New to the Site- Hello!

ncpd25

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Just found this site after I was trying to find a link for a low carb cake recipe. I'm a Type 1 and have been on a pump for a while now. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. Been in a nationwide study called the DCCT, as well as, the follow-up study EDIC. Having diabetes has been a journey but, thankfully no major issues.......
 
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daddys1

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,353
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @ncpd25 & welcome to the forum, you have certainly come to the right place for lots of help and information plus a lot of support.

I will tag @daisy1 , she will be along with a long list of very helpful information we give to all new members. She probably won't be along until your evening now, it's midnight here in the UK

I'm a type 2 so cannot really help you, but there are plenty of recipes on this site and plenty of type1's

Please look a round the forum and don't be afraid to ask what ever questions you need to.

Neil
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@ncpd25

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

This is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful even though you are not newly diagnosed. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will come along and help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 140,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 

ncpd25

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Thank you daisy1,
Eventhough I've had type 1 for many years, I feel there's alway more or new things to learn from others with the disease. I live on my own which can be a concern and it's constantly in the back of my mind that if something happens, there's nobody that could lend a hand.
Thanks again for the info.

Greg
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,650
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi and welcome. It's diificult to avoid carbs in cake but almond flour is always good but expensive. My wife sometimes bakes 'Molly cake' (Google it) and doesn't add any sugar just relying on the sweetness in the currants.
 

Mrsass

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,188
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hey Greg, welcome along, hope you find the forum useful, I've no doubt you will :)

I'm type 1 too, how long have you been diabetic?

Abbie
 

ncpd25

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I was diagnosed in 1987. Twenty eight years later and thankfully, doing O.K. I was fortunate enough to get into the study I previously mentioned (DCCT-EDIC) which determined intensive treatment cuts down on complications. I check my blood sugar 8-9 times a day and use a pump. I worked as a police officer in New York (Nassau County, Long Island). At the time, we worked rotating shifts which made things challenging. Worked 4- 8am to 4pm, 2 days off, then 4- 4pm to midnight, 2 days off then 3- midnight to 8am and 3 days off. Then started day shift again. Trying to juggle blood sugars wasn't easy with the constant change.
I no longer work law enforcement after being injured. I work for an insurance company as a fraud investigator and work regular business hours. When I was first diagnosed, my blood sugars were 975. If you're in the UK, I know your numbers are different. As stressful as managing diabetes can be, I feel it's the "lesser of many evils".
 

ncpd25

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi and welcome. It's diificult to avoid carbs in cake but almond flour is always good but expensive. My wife sometimes bakes 'Molly cake' (Google it) and doesn't add any sugar just relying on the sweetness in the currants.
I was able to find the recipes I was looking for. It was a recipe by Paula Deen (The ex- television cook). She always make the most unhealthy dishes on TV (loads of butter, sugar etc...). She was diagnosed as a type 2 a short while back and "converted" some of he recipes. The recipe called for a cup and a half of confectioners sugar. I think I'll look elsewhere. My Mother was a nutritionist for 45 years and was always a wealth of knowledge. She only ate organic foods, never used refined sugar, white flour etc.... I use some supplements she suggested I use. I think they help. My Mom was a British war bride.