Type 2 What can I eat?

[Dickensfan]

I'm very confused. I was diagnosed with type 2 only a few weeks ago, and I still am unsure what I'm supposed to eat most of, and eat less of. I don't see the dietician until the 27th, and I hope it's not a dietician who is going to tell me what to eat and what not to eat to lose weight - trust me, I know exactly what foods put weight on and thus should be avoided, so i don't want that kind of lecture as I already know, I'm hoping therefore, that she will explain to me what to eat and what not to eat only in reference to the diabetic side of my life.
I have read on here that one cat eat nuts (unsalted of course) berries and cheese, I've always been under the impression that dairy products and nuts were fattening, although I know nuts are also high in protein - I'd like someone to simplify all of this for me, in a 'nutshell' no pun intended, at least until I can ask the dietician.

 

[Clivethedrive]

Hello Dickensian,i will ask @daisy1. To give you the info pack , have a good read and come back with any q's, clive

 

[PenfoldAPD]

Many type 2's choose to follow a LCHF diet (low carb, moderate good fat I prefer to describe it as) - take a look at dietdoctor.com as a good starting place.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

...trust me, I know exactly what foods put weight on and thus should be avoided, so i don't want that kind of lecture as I already know...

Don't take this the wrong way, but your post suggests otherwise. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's important to understand that "Fattening" foods aren't necessarily those that contain fat.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what will or will not cause you to gain weight. It also has a great deal of relevance to what is good for managing your diabetes.

Ultimately, we know that a high carb/high fat diet is bad for you. The combination of carbs/dietary fats leads to energy storage in the form of body fat.

We also know that a high carb/low fat diet (considering total calories) can help achieve weight loss. That was popular several decades ago and it's largely still considered to be the "standard" advice offered to most people with diabetes. Unfortunately, we also know that carbohydrates can be converted into glucose which means this type of a diet can cause large blood sugar spikes. Many people's bodies have trouble recovering from those spikes within the standard 2-hr period.

Then, there is the high fat/low carb diet. The initial impression is often "You're crazy." However, it's a diet that's been around for over 100 years and was first popularized to address people who were prone to seizures. The diet is most effective because it generally does not require you to limit your calories and feel hungry all the time. Furthermore, by limiting your carbohydrates you're avoiding blood glucose spikes which has allowed many of us (in one way or another) to reach a1c levels we would otherwise be unable to achieve.

With that said, the low carb/high fat diet is not one to try for a week and then do something new. Some find it easier to sustain than others and it's ultimately a diet you would want to maintain for the rest of your life (or until your diabetes is "reversed"). The diet hasn't gained much popularity with dieticians and doctors, but personally blame that on the fact that it's not right for everyone (whereas everyone should exercise "portion control" in one way or another).

 

[Robinredbreast]

If you want to go low carb or medium carb, look at this quick link, but try different foods as people differ in what they can tolerate.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

 

[Dickensfan]

Thank you for all of your replies, and I shall give them my attention, I find some of the info here and elsewhere difficult mainly because I am a vegetarian, indeed, I've eaten no beef, pork etc. since I was five years old, possibly younger, I am now 67 so what I'm trying to do is work out what is best for me, as an individual, from the diabetes point of view.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[catinahat]

Welcome Dickensfan
Have a look here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/ it should give you some ideas

 

[JohnEGreen]

I found this site on line you may be already familiar with it but I think it's quite use full.

https://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-as-a-vegetarian/

 

[Enclave]

Being a vegetarian is no problem when it comes to a LCHF way of eating... We don't overdo the protein..so it's easier on our sugar levels. Also remember .. If you eat good fats ..olive oil, coconut oil your body is not needing to store fat .. But your post indicates that you already know this .. Also remember that carbs turn to sugar when we eat them, so if you can get quite low .. I have around 20g of carbs a day and my sugars are in good control .. I also lost 5st somewhere with the low carb high fat way of eating. But again as your post says you know this is going to result in weight loss.

 

[Japes]

I'm vegetarian and, since diagnosis 9 months ago, have changed my diet from one based around wholemeal/whole grain carbohydrates, with low fat dairy options where possible, masses of root vegetables and loads of fruit of all kinds, (especially bananas) to one with very few carbohydrates, berries as my main fruit, mostly green vegetables and salads, and no qualms any more about eggs, butter, double cream, a variety of cheeses, and good oil. (Olive oil works well for me.) I'm not a great fan of nuts, but do try to have some. I'm also upping my consumption of seeds of various kinds. Protein tends to be soya based, some Quorn products, hummus, cheese or eggs. Some pulses, though not as many as I've eaten in the past. I'm now eating soya or Greek Full Fat yogurts.

I have, for the first time in my life, found it easy to lose weight and keep it off. (41 lbs in the last 9 months. Having been obese all my adult life - I'm now just a stone off not being overweght!) I also feel really healthy, have loads of energy, and have got rid of all the digestion issues I'd begun to have. My biggest worry was my digestive system wasn't going to cope with full fat dairy again after so many years of not letting myself have any, as previous experience was that serious indigestion would occur if I had butter, or too much cheese. No more.

Snacking is incredibly rare now, and only happens if I'm out of routine or away from home and know if I don't eat something I'll be going too long between meals. (About six hours is my usual - I tend to eat around 7.00 a.m, 12.30 p.m. and between 6.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. with a small snack before bed at the moment, to see if I can con my liver into good behaviour and not dump a whole load of glycogen on me before I'm ready for it!).

It hasn't affected my cholesterol so far, though I am due another review soon.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. Are you sure you understand what foods make you fat etc? We have all been fed information from the 'experts' based often on nonsense data. Beware NHS dieticians as they also may proffer the same invalid info. Fat doesn't make you fat but carbs can readily do this if you eat too many. The body easily metabolises carbs into glucose and if in excess the liver stores it as fat (even more so with fructose). Fat goes thru a much more complex process in the body and isn't so easily stored as fat. BTW I'm very cynical about the salt thing. Yes, if you have a tendency to high BP then perhaps be careful but there is little evidence that the average person needs to worry unless it pushes up your BP.

 

[Dickensfan]

Welcome Dickensfan
Have a look here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/ it should give you some ideas[/QUOT
Hi and thank you for the reply, to be honest I searched the different topics and still couldn't find the topic I had posted on, so if not for this notification I might have been lost for years LoL

 

[Dickensfan]

Hi and welcome. Are you sure you understand what foods make you fat etc? We have all been fed information from the 'experts' based often on nonsense data. Beware NHS dieticians as they also may proffer the same invalid info. Fat doesn't make you fat but carbs can readily do this if you eat too many. The body easily metabolises carbs into glucose and if in excess the liver stores it as fat (even more so with fructose). Fat goes thru a much more complex process in the body and isn't so easily stored as fat. BTW I'm very cynical about the salt thing. Yes, if you have a tendency to high BP then perhaps be careful but there is little evidence that the average person needs to worry unless it pushes up your BP.

Hello Daibell, yes I do know and very aware of what you've said. I think it's very easy for the average person to think that fat causes weight gain alone, but I'm not one of them, but can understand why you said what you did. I will see an NHS dietician (I'm not looking forward to it at all) at my GP surgery on the 27th April, so I'll go along and see what she has to say, and take the good parts out of it.
I eat wholegrain foods, seldom have potatoes, perhaps once a week, and when I have rice it is brown rice, but since I'm not a fan of the brown stuff, be it rice or pasta, it's not high on my desires to eat. I don't and have never been someone who takes drinks other than sparkling water, black coffee and tea with lemon, the only thing I ever add milk to are my breakfast cereals, likewise I don't add sugar to anything - even before my type 2 diagnosis. I have always eaten fresh fruit and veg, I'm big on both, and I have to say there was a time when I thought I may have been eating too much fruit because I went through loads of it in a week, these days I still eat fruit of course, but concentrate more on berries.
As for medication, my practice nurse put me on Metformin which after 4 days I had to come off of, as I lived in the toilet, and was afraid to even think about leaving the house, she then put me on Gliclazide which I was on for 3 weeks and gained weight, I rang the surgery to speak to her and told her I could not take any medication which caused me to put weight on, she informed me that it was one of the side effects - so I came off that (seemed to me it defeated the purpose somewhat) I am now on my fith day of Forxiga dapagliflozin 10mg daily, she told me you can actually lose weight with this one.

I have to say that prior to diagnosis when it was me who asked for a blood test because I hadn't been firing on all cylinders for approx 18 months, and also had skin problems which I've never had in my life, I just knew there was something wrong with me, also the customary drinking and running to the loo both day and night. I also woke in the mornings with a headache before even lifting my head off the pillow - all of these symptoms have now gone, and in fact I'm feeling very well (touches wood here) but I suffer greatly with very cold feet and hands, in fact I'm worried about the foot thing - sorry to drag on so much guys. Have pity on me. My Blood sugar on the first test sent away at the surgery was 20.9 the nurse told me they would diagnose type 2 at between 6 and 6.9, I was astounded at such a high reading as was she, which tells me I've had type 2 for quite a while, probably when I started feeling unwell. My cholesterol is and has always been, even in my 30s and 40s 4.1.

 

[KateA]

@Dickensfan, it might be worth persevering with other tests and investigations. A few months after I was diagnosed I was admitted to hospital with back problems which turned out to be infectious abscesses on my spine. Now, I am within the 'normal' blood sugar range but still continue with low carbing, I love the weight loss and energy. I also love the food. We do not know if my raised blood sugar was diabetes or my infection (which must have been brewing for a while although the medics don't want to scan me any more for fear of further complications) causing my blood sugars to be raised. I am not trying to scare you, but once the GP practices have a box for you, they tend to squash you in it regardless of any other symptoms!

As for the nhs dietician, I rather liked a comment made by another member here to his GP, 'I cannot afford the setback of seeing an nhs dietician' I have refused as I had a bad experience with one when nursing my late husband. If you have to go, do the nodding dog routine. Buy yourself a meter and test, that will soon tell you what foods are good or bad for your own personal blood sugar.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming. Btw, the vegetarian forum is very good for ideas, but always eat to your meter!

 

[Dickensfan]

@Dickensfan, it might be worth persevering with other tests and investigations. A few months after I was diagnosed I was admitted to hospital with back problems which turned out to be infectious abscesses on my spine. Now, I am within the 'normal' blood sugar range but still continue with low carbing, I love the weight loss and energy. I also love the food. We do not know if my raised blood sugar was diabetes or my infection (which must have been brewing for a while although the medics don't want to scan me any more for fear of further complications) causing my blood sugars to be raised. I am not trying to scare you, but once the GP practices have a box for you, they tend to squash you in it regardless of any other symptoms!

As for the nhs dietician, I rather liked a comment made by another member here to his GP, 'I cannot afford the setback of seeing an nhs dietician' I have refused as I had a bad experience with one when nursing my late husband. If you have to go, do the nodding dog routine. Buy yourself a meter and test, that will soon tell you what foods are good or bad for your own personal blood sugar.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming. Btw, the vegetarian forum is very good for ideas, but always eat to your meter!

Hi Kate and thank you for the info. I've had a sore back for years, I always get it whenever I've put weight on, as soon as I lose the weight I can walk to miles, for me personally, I don't know what affects me psychologically worse, being now diabetic or being overweight, I hate both of them, and can't for the life of me think of anything good to say about diabetes.
I do have a meter and test strips and lancet's and I check before breakfast and before my evening meal.
I will do as you say and do the 'nodding dog' thing when I see the dietician.
Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[KateA]

Hi Kate and thank you for the info. I've had a sore back for years, I always get it whenever I've put weight on, as soon as I lose the weight I can walk to miles, for me personally, I don't know what affects me psychologically worse, being now diabetic or being overweight, I hate both of them, and can't for the life of me think of anything good to say about diabetes.
I do have a meter and test strips and lancet's and I check before breakfast and before my evening meal.
I will do as you say and do the 'nodding dog' thing when I see the dietician.
Thanks a lot for your help.

Remember to check after your meals, about an hour and a half to two hours. That will tell you what foods have what effect on your BS. If something spikes your blood, you have to let go of it, it really is that simple.
Please don't beat yourself up about being overweight and diabetic, I too went through the emotions of blaming my myself, feeling embarrassed etc. It is what it is, and you have a choice, deal with it or become more ill. In a way I am thankful to diabetes, it has been a wake up call. I am now eating a healthier diet, one which may give protection from other conditions and I cannot gloat about this enough, I HAVE CREAM IN MY COFFEE.

 

[Dickensfan]

Remember to check after your meals, about an hour and a half to two hours. That will tell you what foods have what effect on your BS. If something spikes your blood, you have to let go of it, it really is that simple.
Please don't beat yourself up about being overweight and diabetic, I too went through the emotions of blaming my myself, feeling embarrassed etc. It is what it is, and you have a choice, deal with it or become more ill. In a way I am thankful to diabetes, it has been a wake up call. I am now eating a healthier diet, one which may give protection from other conditions and I cannot gloat about this enough, I HAVE CREAM IN MY COFFEE.

Kate my weight bothers me a lot, throughout my life I have lost and gained weight big time, I had a tommy tuck after I lost 10st in 2004, it took almost 4 years and I put 2stone back on, then I stopped smoking and put another lot on, so I now weigh 110kilos I hate it, and I hate looking at myself in the mirror, I know I did the right thing giving up the cigs, but sometimes I think I'd be thinner (and happier) if I was still smoking - don't misunderstand, nothing would entice me to start smoking again, I loathe it, and I loathe the smell, but when I asked for a blood sugar test to be done, it was because I was drinking a lot and only getting an hour's sleep at night having to go to the loo, so I did it as a process of elimination actually, you could have knocked me over when she told me how high my BS was that was the first week in March. I'm still very confused because I want to lose weight at the same time as controlling the BS and I don't quite know how to do it.

 

[KateA]

@Dickensfan, low carbing is the way to go for me and I suspect you. I have yo yo dieted all my adult life and went through various fitness stages. Seriously, look at your carbs, they are sneaky wee buggers and are in most processed food. I was quite severe in cutting out carbs and the weight dropped off. I stopped, potatoes, bread, rice and pasta after a while you don't notice, your new way of eating becomes normal. Other people don't notice when you feed them low carb.

Well done on the stopping smoking, I am an ex addict myself. Glad those days are behind me.

 

[Dickensfan]

@Dickensfan, low carbing is the way to go for me and I suspect you. I have yo yo dieted all my adult life and went through various fitness stages. Seriously, look at your carbs, they are sneaky wee buggers and are in most processed food. I was quite severe in cutting out carbs and the weight dropped off. I stopped, potatoes, bread, rice and pasta after a while you don't notice, your new way of eating becomes normal. Other people don't notice when you feed them low carb.

Well done on the stopping smoking, I am an ex addict myself. Glad those days are behind me.

Kate I have been reading up on low carb - when I was told I was diabetic, the same day I stopped everything white, I was big on pasta (brought up on the stuff) and would have it almost every day at some point, and in the weeks leading up to my diagnosis I was actually having pasta every night at tea time - n ot good I know, in fact, I had already decided I needed to get back to losing the weight I'd put on when I got the diagnosis, so haven't eaten white bread pasta rice etc since the beginning of March. I'll do some research before I do my shopping list and see what I can have - the weight always comes off me slowly though, most diets never suited me i.e. slimming world, slimmers, weight watchers etc., the only diet that ever worked for me, and which i'm not allowed now was the Cambridge diet, I always had a lot of success with it and always lost a lot of weight, it takes an enormous amount if willpower, but now that I have to rely on food to lose weight, I know from past experience it will take me a very long time to even lose a few pounds, and I'm not the most patient person. Thanks for getting back to me. For lunch today I had broccoli, mushrooms and brussel sprouts - these were all left from last night, the only other thing I had was unsalted cashew nuts, I tested my BS 2 hours later at it was very high. Tonight I'm having fish with veg. I'd love something creamy and tasty haha, I haven't treated myself to anything like that in a long time. I don't have a sweet tooth, but I do love a piece of cheesecake, those days are gone I think.

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Dickensfan

You say you tested 2 hours after your lunch and were very high. There was virtually nothing in that lunch to make you very high unless there were other things in the meal you haven't mentioned. (although cashew nuts are high in carbs, more so than other nuts). I am wondering if you tested before you ate? It is essential you test before to see where you are starting from. It's no use just testing afterwards. You may have also been very high before you ate, and the actual rise from before to after may have been a good one (the lower the better). I'm aftraid that just testing afterwards tells you absolutely nothing..Sorry, but that is the truth.

If you did test before, what was the difference between the 2 readings?