In the dark....

String

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not being able to
Hi first post on here and as the title says i feel like i'm being kept in the dark by my GP!

I'm 44 and 2 weeks ago i went to the doctors for a blood test as i had been feeling tired a lot and also have had a cold on and off since October!
My wife is a child minder and i have 2 young boys (2 year old and a 6 month old) so i was told kids were virus carriers but i pushed him for the tests as i was sick of being palmed off!

Had the test on a Tuesday and got a call Wednesday saying the nurse needed to speak to me as my ALT's (Liver functions i think which can be affected by statins) and blood Sugars had abnormalities.
It took until Friday for a nurse to call me and tell me that my HBA1c was a reading of 45 and i had Pre-diabetes, but couldn't discuss my other results.

So i've been booked in for a blood test in a months time and advised to have a low carb high protein diet....end of call no further info and i am on my own :(

My lovely wife set to doing some research on foods i can have, i know my diet has not helped as i had started having breakfast biscuits in a morning with bananas and sandwiches with white bread on a lunch lots of potato's and carbs for dinner then more bread for supper with crisps in between.
I was also not adverse to the odd pasty or McD's when i was out and about for work and unable to get lunch. Oh and i loved ***** sweets, Baked beans and soups.

I already had started to go running once a week building it up as its hard to run with my weight! I used to weight train a long time ago and ate well.

She has started me on a regime of a healthy breakfast of eggs bacon mushrooms and so on, chicken salads for dinner (already sick of these lol) got some Bergen linseed bread for sandwiches and evening meals with meat veg but little or no carbs. I have been eating a guilty meal of weetabix for supper don't know if thats good. I have been on this diet for 5 days now.

I weighed 17 stone 12 lbs when i was diagnosed 8 days ago and have already lost a little.

I already have hereditary High blood pressure (25 years of it) and High Cholesterol plus i have been diagnosed finally with Meniere's disease which means i cannot have any stimulants such as red bull caffeine or alcohol, I have had probably 4 pints in total in the past year and the same the year before so don't drink anymore anyway....no that doesn't bother me unless i see a beer garden!

Not sure what symptoms i have had except tiredness and blurred vision mainly ion a morning but i put that down to the kids.

So what do i do now? i've been offered no further tests other than the blood test. I am not sure how in-depth to take the diet and do i need to be testing my blood?

Phew and breathe!! sorry for the long post and cheers in advance!
 

daddys1

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,353
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @String & welcome to the forum, you have come to the right place for lots of help & support.

So far your doing all the right things except for the weetabix. Most on here test to see what foods will spike you or raise your sugars to unacceptable levels.

Please don't do what I did, diagnosed Pre at an HBA1C of 46 then ate what I thought was correct foods and ended up diabetic within 9 months, I am now on the Low Carbohydrate High Fat diet my weight has come off 16st 8lbs to 13 st 8 lbs cholesterol down and out of the diabetic range.

I will tag @daisy1 who will come along with lots of very useful information we give to all new members, have a good look round the site and ask as many questions as 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.
@String

Hello String and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will be able to 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 150,000 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.
 
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4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forum. LCHF is a good way to go, if you have a good look around the LC forums and on Pinterest you will find a lot of great alternative food choices to replace some of bad. As you are pre diabetic dont ve too hard on yourself. It is better to make small changes that will last instead of big changes that wont. Even if your aim for now is to cut down on some if the carb laden foods instead of trying to cut them out conpletely. Getting a meter is easential if you want to keep track of your BS. You will be able to see which foods spike your BS and which dont as we are all different , you can then request an HbA1c test in 3 months time to see if it has come down and you will know whether or not the dietary changes you have made are working.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome,

You seem to be eating the right stuff at the moment, although Weetabix should be off the menu along with other cereals. If you are eating Bergen bread that is fine, but you need to limit the amount to possibly one slice, maybe 2 slices, and not eaten with other carbs in the same meal. Look out for hidden carbs (fruit and milk particularly as they contain a lot of sugar) and read all food labels for carb content.

From what you say, your doctor/nurse are doing the right things. The blood test in a month's time will be to confirm the results of this last one, and you should then be asked to go in and discuss matters with either the GP or the nurse.. All you need for a diabetes diagnosis is a blood test. If you lose the extra pounds you are carrying and eat low carb, the ALT score should also come down.

Have a look at this thread, which you may find very useful. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/

Good luck, and ask all the questions you wish.
 
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slip

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,523
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Wheatabix - I can think of worse 'breakfast' cereals to have!

Your wife sounds like a Rock! and you're doing all the right things - good for you!
 
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msmi1970

Well-Known Member
Messages
382
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi String. You are on the right track with your dietary changes. No Sugar. No Starch..It works for most people.

I was over 22 stone. Down to around 16 now (in 10 months) without any exercise. I know how tough exercise can be. Change your diet, lose the weight & you will be raring to go.

I am a Type 2 diabetic. Also with family history of hypertension. 160/100 when i changed my diet. Slowly but surely & with no medication, my resting BP is now 115/75.

My ALT was borderline. It halved in just 4 months. In fact, all my fatty liver markers more than halved.

Read the excellent advice posted by Daisy1. Take it step by step. It's a long process but ultimately very rewarding.

All the best!!
Mo
 
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WeeFergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
579
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Cruelty to humans and animals.
A very warm welcome to you @String . The posts above have provided you with a lot of good advice but keep asking questions if you have any. There's a lot of very experienced members on this forum who will keep you (and your lovely wife) on the right track to enable you to lower your BG levels and feel better than you have in years.
 
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String

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not being able to
Thank you all for your advice so far and a warm welcome :)

Things never seem as daunting with a little help.

My only regret so far is that i will miss my weetabix!
But i do feel better mentally and i tend to stick to a regime once i get started so i'm looking forward to losing weight.

Anything that helps me keep up with my boys is always a step forward and i'll be searching the forum avidly!
 
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Mazzer

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi String, welcome to the Forum, you won't miss your weetabix for long, there are so many other things to eat for brekkie and much more tasty.

There is a lot of help and support on here, so you are not alone.

Take care

Marilyn
 
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SueB743

Well-Known Member
Messages
376
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome from me too. Looks as though you have already made changes for the better and are likely to see the pounds fall off in no time. Loads of good stuff and recipes in the food section too which should help
 
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