Pre-Diabetic level - Doc suggest no bread/pasta - What's your substitute for bread?

[djsander]

Interesting read. I’ve been pre diabetic for probably over 5 years and hovered around the same point at the low end. Moved and went to a new doctor and my results show the same. I have lost weight and still the same. I know what foods I need to cut out. I read the “heart” healthy Honey Nut Cheerios box and it is something like 24% of DV for sugars or more! So, I’ll finish the boxes I’ve stored and move to something else. Probably back to shredded wheat. Also, I eat way too many potato chips, but eat whole grain breads. I know there are multiple things that sneak in there. So, I’ll probably try harder and see if I can drop this. Fortunately my cholesterol and BP are all good.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Through my husband's journey with managing his diabetes, I can say that what does not work for him. Whole grains is just another buzz word and hype for us. Complex carbs vs. simple carbs make very little difference. At the end of the day it is always about how many net carbs are injested. Take your blood sugar before and after every meal to learn how your body reacts to specific foods.

 

[JoeWras]

I tried the "Egglife" wraps. Great idea. 0 carbs. Something to wrap your food in.

But... too expensive and I wasn't a fan of the taste or texture. I mention them because for some people they are perfect.

I'm sticking with the traditional ingredient lower carb wraps which clock in at about 5 carbs.

 

[cyber888]

Yikes. That will put you squarely as diabetic. If it is any consolation, my husband has been diabetic type II (now 1.5) for the past 24 years. His most recent A1C, taken in Sep 2022, was 5.7. He was 9.0+ when first diagnosed. Cutting off most carbs is the trick. His total carb intake is no more than 50 gms a day.

Yeah, I'm gonna beat it, and take this down

 

[audreyh1]

Through my husband's journey with managing his diabetes, I can say that what does not work for him. Whole grains is just another buzz word and hype for us. Complex carbs vs. simple carbs make very little difference. At the end of the day it is always about how many net carbs are injested. Take your blood sugar before and after every meal to learn how your body reacts to specific foods.

From what I have read, whole grain versions of bread, rice, pasta, etc. are still a big carb load and can cause big blood sugar spikes. If you are already diabetic or close (pre-diabetic), switching to whole grains but still eating high carb is not going to help you. Your disease will continue to progress.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Yeah, I'm gonna beat it, and take this down

Determination to beat it is more than half the battle won. You can continue to enjoy food but just be selective. Read all food labels.

We came across Carbonaut bagels yesterday - 70 calories with net 2 gm carbs (35 gms fiber) each. My husband had not had a bagel in years and we went out to buy 2 bags this afternoon. He had 2 bagels with cream cheese for dinner and he had a big grin on his face. I tried one myself. They did not have the same consistency as the regular super high carb bagels but they were really not bad - still tasted like bread and we got them toasted nicely. Including the cream cheese, my husband had no more than 10 grams of net carbs for dinner.

All the best!

 

[audreyh1]

Don’t you have to be very careful with those manufactured foods advertising very low net carbs? Some have been found to be fraudulent. Some have caused big glucose spikes in individuals. It seems like a mine field.

Many of the supposedly “keto friendly” products are anything but as soon as you read the ingredients.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Don’t you have to be very careful with those manufactured foods advertising very low net carbs? Some have been found to be fraudulent. Some have caused big glucose spikes in individuals. It seems like a mine field.

Many of the supposedly “keto friendly” products are anything but as soon as you read the ingredients.

You are absolutely right. A decade back my husband bought no name brand food items which listed extremely low carb on their labels, from the website called Netrition. Blood sugar test after consuming them showed that the advertised numbers were false. We stopped buying frim their website.

Carbonaut has become a well established brand carried by Sprouts and Whole Foods. My husband had tested many times after eating their bread and his blood glucose readings were low. In other words, the carb numbers on their labels are real.

We also ensure that we do not buy items which contain sugar alcohol. These sweeteners end with -tol. For my husband, they cause blood sugar spikes and followed by sudden hypoglycemia, .i.e. potential diabetic coma. He is not on insulin or meds that could cause hypoglycemia. It was very scary until we learned that it is a known potential side effect for diabetics. Dogs are also known to have died from hypoglycemia when owners inadvertently fed them "sugar free" treats which had sugar alcohol in them. Sugar alcohol gives me IBS, like wheat gluten.

Hence, take your blood sugar before and after meals to find out the impact of specific foods.

 

[JoeWras]

Anything manufactured is suspect.

I'm not going to give up all bread, so we make our own and know exactly how much high quality whole grain flour is in a loaf. Cut it evenly and you know exactly the carbs.

But it is work, even with a bread machine. And it can be expensive, especially if I get my wheat from a local store that mills their own.

I can't make decent wraps so I make an exception for that. Use them sparingly.

 

[audreyh1]

We bought a gyro type wrap once from a Mediterranean deli that used large romaine leaves as the wrap and it was delicious. I haven’t tried to reproduce at home because we really don’t eat sandwiches, but it’s certainly an option.

If there is a particular style of favorite sandwich filling try just making the filling - simple things like ham and cheese work very well as a roll up. More complex fillings you can just stack on a plate or make a nice salad of it.

 

[euro]

Don’t you have to be very careful with those manufactured foods advertising very low net carbs? Some have been found to be fraudulent. Some have caused big glucose spikes in individuals. It seems like a mine field.

Many of the supposedly “keto friendly” products are anything but as soon as you read the ingredients.

Yes, it's a huge problem. Why? Because there is a lot of money that can be made with such specialty food products. The only way to really deal with this is to measure postprandial glucose, or, if you don;t like needle sticks and are willing to spend some cash, use a Continuous Glucose Monitor system. Extremely enlightening!

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Anything manufactured is suspect.

I'm not going to give up all bread, so we make our own and know exactly how much high quality whole grain flour is in a loaf. Cut it evenly and you know exactly the carbs.

But it is work, even with a bread machine. And it can be expensive, especially if I get my wheat from a local store that mills their own.

I can't make decent wraps so I make an exception for that. Use them sparingly.

Yep. The common flour purchased at any American grocery store has been adulterated. The grain it's made from didn't exist 100 years ago, and it's got some other additives/preservatives in there as well. I've had bread and other baked items from people who used flour sourced from other countries, and they told me they can't use the American stuff for some of their items, as it greatly changes the end product.

 

[braumeister]

I usually have a head of cabbage around, and I use a cabbage leaf to make a wrap. Been doing that for many years. A leaf also makes a great snack during the day.

 

[bloom2708]

I usually have a head of cabbage around, and I use a cabbage leaf to make a wrap. Been doing that for many years. A leaf also makes a great snack during the day.

Cabbage is superb. Very versatile. I eat cabbage in most of my meals. I use it like most Americans use cheese.

https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, it's a huge problem. Why? Because there is a lot of money that can be made with such specialty food products. The only way to really deal with this is to measure postprandial glucose, or, if you don;t like needle sticks and are willing to spend some cash, use a Continuous Glucose Monitor system. Extremely enlightening!

Dr. Lustig has several great videos on his views of highly processed foods. He basically says it's not the food you eat, it's what they did to it that is causing the problems. People might wish to read his book "Metabolical".
Or watch the video below:

 

[bloom2708]

Yes, it's a huge problem. Why? Because there is a lot of money that can be made with such specialty food products. The only way to really deal with this is to measure postprandial glucose, or, if you don;t like needle sticks and are willing to spend some cash, use a Continuous Glucose Monitor system. Extremely enlightening!

If your blood sugar wasn't intended to go up and down, the body wouldn't have insulin.

The problem is all the fat, cholesterol and processed junk make the insulin you produce not work. The body cells resist the insulin.

Low carb may work some, but it is like putting mag wheels on a manure spreader. Low carb has been junk for decades.

 

[braumeister]

If your blood sugar wasn't intended to go up and down, the body wouldn't have insulin.

The problem is all the fat, cholesterol and processed junk make the insulin you produce not work. The body cells resist the insulin.

Low carb may work some, but it is like putting mag wheels on a manure spreader. Low carb has been junk for decades.

That is so completely wrong it doesn't even deserve to be refuted, just ignored.

 

[euro]

If your blood sugar wasn't intended to go up and down, the body wouldn't have insulin.

The problem is all the fat, cholesterol and processed junk make the insulin you produce not work. The body cells resist the insulin.

Low carb may work some, but it is like putting mag wheels on a manure spreader. Low carb has been junk for decades.

Based on what I know about biochemistry, chemistry and biology, I disagree with almost everything you said, but that's ok. We can agree to disagree.

I do want to follow up on your term "it is like putting mag wheels on a manure spreader". I sense that this is supposed to make an important point,, but I can't, for the life of me, figure out what it means.... what am I missing? In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit that I don;t even know what mag wheels are.

 

[RetiredHappy]

The problem is all the fat, cholesterol and processed junk make the insulin you produce not work. The body cells resist the insulin.

Low carb may work some, but it is like putting mag wheels on a manure spreader. Low carb has been junk for decades.

What you have posted is junk, low carb is not.

 

[audreyh1]

I usually have a head of cabbage around, and I use a cabbage leaf to make a wrap. Been doing that for many years. A leaf also makes a great snack during the day.

Shredded sautéed cabbage is our go to for stews, Thai food, Italian pasta sauces - basically where rice or noodles/pasta would traditionally be used. It’s quite satisfying as a “base”.

Neither DH nor I can eat raw cabbage or other cole crops (gastrointestinal effects), but gently steaming cabbage leaves for a wrap is an idea!

 

[NW-Bound]

I think instead of trying to avoid any/all "carbs", you should focus on reducing your intake of foods with high glycemic index. High GI foods tend to spike blood sugar levels, which is very bad for pre-diabetic people.

Take a look at this: https://www.medicinenet.com/low-glycemic_foods_list_guide/article.htm

Also, please consider intermittent fasting and/or time-restricted eating. These techniques can be very effective at controlling blood sugar levels and reversing the progression of pre-diabetes to the big D.

+1

Also look at this list by Harvard: https://www.health.harvard.edu/dise...lycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods

For example, not all rice are created equal, and for a low GI you don't have to eat just brown rice.

Harvard used to have a list of different rice, and basmati rice was shown as much better than sticky rice and common white rice. I can't find it now.


PS. OK, it's here: http://www.mv5.ca/EWF/docs/glycemic index.pdf.

It shows that Uncle Ben converted rice is even better than brown rice. I still cannot find the list of all different rice. It is illuminating to see the high variation in GI between different types of rice, and this is interesting to know even if you don't eat rice often.

Tipping the scale is baked potato. It is worse than spooning sugar straight into your mouth.

 

[DayDreaming]

Tipping the scale is baked potato. It is worse than spooning sugar straight into your mouth.

Supposedly a cooled baked potato is high in resistant starch, which is good for low carb diets: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cooling-resistant-starch
Although I'm sure one can find an article that says the opposite.

 

[JoeWras]

I usually have a head of cabbage around, and I use a cabbage leaf to make a wrap. Been doing that for many years. A leaf also makes a great snack during the day.

I have always hoped that I could find a way to make Polish Golabki lower carb, but it seems impossible. Anyone ever find a way?

It is so close to being a low carb dish, but then the rice blows it up.

Golabki (my grandma pronounced it go-WOMB-key) is a great comfortable memory from my childhoold. Grandma made them. I peeled off the cabbage when I was young. As I got older, it became a favorite part since the cabbage gets so flavorful and tender.

 

[tmm99]

Has anyone tried wheat berries? I cook them for 30 min in my Instant Pot and they're still chewy, but I like them. My BS doesn't go up at all like it does with pasta.

I tried ZenB Pasta (made with yellow peas). It was tasty. My BS went up to 155 but it came down quickly enough. https://zenb.com/collections/zenb-pasta

 

[audreyh1]

I have always hoped that I could find a way to make Polish Golabki lower carb, but it seems impossible. Anyone ever find a way?

It is so close to being a low carb dish, but then the rice blows it up.

Golabki (my grandma pronounced it go-WOMB-key) is a great comfortable memory from my childhoold. Grandma made them. I peeled off the cabbage when I was young. As I got older, it became a favorite part since the cabbage gets so flavorful and tender.

Leave out the rice?

It will be a lot richer tasting.