New to this

[kim2109]

Hi have just been diagnosed this week with type 2 diabetes. It's all a bit of a minefield right now my blood sugars are in the 20's and need to bring these down any advice would be welcome about what to do 1st? Thanks in advance

 

[Resurgam]

With any luck you can lower your blood glucose down to more normal levels by cutting out the high carb foods we are all encouraged to eat as they are 'healthy' - and addictive too.
There is an advice sheet which I can tag @daisy1 for, which gives good advice.
I stopped eating all carbs for a day or so, just to turn things around, then had salads and low carb veges - but I had started eating low carb a long time ago - there was so much opposition to it over the years, but for a type two diabetic it has meant a whole new lease of life.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

It would be helpful if you could tell us a little bit more, such as your HbA1c and which diabetes medications you are on.

If you haven't been given a meter by your nurse/doctor, you need to buy one. Most of us Type 2s buy our own. They are essential tools, and without one we are working blind. When buying one you need to check the price of replacement test strips first. You only need one meter but you need many thousands of test strips. The cheapest are the Codefree and the Tee2, both available on-line but not from pharmacies.

The Codefree is here
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

 

[kim2109]

Hi @Bluetit1802 thank you for your reply and advice. I was only diagnosed on Tuesday all the dr said was the blood test I had showed I was diabetic as the reading was extremely high. I have an appointment with the diabetic nurse on the 19th and will be put on metformin, I have purchased a meter today not sure whether I will be given one but thought it would be helpful to have my own. How long have you been diabetic for? I am overweight and desperately need to loose a couple of stone I've joined slimming world recently so hoping that will help, can you recommend any diets to follow?

 

[kim2109]

Hi @Resurgam thanks for your reply and advice. I'm hoping so, yes please an advice sheet would be very helpful. How long have you been diabetic? I will follow a healthy low carb diet any good books I can get?

 

[kim2109]

With any luck you can lower your blood glucose down to more normal levels by cutting out the high carb foods we are all encouraged to eat as they are 'healthy' - and addictive too.
There is an advice sheet which I can tag @daisy1 for, which gives good advice.
I stopped eating all carbs for a day or so, just to turn things around, then had salads and low carb veges - but I had started eating low carb a long time ago - there was so much opposition to it over the years, but for a type two diabetic it has meant a whole new lease of life.

Hi I replied underneath thank you

 

[Mike d]

Look up LCHF ... low carb and hi fat ... what do you eat currently? That weightcan be lost if you put in the work and walking is one of the best ways ...a LOT of it

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi @Bluetit1802 thank you for your reply and advice. I was only diagnosed on Tuesday all the dr said was the blood test I had showed I was diabetic as the reading was extremely high. I have an appointment with the diabetic nurse on the 19th and will be put on metformin, I have purchased a meter today not sure whether I will be given one but thought it would be helpful to have my own. How long have you been diabetic for? I am overweight and desperately need to loose a couple of stone I've joined slimming world recently so hoping that will help, can you recommend any diets to follow?

When you see your nurse, ask her for a print out of all your test results. Not just the HbA1c but also the cholesterol, breakdown of cholesterol, liver and kidney functions and anything else they threw in. These are all important to diabetics and we need to keep an eye on all of them. It is best you know where you are starting from. Sadly, we know on here that we can't always trust our doctors to tell us if something is still normal but verging on the abnormal. They don't notice! They only notice the abnormal - and not even then sometimes. This is why we need the informatiion in black and white. You could also ask if your surgery puts test results online and how to register for it.

Well done for buying a meter. You can use it to work out a suitable diet for yourself.
Test before you eat
Test again 2 hours after first bite
Look at the rise from before to after, which you should try to keep under 2mmol/l (preferably less).
If more than this, there are too many carbs in that meal so you need to reduce portion sizes or eliminate.
Keep a food diary of all the ingredients in your meal including portion sizes
Record your BS levels alongside and look for patterns.
This is called eating to your meter.

I was diagnosed in January 2014. I started on a low carb diet and lost 4 and a half stone in 9 or 10 months and got my BS down. I have maintained my new weight ever since. I still follow a low carb diet and higher fat. (no low fat products and I don't actively avoid fats)

You may find Slimming World is a bit too carbohydrate heavy. All carbs turn to sugar once inside the system, so the fewer you eat the lower your BS will be. This includes all the wholemeal versions. The worst for raising blood sugars are bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals. We also need to be careful with fruit - and milk also has carbs. For fruit, berries are best, bananas and grapes are worst.

Sorry this is a bit long and sorry if I have confused you even more. Just read round and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[Rachox]

Welcome! I'm four months from diagnosis. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin and tolerate it well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up low carb dieting and self monitoring. To date I've lost nearly three and a half stone and got my HbA1c down significantly, all due to the advise I got here
I'm sure you'll do it too!

 

[pleinster]

Hi @kim2109. Lots of good advice above. I would expect you may hear that you don't need to test and that you should eat a "healthy diet" (including carbs etc) unless your nurse is more informed and more bold than the average. The NHS is, for various reasons, taking time to get up to to speed with low carb dieting and the best ways for Type 2s to monitor themselves...so it's good to know you have the initiative to buy a meter and investigate LCHF dieting. I was diagnosed well over two years ago following a transplant (required due to inheriting a kidney disease). I have been managing it purely by eating mainly a low carb diet (I am a bit more relaxed about it now due to real progress) and by reference to my meter (an with info form initially keeping food/meter reading diary). My HbA1c has dropped down well and level is generally in the "normal range". I am by no means unusual on this site. Weight has never been an issue for me but I understand that it really is the carbs which lead to weight gain rather than certain kinds of fat in foods. The fewer carbs there are in the diet, the more the body will burn off fat for energy...so remember to include "good" fat in your diet (oily fish, avocado, nuts etc). I really would urge you to record times, levels and food eaten for a while - you will learn a lot from the patterns that emerge. Good luck.

 

[Salvia]

Hi @kim2109, and welcome to the forum. You appear to have made an excellent start and have taken control of things very well. You asked about a good diet to follow, and several folks above have mentioned the benefits they have found from a low carb way of eating; I've followed this myself and have had good results, it's so much easier than having to count calories, and feeling hungry all the time. This site runs a Low Carb programme to help people get started, that you might like to think about, it's free, just join up and follow it at your own pace: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/

 

[Guzzler]

Hi there and welcome to the community. There's a lot to take in at first but very soon you will have the knowledge to take care of your own well being, it is amazing that with just a few changes you can live with your diagnosis of T2 without having to worry about it. Take it steady.

 

[AM1874]

Hi @kim2109 .. and welcome
I agree with all the advice that you have been given above and you will have realised by now that you have certainly made a good move coming here. A key point that I would add is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people.

I would also mention that you will probably come across a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information .. most of us do .. and it can cause worries and doubt. However, a way that I have found to deal with this is by employing a couple of useful little mantras that I use in appropriate circumstances - eg:

When Health Care Professionals (HCPs) are giving you typical NHS "advice" ..
# Listen
# Nod
# Smile and say thankyou
# Ignore

and when they are "advising" about diet as you are developing your LCHF lifestyle ..
# Only eat real food
# Only eat when you are hungry
# Only eat until you are full

Hope this helps

 

[daisy1]

@kim2109
Hello Kim and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Have a look at the Low Carb Program linked below as it will help. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer 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 250,000 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

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

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.

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.

 

[kim2109]

Look up LCHF ... low carb and hi fat ... what do you eat currently? That weightcan be lost if you put in the work and walking is one of the best ways ...a LOT of it

I have been eating a low fat diet, will look that up thank you, yeah I love walking have invested in a treadmill too.

 

[kim2109]

@kim2109
Hello Kim and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Have a look at the Low Carb Program linked below as it will help. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer 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 250,000 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

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

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.

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.

Hi Thanks so much that's really helpful will study all this new information

 

[kim2109]

Hi @kim2109 .. and welcome
I agree with all the advice that you have been given above and you will have realised by now that you have certainly made a good move coming here. A key point that I would add is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people.

I would also mention that you will probably come across a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information .. most of us do .. and it can cause worries and doubt. However, a way that I have found to deal with this is by employing a couple of useful little mantras that I use in appropriate circumstances - eg:

When Health Care Professionals (HCPs) are giving you typical NHS "advice" ..
# Listen
# Nod
# Smile and say thankyou
# Ignore

and when they are "advising" about diet as you are developing your LCHF lifestyle ..
# Only eat real food
# Only eat when you are hungry
# Only eat until you are full

Hope this helps

Hi thank you will remember that, I'm finding my way around with this illness there is so much to take in, how long have you had diabetes?

 

[kim2109]

Hi there and welcome to the community. There's a lot to take in at first but very soon you will have the knowledge to take care of your own well being, it is amazing that with just a few changes you can live with your diagnosis of T2 without having to worry about it. Take it steady.

Hi thank you, how long have you had diabetes?

 

[kim2109]

Hi @kim2109, and welcome to the forum. You appear to have made an excellent start and have taken control of things very well. You asked about a good diet to follow, and several folks above have mentioned the benefits they have found from a low carb way of eating; I've followed this myself and have had good results, it's so much easier than having to count calories, and feeling hungry all the time. This site runs a Low Carb programme to help people get started, that you might like to think about, it's free, just join up and follow it at your own pace: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/

Hi thank you. It's crazy how hungry I am I really don't think I can continue a low calorie diet so will look at this thanks, how long have you been diabetic?

 

[Fleegle]

I was diagnosed in May and my DN nurse told me to take a look at this forum. I had already come across it so knew what others have found helpful. All of the advice above is great advice and something that has helped me greatly. I got my HBA1C down well and quickly through LCHF diet.

It is a little perplexing at first and the reason it is important to know about your results is that other factors can change slightly the best advice for you personally. Things like whether you are on any meds at all (not just diabetes related - but most other things).

Things I found useful and helpful were the advice on eating fat. Totally alien to me - but as others predicted my cholesterol came down as did my BP as did my blood glucose. Not that my BP and cholesterol were as important anyway still a nice bonus. And here you will find that many myths are debunked through peoples own practical experience where other posters have validated again and again.

I found that testing more often than meal times gave real insight. So lack of sleep, stress, significant weather changes (like holidays) all had a notable impact. That is why I went for a continuous glucose monitor (not cheap but maybe worth it for first few months) and if you are interested search for abbott libre in google.

I also got great responses to my questions - I have found everyone extremely tolerant and patient even if sometimes I don't get it first time around. So there is no such thing as a stupid question - only something you do not know or are not clear on. So ask away.

Good luck on your journey.