Hi Nigel and Viscount.
First Nigel can't really advise you as you're T1 and as I'm T2 things can be different but just wanted to say hi and wish you all the best with your treatment.
Viscount again all the best with your treatment sounds like you are going through a bad time. Thought I'd let you know what I did but best to check with your doc if you think its a good idea and want to do a similar regime. I was diagnosed in December last year and using the advice I found on the forum got my blood sugar levels back to normal within around a couple of months or so and I have also normalised my cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well. I have now lost nearly 4 stone in weight too. My doctor is very pleased how I am getting on and has advised me to keep doing what I have been doing since it's obviously working really well. You can normalise your blood levels but that isn't the same as a cure I'm afraid. What it means is that you will need to be very careful about what you eat from now on.
What you should eat diet wise is really easy. Just drastically cut down or better cut out all things with plain sugar, so biscuits, cakes, sugar in tea and coffee, pure fruit juices, non diet versions of soft drinks. Next and
really importantly try halving starchy foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, cereals and any other flour based products. Replace what's now missing with extra meat, fish, eggs, cheese and especially vegetables. Vegetables that grow above ground are best although most of us find carrots fine. Things like yoghurt are fine as is a small amount of fresh fruit. I find the ones that end in "berry" are the best. If you don't mind artificial sweeteners things like Diet Coke are fine to drink. On the starchy foods that are left swap try brown basmati rice instead of white and brown or tri-colour pasta. The bread that most recommend is actually Bergen soya bread but some do ok with wholemeal as well.
The above regime is close to one you would be one recommended to try by the Swedish Health service. It was introduced in that country last year and the American health service and several other countries health services recommend something very similar for Type 2 diabetics. In the UK the diet guidelines are now over 30 years old and are only gradually being updated. As the UK is lagging behind you may find what I and other forum members recommend is different to what your are told is a good diet for you follow.
Next most members would recommend you test your own blood sugar levels. Did your doctor give you a meter and strips? Some do and some don't. It's a bit of a post code lottery and we find some progressive surgeries are pro testing and others anti. I'll warn you the anti ones can sometimes be very vocally anti! If you ask and get told no then if you can afford to most members will get a meter and test themselves anyway. A meter that many people are buying at the moment is called as SD CodeFree. The meter and 50 strips will cost under £20 then new strips are just £5 per 50 which is a lot cheaper than most other meters. The cheapest place to buy is the healthcare.co.uk shop on eBay but make sure you get a UK mmol/l model and not a US mg/dl one or the numbers it shows will be confusing.
The reason testing is important is you should try and keep your blood sugars below 8ish two hours after eating any meal. Above the 8 value is where the dangers of complications do begin to occur according to diabetic experts. So if you can't test how will you now if what you are eating is keeping you safe? The problem is every diabetic is different so my earlier advice to halve starchy foods is just a rough guide. You may find you need to eat less than half (like me) or that you can eat more than half like others.
As you get into it all and read around the forum you may see people talking about carb counting. If you want to understand what that is just ask. It is a powerful weapon that a diabetic can use to control their condition and one that many of us use to great effect.
Good luck and keep asking questions.
Regards
Steve
PS Here's two good links about what's good to eat.
First is the lady doctor who's low carb / low GI recommendations seem to form the basis of what's recommended in Sweden
http://blogg.passagen.se/dahlqvistannika/?anchor=my_lowcarb_dietary_programe_in
Second is a good beginners guide to low carb regimes that are excellent for reducing blood sugar levels and losing weight.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
