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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
Hi all - new Type 2
- Thread starter Hartnell6
- Start Date
Liam1955
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@Hartnell6 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum 
. Will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive.
. Will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive.
Prem51
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Hi @Hartnell6 and welcome to the forum. Do you know what the figures were for your first HbA1c?
Have a read round the threads. You will see a lot of us on here have adopted a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) approach to eating which has helped us lower our blood sugar levels.
Feel free to ask any questions you want to, the people on here are friendly and supportive.
Have a read round the threads. You will see a lot of us on here have adopted a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) approach to eating which has helped us lower our blood sugar levels.
Feel free to ask any questions you want to, the people on here are friendly and supportive.
peterfgb
Member
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi all, was diagnosed a fortnight ago with type 2 with a hba1c of 77, I immediately gave up smoking and haven't had one since I think the worry and fear of the diagnosis helped me with that, the Dr said she won't put me on metformin unless my hba1c doesn't come down enough at the next test in 3 months time she wants me to alter my diet and exercise and to try and bring it down that way.
Liam1955
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daisy1
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@Hartnell6
Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer.
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 well over 147,000 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:
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer.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 well over 147,000 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
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
Hiitsme
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Welcome @Hartnell6 and @peterfgb
Yes both of your readings are a bit high but don't panic. I was diagnosed with a fasting reading of 18 and I have slowly managed to get my numbers down to mostly non-diabetic numbers. It's good that you are both testing as I feel that is the key to understanding what works for each of us individually. Read through Daisy's post and come back with questions.
Yes both of your readings are a bit high but don't panic. I was diagnosed with a fasting reading of 18 and I have slowly managed to get my numbers down to mostly non-diabetic numbers. It's good that you are both testing as I feel that is the key to understanding what works for each of us individually. Read through Daisy's post and come back with questions.
Liam1955
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@peterfgb and @Hartnell6 - Hi again . It is great that you both have Blood Glucose Meters to check your blood sugars, meters are the most important piece of a Diabetics equipment we use them to find out what foods we can eat and those foods to avoid and always remember to wash your hands before each test otherwise you may not get a true result.
Both your results are not exceedingly high - the range for Type 2's Diabetics are between 4 to 7.
. It is great that you both have Blood Glucose Meters to check your blood sugars, meters are the most important piece of a Diabetics equipment we use them to find out what foods we can eat and those foods to avoid and always remember to wash your hands before each test otherwise you may not get a true result.Both your results are not exceedingly high - the range for Type 2's Diabetics are between 4 to 7.
walnut_face
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@Hartnell6 you say you ate low carb when you were pregnant, might be an idea to go back to that regime. When you say you 'eat healthy' beware! The so called 'Eat well Guide' is very unfriendly to diabetics. Have a look at www.dietdoctor.com for some good ideas, that applies to you too @peterfgb . There is also the low carb forum here. That you both have meters tells me you are motivated and determined to control diabetes rather than it control you. If you are able to exercise that is a bonus.
Good luck on your journey, and please stick with this community, it is great for support, hints and tips
Good luck on your journey, and please stick with this community, it is great for support, hints and tips
- Messages
- 73
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
I know a lot of foods have carbohydrates in them as well as sugar and starches which doesn't help diabetes I've swapped white bread for wholemeal and blue milk to green and watch what I eat. Thank you for advice seeing dietitian soon.
walnut_face
Well-Known Member
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The big ones to avoid are Beer, Bread, Pasta, Potatoes and Rice.
This might help http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
Personally I axed all of the above, I dont even drink milk or add it to tea or coffee any more. I switched marg for butter, eat cream and full fat versions of everything. Fat is your friend, and it wont make you fat.
Resurgam
Expert
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I just got the results of my second test yesterday and am still grinning.
I'm afraid that my reduction in carbs was quite severe though - no milk, no potatoes or starchy vegetables, fruit was melon or grapes in small portions, no grain other than a few of the protein rolls from Lidl.
I did eat salads, low carb vegetables, lots of chicken and other meat, lots of fish, and I put cream in my coffee, had bacon and eggs for breakfast, or soufflé omelette with cheese or mushrooms and sweet pepper - and I really can't see any reason to change anything. I do have half a pint of beer every other week, made into a shandy with soda water, at the folk club.
My doctor doesn't want to see me to discus the results....
I'm afraid that my reduction in carbs was quite severe though - no milk, no potatoes or starchy vegetables, fruit was melon or grapes in small portions, no grain other than a few of the protein rolls from Lidl.
I did eat salads, low carb vegetables, lots of chicken and other meat, lots of fish, and I put cream in my coffee, had bacon and eggs for breakfast, or soufflé omelette with cheese or mushrooms and sweet pepper - and I really can't see any reason to change anything. I do have half a pint of beer every other week, made into a shandy with soda water, at the folk club.
My doctor doesn't want to see me to discus the results....
