Diabetic diet has me depressed

Can you talk to a registered dietician? They’re great at customizing meal plans.

Oh, you can absolutely eat flavorful food!

Spices don't usually add problems (except sugar) but I think most Hispanic spices are actually great for your diet.

Zero flavor doesn’t have to be an issue. Find recipes that use wonderful spice blends. My son is a chef and showed me that I can have flavorful diabetic meals.

What are your favorite foods?

Mexican food is my safe space. Tostadas, tacos, albóndigas, chile rellenos, are all good choices for me. Sweet corn, hominy and tamales will cause me to spike but there are lots of other Mexican foods that work for me.

I’m Mexican. Frijoles are good nutrient dense carbs. I skip the rice and load up on them instead. I have my meals on a bed of lettuce instead of in tortillas. Chicharrones with hot sauce are frequent snack. Avacado is a great fat.

You don’t have to go NO carbs, you just have to be smarter with them. You can still have 90% of the flavor, you just gotta make some adjustments.

I appreciate all the Comments. I'm just going through it right now.

Not sure what type you are, but you can still eat food, even carbs, just not as many carbs as you used to. More filling per taco but less of them, for example. Can certainly still use all spices. Meat is not a problem.

Unless you suffering from acid reflux and/or stomach ulcers plus high pressure - flavors is not issue. Love garlic & chili powder with bit of msg/sea salt especially for meats & seafood.

There's definitely a period of mourning and learning and habit change when you get started, but it doesn't have to be flavorless or boring (I eat a lot of curries and stir fries. They're never bland!) You have to experiment a little to see how your body reacts, but you can probably still have carbs you like, just in different amounts and balanced with what you have going on that day. If it's a desk blind day with little movement, I'm probably going to skip the rice. If I'm going hiking with my friends, I have space to indulge a little. Fruit doesn't tend to affect me at all. Brown rice and potatoes are done for me as staples for me.

I love adding herbs, lime, g hughes sugar free sauces like bbq or teriyaki to foods. Do you like ground meat, shredded cabbage and avocado?

Check out the Dash seasonings! No sodium and pretty diabetic friendly.

*editing to clarify, you have to buy their sodium free line. The original versions are packed with sodium.

Yo I’m a Mexican and also had the same issue at first.

We had the same bad luck Mexican gene. Everyone in my family has it.

First two years were a little rough trying to get everything working correctly and trying to get my Numbers down. Then I finally had to go on insulin because regular stuff wasn’t working for me. It helped get some fast acting and was able to introduce some of the stuff I missed.

The thing you gotta remember is that you have to pic and chose your battles, and moderation!

You need to understand how the A1C avg works and work around that.

Then my doctor out me On ozempic and that opened up more eating options, but of course I can’t eat nearly as much with it so that part sucks big time for me.

It’s not the end friend!

Breakfast eggs, avocado, tofu, beans, Dave’s killer bread, also yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese( I love fermented food) Lunch soups with bok choy, carrots different vegetables Dinner buy cauliflower rice from Trader Joe’s. It doesn’t have to be boring. Got my a1c from 5.7 to 5,3. Was eating oatmeal after fasting reall spiked my glucose. Good luck

Spices are cool, and you just need to avoid breading. You can even enjoy fried food if you come up with a good alternative.

https://type2diabetesrevolution.com/diabetes-friendly-latino-foods/

In my experience with my own patience it's incredibly unlikely that they would have to change 80% of what they were eating. Usually what they have to do is change about 20% because that's often the foods that are the biggest drivers of insulin resistance. On top of that if they add in some Stress Management and some exercises it's going to allow for a much more liberal diet.

There is good advice here. I do have meals where I enjoy foods that are not diabetic friendly, but I modify the amount I eat and change my exercise after to burn extra carbs in my system before it's changes into sugars.

Steak, brisket, pulled pork, ribs, bacon, sausage, green beans, eggs, broccoli, butter, etc all have tons of flavor and low carbs.

Most of the carbs we can’t have don’t add a whole lot of flavor. It’s all the things we put on them which do. Those you can still have! Hard, but try framing the issue in your head differently.

Honestly, it's been 5 yrs since I was diagnosed and the enjoyment of food has gone. I preferer to not eat than eating the same thing everyday as I do 90% of the time.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 30 years ago so here’s my tips:

• following a really restricted diet is not sustainable in the long term

-different foods affect different diabetics differently so don’t let random people tell you what you can/can’t eat

• if you can, get a Constant Glucose Monitor. Pay out of pocket if you need to & wear it for a couple of weeks or a month to learn which foods spike your blood sugar. Also learn the impact of exercise, stress & other lifestyle factors.

• Let yourself cheat occasionally

Depression is known side effect of diabetes. It’s just really hard to manage it in the long term. So take it easy & look after yourself.

You need to find new favorites and adjust your recipes with diabetic friendly food to you. For me, going cold turkey is the best. And leave those food behind and don't leave back.

Just as an example, I was previously a sourdough bread baker once a week mostly. When I was diagnosed, that stop right away because it raise my BG. I no longer include any wheat flour in my diet (not even whole wheat or resistant starch kind) because they all raise my BG to insane numbers.

Diabetic food doesn't have to be boring or tasteless. Be creative.

Dude, I’m not going to sugar coat this (pun was not originally intended) ME TOO! Hell, I’m MARRIED to a registered dietitian and it’s causing all kinds of hell in my life. I’m genuinely more depressed than I have been in a decade and I’ve lost 40 pounds on Mounjaro. I hate this life.

You can still enjoy the foods you always ate, just less of them.

And if you want to eat more of them then do it as part of an exercise regime.

If there's one thing that can suck the glucose right out of your bloodstream, it's muscles and exercise. Exercise will take the glucose out after you eat and adding some muscle will take it out the rest of the time.

same. not to mention, my body literally rejects all foods it doesn’t like and i can’t afford to eat “healthy,” IF my grocery store carries it at all

You definitely can, but you just need to limit the carb intake. For tortilla's try the Hero brand, its really not too bad! It was bad for me for awhile too, I love food too and it was definitely an adjustment.

Make sure you are seasoning your food well. Mexican seasonings are mostly goi g to be “safe” but also most seasoning will be, other than sugary sauces.

I’d also encourage you to see a dietician.  Make sure you’re not being overly restrictive with your diet.

Don’t be afraid to take medication if that helps you to have a more varied diet.

Diabetes is rough in the beginning. Part of why you can’t have a lot of the foods you’re used to is because you (and your diabetes care team) need to learn how your body processes food in general. If you’re on insulin this is extremely important to learn.

Give it time and you’ll be able to add foods back in slowly. It’s the starchy, carby stuff like rice or noodles you have to watch out for in the beginning.

There’s absolutely no reason for not being able to use spices to add some flavor, not unless you’ve got some kind of stomach issue on top of the diabetes. But first take a look at the nutrition information, some premade spice blends have sugar or other carbs in them. They can be sneaky like that.

And don’t forget, you can always ask your endocrinologist to set you up with a nutri

r/Recipes4Diabetics not a huge resource, but great recipes from your fellow diabetic Redditors.

Switch to low carb tortillas from mission, skip the beans n rice, they make low carb street tacos tortilla too

Right there with you. This disease is really hard on a foody. Im Hispanic and grew up in a Hispanic/Filipino household. I miss all my favorite foods.

Learn to compromise with yourself, work to eat clean for most of the time and enjoy some unhealthier foods less. If you eat poorly get into a routine of working out more on those days so in your mind you develop a routine that yes I can have these nice snacks but you're going to have to work it off.

A lot of it is in our mindset, we were programmed one way, we find comfort in how we've always done something so when we have to learn a new way it's different and hard and it's not comfortable. But try to keep at it, work to find new ways to enjoy food that is healthy for you. Eventually one dish can add up to two then three and now you have a few options to go to.

But yeah, it's a constant struggle, it gets easier sometimes but it'll always be a struggle. We just have to have it so

Try talking to a dietitian! I spoke with one and she told me that I can still have some of the things I used to eat, just in moderation and/or with substitutes. As others said, stuff with spices and spice blends can absolutely still be eaten, given the sugar and carb count isn't too high, and you have vegetables on the side.

I know it sucks. I'm still figuring shit out, and I was diagnosed nearly 3 months ago, but it doesn't hurt to see a specialist and learn what you can or can't have.

I eat Mexican food all the time because it’s my life’s blood and I’m a Californian. I just watch my portions, and skip things like tortillas, chips, and rice. I’ll have things like a burrito bowl with beans, meat, pico de gallo, peppers and onions, guac, and salsa; chorizo and eggs with beans and guac, fajitas, albondigas, and so on. If I have a tacos, I’ll either use a lettuce leaf, or a keto/low carb tortilla. I’m currently in Texas for the night so I took advantage of a nearby BBQ place and just had some brisket (after trimming the fat), charro beans and green beans. Yesterday I had a blackened Cajun chicken salad, and bowl of homemade chili. I love food, and have always loved food, but I’m just being smart about what I eat and how much. We’re diabetic, not dead.

If you’re able to get access to a CGM that really helped me figure out what foods I can and can not eat. At first I thought I had to have a super restricted diet but with my CGM I discovered I can have things like pizza and corn tortillas without a huge spike. I don’t go crazy but it’s nice to know I can have certain food without worry.

I'm mexican and pretty much a carnivore. I do eat some salsa, guacamole, onions, cilantro, garlic, and most spices without sugar . I can eat all the meat i can handle and some cheese.
You can go keto and limit your carbs and still have some beans, salads, and low-carb tortillas.
You can get really creative with your food. It just takes a little effort. Once you find your sweet spot.
Maintaining your blood sugars will be a cakewalk. I eat like a fricken pig, and my sugars rarely get over 110 and level off around 85 two hours later. I've been at this for a few years though. You'll get it. Research keto and low carb diets.

They aren’t as good, but have you tried keto tortillas? I can eat tacos/burritos with my family again.

Puedes comer res, cerdo, pollo, pescados… verduras, legumbres …puedes preparar cientos de recetas

I find the hardest part of being a diabetic isn't food, but moderating how much food to eat in one meal / sitting.

Maybe give some of your favourite foods a go in smaller portions and see how you go!

Are you sure you need to be so restrictive? Have you tested your blood glucose to figure out how many carbs you can handle? A food diary and a blood glucose meter or continuous glucose monitor can help a lot to figure out what you can eat.

For a diabetic there should be no issue with spices, peppers, most vegetables, meats, fish, cheese, some fruits. You probably need to limit or avoid rice, traditional tortillas, bread, sugary foods and drinks. Beans may be okay for you because they are high in fiber. You might try low carb or keto recipes and products. You could use things like almond flour and artificial sweeteners if you want.

If you exercise and/or take medication you might be able to eat a bit more carbs.

I can understand your problem dude

🫂

Look up diabeticsuperkid on the usual social media platforms, he cooks great food, mostly mexican. As his name says he's a diabetic kid and does loads of cooking videos of food he makes for himself and family.

None of it looks boring and lots of flavour in it.

I know exactly how you feel!

I totally feel you. I was also 30 when I landed in the hospital with irregular rhythms that was actually my body reacting to blood sugar being 300+. The depression of realizing what I’d done to my body hit me like a fright train, and the mourning of food (Bangkok native here) and self-loath lingered for a while. I love food and it’s my love language, and being diabetic took away one of my biggest joys in life.

I know you’re going through it right now, but I hope you find your balance soon. I have a friend who’s a licensed nutritionist and a physician and she has been my guardian angel through these years of taking control of diabetes. I hope you find yours soon, whether it’s a nutritionist, a method, or a compromise.

I'm with you. Lately it seems the beat way to maintain a decent BS is to just not eat at all.

eu descobri diabetes agora vai fazer um ano descobri com 37 anos, inicialmente perdi 15kg tive que fazer uma dieta mas logo voltei a comer bastante porem evitei coisas doces ou comidas que tenha muito carboidratos, a doutora me disse se eu for comer algo que seja junto com uma proteina, mas agora tenho que voltar a dieta novamente e chato pois gosto muito de comer ( comia muita besteira).

I didn’t hear you talk about exercise. I F 70 had to go Vegan, be grateful you don’t have to do that. Those are some hard limited choices right there. There is so much fun good low carb food out there.

I wish you luck on your journey

Anything corn based doesn't raise my glucose that much. So I can a lot of corn tortilla taco, tlayuda, enchilada, etc. Beans are pretty good too, so I eat a lot of refried bean mixed with bunch of things, like chorizo and pico de gallo. In fact, I think Hispanic food is a lot less limiting for me than Asian food I grew up with.

As for sweet snacks, I firmly believe the best bite of anything is the first bite. So I eat cakes and cookies, but I take one bite and walk away and really savor it. And after a couple of hours, I take another bite, and enjoy that new "first" bite all over again. Minimal effect on my sugar level, especially since I stay active.

What I never do, regardless of the glycemic index/load, is absent-minded eating. I taste everything I eat to the fullest. Only thing I con

I feel your pain.

This is what I never understood about cultures that use so much spices in food. Spice is a flavour but the food itself has a flavour, you just don't like it and want to change it to the familiar food you do know and love.

Try enjoying each and every food for its own flavour. Lettuce has a flavour, same as chili, paprika, smoke, garlic, salt, pepper, beef, curry, tofu, tomatoes etc.

You are unfamiliar with other flavours and they do not bring your comfort but if you see other people truly enjoying them you can, too, bc you are also a person like them.

Try exploring chefs who are good at that food and try food prep methods they use and see if you can like them.

It sounds like you are still in mourning and could use the support of someone who understands grief, this is like death, de

Do you have type 1, type 1.5 or type ?

I hear you. I believe I'm quite a bit older than you as I am 69 and have had T2 for about 10 years now. For the first couple of years , I was real scared and really watched everything I ate , but I reached a point after a period of time , that I was going to eat what I wanted to eat and let metformin, jardiance, and rybelsus do the work to keep my sugar level down for me. I may lose a few years off my life for this but I refuse to give up my carbs. I do try my best to not eat sugar. But give me a good old plate of egg noodles , bread , rolls , and i'm good to go. The trade off for me is I would rather eat happy and possibly die sooner than eat miserably and live longer.

I get this. 90% of diabetic recipes are “take food that you hate, or haven’t heard of, add prohibitively expensive thing, and thing not available in Canada. Then add the thing you can’t eat, and spend more time and effort than you have making it, just to have the entire, mostly autistic family including yourself, to not eat it” I can’t afford to eat healthy. Dieticians don’t help with this either

Wait I feel the same way omg

Exactly, it’s quality over quantity. I felt that way until I started Mounjaro. Like Dolly Parton says, “ if you are out, cut your meal in 1/2 and the other 1/2 is for the angels”. I’ve slowed down and enjoy food, sure helps. Stay with it , it gets better, I promise. My 5.6 A1C from an 11 reminds me to not give up. It’s not fun at all, I love food but healthy and lighter is a great feeling.

I'm not a good person to give advise on this. I wrote pretty much the exact same thing when I first found out I'm diabetic, other than the being hispanic part. I am a total foodie.

The first time I went to the store after getting my suggested ingredients to avoid list, I was in tears, at LEAST 80% of the things I would normally have purchased were on the big bad no no list.

Here I am 11 years later still eating what I enjoy. I am on Ozempic, 1500 dose of metformin and 10 dose of Glipizide and my sugar is usually in the 7.5 range or so. It's high, but I am still enjoying life.

I dunno... like you said, food is one of my enjoyments, one of few these days to be honest, and I question whether living to 75 while not even getting to enjoy something as basic as eating the foods I like, or k

Pls come up with ideas and create a happy-fun meal for diabetes. OR CHANGE DOCTOR & NUTRITIONIST Team that understands your standpoint.
Its never easy, what are other things u love to do and not related to food! I hope u r not chef or chef assistant :)

Oh how I relate 😭I’m such a foodie and I miss eating like a regular person all the time.

Which diet? There is no single "diabetic diet" out there. Major medical organisations give people with diabetes general healthy eating advice only for a good reason.

And yes, racism in nutrition is a real thing. It's not just about low POC representation in registered dietitians in white-dominated countries, but the very idea of what healthy eating looks like is Eurocentric. I am Asian and frequently frustrated by this.

Mannn you aint gotta change all that much, take whatever med you need for your type and eat yo fav food twin