T2 Diabetic education

[jay hay-char]

Went on the first part of a Diabetic Education course this morning. Three months ago (when I was first diagnosed) it might have been quite useful but I don't honestly think I was told anything I haven't already picked up from several months of web surfing and research in the interim. We didn't really get on to diet because part 2 (next weekend) features a dietician and a podiatrist, but there was brief mention of the balanced plate and eating starchy carbs with every meal. Whilst I'm not an evangelist for extreme low-carb diets and/or lots of fat, even I can see the absurdity in saying "eat quite a lot of starchy carbs" followed, five minutes later by "of course, carbs turn into sugar in the body". Anyway, we'll see what they say about all this next week.

Much time was wasted by several old codgers who wanted to share, in excruciating detail and at great length, every second of every visit they'd ever made to their GPs surgery whether or not it was relevant to what was being talked about. The "classroom" was overcrowded and in any event unsuitable for training, which the nurse (a nice girl) running the course admitted, but apparently they over-book, like airlines, because there are normally lots of no-shows on the day. Trust me to be on a course where everyone showed up

Still, it got me out of the house for the morning, I suppose .............

More anon.

 

[douglas99]

Maybe the 'old codgers' who may not surf the internet as much, got more out of it?

 

[andcol]

yep they get progressive diabetes and gangrene

 

[jay hay-char]

Maybe the 'old codgers' who may not surf the internet as much, got more out of it?

I expect they probably did, and sorry if I sound a bit intolerant but I didn't really go on the course to hear about someone else's corns My point was that there isn't much point in sending people on a course several months after they have been diagnosed, because quite a lot of them will probably have found out everything for themselves by then. I came back feeling that I had wasted three hours of precious weekend time when I should be with my family.

Hey ho.

 

[Lamont D]

My father in law went to one of these education classes and has believed everything about the so called balanced diet including starchy carbs and he is struggling with his health.
I ask him every time to change but he refuses. He's a very stubborn man. And it's doing him no good at all! He doesn't believe that full fat is good for you and the oils he fries his food is not!
Just can't educate him. He wonders why but won't do nothing about it. He bought lo fat muller rice, which is about 80% carbs and sugar and told me in no uncertain way that it was healthy for a diabetic!!!
Dear me!

 

[Lamont D]

T

I expect they probably did, and sorry if I sound a bit intolerant but I didn't really go on the course to hear about someone else's corns My point was that there isn't much point in sending people on a course several months after they have been diagnosed, because quite a lot of them will probably have found out everything for themselves by then. I came back feeling that I had wasted three hours of precious weekend time when I should be with my family.

Hey ho.

The NHS have to do something! It's showing it's caring attitude even though the advice is outdated and wrong in so many ways!

 

[jay hay-char]

T

The NHS have to do something! It's showing it's caring attitude even though the advice is outdated and wrong in so many ways!

I suppose the problem is that they can't change their advice every time some new theory comes along, even if it's the neatest thing since sliced bread (dumb simile in a diabetic context but I expect you get my drift). They have to be consistent in their advice, and are wary of being seen to endorse something just because it's new - after all, it could be disastrous to advise a high fat regime if current theories about a lack of correlation between saturated fat and heart disease turn out to be unfounded.

To be fair to my GP, who is very switched on, and keeps abreast of developments in medicine, he advised me to go very easy on the carbs from Day 1. I will see what the Dietician says next Saturday - after all, he/she could have a completely different point of view from the nurse today.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Just in case anyone is interested, it's pretty much the same drill in Canada with the government run newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic education classes. I was in one more than a year after I had diabetes. Thank god I didn't have it right away. I mentioned to the nurse teaching it that I was on very low carbs and hers went all glassy and she said they don't recommend that. There was quite a bit of info about the different kinds of meds we'd be on eventually when you follow their advice.

 

[Lamont D]

I suppose the problem is that they can't change their advice every time some new theory comes along, even if it's the neatest thing since sliced bread (dumb simile in a diabetic context but I expect you get my drift). They have to be consistent in their advice, and are wary of being seen to endorse something just because it's new - after all, it could be disastrous to advise a high fat regime if current theories about a lack of correlation between saturated fat and heart disease turn out to be unfounded.

To be fair to my GP, who is very switched on, and keeps abreast of developments in medicine, he advised me to go very easy on the carbs from Day 1. I will see what the Dietician says next Saturday - after all, he/she could have a completely different point of view from the nurse today.

But itts not a new theory! Even the Atkins diet has been around quite a while now. In the seventies it was 'leave the spuds alon and drink wine not beer diet'
I have a very knowledgable consultant who advised me on my personal diet and even mine and the wife's GP recommended low carbs to both of us!
So things are changing! It's logical really! You don't put petrol on a fire so why eat carbs if you are diabetic!!

 

[donnellysdogs]

"The big fat surprise" book gives alot of info how low fat etc came about.
I wish every diabetic comsultant, etc would be given a copy of it to read.

NHS, USA, Canada- none can change their mind on the advice its being giving.. Too many lawsuits etc possible....

 

[douglas99]

Low fat, low GI, low GL, portion control works for me.
I don't need high fat milk, yoghurt, butter, in fact I rarely eat 'full fat' anything.
As it works, it does tend to disprove there is only 'one' way to eat as a diabetic.

 

[Lamont D]

Of course there isn't 'one way' that is obvious! Diabetes is a condition that can be suitably controlled by the patient. If he or she has other complications that require something within that 'diet'! Then they are different to you. One of the things that I have educated myself with is not to criticise others who don't agree on certain diet issues as you never know if they are allergic to dairy like myself, so low carb medium fat no dairy is right for me. But not for you!

 

[douglas99]

No other complications or allergies, I'm very pleased to say. simply personal choice.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

It may be a personal choice for you, but I can't eat much carbs (including so-called low GI) without spiking my blood sugar, so I have to replace the calories with something, so I don't really have a choice.

 

[Lamont D]

I too have no real choice as I am allergic to carbs and sugars, only meds give me a choice, that I'd rather not take the chance, though!

You may not have the luxury of saying that in the future, yes be content and controlled but life has a way of knocking you down suddenly!

 

[valbuk]

Went on the first part of a Diabetic Education course this morning. Three months ago (when I was first diagnosed) it might have been quite useful but I don't honestly think I was told anything I haven't already picked up from several months of web surfing and research in the interim. We didn't really get on to diet because part 2 (next weekend) features a dietician and a podiatrist, but there was brief mention of the balanced plate and eating starchy carbs with every meal. Whilst I'm not an evangelist for extreme low-carb diets and/or lots of fat, even I can see the absurdity in saying "eat quite a lot of starchy carbs" followed, five minutes later by "of course, carbs turn into sugar in the body". Anyway, we'll see what they say about all this next week.

Much time was wasted by several old codgers who wanted to share, in excruciating detail and at great length, every second of every visit they'd ever made to their GPs surgery whether or not it was relevant to what was being talked about. The "classroom" was overcrowded and in any event unsuitable for training, which the nurse (a nice girl) running the course admitted, but apparently they over-book, like airlines, because there are normally lots of no-shows on the day. Trust me to be on a course where everyone showed up

Still, it got me out of the house for the morning, I suppose .............

More anon.

Could not agree with you more I am not diabetic2 but my wife is we have been to meetings and Nuetricianal seminars all seem to be taken over by
existing diabetic's who want to tell you what you should be doing. In my honest opinion there is not enough information or support for new diabetics let alone existing one's it depends on their GP's. How can you possibly know how to seriously control your blood sugar level unless you have the equipment to check yet our GP says there is no reason for a type 2 to do a blood check.

 

[Daibell]

So the NHS is still talking about starchy carbs with every meal; madness. I went on a visit to Jordan's Mill in Bedfordshire this week; well worth a visit. They talked about the healthy shell of the grain and the wheat-germ and the inner less healthy starchy bit. The tour guide said that the best bit of the grain i.e. the outer shell and germ used to be fed to the pigs 'they had the best bit' and the starchy bit was ground into less healthy white flour. The Jordan's family recognised this was not right and provided a choice of flours with the healthy bits mixed back in i.e. Wholemeal and Wholegrain. This was known donkey's years ago and to suggest diabetics have starchy carbs with every meal is quite simply 'pig' ignorance. Despite this knowledge, 75% of the population apparently still buy white bread; seriously starchy.

 

[douglas99]

So the NHS is still talking about starchy carbs with every meal; madness. I went on a visit to Jordan's Mill in Bedfordshire this week; well worth a visit. They talked about the healthy shell of the grain and the wheat-germ and the inner less healthy starchy bit. The tour guide said that the best bit of the grain i.e. the outer shell and germ used to be fed to the pigs 'they had the best bit' and the starchy bit was ground into less healthy white flour. The Jordan's family recognised this was not right and provided a choice of flours with the healthy bits mixed back in i.e. Wholemeal and Wholegrain. This was known donkey's years ago and to suggest diabetics have starchy carbs with every meal is quite simply 'pig' ignorance. Despite this knowledge, 75% of the population apparently still buy white bread; seriously starchy.

Not entirely sure what you're trying to say?

Jordan's bread is good?
Or bad?
Or wholegrain or wholemeal isn't starchy?
Or it is?

Or are you claiming you believe the NHS advise diabetics to eat white bread, not Jordan's wholemeal or wholegrain?

 

[jay hay-char]

Not entirely sure what you're trying to say?

Jordan's bread is good?
Or bad?
Or wholegrain or wholemeal isn't starchy?
Or it is?

Or are you claiming you believe the NHS advise diabetics to eat white bread, not Jordan's wholemeal or wholegrain?

I think he's probably saying that Jordan's wholemeal/grain flour makes healthier bread than the processed putty that is Ye Olde Englishe sliced white loaf (and tastier too).

Whatever the failings of the NHS, when I last looked, they were advising that slow release carbs (including wholemeal bread/pasta, brown rice, pulses and - probably - Uncle Tom Cobbley) were better for you, albeit still carby and starchy, than white flour and its associates in infamy

I have obviously unwittingly tiptoed into a den of controversy, due to my limited knowledge of dodgy topics on here. Perhaps it would be best if we just let it lie?

Next thrilling instalment a week today...............

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I think he's probably saying that Jordan's wholemeal/grain flour makes healthier bread than the processed putty that is Ye Olde Englishe sliced white loaf (and tastier too).

Whatever the failings of the NHS, when I last looked, they were advising that slow release carbs (including wholemeal bread/pasta, brown rice, pulses and - probably - Uncle Tom Cobbley) were better for you, albeit still carby and starchy, than white flour and its associates in infamy

I have obviously unwittingly tiptoed into a den of controversy, due to my limited knowledge of dodgy topics on here. Perhaps it would be best if we just let it lie?

Next thrilling instalment a week today...............

Why not just let @Daibell answer for his own self?