Damsel in dis Dress
Carol, not sure if this will be of help to you but what the heck. I think we eat in a healthful manner 99% of the time. I don't follow any type of special diet but I am very particular as to what I will eat since diabetes runs in my family and I am considered pre-diabetic. I avoid *white* just about anything for the most part especially white sugar but I will eat small portions of pasta made with white flour. I avoid corn syrup too. Since I process most of our fruits, vegetables, and quick meals, I can control the sugar, salt, and fat content. I really don't do commercially canned/frozen anything as much as possible because I feel most these things are too high in one or more of sugar, salt, or fat. I'd say I make most of our bread and of that the majority is whole grain or multi-grain but when I do use white flour it is unbleached. We don't eat bread on a daily basis either but I'd say we eat at least one serving of bread 3-4 times a week. I never developed a sweet tooth so things like candies, cookies, and cakes have never been a problem for me. While I make them once in awhile, I don't eat them myself. I detest chocolate and don't drink soft drinks other than club soda when my allergies are bad enough to make my ears itch. DH occasionally drinks Pepsi but not on a regular basis. Our drink of choice is filtered water. We have one cup of coffee in the morning and I might drink a green tea or herbal tea throughout the day. We aren't big on fruit juices with orange juice or apple juice occasionally but I can tomato or mixed veggie juice each year. Most of this is for cooking rather than drinking though. Occasionally I indulge in a white flour product like homemade sourdough bread. Then I use unbleached white flour. I avoid anything heavily processed aka commercially processed with the exception of a few condiments that I don't make myself. My main carb intake would be through fruits and vegetables of which I try to get the recommended daily intake. Most of the time, fruits are raw but veggies are either raw or cooked. My preferred way of cooking veggies is steaming followed by grilling. I don't do chips or those types of snacks but I do enjoy popcorn with real butter. I think some of the low carb diets restrict popcorn though. I think the way we eat really is more about balance than restriction AND for us we've eaten this way ever since we've been married so it is just our lifestyle. Antioxidants are good for you and tomatoes have not only antioxidants but cancer fighting properties so I don't care for the diets that restrict them based on their carb content. We eat a lot of tomatoes year round. We eat a lot of salads as well with at least one green salad daily. Alcohol is something we don't drink a lot of but we don't abstain either. I like cooking with alcohol but these types of dishes are not a regular part of our daily eating habits. Oh and we don't do the fast food restaurant thing as in McD's. When we are on the road, we'll stop and eat at an actual restaurant where we can make healthy choices. As far as meats, we like all kinds leaning towards fish but DH is really a beef fan. We try to keep the meat portions within the nutritional guidelines but don't feel really guilty if we occasionally indulge. Fried foods are a treat rather than the norm for us. I like good olive oils for cooking. Being slightly underweight is better for your body than being slightly overweight. I've been slightly underweight all my life with the exception of being pregnant and even then likely gained less than normal. As far as exercise, I really can't do outdoor activities sometimes but I'm pretty active doing yoga three times a week, walking when I can, gardening, and housework. I don't do the sport thing. DH doesn't do yoga but is on the go a lot and he's involved in a couple of sports even though he is at the desk a good portion of the day. I can't remember a day where we've had a SOYADND (sit on your butt do nothing day)! Neither of us smoke, smoking has never been allowed in our house, and we really limit our exposure to second hand smoke.
In your case though, it would be best to discuss your options with your doctor and perhaps a nutritionalist. What is working for me/us might not work for you and as I said, this has been our lifestyle since late teens so my body is used to this way of eating.
My views on the low carb diets - they may or may not work depending on how dedicated you are. After all, the low fat diets sure didn't works. There have been some health concerns expressed. IMO, any diet that restricts you so tightly on one type of nutrient is bound to fail. No diet will work unless you make lifestyle changes that involve adding regular excercise and moderation in what you eat on an ongoing basis. I fully believe that diet can be used to help prevent or manage disease BUT only with dedication to the full gamut of lifestyle changes. Good luck with managing your diabetes. I hope some of these tips help you.
