diabetic food question
 

Has anyone had experience replacing sugar with Splenda? Do tell.

I can also use good tips for feeding a diabetic that likes Tex-Mex and spicy foods. Never mind that spices and I are like oil and water...SHE wants low carb and spicy and I *will* come through.

There is a type of granulated Splenda that measures cup for cup like sugar and can be used for baking, but there are differences in texture of the end product ... suggestions appear on the box. I only used the stuff to make a Splenda version of my magnificent dry hot cocoa mix for a diabetic friend.

I have occasionally used Splenda for sweetening of the coffee, and I can tell the difference. I don't buy the packets, I have a friend who works for McNeil Nutritional who hooks me up with the stuff. I have tried their new Flavored "Cafe Sticks." The French Vanilla is good, and covers the not entirely sugar taste of the Splenda. I'm very sensitive to artificial sweetners, and Splenda is the only one that passes muster, doesn't give me headaches, stomach cramps, and a bad case of the runs, which is probably more than you needed to know.

As far as Tex-Mex, increase the meat, reduce the number of tortillas. A lot of that style of food is high fat, though ... if you're actually intending on doing the cooking, maybe try for a low fat sour cream and cut back on the guacamole? What's the thingy that gets baked in a corn husk? Maybe do that without the cornmeal, or less of it?

Check with the American Diabetes Association, too. They might have a section of tex-mex recipes.

Mission makes great low-carb tortillas, burrito size and taco size. My absolute fave! (The whole wheat is better than the white, IMO.) Most of the refried beans or black beans are okay, GI wise. Lettuce, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, salsa, peppers, onions, cheese, guac, sour cream -- all okay GIs, even if some are high in fat.

Mexican food is one of the most accessible to diabetics, in my (diabetic) opinion.:thumb::yum:

I was recently diagnosed with Type 2, and am responding well to medication.

Peppery has no effect on glycemic load one way or the other -- peppers are a vegetable. It's white flour, corn meal and sucrose you have to watch out for. I have been getting fructose in bulk at the best health-food store in the area; goes for about $1.09 the pound -- considerably more than table sugar but one-third the glycemic effect too. Very nearly as sweet, but not quite; this complex sugar is still very satisfying nonetheless.

I'm working on cultivating less of a sweet tooth, on getting most of my starches in the company of plenty of fiber and not in powder form -- whole grain hot cereal mainly and some bulgur wheat, sometimes mixing the two, and am looking to the Sugarbusters! books for help and inspiration -- there's a general book and a recipe book, available in all the chain bookstores.

I haven't yet tried cooking with the bulk Splenda that comes in the big yellow box, but the stuff is superb in hot and cold beverages and hot and cold cereals. Speaking of big yellow boxes, sugar free (beSplenda'd) NesQuick is now available in the family-size box instead of the small variety.

The Whole Chili Pepper Book has peppery recipes from around the globe and a chili powder recipe -- for which you will want a pretty ample regular supply of the large mild dried peppers like pasillas, anchos, or New Mexicos; lots of cumin, and your choice of hot-as-a-Hottentot peppers to deliver the heat. I think I included this one in the "Okay, this is the most recent recipe thread" thread. If I didn't, I will rectify the omission.

And I did, too!

I tend to agree with you there - fajitas are just as good, if not better, without the tortillas! I would recommend limiting the amount of onions in food - especially when they are cooked - they have a really high sugar content. I do my fajitas without onions to limit the sugar - and I'm not diabetic, I just like to keep the sugar at bay.

I prefer taco meat without the shell too...

Tostitos has these really awesome multi-grain chips that are just fantastic, especially with some guacamole and salsa.

There are some great on-line sites, one that has recipes and medical advice that is mailed to you weekly.
I am pre-diabetic (would be fully if not diet controlled) and my Dad is full-blown.

Can u tell me the best diabetic food for the younger people.

waiting here.....


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regards,
prav -

Dude, it's the middle of the night here...

The answer is...WATER!

Got my fasting blood test results today, 180.... well... 183.

Rkzen, I bid you sad welcome to the Glucophage Generation.

So far the worst of it for me is that my feet are sometimes quite unduly tender, which I suppose may be neuropathy, for they certainly aren't taking damage, nor circulation problems says my doctor.

That was a good reading for me.
Thanks for the welcome. Diabetes is actually the least of my problems.
Have you looked-into Yoga? I do muscle isolations to help with my circulation when I am bed-bound, it helps a great deal.
Edit:
You know, I say that, but I don't think that attitude and reality regarding my diabetic situation will last much longer... pride is a bitch, no? I sure as hell should have learned that by now in regards to illness. Why must we learn the same lessons over and over again?

Prav, each person is very different, as is each lifestyle... you will have to tell us more about the person; their lifestyle, likes and dislikes... "young" does not quite cover it.
When I was a child I hated candy, ate onions like apples, would throw away candy bars while hording cucumbers and carrots as if they were gold... wanted water and milk before & over juice and sodas.
Still the case... I cannot speak for the others, but this is the reason for my silence. It was no hesitation in wanting to help you.

Prav, eating like a diabetic is actually healthy for anybody -- small portions, maybe more small meals in a day. I recommend getting a copy of the Sugarbusters! book, though, if you live in North America. Helpful for Type 1, even more helpful for Type 2.

Their basic thing is get carbs with fiber, and avoid carbs without: beans rather than Wonder Bread, that sort of thing. Their method is a manner of eating that cuts your pancreas a break, rather than wearing it out controlling large helpings of sugar, white flour, or sweet corn and other foods of high glycemic index. Of the sugars, fructose is surprisingly easy on your innards, as its glycemic index is actually low.

See, glucose has a glycemic index of 100; it is the standard for GI. Sucrose, table sugar, has an index of 65; fructose, 22.

Diabetics use glucose tablets to fix blood sugar gone too low.

Meanwhile, now I know what the meds will do for me, it's time to look into putting more exercise in my life. Tapping keys ain't exactly aerobic, and maybe I'm not up to running five-Ks, but I can walk, by damn...

We used that chili powder recipe for chili tonight after the Super Bowl. The rest of it was just a pound-plus of burger, a can of tomatoes, a large can of beans, and a few jalapenos, thin sliced. Full of bowl-o'-red kickin' goodness. Remember BrianR can throttle it way back just by leaving the hot pepper out of the mix and thus letting the subtleties of the milder peppers come out.

Made some homemade guac, too, featuring minced garlic, shallot, a jalapeno, fine chopped tomato, salt, and lime juice squeezed from the fruit. Fortunately, some of our supply of avocados was ripe enough. Them fruits gotta be truly squishy. The hard ones haven't developed their flavor yet, and are tough.

Robert, perhaps it is because the lessons sent through pain are the ones that annoy the fuck out of us -- we grow mulish. Oh, and I haven't looked into yoga, at least not yet. Martial arts can do yoga-like things for a fellow, too. Physical endeavors plus mental exercise seem to do something mighty useful for the human being... it's a thing that makes you go hmmm... or Om. Aikido is particularly... meditative. You can learn a good quality of meditation in an Aikido dojo. And it's a nice gesture of thanks to bring the sensei some incense sticks or cones.

The thing that I like about Yoga is that no matter what your physical condition, you can use it.
Plus, you can use it with all activities, once you get the basics down and it helps with pain... as long as you really learn the basics of the breathing.
Too many cheat that and never get Yoga, no matter how long they "do it", meaning the exercises.
Hell, if you only learn the breathing and nothing else it really helps with all things, especially pain and stress.
Like I stated earlier, now that I spend a lot of time immobile, I use it to isolate and move individual muscles and groups, to keep them from atrophying. My tone is much better than most disabled men in my situation. Those years of practice paid off. However, this skill is a basic one, something learned early in my practice... one I could never have known I would have needed.
This often was the case during my acting career as well. Such is the case with martial arts as well I am sure. Unfortunately, my martial arts training was specific to my security job alone.

Sucks, I have not been eating properly. Barely at all. Hard to this last week or two. Then when I finally do, it is carbs so I can just wolf it down quickly and take my meds. I gotta' cut it out.

Edit:
Mental exercise burns huge amounts of calories.

How did you learn yoga? (teacher, books...)

Teachers, books, videos.