I was diagnosed with diabetes last Friday, and I have a couple dietary questions...

[HereSince1628]

Whole wheat bread--does it really help control blood glucose more than white bread, or is bread just not good?
Pasta--same question as above...is there a significant difference between whole wheat and regular pasta?
Brown rice--same question is it really better?

Does it just come down to smaller portions?

[The empressof all]

1. Have you seen a dietitian yet?

It's an important step in understanding how you need to eat. I'm not diabetic but follow a diabetic/low glycemic eating plan. There are products out there that help like Dreamfields pasta but it still comes down to making the proper choices and controlling portions. A dietitian can help give you hints as well; like if you are eating a fruit eat it with a protein which will help avoid a spike from the sugars in the fruit. I choose not to eat bread or potatoes but will on rare occasion eat low glycemic pasta and baked goods. It gets easier as time goes on as you find new foods to substitute for some old favorites. Who would have thought roasted butternut squash cubes could help me overcome my love of "fries"

[HereSince1628]

2. No, no dietician yet, not with a diagnosis made last Friday afternoon

I have no glucometer yet either, the pharmacy is mailing it via the US mule.

It's all part of a very bad month at this point.

Thanks for the comments.

[Warpy]

3. When you see the dietician, you'll get information

and all sorts of handouts, depending on what sort of diet you'll be on.

Pasta, rice, and bread all give you complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest and don't tend to give you a huge spike in blood sugar unless you're on a cheat and overdo. Simple sugars like the ones in soft drinks and desserts will cause a high spike in blood sugar and that's not good for you.

The main difference with whole grains is the fiber that helps digestion. Some studies have suggested it also lowers blood sugar, but probably not enough for most people to make a difference in their tests. What fibre does is create bulk, especially in whole wheat bread, and that means less available carbohydrate in a slice of bread and that's a good thing.

I've been eating whole grains for 40 years and, while it took some getting used to in the beginning, there's no way I'll go back unless for some reason I no longer have refrigeration available.

You're on the steep side of a long learning curve. Best thing to do is take a deep breath and realize it took you a long time to develop the disease and it will take a long time until dealing with it is second nature. You can cut out simple sugars today and wait for the appointment with the dietician for the rest.

[sandnsea]

4. Add fiber

Which means whole grains and raw veggies if you can eat them otherwise.

Someone else on DU had their diabetes dietician tell them no white food. No sugar, no white potatoes, no white rice, no white flour products. There's a lot more to learn, but that really is a good starting place.

Cheese, milk and other dairy can play havoc with diabetes too, so be careful on that.

There are a few diabetics in the cooking forum who post good recipes too.

[HereSince1628]

5. Yeah

Twigs and water I get it. A life of SOS.

[The empressof all]

6. I bet you are really scared right now.

I know it's hard to believe but it's really gonna be ok and you'll still be able to enjoy many of the kinds of foods you like. They'll just need a bit of tweaking. Just stay away from the bean brownie recipe. A dietitian gave me that one and I still have nightmares. :rofl:

[sandnsea]

7. Nope, absolutely not remotely, I promise

You will just learn to use herbs to flavor your foods instead of cheese and butter. There are also a ton of sugar free products on the market. If you're a chocolate freak, go get skinny cow fudge bars right now. Then wander over to the cooking forum and start asking for recipes. You'll feel better in no time. It's going to be fine.

[HereSince1628]

8. Thanks for your concern

And I'm sure everyone means well.

I'm just gonna take myself back to my cave now.

[grasswire]

9. I was diagnosed two years ago

....and it was a real journey through the wilderness to try to find things that worked well for me. I do recommend going to Dr. Bernstein's web site and also checking his books out from the library. He is a type 1 diabetic who advocates a very low carb diet. It's a bit too low for me, but I try to stay as low as I reasonably can, because I learned very early on that I would feel rotten if I ate more than 20 carbs at one time. I aim for 15 carbs per meal and 15 for snack total during the day. Many foods have NO carbs or sugar!

Here's what I usually eat:

breakfast -- a handful of walnuts or almonds, 6 oz of low fat milk, and a cup of coffee with cream. If I wanted it, I could have an Activia yogurt (17 carbs), or a piece of whole wheat toast and two eggs. Or I could have bacon and eggs. Or cottage cheese and a few crackers.

lunch -- often a half tuna sandwich and some V-8 juice. Or a piece of cheese toast with herbs. Or some low-carb soup.

snack -- anything with less than 15 carbs

supper -- meat or cheese and vegetables. Sometimes an omelette and salad. I do eat dreamfields pasta in very moderate amounts. I do not eat potatoes or rice or stuffing.

bedtime -- a glass of low fat milk, a few pieces of apple, some peanut butter, something like that.

I can have a taste of anything, even chocolate. I never feel that I can't satisfy hunger. There's always something that can satisfy.

I have learned a few things along the way. A glass of water can sometimes turn around that feeling shaky or yucky. If I feel really yucky I have a glass of milk. I carry nuts and milk along with me if I am leaving the house for more than half an hour.

Read up everything you can. It is what you make of it, you know?

[grasswire]

10. oh, and here's something

:hug:

You're not alone. PM me at any time.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Hmm HI... I can do a little more carbs than you can

but not by much. I am blessed with a body that is highly sensitive to the damn thing.

Pasta (will probably be a memory for other reasons) I count the tortellini, and don't have more than 12 if small, 10 if large, and a large salad.

[shanti]

11. awww

:hug:

i totally understand how you're feeling. (coming from someone with a sweet tooth and love of fried foods). time to buy some new cookbooks.

[Jennicut]

13. Use whole wheat bread whenever you can....look at the label, it must be 100% whole wheat.

And look at the fiber content.
Whole wheat bread and pasta and brown rice all make my blood sugar go up much slower then the white bread and pasta and white rice. This may not be true for everyone so you have to play around with it a bit. I also take insulin so that may be a difference as well.