Hi

Robertt082

Newbie
Messages
1
Hi people my name is Robert Thomson I'm 29 years of age and just been diagnosed with being a type 1 diabetic at the end of July finding it really tough at the moment trying to find out what food is best for me to eat ? And also like a beer at the weekend but I've been unable to have one in a few weeks ( to scared to try )
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Robert and welcome to the forum :) Yes - it's confusing and there's a lot to learn. With regards to particular foods and drinks, the best thing to do is to try a little and test to see what your levels do. It is different for each person. Here is some general advice we give to newly diagnosed members which may help you to get started. Have a good read around the forum then ask as many questions as you like as there is always someone who will have an answer for you.

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 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
 

Robbieowen55

Member
Messages
9
Hi Robert I am also 29 and was diagnosed with Type1 about 6 weeks ago so know exactly how you are feeling it come as a total shock!

Try to control you blood glucose levels as best as you can before starting on the old demon booze I like a drink to mate and am going away in a few weekends with the boys for the fist time since being on insulin.

Had a glass of wine the other night with a meal and felt quite rough afterwards so I am realising that I will have to take it easy for while.

What dosage of insulin are you on mate and are you working with your dietician on carb counting it really helps and gives you an understanding of what you can have and how much Novorapid you can have with meals!

Also if you can get them to give you a brand new insulinx
 

Robbieowen55

Member
Messages
9
Insulinx meter you enter the carbs you are gonna have and it tells you how much insulin to take! It's sweet FairPlay! If you need any advice from a fellow newbie just PM me cheers mate Robbie
 

etmsreec

Well-Known Member
Messages
109
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Welcome Robert.
Not sure who did the diagnosis and who's supervising you now, but hopefully you have contact details and appointments with a Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) to help you.
It's probably fair to say that neither you nor the DSN will stop learning - it's a lifelong experience!
Your dietician and DSN should be able to help you on which foods are good for you and which foods should be taken less often or in smaller quantities. They'll also be able to help with the question of alcohol. In my experience, though, the important thing to remember is NOT to count the carbs in the alcohol. If anything, take a little MORE carbohydrate as the alcohol will naturally lower the blood sugar.
Steve
 

scni

Member
Messages
11
Robertt082 said:
Hi people my name is Robert Thomson I'm 29 years of age and just been diagnosed with being a type 1 diabetic at the end of July finding it really tough at the moment trying to find out what food is best for me to eat ? And also like a beer at the weekend but I've been unable to have one in a few weeks ( to scared to try )

drink guniess instead :D i was diagnosed last july and am still coming to terms with it. hang in there and embrace diabetes. takes a while to figure out but nothing has really changed in my life.