Hello!

[Archathena]

Hi everyone,
I've just been diagnosed with T2 a couple of weeks ago. I'm 35, and I live in Ireland. My fasting sugars were 14.7 and my HbA1c was 89. I've been put on metformin 850mg twice a day, and told to exercise, lose weight, cut out sugar, and eat a healthy diet based on the food pyramid, which includes 6 portions of carbs a day. I haven't been told to monitor my blood glucose levels myself, the nurse at my GP clinic told me to come back in 4 weeks time for glucose and HbA1c tests.
I'm a bit confused as I see now that this dietary advice is different to what is recommended here. I asked the nurse should I cut down on carbs and she said no, and to include them with every meal. I also presumed they would give me a glucometer and tell me to test my bloods but the nurse said they have changed their policy on that and no longer give them out, that it's more important to exercise and eat healthily.
I have lost 10 lbs since being diagnosed but have a long way to go! I haven't started exercising yet, I really hate it. I'm trying to psych myself up to do something but haven't got there yet. I've almost cut out sugar, have had the occasional piece of chocolate or a biscuit but that is a drastic reduction for me as previously I was stuffing my face daily with sweets, cake, ice cream etc.
I think I might still have high blood sugar though, because sometimes after a meal I start to feel nauseous, sweaty, light headed and just generally unwell. (Prior to starting the metformin and new diet I was feeling like this nearly all the time.) I'm not sure what to do. I'm not due back at the Dr for 4 weeks. I'm thinking of going back earlier and telling them I want a glucometer, or just buying one online.
If anyone has any advice for me I would be very grateful

 

[Liam1955]

@Archathena - Hello and Welcome to the Forum. Firstly lets get @daisy1 to provide you with some basic information that all new members receive. Have a read around the threads and ask as many questions as you want.

 

[azure]

Welcome @Archathena

It sounds like you've made a good start by losing 10lbs. Many Type 2s prefer to,test their blood sugar and buy their own meter and strips. That way they can see how certain meals affect them.

Perhaps you could give us an idea of an average day's food for you, and see if other Type 2s have any comments?

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Your nurse is talking rubbish ref the carbs; it's dated and wrong NHS advice. You don't need carbs with every meal and in fact you don't need any carbs as long as you have enough fibre. So, reduce the carbs and have enough protein and fat to keep you feeling full.

 

[chalup]

You really should buy a meter and test. How can you know how you are doing otherwise?

 

[Liam1955]

@Archathena - Hi. I am posting the link for SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter, which is popular with forum members. And the test strips are the cheapest to buy - more so if you buy in bulk. For the UK it is mmol/l and state you have Diabetes for VAT exemption. Here is the link:
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring

 

[daisy1]

@Archathena

Hello Athena and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


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 210,000 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.

 

[Archathena]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm going to go back to my GP and ask for a meter. If he prescribes it, it'll be free, as will the strips. If he won't give me one, I'll just buy one. Either way, I think I need to know what's going on with my blood sugar.
As requested by Azure, here's what my daily food intake looks like:
Breakfast: 1 large poached egg, mushrooms fried in ~1 tsp sunflower oil, 2 slices homemade brown soda bread, 2 tsp butter, handful of strawberries, actimel.

Snack: 2 slices watermelon.

Lunch: large salad made with broccoli, sugar snap peas, spinach, tomato, peppers, walnuts, feta cheese, beetroot, pumpkin seeds, 3 or 4 baby boiled potatoes, and chicken fillet. Dressing made with ~2 tsp olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Snack: handful of pistachio nuts.

Dinner: homemade chicken & vegetable curry with ~100g of brown rice.

 

[Nigelh]

The main thing i do is avoid bread, pasta, rice, spuds and pastry and all the nice stuff with sugar in. I too was told to have 40g of carbs per meal. I have way less than that (unless im doing something physically hard) My first hba1c 18 months ago was 120, my last one 6 months ago was 37 (with 4 metformins a day). I have a meter but i dont test very often, maybe once a month, dont let it rule your life

 

[Archathena]

Wow, that's an amazing reduction in your HbA1c! I cut down on my carbs today, not down to low carb level, but about half what I'd normally eat. I added in more veg and fat instead. I have to say, I'm feeling very hungry and dissatisfied! I absolutely love carbs . I'm going to find this hard!

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi,

It is easier if you increase your fats as you reduce the carbs - like a seesaw. Less carbs then more fat. That way you feel full and as fats taste nice, you enjoy it more. Pile on the veggies (not root vegetables though) and add butter to them. Eggs are excellent, cooked any which way, plus any meat, fish, cheese, cream, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, oily fish (not in sauces). Avoid anything made with flour, which includes a lot of shop bought sauces and soups, gravy etc. Don't be afraid of frying in butter or adding real Mayonnaise to your salads. Be careful with fruits - the tropical varieties have a lot more sugar in them. Berries are best.

Don't delay getting a meter. I don't know what the situation is in Ireland, but here in the rest of the UK we type 2s are very rarely given meters and strips on prescription. We buy our own. Testing before you eat and 2 hours after first bite will show you exactly what that meal has done to your BS levels. Keeping a food diary and recording your levels alongside is a great way to learn.
@Liam1955 gave you a link to the one many of us use because the strips are the cheapest available. If you order in bulk there are generous discount codes.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

Good luck - you seem to have grasped the idea already.

 

[Nigelh]

He he, I know that feeling! But it will get better. I snack on peanuts and sometimes peanut butter straight from the jar. Its full of the good fats and my cholesterol has come down too. (6.5 to 5.8) You can be naughty once in a while.. I have a pizza maybe once a month. or a meal with chips (I had a kebab last night , minus half the pitta). Also take a look at the benefits of organic apple cider vinegar and cinnamon (both great for blood sugar control) there are others too.. just do some googling.

 

[Liam1955]

@Nigelh - Did you know that you can snack on raw nuts such as: Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts and Cashews they are great for lowering and controlling blood sugars.

 

[nomoredonuts]

Hi and welcome @Archathena
Can I do the "this is a marathon, not a sprint" speech? Things may start slowly and your BG levels may creep downwards gradually. or they may drop fast then level out. Either way, this all takes time, so take things steady.
If you're a spuds and pasta-lover there are sacrifices to be made, but the bigger picture - your health - is what is important.
I've found the Search box in the top-right of the screen, to be useful. Type in key words, say "spaghetti" and search away!

 

[Archathena]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm a total carbaholic so it's going to be a shock to the system! I'm going to buy a spiralizer and sub in some veggies instead of pasta and noodles. Hopefully my eyes will see 'spaghetti' and my belly will be fooled into thinking it got carbs

 

[silky1]

Meters are a must - mine quite probably saved my life recently - OK - admittedly what happened was my own fault, teaching me a harsh lesson - but my actions, and the outcome. may have been very different had I not had a meter.

ATM I'm in major checking mode; I'm in a wheelchair so it's quite difficult for me to lose weight - but the diet changes and Metformin initially did see me lose 2 stone. Well done on your weight loss.

I recently went away for my SIL (and mine) 50th Birthday parties, staying in a very nice hotel where I indulged in a very high protein and salad based diet - drank a lot of water - but did treat myself to a soft drink (usually with a meal) or when I just didn't fancy water - I also indulged in quite a bit of berrys and tangerines (and a few medical massages for a different condition).

Considering it was only 2 weeks ago I was in hospital with my readings being dangerously high (the joys of having a daughter and sister who are / have been qualified diabetic nurses, my sugar levels were pretty low - under 7 nearly all the time, between 5 and 6 a lot of the time.

In the early days, I also found that the meter was really useful for monitoring the effects of certain foods I enjoyed - everyone is different - I don't find that a heavily fruit laden diet causes me a problem - but the high protein really had a positive effect on my BS.

 

[Nigelh]

@Nigelh - Did you know that you can snack on raw nuts such as: Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts and Cashews they are great for lowering and controlling blood sugars.

Yes we sometimes go through a whole tub in an evening (with help from my wife)

 

[4ratbags]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[Tabbyjoolz]

Hi Nigel,

Welcome to the forum. I'm relatively new around here too having been diagnosed nearly two weeks ago.

The meter is vital - the longer you spend in these forums, the more you will see the mantra "eat to your meter". It works! That way you find out what will make your blood sugar spike and what you can get away with. As for as diet is concerned, there is no one size fits all; a certain food may cause a spike in one person, but not another, but the advice to follow a low-carb diet and take in more fat is a good one.

Most of us have something we're loath to give up. I like a small glass of wine with my dinner now and then, but I've discovered that I "earn" it by cutting back on something I won't miss so much and walk for a little longer. I've worked all this out with the aid of my glucose meter.

And you can have the occasional treat. I caved in the other day and had steak and chips (small portion of chips). It was lovely and I enjoyed every mouthful. The good thing about chips is that the sugars from them are absorbed more slowly because of the fat they're fried in. I experienced a small BS spike but it wasn't nearly as horrendous as I expected it to be.

Good luck, and keep coming back! There are loads of great people and plenty of excellent advice here!

 

[DumfriesDik]

Hi and welcome.

I had very similar numbers to you. I have slowly and reluctantly become a meter eater. I am not due for another test for two months, but I am hopeful the numbers will have reduced markedly.

I hope you find something that works for you. Belly pork rashers and king prawn foo young are my current food favourites.