Reading nutrition labels sure can drive you crazy About This Page:

[CinderAbby]

Or maybe it's just me because of Lenny. He has cardiac disease so I have to watch his sodium. We're all overweight so I have to watch out for fat. Now with the diagnosis of Diabetes, I have to watch out for Carbs. I've been looking at labels and truthfully, I think trying to find foods that are low in all 3 things is going to drive me . Well let me rephrase that - I think trying to find foods that are low in all 3 things that actually taste good and we'll want to eat might drive me crazy (or put me in the poorhouse - it's a shame some of it is so expensive).

We finally had an appointment with the Nutritionist yesterday - and with the one we wanted to see. We know she does Cardiac nutrition but we didn't know if she could also do the Diabetes nutrition. We figured she could because Diabetes can cause Cardiac problems but didn't know 100 percent until we got the appointment. Yesterday she told us she's a Certified Diabetes Educator so I'm really glad we were able to see her. But anyway, I'm glad we saw her because now I have a much better idea of the types of food we should be eating - and according to Meryl (the Nutritionist), it really does come down to we can eat just about anything we want. We just really have to be conscience of our portions. Now I'm not saying this is true for everyone (eating whatever) but in our case it is. I can't tell you how much easier that makes it on me when it comes to shopping.

Since Lenny was originally diagnosed (over a month ago now) I've been looking at labels every time I went to the store and from what I was reading, what my PCP told us just didn't make sense. He told us no potatoes, no white pasta, no white rice and no white bread. He said sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and whole grain bread instead but when I started comparing labels, there was very little difference in the carb count so I had absolutely no clue of what to buy. After seeing Meryl yesterday, she actually explained things to us so it made sense - how some things shoot the sugar up quick and how others make it go up slow. Lenny's glucose levels should be "rolling hills, not mountains." She also gave us a glucose meter (I was hoping to avoid it - my dad needed one before he died and I hated it, it was such a pain in more ways than one ) telling us those that monitor their blood have much better success in controlling the Diabetes. So overall, while I still don't understand all the different ins and outs of Diabetes, we're starting off the way we should - slowly.

Another thing too that helps is for the most part, the food I'm buying really isn't all that bad. The downfall has been portion control. I've been cooking a lot (must come from doing so much at school ) so that means we've been eating a lot. The last couple of weeks, I've really been conscience of just how much I've been cooking. For example, instead of cooking a whole box of fish sticks and a whole bag of french fries (I bake both so at least that didn't need to change), I now only cook half of each and once everything is gone, it's gone. We either have to be happy with what we had or just have a salad or more veggies with it. So for me to be able to cut down on what I cook is huge. And it helps us in two ways. It helps with portion control and it helps with the grocery budget in that now instead of one meal, it's now 2.

So things are going well in relation to Lenny's Diabetes. His Cardiac problems are a whole 'nother story - and that will probably end up as another post at some point in time (not today though). For those that stuck around to "hear" me ramble, thanks for "listening." For those wondering where I've been and how it's been going, sorry it took so long but there hasn't been anything to tell. At least not in relation to Lenny. My aunt's dog on the other hand there was a lot to say about that but even that's been going well the last two days so right now, all's good.


ETA - I just realized what I have for a thread title isn't necessarily where I ended up going with it but for those who stayed anyway, thanks so much.

[unewillow]

One of the biggest things about reading nutrition labels is looking at how much a serving of that food ACTUALLY is. I know that before my surgery I was constantly eating double to triple what a serving size is in one sitting.

Another thing to keep in mind for both healthy cardiac and diabetic eating is that the majority of your shopping should be done around the perimeter of the grocery store. That's where all the good, unprocessed foods are (meats, veg, grains, dairy). It's when you get into the middle of the store you start getting into the high carb/fat/sodium foods.

Cutting the "white" out of your diet also helps. So instead of bread made with white/bleached flour, try whole grains. Yes they have carbs but like the nutritionist said, they're digested differently and produce those "hills" instead of "mountains" of glucose spikes.

Good luck in making these changes! I know it's difficult but even small changes can make a huge difference in your health with the added benefit of maybe even slimming down a bit without even trying.

[phoebec]

I'm so glad you feel you have a better understanding of the nutrition situation. We switched from white grains to whole grains a while ago and something you could try is to mix it for a while until you get used to it. For example,try mixing some brown rice in with your white rice for a few weeks and then start putting a little less white in at a time. Eventually, no one will notice when it is gone. As far as pasta, I am not a fan of the whole wheat, but I have found that the "barilla plus" brand tastes more like white pasta and is much more nutritionally sound. The bread is hit or miss, some brands better than others. You might try the whole grain white bread to start with. These are just ideas that worked for us. I hope things continue to go well and I am glad things are going ok with the dog, at least the past few days.

[Huntermom]

I was going to give you the same advice as Unewillow-shop the perimeter of the store. And buy as much fresh, not frozen/packaged as you can. You will not only be healthier, you will lose weight and save money. I would never buy fish sticks and my kids wouldn't eat them but it is so easy to cook any white fish in the oven. Coat it with bread crumbs, drizzle with butter and bake. You could cut it into strips if you want a more "fishstick like" dinner. Cod, haddock, scrod or even flounder if you want a thin fish.

Chicken nuggets are easy-similar recipe but I oven fry mine with olive oil.

Sweet potato fries made in the oven are easy and you are at the right season to start getting fresh fruits and veggies, especially at a farmer's market.

We try to use the "no whites" rule with the exception of baguettes.

And try to avoid eating out.

You will save money and you can put it in your Disney fund.

[CinderAbby]

Originally Posted by unewillow

One of the biggest things about reading nutrition labels is looking at how much a serving of that food ACTUALLY is. I know that before my surgery I was constantly eating double to triple what a serving size is in one sitting.

Another thing to keep in mind for both healthy cardiac and diabetic eating is that the majority of your shopping should be done around the perimeter of the grocery store. That's where all the good, unprocessed foods are (meats, veg, grains, dairy). It's when you get into the middle of the store you start getting into the high carb/fat/sodium foods.

Cutting the "white" out of your diet also helps. So instead of bread made with white/bleached flour, try whole grains. Yes they have carbs but like the nutritionist said, they're digested differently and produce those "hills" instead of "mountains" of glucose spikes.

Good luck in making these changes! I know it's difficult but even small changes can make a huge difference in your health with the added benefit of maybe even slimming down a bit without even trying.

Yes, we do the same thing with portion size - eat more than what we should. By not cooking as much, I know I'm helping to control how much we eat and for other things, I probably start measuring it until I have a good eye for what a portion looks like. And that's great info about the grocery store. I'll have to think about it when I make my lists and do my shopping. Out of everything we eat, I'll have to say breads and rice are the easiest changes to make. We already eat 100% whole wheat, rye and pumpernickel breads. I have white in the house for mom (who refuses to eat anything BUT white) and pretty much she's the only one who eats it. I will if I have a peanut butter sandwich but that's rare that I will eat one. The rest of the changes might be tough but we're going to try and take it one step at a time - for all of us. This isn't going to be an only Lenny diet change which IMO will make it a lot easier in the long run

[CinderAbby]

Originally Posted by phoebec

I'm so glad you feel you have a better understanding of the nutrition situation. We switched from white grains to whole grains a while ago and something you could try is to mix it for a while until you get used to it. For example,try mixing some brown rice in with your white rice for a few weeks and then start putting a little less white in at a time. Eventually, no one will notice when it is gone. As far as pasta, I am not a fan of the whole wheat, but I have found that the "barilla plus" brand tastes more like white pasta and is much more nutritionally sound. The bread is hit or miss, some brands better than others. You might try the whole grain white bread to start with. These are just ideas that worked for us. I hope things continue to go well and I am glad things are going ok with the dog, at least the past few days.

Thanks Phoebe. As I said above, we already do the wheat breads instead of white (and have for years - I'm pretty sure we started long before Lenny started with his cardiac problems). The brown rice I've had at school and it's pretty decent but we rarely even eat rice (maybe once every 3 or 4 months) so I could probably get away with just doing straight brown rice right away but if not, I'll definitely try and mix it. Thanks for that suggestion. For our pasta, I've always gotten store brand and a couple of weeks ago, I got the store brand wheat and I have to say it was kind of nasty. The flavor was fine but the texture was just so wrong - it was grainy or something. I jokingly said to Lenny I should serve it more often because the texture alone was preventing me from eating much and enjoying it. The next week when I went back, they had the Barilla Whole Grain (not the wheat) on a display that caught my eye and because it was the same price as the store brand wheat, I decided to try it. I'm so glad I did because like you said, it tasted more like white than wheat and there was no strange texture to it. Abby even tried it and liked it so you know when she likes it and eats it up well, you have a winning product. I also found the whole grain was extremely filling so that's another plus in it's favor. I already mentioned the bread but I just have to add we have tried the whole grain white and while it tastes good and I like it, we just don't eat white bread enough to justify the cost. Mom really is the only one who eats the white bread. She'll take a loaf of bread out of the freezer, use a couple of slices and leave the rest of the loaf to go moldy so there's no way I'm going to spend the extra money on something she'll most likely only waste. And trust me when I say I've tried to convince her to leave the bread frozen, just take what she needs and then defrost it in the microwave. She insists it takes too much time to do it that way.

[Shawnam1868]

I love food that is bad for you, however, I also try to make healthy food. I snack on junk, but meals are a whole 'nother story. And I agree with the others, just shop the perimeter of the store. I never buy frozen chicken nuggets anymore, and I can do without french fries. My favorite type of potatoes are roasted with olive oil and some Mrs. Dash seasoning. Yum.

[Caldercup]

What your primary physician was concerned about is called the "glycemic index" and it involves how different foods can shoot your blood glucose levels up very quickly after eating.

So brown rice doesn't shoot the BGs up as high as white rice does. (In some people. It's not the same from one person to another.)

[CinderAbby]

Originally Posted by Huntermom

I was going to give you the same advice as Unewillow-shop the perimeter of the store. And buy as much fresh, not frozen/packaged as you can. You will not only be healthier, you will lose weight and save money. I would never buy fish sticks and my kids wouldn't eat them but it is so easy to cook any white fish in the oven. Coat it with bread crumbs, drizzle with butter and bake. You could cut it into strips if you want a more "fishstick like" dinner. Cod, haddock, scrod or even flounder if you want a thin fish.

Chicken nuggets are easy-similar recipe but I oven fry mine with olive oil.

Sweet potato fries made in the oven are easy and you are at the right season to start getting fresh fruits and veggies, especially at a farmer's market.

We try to use the "no whites" rule with the exception of baguettes.

And try to avoid eating out.

You will save money and you can put it in your Disney fund.

Again, thanks for the info about the perimeter of the store. I'll definitely have to think about that when I do shopping. The one thing that I did get out of Lenny's cardiac stint with the nutritionist was the dangers of the sodium in prepackaged stuff, especially the frozen dinners so those I stopped buying years ago. Fish sticks is one of the exceptions to the rule though. It's something Abby eats up really well. She won't touch "real" fish for some reason but I try not to make a habit of getting it(we'll have it maybe once a month, maybe less). Chicken I buy either tenders or breasts that I cut down and I just wet them down with water and use bread crumbs and then bake them. Mom used butter to make the bread crumbs stick but I stopped doing that long before I even met Lenny. I've thought of getting a sweet potato and just baking the whole thing in the oven like a baked potato and try it that way. I tried some frozen ones (fries) and they weren't that good and Abby didn't like the color or the taste of them. Worst thing that can happen if I bake one is I still don't like it. Best thing is I now have a new food that's healthy for me. And eating out - what's that ? More often that not, our version of eating out is cooking in the kitchen and taking our plates out to the patio. At my old school, they'd talk about all these different restaurants and when they asked me what I thought of them I'd have to respond "I don't know, I've never been there." They would then make not so nice comments about me because of it but oh well. There's a ton of restaurants I've never been to but I'm not missing them truthfully. Thanks for all the advice though - I appreciate it.

[Huntermom]

Darlene, I bought the frozen sweet potato fries once and yuck. You can make really good ones with sliced potatoes in the oven. We also bake and roast them. My kids all went through a nutritious phase as they entered college and we have really gotten pretty good habits after three of them

I cook lots of things in olive oil. I know that even cooking white potatoes in olive oil makes them "better."

[phoebec]

Originally Posted by CinderAbby

Again, thanks for the info about the perimeter of the store. I'll definitely have to think about that when I do shopping. The one thing that I did get out of Lenny's cardiac stint with the nutritionist was the dangers of the sodium in prepackaged stuff, especially the frozen dinners so those I stopped buying years ago. Fish sticks is one of the exceptions to the rule though. It's something Abby eats up really well. She won't touch "real" fish for some reason but I try not to make a habit of getting it(we'll have it maybe once a month, maybe less). Chicken I buy either tenders or breasts that I cut down and I just wet them down with water and use bread crumbs and then bake them. Mom used butter to make the bread crumbs stick but I stopped doing that long before I even met Lenny. I've thought of getting a sweet potato and just baking the whole thing in the oven like a baked potato and try it that way. I tried some frozen ones (fries) and they weren't that good and Abby didn't like the color or the taste of them. Worst thing that can happen if I bake one is I still don't like it. Best thing is I now have a new food that's healthy for me. And eating out - what's that ? More often that not, our version of eating out is cooking in the kitchen and taking our plates out to the patio. At my old school, they'd talk about all these different restaurants and when they asked me what I thought of them I'd have to respond "I don't know, I've never been there." They would then make not so nice comments about me because of it but oh well. There's a ton of restaurants I've never been to but I'm not missing them truthfully. Thanks for all the advice though - I appreciate it.

I completely understand the dilemma in trying to get a child with ASD to eat something if they don't want to. Once their mind is made up that something is not acceptable, there is not changing their minds. At least that's how it is with my son. He only recently started eating breaded chicken. Before that all meat except hot dogs were off limits. I would try baking a sweet potato. I really love them and they are super healthy. It's worth a try.
Good Luck and keep us posted!

[Teresa]

You've gotten a ton of great advice. Shopping the perimeter is a must. Basically, if you try to imagine you're limited to only foods you might could grow/get on a farm - that's what actually everyone should eat more often.
If you don't already, I might recommend planting a garden. Not only is is cheaper to grow your own veggies, they taste better than store-bought. Plus, Abby might be more interested in new things if she's had a hand in growing it!
As for the sweet potatoes: we LOVE baked ones. They are MUCH better for you than white potatoes. We have them with a touch of real butter, a sprinkle of sugar and a dash of cinnamon.
Keep introducing new items. Don't give up just because someone turns their nose up once. If it's offered repeatedly, people begin to try it more, and eventually like it.

Remember - like your dietitian said, it's not that all carbs are bad - it's just that they need to be kept to a reasonable amount.
DH has many of the same issues (Diabetes, High blood pressure, high cholesterol - all diagnosed on the same day!!) - and with diet, exercise, and monitoring his blood levels, we've managed to keep it all under control. Lenny's not going to be on a diet - he's just going to be making some life changes - to better his life. It took DH until recently to realize that you HAVE to control the diabetes. There are too many other problems it can lead to not to keep it under control.

[BostonTeaParty]

My DH Paul was diagnosed with diabetes this past March 23rd, the day before his birthday. The interesting thing is, he is not overweight, exercises regularly and eats a reasonably healthy diet. Three of his uncles (all brothers) had it, but it is so prevalent in my family (both parents had it, two of my sisters have it and one of my nieces), that I thought if anyone was going to get it, it would be me. One of the ways I've incorporated even more veggies into our diet is by adding them to dishes you might not have thought about. For example, when I make pasta (whole wheat, which does have a different texture) I chop up a zucchini or two, throw in a bag of baby spinach or chop a head of cauliflower into florets and throw that it. Whatever veggies I have on hand. Also I add a big can of diced (unsalted) tomatoes. They're very good for you. Chop a half an onion, grate a couple of cloves of garlic, add a dash of oregano and it adds tons of flavor. Another thing is to put a bunch of veggies in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes and the taste is fantastic. A personal trainer at our gym recommended I use plain yogurt in place of mayo (which I love). I haven't been able to do that entirely. What I do is, I buy low calorie mayo (the kind with olive oil) and mix it half and half with yogurt - that works! I know you're having a lot thrown at you right now. I've been reading labels for years for salt, sugar and fats. Now I am adding carbs to the list. It does cost a bit more to make better food choices, but it is less expensive than paying for monthly prescriptions. Good luck.

[JoanneS]

Darlene, I know just what you're talking about. My DH was diagnosed with Diabetes not too long ago. It's certainly a challenge to prepare meals for him, my vegetarian DS, and a lactose intolerant DD and myself. Another passporter was kind enough to send me some cook books for diabetics. They helped us find some new recipes that were tasty without breaking the diet. If you'd like me to pass them along to you, now that we've found our favorite recipes, just PM me. I'm happy to "pay it forward."

[scrappyjae]

I feel your pain Darlene. My DD(18) is a Type 1 diabetic, and counting carbs is our life. She has to think about everything that goes into her mouth. And she is the best eater in our family. She loves salads, fruit, water, doesn't hardly ever have seconds in her meals, and to top it all off she is losing weight and coming in at about 100.8 now. We have a big ole family history of cardiac problems and Type 2 Diabetes on both sides of my family. DD actually just had her cholesterol checked and it is a little high, there comes into play the family history.

But Lenny getting the meter and keeping an eye on his levels is good. Being high will make him not feel well and will make him grumpy, let alone will cause problems later. My DM is a Type 2 and I had to get on her for not following through with her advice to my DD. She now keeps better track, has to take insulin because her levels are to high. Trust me, you want to keep control because the cost of insulin (even with insurance) is high. I would love to only have to pay for the testing strips.

Also, not sure what kind of meter they gave Lenny, but we use the Freestyle Light, and they have a program that helps with the cost of the testing strips. Those little suckers are over a $1 for one strip. With the program we are on, we only pay about $15 for a box of 100. There might be other programs out there for different meters, so I would check those out. Saving money is always a good thing.