Help! Just Been Diagnosed Diabetic

[PrincessJasmine66]

The doc has just told me I'm diabetic & has put me on a strict low sugar diet, well on our next trip I was going to eat my way through all those lovely desserts, cakes & pastries that I missed last time. My question is & yes it is probably stupid, but does Disney cater for people like me - are there any nice desserts/cakes with no sugar added?

 

[LindaR]

Please don't take this the wrong way......but whether your diabetes is caused by being overweight (type II) or its type I, indulging in desserts, whether sugar free or not, is NOT something you should be doing!

You really need to stick with your recommended diet.....for your health!

 

[LindaR]

By that, I mean you should focus on eating healthy meals and controlling your blood sugar. Desserts....for ANYONE....whether diabetic or not....should be rare, not daily things.

 

[jacky b]

I would talk to your doctor or a dietician and see what they recommend.

 

[hildarumpole]

The TS restaurants offer sugar-free desserts. They are typically a sorbet with fruit or a fruit salad. Some places might offer something a little better, like a sugar-free cheesecake or mousse. If you contact specialdiets@disneyworld.com, they should be able to offer you more info on what is available. You can also have them note your dietary restrictions and requests on your ADRs and give they'll you phone numbers to the chefs if you want to discuss your options in advance of dining.

 

[BebopBaloo]

One of the things I love best about eating at Disney is how they are very willing to cater to different dietary needs. I am lactose intolerant and have met many wonderful chefs and cm's. You can have a note made on your ADRs and each counter service restaurant is equipped with a notebook that lists the ingredients for everything on the menu.

 

[FigmentFinder]

Every restaurant has a no sugar added dessert on the menu. However the carb count on SF desserts can be almost as high as a regular dessert and I doubt they taste as good.

 

[PrincessJasmine66]

The TS restaurants offer sugar-free desserts. They are typically a sorbet with fruit or a fruit salad. Some places might offer something a little better, like a sugar-free cheesecake or mousse. If you contact specialdiets@disneyworld.com, they should be able to offer you more info on what is available. You can also have them note your dietary restrictions and requests on your ADRs and give they'll you phone numbers to the chefs if you want to discuss your options in advance of dining.

Thanks for that, I'll certainly make a point of doing that when we're making our ressies.

 

[Sadie22]

I have Type II. Type II does not always go along with being overweight, although it does in my case. Having it can make it harder to lose weight.

Please, if your doctor has not prescribed diabetes education with a team that includes a nutritionist, ask for that and go. Some doctors do not know this is available. It should be covered by insurance. Many doctors only had a part of a class in med school, whenever that was. There is new research all the time and the recommendations change as time goes by. Diabetes educators and nutritionists can help you learn how to incorporate your favorite foods into a diet plan that will work for you. Nothing is forbidden but you need to learn what healthy portions, proportions and combinations are, so you can live a long life, be well and not feel deprived.

You cannot count on the staff at WDW to know what's best for you. Some so-called sugarfree foods have as many carbs and as much fat as the regular version. It's the carb count you most need to learn to balance (although protein and fat is important also). A good carb-counting book is good. I use Calorie King software on my computer to help plan my diet.

I know that a Disney-sized portion of dessert will cause me to actually feel unwell, but I can work a sufficient amount of dessert into my meal plan that I will be satisfied. I will be sharing meals and desserts with my husband, and at the times when he is at his convention I will probably order counter service children's entree portions with grapes and carrot sticks.

As for the sugar free foods, some taste okay, some not so much, and some have so much sugar alcohol they give gastrointestinal problems. For me, I usually prefer a small portion of the real thing.

 

[MulanUSAF]

I was also recently diagnosed as diabetic. I don't think you should go all out and eat every dessert that you missed last time. Instead, pick one or two that you would like to try the most, and share it with someone. Split the cake/mousse/pastry before you dig in, and that way you get to try it without going overboard. Also, don't forget to limit your carbohydrates as well. So if you plan on eating dessert, load up on salads and lean proteins instead of breads and potatoes.

Just think of it this way, there is no dessert out there that is worth nerve damage, blindness, foot amputation or any other complications that result from high blood glucose.

 

[LindaR]

I hope my post was not offensive. Let me explain.....


My ex was diagnosed with diabetes in his early twenties (he was very skinny) so this was Type I. He refused to make dietary changes and MANAGE his disease. He adjusted his insulin and continued to eat all the wrong things. He is now 47 years old. Will soon NOT be able to drive because he is losing his vision, liver is dying, will have to start dialysis soon - kidneys failing, and has had numerous strokes......all because he was angry that this "happened" to him and he refused to make the necessary adjustments to manage this. Sweets are his "weakness."

 

[PrincessJasmine66]

I would talk to your doctor or a dietician and see what they recommend.

Thanks, I'll definitely get some advice.

One of the things I love best about eating at Disney is how they are very willing to cater to different dietary needs. I am lactose intolerant and have met many wonderful chefs and cm's. You can have a note made on your ADRs and each counter service restaurant is equipped with a notebook that lists the ingredients for everything on the menu.

Great tip, thanks a million

Every restaurant has a no sugar added dessert on the menu. However the carb count on SF desserts can be almost as high as a regular dessert and I doubt they taste as good.

Thats the problem with most food that is classed as 'diet' - it never tastes as good, if its low sugar its usually high in fat & if low in fat its high in sugar - you can't win. Appeciate your imput, thanks

 

[Sadie22]

I hope my post was not offensive. Let me explain.....


My ex was diagnosed with diabetes in his early twenties (he was very skinny) so this was Type I. He refused to make dietary changes and MANAGE his disease. He adjusted his insulin and continued to eat all the wrong things. He is now 47 years old. Will soon NOT be able to drive because he is losing his vision, liver is dying, will have to start dialysis soon - kidneys failing, and has had numerous strokes......all because he was angry that this "happened" to him and he refused to make the necessary adjustments to manage this. Sweets are his "weakness."

LindaR, I'm sure we're all sorry this happened to your husband and you. Now we see where you're coming from. I just didn't want the OP to think that desserts are never again to be enjoyed.

Sweets are a weakness to everyone, I think, and it often doesn't seem fair that we can't all eat whatever we want whenever we want in unlimited quantities. The advertisements and the availability of fast food treats certainly don't help. I became addicted to cola beverages as a young adult and continued to gain weight with each child which I did not lose afterward. Although I was told when I developed gestational diabetes with my second child that I was at increased risk of developing diabetes by Age 40, no doctor said you WILL develop Type II diabetes if you do not lose weight NOW. TODAY. And this is how you should eat, etc.

Even my elderly mother, who was diagnosed with Type 2 in her 80s, was simply told to "watch your sugar and avoid carrots and potatoes." Today at 93 she will not drink fruit juice at all. I did not learn about carb counting until I met with the diabetes educators after my diagnosis.

 

[PrincessJasmine66]

LindaR, I'm sure we're all sorry this happened to your husband and you. Now we see where you're coming from. I just didn't want the OP to think that desserts are never again to be enjoyed.

Sweets are a weakness to everyone, I think, and it often doesn't seem fair that we can't all eat whatever we want whenever we want in unlimited quantities. The advertisements and the availability of fast food treats certainly don't help. I became addicted to cola beverages as a young adult and continued to gain weight with each child which I did not lose afterward. Although I was told when I developed gestational diabetes with my second child that I was at increased risk of developing diabetes by Age 40, no doctor said you WILL develop Type II diabetes if you do not lose weight NOW. TODAY. And this is how you should eat, etc.

Even my elderly mother, who was diagnosed with Type 2 in her 80s, was simply told to "watch your sugar and avoid carrots and potatoes." Today at 93 she will not drink fruit juice at all. I did not learn about carb counting until I met with the diabetes educators after my diagnosis.

Thanks Sadie22, I too had gestational diabetes which went away after giving birth to my third child - my doctor also said there was a chance it would come back at a later stage, that was in 2001. I take my health really seriously & intend to follow fully the advice & diet my doc prescribes but, like you, will probably allow myself a dessert or two to share with my other half, the key is not to go overboard.

 

[PrincessJasmine66]

I was also recently diagnosed as diabetic. I don't think you should go all out and eat every dessert that you missed last time. Instead, pick one or two that you would like to try the most, and share it with someone. Split the cake/mousse/pastry before you dig in, and that way you get to try it without going overboard. Also, don't forget to limit your carbohydrates as well. So if you plan on eating dessert, load up on salads and lean proteins instead of breads and potatoes.

Just think of it this way, there is no dessert out there that is worth nerve damage, blindness, foot amputation or any other complications that result from high blood glucose.

I'll probably share 1 or 2 desserts with my other half - we did that last trip, believe it or not I really only do desserts when on hols.

 

[platamama]

I was diagnosed in my late twenties, and no you do NOT have to be overweight to have Type II as I found out.

I don't know if your doctor is a FP or an endocrinologist but I'd strongly recommend you see an endocrinologist who has a special interest in or specializes strictly in diabetics. I've not been impressed with family doctors regarding diabetic care, they are not up to date probably because there is just too much information for a FP to know it all in addition to everything else they need to know. For example, if that's all the Dr. said is that you need to eat a low sugar diet forever - well, 1) not helpful, 2) not specific, but may be all they know to say about diabetes...lame-o. Did the Dr. have you start doing blood glucose testing at home? This is CRITICAL! Meeting with a certified diabetes educator (CDE) also VERY HELPFUL in the beginning. And it's a great idea to meet with a dietitian as well depending on how well versed you are about nutrition.

Walking around WDW and being active is going to help tremendously with your blood sugar levels on your trip (well, in your daily life as well); I'd think small amounts of the real sugar desserts will not really be an issue - as long as you can keep control of yourself.

Glycemic index of food is important too. White rice - you might as well inject sugar into your veins (which is a serious bummer for me). Carrots - no problem, you'd have to eat several pounds of the stuff at once to make much of a difference.

If your Dr. didn't tell you to start blood glucose testing at home, then shame on them (personally I'd consider it malpractice); it is the single most important tool you have in managing your blood sugar levels. It's not like you can feel when your blood sugar is high (well, unless it's so high you need to be hospitalized). Your Dr. should be able to write scripts for all the diabetes supplies so that your insurance can cover the bulk of the cost because it is expensive. Did you get an A1C run? Ideally it is below 6 but below 7 is ok. Diabetes is a chronic disease, i.e. you will never get rid of it, but you can manage it. And if you're jealous of others who can eat everything they want - well, I feel your pain.

 

[Sadie22]

Maybe I should note that I lurked on these boards while planning my last trip in 2004 -- but it was the newly-diagnosed diabetics who posted asking for meal advice recently who convinced me to join and start posting.

It is important to note that your mileage will vary with any food. Using a glucometer to test your own blood glucose before meals, one and two hours after meals to see how certain foods and food combinations affect you can be very important. At first I tested a lot, not so much now two and a half years after diagnosis. My diabetes educator suggested focusing on testing before or after different meals on different days of the week. She gave me a suggested schedule to follow. Rice alone raises my glucose, rice as part of a meal not so much, and so on. Sugar substitutes may be okay for some but affect others the same as any sugar, so that's another reason not to just go for all sugarfree. We're all different in how we respond to various things.

My meter allows me to test other places than on my fingertips, which in fact I never use as testing sites since I type so much. It does not hurt. When the nurse at my OB's office tested me nearly 25 years ago, that hurt.

 

[PrincessJasmine66]

Thanks for all your comments/tips, its really put things in perspective for me.

Dee