New to Pre Diabetic Club - so how can I leave?

[tomtom1]

Hi
I had a blood test recently, was not called back,but asked to see a Doctor for my peace of mind. Saw her on Friday. She confirmed my colesterol was OK but informed me that I was a 6 (or 42) on the HbA1C scale and was pre-diabetic. As I am fit -play golf once a week,swim once a week,garden etc - slim and have had what I thought was a good diet I was a bit taken aback. She told me to avoid white types of carbs and come back for another test in 12 months or sooner if I felt unwell. On Saturday I went, as previously arranged to a Beer Festival and had a total of 3 pints followed by a curry. I have now discovered this excellent site.

I have been trying to take in the information across the site and have downloaded some of the meal plans but am still a bit at sea. Could I throw myself on your collective mercy and list my current queries.

1. Is the occasional Saturday night, as above, still part of my reasonable lifestyle?
2. My favourite breakfast cereal is a muesli that a has per 45g, carbohydrates 26 g of which sugars 7.7g. Is that bad?
3. I am happy with brown rice and pasta. Is swede a good alternative to potato?
4. Is there a specific link to carb counting I should know about?
5. Since finding this site I have become very concerned at the consequences of not getting my blood sugar down, yet my Doctor did not think it important enough to get me in to review the issue and get me on the right path. That said, if I do as much of the right things as I can over the next 12 months, can I expect to no longer be pre-diabetic?
6. I have entered the competition to win a blood meter but wonder if I really need one. If I do when and how often should I use it?
7. I had not heard of some of the ingredients in the meal plans. Are they available in most supermarkets?
8. Any other advice much appreciated

Thank you.

 

[sally and james]

Hi @tomtom1
1. Yes, but you may find that your tastes gradually change.
2. Yes. Forget the "which are sugars" bit. It's the total carbs that matter. Try to avoid all breakfast cereals, look at other breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausages, hams, cheese, fish). They will keep you full for longer and won't put up your sugar levels.
3. Not sure about swede, we have celeriac and butternut squash. Be very careful with pasta and brown rice, pure carb, well almost.
4. Try looking at the dietdoctor.com web site, loads of info about low carb.
5. As far as your doctor is concerned, you have a progressive illness and anything that happens to you is not his/her fault. We know better, you can reverse your condition with a low carb diet.
6. You should definitely get a blood glucose meter. Use it before and after meals to see what different foods do to your blood sugars. Once you know what you can and can't eat, you won't need to use it all the time, just the occasional check.
7. Ingredients such as ……? You don't need to follow anyone's meal plan, in fact some meal plans I have seen are thoroughly inappropriate. Find what suits you, health, taste and availability wise.
8. Keep looking around, ask questions and get that meter.
Sally

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

Thank goodness you took control and went to see your doctor or you would never have known, and not have been able to do something about it now before you cross the line to full blown diabetic. Is it any wonder there are so many new diabetics on the scene with "care" like that!

Yes, buy a meter. Many of us use the Codefree here http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm because they have the cheapest test strips on the market, and you may need a lot initially. There is a discount code if you buy 5 or 10 boxes, which brings the price down to about £5 for 50 strips.

5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The role of carbs is an important thing to learn as a diabetic. They all convert to glucose once inside the system, including the "brown" versions. It is important to keep the portion sizes down to a minimum, or avoid certain ones completely. Your meter will tell you which ones your body isn't coping with. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals and flour are the main culprits, and we must also be careful with milk and fruit. However, your occasional Saturday night won't do you any harm. Red wine is a good drink to have for us.

The best way to find out what foods have which carbs is to buy the Carbs & Cals book from Amazon (also an app). Read the nutrition labels on food packaging and look for the Total Carbs amount. Under 5% is fine, up to 10% occasionally. Over 10% be very careful with portion sizes.

If you take heed of the carbs, there is no reason why you can't reverse this, but be aware that if you then go back to munching too many carbs you may end up back again.

@sally and james is right about some of the meal plans. Be careful.

Good luck, and do ask questions.

 

[tomtom1]

Hi @tomtom1
1. Yes, but you may find that your tastes gradually change.
2. Yes. Forget the "which are sugars" bit. It's the total carbs that matter. Try to avoid all breakfast cereals, look at other breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausages, hams, cheese, fish). They will keep you full for longer and won't put up your sugar levels.
3. Not sure about swede, we have celeriac and butternut squash. Be very careful with pasta and brown rice, pure carb, well almost.
4. Try looking at the dietdoctor.com web site, loads of info about low carb.
5. As far as your doctor is concerned, you have a progressive illness and anything that happens to you is not his/her fault. We know better, you can reverse your condition with a low carb diet.
6. You should definitely get a blood glucose meter. Use it before and after meals to see what different foods do to your blood sugars. Once you know what you can and can't eat, you won't need to use it all the time, just the occasional check.
7. Ingredients such as ……? You don't need to follow anyone's meal plan, in fact some meal plans I have seen are thoroughly inappropriate. Find what suits you, health, taste and availability wise.
8. Keep looking around, ask questions and get that meter.
Sally

Thank you Tom

 

[tomtom1]

Thank you
Tom

 

[tomtom1]

Hi and welcome,

Thank goodness you took control and went to see your doctor or you would never have known, and not have been able to do something about it now before you cross the line to full blown diabetic. Is it any wonder there are so many new diabetics on the scene with "care" like that!

Yes, buy a meter. Many of us use the Codefree here http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm because they have the cheapest test strips on the market, and you may need a lot initially. There is a discount code if you buy 5 or 10 boxes, which brings the price down to about £5 for 50 strips.

5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The role of carbs is an important thing to learn as a diabetic. They all convert to glucose once inside the system, including the "brown" versions. It is important to keep the portion sizes down to a minimum, or avoid certain ones completely. Your meter will tell you which ones your body isn't coping with. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals and flour are the main culprits, and we must also be careful with milk and fruit. However, your occasional Saturday night won't do you any harm. Red wine is a good drink to have for us.

The best way to find out what foods have which carbs is to buy the Carbs & Cals book from Amazon (also an app). Read the nutrition labels on food packaging and look for the Total Carbs amount. Under 5% is fine, up to 10% occasionally. Over 10% be very careful with portion sizes.

If you take heed of the carbs, there is no reason why you can't reverse this, but be aware that if you then go back to munching too many carbs you may end up back again.

@sally and james is right about some of the meal plans. Be careful.

Good luck, and do ask questions.

Thank you
Tom