I had my physical assessment at the gym yesterday and I explained my WOE to the gym trainer. He was impressed, especially when I mentioned the word "vegetables"!! He suggested that I should try having fruit for all, or at least part, of my breakfast so that I can feed the brain glucose first thing to get it going. I always have a protein/fat breakfast and save any carbs (usually peaches and strawberries) for dessert after dinner.
In my past life (as a low fat dieter) I used to have fruit for breakfast and I would find that my blood sugar levels would take a massive dip at 10.00am. Would that have been because of the diet I was on at the time? Would that still happen now that I'm on this new WOE? I NEVER have a problem with low blood sugar levels now and feel fully satisfied all day.

What do other people think? Does anyone else start the day with fruit?

Melberry

Hi Melberry,
Nice to meet another Aussie! I think we're slowly changing this forum from Canadian to Australian!
Okay, I'll get serious.
Fruit for breakfast will give you exactly the same sort of mid morning blood sugar dips you were getting before. Stick to what has been working for you in the past.
Your trainer (although knowlegeable about exercise) obviously doesn't have anywhere near enough nohow about low carbing to give you advice.
We don't feed our brains glucose anymore! Try to explain to him that our whole body chemistry is changed on this WOE and feeding your body fruit for brekky is going to mess this up.
It might be an idea to check back with your naturopath, as well.
Good luck, matey.

Rosebud

PS: Just thought of something else. If your naturopath agrees, you could always have some fruit with your brekky. Just make sure it's balanced with plenty of protein.
Cheers.

Hi Melberry, this is interesting because I wrote the ATKINS center the other day and asked if I should eat fruit on an empty stomach [ as U should with sommersizing] and also if when I eat my oatmeal-flax cereal and cream if I should be adding a protein. What they replied with was this---- if U are eating enough protein the rest of the day it isnt important to have protein at breakfast BUT..... that if U have fruit it should have cream on it because the fat helps to stabilize the sugar and U wont have the dip in your blood sugar levels later. Hope this helps.

Thanks, I actually had a similar question concerning fruits b/c I just added blueberries to the WOL. Since I recently discovered how sensitive I am sweetners I thought that fruit would be a better substitute if I needed something sweet.

Thanks
E

I'd always eat fruit with protein/fat to dampen the insulin response, no matter what time of day I ate it. Berries with eggs/mock danish/whatever you like should be okay for breakfast for most people--just watch yourself for those old signs of hypoglygemia and don't do it again if that happens to you.

There is a theory that the body can handle carbs (with protein and fat) better in the morning. But there's also a theory that starting with more carbs can lead to a day of blood sugar swings, causing cravings, tiredness, etc. What a person is supposed to do with competing theories like this, I haven't a clue!

If it ain't broke, don't fix it--especially if the person with the advice doesn't understand low carb. Glucose is glucose, whether it comes from a piece of fruit or a slice of bread--your body doesn't care. And from what I've read, my brain needs fat more than it needs glucose.

My trainer is a nutritionist, something I didn't know when I volunteered that I was low carbing. She said it was important that I ate the right kind of fats. I agreed, but I didn't tell her what I consider the "right kind" to be.

I remember my daughter and her friend one day discussing how to talk to adults (hmmm, perhaps it was how to talk to your parents). They agreed that the best way was "smile and nod."

So, if anyone tells you how you should be eating, smile and nod and take it with several grains of salt.

Susan

Thanks everyone

After I posted my message yesterday morning, I thought I would try it. I had one peach - a reasonably low carb fruit. Within 30 minutes I was feeling a bit off and within another 30 minutes I had reached for a bag of mixed nuts to "add" protein to my body. Then, by midmorning I felt another drop in my blood sugar and grabbed some more nuts (it was all I had with me at the time). Then a couple of hours later I had my lunch of chilcken and salad. The rest of the day I wasn't too bad but I felt I had completely mucked up my morning with the fruit. It certainly sent my blood sugar levels chaotic. I don't have the same problem when I have fruit after dinner at night, so I think I'll just stick to that.

Just another thing. What do other people have for breakfast as I'm running out of ideas. Unfortunately, I am intolerant of eggs. Oh, and it's autumn/summer over here so porridge/oatmeal is probably a bit heavy for brekkie at the moment.

I appreciate all your feedback.

Melberry

Now the other day...after I ate something (I can't remember what, but it was lowish in carbs, not bread or sugs) and 20 mins later, my bf and I were asleep on the couch. Now was that a drop in my blood sugs? Next, I sware that when I eat something with that has fact sugs in it I get this feeling all over my bod (like lc mousse, lc cookies), it's almost relaxing - now is that mental b/c I'm so used to having sweets or is it blood sugs levels rising?

Can you tell if they raise? or am I just mental? I know it's prob a person to person things, but I'd to see for those of you that can tell, what it feels like...

E

Hi Melberry,
An interesting experiment, huh?
I think of all the advice you were given here, Susan's (Clwydd's) is probably best, "smile and nod."
I often have a couple of chops or cutlets with or without some mushies for my brekky. Or even a small piece of steak. Sometimes I might have chicken wings (think I'm addicted to them ) or leftovers of some sort from the night before.
If you go to "forum jump" at the bottom of this page, scroll down and you'll come to a bit called "breakfast ideas."
Another source of inspiration is to have a sticky beak at some of the journals in the "My Journal/Boot Camp" section. While you're there, you might be inspired to start your own journal.
Good luck to you, mate.

Rosebud

Hi, I just thought I'd add my 2 cents. I stopped eating any kind of fruit or juice or anything sugary at breakfast years ago -- before I had ever heard of low-carbing. I found then that if I have any "sugar" at breakfast, I am ravenous and shakey by 10am. So I started having a big bowl of Cheerios and milk. With that, at least I didn't get ravenous until 11am.

Now that I am low-carbing, I have "Joe's Special" for breakfast every day. Joe's Special, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a concoction of eggs, hamburger, spinach, onions and mushrooms, all cooked in yummy butter. Now I don't get hungry, and never ravenous, until 12:30 or so.

Life is good on the low-carb WOE.

;-Deb

Joe's special sounds good - without the eggs!!

Yes, I think I will definitely give the fruit at breakfast the flick. I can't go around feeling like that at work.

My Dad drove over from the Eyre Peninsula (South Australia) where he lives and brought me some fresh King George Whiting so that is what I am having for breakfast this morning. They say fish is brain food!

Still on blood sugar levels, I've noticed lately that my cup of tea with 1Tablespoon of milk is tasting like it has sugar in it. Obviously I have got so used to NO sugar that even the sugar in a tiny bit of milk is affecting me. I may have to change to black tea soon. Does anyone else have that reaction?

Melberry

Almost everything tastes sweet to me. It is amazing the flavor of foods when you don't eat carbohydrates.

Probably why they are so satisfying now