This morning we ran an article on Diabetes News Hound about a new phone application and online database designed to help people with diabetes find restaurants that have "diabetic friendly" menu items. You can read it here: A New Way to Find Diabetic-Friendly Dining
It got me to wondering what types of foods and places everyone on here likes to go out to eat but also that has food that won't pose a problem when managing sugars?
I'm sorry to be negative, but I'm getting a little annoyed with your recent headline posts. What does that mean ... "pose a problem when managing sugars"? I think you may be confused b/c this seems to apply to T2. For T1, it all depends on your ability to guess the carbs (and fat) involved. So, I guess chain restaurants who post their nutritional info online could be counted as T1 friendly b/c it allows you to carb count. The problem is that most chain restaurants are totally unhealthy for anyone. You could avoid eating all the carbs served no matter where you go OR take more insulin...
I'm sorry if I'm being grumpy. But, I think you need to know that T1 is different from T2 b/c we use insulin & carb counting rather than eating low carb (although some T1's choose to) to control blood sugars. Many of us are fighting to dispel old stereotypes that T1's can't eat out, can't eat sweets, etc. now that medical management has changed. You should post articles relating to T1 here or find other forums relating to T2. THANKS!!
Sarah... agreed. I took some time to look through the Diabetes News Hound website, and it appears to pertain to both T1 and T2. However, as the Juvenation logo tellingly shows, this tends to be "a Type 1 diabetes community". I appreciate DNH wanting to share information and start discussions; however, it would be great if they were more geared to the audience (Juvenation) one would be reaching here.
Sarah,
I respectfully disagree with you and am quite honestly surprised at the tone of your note.
I have Type 1.5 diabetes, which, as you may know, shares most of the same characteristics as Type 1. For all intents and purposes I consider myself a Type 1. My parents are both Type 2s, so I have a very firm grasp on the differences as well as some of the things that people with both types have in common, such as the need to monitor the food we eat.
The reason I posted this specific article is because it provides nutritional information for restaurants to help people, especially people on the go, gain access to info in order to make better decisions. This specific product that was released is geared to Type 2s only because the guy who invented it is Type 2 and only knows about Type 2s. However, I checked it out and thought the info may also be useful to people with Type 1. Type 1.5, Pre Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes. While its true that most fast food restaurants sell unhealthy food, not all chain restaurants are fast food restaurants.
And, if you read the post, I simply asked what are people's favorite "Diabetes friendly" restaurants? News is all about localizing it for a specific audience. I thought I had done that. If you read the article, you would notice I clearly stated that while it is marketed to people with Type 2, it may be useful to people with other forms of the disease because it contains nutritional information about food on the different menus. Honestly, I don't see the problem with it and think some people in this forum may see the value in a free application like this.
As for your comment about "sugars," don't you think you are being a little picky? Carbs do eventually turn to sugars and managing blood sugar levels is a part of everyday life for for me and most people with Type 1 diabetes. While it is true that carbs are the bigger danger, just because we can doesn't mean we should eat foods high in sugar on a regular basis. You may be aware of the alarming trend of people with Type 1 diabetes also becoming "insulin resistant" because they are using so much insulin to compensate for a poor diet.
You know, I am always open to receiving feedback and listening to the opinions of others, but I was a bit put off by your note. I started a free news service for people with diabetes to help them stay on top of the news without having to dedicate much time to screening all the different publications. Yes, I report on news about all types of diabetes but generally only post news relevant to Type 1 here. I generally make 3 posts a week in this forum and am trying to do some good;. This post wasn't a perfect fit, but I thought some people would find it interesting.
And, you always have the option of ignoring posts that you do not like.
--Chris
Part of the issue with relevance may lie in the vague wording of the post. I don't really consider any particular kind of food better or worse for diabetes. I do agree that some foods are better for individuals than others though. I find that being vegan creates a lot of difficulties for me, but I never felt that my options were limited by diabetes. Back when I was on multiple shots and using Regular or 70/30 maybe, but not now. Perhaps clarifying what the article on DNH is about and how it pertains to T1 in the future would be helpful.
Eric,
I appreciate the suggestion and will try and be more descriptive in the posts.
--Chris
I have found that Charlie Browns Steakhouse is diabetic friendly, even though they don't post nutritional facts. I usually order some type of protein, and then for my side, I go up to the salad bar and eye up a cup of quinoa or barley or buckwheat. I think CB is only in NJ PA and NY though, but any restaurant that has an extensive salad bar sometimes has some sort of healthy grain up there if you're trying to be healthy and accurate. I have even brought a measuring cup with me to some places!
D-News Hound,Could you tell me a little about Type 1.5 ? How did they discover you had it-What d care is needed for it ? Will it one day turn into type1 or 2 ? Sorry if this turns your post ...
I do find there are 'diabetic friendly' restaurants, in that some restaurants provde CHO counts. for those places, i am thankful because i don't have to make any guesswork. while i don't necessarily alter what i'm ordering because of CHO counts, i like having the ability to be exact as opposed to being "close." in addition to diabetes, i look out for 'celiac friendly' restaurants because i have food restrictions.
for both d-friendly and c-friendly restaurants, i've noticed our local restaurants are best. el patio (one of my favorites) is a little mexican restaurant close to downtown that i love. although i have also started to notice that more and more chains are coming out with nutrition and allergy information. makes me happy :o)
It's been 7 years since my son was diagnosed and here is what I have learned. The less unprocessed the food is the better you can break it down. Pizza, chinese, mexican are all tough on a Diabetic. However if you eat Whole wheat pizza, brown rice or whole wheat tortillas that can help. Fast food is all bad. Places like California Pizza Kitchen offer great salads. Many chinese restaurants offer brown rice these days. Make sure you order it with out MSG. MSG is high on the glycemic index and that raises your BS as well.
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
Mom's Pizza Bake at home is awesome! You can get whole wheat and gluten free crust.
my mom has been trying to get me started on the glycemic index forever now... thank you for that link, i will do more research for myself