Newly diagnosed

Magsx1

Well-Known Member
Messages
145
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm newly diagnosed type two, is there a book on food with what's good/bad for diabetics? Thank you
 

ButtterflyLady

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,291
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
I'm newly diagnosed type two, is there a book on food with what's good/bad for diabetics? Thank you
There a few books that are often recommended here. One that I'd recommend is Carbs and Cals, because it's an easy reference book that tells you the amount of carbs and calories in foods, and it has handy photos too. My approach to diabetes is to reduce my carb intake.

Another book that you may see suggested at the forum is The Diabetes Solution by Dr Richard Bernstein.
 
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Magsx1

Well-Known Member
Messages
145
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thank you, that's very useful, it seems a mine field at the moment,I have no idea if I should have a set amount of carbs etc daily? Or is it trial and error, also I can tell when I go "Low" but how do you tell if you go "High" the docs don't allow a meter anymore , so I have bought one but the "lances" etc are very expensive, how often do I need to test? Sorry for all the questions but I'm a bit lost.
 
C

catherinecherub

Guest
The basic information will answer some of your questions.
Test on waking, before breakfast and then before each subsequent meal and before bed.
Keep a food diary and your scores and you will see a pattern start to emerge.
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals are the main carbs to look out for. You may have to eat a smaller portion of these or ditch them, depending on your results. Everybody can tell you what they eat but this may not be right for you so it is trial and error.
If your meals contain all food groups they are likely to be lower than if you eat something like toast.

Which meter did you buy? Most Type2s who are not provided with one buy the Codefree because the strips are much cheaper
 

ButtterflyLady

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,291
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
Thank you, that's very useful, it seems a mine field at the moment,I have no idea if I should have a set amount of carbs etc daily? Or is it trial and error, also I can tell when I go "Low" but how do you tell if you go "High" the docs don't allow a meter anymore , so I have bought one but the "lances" etc are very expensive, how often do I need to test? Sorry for all the questions but I'm a bit lost.

Daisy1's post will have info about how often to test. You might want to buy a different meter that has much cheaper test strips.

Many of us use the SD Codefree meter, available here:
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm

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

You may feel a bit weak when your BG is low and a bit sleepy/headachy if it goes very high. You can choose what level of carb intake suits you. I eat about 50g a day, some aim for 20g and others aim for 100-150g or more. It will become clearer as you read more and think about which foods you want to eat.
 
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Magsx1

Well-Known Member
Messages
145
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thank you, I have just ordered the carbs and cal book, thank you for taking the time to let me know .
 
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ButtterflyLady

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,291
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
Thank you, I have just ordered the carbs and cal book, thank you for taking the time to let me know .
My pleasure, it's always nice to see someone who wants to read about and do the work of diabetes management :)
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Magsx1

Hello Mags and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will provide useful reading matter for you. Ask as many questions as you want 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.