Whilst I want to succeed in my quest to improve my life by good diet and exercise, I’m finding the actual foods rather unappetising as I’ve never been really into Mediterranean vegetables! As a 50’s Baby I was never privileged enough to enjoy anything other than stodge and when introduced to a wider range of foods, I found I didn’t like them! Courgette, Aubergine, Yogurt and Cucumber make me cringe and I’m struggling to find variety and substitute foods in the 8 week blood sugar diet! I can’t hold my nose and swallow forever! Any tips greatly appreciated.🤢

Hi Jenny, and a warm welcome to you! There are many ways to adapt this diet to individual
tastes, and mediterranean vegetables need never be a part of it. Many of us have been
wildly successful with this WOL (way of life) by altering our own recipes (omitting the
carbs, of course). The stodge will have to go, however 🙂 Are you considering the Fast800?
And are doing this to regulate BGL or weight loss? With a little more information, I’m
certain that many suggestions will come your way. There is also a thread called “Good
Eats…) that has wonderful recipes for low carb cooking.
Best of luck to you! I don’t think that holding your nose for 8 weeks is very practical 🙂

Allie

Jenny, Allie is right….you can easily adapt your personal favorites to a lower carb version. Check out the RESOURCES thread on this forum (just added two new website links) for links to great low carb recipe sites.

There are ways to “imitate” your old favorites and if you list a couple I can suggest some alternatives or recipes for you.

Most of us rely on cauliflower mash and cauliflower “rice” to replace the mashed potatoes and rice in our diets. With a few techniques with them they are pretty darn good substitutes. If you are not crazy about vegetables, then finding a version that has a cream sauce or is topped with cheese may be the ticket. Green beans are fairly low carb and are great steamed with a generous amount of butter to top….or they can be stewed with tomatoes and herbs for a more comfort food feel. I also grew up with creamed green beans (starting with stodgy old canned green beans) and love them that way with extra black pepper. What ever your itch is, we can probably find a way to scratch it and keep you satisfied.

I would suggest you get your head around upping your fat intake. It will make the veg more palatable but more importantly it will help kill your hunger and allow you to get your carb intake lower….keys to success.

Best of luck

LTC

Hi LTC and Allie, thanks so much for the tips and advice! My main aims are BSL and trying to prevent any more nasty infections that have plagued me for the last few years and made life so miserable 😖 I’ve always found excuses not to be more proactive about starting to find the real me but I now realise more than ever that my quality of life is very poor and I envy others so much that now I must do all I can to live longer not just for me but others that love me! It’s a mind thing as well as a physical one! I am going to attempt the 8 week plan starting Monday and I’m really hoping that you can help with shopping for the right groceries and what keeps well so I know I have things to hand. My husband has an incredibly sweet tooth but I need to avoid this as much as possible but any ideas on desserts would be great! Love fish and chicken and can manage Halloumi in small doses! I do love veg but not the Mediterranean types too much but I’m ready to change the way I eat! Thanks again for the help x

Don’t try to make yourself eat the things you don’t like (although if you’ve not eaten them for some time it might be worth trying a small amount to see if your tastes have changed). There are so many nice things you can have on the BSD that you don’t have to eat anything you don’t like.

Hi Squidge and thank you! Early days at the moment so just feeling my feet! Everything seems rather complex but I just need to work it all out, get a shopping list and get started. This is a great place for information and I’m sure I can do it. I’m sure I’ll work it all out. Thanks again x

Jenny, its the vegetables that are important …..not where they come from. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts from Germany are just as much part of the concept of a Mediterranean diet. Italian cuisine is not important, so relax. Your safe. You want to eat like they do, not specifically what they eat. Any non-starchy vegetable is perfect.

GOOD FOOD TO EAT (see bottom for foods to avoid):
Meat: Any type: Beef, pork, lamb, game, poultry, etc. Feel free to eat the fat on the meat as well as the skin on the chicken. If possible try to choose organic or grass-fed meats.

Fish and seafood: All kinds: Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or herring are great. Avoid breading.

Eggs: All kinds: Boiled, fried, scrambled, omelets, etc. Preferably organic eggs.

Natural fat, high-fat sauces: Using butter and cream for cooking can make your food taste better and make you feel more satisfied.

Coconut fat or olive oil are also good options.

Vegetables that grow above ground: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, bok choy, spinach, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes etc.

Dairy products: Always select full-fat options like real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, Greek/Turkish yogurt and high-fat cheeses. Be careful with regular milk, reduced fat and skim milk as they contain a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low-fat products.

Nuts: Great for a treat (in moderation) instead of popcorn, candy or chips. Learn more

Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not super strict or sensitive. Great with whipped cream.
Read the nutrition label in the grocery store.

No more than 5% of carbohydrates in any food item is a good rule of thumb.

Drink
Water – Try to make this your drink of choice, flavored or sparkling water is fine too.
Coffee – Black or with small amounts of milk or cream is ideal for weight loss. Beware of adding lots of milk or cream, especially if you drink coffee regularly throughout the day, even when you’re not hungry. But if you are hungry feel free to use full-fat cream.
Tea : yes, but milk is high carb. Try cream or milk alternative such as hemp seed milk, or almond milk
Alcohol: try to avoid or limit. It may stall your progress as it is metabolized first before any other foods. Empty calories.
Dark chocolate: Above 70% cocoa, preferably just a bit.

Avoid these high-carb foods:

Avoid sugary foods on ketoSugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals.

Preferably limit artificial sweeteners as well.

Avoid starchy foods:
Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. Wholegrain products are just less bad. Legumes, such as beans and lentils, are high in carbs. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK (unless you’re eating extremely low carb).
Beer: Liquid bread. Full of rapidly absorbed carbs. But there are a few lower-carb beers
Fruit: Very sweet, lots of sugar. Eat once in a while. Treat fruit as a natural form of candy. Learn more
Watch out:
Be very skeptical of special “low-carb” products, such as pasta or chocolate. Unfortunately these products usually work poorly. They have prevented weight loss for loads of people. They’re commonly full of carbs once you see through the creative marketing.
Also, preferably avoid margarine. It’s industrially produced imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. It has no health benefits and tastes bad. It’s also statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.

Hi Luvtcook
Wow thank you, what an angel you are! Got my shopping list and I’m ready to go! Marvellous and everything I need explained brilliantly! I was thinking of starting Monday! I do have a massive birthday 🎂 dinner with family next weekend but I need to get going and what better time than sunshine and celebration 🎉 I don’t drink anymore and I’ve one more demon to break but I’ve been advised by my consultants to start one thing at a time! Wish me luck, you’ve been really helpful. Jen x

You are so welcome. Happy shopping! You are going to do great.

Enjoy your massive birthday celebration…..just fill up as much as you can on BSD friendly things and limit the rest the best you can. When I hit a special celebration my ultimate goal is to come out neutral…..at least not gain any weight, not eat the deadly things. And start anew the next day if it the birthday celebration ends up not as perfect diet wise as you would have liked. As long as you get back on the wagon, all you have lost is one day. Once you get into this, making good choices gets easier and easier.

Arh thanks for that and I’ll remember your wise words! Done my shop and happy now and easing my way into the diet before the birthday bash and I’m seeing my diabetic nurse who got me into this in the first place! Thank God for her! Thank you again, you’ve been amazing x