The author discusses cutting carbs to reduce his risk of diabetes. Along those lines, my son is a Type 1 diabetic and we were shocked by the highly refined-carb heavy diet he was given by the hospital dietitian when he was first diagnosed. All processed white bread, pasta, and cereal -- the standard ADA diet. Only recently have nutritionists and dietitans been getting on board with the idea that there are good carbs and bad carbs, with profoundly different effects on our blood sugar levels.
I'm a nurse & I work in a hospital and I have always wondered about the poor quality of carbs we serve. With the knowledge we have now about carb metabolism, I have to think it's becauses the white stuff is cheaper for the hospital budget, but sets a poor example for the diabetic patient. Our cafeteria isn't any better. We even have a McDonald's in our hospital! I have a young co-worker who is a Type I diabetic who regularly eats a Big Mac and adjusts her insulin pump to compensate for it. And she regularly has problems keeping her glucose levels stable! I don't know who she's fooling, but she says she doesn't eat that way all that much. (I did ask her about it.)
Anne, you are so right! When DS was diagnosed with diabetes, he was admitted to our local children's hospital and I stayed four days there with him. My only food option was the cafeteria and it was truly shocking. This was after I lost weight, so I was trying to eat healthily, and it was almost impossible. All the chicken and fish was breaded and fried. Alternatives were pizza, hot pretzels, and nachos. But there was a huge array of desserts. And this was a health care facility!!
I'm going to be spending some time in a hospital in August for knee replacements and I'm already getting concerned about what there will be to eat.
I would definitely check out their food ahead of time. You can always call their dietary department and talk to a dietician. We usually have grilled chicken, vegetables, plain fruit, lowfat dairy. The rest of the meats are not lean. You can get oatmeal or eggbeaters, V8 juice for breakfast. Breads and rice are not whole grain either. Lots of room for improvement. You may have to supplement from home. I think that's what I would do. It's too bad, isn't it?
Our local hospital which was recently bought by ? serves room-service meals! You get like a 9 page menu, still tailored to your medical condition, and the food is available when you want it. Full menu til like 11 pm, and limited after that. I have no idea if it's cost effective, but having been a patient where they served dinner when they were ready, not when you were, it's appealing to me. Hopefully we'll never have to find out.
But Meg, I'd definitely find out. Since you're in for a surgical procedure, and have no underlying health issues you should be able to choose what you want. The alternative is to have your family bring your regular food to you.
WaterRat, our hospital went to that last year too. The menu is more like restaurant food, which tastes better than "hospital food" but is probably higher in fat than it ever was. The patients rave about it. The most popular food items are stuff like cheeseburgers, pizza, seasoned fries, fried chicken. Very poor choices for anyone, let alone a diabetic. They have some items with stars for heart healthy stuff & they have carb equivalents next to the items on the meny for diabetics, but it's really unhealthy stuff in the long run.
Article - Even a thin person can get diabetes
