Newly diagnosed, scared and confused

[Red_river_]

I don't mind being diabetic - but I feel that it has done me a big favour - I can now justify eating according to Atkins, and my meter.
There is absolutely nothing to worry about with the testing - it is a tiny tiny pinprick on your finger and a little bit of blood is put onto the tip of the testing strip, it counts down and tells you your number, and by then the blood is mostly sucked into the tiny tube in the strip and there is no more blood.
I use a new lancet every time, for the stabber, and I can't even feel where the hole was made - I am a musician so I use all my fingertips when playing, and I never get any soreness at all.
I am just coming to one year from diagnosis, and I have normal numbers as long as I eat the things I know are good for me - any meat or fish, shellfish, eggs cream yogurt - some cheese but not every day. Nuts in moderation and the lower carb fruits and lots of green salads, mushrooms sweet peppers, tomatoes - there are lists of suitable foods if you can find an edition of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution on line to download for free - I use the 2002 edition - there are recipes and menus.
When staying at a hotel I was able to indulge in all the things I could heap onto my plate for breakfast, so much I did not even stop for lunch and for dinner I had the best bits with a salad and the lowest carb option for dessert. No problem in staying low carb at all.
My Hba1c was way higher when I was diagnosed, now I am in the normal range and so much happier with more energy and a far busier social life.

Thank you Resurgam you helps lift up my spirit! It really helps me to see how so many people having such a positive look at diabetes. I will definitely have a look at Dr Atkins diet. My diet so far was very heavy on carbs. Since I was diagnosed, I almost stopped eating , or ate very little and experienced light headed and a bit dizziness. I am still trying to find what to eat. Do you know how many eggs one can have a day? It is said eggs are not so good if you have high cholesterol is that right? I will need to toughen myself before buying a meter. I am not at all brave. I guess the first time is always more difficult, once I've done it probably it won't be too scare anymore. Thanks for your help.

 

[Grateful]

I will be more careful in choosing words I use. I should had known better..

Not at all. Personally I don't object to the term "diabetic" to describe me, but some people do seem to object to it, so I just got into the habit of using "people with diabetes."

 

[Red_river_]

Whether we say "diabetics" or a "person with diabetes" matters not in my world. I am a diabetic, I am also a person with diabetes. Please don't cut yourself up about it..... what on earth is the difference? None as far as I can see. Lovely to see you are learning ... keep on asking questions.

I share your view. I'm diabetic. But you know the world nowadays. We can't really use certain words such as " disable" for example.. But I don't mind being more careful in choosing my words, I don't want to hurt anybody's feeling
Meanwhile I have a tones of questions to ask, not sure if they are too silly, such as :" Can I do juicing?" as before being diagnosed I really enjoyed doing that. Different colour each day to add more vegs and fruit into my diet. Now I have stopped for fear that they might be too high in sugar.

 

[Grateful]

" Can I do juicing?" as before being diagnosed I really enjoyed doing that. Different colour each day to add more vegs and fruit into my diet. Now I have stopped for fear that they might be too high in sugar.

Fruit juice is very high in carbs. Those of us on a low-carb diet usually avoid it altogether. I used to guzzle gallons of apple juice. No more.

Vegetables are a different matter. I have never juiced them and hopefully someone will come along who has. Many vegetables are good low-carb foods. There are some exceptions. The usual rule goes something like, "if it grows above ground, it's OK, if it grows below ground, it may be high-carb." From what I remember, for instance, carrots are not particularly low-carb so I eat them only in moderation (one medium carrot has 6g of carbs).

I just go on the Internet and check the nutrition info for things like that.

 

[alan_diggers]

Hi. I was diagnosed in 2005. I was also confused and to a certain extent remain so. I found

 

[Pinkorchid]

Fruit juice is very high in carbs. Those of us on a low-carb diet usually avoid it altogether. I used to guzzle gallons of apple juice. No more.

Vegetables are a different matter. I have never juiced them and hopefully someone will come along who has. Many vegetables are good low-carb foods. There are some exceptions. The usual rule goes something like, "if it grows above ground, it's OK, if it grows below ground, it may be high-carb." From what I remember, for instance, carrots are not particularly low-carb so I eat them only in moderation (one medium carrot has 6g of carbs).

I just go on the Internet and check the nutrition info for things like that.

Swede parsnips turnips and celeriac are usually ok even though they grow below ground

 

[Rachox]

Swede parsnips turnips and celeriac are usually ok even though they grow below ground

I make celeriac chips, a quite acceptable alternative to potato chips

 

[Grateful]

I make celeriac chips, a quite acceptable alternative to potato chips

I use spiralized celeriac "spaghetti" quite a lot, for instance to make "spaghetti with meatballs" using low-carb frozen meatballs and low-carb tomato sauce bought in those glass bottles at the supermarket. It's an easy meal.

 

[Jenniewren1958]

Hi & welcome I use celeriac most days, chips, roasties, sliced in stock with onion &garlic

 

[Mbaker]

Thank you thank you everyone for your warm welcome and advices. You are all very helpful and I know I have come to the right place.

From your advices I understand low carbs and testing bg is the way forward? Not so great as I have this fear of needle and blood.. ‍.. And I love rice and pasta and white bread all high carbs food together with all sweet fruit such as banana, grape, melon.. I am not over weight my MBI is 22.6

So far I only had a 30 minutes with a diabetic nurse, who told me I've got diabetes and told me to cut down on carbs. She suggested I should take Statin as my cholesterol is high. A fasting test showed my cholesterol 5.2 mmol/L, and my HbA1c is 6.6. My next appointment is in mid December, and I am going on a all inclusive holiday for 2 weeks.. I was so looking forward to it but not too sure now
I was thinking I won't buy a meter before the holiday as I will worried too much about testing, just try to control the amount And what to eat. What if it were you?

I will need to do some research about what type of meter to get. I had a quick look at Freestyle Libre as Woodywhippet suggested, which would be my dream, but seems after the stater kit you will need to pay fifty pounds every two weeks is that right? Then I will not be able to afford that..

My IPad is not behaving hence I have to write numbers in words. I need to post this just in case I loose it.

Oh, and I have a question Should I eat or snack a little through out the day or still stick with three meals? I often do not do snack, but as I have very little for main meals now should I compensate by snacks?

Thank you.

Hello @Red_river self testing, and I would say keeping a diary rigorously in the early stages can make your management quite predictable. Maybe have some staple meals that you know work for you. There are some swaps you can do early on such as Lidl protein rolls in place of bread, grated cauliflower in place of rice (goes great with curries and as a pasta replacement), Explore Cuisine has Black Bean Spaghetti, Edamame Spaghetti and Edamame and Mung Bean Fettuccine, which are in the pasta isle of most supermarkets with a maximum of 15 grams of carbs per 100 grams - so there are some lesser carb alternatives to some of your favourites.

I survived Disney World Orlando in the summer. Don't be backward in asking for what you want e.g. salad without the dressing, burger without the buns, replace chips with extra veggies. If you are non Vegan or Vegetarian you can eat any meat or fish, shell fish. If you eat diary then cheese and yogurt are on the road map (many like me have full fat). You can go for above ground vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, courgettes, greens, spinach. Tomatoes, anything ending in berry as low sugar fruit are good choices. Eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms are also good choices as is high percentage dark chocolate.

My highest readings for cholesterol were 6.2, I was advised to take statins, like you I do not like drugs so declined, I now have cholesterol of 3.9 with trigs of 0.5. With your HbA1c where it is, within six months you could either be in the non-diabetic range or very close depending on what you choose to do.

 

[Red_river_]

Hello @Red_river self testing, and I would say keeping a diary rigorously in the early stages can make your management quite predictable. Maybe have some staple meals that you know work for you. There are some swaps you can do early on such as Lidl protein rolls in place of bread, grated cauliflower in place of rice (goes great with curries and as a pasta replacement), Explore Cuisine has Black Bean Spaghetti, Edamame Spaghetti and Edamame and Mung Bean Fettuccine, which are in the pasta isle of most supermarkets with a maximum of 15 grams of carbs per 100 grams - so there are some lesser carb alternatives to some of your favourites.

I survived Disney World Orlando in the summer. Don't be backward in asking for what you want e.g. salad without the dressing, burger without the buns, replace chips with extra veggies. If you are non Vegan or Vegetarian you can eat any meat or fish, shell fish. If you eat diary then cheese and yogurt are on the road map (many like me have full fat). You can go for above ground vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, courgettes, greens, spinach. Tomatoes, anything ending in berry as low sugar fruit are good choices. Eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms are also good choices as is high percentage dark chocolate.

My highest readings for cholesterol were 6.2, I was advised to take statins, like you I do not like drugs so declined, I now have cholesterol of 3.9 with trigs of 0.5. With your HbA1c where it is, within six months you could either be in the non-diabetic range or very close depending on what you choose to do.

Wow! I mean Wow but then I clicked on Agree ! ( I still don't know the meaning of icons). You have been doing so well! Since I see quite a few members of this forum manage their blood sugar so well I feel much more positive that I too can overcome this and cope with this the way you do. I have already started on a low carbs diet and now I will aim to bring my level down in 6 month time.
Thank you for recommending the food. I am a creature of habit I always buy Napolitan spaghetti or pasta, I don't even look at any other brands. Next time shoppingI will look for those you recommended. I eat everything and I always think I eat healthily enough. Apart from heavy on carbs, I eat lots of all kind of fruit and vegetables, not a lot of meat, no animal fat at all, and not a lots of cheese, I try to eat fish one a week. I haven't got a sweet tooth but have a sweet treat occasionaly. I hardly do take away, always cook from scratch. I don't buy anything pre- packed or precessed either ( sometimes sausages or ham that is).
Now I am not sure what fruit or vegs are better for PWD. I had vegs soup with beetroot, carrots, beans for dinner tonight and wonder if that was good enough as carrots and beetroots contain lots of sugar? I bough a papaya but haven't cut it yet as it may be too sweet or contain lots of carbs? I don't dare eating a whole apple in one go like before because apple has lots of carbs, too. I will need to learn to count carbs I suppose. I know any berries are good but they are dearer than other fruit... If you don't mind me asking, will you let me know what you had for food today, so I can have the same for tomorrow . Ah, by the way, I thought Anything low fat is better for cholesterol? I've been on skimmed milk forever.

 

[Red_river_]

Hi & welcome I use celeriac most days, chips, roasties, sliced in stock with onion &garlic

Hi Jenniwren, I somehow never have celeriac, I don't know why, when I would eat any other vegs. I must try.

 

[woodywhippet61]

Thank you very much WoodyWhippet61. I will spend sometime googling blood sugars 101 as you suggested, and meter, too. Are you using the Freestyle Libre? If so could you pls let me know the cost if you don't mind?

I was a bit phobic about finger pricking which is why I went for the Libre. But then I found that I still had to finger prick because the Libre gives me low readings. BUT I only do the odd finger prick.

The cost of the Libre was shocking and then I realised that I spent far more than that on wine. As I had already decided to stop drinking my decision was easy. Don't forget to tick the I am a diabetic box as you save on VAT.

 

[Rachox]

Wow! I mean Wow but then I clicked on Agree ! ( I still don't know the meaning of icons). You have been doing so well! Since I see quite a few members of this forum manage their blood sugar so well I feel much more positive that I too can overcome this and cope with this the way you do. I have already started on a low carbs diet and now I will aim to bring my level down in 6 month time.
Thank you for recommending the food. I am a creature of habit I always buy Napolitan spaghetti or pasta, I don't even look at any other brands. Next time shoppingI will look for those you recommended. I eat everything and I always think I eat healthily enough. Apart from heavy on carbs, I eat lots of all kind of fruit and vegetables, not a lot of meat, no animal fat at all, and not a lots of cheese, I try to eat fish one a week. I haven't got a sweet tooth but have a sweet treat occasionaly. I hardly do take away, always cook from scratch. I don't buy anything pre- packed or precessed either ( sometimes sausages or ham that is).
Now I am not sure what fruit or vegs are better for PWD. I had vegs soup with beetroot, carrots, beans for dinner tonight and wonder if that was good enough as carrots and beetroots contain lots of sugar? I bough a papaya but haven't cut it yet as it may be too sweet or contain lots of carbs? I don't dare eating a whole apple in one go like before because apple has lots of carbs, too. I will need to learn to count carbs I suppose. I know any berries are good but they are dearer than other fruit... If you don't mind me asking, will you let me know what you had for food today, so I can have the same for tomorrow . Ah, by the way, I thought Anything low fat is better for cholesterol? I've been on skimmed milk forever.

I use Tesco dot com grocery website a lot to check out carb counts on foods I buy and also have the Nutrachek app on my phone and iPad which is useful for calculating different amounts of carbs in ingredients in recipes. Have a look at the Low Carb section of Diet Doctor for new recipes too, here’s a link:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Low+carb+recipes&st=any

 

[Red_river_]

I make celeriac chips, a quite acceptable alternative to potato chips

Fruit juice is very high in carbs. Those of us on a low-carb diet usually avoid it altogether. I used to guzzle gallons of apple juice. No more.

Vegetables are a different matter. I have never juiced them and hopefully someone will come along who has. Many vegetables are good low-carb foods. There are some exceptions. The usual rule goes something like, "if it grows above ground, it's OK, if it grows below ground, it may be high-carb." From what I remember, for instance, carrots are not particularly low-carb so I eat them only in moderation (one medium carrot has 6g of carbs).

I just go on the Internet and check the nutrition info for things like that.

Ah, ow I've learnt things grow above are better then bellow, thank you. I used to juice all and everything, using colour code. Anything green together : cucumber, celery, kiwi, broccoli, green pepper bells, kales...etc..with half a lemon and bit of ginger if I feel like. Or anything orange like carrots, pumpkin, yellow pepper bells, an apple for sweetness... , purple with purple cabbage, beetroots.. I thought they are healthy and yummy until the diabetic nurse disapproved it. Now I am not sure what fruit are good ..
And also, since I cut down on carbs, I have constipation if you don't mind me saying so. Few days now.. but I don't feel that uncomfortable.. Probably that's the way my body reacts?

 

[Red_river_]

I use Tesco dot com grocery website a lot to check out carb counts on foods I buy and also have the Nutrachek app on my phone and iPad which is useful for calculating different amounts of carbs in ingredients in recipes. Have a look at the Low Carb section of Diet Doctor for new recipes too, here’s a link:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Low+carb+recipes&st=any

Thanks for the tips! I certainly will. And will download the app for my phone too. Just thinking how long the shopping will take if I have to scan and check that way!?

 

[Grateful]

Since I see quite a few members of this forum manage their blood sugar so well I feel much more positive that I too can overcome this and cope with this the way you do. I have already started on a low carbs diet and now I will aim to bring my level down in 6 month time.

It is a lot to take in, at the beginning, but as you can see plenty of us have managed it. I too found it confusing at the beginning, real "information overload." It gets easier as time goes on.

Now I am not sure what fruit or vegs are better for PWD.

Here's a visual guide: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb#advice. You can also just type "vegetable-name carbohydrates" into Google, or "vegetable-name nutrition." This will tell you how many grams of carbs are in a "portion" (portion size usually listed at the top of the table) or per 100 grams.

If you don't mind me asking, will you let me know what you had for food today, so I can have the same for tomorrow .

It depends what kind of "low-carber" you decide to be. I think I may have already given you this link but just in case: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html.

I am a fairly extreme low-carber (and relatively low fat) but that might not make sense for you. For the heck of it, here is a typical day's meals:

• Breakfast, a tiny amount of home-made granola (muesli) i.e. 2 tablespoons (corrected from teaspons!), with four blueberries and two raspberries, covered with a small amount of zero-fat milk. Also, two tablespoons of zero-fat Greek yoghurt.
• Lunch, typically a mixed salad (Greek salad with feta cheese is my favorite). Dressing is home-prepared: olive oil and red wine vinegar. To drink, a glass of fizzy mineral water with half a lemon squeezed into it. Sometimes, I will cook a cheese omelette instead of having the salad. I often have an avocado with lunch (high-fat, low-carb) and with that same oil/vinegar dressing.
• Dinner, plain baked fish (cod, sole, etc.) with a herb topping and lemon juice squeezed over it. Vegetables of some kind. Possibly cauliflower rice. Dessert is a selection of cheese with keto seed crackers (recipe is on the aforementioned dietdoctor web site). To drink: two small glasses of wine (total 180ml).
• Snacks between meals: low-carb nuts, olives.

This lifestyle is very low-carb and too extreme for some people. You will notice that I concentrate the carbs into breakfast, but some people will prefer to limit the glucose spikes by spreading them among the three meals.

Anything low fat is better for cholesterol? I've been on skimmed milk forever.

That's what we've been told, for decades. I still have trouble letting go of that notion, which is why I continue to use skimmed milk, zero-fat yogurt, and so forth. But others on this forum do increase the fats in their foods when they go low-carb.

Hi Jenniwren, I somehow never have celeriac, I don't know why....

I had never even heard of it until I started looking for low-carb substitutes for spaghetti. You can "spiralize" a celeriac. It looks quite like real spaghetti and has an al-dente texture. The taste is quite different, but anyway it is usually a garnish for spaghetti sauce or meatballs or whatever, and my wife and I actually quite like it.

Have fun with the new-style cooking!

Edited to add: I also drink lots of water, between meals. About 2 liters, in addition to fluids with meals. This is important if, in conjunction with the dietary changes, you also increase the amount of exercise. It also helps with constipation, if that is an issue.

 

[paulus1]

Guilt is normal. For a while after my diagnosis, Food Was The Enemy. If it helps, take my word for it: "This too shall pass."

Now, I am going to spook you by adding: Apple is high-carb. Fruits are OK, but (for someone like me who had a much higher HbA1c at diagnosis than yours) only when taken in extreme moderation. I am down to a few berries per day, plus a few slices of banana (very, very high-carb) with my breakfast.



You want to take control of your diabetes and bring BG down. Fat is almost irrelevant in that battle, although eating fat may have other consequences for your health. This is a controversial subject. Many people on this forum follow a "low-carb, high-fat" strategy and you will find lots of information about that. (I use low-carb, low-fat, but it won't work for everyone.)

Edited to add: Also, you are not overweight. So if I were you I would not obsess about eating fat.

Yes, sweet is bad.

Salty: well, we all need a certain amount of salt. Too much is conventionally believed to be an issue, especially with modern processed foods. But again, not specifically a diabetes thing. Hydration is also a good idea by the way, especially if you step up the exercise.

Prepare to be Very Confused for a while. This is normal. Keep asking questions!

be careful your forcing your body to burn protean. if your carbs and fats are lower than your body needs. unless your eating extra protean is risky

 

[Red_river_]

I was a bit phobic about finger pricking which is why I went for the Libre. But then I found that I still had to finger prick because the Libre gives me low readings. BUT I only do the odd finger prick.

The cost of the Libre was shocking and then I realised that I spent far more than that on wine. As I had already decided to stop drinking my decision was easy. Don't forget to tick the I am a diabetic box as you save on VAT.

I will do few odd pricking that's not too bad, but a few times a day?? Everyday?? I don't know. That's why I am delaying looking into meter issue , and find excuses not to have to buy one . I did have a quick look at the Freestyle Libre, seems the ongoing cost is sth like £50 for every 2 weeks? Ouch! Even I don't drink I still can't afford that. Probably at the end of the day, my fingers will have to suffer instead of my purse! Sad sad sad

 

[woodywhippet61]

Ah, ow I've learnt things grow above are better then bellow, thank you. I used to juice all and everything, using colour code. Anything green together : cucumber, celery, kiwi, broccoli, green pepper bells, kales...etc..with half a lemon and bit of ginger if I feel like. Or anything orange like carrots, pumpkin, yellow pepper bells, an apple for sweetness... , purple with purple cabbage, beetroots.. I thought they are healthy and yummy until the diabetic nurse disapproved it. Now I am not sure what fruit are good ..
And also, since I cut down on carbs, I have constipation if you don't mind me saying so. Few days now.. but I don't feel that uncomfortable.. Probably that's the way my body reacts?

I take magnesium citrate for constipation. For decades I had IBS