No such thing as a diabetic diet

[Johnboy59]

I had an appointment with my GP yesterday, 2 weeks after my T2 diagnosis.

I told him I was totally confused regarding foods that I should and should not eat. Some information says cut out carbs, other sources say eat starchy carbs, one site says eat rice and pasta another says this should not be part of a diabetic diet. He told me categorically that there is no recommended diabetic diet but that I should follow a "normal healthy diet" with the aim of losing weight and reducing my BMI of 34.

Your thoughts?

 

[Hobs]

Many of us who visit/write in here were also very confused with the stock NHS diet advice and we now tend to reduce those carbs and 'eat to our meter'
By testing before and after food we can compile our own list of what foods we can eat and what we can't.
I went through many different combinations before I found what I could eat and still maintain good control, and with persistence I'm sure you will compile a list too .. good luck :thumbup: :wave:

 

[Indy51]

You might find this Joslin Diabetes Centre article of interest:

http://www.joslin.org/info/the_truth_ab ... _diet.html

 

[Johnboy59]

That is a very good page Indy51 and has cleared some of the confusion.

 

[Indy51]

Glad to be of help, Johnboy. As Hobs said, if you have a meter, it's the very best tool you can have for gaining BG control.

If you haven't already seen it, you might also find this "Advice to the Newly Diagnosed" of help:

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26870

 

[viviennem]

I work on the theory that my system has a problem with metabolizing carbohydrates. If I eat too many carbs the insulin I produce has trouble dealing with all that glucose. My muscle cells are resistant to insulin, so my blood glucose rises and all the excess blood glucose gets shoved into my fat cells. Diabetes makes (some people) fat!

So I eat low carb to give my poor pancreas a bit of a rest from coping with too much carb in the system. This keeps my blood glucose levels in the right area, and has the added benefit, for me, of weight loss. My blood glucose is pretty stable and I do not have the need to eat carbs to stop it from going too low.

Other people manage things differently, depending on the Type of their diabetes, and specifically, what works for them. Sid Bonkers, for instance, gets excellent results with a very different diet from mine.

The best thing to do is to "eat to your meter". This will show you which foods your body can handle, and which ones really spike your BGs.

If you are unlucky enough to have a GP who won't give you a meter and test strips, I would really advise you to do your best to get a kit. Even a couple of months of careful testing and record keeping will give you some idea of what you personally can and can't eat.

Hope this helps a bit

Viv 8)

 

[Johnboy59]

Glad to be of help, Johnboy. As Hobs said, if you have a meter, it's the very best tool you can have for gaining BG control.

If you haven't already seen it, you might also find this "Advice to the Newly Diagnosed" of help:

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26870

Now this is how my confusion set in.... on that link

"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."

Then on this site again it says

"NHS dieticians' advice

Earlier this year, top NHS dieticians were reported as providing the following tips for people with diabetes.
Together, these can be said to sum up the NHS approach to controlling type 2 diabetes with diet.
Eat plenty of starchy carbohydrates"

:crazy:

 

[lucylocket61]

both statement are true.

The NHS recommend we eat plenty of carbohydrates.

But they raise our blood sugar levels.

so we have to decide ourselves how we wish to follow the NHS advice. It could be the the "plenty" advocated by the NHS is an amount we have to decide on, depending on our meter readings.

for example: for me, "plenty" of rice is about 1 tablespoon of cooked rice. or "plenty " of bread is 1 small slice.

Your "plenty" could be more or less my amount. Your meter result will tell you that. If you eat an amount, then test your blood sugar levels 2 hours after eating it, then you find your safe amount.

as a rule of thumb, if you meter reading is 8 or under after 2 hours, I assume that the amount of carbs I have had is OK. It if is higher, I reduce my "plenty" to a smaller amount.

 

[Johnboy59]

Given that the NHS would be most peoples first point of reference when diagnosed, one could be forgiven for believing (as I did) that I could "fill my boots", which could have been disastrous.

Ps I dream of a reading of 8... I'm averaging 13-14

 

[lucylocket61]

I may be wrong here but:

I think the same advice and diet is given by the NHS to all diabetics, regardless of whether we are on insulin or not.

Some type 2's are only on diet only or diet and metformin control. We dont use insulin to help control the effect our carbohydrate absorption/eating has on our blood sugar levels. So our only means of control is by controlling what we eat. And the NHS diet doesnt allow for that problem.

I am sure, if I have misunderstood this, someone will come along and explain it better.

 

[FoxyRoxy]

Hi Johnboy

It is pretty confusing but I can testify that, following the experiential advice given here, my bg levels have dropped within a few weeks from a hospital admitting 'hi' (the meter only goes up to 27) to an average of 10. As I'm only just learning to carb count, it's a big improvement for me.

Stick with it!
Debs

 

[Indy51]

Personally, I tend to put more credence in the Joslin Institute's guidelines than the NHS's

 

[izzzi]

Hi,

I am on a opposite diet to someone else on this forum. ( I am sure we are both type 2 )
Recently we both received excellent results.

I would have liked to have known what we did or not do that was similar in our achievements.

Some examples of what we did share was our meters, mild exercise and control. ( I did not count carbs on this diet ).

I should also be noted that the other person is very helpful on this forum and has great wisdom regarding health issues.

Roy.

 

[IanD]

Given that the NHS would be most peoples first point of reference when diagnosed, one could be forgiven for believing (as I did) that I could "fill my boots", which could have been disastrous.

Ps I dream of a reading of 8... I'm averaging 13-14

"Confusion" is an excellent response to the dietary advice given to diabetics (not just newly diagnosed) by the NHS & Diabetes UK. All the leaflets your are given tell the same story - no special diet. They're WRONG.

The problem is that health professionals (HPs) learn their trade when they are young, & so have no personal experience of T2D. We get our experience when we are relatively old, & are given the advice the HPs have been told. That advice includes the advice you have been given, & includes the information that diabetes is progressive, however well you follow their advice. I did, & after 7-8 years was suffering crippling complications.

4 1/2 years on I am fit & well after 12 years of T2D. What changed? The diet advice I got here on this forum from diabetics who were managing their condition. Cut the carbs drastically, & get the energy from proteins & fats in your food.

Sugar for energy? Not at all - I'm scheduled to play tennis this evening, & I'm 73.

You have got time to experiment - D is not fast acting, so adjust your diet to eliminate most of the carbs & you will find your health & BG levels improve. I started by cutting down the starchy foods & increasing veg & protein, & including naturally fatty foods like nuts & cheese. It too 3 months to be out of pain & playing tennis again.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

He told me categorically that there is no recommended diabetic diet but that I should follow a "normal healthy diet" with the aim of losing weight and reducing my BMI of 34.

I think that advise is pretty sound actually, unfortunately too many people disregard the "with the aim of losing weight and reducing my BMI " and fixate on the normal healthy diet bit. The best way for an overweight Type 2 to gain better control is to lose weight, it is not the easiest advise to follow of course but it remains sound advise.

The truth about the best diet for a diabetic is that its one that he/she can sustain for life. Low carb diets will work for some and not for others, I personally found that by losing weight I lost the lions share of my insulin resistance which now allows me to eat a "normal healthy diet" shock horror!! That doesnt mean that I eat as much as I like or can stuff my face with sugary treats, it just means that I am able to eat small amounts of rice, potatoes, bread etc with every meal. In other words as you were told, rightly in my view, "there is no recommended diet" :thumbup:

So it is for everyone to find their own path to better control, I have found what works for me and its not low carb, so just find what works for you.

 

[Morvan]

Given that the NHS would be most peoples first point of reference when diagnosed, one could be forgiven for believing (as I did) that I could "fill my boots", which could have been disastrous.

The NHS told my partner (Type 1) he should avoid sugar and take 8 units of insulin with each meal. No mention of carbs at all, no mention of carb counting. Then his doctor would give out to him when his HBA1C was 11.9 and refuse to treat conditions that were due to poorly controlled diabetes until he sorted his sugars out, whilst giving no further advice or education.

After 3 DKA episodes, he was still given no further info/education, and continued to scoff packets of crisps because they have no sugar in them.

My faith in the NHS is pretty much on the floor regarding diet and control. I'm even thinking of reporting his care team to the GMC for gross negligence.

All I can say is thank the gods for the internet, and that we no longer have to attend NHS clinics.