Hello! I’m new to the BSD format, having followed the recommendation of my Diabetic Nurse at my GP’s surgery earlier this week. As Diabetic T2, that condition is under control via Medications; I have a Cholesterol count of 3.1, am in relatively good health apart from Arthritis in knees and hands, that last point being a limit to serious physical exercise. My weight has been constant at the same level for years, but I need to lose some.

But having purchased the BSD book as part the Nurse’s advice, I’ve started to look through it, and immediately, am wondering where I go from here? I’m faddy with foods; yes, I admit that. I’m a Scot and though I have avoided the Deep Fried Mars Bar syndrome, I tend to eat all the wrong things, mainly by choice, but from other factors. I cannot abide Vegetables & Pulses – hate them with a vengeance, taste wise, so they are out. Due to a medical issue, I have to avoid Spices, Peppers, Garlic and related products including sauces at all costs, otherwise I can become really ill. I don’t drink Teas, Coffee or Alcohol – I’m a poor example of a Scot!

I do eat Meats, Poultry, a little bit of Fish, Eggs and Salad items. Will also have Brown Rice, and limit myself with potatoes, which I do like. but I don’t like Pasta. Some may say it is a bland diet, but it is how I get by. It does mean I avoid a great deal of foreign foods, eg, Indian, Chinese, Far Eastern and other similar cuisines. I’ve been brought up on a typical British diet of Meat and potatoes, salads and so on.

Equally, my job is within Night Management, so I tend to have only two meals a day, namely Breakfast when I awake around 8pm and then my main meal around 3-4am, drinking liquids in-between. My working day is at the opposite side of the Body Clock, or the way that people normally work during the day with defined Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner patterns.

Therefore, has anyone else been in a similar position, particularly with regards to what they have found they CAN eat and still lose weight? My GP’s Nurse has effectively said “you have to adapt or else!”

Firstly Oldiecot63 . . . Hi! Welcome and WOW WOW WOW! How fortunate are you to have a diabetic nurse on boar with this way of eating!!! Many of us here would have LOVED that opportunity 🙂 As you have written . . ,yes . . it may seem like you have obstacles in your way BUT the reward of surmounting, detouring and knocking down those obstacles is well worth it! I too am not fond of vegetables . . . though have found MANY things to include in my extensive menu 🙂 Firstly I researched low carb fruits and veges. MANY/MOST? . . . are listed in the book. I wrote down ONLY THE ONES I LIKE or could tolerate. That became my starting point . . . and I didnt feel deprived nor punished. I also learned a LOT about carbs!! Then came nuts and seeds etc.. Had to be careful BUT there were some. Then I listed appropriate meats, cheeses, and other proteins I LIKE. And thats how I created my menu. Lunch today (in a what I call a “pasta” bowl, consists of kale prepared salad from my supermarket – (approx four serves for me) – baby spinach, feta cubes,tasty shreds, 1/3 avocado, hard-boiled egg, shallot, shaking of chia seeds, oil from the feta drizzled over the top, scattered almonds and walnuts AND A FORK!!! Another day I may have half a block of pate, cold meat, or even toss some prawns in butter with ??? whatever (you) can add . . . and drop them on top. Already on two meals a day I believe will make it simple to start. Cereals and starches are out so bacon and eggs is in. Scrambled egg – mushrooms, mini quiches made in a muffin tin are handy . . . hot or cold . . . (make the crust out of ground beef or line with zucchini or bacon.) Hope this helps for a starting point . . . and please . . . check back in anytime for ALL the topics and headings plus we all share tricks and experiences along with LOADS of VERY Helpful and supportive information. From WoodDuckie who has been doing this since 24 June 2018 – with blood sugar HbA1c of 12.9 – (now 6.4) . . .Welcome aboard!

You say you hate vegetables but do you like soup? It’s amazing how filling it can be and also you can batch cook and freeze. There is a ‘soup’ thread just search in the box above on the right hand side. How about cauliflower mash as a substitute for potatoes. If you add mustard or horseradish for example you won’t even know it’s cauliflower! Again there is a cauliflower recipe thread. Good luck.

Hi Oldiecot63,
You don’t need to follow the recipes in the book if you don’t want to. A lot of us just cook our own menus. WoodDuckie’s idea of starting with the foods you do like is a great one. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and salad are a great start, as is the idea of keeping your food plain and simple – that’s how I eat mostly. What about bacon and eggs? (Remember to count the calories though!) and as Verano says, soup is a good way to go – I have soup for lunch a lot in winter .
To improve your Type II diabetes you want to focus on eating the low-carb foods (carbs convert quickly into sugar in the body) as much as keeping to the 800 calories. As well as meat, fish, eggs, above ground vegetables, you need to include natural fats, like butter; including natural fats help you feel full. Have a look around the diet doctor site. It has some good info on what you can eat https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist.

A lot of us split the 800 cals over 2 meals a day – so it’s do-able within your routine. I started eating BSD (800 cals, low-carb) feeling pretty much as you do. I didn’t like any veg (tinned peas was it) but your tastes really do change as you continue, honestly!

Like WoodDuckie, my hba1c went from nearly 12% to 5.5% in months, and I lost 6 stone. As well as my blood sugars going back into the normal range, my BP improved, my arthritis improved, my skin looks great…… and I don’t miss even any of the foods I used to eat.

Why don’t you try it, stick with it for the 8 weeks, and see how you feel then. Keep posting – there’s lots of support on here.

Jennie

As others have said, meat/fish/poultry/eggs plus salad is a good starting point. You don’t need to use the recipes. I am eating a big salad with a small serve of fish, chicken, eggs or cheese for 3 meals out of 4. I too eat twice a day, so if each meal is 400-500 calories I am still eating a low calorie diet. I put lots of cut up salad veges in a bowl, usually on a base of greens (lettuce, cabbage, baby spinach, rocket etc), often some avocado, the protein food, then a dressing, and maybe some nuts. I either use an oil and vinegar dressing or a creamy dressing I make with yoghurt, a bit of mayo, and lemon juice (so yummy).
Maybe if you list the actual vegetables you can eat, whether raw or cooked, we might be able to give specific ideas of how to make them into a suitable meal?
I think you do need to eat some veges in some form though, but it sounds as though there are some you like in salad form.
A really yummy way to extend your vegetable options, is to roast certain veges in a little olive oil at a high temperature until they are a bit browned. Then add to your salads. Some I like to roast include beetroot, carrot, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, capsicum, pumpkin, eggplant. They taste quite different and more delicious cooked that way,

I couldn’t follow the recipes in the book either because I am a vegetarian and a fussy eater. I used the fatsecret app on my mobile phone to log what I was planning to eat to see what the carb, protein, and fat macros were as well as add up the calories and just went with what I like to eat that is low carb.
I would recommend starting off by aiming for 50g of carbs, and if you are not loosing weight at that level then aim lower. Some people find they need to go under 20g.

Hi TaytoP 🙂 Interesting post and Im going to have a shot at roasting some veges as you mentioned . . . however may I suggest checking the carb content of onions – (TOTAL surprise on that one!) – carrots, beets and pumpkin for quantities! – (applying the rule of below the ground and above the ground . . . while remembering pumpkin is an exception to the rule. Plus broccolini has less carb than broccoli. To discover THAT was a surprise! And therein ends my input if it helps along the way 🙂

Hi TaytoP. Many thanks to you and to all the others who have replied so far, to my original posting.

to be honest, I daresay, it is probably more of a case of changing dietary likes and dislikes over my past 63 years, plus altering what I like versus what is actually good for me, as opposed to what isn’t.

Let’s put one aspect aside. My Diabetic health is actually good; my annual Review at the start of this week was very good, continuing a pattern from the previous two years. My other medical health isn’t in question; an investigation last year into another suspected medical issue, turned out negative, but all major organs were found to be 100% ok, arteries were clear and my BP remains constantly normal. But my weight has been a battle over the years; in 2004, I weighed over 26st, but I’m now at a shade over 15st, and have been for around 3 years. Thus, my GP’s Nurse decided to try this diet plan as a potential weight loss idea.

She did try a GP Referral to Slimming World last year but that failed; I found the continuous weighing out of foods, counting calories and all the other data counting to be so so so tedious; the bullying style of the course leader didn’t help much either and by the time she was removed from being in charge after others complained, I’d had enough.

To answer your question and those of others too, I’ve stated, I hate Vegetables! I mean, items such as Broccoli, Peas, Beans of all types, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Mushrooms, Spinach, Kale, Pumpkin, and pulses, chick peas, hummous are all avoided.

I do like Salad items such as Lettuces, Radish, Cucumbers, Tomatoes (raw – not cooked), Red Onion, Beetroot (raw – not cooked).
I MUST avoid any Spices, Mustard, Ground Pepper or Pepper corns, Whole Peppers, Chillies and similar “hot or spicy” products, all on medical grounds. Therefore, some dressings which can contain some of these items, even in small levels have to be excluded.

I eat Meats and Poultry though try to remove all visible fat as possible or remove skin where applicable. Fish is taken in small quantities, including Tuna. Dressings are simple, usually oil based. I’m not a lover of Soups, except the “old faithful of Heinz Tomato Soup”.

I love bread but gave up on the white varieties ages ago, preferring to concentrate on Granary types. I’m not a Cake of Biscuit fan but will eat on occasion Oat Biscuits with some cheese. For Breakfast, I have an Oat based cereal, but hate Porridge.

I eat a lot of Fruit, mindful though that some are more sugar rich than others, so it is a balancing act of what is good and what isn’t. I stated I don’t drink Tea of Coffee, but like my Soft Drinks; in recent years however, Sugar Free versions have become very good, as have sugar free Squashes and Cordials too. I can take or leave Dairy products; I tend more to use the Benecol type products, but will have Sugar free Yoghurts, and related drinks; Milk, and hard cheeses only. I eat eggs but yolks have to be hard.

I don’t eat Nuts – the old gnashers won’t stand up to them as they used to!

I will adapt some of the recipes I have seen in the book, and will look at what some people have suggested, but tailored to my means. One last point is that whilst I work in a hotel environment and during the night, due to safety constraints here, all Kitchen utllities are on timers overnight for which I cannot override, so my cooking range is a Microwave or my own Steamer Unit; all meats or Fish are steamed each night. So, that tends to limit some options.

I hope all of the above goes some way to what I can and cannot do. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed.

Oldiecot, I don’t want to sound cynical, but you say you have gone from 26st to 15st, hating veg and loving only Heinz Tomato soup. And then the “safety ” limitations on cooking/heating on what you say is a night shift pattern. As you will have seen, there are posters on here who have very real challenges, and day to day troubles which most of us can only imagine bearing a tiny percentage of. I may well have misread your post, but hope you are genuine in joining.

Sixturkeys.

Hello. In response to what you’ve said, maybe I haven’t said what I wanted to correctly.
Yes, I dropped from 26st to 15st in some 14 years, but that was principally through exercise alone, and it was only half way through that period, that I was found to be Diabetic too. But in the past 3-3.5 years, my weight has stayed the same at around the 15st mark; much as I haven’t put it back on to where I was, I cannot shift it downwards either. GP’s over those years have wanted me to get down to around 12st.

Thirty months ago, I was out of work for 8 months, through serious illness. Benefits covered only so much and I lived on the breadline for a while before getting back into work. During that period too, I suffered Mental Health issues too, but got the necessary help to get out of the rut I put myself in; I didn’t eat well, lost me way with Medication regimes and my Diabetes went awry. A year ago, I’d an accident in which I broke my back (now thankfully cleared up), which limited my exercise options but now due to ongoing and slowly worsening medical problems concerning joints in addition to other areas, my exercise limitations are more profound.

Thus, my GP’s Nurse is trying this Diet as an option to see if it will have any affect. But as I looked into it, I saw it was (in my eyes) primarily Vegetable based, and my original posting was to see if others had been in the same situation and how they remedied it? The answers I have received so far suggest that others found the same way as I did, but made suggestions to get around it. In my response posting, I answered some of the questions others had asked of me to give them an insight. I added in about being unable to cook on a conventional format due to work constraints, maybe to assist a positive response in turn.

But to say I love ‘only Heinz Tomato Soup’, is a bit off. Someone asked if I liked Soup as a dietary option, so I responded in turn. If I have one can a month, that is it!.

Thus, my approach to this site is genuine. The end goal is to try to lose weight, at the end of which if achieved, that weight loss will assist my potential exercise resumption as it will mean less impact on joints and ease the associated medical problems.

Does that help you?

Oldiecot, welcome aboard 🙂
I don’t have the same issue as you, I love veggies, but advice I often give to anyone starting is to focus on all of the foods you CAN eat rather than those you can’t. The only food I don’t eat is seafood and that’s because of an allergy, and offal – can’t stand the thought! The only foods you need to avoid are bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and sugar really.
Despite eating most foods, I often don’t cook the meals in the book, just adapt my usual meals to be BSD friendly. I have things like curry with cauliflower rice, or bolognaise with zucchini noodles. Now I know that wouldn’t work for you if you don’t like those veggies, but you could have something like a beef stew just on its own, minus the potatoes of course, or make dumplings with chickpea/Besan flour. Bolognaise sauce is nice with Kojnac noodles – they are only 10 calories per serve, derived from vegetables but not a vegetable as such 🙂
Grilled fish or chicken is something you could make ahead of time and just reheat in the microwave at work, and have that with the salad vegetables you do eat.
Breakfast ideas – how about a Chia bircher/overnight oats recipe – uses oats but different to porridge. Then there’s loads of ways you can have eggs – omelettes are lovely and you could use cheese, smoked salmon etc to flavour them. Breakfast muffins as Wood Duckie suggested are good for both breakfast and lunch. And if you like tomato soup that is very straightforward to make from scratch.
I find planning is the key to success, and preparation. I try to plan at least a few days meals at a time, and each evening prepare my breakfast and lunch for the next day. I also find it helpful to batch cook and freeze meals on the weekend. I don’t mind eating the same thing a few times during the week so dinner one night may also be lunch the next day and vice versa.
Good luck!

Oldiecot, I kept thinking about you as I was making dinner – I’m sure you could make this WOE (way of eating) work for you. I just went through my BSD recipe book and made a list of all the meals I think you could have or easily adapt.
You may not want to buy the book, as you wouldn’t be making a lot of the recipes, but perhaps you could borrow it from your local library?
Breakfast
– Simple Omelette, ham & cheese omelette,
– Full English breakfast
– Hot smoked salmon & tomato
– Greek yoghurt and berries
– Chia breakfast Bircher
Lunch /dinner
– Baked beans with grated cheese
– Lettuce wraps (tuna, egg, ham & cheese)
– Healthy Ploughmans
– Tomato, ham & lentil soup (leave out the Lentils)
– Smoked fish pate
– Turkey burgers
– Quick quiche in a dish – replace spinach with tomatoes?
– Chicken drumstick with prosciutto
– Tomato meatballs (omit spiralized zucchini)
– Easy bolognaise
– Pork steaks
– Hot smoked trout Frittata (omit mushroom)
– Hungarian goulash (leave out veg)
– Coq au vin
– Chicken and mushroom ‘pie’ (omit mushroom and topping) but the creamy chicken is nice.
– Low carb lamb hotpot
– Baked fish parcels
– Michaels easy roast chicken
Treats
– Whole grain soda bread
– Seeded spelt and rye bread
– Chickpea flatbread
– Orange & pistachio cupcakes
– Almond pancakes
– Fruit sponge pudding
– Roast peaches
– Baked apple
– Baked rhubarb
The other thing I thought of is that it may be possible to change your views on veg? As a kid I HATED them, but it was always boiled to the death cabbage, peas, carrots etc! Steamed or roasted veg are different. Also have you tried blitzing them into sauces or soups? Pumpkin soup is not dissimilar to tomato soup, both are thick and creamy.
Also things like mashed celeriac make a good substitute for mashed potato especially on things like fish pie. Perhaps you could set yourself a challenge of trying one new veg per week/fortnight? You may surprise yourself 🙂
But otherwise I’m sure you could manage eating just the foods you enjoy. I’ve seen lots of stories in the Facebook group I’m a member of where people have lost weight eating very simple diets.

Hi Oldiecot,
Listing what you do and don’t like to eat was a very good idea because it gave us some idea on ways we can help you. This Way of Eating (WoE) really should be called the insulin control diet rather than the blood sugar diet because its the insulin response to what we eat which counts. – There is a thread on the forum called take a look at this, which contains lots of links to articles and podcasts we have found helpful in the past. I would particularly recommend the podcasts by Dr Bikman that I posted links to about a year ago. By understanding the science behind this way of eating we can then feel more comfortable in adjusting what we eat to meet the low carb targets.
A couple of points I would raise, you mention liking the low cal soft drinks. Anything with artificial sweeteners in it is also out. – The reason is that as soon as our bodies taste anything which is sweet it starts to raise insulin levels in preparation for handling the sugar hit to come. – So artificial sweeteners raise insulin levels.
Some of the veg in your list of dislikes are ones that also would have had me running for the hills if I felt that was all I could eat, but one of the side effects of this way of eating is you loose your sweet tooth. I also used to eat lots of fruit and focus on the sweeter veg, but 16 months down the line I don’t mind the sharper veg (providing they are cooked in butter) and fruit is just an occasional treat.
The WW program has a lot to answer for, but they have to make a living, and they can’t do that if they teach people to change their diets in a way that will keep the weight off long term. 🙂
One of the things I like about this forum is that there are no moderators saying this is the one true way and all the other similar ways are false gods. – If you really really can’t take on the work of measuring and recording what you eat which is an essential part of this WoE so you don’t eat anything that spikes insulin then why not take a look at Dr Fungs work. – Thats based around fasting so the only thing to record is your time between meals.

Oldiecot, I was upset yesterday reading another poster’s story, and dwelling on it, and feeling “protective” for want of a better word. But what mountains you too have had to climb. I am in awe at the determination and indomitable spirit shown by so many on here in the face of such challenges. It is humbling.

Hi WoodDuckie,
I am not one of the people who try and keep the carbs super low (ie in the 20g range). I do follow the BSD principles though, but these veges fall within that. I don’t usually count all my carbs, but for a roast vege salad I might cook:
2 medium carrots = 14g carb
1 large onion = 7g carb
2 small beets = 12g carb
1/2 cauliflower = 5g carb
Total roast veges would be 38g carb ,which would do me for 3 meals at about 13g carb per meal.Pretty low actually. To the roast veges I add fresh salad veges plus fish, chicken, cheese or egg.
I have only recently started adding a piece of fruit most days; that would add more carb than my roast veges.
I have found my blood sugar levels are mostly really good, especially if I have exercised the day before. I did find lentil based meals pushed them up a bit. Probably a bit too much carb for me yet.
By the way, cauliflower pieces, tossed in olive oil and salt, and roasted until lightly browned in a very hot oven, is a revelation. So good :). I hope you enjoy it!

Sue Blue,

Many thanks for your highly informative posting, some of which I already had in mind albeit with variations.

I have already bought the book! No point in going about it half heartedly, so I bought it within 20 minutes of leaving my GP’s surgery.

The past few days have been, kind of “interesting” but all in a good way. The GP’s Nurse contacted me first thing today to ask me to pop back in, as she’d decided to make slight adjustments to my medications. Whilst there, she introduced me to an NHS Colleague, who is a Dietician, who in turn came up with some alternative suggestions. For example, my normal Daily timetable of 2 meals normally leaves a large gap without food between Dinner at roughly 3am-4am and when I wake up again around 7pm in the evening after some 7 hours sleep.

She felt I could well fit in another smaller meal option, which would assist my body system, but not overload it. However, it would greatly work in conjunction with the adjustments to my Medications as of today, which also includes a new one, for which I will need to drink far more than I have been doing. To that end, she suggested a light snack time of around 7.30-8am, once I’ve finished work, followed by getting out and about, even if just to walk around the block a few times. She also pointed out there is a Measured Mile Route within the local park, itself only 10 minutes walk from my work.

At work, the Head Chef has allocated more space in both the main fridge and freezer for me. I will spend some time on one of my off days to prepare meals, and where applicable, batch cook and then freeze. A lot of your ideas, as lifted from your list will be worked on.

Someone commented so far on me having a GP Nurse who was so on board with me and working to sort out matters. Whilst I admit I have always been blessed with great GP’s over the years, when it comes to dealing with issues such as Diabetes, Weight Loss and so on, it has been a bit of a Lottery with some. Yes, NHS UK is catching up on the whole subject, but it is only in the past 3 years or so that I have seen a sea-change in GP Attitudes and how it trickles down into their support team members. Prior to then, some GP’s hadn’t a clue but now they are more switched on.

I live in the South Midlands with a simply superb NHS system to look after me, from GP Level right through to Hospitals; even my Dentist asked me late last year about my diet considerations! She even identified signs of a serious medical issue I’d had in the past but hadn’t any idea I’d gone through it; subsequent investigations proved she was correct, but I’ve not suffered any ill effects.

I’ll keep you all posted as to my progress.

JGwen,

See a Veg – Run for the Hills! I must remember that one!

Thanks for your input. It is all about losing that “sweet tooth”! I’m a Scot, and almost by nature of my home country, I “inherited” a sweet tooth by birthright! I drew the line at the Deep Fried Mars Bar or lately, the Deep Fried Calzone Pizza, but grew up eating everything else inbetween but in “different times” when Obesity vs Health issues weren’t as significantly promoted within the NHS as they are today.

But as it has been aimed at me over the past couple of years or so, when I have had good Diabetic Reviews, it has been mentioned I’m doing something right, invariably by virtue of Medication, some exercise and a small element of food control (I said small!) , but now I need to seriously involve the eating aspects far more closely, hence why this diet has been suggested by my GP’s Nurse. Strangely enough, when I bought the complete Book including the recipes etc, the Bookshop assistant said she’s followed the same diet and lost two stone; her Diabetic Mother too has since taken up the same regime and has found benefits too.

Thanks too for your suggested links; I will take a look at them.

Hello TaytoP! Thanks for the breakdown of your roast feast 🙂 As for the cauliflower . . .? I LOVE that vege because it i so versatile to ADD things to 🙂 Yesterday I had a bowl of it steamed with chilli flakes, and cheese melted over the top! A few chives chopped to dress and a little macadamia and Lime infused oil drizzle = YUMMMMM! Again thanks for the ideas 🙂

Helo oldiecot 🙂 We are all so differernt and what works for one wont – (or doesnt at this time) work for another. Following my recent endo visit . . . I was asked what my schedule now is (after 7 months on BSD). When I replied mostly 2 meals a day . . . he said so you were virtually force feeding yourself anything else before you started 🙂 Most days now, I dont eat for 15-16-17-18 hours – (night-time dinner to brunch.) I make brunch substantial. (Today was a homemade mini quiche, steamed cauliflower, cold kale salad mix, spoonful of cottage cheese, walnuts and my thick and creamy specialty coffee . . . ) Ive just had a second coffee 2 hour hence. IF and when I feel hungry or even peckish . . . I will probably have water . . . if the feeling persists, a few walnuts, or spoonful of peanut butter . .. and/or a coffee. IF it persists, then I will have my other meal . . . even if it is considered early for dinner!!!! Most times this is all I need to do . . . and if I LISTEN to what my body is saying it is asking for maybe a 6 hour window of (what I have chosen for it) food intake . . . and it is satisfied with that. NO-ONE dictates when and how often we NEED to eat but us. Doc said . . . eat when you are hungry . . . not to a timetable as we have been brainwashed to do. Hunters and gatherers didnt . . . Industrial revolution instructed three meal breaks . . unions added tea breaks to get the most out of the workforce . . . companies saw the opportunities for cakes, biscuits, snacks, and the merry-go-round began. Even the DA chart says eat 6 times a day . . . 25% carbs at each of three meals – and inbetween recommended snacks!! Of course our sugar levels are going to go up in the morning after such a hit . . . and continue to be held up or even raised every 2 hours with the following 5 offerings!!! Eating when Im hungry has worked for me! As I was in such a state at that time, I have no idea what my girth measured last June 24 when I started this WoE. However I do have proof and a huge (more recent) result . . . 11cms = 4 1/2 inches gone from girth in 13 weeks . . .? so Im sticking with this plan which is designed BY me FOR me from MM’s suggestions, the invaluable collective discoveries of the Forum of Factfinding Friends shared info and ideas and experimentation. That doesnt say it wont work for someone else 🙂 . . .so Im sharing my experiences, criteria for my body and current success and situation . . . in case someone else recognises something which may be their “tweak” to have similar successes. Quack Quack a great weekend to all 🙂

Hello to everyone who has responded since mid-February, to my opening post.

I stated that I would keep you updated on how I was getting on. The reality is that just as I was getting the hang of what I had to do, and had begun to commence a more varied eating programme to what I’d been used to, I’m now off the Blood Sugar Diet for a period, as per my GP’s advice.

In the past few days, I’ve been diagnosed with a partially blocked Oesophagus (apologies for any incorrect spelling!), but my superb GP’s Surgery has been able to liaise with the local Hospital, such that I’m due to be admitted within the next 48-72 hours for investigative and hopefully remedial surgery. However, as I cannot eat foods in the more normal sense as chewed foods aren’t easily sliding past the partial blockage, I’ve had to adjust my diet to suit what CAN be easily consumed.

In addition to the discomfort when eating, I also have some mild pain when swallowing, so foods now tend to be finely cut up, or blended, or are soft enough to be eaten. I’m also having to be careful with hot foods and drinks, by just letting them cool down enough to become safely acceptable without causing more physical distress. Certain foods I wanted to move onto, are now out of the new equation as they can cause considerable irritation when eating.

It’s become more of a case of pleasing what my body finds acceptable, whilst trying to maintain some diabetic controls, though my GP has stated the former aspect is more crucial to prevent further aggravating the current condition until a full diagnosis is fully understood once the surgery has taken place. His surgery Nurses will remain in touch until this medical “glitch” is done and dusted, and depending on the final outcome, will then review accordingly.

Nevertheless, I’m hoping it is simply a temporary interruption to my health objectives. Talking to my GP, he said it’s just one of these medical “episodes” that Mother Nature throws up from time to time, at any age and is usually something that couldn’t have been predicted. His view however, is that as I’ve only had the symptoms for around 10 days, hopefully, it’s a situation that has been caught early enough.

Hi oldiecot63
I’m really sorry to hear about the partially blocked oesophagus; it sounds unpleasant and painful. It’s good to hear about the treatment you’re getting, though – and how good your GP practice has been. Best wishes with the investigations and surgery. Hopefully, you’ll soon be picking up BSD where you’ve left off – let us know how you get on.
Take care
Jennie xx