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When I ate basically the way you are describing, I had never felt worse in my life. I tried a vegan diet for months on end, eating whole foods, not junk, and I just kept feeling worse and worse. I finally started logging my food to find I was eating about 80% carbs in my diet. This is a diabetes no no.
I have a strong family issue with diabetes, and was diagnosed pre-diabetic myself. The only way I feel "right" is when I keep carbs below 100 gr per day and get plenty of protein.
You don't mention if you eat any grains, but I would watch the legumes (chickpeas and hummus). Most of those veggies are fine, just watch the roots, as others have mentioned.
I am convinced plant based diets are great for a lot of people, but those of us with highly sensitive blood sugar just aren't those folks. You have got to up that protein and lower the carbs. If you really can't stand to eat more meat, try almonds or cashews. Sprinkle those on your salads instead of chickpeas.
I don't eat dairy (milk allergy), but nut and hemp milks are another option (unsweetened of course). You could even mix in some protein powder to give it a boost. I use this powder because it doesn't taste like anything. It mixes in flawlessly with milk or smoothies. All protein, no sugar.
I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes months ago based on resting blood sugar and A1C results.
Fast forward, I have given up almost all carbs and eat a whole foot diet for about a year now. A lot of veggies and some fruit. I am not a fan of meat or eggs, so I eat a lean meat only once a day and I force an egg or two a week (hard-boiled - the idea of an omelette and things mixed with egg makes me grossed out and wanna vomit). A lot of my snacking is celery and hummus, chick peas, almonds, and I eat TONS of broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, romaine lettuce, peppers, etc. Tons of salad with pre-measured quantities of light dressing. Occasionally I will have yogurt without sugar added. I'm losing weight and almost down to a normal BMI and I never eat baked goods, sweets, or breads. My treat is a clementine or apple as my "dessert" if I am craving sweets. I don't really eat pre-packaged foods either, as I have a huge hang up with anything salty. I'm kinda a picky eater, and won't eat out much, so its a lot of raw veggies and fruit for me. I drink water, coffee with milk only (no sugar), and plain tea no sugar (green, black, mint, etc.). I exercise every other day at the gym doing 2 miles of cardio and weight training. On my off days, I walk the dogs a mile or two.
So, my diet is bland and I am a very plain eater. I do not like a lot of different foods, but I do LOVE vegetables and eat anywhere from 5 to 10 servings of veggies a day depending on how hungry I am. For instance, my lunch today is brussel sprouts, cauliflower, romaine with tomato and chick pea, balsamic vinaigrette, celery/carrot sticks and hummus. Tonight for dinner flounder with garlic and probably more cauliflower and romaine lettuce based salad. I boil or bake everything and never put salt on my veggies. I may cheat this week and have a hamburger patty without a bun and a slice or two of cheese (not the biggest cheese fan) with TONS of hot sauce and jalepenos (that's my vice) - of course I will have 2-3 veggies as a side dish with this dinner.
I got blood work again, and my resting blood sugar and A1C went up! There is really nothing I can take away from my diet except for fruit as my dessert. What can I really be doing wrong? Should I just try to get put on meds? It seems like the whole diet and exercise thing is backfiring! My whole family has type 2 diabetes, but none have tried to go the natural route like I am doing. I just don't know what else I can do diet wise? I was thinking I need to actually add grains of some sort, like more fiber? Or maybe there is some kind of supplement or shake I can be drinking in lieu or forcing stuff I don't like to eat.
You eat a lot of carbs.
Lose completely:
Carrots
Light dressing (use full fat)
Hummus
Chick peas
Clementines
Apples
Milk(use cream or h/h)
I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes months ago based on resting blood sugar and A1C results.
Fast forward, I have given up almost all carbs and eat a whole foot diet for about a year now. A lot of veggies and some fruit. I am not a fan of meat or eggs, so I eat a lean meat only once a day and I force an egg or two a week (hard-boiled - the idea of an omelette and things mixed with egg makes me grossed out and wanna vomit). A lot of my snacking is celery and hummus, chick peas, almonds, and I eat TONS of broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, romaine lettuce, peppers, etc. Tons of salad with pre-measured quantities of light dressing. Occasionally I will have yogurt without sugar added. I'm losing weight and almost down to a normal BMI and I never eat baked goods, sweets, or breads. My treat is a clementine or apple as my "dessert" if I am craving sweets. I don't really eat pre-packaged foods either, as I have a huge hang up with anything salty. I'm kinda a picky eater, and won't eat out much, so its a lot of raw veggies and fruit for me. I drink water, coffee with milk only (no sugar), and plain tea no sugar (green, black, mint, etc.). I exercise every other day at the gym doing 2 miles of cardio and weight training. On my off days, I walk the dogs a mile or two.
So, my diet is bland and I am a very plain eater. I do not like a lot of different foods, but I do LOVE vegetables and eat anywhere from 5 to 10 servings of veggies a day depending on how hungry I am. For instance, my lunch today is brussel sprouts, cauliflower, romaine with tomato and chick pea, balsamic vinaigrette, celery/carrot sticks and hummus. Tonight for dinner flounder with garlic and probably more cauliflower and romaine lettuce based salad. I boil or bake everything and never put salt on my veggies. I may cheat this week and have a hamburger patty without a bun and a slice or two of cheese (not the biggest cheese fan) with TONS of hot sauce and jalepenos (that's my vice) - of course I will have 2-3 veggies as a side dish with this dinner.
I got blood work again, and my resting blood sugar and A1C went up! There is really nothing I can take away from my diet except for fruit as my dessert. What can I really be doing wrong? Should I just try to get put on meds? It seems like the whole diet and exercise thing is backfiring! My whole family has type 2 diabetes, but none have tried to go the natural route like I am doing. I just don't know what else I can do diet wise? I was thinking I need to actually add grains of some sort, like more fiber? Or maybe there is some kind of supplement or shake I can be drinking in lieu or forcing stuff I don't like to eat.
Look diet may not solve all your problems. Type II diabetes is not just a function of diet and weight. It can be a function of the fact that either your pancreas isn't controlling blood glucose as well as it used too. It can be other things as well.
Instead of fretting so much over diet, it may be time for oral agents.
Its a mistaken belief that diet, exercise, and vitamins can fix all your problems. The "natural" solution doesn't always work even if does reduce weight.
What you didn't tell us is after getting this blood work if your doctor made any recommendations. Did he? What were they?
Look diet may not solve all your problems. Type II diabetes is not just a function of diet and weight. It can be a function of the fact that either your pancreas isn't controlling blood glucose as well as it used too. It can be other things as well.
Instead of fretting so much over diet, it may be time for oral agents.
Its a mistaken belief that diet, exercise, and vitamins can fix all your problems. The "natural" solution doesn't always work even if does reduce weight.
Excellent response! I'm dealing with this right now. I was able to get my A1C down after the initial Type 2 diagnosis through diet, exercise and weight loss, then fell off the wagon for a few months last fall. My doc wanted me to start meds but I was determined I could turn things around again without it. My weight is currently lower than it's been in 30 years, diet and exercise are as good as they can be, but I know it may not be enough. With a strong family history, it's going to catch up with me eventually.
Even though I love the feeling of being in control, and the high of the "I can do it!" attitude, continued health is the most important thing. I know too many people with Type-II who are dealing with diabetic nerve pain and I do not want that.
Your diabetes story is your own. What works for others may not work for you. Listen to the medical professionals and consider their recommendations.
Lose completely:
Carrots
Light dressing (use full fat)
Hummus
Chick peas
Clementines
Apples
Milk(use cream or h/h)
Limit:
Yogurt
Eat more fat and protein.
Yes. And it's not just this, it's the fact that you're taking protein with only 1 meal a day, so that the carb content in the other meals is causing your blood sugar to spike without the stabilizing influence of protein. And a whole apple or other fruit is too much for a diabetic or pre-diabetic. My docs told me to eliminate fruit altogether when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I did that for years, and now I only have a couple of apple slices, or a couple of strawberries (or one large one) occasionally.
Solid protein (meat/fish/poultry or tofu, and cheese) causes glucagon, a metabolic hormone that stabilizes blood sugar and minimizes the insulin response, to be produced. This is essential with every meal. Cottage cheese can work, as it has a few carbs but not too many. You can add that to salad for a complete meal. Yogurt has a higher carb content per cup than cottage cheese does, so it's not helpful unless you add protein powder to it.
You can buy a book from Amazon called "Protein Power" that explains all the science behind this, and the MD authors have their own online forum, so that you can ask questions and share your experience. Understanding the science of it is key to compliance with the correct diet, and to success. You seem to have good discipline, OP; you just need a better grounding in how your body responds to food, so you can tweak the diet appropriately.
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