lucylocket61
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NHS diet does it again.
- Thread starter xyzzy
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Is the no carbs only recommended to type 2? I eat starchy carbs with pretty much every meal (I am t1) is this wrong?
Robinredbreast
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bethan90 said:
Hi, No I dont think you are wrong. I am type 1 as well and I eat carbs, but I am cutting down the amount of carbs ( smaller amounts of rice, pasta, smaller sized bread) things like that. Being type 1 we do not produce any Insulin, where as Type 2's still do ( but the amounts vary from person to person), and if its say diet/tablets, then carbs can really make the sugar levels go up, which is not good for anyone with diabetes
Do what you feel is best for you and your control and its best to get advice from your DSN or diabetes consultant/doctor. Best wishes RRB
bethan90 said:
Well those on insulin have more flexibility than those just on tablets or diet alone as you can increase your insulin to match the carbs. Its up to you. You can have starchy carbs, inject for them and then downsides are more hypos and weight gain ( I find) or you can cut the carbs, cut the insulin and have less hypos and less weight gain.
I've done both methods, you can maintain low blood sugars on both although its far easier on low carb. I find it restricts my diet too much though. I'm trying to find a happy medium between the two approaches now.
I saw the diabetic dietician for the first time today and was given the same booklets and advice. Thanks to the people on this site, I told him that I was going to try and cut carbs first. I think he realised that I had done a little research before seeing him and didn't try it dissuade me.
I have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 and saw the diabetes nurse for the first time last night. I too was given the advice to include starchy carbs into my diet.......for the past 3 months I have been on a carb free diet and lost nearly 2 stone so the advice I was given seems to totally contradict what has worked for me!
I do not understand the glucose levels, I started off at 79 (was told anything over 44 was diabetic) and managed to reduce it to 67 through cutting out the carbs and large amount of fruit I was previously eating......so how will reintroducing cereals, bread new potatoes and 3 portions of fruit a day help?
How do I monitor myself when I only have blood tests every 6 months? Is the only way to buy myself a testing meter? Is this the sum total of the guidance? I am completely at a loss as to which way forward, I came away more frightened of my condition than when I went in when I had been hoping for reassurance......is this what I can expect from our health professionals?
I do not understand the glucose levels, I started off at 79 (was told anything over 44 was diabetic) and managed to reduce it to 67 through cutting out the carbs and large amount of fruit I was previously eating......so how will reintroducing cereals, bread new potatoes and 3 portions of fruit a day help?
How do I monitor myself when I only have blood tests every 6 months? Is the only way to buy myself a testing meter? Is this the sum total of the guidance? I am completely at a loss as to which way forward, I came away more frightened of my condition than when I went in when I had been hoping for reassurance......is this what I can expect from our health professionals?
Afraid it is sooz, carry on low carbing and doing what you are doing. I think ebay sell cheaper meters and strips. I have been left alone to get on with it. Never seen a doctor at all. The nurses may be nice people but they know ****** all about diabetes.
Thanks Dawnmc, my head is a total shed at the moment, I will def check out ebay for meters etc. I have found more useful information and help on this website and forum than any of the NHS pages/staff. She scared me to death when she told my I had to report it to the DVLA as well by law!.....went online this morning and if I'm controlling with diet or tablets then they dont need to know. Nothing like putting the fear of god into newly diagnosed patients is there?
Oh Thank God I came across this thread because I'm newly diagnosed T2 and I thought I was going mad because I DEFINITELY KNOW that eating as many carbs as my NHS and other so called diabetes experts, advise me to eat, would probably put me in hospital!!!
I have bought my own BG meter and spent a fortune on sharps and test strips but at least I can do my own checks before and after eating and work out my own diet - and that's thanks to this forum and a couple of others I've come across.
I've increased my protein so that I get less hungry, I eat my fruit and veggies and I take chromium and L-Tyrosine which have helped stop my carb and sugar cravings but as far as diet advice is concerned - I'm ignoring the NHS because they're not up to scratch. I got better dietary advice from the Optician I saw yesterday who was testing my eyes for retinopathy and he was eager to know how I was helping myself with supplements etc.
I think it's time the NHS revised it's whole attitude towards diabetes and dietary control because they have it all wrong. No wonder diabetes is on the increase if they're handing out **** information!
I have bought my own BG meter and spent a fortune on sharps and test strips but at least I can do my own checks before and after eating and work out my own diet - and that's thanks to this forum and a couple of others I've come across.
I've increased my protein so that I get less hungry, I eat my fruit and veggies and I take chromium and L-Tyrosine which have helped stop my carb and sugar cravings but as far as diet advice is concerned - I'm ignoring the NHS because they're not up to scratch. I got better dietary advice from the Optician I saw yesterday who was testing my eyes for retinopathy and he was eager to know how I was helping myself with supplements etc.
I think it's time the NHS revised it's whole attitude towards diabetes and dietary control because they have it all wrong. No wonder diabetes is on the increase if they're handing out **** information!
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Hi Grace
Wondered who had woken this one up. It was one I started soon after I joined when like yourself I couldn't believe the rubbish advice that was dished out to people. So back in February I was in much the same position as yourself but now I'm doing brilliantly (if I say so myself) thanks to all the great help the people on the forum gave me.
What I would say is be a bit careful about upping protein too much. There is a safe daily limit set at around 20% or a fifth of what you eat. Going a long way above that can begin to hurt your kidneys. What I did when I cut the carbs was to up my protein a bit but also up things like eggs and cheese. I was a bit concerned that would muck my cholesterol levels up but I needn't have worried as the two tests I've had since then have shown my cholesterol levels actually normalised and got better rather than getting worse. My doc was so impressed he not only supports my new low carb lifestyle but we agreed recently I didn't need to take the cholesterol medication any more.
On the fruit I would try to eat fruit with other things as it has a load of sugar in it. I get my fruit hit each day as desert after my main meal. That way I find it doesn't raise my levels as much as if I ate it by itself. Likewise you've obviously read on this forum that cutting down on starchy carbs is the key so less rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, cereals etc. A good place to start is to halve what you were eating of those and replace what's left with brown basmati rice, brown or tri colour pasta and try Burgen Soya bread which you can get at most supermarkets. Use your meter to tell you if you need to go down further than half (like me) or you might find you can continue to eat more starchy things like some others.
Just keep asking questions is the key.
Wondered who had woken this one up. It was one I started soon after I joined when like yourself I couldn't believe the rubbish advice that was dished out to people. So back in February I was in much the same position as yourself but now I'm doing brilliantly (if I say so myself) thanks to all the great help the people on the forum gave me.
What I would say is be a bit careful about upping protein too much. There is a safe daily limit set at around 20% or a fifth of what you eat. Going a long way above that can begin to hurt your kidneys. What I did when I cut the carbs was to up my protein a bit but also up things like eggs and cheese. I was a bit concerned that would muck my cholesterol levels up but I needn't have worried as the two tests I've had since then have shown my cholesterol levels actually normalised and got better rather than getting worse. My doc was so impressed he not only supports my new low carb lifestyle but we agreed recently I didn't need to take the cholesterol medication any more.
On the fruit I would try to eat fruit with other things as it has a load of sugar in it. I get my fruit hit each day as desert after my main meal. That way I find it doesn't raise my levels as much as if I ate it by itself. Likewise you've obviously read on this forum that cutting down on starchy carbs is the key so less rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, cereals etc. A good place to start is to halve what you were eating of those and replace what's left with brown basmati rice, brown or tri colour pasta and try Burgen Soya bread which you can get at most supermarkets. Use your meter to tell you if you need to go down further than half (like me) or you might find you can continue to eat more starchy things like some others.
Just keep asking questions is the key.
