Skinny Diabetes: What is a carbohydrate?

daily lunch ritual includes canned tuna, lots of non-starchy veggies and avocado

The other day I was talking diet with a friend and she said "I don't really eat carbs, I hardly ever eat bread," then she proceeded to eat her usual breakfast of Activia fruit yogurt, light granola and a ripe banana. Unbeknownst to her, this breakfast was pretty much all carbohydrates and high in sugar. It dawned on me then that the definition of carbs can be a bit murky for some and sometimes limited to hamburger buns, pasta and cookies. Carbohydrates are so much more than this and today we are going to do a 101 on carbohydrates, which is really important for skinny diabetics and anyone wanting to reduce their overall glycemic load.

The Science

Scientifically a carbohydrate is a compound made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and nutritionally it comes in two forms: simple form as in sugars and complex forms as in starches and fiber. All carbohydrates, with the exception of fiber, get broken down into a simple sugar called glucose in the body. Fiber is an indigestible carb which is why high-fiber foods are especially good for diabetics and moves things along in the large intestine. In essence all carbohydrates are sugars and if you need to reduce your sugar intake, then you must look at your overall carbohydrate intake.

Defining Carbs

As a skinny diabetic, I'm sensitive to all carbohydrates which I only discovered by measuring my blood sugars post meals. Not only do I have to be mindful of the quality of my carbohydrates, but the quantity plays an equally important part in keeping my blood sugars stable and in a healthy range. However, in my experience this advice isn't emphasized enough and what I find are Type 2 diabetics eating wholewheat bread and whole grain cereals with reckless abandon. 

In the beginning of my diabetic journey, my definition of carbs was limited to the usual suspects like cookies, desserts, french fries and anything bread-y. Now when I hear the word carbohydrates the following comes to mind:

• healthy whole grains including gluten-free grains, whole wheat bread & pasta, all breakfast cereals
• starchy beans including black beans, lentils and dips like hummus
• dairy which includes all milks, yogurts especially the non-Greek variety with fruit and anything creamy
• root vegetables especially when cooked like carrots
• all fruit
• any processed food claiming health or marketed as low-fat, fat-free, low-sugar or sugar-free

If you're a skinny diabetic or have blood sugar issues, then you've got to be careful with even the healthiest of carbohydrates as I've listed above. My doc told me to get a blood glucose meter and to learn how my body reacts to various carbs and portions and I recommend the same to you. Also as a rule of thumb always eat your carbs with healthy fats and/or protein and limit your servings. My doctor said a serving size of starchy carbs is 1/2 cup, but I find this challenging and tend to overeat. In general I swap out carbs for non-starchy vegetables which are low-carb and high in fiber.

It's now been three years since being diagnosed as pre-diabetic and it's taken this long to finally get where I am in terms of understanding it all and managing my blood sugars. Am I perfect? No. Have I reversed my diabetes? No, but I'm much better at being consistent and accepting what is. Next I'll talk about various ways you can approach a low-carb diet, but I'll wrap this up with some advice. One of the first things my doctor said to me was that if I focused on the foods I couldn't eat, I would lose. Instead focus on all the wonderful foods that you can enjoy and in recent months, this really has sunken in. 

Leaving Veganism Behind

It's been 8 weeks since I transitioned from a high-carb vegan diet to a low-carb pescatarian diet and there's definitely been some changes. The biggest differences have been in my skin and hair. The eczema is still present but it has calmed down, however a lot of people have said that I have more color in my face. Hub and Mom said that I looked like a pale vegetarian and since changing my diet my face looks much healthier. I'm thinking this was down to my iron levels. First I should say that I'm a carrier of this genetic disorder called thalassemia, which makes me mildly anemic. So cutting out all animal products probably didn't do wonders for my iron coupled with the fact that I was shit about eating dark leafy greens like spinach, which are rich vegan iron sources. Hence my former blanched complexion. Who knew, hey?

march on a vegan diet

today on pescatarin diet (same room, same light)

My hair has really changed since I started eating fish and eggs daily. When I transitioned into eating more of a vegan diet, I didn't notice any of the changes in my hair. It seemed healthy to me if anything maybe a little dry. I could get away with not shampooing for a like a week, which I thought was convenient. Since July my hair has become much thicker and shinier and feels so different. Also after two days it becomes oily and needs a wash. Before my hair used to grow so slow, but now it's going through a growth spurt. This article explains the importance of dietary protein in healthy hair and how animal proteins are more easily absorbed by the body. As a wannabe vegan I was fully aware of how little protein I ate. I wasn't keen on the vegan sources available here in Rio and beans are one of most important sources of protein in a vegan diet, but I can't love them as a staple food.

My weight hasn't really changed but I've become more lean, especially around my belly. I'm not sure if I've lost body fat, but I do think I've lost excess water weight. What I've discovered in my low-carb research is that you lose water weight when you cut out starches and sugars and it's kind of awesome. The only thing I need to work on is upping my water intake in lieu of this.

march on a vegan diet

july 13th two weeks in on low-carb

Has it been easy? No, especially when I'm at work and have easy access to french fries, fresh baked sourdough bread and butter chocolate cookies. So yes, there have been moments where I've strayed from my healthy eating plan and I hate it when that happens. I am, however, becoming more aware of just how insulin resistant I am. I'm working through those uncomfortable moments where I just have to keep telling myself "no, Lisa" and I'm checking my blood sugar after every meal, which is really helpful.

It's been interesting reading up on the literature that supports low-carb lifestyle for treating Type 2 diabetes and it's gotten me to question my brief dip into veganism. I've taken comfort in the fact that I'm not alone in the mistakes I've made with my health. And it's about the journey, not the destination right? I look forward to sharing my thoughts and confusion with you all.

Love,
L 

(Salad above is my current lunch favorite - 1/2 canned tuna in oil (dolphin-safe/friend of the sea), 2 cups lettuce, 1 cup celery leaves, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 cup of raw walnuts, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar. SEriously yum.)

In the Kitchen: Strawberry, Mint & Collard Greens

My new health plans says to have one green juice or green smoothie daily and I've been a bit shit about this one. The first two weeks I was all gung ho, downing semi-tasty smoothies in the morning and and then I got lazy. I'm now back on track and I WILL have green smoothies for breakfast moving forward. There's something positive and motivating in statements like "I will" as oppose to "I'll try." It yields better results and eventually I'll become one of those moody bitches if I don't get my green juice. That's my goal!

Dark leafy greens are at the top of the list of alkalizing foods, which is perhaps why they are the most potent superfood. However, we're terrible about eating volumes that pack a punch on a daily basis and this was definitely a weak area for me. Leafy greens are dull on their own, they require a good rinse plus pat dry, and they go off quickly! The great thing about green smoothies is the convenience, I like that I can just wash the leaves and whack them straight into my bullet blender. Plus the added fiber from the intact greens, as oppose to extracted juice, is great for colon health. 

I've been playing around with lots of different greens, herbs and fruit and finally found a low-sugar smoothie that I actually look forward to. Makes one meal serving or two snacks.

Ingredients

2 large raw collard green leaves • 500ml unsweetened natural coconut water • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves • 1/3 raw cucumber, chopped • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries • 2 tbsp flaxseeds • 1 tbsp organic coconut oil

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. The frozen strawberries with fresh mint are so refreshing and the coconut water is hydrating because it contains electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Since eating low-carb, I've been adding more fats into my diet like healthy coconut oil. Sometimes I'll eat a tablespoon straight or add it my smoothies like this one. It's absolutely delicious especially when you get a little chunk! The flaxseeds add a boost of omega-3 fats and fiber, which comes in handy with low-carb health plans. 

Strawberry, mint & collard greens is a bit high in natural sugars, but I like to have it as a breakfast/pre-workout meal because of the carbohydrates. With diabetes I have to be mindful not only of the quality of my carbs and the amount, but timing as well. When exercising it's good to have carbs before and after your workout, so the sugars from the coconut water and strawberries actually help me build muscle. Yes!

Nutritional Breakdown
Calories 376 • Carbs 45g • Dietary Fiber 9g • Protein 6g • Fat 21g 

Sweeet Tropical Chia Seed Pudding

Last week I introduced the low-sugar diet the doc put me on in order to kick my diabetes' ass and I've been experimenting with new breakfast ideas, because my go-to for the past year has either been epic fruit salads or fruit smoothies. Now I'm only allowed to have one fruit serving per day and that does not a breakfast make.

Lately I've been alternating all-vegetable green smoothies with chia seed pudding and it's becoming a breakfast staple. We've all heard how wonderful chia seeds are, but what I was surprised to learn is that these little guys are filled with 2x more protein than most grains and 5x more calcium than milk, they have 8x more Omega-3 fatty acids than salmon and if prepared properly, the high fiber content will make you poop!

So here's what I've been making as of late, a sweeet tropical chia seed pudding that's gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan. Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup chia seeds • 1 cup of unsweetened cashew milk • 2 cups of water • 2 tbs of unsweetened coconut flakes • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 tbs raw almonds slivers •  1 diced kiwi fruit

Combine the cashew milk and water in a storage container and stir in the seeds. I used cashew milk because it's gluten-free, unsweetened and low-carb, but any unsweetened nut or coconut milk would be awesome in this recipe. Avoid rice, oat or soy milks if you are on a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet like me. Once the chia seeds are in they will sink and clump together so stir them continuously for a few minutes until they break up and float around evenly. Mix in the coconut flakes and vanilla extract. From here you can either store the chia pudding overnight or wait 15 minutes for the little seeds to get all jelly-like and pudding up. Pour half of your pudding into a pretty bowl, top with almonds and kiwi and voila! 

I'm really enjoying this pudding and the creamy cashew milk and vanilla extract add a hint of natural sweetness. The tart kiwi worked really well, but any low-glycemic fruits will work great. 

Nutritional breakdown per serving

Calories 427 • Carbs 35g • Dietary Fiber 20g • Protein 16g • Fat 32g

Gettin' over the Hump

I have some good news, my blood sugar levels are down! I took an HbA1c test, which measures sugar levels over the past three months, and I'm now borderline pre-diabetic/normal. Hub and I have adopted a much healthier lifestyle in Rio, but the biggest change I've made personally is eating a low-fat, but high-carb diet. Crazy right? Around May I started eating more fruits, brown rice, pasta, potatoes and beans and less nuts, cheese, yogurt and seafood. It worked and the proof is in the HbA1c pudding. 

I was inspired by Dr. Neal Barnard and Freelee the Banana Girl's abs, but I had to overcome my fear of carbs. My doc told me to watch my carb intake and the Internet says carbs makes you fat! Especially of late, there's all these new studies about how high fatty foods like steak and cheese are good for you and we should cut down on carbs. This is a problem because we're afraid to eat carbs, even the healthy kind! Sometimes I feel so confused, but I've found these links to be helpful in separating the truth from the noise. 

Dr. Neal Barnard highlights flaws in a recent study that claims low-carb is better than low-fat.  

Did you know that the rapid initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet is mostly water, not body fat?

Love Kris Carr's breakdown on sugar and her best, better and worst sugar chart

Freelee talks Type 2 Diabetes

(Picture from our first trip to Sardinia. I was eating low-carb before our trip and don't I look skeptical of my own home cooked pasta?)