my partner has just been diagnosed diabetic,type two the nurse he has seen this morning has told him to try the GI DIET,has anyone tried this diet,or has anyone got any advice on learning to live with it,trouble is he likes a drink but has been told he will have to cut it out.

My wife has type 2 diabetes and she is seriously considering going on the GI diet. Apparently it is good for diabetes because of the slow release of sugar into the bloodstream.

She has bought a book about it and it says that you should not touch alcohol until you have reached your ideal weight. After that you can have a glass of red wine or a beer so long as you have it with food.

My wife has a blood sugar testing kit which she uses regulary, if she finds her sugar reading is well up she cuts down on sugary foods until it's back to normal. She's found it very useful and it may go some way to reassuring your partner that it is not " the end of life as he knows it". You can get these at any chemist for a few quid and they are almost painless.

I've never been put on any diabetic diet.
Ive been on insulin twice daily for 17 years

I am an insulin dependent diabetic.

the thing about the diet for someone with diabetes is this

a healthy diet for someone with diabetes is the same as a healthy diet for someone without diabetes.

eat sensibly, and regularly.

you need to watch the sugars, and eat the healthier, longer-release carbs/ starches,

such as oats, brown rice, wholemeal bread etc

cutting back a bit on the fats (some fats in your diet are essential) and don't "overdose" on meats, like the atkins diet tries to have you do...

also, eating the recommended "five servings of fruit and vegetables per day".

a dietician or your practice-nurse can probably give you a leaflet with the outlines for serving-sizes and other healthy eating tips.

and a LITTLE of what you fancy, every now and again won't do you any harm... just not all the time, and if you fancy something sweet, don't eat it between meals, becaue that will send your blood sugars haywire, incorporate it into a main meal, which will ensure that your blood sugars keep more stable.

keep a weather eye on your blood sugar measurements.

don't miss meals, becsue your blood sugars can fall drastically, if you aren't careful.

PT

I bought this book for my Mom about a year ago; she has type two diabetes, but so far has not read the book! :confused:

From what I have read, the diet is designed to combat the side effects of diabetes, and provide a healthy plan.

I also hear it is very effective in reducing the weight of non-diabetics who are happy to lose a small amount of weight (one or two pounds) each week, and actually keep it off!

K xx

I had a little booklet about the GI diet in a newspaper a while ago, and it is quite interesting, and I've been trying to gradually get myself onto it because I've been really stressed about things recently, and I read that your diet can really affect this.

Although it is a 'diet' it seems to me to be more about long term healthy eating for everyone, diabetic or not, rather than losing weight particularly. The idea of slow release foods is for everyone too, the idea being that you feel more balanced and don't get highs and lows and therefore don't get cravings. I think the idea is that if you stick to the GI diet, you will naturually attain your 'natural' weight (as in an appropriate weight for your build and height), but that's just the impression I get!

It takes a bit of getting used to, for example potatoes are generally low GI, but if you mash them they become high GI. You can still eat the things you like, for example by eating something with a high GI like cheese along with something with a low GI gives you an overall medium GI.

A lot of it is just common sense (like PT said, a little of what you like will do no harm), but I think it is good because it allows more flexibility than other 'diets'.

k-drummond@excite.com

'Whats the big issue - Diabeties'

NUS advice and information group.


Because -
There is more to life than being under 7.0