Self Medicating With Food...Diabetes, Support?

[73kittycat73]

Hi, I've tried to word/start writing this a few times, so I hope it comes out OK...But, today I have finally realized that I eat junk/sweet food to self medicate.
I have type 2 diabetes and have been 'getting away' with it for a while, but I'm starting to feel the effects of eating sweet food. If I eat chocolate before bed for example, I get terrible cramps in (Mainly my left) calf. Recently I have cut down on chocolate as it was making me feel like crap after eating it. I take depression and anxiety tablets and they make me tired so I thought it was them. However I have really noticed recently that eating it makes me so wiped out afterwards.
Today I was bored so ate a bit of cheesecake. Boy did I feel like shit afterwards. I was still feeling a bit rubbish a few hours later so I decided to dig out the old blood sugar testing kit. My blood sugars were17. In the dangerous category. (A non diabetic person should be between 7.1 to 10.0). It has given me a shake, and a wake up call.
I went to my Sainsburys delivery (Due Sunday.) and have taken all the sweet things out, including Pepsi Max. I drink 2ltrs of the stuff a day (I get 'cotton wool' mouth from the medications I take for depression/anxiety and just water does nothing.). I have read conflicting articles on whether Pepsi Max spikes your insulin so have taken them out my list too. I tried finding a decent drink that wasn't full of sugar or artificial sweeteners, I couldn't find any! So I have ordered some fizzy water and orange squash (With sweeteners.) to have it very diluted for some flavour.
However, like I said, it's only just clicked that I self medicate with food (Sweet stuff being the most.). I know I'll be back to craving even later tonight, or definitely tomorrow, so I was wondering if anybody would like to join me on cutting down on junk food. We could come on when we are craving, or just for some support generally. If you're doing it to loose weight that's fine too.
I hope I haven't gone on...I just wanted to be honest (With myself too.) and start a new, healthier, way of eating.

Did someone say chocolate brownie?! I shall have a good look at that. My mum is doing very well thank you. How are you today?
I came to post actually, that I spent £7.09 on a loaf of bread last night. (Why do purchases always seem so right at night? lol) I found low carb bread All the reviews say it's really good. I thought I'd just buy the one loaf to start with to see if I liked it. £3.39 for a loaf of bread! But if it's OK it's worth it. The postage was just under £4.00 but is the same whether you buy 1 loaf or 30. When it comes I will report back.

I need to read through this thread properly but I'm off to sleep shortly.

I am a T2 with v high levels and am on insulin metformin and jardiance. About to be put on the new GL thingy therapy ( sorry can't remember the name ) in a month once I've had a retinal eye scan.

Hope I can pick up some tips and contribute too, OP hope you are managing to get your levels sorted, will have a proper read through tomorrow as I'm just place marking.

I'm not diabetic but have eaten low carb for years. Just wanted to give you an idea for a drink. Make Pukka herb tea (fruit/mint/ginger... whichever flavour you like). Let it go cold and add sparkling water.
Being vegetarian, do you think you get enough protein? I'm very hungry if I don't enough. Do you eat fish or eggs? If you eat dairy, halloumi cheese with mushrooms makes a good breakfast, as does smoked salmon and cream cheese on a thin slice of seeded sourdough. Courgetti, cauliflower rice and celeriac are all lovely once you know how to cook them. Again, they are improved with cream, but I'm not sure if you eat dairy.
Diet Doctor website has good, simple recipes.

Let us know what the bread is like! I usually buy low carb 'treats' (bakery items) and then freeze them, that way I don't eat them mindlessly but they're there when I really want them.

With the bread, don’t expect it to taste like bread. It won’t. Low carb wraps are a better substitute I think.

I’m trying some brownies later on - a different recipe. But that is also one to try! I’ll come back later with results!!

You really shouldn’t be aiming for blood sugars 7-10, 10 is too high! Using the 8 week blood glucose book recipes my family member (type 2 but insulin dependant) was able to reduce her insulin down. I always wonder if she had been told that approach when first diagnosed if she might of been able to reverse it like lots have. The nhs ‘eat slow release carbs like wholemeal toast’ with every meal is so crap and out dated!

For bread we finally have found a nice low carb one, hovis low carb bread. So much better than the others. The second best one we had smelt like mushrooms!

Just came on to say about courgetti- I've realised the only way to stop it being a watery mess is not to cook it. I spiralise it and then microwave it with no water for one minute. Then I mix it with the sauce. That heats it up but it stays a nice texture.

Also I'm currently reading "spoonfed" by Tim Spector. The basic argument is that our personal gut biology makes us respond differently to food in terms of glucose spikes, so it is worth being a detective for yourself as some " healthy" foods might cause spikes in you.

Good luck with everything- I'm not T2 but I definitely recognise the brain fog feeling after sweet stuff. I'm also thinking of trying no sugar.

Morning everyone, I hope it’s ok if I join in? Diagnosed as T2 just before Christmas, on metformin. My last hba1c was 9. I know it’s unhelpful to think this way, but I mostly feel ashamed as I’m sure it’s lifestyle related (though lots of diabetes on my mothers side of the family, does that matter?) I am 40, I didn’t think I was doing too bad.

I follow a vegan diet, so am struggling massively but I think the hardest thing is getting into the right mindset, especially during lockdown when I am definitely using food as a treat. About 4 stone overweight, so definitely need to drop some pounds. I do not have a sweet tooth, but love savoury processed stuff - sausage rolls, fried, pizza.

I have had good support from my diabetes nurse, I have been on a nutrition session which has helped me understand more about what I should be doing. Just need to bloody crack on with it.

That should be fries, not fried!

Hi strike I would find it impossible to eat as low carb as I do whilst vegan but I'm sure there's some ideas out there. There's no point blaming yourself, as you know, what's done is done and you're working on it now which is the most important thing. Have you considered a 16:8 way of eating? I never eat breakfast because I'm more insulin resistant in the morning (very common) and it helps to keep my levels steady throughout the day but I don't know if that's the same with type two.

I want to make that nigella cake now, not sure I have quite enough almond flour though.

Wreck I haven’t even started to think about carbs in terms of grams, or a target per day, but as servings per day of which the dietician told me to have 3. Serving sizes are a pain (I am a pasta fiend) but I guess it’s about learning new habits.

I think 16:8 is doable for sure, I just love to eat, so again a mindset thing.

I don’t think I could do vegan keto, as I already have NAFLD. I guess I just have to find a balanced diet that works for me.

Yeah I'm not sure why HCP's are so obsessed with carbs or why she feels you need three servings a day . I suppose I have two servings of carbs a day but my carbs are from vegetables etc ie my cauliflower soup for lunch probably has about 10g carbs in. Keto wouldn't be advisable for sure. I think it's helpful to think of a portion as a fist size, I imagine most people have five times this amount of pasta at least but filling out the plate with salad/veg will make a big difference whilst also still being able to have your pasta/potatoes/rice.

Hello everyone. Welcome newbies.
I just love to eat, so again a mindset thing.
I hear ya! I was doing well till last night when I read a dieting thread and my head just wouldn't let go that I was dieting (I'm not, not with the amount of cashew nuts I'm eating, lol.) and you know what it's like, soon as you think diet, you think 'FOOD!' Luckily I didn't have much snacks in so I only had two Soreen bars and two low fat yogurts.
I checked my blood sugar this morning and it was around 6, so no damage done. However, I've felt physically sluggish all day. So it's helped me realise that I can't binge, and I'M NOT ON A DIET, I just don't want to eat crap as I end up feeling like crap!

Well the bread turned up today...At first I was shocked at how small it was! 12cms high by 16cms in length. However, I buttered a sli9ce to try, and it was delicious! Tastes like brown bread. The only difference is that you have to chew it quite a bit. However, I would recommend it.
After worry about my blood sugar going to high it was at 3 this morning. Didn't have a hypo though thank goodness.

3 exactly? Dh's was 2.3 the other day and he's not diabetic at all!

That's good about the bread. I bet it tastes great toasted too.

3.8
How are you today? I haven't tried it as toast yet. I will at some point though.

Ah 3.8 is ok as long as you're feeling fine. I bet you're so pleased seeing your lower numbers. I'm ok thanks, for dinner I had Swedish style meatballs with cauliflower mash and green beans. Delicious! I need to lose a bit of weight and am finding it pretty hard, I just want to eat all the time.

That’s good to hear about the bread! I made the brownies- but I’ve lost the recipe page. They’re good although a little bit too salty as I sprinkled too much into the mix. OH got me the chocolate skinny syrup so I’ve squirted some of that on with a bit of cream.

That dinner sounds delicious WreckTangled ! Good luck with losing weight. I know what you mean about wanting to eat! (She says whilst munching on Cashews.)
Did you get the syrup from The Skinny Food Co PaperMonster ? I tried a creamer from there a while ago. It was OK. I also tried their Sweet and Sour but I didn't like it, it was mainly sweet! I have been thinking about giving a few of their other products a go, any you recommend?

I like the skinny syrups in Greek yoghurt (the chocolate or banana one). I've got a no added sugar 'maple syrup' which is really, really low carb but it's from a specialist shop online so quite expensive. The choc zero maple style syrup is nice (a bit higher in carbs but still good) and you can often get that in Aldi etc.

@73kittycat73 yes, it was The Skinny Food Co. never had the choc sauce before - it’s Ok, just Ok and it’s quite runny. Not sure I’d bother with it again. I really like the barbecue sauce and he’s picked up the sweet chilli sauce but I’ve not tried it yet.

Are you on insulin OP? 3.8 in non-diabetics and T2 who are non-diabetics isn’t a concern.

In T1 diabetics you would treat it as a low.

If you are T2 and on insulin you should refer to your own treatment plan. May need to treat. It would also suggest that you should discuss decreasing the amount you are injecting with your doctor.

I always double check low or high readings as well as there is a margin for error.

I went to the skinny food co website last night and ordered Easter Cream #NotGuilty Zero Calorie Sugar Free Syrup and Variety Sample Bag - Syrup/Sauce Sachets. Don't know if I would have ordered them in the cold light of day but never mind. Apparently they are taking up to 10 days to deliver anyway. Don't know what I'll try the Easter Cream sauce on, maybe my porridge?
Hi Fantail I take Metformin and Gliclazide. I'm type 2. I don't have a treatment plan. They really did just left me to it!