Convicted about Carbs

For anyone who has been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I firmly believe that diabetics should be able to eat and drink anything they want.  I even went as far as to perfect the bolus for the tricky combination that is pizza and beer.  A typical day in my diet includes cereal for breakfast (it's Kashi, so give me some credit), Greek yogurt for a mid-morning snack, a turkey sandwich for lunch, popcorn or a cereal bar in the afternoon, and a protein-heavy dinner but usually includes a side of bread like a roll or cornbread.  Occasionally, I will indulge in some ice cream before bed (but don't we all?). 

I love carbs!  (As you can probably tell.)  But I also believe that our bodies need carbs to function, especially the brain.  I've always wondered what long-term effects the Atkins diet would have on a body, because it can't be healthy to wrap a Big Mac in lettuce.  But carbs come in all different types of food, from your typical bread products, to pure sugar, to natural sources like fruit and starchy vegetables.

And after reading this article, I started to become convicted about what I put into my mouth and justifying it with the flag of "I'm diabetic, but I can eat what I want!"  I'll admit, I sort of carry a chip on my shoulder for anyone who gives me a glare when they see me check my blood sugar at a restaurant and then order a big bowl of creamy Alfredo pasta.  That article was basically God retorting my reasoning with, "But what about what I say?"  Eeesh, it was prick at my heart that I knew could only come from Him.  The sin of gluttony is one that's not talked about a lot, especially in our current culture, but it's one I'm guilty of A LOT. 

I started to re-evaluate my diet and look at what I could change from having strictly bread products.  I started by having a chargrilled chicken salad with fruit toppings for lunch.  It had the same amount of carbs that a typical turkey sandwich would have, but a lot less calories (I suppose bread-like carbs are more bloated with calories).  And this morning for breakfast I had 4 slices of turkey bacon, a small clementine, and a glass of skim milk.  Again, almost the exact same amount of carbs that I usually have with my Kashi cereal, but less calories and more protein. 

Obviously, I'm not expecting to go completely bread-free from here on out, but I think I can make small changes in the meals I'm in charge of to eliminate the heavy carbs.  And when I say heavy carbs, I mean the big 5:  bread, pasta, rice, tortillas, and cereal (this last one made me tear up a big, I LOVE cereal!).  Besides, I think if I can make most of my total carb amount come from more fruits and starchy veggies than bread products, the healthier all around.

This is MY personal conviction, and I'm not saying that I think ALL diabetics should follow this plan.  This is just something I'm following through with because I truly feel convicted by it.  But if there are those out there that have followed a similar plan (i.e. avoiding the big 5), I would love to get some meal ideas from you.  I know I need to stock my fridge with more fruit and vegetable choices so that it will be easy to grab and go.  But what else can I do to avoid bread products (and not go crazy at the same time?).

EDIT:  I wanted to add that my resource for the "Big 5" came from this video with Dr. Lois Jovanovic about diabetes and pregnancy.  I think some of her thresholds are a little extreme, but YDMV as they say.