College Student Eating-- No Top Ramen for Me!
Prediabetic/T2 and a 2nd year college student. I'm really working on making my eating habits better than they are so my bg levels are a little happier. I do eat pretty well (local, organic, and balanced), but sometimes it's hard late at night or when I'm in a hurry.
I've been reading through these boards and other diabetes websites, but I feel like I need to narrow it down a little or adjust it for my lifestyle. Basically, I understand low carb is good (how many?) and veggies are best. Low protein is ideal and sugar is a NO NO. Otherwise I'm kind of lost. I eat greek yogurt lots and keep juice in the fridge for lows (also life savers in my purse.) I know I eat too many carbs...they're just so easy.
Wow...all that to say, please help!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on -
I thought protein was ok but am not 100% sure? I think the theory is that you have to eat something and protein is easier on one's system than carbs, although 53% of it converts to carbs?
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Permalink Reply by SuFu, Ph.D. on -
Indirectly they can go to glucose, but mainly through liver when there is a lack of other fuel around. The derived glucose is primarily used for the brain and red blood cells. All others tissues (muscle, cardiac, kidney, ect), when resting, prefer using fatty acids as fuel.
I wrote about his a while back.
http://diabeticallymindnumbing.blogspot.com/2011/10/cut-crap-why-do...
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Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on -
I find that having healthy, but convenient choices works best. So I try to keep a supply of veggies and dip/hummus for healthy, low carb snacks, and great alternatives to a bag of chips or crackers !
Lately my favorites have been carrots, sugar snap peas and cut up peppers (red, yellow and orange !). When I have time, I get broccolli or cauliflower and shred/slice them in my food processor, add a bit of dressing and store in the fridge for quick snacks, or to put on top of a bed of salad greens or spinach. I found that preparing stuff on the weekends helps too.
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Permalink Reply by Judith on -
Well, I'm low-carb, but over the years, I have found soooo many ways to substitute that I like it a lot now and my good #s keep me at it. Everything from cookies and breads made with nut flours to individual pizzas made with 4-carb flax pitas that I order online from Joseph's Bakery in MA. Oh and 85% chocolate that is carb neutral from Vivani.
Eat to your meter. Experiment. Then you will find many ways to keep those yummy substitutes always on hand. And maybe even find that some of your buddies will delight in them, too. When I went low-carb, my husband and my sister went along in support. My husband lost 35 lbs and got off his BP med.
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Permalink Reply by Super_sally on -
Eating low carb necessarily means you need to eat more fat and protein. Fat and protein are your friends. :)
Veges ok except starchy ones. Nuts ok for many of us, meats, eggs, full-fat unsweetened dairy.
Best advice is to eat to your meter. That way you work out what works for you.
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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on -
I'm a type 1, but understand the struggle of trying to stay away from those delicious carbs while in college. I was very active and carbs were pushed heavily within the athletic department where I went to school. It was hard because I knew they were bad for my BGs, but who can resist a bagel? Anyway, following are snacks and meals I relied heavily on in college that were easy, fast, and (relatively) satisfying.
- Quick, pre-cut veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) and dip
- Nuts (lots and lots of nuts!)
- Pre-measured trail mix (but watch out for the ones that have a lot of sugar added!)
- Frozen meals - I didn't use these as much in college, but I use them a lot now because they are clearly marked with the carb content. Read labels and you will find that there are a lot of healthy frozen meals available that do not have a lot of carbs.
- Wraps (take a whole wheat tortilla and add lettuce, tomato, mayo and lunch meat of your choice)
- Spaghetti squash (cooked and scraped out, topped with a can of tomatoes and parmesean cheese)In general, you should be able to eat a substantial amount of protein and fat. Just keep those carbs down!! I would say try to stay under 100 grams per day...that's usually my goal. Cheese, yogurt (unsweetened), nuts, veggies, etc are all generally really good.
Also, check out the South Beach recipe book. I've never "done" South Beach, but I have found quite a few good low-carb snack and meal ideas in that book.
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Permalink Reply by Jeannie Wagner on -
Yes, ramen is out but you could eat Shiratake noodles and just add some chicken broth to get a low carb meal. Basically you want to have some low carb items available in your room. Peanut butter or Almond butter, WASA cracers or GG crackers, cheese, nuts, hard boiled eggs and meat are good. If you eat low carb make sure you eat high fat to replace the carbs. You don't need to eat low protein, but moderate protein is good. Do you eat your meals in the dining hall? I would find the lower carb optons like stir frys, hummus, salads, omlettes and plain meat.
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Permalink Reply by Judith on
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Good, Jeannie! And my sweetie has recently found me a delicious dried, instant, organic Miso. Quick to make and delicious with a little added protein of some kind.
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Permalink Reply by SuFu, Ph.D. on
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It's all about balance. There is no such thing as a "bad food." For all intents and purposes everything ends up as one of four things in the gut: glucose, fructose, amino acids or fatty acids. The key to a diet is finding the balance that works for your body and your metabolism. The reason for going for low carb is that is most easily utilized fuel for the body and by far the most direct method for formation of fat in adipocytes. Contrary to popular belief protein can, and is, converted into fat by the body through gluconeogenesis (making of glucose from substrates) by the liver.
So the key is to keep everything in moderation. Will having a bowl of ice cream every once in a while kill you? No. Will having a slice of pizza kill you? No. Will eating a GIANT bowl of ice cream right after eating a whole pizza have detrimental effects, absolutely. The best advice is to keep everything well balanced. Complex carbohydrates, fiber, lean-meat for protein, beans, brightly colored vegetables are always good. Limiting sugar and simple carbs (pasta, white bread, candy) are always a good thing. Anything with high-fructose corn syrup is not good because fructose bypasses the major regulatory point of metablism and prevents cells from uptaking serum glucose because of negative feedback mechanisms.
Hope that helps.
SuFu
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