Seabourn and Pritikin diet

OP did not refer to mass, rather to blood glucose which is measured by A1C. Much of the TK offering is fine Caesar salad with dressing, cheese and anchovies, Nigerian shrimps, consommé, steaks, Dover sole, etc.

 

Need to avoid totally the bread and desserts which spike blood sugars and any sauces and creams where you cannot be certain there is no sugar incorporated.

 

Forget the rubbish talked about butter and full fat cream - they are absolutely fine; as is alcohol!

Thanks, your advice is right on especially about the alcohol. Thank God. lol

You can do what my husband does when having to closely watch his A1C levels... convince your dining companion to order it (while you do a cheese plate) and then steal a tiny bite when they aren't looking. :cool:

 

I'm also following this thread and taking notes. Our goal is to return home from our month-long honeymoon (which includes 22 nights on Seabourn) without any negative ramifications to health. My DH will take his BS readings every day but its really A1C that we want to watch when he returns.

That is now my goal ... exactly. So far so good on the daily BG numbers and this is by just avoiding mainly deserts and sweets and minimizing bread. However, also letting go with occasional pizza and still feel like I am not missing much food wise.

Jokes aside, well done. The temptation is enormous, especially on Seabourn. Keep it up!

Congratulaitons to you Able Seaman--your regimen is to be admired. I agree that healthy food can be found in the buffet at the Colonnade, but I do wish that there was a special menu in the MDR to make it easy. THAT would make me happy!

The problem is which of the hundreds of specialised diets out there do Seabourn go with?

Atkins, Kangaterian, Weight Watchers, Dukan, Ideal Protein, Kimkins, Stillman, McDougall, Cabbage soup, grapefruit, Ketogenic, Alkaline, fit for life, Gerson, Graham, Inuit, Macrobiotic, Microbiotic, Montignac, Mediterranean, Okinawa, Prison loaf, Palaeolithic, Pritkin, Shangri-la, Sonoma, and so on......

Leaving the skin off your chicken then scoffing a pizza isn't going to transform you into a Greek god :)

Do be aware the Pritkin diet is renowned for the encouragement of flatulence so possibly not one to promote in the confines of a small ship.....

Just for the avoidance of doubt alcohol contains calories, in the case of cocktails LOTS of calories.

If you are obese according to the BMI scale (Which I sadly was) then you are type 2 diabetes waiting to happen. Get your BMI down to normal limits (which I thankfully now am :) ) then your chances of type 2 are almost none.

Is it hard work? If you are able to excercise then actually no, not once you find something you enjoy doing. The problem comes if you suffer limited mobility, then burning off calories is difficult and you have to watch what goes in like a hawk.

Fruit is your saving grace when it comes to a bit of a treat and I appreciate in the middle of the ocean that can be a bit tricky.

On larger Seabourn ships the Sushi restaurant is an absolute godsend and a real treat that land side would cost a fortune !!

Henry :)

You are absolutely correct as any changes to the menu would be defeating the purpose of the cuisine served. As stated I think the gal at Pritikin sold me some BS about getting Pritikin meals on board so I have abandoned that idea. Now I am just trying to keep my blood glucose numbers in line so I don’t raise my a1c by the end of the cruise like I have so many times before. BTW This is our 5th Seabourn cruise and I would rather not give them up because of health reasons. I really envy people who can eat and drink anything they want without harming their health but I am not one of them. I have however learned how to eat healthy, exercise and use a limited amount of meds to achieve pre-diabetes levels before going on a cruise. The challenge this cruise Is trying to keep those levels while on the ship. The Pritikin thing is now a whole other ball game I will address after the cruise.

Oh I missed where you had posted about giving up on the Pritkin style eating on the ship. Thanks for clarifying.

The sugar-free ice creams and sorbets are very good. They are always available in the MDR and in room service. If you are dining in another venue, ask for it at the beginning of your meal so that the server can organize.

I'm not asking for a menu that adheres to any special diet---just a lower calorie healthy menu (with plenty of fresh veggies) as I had years ago on Silversea---preferably with dietary informant attached (calories, sodium, etc. etc.) I loved that menu years ago and did not feel deprived. Of course this is just would I would like, not necessarily a good fit for anyone else.

This has been an interesting thread, not least because it highlights the many different approaches that are considered "healthy" eating. We each find our own way.

When I'm on a cruise I tend to eat how I do in my everyday life at home, but with a little more leeway so that I can enjoy the food on offer. What works for me is keeping sweets and starches to a minimum but not avoiding them completely, eating plenty of veggies and getting a reasonable amount of exercise. I don't drink fizzy/soda type drinks, sticking to lots of water and a couple of glasses a wine a day.

I always weigh myself before and after the cruise, and with the exception of one aberration I usually gain 2-3lbs on a 14 or 21 night cruise. I do find that those couple of pounds are lost quite easily once I'm back home. The aberration was my first cruise when I gained 7lbs in one week.:o Lesson learned and never repeated!

The issue for me Isklaar is that I would be eating salmon, grilled chicken if I ate how I did at home. Never have desserts at home or any sugar or dairy. I just remember so fondly a menu item with the above items prepared with panache and lovely vegetables on the same plate.

I well know that there are good choices which can be made, I just get a bit lazy in making them and would love a set menu item called "spa", "heart healthy", "low cal", or "light". I'm sure I'm the only one who wants this!

The issue for me Isklaar is that I would be eating salmon, grilled chicken if I ate how I did at home. Never have desserts at home or any sugar or dairy. I just remember so fondly a menu item with the above items prepared with panache and lovely vegetables on the same plate.

 

I well know that there are good choices which can be made, I just get a bit lazy in making them and would love a set menu item called "spa", "heart healthy", "low cal", or "light". I'm sure I'm the only one who wants this!

I want it too, so there are TWO of us!

This has been an interesting thread, not least because it highlights the many different approaches that are considered "healthy" eating. We each find our own way.

 

When I'm on a cruise I tend to eat how I do in my everyday life at home, but with a little more leeway so that I can enjoy the food on offer. What works for me is keeping sweets and starches to a minimum but not avoiding them completely, eating plenty of veggies and getting a reasonable amount of exercise. I don't drink fizzy/soda type drinks, sticking to lots of water and a couple of glasses a wine a day.

I always weigh myself before and after the cruise, and with the exception of one aberration I usually gain 2-3lbs on a 14 or 21 night cruise. I do find that those couple of pounds are lost quite easily once I'm back home. The aberration was my first cruise when I gained 7lbs in one week.:o Lesson learned and never repeated!

Have had a similar story on 4 previous Seabourn cruises so I am doing almost exactly as you suggest above on this one. So far so good and still enjoying the food just not overindulging like in the past.

Have had a similar story on 4 previous Seabourn cruises so I am doing almost exactly as you suggest above on this one. So far so good and still enjoying the food just not overindulging like in the past.

Glad that you're enjoying and staying healthy too!

Isklaar, I did almost exactly as you do on our last 21 day voyage. I gained four lbs which I did not think was too bad for an older woman with a sluggish metabolism. This was while walking anywhere from 15,000 to 8,000 steps a day. My only point here is that I am a bit lazy and loved it when SS made it so easy for me. I gained zero lbs on that trip, but I was at least 15 years younger at the time.

I really envy people who can eat and drink anything they want without harming their health but I am not one of them.

I believe they are harming their health but just don’t know it. I have known many people who were thin and fit who ate what they wanted to (I was one of them) but it did not mean that I or they were not harming their health. Some of us realize this in time. So don’t be despondent, you are aware, and that to me is positive.

I believe they are harming their health but just don’t know it. I have known many people who were thin and fit who ate what they wanted to (I was one of them) but it did not mean that I or they were not harming their health. Some of us realize this in time. So don’t be despondent, you are aware, and that to me is positive.

Thanks. About 5 years ago DW discovered she had osteopenia which is a precursor to osteoporosis. She was having to get infusions every six months in an attempt to stave it off. I had been working with an orthopedic surgeon at the time and noticed he never drank sodas when we had lunch together. He advised that there was something in soda that leached calcium from our bones. Told DW to knock off the diet sodas and next time she went for her infusion they told her it wasn’t necessary anymore. Well that started us on a health kick that we have honed over the years since then but not on cruises. Hence, this post and my attempts to eat healthy and still have a great cruise. I am now starting to believe it is possible by using simple guidelines and resisting the urge to overindulge just because it it there. So far after day 3 of our cruise I have used some restraint and feel fine. BTW since we have taken a healthier approach to eating we no longer get aches and pains or headaches anymore. Amazing what a healthy diet and a little exercise can do for you. lol

On cruise ships, as in “real” life, it’s up to those of us with health issues to take responsibility for managing them. It’s not fair or reasonable to expect a cruise ship chef to make our health choices for us. As a T2 diabetic I did a lot of research and quickly discovered that much of the standard medical/diet advice given by doctors is hopelessly outdated or plain wrong. Our enemy is carbohydrates (which our bodies metabolise into blood glucose) so if you cut carbs out, or at least right back - bread, rice, pasta, potato - you will quickly see a significant improvement in your BG levels. You will probably lose weight too as an added bonus. I do miss carbs, especially bread, but provided things are under control then the occasional roll or potato doesn’t seem to cause too much trouble. Diabetic 10+ years, last A1C 5.7

I will shut up now (yay, says everyone) as I admit I do get a bit evangelical about this. It’s not yet another whacko special diet, it’s common sense and I can say from personal experience that it works.

Carry on cruising, there are PLENTY of suitable food options, we just have to choose them.

I agree that there are plenty of food options and while I take advantage of them, my only point is remembering fondly a menu which was not only delightful---but healthy. That's my ONLY point. No one should contrue that the SLSD family (or any other family) doesn't know how or won't take responsibility for their healthy food choices! I am just dreaming of something from years gone by that was delightful AND healthy.

And yes RustyRollock, no one really likes evangelism...

As a T2 diabetic I did a lot of research and quickly discovered that much of the standard medical/diet advice given by doctors is hopelessly outdated or plain wrong. Our enemy is carbohydrates (which our bodies metabolise into blood glucose) so if you cut carbs out, or at least right back - bread, rice, pasta, potato - you will quickly see a significant improvement in your BG levels. You will probably lose weight too as an added bonus. I do miss carbs, especially bread, but provided things are under control then the occasional roll or potato doesn’t seem to cause too much trouble. Diabetic 10+ years, last A1C 5.7

 

I will shut up now (yay, says everyone) as I admit I do get a bit evangelical about this. It’s not yet another whacko special diet, it’s common sense and I can say from personal experience that it works.

 

Carry on cruising, there are PLENTY of suitable food options, we just have to choose them.

I think all of us who have been on a health journey become evangelists because we want others to share the benefits we enjoy.

I'm lucky that I can still do fairly extreme excercise, a 30 or 40 mile cycle would be nothing special, 60 miles / 100km and some hills is worth talking about.

I do enjoy stuff like the 7 layer TK chocolate cake - the finest on our planet :) but they are treats rather than the norm.

I thought there were designated healthy options on the main dining room menu ?

Oh, and the carb free diet is essentially the Atkins diet. I tried that for a while but ate fruit so still took in some sugars. Gives you bad breath :)

Henry :)

There are no designated healthy options on the MDR menu. There ARE vegetarian options--many of which include dairy products. I just think that the evangelists are a bit much in their implication that the rest of us don't understand the issues. We DO! But, we may have a different view as to how the chefs of SB might meet our needs.

I hope this doesn't come across as patronising and it isn't aimed at anyone in particular.

I struggle a bit seeing guests making the already busy kitchen jump through hoops only to witness those same guests quaffing vast quantities of booze, umpteen "treats", eating supposedly off limits fare when it suits them and even laughing at people engaging in gym activity.

Clearly if you have religious or moral based requirements you have every right to expect Seabourn to respect your needs and they do but when it's based on a whim and you don't put in equal effort yourself I struggle.

As said in my opening sentence this isn't aimed at anyone in particular. We all know each other on here and are grown up enough to engage in healthy debate, saying it how we see it.

Henry :)

FWIW I have not asked anyone on board, let alone a chef, to make anything special for me and I am doing fine. However if other cruise lines can produce “clean food offerings” like Celebrity Aqua Class and their Blu restaurant then I think it would be a marketing coup for Seabourn just to have one meal in the restaurant listed as “healthy fare”.

BTW also found this in the Spa section of the Seabourn site. “Our Fitness Center features high performance Technogym equipment for cardio and strength training. We also offer a series of complimentary classes including yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Or, if personal attention is preferred, our personal trainers will design a nutrition and exercise plan that will help you achieve results.“

FWIW I have not asked anyone on board, let alone a chef, to make anything special for me and I am doing fine. However if other cruise lines can produce “clean food offerings” like Celebrity Aqua Class and their Blu restaurant then I think it would be a marketing coup for Seabourn just to have one meal in the restaurant listed as “healthy fare”.

 

BTW also found this in the Spa section of the Seabourn site. “Our Fitness Center features high performance Technogym equipment for cardio and strength training. We also offer a series of complimentary classes including yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Or, if personal attention is preferred, our personal trainers will design a nutrition and exercise plan that will help you achieve results.“

I do agree with you and SLSD about offering healthy options section on the menu. I actually chatted with one of the hotel directors last year about this as there are some delicious options available. He agreed, as of course he would :D, that this is a good idea and something Seabourn talks about but they haven't gone forward with yet. It would seem to tie in though with their Wellness program they are promoting.

I am lucky enough to be fairly healthy and fit. I do exercise and am reasonably careful with what I eat, maybe not always the drink part though. However, it would be nice to have some healthy recipe options made by some of the excellent chefs I have had on Seabourn. I am talking more main course or dessert rather then a salad, soup or starter.

Just my rambling thoughts and opinion.

Julie

Thanks Julie. It's good to know that I am not totally out in left field here. And, I agree--with the touted SB Wellness program, a purposeful and designated "healthy fare" would be popular with many. I tried to always make good choices, while allowing myself the very occasional Napa Burger on the Pool Grill.

One thing that not everyone seems to know about is this: There are menu options for the Colonnade at lunch aside from the buffet. The item we repeatedly ordered was the grilled salmon with vegetables. The vegetables are nicely steamed and plain---just like we eat at home!

There are all kinds of inventive ways to prepare a super healthy meal that would be so welcome on a long cruise--or a cruise of any length.

By the way, I'm very good at forgoing "treats". I had not one bite of the new gelato while onboard for three weeks.

Susan

We cruise a lot, and my A1C was just checked and it was 5.9. I find that no crash diet is going to solve the problem, but eating what you want in moderation does work for me. I lost weight about 70 pounds over the last 10 years. Moderation is the key strategy in my opinion.

Many posters sound like they would take advantage of a healthy entrée option if it were offered.

Seabourn features Dr. Andrew Weil who agrees with many of Pritikin healthy eating recommendations. Dr. Andrew Weil has many great food options that are offered in his True Food Restaurants located in Newport Beach, California and other locations. The food is excellent even though everything is healthy. I have eaten there many times, big crowds' even office groups' that can agree on quality food that tastes good.

If Seabourn would offer one of the True Food entrée options as a healthy alternative, many would find food that tastes good but is also healthy.

(and it would help those who said they need to watch their diet to avoid gaining weight)