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Diabetes, chronic back pain - healthy eating advice

cher77

Hi all along with chronic back pain with discs pain in hips ect Ive recently been diagnosed with diabetes high blood pressure high cholesterol bit overweight as i can't excersise so any advice on diets healthy eating ect would be much appreciated thanks x

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Pippa_Alumni

Hi @cher77, hopefully our diet and nutrition advisor will be in touch soon with some guidance for you!

Sam_Alumni

@KirstenNutritionAdvisor can you help?

cher77

Thanks @Sam_Scope thanks @PippaScope x

Sam_Alumni

Hi @cher77

Im sorry you havent had a response to this yet, I found this information about healthy eating with diabetes on the Diabetes UK website, there is lots of great support on their so it would be good to take a look. They say:

1. Eat regular meals
Space your meals evenly throughout the day, and make sure everyone has breakfast.

2. Keep an eye on portion sizes
Be mindful of your overall portion sizes of your food. If you are trying to lose weight, you may need to adjust them.

Try using smaller plates.

For main meals, dish out your vegetables first and let this fill up your plate.

Separate the different foods on the plate rather than piling them on each other.

Resist the temptation for a second helping; have a glass of water first.

3. Carbs count
Include carbohydrates in the food you eat each day. Healthier sources include wholegrain starchy foods, fruits and vegetables, pulses and some dairy foods. As all carbohydrates affects blood glucose levels, be conscious of the amounts you eat.

4. Cut the fat
Everyone needs some fat as part of a healthy diet. But, cut back on saturated fats, which are found in foods that are made of animal products like butter and cheese, red and processed meats, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee, and cakes and pastries.

5. Get your five a day
Aim for at least five portions of fruit and veg a day, so that you and your family get the range of vitamins, minerals and fibre you need to eat well. Choose seasonal produce to cut costs.

6. Cut back on salt
Too much salt is associated with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of diabetes complications. Adults should have no more than 1 teaspoon (6g) of salt per day, while children have even lower targets. Most of the salt we eat comes from processed foods so cut back on these and try to cook from scratch, flavouring your food with herbs and spices instead. It is always a good idea to read labels and choose lower salt options whenever possible.

7. Dish up the fish
All types of fish are good sources of protein, and oily fish is particularly good, as it's rich in omega-3 (polyunsaturated fat), which protects against heart disease. Fresh, frozen or canned are all good – choose canned fish in spring water, and look out for added salt.Avoid fried fish, or, if you do have it, remove the batter. Aim to eat two portions of oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines or salmon, every week.

8. Eat more beans
Beans, lentils and pulses are low in fat, high in fibre, cheap to buy and packed with nutrients. They don’t have a big impact on blood glucose and may help to control blood fats such as cholesterol. Try kidney beans, chickpeas, green lentils, and even baked beans, hot in soups and casseroles, cold in salads, in baked falafel, bean burgers and low-fat hummus and dhals.

9. What about sugar?
Even with diabetes, you can include some sugar in foods and baking. The trick is not to overdo it, by keeping sugary foods and drinks for an occasional treat, and finding alternatives where you can. Try using artificial sweeteners when sweetening food and drinks at home.

10. Hydrate
We all need to stay hydrated by drinking 8–10 glasses of fluid per day. Water is best, but milk, tea and coffee, herbal teas and some foods, particularly fruit and veg, all contribute to this total.You don’t have to cut out alcohol and sugary drinks altogether – just keep an eye on what you’re drinking and how much.

Sam_Alumni

There is some NHS info on exercise and back pain here too.

cher77

Thanks very much @Sam_Scope

Sam_Alumni

No problem @cher77
Best of luck!

Babycham

cher77 said:

Hi all along with chronic back pain with discs pain in hips ect Ive recently been diagnosed with diabetes high blood pressure high cholesterol bit overweight as i can't excersise so any advice on diets healthy eating ect would be much appreciated thanks x

I am on the border Line of being a Diabetic and I need to loos weight too and I suffer with back pain to

MaddieB

Hi I am so fed up fighting the weight battle, I suffer from bulging disc,Fibromyalgia
Sciatica and Carpal tunnel in both hands .Today my doctor took my blood pressure extremly high so another thing to add oh plus they reckon pre diabetic too. Medication increases my appetite sorry just ranting so fed up with it all .

KirstenNutritionAdvisor

I'm so sorry I've only just seen this, no idea how I've missed it.
The good news is the things that will help you reduce your blood pressure will also help you lose excess body fat and could help you if you are prediabetic.

What if instead of looking for the best diet to go on to lose the most weight in the fastest time possible you committed to nourishing your body with foods that fuel your mind, body and soul?
Instead of looking for the lowest calorie snack you picked the whole food that was rich in colour, vitamins and nutrients?
What if instead of fearing fat you became friends with it and feed your mind all the goodness that it need to spark your metabolic rate and balance your hormones when you eat avocados and oily fish etc?
What if you threw away man made spreads and embraced the nourishment that comes from real butter.

These are just some of the things we can do every day to get back to the health that help us fuel our soul.

Healthy habits don't have to be time consuming they don't have to be complicated. But start - start today have one less sugar in your coffee this morning have one less cup tomorrow, swap the air popped low fat crisps for some unsalted raw deliciously nourishing nuts.

eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner add in healthy snacks.
drink enough water you can tell this by the colour of your urine it should be a pale light yellow.
If you want more specific advice or ideas please let me know what you like done like and I will find some more information and post it tomorrow regarding blood pressure, weight loss and prediabeties

MaddieB

Thank you I would really appreciate any advice as this weight gain is adding to my already depressed state of mind . Doctor is referring me to Biatric department for weight loss not sure if I MEET criteria I am 16 and half stone .

KirstenNutritionAdvisor

It would be really helpful to know what your current diet is like to be able to give you practical swaps and small changes that are realistic x