The difficulty of avoiding sugar in Thailand.

[moogradod]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

............................
But, the french fries??? I just wonder how low you have to go to find a place where they sprinkle sugar on them? I know that they are sometimes not using salt, but never senn any sugar on french fries.

Sugar on french fries ? Is this a US thing ? Fries are eaten with salt (and even more than less) and mayonnaise (not ketchup). I have been living for a while in the Be NeLux from where the french fries are supposed to have been originated. And they make indeed the best fries.

[patman30]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

After years I did another attempt to find unsweetened condensed milk. Gave up.

Sweetened, sweetened AND mixed with palm oil (another "healthy" highlight) or completely from palm oil (faking).

So I remain tied to coffee mate. Made of:

palm oil ☹️

it is extremely easy to make your own condensed milk
(the clue is in the name)
i too have searched for unsweetened, carnation stopped selling it years ago
Falcon used to do an unsweetened milk, but now its unsweetened filled milk which contains palm oil
all you need to do to make condensed milk is condense it
put 2 litres of milk in pan on low heat and let it reduce till 1 litre of condensed milk remains, simples????

[HappyExpat57]

For what it's worth, you are pre-diabetic the moment you're born. It's just your pancreas wearing out, happens to everyone if they live long enough.

 

Found I had full blown diabetes about 5 years ago.  In order to keep glucose at desired levels, I have to prepare all my own meals. If I eat at a restaurant, it throws things out of balance, some places are worse than others.

 

As in everything throughout life, it all comes down to choices. A few falls from grace won't do permanent damage but it is something you have to watch.

[moogradod]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

Thais really do like their sweet things ???? 

 

Sugar sprinkled on chips/french-fries sounds gross. I know Maccas etc. use sugar in their fries to promote browning, but the amount should be very small.

 

If the eggs are made to order, just order without milk, otherwise just don't go there.

 

 

 

Indeed, Thais like it sweet, try to order a smoothie in a restaurant where the stuff is not yet mixed up before and seasoned with a hearty portion of sugar.

 

The typical Thai seasoning board contains as well always sugar. I have seen customers put tons of sugar in their noodle soup. And sugar free items in supermarkets have been seen only since a very few years back.

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, patman30 said:

Why i eat at home and cook everything from scratch
unless you want to be diabetic it might be time to devise a new eating strategy

Absolutely right. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic just a year ago, and now prepare most of my own food, much more chicken, fish and salads than I ever ate before, and almost no rice. I lost over 10 kilos in weight and my blood sugar readings come down quite a lot. I go out once a week to a good restaurant and don't worry about what I eat and drink there.

[Isaan sailor]

If you use ketchup on french fries—you don’t avoid sugar.  It’s loaded—read.the label.

[ezzra]

I have recently discovered Monk fruit sugar (look it up) that is  monk fruit sugar is metabolised differently than regular sugar, you can reduce your caloric intake by using it. It doesn't affect blood sugar. Monk fruit sugar doesn't affect your blood sugar levels and can improve your hypoglycemic control. It's anti-inflammatory and can be bought locally and it's not expensive.

 

https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-monk-fruit-sugar#:~:text=Because monk fruit sugar is,It's anti-inflammatory.

[ChaiyaTH]

Sugar is the worst drug in the world with most addicts too. It very hard to get rid of it in today's world, I recently stopped drinking coffee with sugar due to the fact that my grab / shop forgot it every time.

 

Now I'm used to it and not do it anymore. Same time I know this is pathetic, as I still love a ice cold can of coca cola too. That alone is like 20 spoons I believe?

 

Recently seen a YouTube video about coca cola that explains how evil they are and that they actually have a lot hidden marketing targeting kids from a young age to love the brand, same as with the christmas stuff.

[patman30]

1 minute ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Sugar is the worst drug in the world

Exactly this????

[ChaiyaTH]

Just now, patman30 said:

Exactly this????

Was still editing the comment but yes, that didn't change ????

[ChaiyaTH]

To add: coca cola seems to go that far, they add some kind of salt to your coca cola, that now not gives you a <deleted> load of sugar, but also makes you thirsty, to drink more.

 

Just think about it, when you drink soda, you somehow keep drinking or feel like you are thirsty. While if you drink a can of water, you would be fine half way.

 

The same counts for a fake feeling of hunger due to many fast foods.

[KhunLA]

45 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

 Excessive sugar can ...

Only part I'll agree with, and excessive sugar is a bit relative, in relation to what else you are eating.  And types of sugar, natural or added that is in those.

[patman30]

4 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

To add: coca cola seems to go that far, they add some kind of salt to your coca cola, that now not gives you a <deleted> load of sugar, but also makes you thirsty, to drink more.

 

Just think about it, when you drink soda, you somehow keep drinking or feel like you are thirsty. While if you drink a can of water, you would be fine half way.

 

The same counts for a fake feeling of hunger due to many fast foods.

coca-cola have also been "reducing sugar" in drinks but then replacing it with nasty sweetners like aspartame
so you still get most of the sugar but some aspartame thrown in aswell
coca-cola is poison, pepsi also

[ChaiyaTH]

1 minute ago, patman30 said:

coca-cola have also been "reducing sugar" in drinks but then replacing it with nasty sweetners like aspartame
so you still get most of the sugar but some aspartame thrown in aswell
coca-cola is poison, pepsi also

Yeah that stuff is way worse than sugar and cancer causing. It also tastes horrible, i never drink coke zero, i bought it a few times by accident and just throw it away after one sip.

 

I don't get the point anyway, same like drinking a 0% beer. Just gay.

[patman30]

5 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Yeah that stuff is way worse than sugar and cancer causing. It also tastes horrible, i never drink coke zero, i bought it a few times by accident and just throw it away after one sip.

 

I don't get the point anyway, same like drinking a 0% beer. Just gay.

i was not referring to diet/zero but yeh agreee just nasty
Pepsi max contains the most aspartame
mountain dew the most sugar
the companies are evil, and they produce tonnes of products between them
research coca cola in south america
in India some farmers used coca cola as pesticide

[ChaiyaTH]

8 minutes ago, patman30 said:

i was not referring to diet/zero but yeh agreee just nasty
Pepsi max contains the most aspartame
mountain dew the most sugar
the companies are evil, and they produce tonnes of products between them
research coca cola in south america
in India some farmers used coca cola as pesticide

I heard some of the drinks are even filled in the plastic bottles at boiling point in factories. Think micro plastics alone. But I'm guilty too, I love a can of coke once every 2 days.

[connda]

You can't change what Thai restaurants use to make their food.

You can change your life-style.  Look into fasting to control pre-diabetes (type 2).  I was told I was pre-diabetic too years back.  I water fasted 5 days and was back to normal.  Fasting does work in many cases. 
"Google" it:  Diabetes and Fasting.  It literally can reset your insulin levels (HOMA-IR) as well as lower your fasting blood sugar and A1c levels.  I'm speaking from experience here^*. 

But let's source at least one study to keep this real:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35661214/

^*And as always the caveat:  I'm not a medical practitioner, this is not medical advice.  See a doctor before engaging in any treatments for diabetes or engaging is fasting. 

 

[lexxy]

Bukhao market has chicken steak, switch out the chips for veges.

Larb gai / pork etc is a no sugar dish also

[transam]

2 minutes ago, lextsy said:

Bukhao market has chicken steak, switch out the chips for veges.

Larb gai / pork etc is a no sugar dish also

With Muesli for afters.............????

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, moogradod said:

Sugar on french fries ? Is this a US thing ? Fries are eaten with salt (and even more than less) and mayonnaise (not ketchup). I have been living for a while in the Be NeLux from where the french fries are supposed to have been originated. And they make indeed the best fries.

its very common. Mcdonalds have been adding sugar to fries for decades.  The sugar carmelizes in the cooking fat, producing the golden color customers expect. 

[connda]

30 minutes ago, lextsy said:

Bukhao market has chicken steak, switch out the chips for veges.

Larb gai / pork etc is a no sugar dish also

I love Thai restaurant veggies, but the sauces they use to make it is loaded with sugar.  Just saying......
If you don't have insulin problems, then it isn't an issue.

[connda]

27 minutes ago, n00dle said:

its very common. Mcdonalds have been adding sugar to fries for decades.  The sugar carmelizes in the cooking fat, producing the golden color customers expect. 

Back 50 years ago when I worked fast-foods, they used Beef Fat!  Gawd - talk about tasty fries! 

[ignis]

Everyone is different + what they eat effects Blood Sugar, there is NO one Diabetic Diet fits all

 

I did not have Pre Diabetes, when I 1st went to the Dr in UK my reading was 32.6  here that is around 600 mg/dl 

 

Went to one Diabetic class, teacher stated drinks all you want of Diet drinks !!!

 

I followed what was advised years ago,  take your blood finger prick test before eating every meal then again 2 hours after eating, after 6 months or so you know what food spikes your blood sugar, so can reduce that item or cut it out all together..  some things I can eat where others will spike + the other way round

 

As for Diet Cola/Pepsi drinks not had for years, same with added salt + reduced Red Meat to 1 x week...  2015 was at Stage 5 CKD, told by the Dr try cutting these out, or go on Dialyses, no way so cut them out, past 6 years been just under Stage 3 CKD 

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, ignis said:

Everyone is different + what they eat effects Blood Sugar, there is NO one Diabetic Diet fits all

Agree, and my blood sugar level has always been extreme high end of normal.  Knockin' on 69 yrs old, pastry & ice cream junkie, and so far, not diabetic ... ????  Every doc has told me to cut back.

 

But table/white sugar, mostly used at bakeries, and some brown sugar, is the better of the sugars, relative.  That might explain it, and as stated, avoid sugar drinks and alcohol.  Mostly home cooking, so overly processed food intake is at a minimum.

 

Either very lucky, or from my experience, sugar itself, in my diet, is not the demon it's made out to be.

 

YMMV ... with your types of sugar & genetics.

[Seppius]

Enjoy cooking just about all my own food, so much cheaper and much more nutritious

 

So easy to find new recipes that are easy to make

[Felton Jarvis]

8 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

I think you need to change your class of restaurants. Sure, the scrambled eggs, are quite common to be made with sweetened condensed milk in Thailand. Only the better hotel breakfasts and higher class or more expensive restaurants will use the right stuff.

But, the french fries??? I just wonder how low you have to go to find a place where they sprinkle sugar on them? I know that they are sometimes not using salt, but never senn any sugar on french fries.

Both the restaurants I mentioned are top class restaurants. I actually would be better off eating street food but Thai food is something I can only eat occasionally. I am NOT a fan of Thai cuisine.

[Hummin]

9 hours ago, cooked said:

Thai street food is praised highly. However, it is a fact that sugar and sometimes salt is often surreptitiously scattered on food, obviously because people like it whether they know it or not. Then there is the use of vegetable oils (seed oils) just like in the West. Evidence is mounting that these are a major part of the diabetes (metabolic syndrome) epidemic that we have and didn't exist 100 years ago before the invention of seed oils. AND: used oil is sold, not to use in combustion motors but to be recycled, using bleach, and sold back to the restaurants. 

Most diabetics and pre-diabetics that take their diet seriously, as they should,  cook at home, I can't remember the last time I went to a restaurant or ate street food.

You said it!

 

Cook home, and eat out one day a week at most. 

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, JackGats said:

Fake yogurts (milk of sorts, with a thickener and plenty of sugar).

Which are the "fake" yoghurts and how could you know how they are made?

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which are the "fake" yoghurts and how could you know how they are made?

I would be interested in being pointed out which yogurts are fake, too........

[Keeps]

6 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

 

 

I don't get the point anyway, same like drinking a 0% beer. Just gay.

That's a bit of an inappropriate comment in these days of wokeness......................some people enjoy 0% beer.......