Hi Dania,
I agree that a low-carb diet is not going to solve your problem. Short term, it may improve your blood sugar, but long-term you’ll likely just feel like crap (as you experienced yourself) and become even more insulin resistant. It may work for some people, but for the majority of people low-carb dieting is a trap, leading to lethargy, weakness, and weird food aversions.
I have two suggestions for you:
1) Exercise daily, as much as you can. Exercise lowers blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. You can prove this to yourself. Eat a plate of pasta and check your BG. Then, the next day work out for an hour (walking is fine) and eat the same meal at the same time of day, immediately after the work-out. I guarantee your BG won’t go nearly as high. Exercise is your first weapon against becoming diabetic. If you can exercise an hour a day–not just for a couple weeks, but as a permanent lifestyle change–you will experience drastic improvements in your health that will continue for years to come.
2) Cut out the ice cream and other fatty foods. Some fat in your diet is okay and even necessary, but too much dietary fat reduces insulin sensitivity. Fatty foods also make it easier to overeat, and excess calories are going to push your BG readings up. However, this doesn’t mean you need to give up your sweet tooth. For something sweet and creamy, try making a smoothie. For example: 1 banana, 1/2 cup low-fat milk, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, and ice. This shake is delicious, and it’s a lot healthier than ice cream. You’re basically replacing the fat with protein, and I think it tastes just as good.
This is the happy medium. You don’t have to give up pasta and eat that disgusting spaghetti squash, but eat your spaghetti with chicken breast and marinara instead of beef, cheese, or white sauce. Eat fruit smoothies instead of ice cream. Try a turkey sandwich and pretzels instead of the burger and fries. And most importantly, exercise as much as you can.
That’s just my advice. Nothing too extreme is going to work long-term, but these two changes–exercising daily and moderating your fat intake–should be relatively easy to make, while bringing amazing results over time.