# Food Nazism



## stevieh (Apr 13, 2018)

Hi, I'm very new to this, having only been diagnosed a week ago with Type 1 diabetes, I'm getting really bored with the diet already, I feel for you poor things who have done it for years, I like to think I'm a fairly creative cook but it seems to me that recipes and food swap information on this site and others really come up 2nd best, surely someone can come up with foods that don't contain either sunflower or bloody pumpkins seeds, I hate them with a passion I reserve for those who are cruel to animals, I understand probably better now than at anytime about low sugar, low fat diets, but jeez, having read about Christmas food, why the hell would you put pumpkin seeds in mincemeat? Boiled potatoes are as nice as roasted, REALLY? I like to think I ate relatively healthy before, however, the thought of doing this from here on in or shooting myself in the head, I'll take the 9mm every time.
Everything is so unimaginative and really doesn't inspire, I know some of you will say it gets better and suchlike, but we have a lot to put up with and I'm sure there are others with whom diabetes isn't the only health issue we face, food should be a highlight of our day, not something we have to think of as a chore, I'm sure a lot will disagree, but I'm one to hold a grudge.
Steve


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## Bubbsie (Apr 13, 2018)

What diet are you on Stevie...think I'd feel the same if I ate pumpkin or sunflower seeds in anything...not sure I'd plump for the 9mm though...but pumpkin seeds in mincemeat could push me in that direction...particularly at Christmas...maybe another T1 can point you in the right direction...not sure what foods are best with insulin use...I thought T1s could increase or decrease their insulin as required depending on what they ate...had a degree of leeway in their choice of foods...but since I don't know my basal from my bolus what would I know...maybe someone will be along to inspire you...?


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## Kaylz (Apr 13, 2018)

Hi @stevieh and welcome to the forum 
What are you eating?
I understand that at 1 week in things will be a bit frustrating but as a Type 1 there is no reason you cant eat the same things as you did before, it will just take time and a lot of effort to work out how best to manage these things xx


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## Ljc (Apr 13, 2018)

Hi, @stevieh . It sounds like you may h@ve restricted your diet a little too much and perhaps may not have found our what-did-you-eat-yesterday thread because we sure don’t live on lettuce and fresh air, pay particular attention to the T1 posters on there. I totally agree with you about Sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

As your only a week in , it’s not only all very new to you (it’s a steep learning curve at first, but don’t worry you’ll get their) plus your probably still rather shocked about your dx (Diagnosis) 

What insulin’s are you on.


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## christophe (Apr 13, 2018)

I have a regular contact at work calls Nazsim.. I wondered what he had to do with food..
Stevie.. I am a baker, trust me on this, you will find something that works for you! I used to love the whole process of making then devouring croissants... now I think I'd rather not do the injection.. save it up for when I absolutely need that pastry..
Good luck, put the 9mm away for a while..


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## Robin (Apr 13, 2018)

I'm Type 1. I have never even contemplated putting pumpkin seeds in mincemeat. ( why on earth would you?) And I would never eat a boiled potato, if I could have a roast!
Having said that, I do make sure I balance out my diet with what suits my insulin, but with a bit of tweaking and timing of doses, most things can be persuaded to suit my insulin! I won't eat a load of pasta with a side of garlic bread and not much else, because the carb load would be difficult to bolus for. But neither would I eat a completely carb free meal because that would be equally difficult. ( a carb free snack is a different matter, sometimes it's nice to grab a few nuts or a bit of cheese without needing to get the insulin pen out)
It's all a question of balance, and a healthy diet is good for all of us, diabetic or not, but I don't think that means bunging budgie food in everything!


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## Jeandp (Apr 13, 2018)

I know next to nothing about Type 1 diabetes but you mention low sugar, low fat diets. If you are eating low carb, and low fat, you must be starving. Natural, unprocessed fats are the good guys. I was diagnosed over a year ago and I don't think I have eaten a boiled potato in all that time. Little baby potatoes roasted in butter, that is what I like.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 13, 2018)

Robin said:


> I'm Type 1. I have never even contemplated putting pumpkin seeds in mincemeat. ( why on earth would you?) And I would never eat a boiled potato, if I could have a roast!
> Having said that, I do make sure I balance out my diet with what suits my insulin, but with a bit of tweaking and timing of doses, most things can be persuaded to suit my insulin! I won't eat a load of pasta with a side of garlic bread and not much else, because the carb load would be difficult to bolus for. But neither would I eat a completely carb free meal because that would be equally difficult. ( a carb free snack is a different matter, sometimes it's nice to grab a few nuts or a bit of cheese without needing to get the insulin pen out)
> It's all a question of balance, and a healthy diet is good for all of us, diabetic or not, but I don't think that means bunging budgie food in everything!



Absolutely agree with Robin.

I'm not sure what you've been reading @stevieh, but those are not suggestions or ideas I recognise from my own diet.

As a T1 you have the double-edged sword of much more freedom in food choices (with the ability to dose insulin to match) balanced against the difficulty that some of those choices can create when trying to get the dose to 'work'.

My general approach is to reduce variability by being pretty boring with breakfasts and lunches - almost eating the same tried and tested things - then much more freedom with evening meals where I can eat (almost) whatever I fancy.

There is a lot T1s can learn from T2s who are using food intake as their main therapy option (avoiding things their own insulin production cannot cope with), but for both T1 and T2 it is important to find a diet which works for your *soul* as well as your BG numbers.


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## trophywench (Apr 13, 2018)

It's not necessary at all to restrict carbs if you are Type 1.  The only reason to restrict them is if YOU happen to WANT to, for whatever reason - the main one for me being because I put (more) weight on if I don't.  And the only reason that I have ever put weight on is because I have a nasty ingrained habit of using my legs a lot less than my gob! ie being a couch potato and overeating, often simultaneously.  (Hey - just realised that's multi-tasking! LOL)

I've never liked 'stodge' that much anyway - always gobbled the boring spuds or bread and butter, then enjoyed all the nicer stuff on the plate after, ie the protein and the veg.

I still use butter (slightly salted) and chuck half a teaspoon of salt in the veg water as per normal, and don't like thin gravy so Bisto it is.  I expect my insulin to carb ratio must encompass it, cos I have never calculated it or measured how many ml of it I pour onto my dinner.

I think the sheer amount of info a newly diagnosed person might think they need to worry about is far too much to try and get your head round 'immediately' is overwhelming - so my advice is - just don't right now.  Concentrate on the obvious carby things on the plate first and only go into the depths of how many milligrams extra are in things like the gravy, if you can't get your insulin to carb ratio anywhere near right, after trying for a while.  If it's wildly 'out' then of course give it priority, but if it's only a bit adrift from where you want it, it's most likely not that urgent in the overall scheme of a whole life!

Of course you are feeling fragile and upset about the whole thing - you wouldn't be normal if you weren't, frankly.  It does - honestly - get better, but it simply, always, takes time.


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## robert@fm (Apr 13, 2018)

Some people swear by the LCHF (low-carb, high-fat) diet, which has been going at least 150 years and works for many people (obviously not those who have trouble digesting fats, such as those who have total pancreatic failure); "high fat" is something of a misnomer, as it means the ordinary moderate levels of fat we ate before Ansel Keys came along with his crackpot ideas.

Still, it's down to what you find that suits you and is sustainable. Whatever you eat, don't think of it as a "diet" in the tabloid sense, but as a long-term plan.


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## robert@fm (Apr 13, 2018)

christophe said:


> I have a regular contact at work calls Nazsim..


Perhaps he should change his name to Godwin?


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## stephknits (Apr 13, 2018)

Rant away, Stevie, having to think about (almost) everything you eat, not to mention whether or not you might do some gardening, take the dog for a walk, go on a run, do other 'unplanned' exercise as my DSN described it, etc is tedious.  The realisation that this is forever with no days off is huge.
I found some mixed healthy seeds in the back of our cupboard when I moved house, bought in a moment of madness.  I am sure the birds enjoyed them. Today I have eaten porridge for breakfast, cake at the cafe, a sandwich and crisps for picnic lunch with my girls and some 90 percent chocolate and am having a pint and a Chinese for tea.  Admittedly I do often have more healthy days.


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## Ljc (Apr 13, 2018)

I hope that reading our replies helps to reassure you.  
You wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t a little bit down after diagnosis and this is a good place to come to have a rant and let off some steam, we really do get it because most of us have been there.

A bit Later on you should be offered a DAPHNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating – A diabetes education course available for those managing Type 1 diabetes.) having T2 I have no experience with this course but from what I have read on here it’s a great course and does what it says in the box .


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## TheClockworkDodo (Apr 13, 2018)

What kind of insulin have you been given, Steve?  The only reason I can think of for a type  1 to have a specific diet is if you've been put on mixed insulin (2 injections a day), which is a very old-fashioned treatment for type 1 - if you're on that ask them to change it to MDI!  If you're giving yourself 4 injections a day (MDI) then you can eat what you like, you just have to learn to inject the right amount of insulin for it.

I still eat bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, oats, cakes, biscuits, fruit, jam ... um, pretty much everything I ate before.  I do stick to granary bread, brown rice, and brown pasta rather than white.  The only thing in my diet which the dietician told me was unsuitable for a type 1 diabetic was fruit juice - it sends blood sugar up too fast so it's only suitable as a hypo treatment - but actually I've ended up having more fruit juice than I used to because I have so many hypos!  The only things I've cut down on are raisins (I used to eat handfuls of them as a snack, now I eat handfuls of nuts instead) and honey (it spikes my blood sugar so I only eat it if I need it for a cold or sore throat).

I think some of the recipes you've been looking at are aimed either at type 2s who have to be much more careful what they eat, or at people who want to lose weight.  If you're not overweight there's no need to diet!


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## MikeTurin (Apr 13, 2018)

stevieh said:


> Hi, I'm very new to this, having only been diagnosed a week ago with Type 1 diabetes, I'm getting really bored with the diet already, I feel for you poor things who have done it for years, I like to think I'm a fairly creative cook but it seems to me that recipes and food swap information on this site and others really come up 2nd best, surely someone can come up with foods that don't contain either sunflower or bloody pumpkins seeds, I hate them with a passion I reserve for those who are cruel to animals, I understand probably better now than at anytime about low sugar, low fat diets, but jeez, having read about Christmas food, why the hell would you put pumpkin seeds in mincemeat? Boiled potatoes are as nice as roasted,


These are odd direction, especially for potatoes. Actually boiled potatoes left cooling and put on fridge to make a potato salad have a lower glycemic index, but also baked potatoes.
Why on earth one has to put pumpkin seed on minced meat? You could add Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or truffles. https://www.thespruce.com/italian-chopped-raw-beef-dish-2019383
I suppose that a book like Carbs and Cals could be useful to actually understand the swaps.


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## Drummer (Apr 13, 2018)

I've had to eat a low carb diet all my adult life due to putting on weight hand over fist if I eat carbs - but I don't feel deprived.
I eat twice a day, early and late. 
Tuna salad is on the menu for tomorrow, then roast turkey with celeriac, courgettes and mushrooms followed by berries and cream.
I don't eat high carb foods, but I really don't want to. 
I have bought pumpkin seeds recently and they aren't bad when roasted.


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Apr 14, 2018)

Well, I had a picnic bar last night, delicious!


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## khskel (Apr 14, 2018)

MikeTurin said:


> These are odd direction, especially for potatoes. Actually boiled potatoes left cooling and put on fridge to make a potato salad have a lower glycemic index, but also baked potatoes.
> Why on earth one has to put pumpkin seed on minced meat? You could add Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or truffles. https://www.thespruce.com/italian-chopped-raw-beef-dish-2019383
> I suppose that a book like Carbs and Cals could be useful to actually understand the swaps.


The mincemeat we have in pies at Christmas in the UK doesn't actually  contain any meat it's basically a mix of dried fruits. Strange but true.


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## christophe (Apr 14, 2018)

robert@fm said:


> Perhaps he should change his name to Godwin?



I had to look it up I'll admit..


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## Matt Cycle (Apr 14, 2018)

Type 1 you can eat what you want.  A normal diet.  You shouldn't feel deprived or restricted in what you are able to eat.  That is the point of DAFNE - normal eating.  It's up to you how you interpret 'normal' and how you manage your T1.


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## Kaylz (Apr 14, 2018)

Lucy Honeychurch said:


> Well, I had a picnic bar last night, delicious!


Yuck haha, now a star bar is  my aim! haha xx


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## Bubbsie (Apr 14, 2018)

Kaylz said:


> Yuck haha, now a star bar is  my aim! haha xx


Nooooooooooooo Kaylz...I used to love Picnic Bars.


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## Kaylz (Apr 14, 2018)

Bubbsie said:


> Nooooooooooooo Kaylz...I used to love Picnic Bars.


Na not for me I'm afraid xx


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## stevieh (Apr 15, 2018)

khskel said:


> The mincemeat we have in pies at Christmas in the UK doesn't actually  contain any meat it's basically a mix of dried fruits. Strange but true.


Historically it did, many mincemeats sold today contain suet as an echo to our past.


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## stevieh (Apr 15, 2018)

TheClockworkDodo said:


> What kind of insulin have you been given, Steve?  The only reason I can think of for a type  1 to have a specific diet is if you've been put on mixed insulin (2 injections a day), which is a very old-fashioned treatment for type 1 - if you're on that ask them to change it to MDI!  If you're giving yourself 4 injections a day (MDI) then you can eat what you like, you just have to learn to inject the right amount of insulin for it.
> 
> I still eat bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, oats, cakes, biscuits, fruit, jam ... um, pretty much everything I ate before.  I do stick to granary bread, brown rice, and brown pasta rather than white.  The only thing in my diet which the dietician told me was unsuitable for a type 1 diabetic was fruit juice - it sends blood sugar up too fast so it's only suitable as a hypo treatment - but actually I've ended up having more fruit juice than I used to because I have so many hypos!  The only things I've cut down on are raisins (I used to eat handfuls of them as a snack, now I eat handfuls of nuts instead) and honey (it spikes my blood sugar so I only eat it if I need it for a cold or sore throat).
> 
> I think some of the recipes you've been looking at are aimed either at type 2s who have to be much more careful what they eat, or at people who want to lose weight.  If you're not overweight there's no need to diet!


Novorapid before meals 3 times a day, Lantus in the early evening and Metformin twice daily.


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## trophywench (Apr 15, 2018)

The suet in mincemeat is to stop the sugar (in all the fruit) burning when you cook it - in mince pies, down the middle of baked apples, etc. and keep it lovely and moist.  Also helps preserve it after you've put it in the jars.

You're on multiple daily injections already, the Metformin being to try and counteract what your steroids for the Addison's do to your BG and any insulin resistance it causes.

So sometime reasonably soon, they'll start teaching you to carb count and adjust the Novorapid to suit - so don't think at all that you have to stick to eating boring stuff for very long!  However it is important at first, to be as 'routine' as possible, so you and the docs and nurses can see exactly what's what with the doses of insulin they've started you on.  Once they can get your insulin to carb ratio sorted out - and also the basal (Lantus) dose correct for your metabolism - then food choices will be back to normal.  The only difference now is that for the rest of your life, you need to know the carb count before you jab for it and eat it.

No-one knows that instantly but the things you usually eat will soon be engraved in your memory without having to think or read a label.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Apr 16, 2018)

trophywench said:


> However it is important at first, to be as 'routine' as possible, so you and the docs and nurses can see exactly what's what with the doses of insulin they've started you on.



Which I'd say means eat normally now - don't try to low-carb if you don't want to low-carb in the long term (though maybe don't binge out on pizza and chips!).  Once your diabetes team see how the doses they've given you work (or don't work) with the food you normally eat, they can adjust the doses to fit the food.  You don't want to end up adjusting the food to fit the doses, you want to end up knowing how to adjust your own doses so you can eat whatever you feel like eating.


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