Figuring out cooking for type 2 diabetes

Hey everyone,

My mom was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, so we’re trying to figure out this new way of eating. It’s been a bit of an adjustment—rethinking meals, cutting back on certain things, and making sure everything is still tasty.

We’re focusing more on whole foods, balancing carbs, and swapping out ingredients (goodbye, white flour and sugar 😅). If anyone has go-to meals or tips for making diabetes-friendly food without losing the joy of eating, I’d love to hear them!

Last year, everyone was sure I had diabetes.

I proved them wrong.

While I was waiting on test results I turned to Dr Axe for help.  His articles might be of interest to you or others:

https://draxe.com/health/how-to-reverse-diabetes-naturally-in-30-days-or-less/

https://draxe.com/nutrition/diabetic-diet-plan/

There is a transition between "insulin resistance" and "diabetes". Many people have insulin resistance to some extent which causes lots of health issues in and of itself. Diabetes develops as the next step in that progression.

Bottom line is that many/most people benefit from a diet that would suit type 2 diabetics.

I recommend The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes by Gretchen Becker.

It'll likely be frustrating for several months. But then you'll have a collection of meals and snacks you like and keep around and it gets a lot easier.

Some little bits:

Test a lot, especially the first year.
Throw out all the sweeteners the first month. How food tastes will change, and that change will make this so much easier long term.
Popcorn is a whole grain. Mmm!
Parboiled rice and reheated white rice both have a lower glycemic index than white rice.
Potatoes glycemic index depends on how they're prepared. Experiment.
Put on more muscle, and move around more. Both will help your blood sugar levels.

If you and she can make such a radical lifestyle change, a ketogenic diet may give her the quickest results.  There are several cookbooks available which may help with recipes and meal planning.  Aiming for 20 grams of net carbs per day (i.e., non-nutritive fiber doesn't count) is not too extreme of a goal.

Just to be clear, I did not adopt this dietary stricture for diabetes per se, but I am trying to improve my metabolic health to address other health concerns which tend to be co-morbidities of insulin resistance and/or Type 2 diabetes.  As Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine".

I have been eating a very low carb diet for nearly a year (around Christmas I was "off the wagon" for a few days; with all that we had going on, I relaxed my strictures very slightly), and have followed a low carb diet for most of the last 4+ years.  Of late, I had deliberately and selectively added in a very few "slow" carbs - sweet potatoes with the skins on, a few dried beans, on rare occasion some homemade bread from freshly ground whole meal wheat.  However, if I overdo this, I have noticed that my weight will go up by a couple of pounds (likely retained water) for a day or two and I will have more stiffness in my knees, so I am back "on the wagon", at least for the moment.  In the long run, I am hoping to be able to live a "metabolically flexible" lifestyle, deriving some calories from complex carbohydrates, and the remainder from good fats and protein.  At the moment, however, I still seem to do better when restricting my intake of carbohydrates.

In any case, I have noticed that I now rarely suffer from the multiplicity of minor aches and pains which had previously plagued me; I have fewer problems with sinusitis and headaches (previously chronic); minor injuries seem to heal more quickly,; I no longer suffer from the "hangry" low blood sugar syndrome; I have lost about 20 pounds; my PSA number has dropped (from 8.6 down to 3.2, at last check); my vision has improved (only need "cheater" specs sometimes, now); a small "pre-cancerous" rough patch of skin on my nose has noticeably decreased in areal extent; I now only rarely feel sleepy after dinner (and if so, usually with good reason), whereas previously it was a consistent source of amusement for friends and family.  In fact, with regard to weight reduction, I have needed to very consciously consume more good fats to arrest the loss in weight.  I'd really rather not drop much below 160 pounds.  I would guess my body fat percentage is now somewhere between 10 and 15, but I haven't had a DEXA or tank test done - visible and defined serratus and intracostal muscles, a pronounced furrow between my abdominals and pelvic bone, fairly prominent venation on my arms, but not on my abdomen.  It's not that important to me what the exact number is because I feel so much better than when I was hovering just below 180 pounds.  I don't "work out", and I'm no weekend warrior athlete, though I do try to accomplish home and yard tasks in as manual a way as I have time for.  I drive a desk all day at work.

This may sound like "snake oil", and I don't say any of the above to brag, but before I started down this road, I wouldn't have believed a simple (if not always easy) change in diet could evince all of these changes, but I really don't know to what else I could attribute it.  The change has been remarkable over the course of months.

I generally follow a 16-8 intermittent fasting eating schedule, but I can now easily do a "one meal a day" (OMAD) if I have too much going on some Saturday to take a break for lunch.  This is a pretty good "horse sense" indicator to me that I am now "keto adapted" - that is, I am able to switch over fairly seamlessly from digesting food to burning stored fat.

I mostly eat salads (with lots of protein, seeds or nuts, and extra salad oil - avocado, olive or fractionated coconut [makes it more pourable]), both lunch and dinner, and eat nuts or hard cheese as a snack, if needed.  Some heavy cream in my AM coffee gives me some "good" fats for calories in the morning, which makes it easier to hold out until late morning or lunch time to "break my fast", though if it's busy at work (impromptu meetings scheduled with customers spread across 8 to 12 time zones, depending on what mix of jobs we have in house at the time), then I may not even have a chance to eat my lunch salad until 2 or 3 PM.

Personally, I have found it easier to just eat salads than to fool around with all of the keto recipes which try to replicate (sometimes quite badly) something that is off-limits.  To me, these are like the "mock" vegan recipes which try to replicate some meat dish.  Better to just "cowboy up" and get on with it.  But, I like salads, so it's no great sacrifice for me.  It does take some coordinated planning, since my wife is not following such a strict interpretation.

If the foregoing is TMI (too much [personal] information), I apologize, but personal experiences (even if strictly anecdotal) can be helpful when assessing the efficacy of one or another choice.

Anyway, I think a ketogenic diet is worth considering, even if it's "a bridge too far" at first.  The above is just my personal experience, and it may not be the right choice for her or you.

I wrote a long reply last night and then lost it, but luckily K Kaba here says nearly everything I wanted to say.
My husband got slapped with pre-diabetes a few years ago, like all of his family, and we made some general changes. They've been great, and he has gotten out of that danger zone.

K Kaba wrote:
Throw out all the sweeteners the first month. How food tastes will change, and that change will make this so much easier long term.
Parboiled rice and reheated white rice both have a lower glycemic index than white rice.
Potatoes glycemic index depends on how they're prepared. Experiment.
Put on more muscle, and move around more. Both will help your blood sugar levels.

We limited drinks (soda/juice/beer) and stopped putting sugar in coffee, stopped making cake every week, etc. It was weird for a month and now he cannot believe he used to drink coffee with sugar, and often now things are just way too sweet to even think about eating.
We started reducing "mindless carbs" in meals (rice because "there has to be rice on the table"), adding more veg, more protein. If we make pasta, half of it will be zoodles or something. Not elimination, but reduction.
We already ate a lot of fiber, but really cranked it up.
I also learned about glycemic index, it first made my eyes glaze over, but it gets easier with time. And same thing for resistant starch (reheated rice and pasta, for example).

It was really all just swaps. Instead of white bread and butter for breakfast, he now has oatmeal with protein powder and a blend of seeds (pumpkin, flax, chia) to start his day. Brown rice instead of white.
Also, exercise. Every day. Without fail. Luckily his work is really active, and I think that has more to do with it than anything.

This may be the silliest thing, but I think it is honestly the one big change, aside from exercise, that has most strongly affected my family as a whole:
the "drink law": we only drink water, or caffeine or alcohol if we want them.
Things that don't fit into these groups really have no place in my body -- and I don't go looking for workarounds (caffeinated soda, alcohol with fruit juice). The only exception for me is adding milk to a protein shake. If I don't want alcohol but I want something fancy, I drink seltzer or mineral water, or make some kombucha. I can't believe how much juice and sweet tea we used to drink (and how much sugar was in our diet as a result).  

Hi Cassie,
Changing Diabetes through diet is not easy, but it is possible. Here is a video from Dr. Ken Berry speaking about reversing Type 2 Diabetes through diet using a very simply scale to determine how many carbs you can eat and still reverse the disease.

When I got my dx, I was reasonably well off $ wise. I signed on to one of those meal delivery companies that had a diabetes option. I used it for about a month. It got me used to cooking low carb and cutting calories.  Years later, I still will not consider eating a 10 oz steak.  I cut it in half.

Avoid restaurants.  Even when traveling. They seem to put sugar in everything.  I once had only a salad at a high end restaurant. When I got back to the motel my glucose levels were through the roof. Monitor blood sugar.

Don’t forget quality of life.  To invent examples having one piece of candy, having a glazed donut, having a glass of beer is not necessarily evil once the glucose levels are stable and under control.  Having them daily or several times a day can be a problem.  Having one of the above once a week is probably ok….but do check glucose levels  for the next 24 hours or so.

Going back to the above, beer companies do not seem to include alcohol in their carb count. Alcohol is a carb, and it will mess with glucose levels. Use it cautiously. Not all glazed donuts are created equal. I have seen them range from 10 grams of sugar to more than 20.  Of course, with a glazed donut, it is easy to brush off some of the extra sugar.

One caution if you and she do decide to follow a very low carb diet: in my personal experience, it can be difficult to get enough electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium) in your diet if you aren't consciously ensuring adequate intake.  A low carb diet seems to not be a salt sparing diet.  If you are near an ocean coast, then you may have less of an issue, but here in the great interior, I've resorted to salting my food more heavily, taking magnesium supplements, and, when necessary, consuming LMNT (a brand of electrolyte beverage mix which doesn't contain added sugar, though it may not be as Simon-pure as they advertise!).  If I don't do this, I will be awakened in the wee hours with leg cramps, at a bare minimum.  This could be a familial heritable predisposition, since my father took magnesium supplements for 20-ish years to fend off muscle cramps.  I also seem to become mildly dehydrated quite easily if I don't consume additional salt.

If you are concerned about an increase in blood pressure due to increased salt intake, a review of the literature (the actual research literature, not the popular press talking points) may assuage your conscience.  For example, the oft-cited INTERSALT study  (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1834069/pdf/bmj00297-0019.pdf ), used to justify a reduction in dietary salt intake, has also been criticized for this interpretation of the data (for example: https://statistics.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/tech-reports/573.pdf ).  Other than very transient effects, I haven't been able to find much substantive and credible which indicates that increased sodium intake alone leads to chronically elevated blood pressure for most otherwise-healthy people.  In times past, and even in many parts of the world today, salt intake has far exceeded recommendations of the Western health agencies.  High blood pressure seems to largely be a disease of "civilized" modernity.  However, too little dietary sodium intake can reportedly lead to chronically stressed kidneys and other problems.

But, don't take my word for it.  Do your own research, and talk it over with a medical professional whom you trust to follow the evidence, no matter what may be the fashion of the moment.  As for me, I decided that salt is not the bugaboo which it is commonly made out to be, and I'll happily crank a goodly bit onto my salads each day, along with some freshly ground black pepper and some dried herbs, enjoying a tasty lunch or dinner and experiencing fewer leg cramps.  As always, your mileage may vary, but if you do find yourself having muscle cramps while on a low carb diet, increasing your electrolyte intake - including sodium - may help.

I have had type 2 for 20 years and have learned a lot. Here are some of them:
1. There are countless types of type 2. Rarely do two people have the same conditions. As such, there is no right way, only the way that works for you
2. What works today may not work in the future; it is a moving target
3. It can be a very complicated condition. The solutions thus can be complicated
4. Multiple factors should be included in the solutions. Among the most important are diet and exercise. One without the other will not likely be enough
5. I do not have a sweet tooth, but I love starchy carbs like rice, bread, potatoes, etc. These are horrible for me.
6. My morning meal consists of lots and lots of stir fry veggies mixed with sausage and eggs. I eat this over a few hours
7. In the morning I use an online personal trainer for exercise
8. Mid-day meals might include yogurt and homemade applesauce, tuna salad, peanut butter on celery, or....
9. Early afternoon walk for several miles
10. Dinner is fish or meat with lots of veggies including a big salad
11. Snacks are mostly peanuts in the shells
12. We focus on homegrown and homemade whenever possible, and local and organic otherwise

Best wishes on this journey!!

Here is a granola bar recipe for you:
Mix:
1/2 C Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar added)
1/4 C honey
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
Add:
1/2 C Walnuts chopped
1/4 C slivered almonds chopped
Lastly:
1 C Almond Flour
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C miniature dark choc chips (you can opt for sugar free here)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
After it is all mixed together,
Press into 8"x8" pan
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes

Spaghetti can be made on your diet...

Find or make a sauce that does not have sugar. I know Bertolli makes some red sauces with no sugar.

Use either cauliflower noodles or make spaghetti squash for the noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Good breakfast:

Buy plain kefir.
Slice a banana into it.
A couple strawberries.
Add a little honey.

Use a stick blender and enjoy a really good breakfast shake.

If you like chili... it is on your diet. Either use no noodles or find cauliflower elbow noodles.

Lastly, everyone wants cake on their birthday, but people who have to watch their sugar intake miss out.

Here is a recipe for guilt-free chocolate cake. I actually think it tastes better than regular cake. You cannot throw it together in two minutes or anything, but if it is a birthday, it would be worth the effort

Enjoy!  Chocolate Cake

Applesauce
INGREDIENTS:
4 lbs apples, peeled, cored and cut into one inch pieces
1 cup water
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
1. Place all the ingredients for the applesauce into a large pot on the stove. Cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until apples are soft. Add spices.
2. Using an immersion blender, mix together the applesauce mixture until smooth.

I just re-read my pervious post. To explain in a little more detail, in humans there is such a things as Non-negotiables.  These are the little routines we have in our lives that make life normal for us.  For example, normal for me is 2 cups of coffee in the morning.  What is interesting is that I need 2 cups to make my day normal. Two 6 oz cups are great. One 16 ounce cup leaves me feeling cheated. Of course, this doesn’t have to be about coffee.  It can be about any routine that is important to us. I met a gentleman once who was horrified that I didn’t buy a newspaper every Sunday.  He lived all week looking forward to that experience.

Applying this to diabetes, take a serious look at your own Non-negotiables. Some may have to be absolutely addressed. But there are others that the more you seek to eliminate them rather than modify them, the greater your chances of failure. Yes, some practices may need to be eliminated immediately.  But there are others that will leave our minds and bodies much happier if done in baby steps.

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to pop back in with an update since it’s been a couple of weeks. First, thank you all for the helpful advice, book recommendations, and encouragement—so much good info to sift through!

We’ve been making a lot of small changes, and while it’s definitely been an adjustment period, it’s getting easier. My mom is testing regularly, and we’re starting to see what works for her and what doesn’t. Some wins so far:

1. Swapping in more fiber and protein. She’s really enjoying oatmeal with flax and chia in the mornings instead of toast.
2. Rethinking carbs. Parboiled rice and roasted sweet potatoes are working well as better options. We’re experimenting with resistant starch too.
3. Cutting way back on sugar. It’s wild how fast taste buds adjust! Even her coffee is unsweetened now, and she doesn’t miss it.
4. More movement! She’s making a habit of walking after meals, and that seems to help stabilize her levels.

We’re still figuring out go-to meals and how to make things feel “normal” while keeping everything balanced. If anyone has favorite recipes that don’t feel like “diet food” but work well for blood sugar control, I’d love to hear them! Also, any insights on handling cravings while transitioning to lower-carb eating? That’s been one of the tougher parts.

Again, thanks for all the input—this community is awesome!

Glad to hear things are improving. Keep up the good work and send our encouragement to her.

Cassie Thornhill wrote:Also, any insights on handling cravings while transitioning to lower-carb eating? That’s been one of the tougher parts.

Specific to this question. I find that increasing the fat as well as mineral/vitamin content helps a LOT. It is my understanding that cravings come from two sources. Either an addiction or our bodies are not getting what they need. Fat as well as nutrients are two big areas that people in the US are deficient in. If you make sure your body has plenty of those, it will help the body feel satiated.

***Edit - make sure it is good fats. Olive oil and avacado oil are pretty good, but animal fats are best. Avoid vegetable oils.

all right! results are good, and help keep everyone motivated.

about the cravings- I have two ideas. Some years ago I ate raw vegan for a bit, and I loved it, and I felt like a million bucks, but MAN did I have cravings for.... saltines. Of all the crazy things. I wanted crunchy carbs and I was desperate for them. I filled my diet with lots of other crunchy things to fill that need- snappy carrots and cucumbers and crisp apples, jicama, things that crunched.
If you can figure out something that corresponds, maybe use it as an alternative.

As for other strategies for cravings.... My mother has been on Weight Watchers her entire life and has shared a few. One that never fails for me-- when you're craving sweets, have a dill pickle. They're innocuous diabetes-wise, and kind of a "palate cleanser", and if you like pickles they're a great way to get you thinking about something else.
Another of her ideas, if dessert cravings come around after dinner- get in the habit of making a cup of herb tea right around the time you start thinking about a dessert. Do it for a few weeks, maybe splurge on some nice tea you wouldn't normally have, and it will become part of your evening routine.

Cassie Thornhill wrote:

We’re still figuring out go-to meals and how to make things feel “normal” while keeping everything balanced. If anyone has favorite recipes that don’t feel like “diet food” but work well for blood sugar control, I’d love to hear them! Also, any insights on handling cravings while transitioning to lower-carb eating? That’s been one of the tougher parts.

This week I discovered the best hot cocoa that will make your mom feel uber normal if she is having chocolate cravings:

1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp honey (or a little more if you like it sweeter)
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
Add one cup very hot water