Robert of St Louis wrote:
> I keep reading that I can have whole wheat bread and bagels. I hear so
> damned much about bread exchanges. But what if they are these 2 good
> choices?

Robert,

Read the labels! Carbohydrates should be treated the same until you are
familiar enough with how your body processes certain ones.

Many people will subtract the amount of fiber grams from the
carbohydrate grams for "net carbs" but the generally recommended formula
is to only subtract 5 grams or more of fiber per serving for net carbs.

Whole wheat is still a carb. If you read the label on the bread or
bagels the carbohydrate count is not much different between regular and
"whole wheat" per serving.

If you ask me, this entire "whole grain" business is just more marketing
BS because someone said refined carbs weren't good for people. While
non-diabetics might benefit from the bit of extra fiber, it really
doesn't make much difference to the average type 2 diabetic.

You need to use your meter to determine how many grams of carbohydrates
your medication will permit your body to tolerate. Your medical people
should have set you up with a series of classes for nutrition and and
medical management. You need to learn to read labels. You need to learn
to use your meter effectively and that means a finger stick before
eating to see what your glucose level is. You will need to keep a record
of the amount (and type) of carbohydrates you are going to eat. After
meals, take a reading one hour, two hours and three hours. This diary
will help you learn which types of carbs you tolerate best and how much
of them you can tolerate.

Carbohydrates are not just starches and sugars. Dairy products like
milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and ice cream are carbohydrates. If you are
going to have a bowl of dry cereal, you also have to count the carbs in
the milk. Fruits are carbohydrates. A small apple is 15g. A banana is
30g. Some veggies like tomato and carrots can add up. Other veggies like
corn and winter squashes are counted more like a starch than a veggie.

Too many physicians take a blood test, see elevated glucose and
prescribe a bottle of pills. That is a horrible way to treat a diabetic,
but, unfortunately, that's what happens.

Until you learn to eat what is proper for your body, your doctor will
probably continue to up your meds. The oral medications have their own
set of side effects so you want to keep the dosage as low as possible.
This might mean that you cut out all starches and only get your
carbohydrates from small servings of fruit and vegetables.

Starch is your enemy. Sugar and starch are identical to your body. One
slice of supermarket white bread and a tablespoon of sugar are exactly
the same to your body. Do not fall for the "sugar-free" trap. Things
like "sugar-free" pudding are filled with carbohydrates. First from the
primary ingredient, corn starch and next from the milk. Taking out the
sugar and putting in artificial sweetener doesn't make it any healthier
for a diabetic.

Don't let anyone scare you away from fat, either. Try to eat good fats,
like olive oil, nuts and avocado instead of saturated fats. Many
fat-free foods are higher in carbohydrates than the full-fat versions or
the "lite" versions.

The thing that is very, very important for you to learn is portion
control. Get a little paperback carbohydrate counting book (WalMart
carries them) and a small digital food scale. Get a set of dry measuring
cups and a measuring cup for liquids. This will teach you what a serving
of carbs (15g) will look like. After a short while you will be able to
eye-ball your servings.

The other suggestions made here are valuable. Diabetes is not the kind
of condition that you just take a pill for. Controlling it means a
change in your entire life-style.

If I have scared you, then I've done a good job. Diabetes is a scary
diagnosis. If you don't make the necessary changes in your life to
control it, the consequences are very, very scary indeed.

I'll recap for you:

1) get set up with a diabetes education course.

2) Make a chart with a food diary and lay in a big supply of test
strips. (I know that they are expensive, but how much is your life and
your health worth?)

3) Learn to read labels and watch your carbohydrate intake like a hawk.
They did tell you that meter readings of between 90 - 110 are what you
should be setting your goals for?

4) Get a food scale, a carb-counter book and measuring cups.

5) Don't expect the people here or at any other newsgroup to create
miracles for you. It's your condition and you have to work really hard
to control it.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.