Those of you who know me well enough, will also know well enough that I have a few dietary restrictions. I think it's about to become a whole world more complicated.
Currently I avoid the following items:
- Grapefruit - this one is a case of 'come hell, or high water'
- Pomegranate
- Shellfish
- Undercooked meat/fish - no rare steak etc
- Undercooked eggs - anything from boiled eggs to Hollandaise Sauce!
- Buffets - hot, or cold - bacterial growth
- Any 'natural remedies' such as St John's Wort, incase of interactions with my immune-suppressants
I am supposed to avoid the following, but the occasional brush with them would be ok, in terms of the transplant team:
- Cold food in restaurants and at a friend's house, or with family (so that means I am not supposed to eat salads etc outside of my own home - although I do trust my friends to wash a lettuce thoroughly...)
- Soy
Consume very occasionally
- Deli meats
- Pies/Pastries
- Crisps, biscuits, cakes etc - The usual junk food
Harefield's dieticians generally recommend a lower fat, salt, sugar, calorie diet, tell you to eat your fruit and veg (1 fruit, 5-6 veg) and throughout the last 26 years I have managed to maintain my weight, for most of the time. I had a 4yr weight problem, just after a major rejection, when I was 11 years out. Since I got the weight off (11yrs ago), I've maintained myself consistently between 44-47.5kg. My target weight is 45kg. My eating regime is not 'that bad'; it's not perfect, I do like chocolate digestives, crisps and home baked goodies, but I do eat a lot of the good stuff.
Unfortunately, on Thursday I was told that the inevitable had probably happened; I've more or less ceased to produce insulin, my blood sugar was up high (non-fasting bloods) - I'm now awaiting an appointment to see a local Diabetic doctor. Hmmm - in case that is not clear, I am waiting to see a doctor who specialises in Diabetes - not a doctor who has the condition ;)
As an aside, I have never understood why Diabetes is called a disease. It's not something you catch, like Malaria - it's something you acquire; it's a condition. In my case, the immune-suppressant drugs have mucked up my body's ability to produce its own Insulin. A change in diet is not going to make this go away; I won't suddenly start making more of the stuff. I can only eat to try and stop the blood sugar spiking quite so rapidly. To complicate matters further, I have a raft of other major medical malfunctions that all come with their own food rules and regulations: some example include high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis (furry arteries), Osteoporosis and it also looks like I have Rheumatoid Arthritis - again waiting to see a doctor.
On the plus side, because this has been a long time coming, I have already started making adaptions to my cooking. A few examples:
- I tend to use plain yogurt for sauces, instead of mayonnaise (or cream) - but I haven't been able to afford it this month.
- I grate cheese and therefore need to use less of it
- In scone, or cake baking I've switched 50% of the flour over to ground almonds
- When I make flapjack, I halve the sugar content and add almond flour, mixed seeds and nuts and some fried fruit
Years ago, being diabetic meant NO SUGAR! Now it means following a diet, in which you eat predominantly from a set of foods that register as low on the Glycemic Index. Sugar, in small quantities, is back on the diabetic table...but we should all be watching our sugar intake anyway! Just in the same way that 20 years ago we were told to watch our salt intake.
The problem for me now in April, is that massive batch of soup that I made at the weekend. High on the Glycemic Index are swedes, parsnips and potato. Aside from the fact that I have been eating the stuff for three, or four, days straight and I am BORED OUT OF MY TINY LITTLE MIND, can I now 'afford' to eat the rest that is sat in my fridge, in terms of the probable Diabetes? In terms of April, I can't afford to chuck it out, or give it away! If you were on £10 a week for food and suddenly had to change your diet, you'd have a problem.
The reality of the situation is that whilst I don't have the diagnoses and I am still 'healthy' (in terms of Diabetes), I can probably still eat the stuff. I have one bowl left for tonight and 8 servings in the freezer. I'll just have to space them out - that should also help save my sanity...
In any case, I guess if I do decide I am not eating any more of the soup, there is always a willing volunteer to help me out.
No comments:
Post a Comment