My doctor has told me to go on a low-carb diet to reduce my blood sugar. I'm having a hard time with having to go to the bathroom all the time now. All the food that works for my J-Pouch are the ones that I can't eat. I'm eating salads, vegetables, some protein but I feel terrible. Any suggestions for a low-carb diet that work with J-pouch?
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Have you tried more protein (and fat)? All that insoluble fiber (like in salad) can become a problem when the amounts goes beyond your capacity. Consider things like Greek yogurt, tofu, chicken, etc.
I agree with Scott. In order to lower your blood sugar, you do not need to replace carbs with salads, fruits and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is to cut your carb intake in half. You do not need to completely eliminate carbs. Don’t change anything else at first. Of course, it is natural to want to replace those carbs with something filling, but low in calories. But even with a colon you need to add roughage gradually.
I am a diet controlled diabetic and my husband is insulin dependent. We learned long ago that these changes are for life, so you need to figure out a way to make it work. Perhaps it means using more Imodium or fiber supplements, but you have to get past the idea of carbs as your only soluble fiber for stool thickening.
Jan 
p
Thank you so much- this really
helps
Hello, Amanda. I also have to follow a low carb diet because of diabetes and it doesn't always agree with the j pouch, but it can be managed. I attended a class in diabetes management and we learned how to choose food and snacks, the difference between simple carbs (bad) vs. complex carbs (good), and portioning. Maybe there are classes near you, given by a hospital or university? It helped my diabetes and my pouch so much. Before that I was lost trying to manage blood sugar and a new pouch.
You can have carbs (everyone needs carbs to function and for energy), but you need to eat the right type of carbs, and in the correct amount at each meal so that your blood sugar does not spike but will be steady through the day. Choose complex carbs instead of simple carbs (which is anything manufactured with white flour, and will cause spikes -- white bread, pasta, bagels, donuts.) Choose soluble foods so your pouch will be okay. Google for a list of soluble and insoluble foods, and simple / complex carb foods. Aim for 45 - 60 grams of carbs per meal, and 15 grams of carbs for snacks. When you check food labels the carbohydrate and fibre content are always listed. Always subtract the fibre grams from the carb grams when you calculate carbs because fibre doesn't cause sugar spikes so you might be able to have more of that food than you think!
I switched from white rice to brown rice or quinoa cooked in chicken broth for flavour (use extra liquid to really soften for your pouch); switched from white bread and bagels to sprouted grain bread, rye bread and sourdough bread; from white potatoes to sweet potato, broccoli, roasted butternut squash, pumpkin, eggplant, cooked spinach. These are complex carbs, and mostly soluble, so they will be good for your blood sugars and your pouch. If you try these, peel them and cook well so your pouch can tolerate. Try 1/2 cup to start. I avoid white foods such as potatoes, chips, corn, cake, muffins, donuts. How long have you been trying the low carb foods?
I don't eat much salad or raw food because, like you, my pouch doesn't like it much. I can eat chicken, beef, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, tofu. These foods are zero carbs, and high in protein. I use the plate method for portion controlling: Divide your plate in half. Fill one side with all the soluble, complex carb vegetables you enjoy. On the other half of your plate, fill 1/4 of it with a protein, and the remaining 1/4 with a complex carb such as brown rice. These foods will allow a slow and steady rise in blood sugar, instead of a spike. You can have pasta, but only 1/2 - 3/4 cup cooked pasta with olive oil or pesto. Also Google for noodles made from yams, I think it's called magic noodle or something. Zero carbs. You can mix them with pesto and still have your "linguine".
For breakfast I have 2 sprouted grain toasts (7 grams per) with good cheese and a slice of ham. Melt in the toaster oven. It's better for you than a breakfast sandwich from a fast food place. This homemade breakfast has around 14 grams of carbs from the bread. The ham and cheese are zero carbs and high in protein. Some days I'll have scrambled eggs with toast. Coffee with soy creamer, and stevia for sweetening. The soy creamer has 2 grams of carbs. A very low carb breakfast. For lunch I'll have chicken soup with vegetables and whole wheat bread or sourdough bread with butter. Maybe chicken salad or tuna salad on brown bread with peeled cucumbers and tomatoes.
Dinner for me is a piece of roast chicken or fish or chop with a cup of brown rice and broccoli or carrots or zucchini cooked well. Your pouch might be okay if you cook the vegetables well. Protein foods are zero to almost no carb. Small pieces of fresh fruit if you can tolerate; and avoid white starchy food. I eat a dessert at lunchtime. It can be a small piece of banana bread or zucchini loaf (half the size of my palm) and there is time to burn off the sugar. Snacks could be 3/4 cup cottage cheese with 1/4 cup chopped melon or cantaloupe or cucumbers; or some good cheese on a few nice crackers; or one cup of raspberries; a piece of toast with almond butter/peanut butter. If you have a simple carb, remember have it with a protein and a fat. This combination will slow down the sugar spike. Do you test your sugar daily? I'm sorry this is long but I tried to remember everything I learned and share it with you. It takes time to learn to manage diabetes, or to avoid developing it. It's twice as hard with a pouch that doesn't yet like fiber when fiber is the best thing for diabetes.
Thank you a million times for all this information and the time you have taken to help me.
