What should I be aiming for
- Thread starter Robmoney
- Start Date
Art Of Flowers
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- I reversed my Type 2
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The goal is to be in the range 4 to 7.
Best to get a blood glucose meter and check which foods spike your blood sugar. Check before and two hours after eating. Blood sugars should not raise by 2.
In general, avoid carbohydrates such as breakfast cereal, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Also avoid fruit juice and fruit such as bananas and grapes. Eating low carb will help your blood sugars drop. Check out website dietdoctor.com for advice on low carb foods to eat and those to avoid.
Best to get a blood glucose meter and check which foods spike your blood sugar. Check before and two hours after eating. Blood sugars should not raise by 2.
In general, avoid carbohydrates such as breakfast cereal, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Also avoid fruit juice and fruit such as bananas and grapes. Eating low carb will help your blood sugars drop. Check out website dietdoctor.com for advice on low carb foods to eat and those to avoid.
PenfoldAPD
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,643
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Welcome to the forum Rob. Personally if I hit the 5's I'm happy - I feel my diabetes is under control, and more importantly I feel great. Sometimes it slips up to 6.something - if I deviate fro my low carb diet usually, or skip my daily exercise.
Have you looked at low carbing? If you are just 6 weeks in allow yourself time to adjust - it will come down if you have good control.
And feel free to ask any questions, there's a great friendly bunch of people on here!
- Messages
- 46
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Yes I have just joined low carb program and looking at atkins /keto diets
Robertmoney
Robertmoney
AM1874
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Hi @Robmoney .. and welcome
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.
There is a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information around .. but the key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or pre-diabetes) through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..
I see that @Snapsy has already tagged @ daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the valuable material that she will soon be sending you. I note that you have joined the Low Carb programme and you are looking at Atkins/Keto .. so, I think that you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need about carb levels and about what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Unless you are prescribed a test meter and strips by your Doc (unlikely), it is a priority that you get yourself one and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.
The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available
I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them
Hope this helps
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.
There is a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information around .. but the key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or pre-diabetes) through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..
I see that @Snapsy has already tagged @ daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the valuable material that she will soon be sending you. I note that you have joined the Low Carb programme and you are looking at Atkins/Keto .. so, I think that you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need about carb levels and about what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Unless you are prescribed a test meter and strips by your Doc (unlikely), it is a priority that you get yourself one and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.
The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available
I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them
Hope this helps
Bluetit1802
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.
What diabetes medications are you taking? It may make a difference to the replies you receive.
.
daisy1
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@Robmoney
Hello Rob and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you want and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Rob and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you want and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Robbity
Expert
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- 6,686
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Have a look at this table giving various recommended/acceptable ranges:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
Ideally you should aim for as close to normal levels or lower if possible, but as @Bluetit1802 has suggested it may depend on what, if any, medications you are taking, plus any other health issues that may have an impact on what you're able to achieve.
What I found easiest was to set myself a series of realistic and achievable targets, and record these on my meter, then adjust these higher/lower according to whether I could reach and maintain them or not. That way I set myself up for success.
Robbity
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
Ideally you should aim for as close to normal levels or lower if possible, but as @Bluetit1802 has suggested it may depend on what, if any, medications you are taking, plus any other health issues that may have an impact on what you're able to achieve.
What I found easiest was to set myself a series of realistic and achievable targets, and record these on my meter, then adjust these higher/lower according to whether I could reach and maintain them or not. That way I set myself up for success.
Robbity
Bluetit1802
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- Type of diabetes
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Thanks for that information.
As Metformin is a mild drug that doesn't stimulate the pancreas to produce extra insulin, all the advice above is well worth following. That is, get a meter, start organised testing, keep a detailed food diary including portion sizes, record your before and 2 hours after first bite levels alongside the food, look at the rise from before to after and keep it under 2mmol/l by reducing your carb consumption, remembering that bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and breakfast cereals are some of the main danger foods.
- Messages
- 46
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
I've got a meter from glucomen plus 100 strips and a discovery sheet. Started this morning
Robertmoney
Robertmoney
