Newbie From NZ

Burg

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Greetings.

Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.My hba1c was 76.

I have had regular medical checks for over 10 years and this news was a big surprise.On asking I learned my last reading from 2 years ago was 50.That's an issue I will address later.

I wouldn't have classified my lifestyle as risky although not ideal.Very little alcohol, no sweetened drinks, takeaways less than monthly,normal home cooked diet of meat and 2 veg and attended gym 2 to 4 times a week for last 13 years.My big weakness would have been bread at up to 6 or 8 slices a day, but less than than that on average.Cake or biscuits were indulged in sometimes only.Anyway it is what it is and I must now deal with it.

At present I am concentrating on my sugar and carb intake.My gym membership has just expired and am looking at my options with that.In the meantime I am walking for an hour a day.I am not home blood testing,just keeping carbs and sugar to a minimum.No bread,potato,rice,cakes biscuits,pastry and being careful of everything I eat.I have lost 4 or 5 kilos so far. BMI 27.

Anyway, I am totally focused on controlling this without drugs, however accept I will use them if needed.
 
Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Bread comes as a surprise to many people. I have just taken a bag of flour from the cupboard and it says it is 75.6 gms of carbs per 100gms so it is mostly sugar. People are judged badly when they have fizzy drinks and chocolate but everyone eats bread. There is no justice.
 
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Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Hi @Burg and welcome to the forum. That diagnosis does come as a shock but you have taken the right action to deal with it.
Do you have a blood glucose meter? If not you should get one as you need to know what foods affect you and how your blood sugar levels are going.
Have a read round the threads and ask anything you want to. The people on here are friendly and supportive.
 

4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forum. You sound like you are on the right track already. You really should get a meter asap, if you go onto the Caresens website you can purchase a Caresens II, N or Pop for about $30 and the strips are only $14.90 for 50. What part of NZ are you from, Im in Whskatane.
 

Burg

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am just up the road in Tauranga 4ratbags.

I plan on getting a meter but am concentrating on diet.Have have close to eliminated sugar and kept carbs to under 20 mg a day.Diet consists of meat,green veg (mostly lettuce), eggs,cheese and almond flour veg slice.Snacks are almonds,cheese and tomatoes.I want to hit this dam thing hard, then start experimenting. I will need a meter then.

Thanks for the tip on the meter. Good to get local advice.

This forum is a great resource.Keeping me on the chair a bit too long maybe but so much to learn.
 
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Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
Hello @Burg and Welcome to the Forum :). @daisy1 will be along soon and will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive.
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Anyway it is what it is and I must now deal with it.
Just to say hi and good luck. Having toured NZ a bit I hear the determination in your words. You're a no-nonsense bunch and I've no doubt you'll be in control very quickly. Welcome to the club.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing.. well done. Bet you see great results pretty fast.. when is your next HbA1c..?be prepared for a stunned doctor...(assuming that NZ medics are mostly like UK ones..)
 

Salvia

Well-Known Member
Messages
812
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome to the forum @Burg, and congrats on having an action plan already; I suspect you'll soon make up for any lost time :)
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Burg

Hello and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. It contains advice on carbs and a link to the Low Carb Program which you could try. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 220,000 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
Reduce your 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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.
 

fionaclare

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
Another NZer here with recently diagnosed T1 (but currently on a honeymoon period). Welcome!

With regards to exercise you would be surprised at the effect even a 10 minute walk post meal has on bg levels (at least for me).
 

fionaclare

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
And since you live in the BOP you definitely include avocado in your diet too!
 

Burg

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks for the support people.

Next blood test is in December.Will look at that and reassess depending he results.I am expecting I will need to continue with with the current plan for some time yet.

Currently I am looking for suitable foods that will provide more variety in the diet.I do miss bread and the occasional pastry but I know it will get easier.A lot hinges on my next blood test results.

Exercise is another thing I want to look at.I think I am quite lucky in that I have always been reasonably active but will need step it up a bit.
 

Burg

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks for that fionaclare.Right under my nose and never thought of it.So much to learn.
 

fionaclare

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
Not a problem. This is where a meter comes in handy. You can use it to see what foods make your. Bg levels go up and what you can tolerate.

When I was first diagnosed and everyone thought it was T2 I managed to lower my Hb1Ac went from 84 at diagnosis to 56 six weeks later. At 3 months it was at 31. This was possible because of a bg meter and because of the honeymoon period I still produce some insulin.

If you enjoy cooking there are a lot of recipes to try out. Check out a nutritionist called Mikki Williden, she has lots of good lower carb / high fat recipes.
 
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4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
If you want variety in your diet search on Pinterest as there are some awesome LC recipes to be found and there is also a LC recipe thread on the forum. I think you will be in for a surprise in Dec when you get the results of your next HbA1c test as you are more on to it than I was when I was diagnosed, it took me about 9 months before I started doing LCHF.