Hi all i am new to this forum. i checked my blood three times. first time 160 (HBa1C 10) on fasting. second 154 on fasting. checked again fasting blood sugar the result is 127. i am not taking metformin. i want to reduce as soon as possible to normal level. you guys help me to do it. what should i start first?
Sugar Level 127
- Thread starter Shameera89
- Start Date
SockFiddler
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Hi @Shameera89 and welcome to the forum.
First thing I'm going to do is tag in @daisy1 who has a wealth of brilliant info for newcomers.
Second thing is to say that, sure, we all support each other but the only person who can get your BG down is you. You're the only person who can make the choices that lie ahead and who will know whether they're working for you or not.
Finally, I'm wondering if you can be a bit clearer about your numbers? I'm not sure what unit they're measured in (maybe someone else will be able to decode them), but an Hba1C of 10 is most definitely not diabetic.
Do you have a diagnosis of diabetes? What was your Hba1C upon diagnosis? And what do you typically eat?
First thing I'm going to do is tag in @daisy1 who has a wealth of brilliant info for newcomers.
Second thing is to say that, sure, we all support each other but the only person who can get your BG down is you. You're the only person who can make the choices that lie ahead and who will know whether they're working for you or not.
Finally, I'm wondering if you can be a bit clearer about your numbers? I'm not sure what unit they're measured in (maybe someone else will be able to decode them), but an Hba1C of 10 is most definitely not diabetic.
Do you have a diagnosis of diabetes? What was your Hba1C upon diagnosis? And what do you typically eat?
Thank you for your comment.
Normally i am eating rice. it means carbs. my blood sugar level127 mg/dL now.(fasting 10Hrs). 3 month before I have checked HBa1C test. the result is 10%. i want to reduce this level. please give some advice for this matter.
SockFiddler
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- Type 2
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Okay, Hba1C of 10%:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
Yep, that's well into diabetic range.
Fasting blood sugar level of 127 mg/dL:
http://www.diabeteschart.org/mgmmol.html
Is around 7.0 (in the scale we most frequently use here - I needed to convert your units into units I'm familiar with) is actually not terrible. It's still "high" but there could be a lot of factors including illness, stress, the time of day, that affect it.
The first step, really, is to take a breath and relax. I take it you have a BG meter and are used to self-testing. You need to get a little more strategic with when you use it: before you eat and 2 hours after finishing your meal are two important numbers.
Your BG in the morning might be a little high due to something known as Dawn Phenomenon or Liver Dump:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/dawn-phenomenon.html
I have a very strong Liver Dump upon waking and so have learned to take my BG an hour after I wake up, to allow this level to drop to its more usual state. The difference can be from as high as 7.5 upon waking to 5.5 an hour later. I tend not to eat and just drink water until my BG has settled.
I also found keeping a food diary for a while really helped me. I recorded everything I ate and drank, worked out how many carbs that was and measured my BG alongside it. It wasn't until I had a full and proper picture of not only what I ate but when I tended to eat it that I could understand what my BG was doing in response and, therefore, how to take control.
It's also worth mentioning that your BG meter is only accurate to +/- 15%, so there's quite a lot of leeway in the numbers it gives you. While many people here advocate "eat to your meter", it's worth bearing in mind that your meter is just a guide, not an accurate tool. If you get a wonky or unexpected result, test again.
Have a look around the forum, there's lots of people posting lots of their experiences, questions and ways of coping. There's also a HUGE amount of recipes available, including veggie and vegan options. Yes, your carby rice is probably contributing to your high blood sugar, but I'm guessing that's as much a cultural thing as a dietary thing. Don't make any enormous decisions or changes right away. Take your time, look around, experiment with different foods and meals.
And keep posting, asking questions, being curious.
I hope that helped
Sock x
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
Yep, that's well into diabetic range.
Fasting blood sugar level of 127 mg/dL:
http://www.diabeteschart.org/mgmmol.html
Is around 7.0 (in the scale we most frequently use here - I needed to convert your units into units I'm familiar with) is actually not terrible. It's still "high" but there could be a lot of factors including illness, stress, the time of day, that affect it.
The first step, really, is to take a breath and relax. I take it you have a BG meter and are used to self-testing. You need to get a little more strategic with when you use it: before you eat and 2 hours after finishing your meal are two important numbers.
Your BG in the morning might be a little high due to something known as Dawn Phenomenon or Liver Dump:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/dawn-phenomenon.html
I have a very strong Liver Dump upon waking and so have learned to take my BG an hour after I wake up, to allow this level to drop to its more usual state. The difference can be from as high as 7.5 upon waking to 5.5 an hour later. I tend not to eat and just drink water until my BG has settled.
I also found keeping a food diary for a while really helped me. I recorded everything I ate and drank, worked out how many carbs that was and measured my BG alongside it. It wasn't until I had a full and proper picture of not only what I ate but when I tended to eat it that I could understand what my BG was doing in response and, therefore, how to take control.
It's also worth mentioning that your BG meter is only accurate to +/- 15%, so there's quite a lot of leeway in the numbers it gives you. While many people here advocate "eat to your meter", it's worth bearing in mind that your meter is just a guide, not an accurate tool. If you get a wonky or unexpected result, test again.
Have a look around the forum, there's lots of people posting lots of their experiences, questions and ways of coping. There's also a HUGE amount of recipes available, including veggie and vegan options. Yes, your carby rice is probably contributing to your high blood sugar, but I'm guessing that's as much a cultural thing as a dietary thing. Don't make any enormous decisions or changes right away. Take your time, look around, experiment with different foods and meals.
And keep posting, asking questions, being curious.
I hope that helped
Sock x
Alexandra100
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It sounds as if you already realise that rice is not a healthy food for you. Inside you, indeed the moment your saliva touches the rice in your mouth, the carbs in the rice turn into sugar. Have you thought of any possible alternatives to rice in your diet? Here is a link to info. on low carbs that would be better for your health and your blood glucose:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods
Good luck!
daisy1
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@Shameera89
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as 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 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:
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 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. Most of these are free.
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as 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 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
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 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. Most of these are 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.
