crave more. I do fine on very low carb with plenty of FAT... for blood sugar AND cholesterol control. I base my food choices on science-- what my glucose meter tells me. The low-fat, high-carb crowd, while claiming to be "scientific" are either unthinking dogmatists, or a part of vested interests that make their money from processed food, Big Agra & Big Pharma. Slowly, people are beginning to realize this.

Joe of CA 12:57PM June 30, 2010

Is money really that important to them that they are willing to risk our health for it ??? I thought doctors are to first ....Do No Harm? What's with that?

Debi Price of OH 2:15AM June 21, 2010

I am 76 years old and have had diabetes for 10 years aqnd joined overeaters annonomous in apreil 2009 and have followed their food plan with no flour or sugar and have lost 30 pounds and have been off insulin since the second week on the program I feel extra healthy and my a1c is much improved and all other factors on tests are within the normal rang. hoorah111Its a miacle!!!!

Audrey M. Shuck of CA 12:19PM November 04, 2009

I am including a link to a site dedicated to centralizing resources around how to manage diabetes using a restricted or low carb diet. Included is a PDF with 300 free recipes that I have used to help better manage my own diabetes.
www.dsolve.com
I have also taken the time to consolidate as much research on the subject as I can at this same site. I think if people really look at the science there is plenty of "proof" that this can reduce the need for medicines and improve health of diabetics.

Ryan Whitaker of CO 10:36AM October 14, 2009

Low-carb is not good for the insulin industry. Weight loss is not good for the bariatric-surgery industry.
Follow the money.
My husband has suffered from ulcerative colitis for DECADES. We discovered the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (google it) as a treatment when he was faced with an unacceptable medical treatment. It is a version of a low-carb, low-gluten diet. His Gastrointerologist "poo-poo'd" the diet as ineffective.
We have been following the SCD for about 8 months, and he has healed to the point where he is about to be off of ALL medications.
Not good for the gastroninterologist's business at all!

Linda of FL 10:46AM August 24, 2009

Wkat kinds of fruit should you NOT eat if you are diabetic? What is a good breakfast to eat, or any meal for that matter? I (as well as a co=worker) have tried the glucerna products. They elevate my blood sugar!!!

Kathy of MD 2:31PM August 05, 2009

“Low Carb” means reducing starch and sugar and choosing to eat healthier, more nutritious foods. My wife, a severe insulin-dependent T1 diabetic and myself, each lost 100 pounds by eliminating nearly all starch and sugar from our diet. Her A1C (a measure of blood glucose control) dropped from a 9, which was poorly managed on a conventional starch based diet to a healthy 6.4, by eliminating starch and sugar. I’m not a diabetic but my blood pressure went from 160 over 100 on blood pressure medicine to 120 over 70, off blood pressure medicine.
We have also had several other health improvements. Our energy level has also improved dramatically since we no longer suffer from insulin resistance. Our mental alertness has improved since we no longer have the mental fog of dopamine release caused by starch and sugar (ever feel sleepy after a meal? Bingo!). We also eliminated most dairy products, since these too, are high in lactose sugar. Humans are the only species that continues to drink milk as adults.
What we've discovered is that people find a starch free (no bread, no potatoes, no pasta, no corn, no rice, no soy, no legumes, etc.) lifestyle challenging to maintain due to a lack of convenient food choices. Reality is that restaurant menus and groceries cater to starch and sugar consumption. There are few convenient food options for busy people who want to reduce starch and sugar in their diet. How many restaurants offer fresh vegetables instead of starchy side dishes of potatoes, corn, rice, etc.? Even restaurants that do offer a vegetable side dish often coat the vegetable in starch or sugar. The main coarse is usually prepared with at least some breading, starch or sugar. Is it any wonder that those who choose to eat a healthy diet, low in starch and sugar find it difficult to stick with a “low carb” diet plan?
We’ve learned to be creative in the kitchen. It’s amazing what wonderful meals can be prepared with almost no starch or sugar. Many vegetables taste sweet, now that our taste buds re-acclimated to not eating foods high in sugar. With a little creativity many traditional foods and even new kinds of foods can become wonderful and very satisfying culinary adventures. It was this passion for finding substitutes to starch and sugar based foods that inspired me to create a new kind of cookie.
Yes! To Cookies is the first cookie mix to replace all starch and sugar with fiber and no calorie, all natural sweeteners. I wanted to find a way to make cookies without starch and I discovered an entirely new way to bake cookies that doesn’t raise blood glucose or contribute carbohydrate calories. At my wife’s urging, I made them available for the public. You can find our story at www.yestocookies.com and on You Tube.
I encourage anyone who wants to reduce starch and sugar in their diet to reach out to those of us who are enjoying the benefits of living healthier lives starch and sugar free, for advise and support.

David J. Fulton of TX 7:24PM July 27, 2009

I switched over from a lifetime of hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia several years ago. I have diabetes in my family, I am overweight, AND I have been given steroid nose sprays for years, and I am convinced that was the final straw that brought on my diabetes at age 73. I believe that a balanced diet is still best for all, and particularly diabetics. If you cut too much fat, you will be low on energy. If you cut protein too much, you will be low on energy. If you cut carbs too much, you will be low on energy. The goal is to eat complex carbohydrates, in moderation, instead of simple carbs, which rapidly turn to sugar in the body. I love simple carbs and could live on them if taste were all that mattered, so it's very hard for me, but it is best for me.

Ernestine S. Bonicelli of TN 1:56AM July 18, 2009