POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Nutrition & HIV => Topic started by: Falkore on July 16, 2006, 11:00:54 pm
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I need advise. I am HIV + (duh) and my boyfriend is diabetic. I am currently about 20 lbs under my ideal weight and he has high blood sugar issues. How do we combine our different dietary needs to where we both get the nutrition we need without creating problems for the other? I know that a diet high in starches will help me to increase my weight, but they are harmful to his dibeties. The low sugar diet needs to be on may not help my weight gain.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Falkore
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Hi Falkore. Don't share food - just kidding
One thing for your boyfriend which might be worth researching is agar agar, a taste-free jello that you can find in a lot of east Asian supermarkets. It's also called kanten. It will fill him up. People are getting excited o how it helps a lot of people with cholesterol, glucose and (over)weight issues. Google kanten and glucose. Since you're currently underweight, you need to stay faaaaaaar away from agar agar/kanten
Wishing you guys the best
Alex
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Falkore,
I know your dietritianist would have loads of information for you on this topic. Definitely take it up with her next time you see her.
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Does your boyfriend require insulin injections or does he have Type 2 Diabetes?
I can’t speak about the former, but I here is some advice from personal experience.
I manage Type 2 Diabetes with a diet based on plant foods, elimination of animal fats, (butter, cheeses, egg yolk), no red meat, and I exercise. I bicycle everywhere and practice yoga. I have asthma so I can’t do aerobics. Yoga is excellent. I do it a lot, some asanas everyday and 4 classes a week. I no longer need meds for my Diabetes.
I limit animal products—severely. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
I read labels carefully. For instance, I avoid additives like cornstarch in yoghurt. It’s better to have 1% yoghurt than Fat Free with whey concentrate that doubles the cholesterol.
I reversed wasting with 3 months of Human Growth Hormone therapy.
I avoid fried foods. Eating in restaurants is problematic because you never really know just what it is you’re eating.
A potato has about 100 calories. With butter and sour cream that potato triples in caloric value but you’re hunger won’t be three times more satisfied. Better to eat three baked potatoes. Carry baked potaoes with you so that when you are hungry you'll have that available instead of ducking into a fast food outlet. You can develop an appreciation for plain food without ketchup or garbage spread all over it.
Eat when you’re hungry rather than at “mealtime”. Grazing is better.
Fish and chicken baked or poached; cooked with little if any vegetable oil will provide protein and can be dressed up to taste great with dijon mustard or lemon and liberal use of herbs like basil, tarragon, Italian or Provencal.
Zaatar is also a delicious flavour boost, so is balsamic vinegar.
I usually cut up a tomato or two with garlic in my fish or chicken dishes to keep them colorful, flavourful, moist and nutritious. Add water if the dish starts to dry out. Covered cooking will steam the food and keep nutrients and moisture in.
Bragg is a great substitute for salt. I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Health food store).
Almonds are great for calcium and fibre. I usually buy a pound and bake them for 18 minutes at 350 degrees. I snack on them all day. I roast sunflower seeds too, but they take less time to bake.
Homemade humus and other beans and seeds are great for protein too.
Do read Nathan Pritikin. His recommendations can serve you all your life.
If you analyze most successful diets will find a remarkable similarity to his philosophy in them.
Bon appetite.
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Fakore, go to gym or swim or sommat n drink some protein shakes.... and eat a nice home-cooked gourmet healthy dieat with your man (with candles, every night) ;)
- matt
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Yeah, eat everything in sight while away from him, all the "right" stuff when with him. Link to a previous thread on gaining weight (muscle mass rather than fat) and working out.
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=931.0
Jay
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I think a diet of mainly whole grains, brown rice, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables would be very helpful. Just as Aphaun mentioned, research shows that a diet such as this is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes. You can check out information and recipes here- http://www.pcrm.org/health
Nuts are good (avoid all the salt though) for calories and protein, without cholesterol (cholesterol is not in plant based foods, only animal products.)