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New here - husband newly diagnosed type 2

Granny_Mo

Granny_Mo

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi. Just connecting to say hello and ask a question if that's OK.
My husband has a cervical spinal injury and has problems to some extent with all 4 limbs though he can walk a little and has some use of his hands though that is limited.
He has always been pretty slim till the spinal op 5 years ago that left him like this and then he put on about 2 and a half stones very quickly because of lack of exercise and medications that cause weight gain. Blood sugars OK though until last month.
Luckily he's not devastated by the diagnosis and we both see his diagnosis as a wake up call and he really wants to lose his excess poundage. Weirdly he had started to lose weight slowly as he managed a bit more mobility (he is still improving 5 years post) and had lost half a stone in the last few months - so about 2 stones more to regain his fighting weight. However his blood sugars were 15 ish in 2 consecutive tests so they have put him straight on metformin (low starting dose am only) and a statin.
My main confusion is about diet. He is being really good about changing how he eats and doesn't grumble at all. I have read as much as I can on the internet and this forum is very helpful. We have a diabetic clinic appt next week but meantime I struggle with knowing which is the most important - keeping sugars and carbs low or low calories for weight loss? We were told by the doc that the best thing he can do to help himself is to lose weight. However he loves apples and tomatoes and they are a staple of his diet but though low in calories, high in sugars. Should he cut them out? have them occasionally? keep them as a staple as they are good in ways other than sugar content?
He has never had any obvious diabetes symptoms if that is relevant.
Thanks for taking the time to read and thank goodness for somewhere like this forum!
 
Hi and welcome,

Your poor husband. What an awful thing to happen to him, and now the diabetes diagnosis to cope with.

For diabetes, it is carbs that need reducing. Calories don't matter. Reducing carbs as much as possible will lower his blood glucose levels and he will also lose weight. It is carbs that make us fat. A small apple with a meal will do him no harm, and tomatoes are definitely on the list of foods to eat. I eat tomatoes every single day. I have 6 or 7 cherry toms at lunch time and grilled toms with my regular bacon and egg and steak meals. They are relatively low carb. It is bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals and flour that cause most of us problems.

Has he got a blood glucose meter? If not I suggest he gets one but will most likely have to buy his own. The NHS rarely prescribe them to people not on insulin or very strong drugs. They are essential if you want to know which foods his body reacts badly to. If you get one we will help you use it to the best advantage.
 
Hi granny_mo first welcome to the forum this is the best place to be I can't really advise on a type 2 as I'm type 1 but I know there's plenty of people on here who will be able to help one member daisy always gives advice on new members so I'm sure they will be along soon all the best for now and good luck.
 
Granny_Mo said:
Hi. Just connecting to say hello and ask a question if that's OK.
My husband has a cervical spinal injury and has problems to some extent with all 4 limbs though he can walk a little and has some use of his hands though that is limited.
He has always been pretty slim till the spinal op 5 years ago that left him like this and then he put on about 2 and a half stones very quickly because of lack of exercise and medications that cause weight gain. Blood sugars OK though until last month.
Luckily he's not devastated by the diagnosis and we both see his diagnosis as a wake up call and he really wants to lose his excess poundage. Weirdly he had started to lose weight slowly as he managed a bit more mobility (he is still improving 5 years post) and had lost half a stone in the last few months - so about 2 stones more to regain his fighting weight. However his blood sugars were 15 ish in 2 consecutive tests so they have put him straight on metformin (low starting dose am only) and a statin.
My main confusion is about diet. He is being really good about changing how he eats and doesn't grumble at all. I have read as much as I can on the internet and this forum is very helpful. We have a diabetic clinic appt next week but meantime I struggle with knowing which is the most important - keeping sugars and carbs low or low calories for weight loss? We were told by the doc that the best thing he can do to help himself is to lose weight. However he loves apples and tomatoes and they are a staple of his diet but though low in calories, high in sugars. Should he cut them out? have them occasionally? keep them as a staple as they are good in ways other than sugar content?
He has never had any obvious diabetes symptoms if that is relevant.
Thanks for taking the time to read and thank goodness for somewhere like this forum!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum. There is a good deal of information concerning diabetic healthy eating from a veriety if sources. Magazines devoted to such subjects can be found in most newsagents, dieticians and diabetes educators can assist with this. Have you tried the internet for relevent information? There are plenty of individual on the forum who can assist.
 
I had no obvious symptoms, and my blood glucose was 17.1 at diagnosis.
Many people on the forum have had great results from eating fewer carbs, and weightloss has happened almost automatically, with no great need to restrict calories for many.
Low carbs keeps my blood glucose normal, which is probably most important to start off with. High glucose levels can cause damage to eyes and nerves, and by keeping numbers low I have found more energy and a shrinking waistline.
Now I am 6 months from diagnosis I can eat a few more carbs each day and still keep under 7.5 after meals, under 7 some days, so although your husband might have to cut carbs for a while, once normality is regained there is some hope for recovery of coping with more carbs, though I find that I prefer the menu on low carb eating and really would not want to have the carbs as my staple foods again. I was eating them as a supposedly cholesterol reducing diet, which failed, and caused rapid weight gain.
 
leslie10152 said:
There is a good deal of information concerning diabetic healthy eating from a veriety if sources. Magazines devoted to such subjects can be found in most newsagents, dieticians and diabetes educators can assist with this.
Click to expand...

And much of this will be counter productive to a T2 not on insulin as they will undoubtedly be pushing carbs.
 
@Granny_Mo

Hello Granny_Mo and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I am sure that this will help you to help your husband. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer.


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 235,000 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.

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.
 
Hi and welcome. Just think carbs for both blood sugar and weight reduction. Calories have very little relevance to how we eat and carbs are the main culprit for weight gain.
 
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