Greetings - Red wine advice

[Markyinon]

I .was very recently diagnosed with T2 diabetes. To my dismay, I was told to limit red wine to almost a thimble quantity daily intake. Is this crucial?

 

[Antje77]

No. Unless you're on medication that doesn't combine with alcohol.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @Markyinon and welcome

I’m not a drinker so am tagging @ziggy_w and @shelley262 both of whom are type 2s with excellent control and have been known to enjoy a glass or two of red.

You might also find this information helpful http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

And this https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/alcohol

 

[Markyinon]

No. Unless you're on medication that doesn't combine with alcohol.

Thank you for your response!

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

I'm also a type 2 but not a red wine drinker. I do drink other alcohol. In relation to anything it will be the carbs that are important. dry red wine will probably have less carbs than sweet red wine. I'm no wine expert though.

But to start with- have you got a meter so you can check you bs levels? Many doctors don't recommend that you test regularly but in my view regular testing is essential. If you test regularly you can see the effect that different food (and wine) have on your readings.

What advice did the doctor give in relation to food? Many doctors advise the 'healthy food' diet- I like others on this forum have found that that advice doesn't work for them. I'm on a low carb way of life and I can support that by the readings I get on my meter.

You may be feeling overwhelmed and emotional- I certainly was after I was diagnosed. I think it was at least 2 weeks b before I wasn't crying every day. Here on this site you will find a lot of support and advice so you are in the right place.

Welcome and let us know how we can help you.

 

[MeiChanski]

Hello and welcome
I’ll bring some cheese to go with your wine.

 

[ziggy_w]

I .was very recently diagnosed with T2 diabetes. To my dismay, I was told to limit red wine to almost a thimble quantity daily intake. Is this crucial?

Hi @Markyinon,

Welcome to the forum. Glad to see you decided to join. Also, thanks @Goonergal for tagging me in.

As Goonergal mentioned, I really enjoy having a glass of red wine. ... and as long as the wine is dry, it doesn't affect my blood sugar levels, if anything it lowers them a bit. (Some websites even list the grams of sugar per liter, which is really helpful.)

When I was first diagnosed, however, my GP put me on metformin, which carries a warning not to mix with alcohol. To be honest, though, even on metformin I had a glass of dry red wine once a week, which in my case was fine. However, I would have been scared to have much more than this.

So, as @Antje77 says, it's probably a good idea not to overdo the alcohol if you are on medication such as metformin.

If you have any other questions, just fire away. There are many knowledgeable and friendly members on the forum, who will be only too happy to help.

 

[Markyinon]

Thank you all for your kind responses. Got the news this past week from my doctor. Yes, I was a bit overwhelmed. After doing a second test to verify.
About the red wine, specifically ok for a wine glass size everyday?

 

[AloeSvea]

Hi @Markyinon

Specifically OK for you - your carb-content goals, your energy-from-food goals, and your liver health .

But basically, it's about the carb content - so dry wines, the drier the wine the better. I read somewhere, don't have the ref alas, but that the cheaper ones have had sugar added after the fermentation process - so it is a good idea to stay away from the super budget wines. (My partner, a non-diabetic, is saying, "And also for taste reasons".) (He is also saying Russian wines have a special category for sweet red wines - so stay away from them too...)

I think you can taste when sugar has doctored them - as with naturally fermented ginger ale, when sugar has been added after the fermentation process of that - they are just 'too sweet'.

I go for tried and true dry reds, at a decent price.

And if you are unsure - do a drink-and-BG meter, and see how our BG is after. But my guess is you will be soon reassured.

 

[Resurgam]

I make my own ginger beer, using sugar for the fizz and sweetener for the taste, and as the apple trees are groaning under the strain of holding up the crop this year I plan for some apple and raisin wine, again fermented to dryness. I add the sweetener after pouring - as I find that I need less and less sweetness as time goes on, and that there is no benefit from adding it before bottling.
There is no need to avoid alcohol if you are not on medication which might cause problems, at least that is what I have found whilst on a low carb diet.

 

[VashtiB]

Hi Resurgam- any chance of you sharing the recipe for the ginger beer? Any. I have found have been high in carbs.