hello

[wymkof]

Just a quick hello.
Hope this forum answers a lot of questions i have floting in my mind.

 

[ebony321]

Hi,

I'm sure it will, ask anything you like and people will always be happy to listen, support or try answer any questions you have

 

[daisy1]

Hi wymkof and welcome to the forum You will find answers to all your questions on here - use the search engine to help you or post a question and someone will come up with the answer. In the meantime here is some advice which should help already to answer some of your questions. It is for newly diagnosed members but I am not sure how long you have been diagnosed for (your profile says 1 year but possibly this is not exact). You still may be helped by this information as it may differ from what you already know and is what we believe in. This text was prepared by the forum monitors.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS.
Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Sue/Ken.

 

[Summermum]

Welcome this site has saved my sanity in the last 6 weeks!
hope you find the help you need

 

[wymkof]

Thank you for all your greetings.

I was diagnosed a type 2 diabetic 16 months ago.
I have only just been given a test strips so I can keep an eye on BG after a lot of asking the doctor.
I have been testing first thing in the morning before any food and it’s been averaging out at 6.5.
Here is the first question do I worry is it to high?

 

[daisy1]

It would be a better guide to your levels if you gave us your fasting level (immediately after getting up), your before meal levels, 2 hours after eating, and before going to bed. By doing that you can see what effect the food you are eating is having on your levels. If you can't get many strips you don't have to do it every day once you know what certain foods do to you. See the recommended levels in the text I posted for you. Your fasting levels fall within the recommended bracket if you don't get highs over 7

 

[wymkof]

It would be a better guide to your levels if you gave us your fasting level (immediately after getting up), your before meal levels, 2 hours after eating, and before going to bed. By doing that you can see what effect the food you are eating is having on your levels. If you can't get many strips you don't have to do it every day once you know what certain foods do to you. See the recommended levels in the text I posted for you. Your fasting levels fall within the recommended bracket if you don't get highs over 7

Thanks Daisy1. I will start to do that as of tonight and then post the results