........aaaaand another one!

[Jim_AFCB]

Hello all,

Newly diagnosed as of about a month ago. HBA1C is, I think, 62. Thats the number i was given, assume it's related to that (HBA1C). I understand that's marginal-ish, so I'm only just diabetic, but it certainly needs to be managed.

Have been treated for high chlorestorol for some 25 years, and high BP for not quite as long. I recently have been given further treatment and BP is now more sensible, 120s/80s rather than 100-and-stupid/100-and-sod-off.

Saw the Diabetic nurse (I assume that means she is a specialist in treating diabetes, rather then she is diabetic herself!), and we're going down the looking at diet route, which means closely monitoring carb intake. I've read up on what to look for WRT food labels, types of food etc. so I guess it is spreadsheet time.....

I am wondering whether it is worth self-monitoring blood suger levels for a bit to see what foods I tolerate or otherwise, to give me something of an idea of foods I can eat without spiking my blood suger too much, (as I know there are differences in the types of foods containing carbs and how quickly the body reacts.)

If I do, then presumably a device using a lancet to provide a drop to put on a litmus and place in a reader is the way to do it? - I have seen the watches one can wear that will measure glucose levels, but from reading reviews, they appear to be as useful as Sooty and Sweep without hands up their backsides..... Have also seen other monitors involving a patch, but looks like thats an expensive way to do it. More reading required...

 

[MissMuffett]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have joined a wonderful and supportive community. You will get lots of information about low carb. It’s good that you have a clued up diabetic nurse, as most (including mine) give out a diet sheet advising carbs with every meal
I think a BG testing kit is essential for finding out which foods gives you spikes.
Have you been on a statin for your high cholesterol? Research has shown this eventually causes type 2 diabetes, which is unfortunate if this is the case for you.

 

[Colin Crowhurst]

Given how "marginal" you are (not a term that is really used), dietary control is clearly a very strong option in my humble opinion!
So lower those carbs ( i look at 200g per day but i am fairly active also!)
Without a BG meter you wont know if it is working but i would suggest getting the "free" sample Libre 2 from Abbott and using that for its two weeks! Awesome piece of kit and shows trends better.

I would also suggest you resist "panic" eating or fasting if things go slightly out of range and instead recheck after 30 mins THEN take action if it needs!

Also a conservative approach to raising/lowering BG rather than expecting a massive change overall worked wonders for me!

Good luck and best wishes

 

[Jim_AFCB]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have joined a wonderful and supportive community. You will get lots of information about low carb. It’s good that you have a clued up diabetic nurse, as most (including mine) give out a diet sheet advising carbs with every meal
I think a BG testing kit is essential for finding out which foods gives you spikes.
Have you been on a statin for your high cholesterol? Research has shown this eventually causes type 2 diabetes, which is unfortunate if this is the case for you.

Yes been on statins for 25 years!

Having said that - T2 runs in the family, so I may well have developed it anyway.

 

[Jim_AFCB]

Given how "marginal" you are (not a term that is really used), dietary control is clearly a very strong option in my humble opinion!
So lower those carbs ( i look at 200g per day but i am fairly active also!)
Without a BG meter you wont know if it is working but i would suggest getting the "free" sample Libre 2 from Abbott and using that for its two weeks! Awesome piece of kit and shows trends better.

I would also suggest you resist "panic" eating or fasting if things go slightly out of range and instead recheck after 30 mins THEN take action if it needs!

Also a conservative approach to raising/lowering BG rather than expecting a massive change overall worked wonders for me!

Good luck and best wishes

Thank you Colin.

my eating habits are very regular... eat meals at pretty much the same times each day and I'm not one for snacking in between, so at least thats not one battle I need to fight..
First thing I need to do is get some sort of idea as to what my normal carb intake is. Spreadsheet time!

 

[JenniferM55]

Welcome to this really supportive forum.

Essential advice regarding a glucose metre.

I'd also recommend logging each morsal you eat on one of the free apps, Fatsecret, MyFitnessPal, Carb Manager and Cronometer are the ones I've used/tested in the past, settling on Cronometer through a browser. The basic versions of the apps are free (obviously with adverts) but the paid versions offer more data analysis. You'll no doubt be surprised regarding carb content of some so called 'healthy' foods. You'll soon build up menus that'll keep your carb consumption down.

Any questions, then ask away, we've all been standing in your shoes once.

 

[Rachox]

Hi @Jim_AFCB and welcome to the forum. Low carb diet, blood sugar testing and a spreadsheet is the way to go in my opinion. I’m a bit of a numbers geek and love any excuse for a spreadsheet!

I have to say though that 62 is well into the diabetes range.

Glycosylated haemoglobin & diabetes. HbA1c facts, units, diagnosis, testing frequency, limitations, control & conversion. How blood glucose levels link to A1c.

Glycosylated haemoglobin & diabetes. HbA1c facts, units, diagnosis, test frequency, limitations, control, conversion. How blood glucose levels link to A1c.

www.diabetes.co.uk

In case you go down the testing route here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

 

[Thornliebank]

Hi @Jim_AFCB and welcome to the forum. Low carb diet, blood sugar testing and a spreadsheet is the way to go in my opinion. I’m a bit of a numbers geek and love any excuse for a spreadsheet!

I have to say though that 62 is well into the diabetes range.

Glycosylated haemoglobin & diabetes. HbA1c facts, units, diagnosis, testing frequency, limitations, control & conversion. How blood glucose levels link to A1c.

Glycosylated haemoglobin & diabetes. HbA1c facts, units, diagnosis, test frequency, limitations, control, conversion. How blood glucose levels link to A1c.

www.diabetes.co.uk

In case you go down the testing route here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

Hi R

 

[Thornliebank]

Hi Rachox,
Im finding it so difficult to know without a meter how I’m doing.
first blood test diabetic ( been told pre diabetic for a long time , no explanation so took no notice as knew nothing about diabetes)
second blood test not diabetic down to 42.
im trying very hard to get it down further but have no idea how I’m doing ,
im 83 find the numbers very confusing, so would like to buy a meter , but need the simplest one to work and read ,
can you advise a very confused old lady please ?

 

[Rachox]

Hi Rachox,
Im finding it so difficult to know without a meter how I’m doing.
first blood test diabetic ( been told pre diabetic for a long time , no explanation so took no notice as knew nothing about diabetes)
second blood test not diabetic down to 42.
im trying very hard to get it down further but have no idea how I’m doing ,
im 83 find the numbers very confusing, so would like to buy a meter , but need the simplest one to work and read ,
can you advise a very confused old lady please ?

All of the meters listed are quite straight forward to operate, the Tee 2+ is probably the one with the clearest read out.

 

[KennyA]

Hi Jim_AFCB and welcome

I'd endorse what's been said above - you're well into diabetes territory, but you can do something about it. Some willpower needed. Test your blood with the glucometer before eating and at +2 hrs to see how well your system copes with the carb load you're putting it under, and reduce or remove the foods that your system doesn't cope with. These will probably be carbs ansd sugars, and the likely suspects are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, pastry, and sweet stuff. All carbs turn to glucose when digested, so cutting out the sweet stuff is not the whole story.

Beer has quite a bit of carb (estimate 15-16g/pint), and alcohol in general can suppress blood glucose readings (it stops the liver adding glucose to your blood) so you may get "artificial" low readings.

A constant glucose monitor can give you a lot of additional information but unless you're going to use one exclusively I'd wait a bit. There will be a lot of stuff to get used to, and you need some basic information to be able to make sense of what the CGM will tell you.

I found this forum really useful, particularly in the early days after diagnosis. 99.9% of what I know about my condition I learned on here. We've all been through this, and there are no stupid questions, trust me.

 

[aylalake]

I love my CodeFree and you can get strips at a reasonable price, particularly if you buy 3 tubs at a time and quote a discount code at checkout. (Not sure if I can put it on here - Mods?)

 

[Thornliebank]

Hi Jim_AFCB and welcome

I'd endorse what's been said above - you're well into diabetes territory, but you can do something about it. Some willpower needed. Test your blood with the glucometer before eating and at +2 hrs to see how well your system copes with the carb load you're putting it under, and reduce or remove the foods that your system doesn't cope with. These will probably be carbs ansd sugars, and the likely suspects are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, pastry, and sweet stuff. All carbs turn to glucose when digested, so cutting out the sweet stuff is not the whole story.

Beer has quite a bit of carb (estimate 15-16g/pint), and alcohol in general can suppress blood glucose readings (it stops the liver adding glucose to your blood) so you may get "artificial" low readings.

A constant glucose monitor can give you a lot of additional information but unless you're going to use one exclusively I'd wait a bit. There will be a lot of stuff to get used to, and you need some basic information to be able to make sense of what the CGM will tell you.

I found this forum really useful, particularly in the early days after diagnosis. 99.9% of what I know about my condition I learned on here. We've all been through this, and there are no stupid questions, trust me.

Im at last trying to get to understand the number situition.
Im being very good with what I eat so am interested in how Im doing so have ordered a meter to see,
my weight not changing much , which is interesting .
I do have a glass of red with dinner any idea of carbs in that , I might have to change toa gin a d Tonic , if that’s less.

 

[KennyA]

I love my CodeFree and you can get strips at a reasonable price, particularly if you buy 3 tubs at a time and quote a discount code at checkout. (Not sure if I can put it on here - Mods?)

A discount code? breaches no rules, providing you're not profiting.

 

[KennyA]

Im at last trying to get to understand the number situition.
Im being very good with what I eat so am interested in how Im doing so have ordered a meter to see,
my weight not changing much , which is interesting .
I do have a glass of red with dinner any idea of carbs in that , I might have to change toa gin a d Tonic , if that’s less.

This might help generally:

Best and Worst Low Carb Alcohol Drinks – Visual Guide – Diet Doctor

What are the best and the worst alcoholic drinks on a low carb diet? There is a huge difference between different kinds of drinks.

www.dietdoctor.com

I usually allow 2-4g for a glass of red, the drier reds tend to be lower carb. Gin is zero carb - most standard tonics may have a lot of sugar so go for a "diet" version.

 

[Thornliebank]

This might help generally:

Best and Worst Low Carb Alcohol Drinks – Visual Guide – Diet Doctor

What are the best and the worst alcoholic drinks on a low carb diet? There is a huge difference between different kinds of drinks.

www.dietdoctor.com

I usually allow 2-4g for a glass of red, the drier reds tend to be lower carb. Gin is zero carb - most standard tonics may have a lot of sugar so go for a "diet" version.

Again thanks I won’t feel guilty tonight

 

[Jim_AFCB]

Hi @Jim_AFCB and welcome to the forum. Low carb diet, blood sugar testing and a spreadsheet is the way to go in my opinion. I’m a bit of a numbers geek and love any excuse for a spreadsheet!

I have to say though that 62 is well into the diabetes range.

Thanks Rachox for the useful into, I'll look through those.

I was a bit confused re: numbers, doc told me it was 45 which he said is marginal, but when I went to see the nurse, she told me is was into the 60s, so one of them is wrong lol.

Thanks Kenny.

I don't drink much, when I do it's usually cider or wine. I looked at the article linked to... cider not listed! But guessing it's not far off the sort of levels in beer as it's quite sweet.

 

[KennyA]

Thanks Rachox for the useful into, I'll look through those.

I was a bit confused re: numbers, doc told me it was 45 which he said is marginal, but when I went to see the nurse, she told me is was into the 60s, so one of them is wrong lol.


Thanks Kenny.

I don't drink much, when I do it's usually cider or wine. I looked at the article linked to... cider not listed! But guessing it's not far off the sort of levels in beer as it's quite sweet.

Wine is generally manageable - around 2-4g per glass, with the drier wines at the lower end.

Cider seems to be a little bit more carby than beer, although there is some wildly contradictory stuff on the internet - just seen Strongbow Cider quoted at 2.9g carbs per pint. I think this is wrong - it's more like 2.9g/100ml. If you take 600ml as being roughly the same as an imperial pint, you get about 18g or so per pint, which is about the same as most beers.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hello all,

Newly diagnosed as of about a month ago. HBA1C is, I think, 62. Thats the number i was given, assume it's related to that (HBA1C). I understand that's marginal-ish, so I'm only just diabetic, but it certainly needs to be managed.

Have been treated for high chlorestorol for some 25 years, and high BP for not quite as long. I recently have been given further treatment and BP is now more sensible, 120s/80s rather than 100-and-stupid/100-and-sod-off.

Saw the Diabetic nurse (I assume that means she is a specialist in treating diabetes, rather then she is diabetic herself!), and we're going down the looking at diet route, which means closely monitoring carb intake. I've read up on what to look for WRT food labels, types of food etc. so I guess it is spreadsheet time.....

I am wondering whether it is worth self-monitoring blood suger levels for a bit to see what foods I tolerate or otherwise, to give me something of an idea of foods I can eat without spiking my blood suger too much, (as I know there are differences in the types of foods containing carbs and how quickly the body reacts.)

If I do, then presumably a device using a lancet to provide a drop to put on a litmus and place in a reader is the way to do it? - I have seen the watches one can wear that will measure glucose levels, but from reading reviews, they appear to be as useful as Sooty and Sweep without hands up their backsides..... Have also seen other monitors involving a patch, but looks like thats an expensive way to do it. More reading required...

Get thee a meter: a regular pricky one'll do for now, though I have a feeling you'll splash on a CGM sometime... You're into spreadsheets, and that does give an awful lot of data to go wild on. But do start with a regular Tee2 or something, get a feel for it, then see what you'd like to do further down the road. And yeah, if it's a watch or a ring or anything that doesn't actually penetrate the skin, it's not going to tell you anything useful. None of us are pricking fingers for the sheer joy of it, or buying CGM's because we like bleeding money left and right. They're the most reliable way to find out how you're doing, so stick with those, and stick thyself.

https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help some in the foods department.

Welcome to the club, and good luck!
Jo

 

[Jim_AFCB]

OK so I've gone for the GlucoNavii and 250 strips, hopefully will be with me tomorrow. Not concerned about a short stab to a finger.

Sounds a daft question, but what are users' experiences of testing?
Do you usally keep to the same finger or rotate things a bit?
Better to use left or right hand? (in the case of a right handed person)?
Any cumulative issues for fingers arising over time from testing?

I plan to monitor my BG for a couple of days consuming what is currently "normal" for me to give me some starting figures before I start making changes.

From a dietry point of view, I'm starting to look at this in detail.

Can see some quick wins just in the morning - taking my morning medication with cranberry juice instead of OJ, and I've tried Canderal Sugerly in my coffee (I have 2 mugs in the morning, and tea with no sugar rest of day) - it's just ok, but not the same as my demerara that I usually have. So there is 63g of carbs daily gone straight away. If I lose the 9.30am Belvita with my 2nd mug after the school walk with my little daughter, there's another 35g.
It's a start.. lol.