In the world of food there are a proportion of people who have to make tough choices about what not to eat. I am one of them. Diagnosed in 2013 with insulin dependent diabetes it was a rough and rapid descent into the world of carbohydrate restriction. But the past few years have been an interesting journey of discovery and experimentation and I am living proof that yes, you can live on a low carb diet in Asia. I live in Singapore which is a street food haven and most Singaporeans think about what to eat for lunch when they are eating breakfast and what to eat for dinner while having lunch…you get the idea.So it has been a surprisingly fun experience remaking and adapting Asian dishes for the low-carber and proving that it is possible not just to survive but to enjoy great local style Asian food that is healthier than the real thing.
With regards the diabetes I do take a very low carb diet (probably about 30 – 50g per day) to make sure there are no major swings in my blood sugar levels. I do take insulin 4 times a day and thanks to the diet I don’t have hypoglycemic attacks. My HbA1C hovers between 5.0 and 5.6. The one thing I learned is that it is possible to change my future by keeping good blood sugar control and it is up to me to make sure that I modify my own risk factors by controlling my diet and medications. I don’t take rice, pasta, noodles or bread. In this blog you will find that I use sugar substitutes (hey a girl needs her sweets!) and pasta or noodle subsitutes like shirataki noodles. While there are many great low carb food blogs out there, there is a real shortage of low carb Asian recipes, and especially the kind of Asian dishes that those of us in South East Asia enjoy. I hope this blog will be a great resource for others like me who love their umami and still want to be healthy.
Thanks for liking my blog @ https://dineinmykitchen.wordpress.com. Best wishes for your blog
Dearest Nomnomprincess,
I have just been introduced to your blog and am blown away by your discipline in maintaining the low carb diet (yes in Singapore of all places!) and the recipes you have come up with! I have a few questions on the management of diabetes, would you kindly drop me an email so I can learn a few things from you? Many many thanks!
Hi Prudence, happy to answer any questions – 2 great resources – either the Reversing Diabetes group (for type 2 diabetics) or typeonegrit group (for type 1 diabetics). The people in these groups have a huge amount of experience and expertise and I’ve learned a lot from them!
Thank you! Would have still loved to get to know you personally! ;-P
Will check out those groups to learn more! Thank you again!
These are groups on Facebook that you can join.
Hello and thanks for your blog and interesting recipes.
Where do you buy monk fruit powder in S’pore?
Do you use plain monk fruit or mixed with erythritol (Lakanto)?
I usually use Lakanto. I get it from iHerb or Kitchen Capers
Ok thanks! I got some Lakanto in KL on a recent visit. They pack it there, only RM23 for 30 sachets and RM26 for 200g of loose powder.
Oh sorry, I meant RM13.90 for 30 sachets and RM16 for the loose powder
Just found your site while surfing for instant pot recipe for pig trotters! Yay! Making that tonight. I am thrilled to find a diabetic friendly spot for Asian food. I’m located in Burnaby BC Canada and am lucky to have a TNT Supermarket and lots of local Chinese and Asian markets close at hand to find the ingredients you use. Keep up the yummy comfort foods recipes!
Thanks so much Christina! Glad you like the recipes and I hope you will enjoy making it work – diabetic friendly can be delicious and so good for us!