Testing costs?

[Bazooka66]

Hi all,

Ive been diagnosed T2 for 5 years now, & its taken me this long to take it a bit more serious, I know I get knackered if I eat pizza or pasties & doubledeckers(!) - & when I ate low Gi foods for a couple of months last year my figures at the Docs improved & I felt better (couldnt stick with it ). I now have my yearly fasting blood test at the GPs next week (expecting a telling off!).

Anyway after reading advice on here I would really like to know what foods Im not too tolerant with. I would like to test but my GP has never offered me that option, assuming I get a knockback if I ask for one - does anyone know how much the tester/strips themselves cost roughly?

Baz

 

[cocacola]

Hi Baz, I got a free Monitor from Bayer, the Contour monitor. I rang them yesterday and told them their Contour monitor had been recommended by a friend. My friend gave me some strips to start off with. You get 25 in the box anyway. But the strips for the Contour seem to be relatively cheap on Ebay. Just make sure they are well in date. You will also need to buy some more lancets.
If you look up Ascensia Microfill strips on Ebay they seem to be cheaper than the Bayer Contour, they do fit and work, it's just the name of the strips have been changed.
http://www.bayerdiabetes.co.uk/sections ... meter/FAQs
I started off with a Freestyle Freedom Lite, I bought last week in Asda, £7, but only 10 strips. Very easy to use, but in comparison, the strips are a bit more expensive.

 

[Katharine]

Baz,

The foods that raise blood sugar the most are sugars and starches.

Eg: wheat, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar, fruit, fruit juice, milk.

Eating low starch fruit and vegetables eg cauliflower, broccoli, avocados, olives, tomatoes, cabbage tend to only raise blood sugar a little.

If you base your meals around protein eg meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and add some salad or non starch vegetables and garnish with olive oil, dairy products eg cream, yoghurt, butter, you won't be too far off the mark regarding blood sugar control.

 

[Bazooka66]

Thanks for the prompt replies!

I will do what you said cocacola & ring up Bayer. I think the cost of the strips will be more than offset against my old food & drink choices :wink: at the supermarket!

I appreciate the food advice Katharine - there seems a myriad of different views & I need to fit in a simple do-able food plan that wont put out my family too much at mealtimes either. Part of my prob is that I am 4+ stone overweight & im on cholesterol medicine so not sure if I can do the dairy product thing too much (sadly!). But cutting carbs right down seems to be what I need to do- the 'culprits' you mention are one of my major weaknesses.

Thanks again for the valuable info

Baz

 

[Synonym]

Hello Bazooka and welcome to the forum.

I note what you say about the cholesterol problems you have and I think that you may well be surprised by the way your cholesterol will go down by following the diet advice given by Katherine. It is always a question of moderation. I eat cream and butter, eggs and cheese, meats etc and my cholesterol is not impacted by them at all. 8)

If you explore the forum you will find that the experience of members does not always run with the perceived wisdom of the NHS. :roll:

 

[bufferz]

Best thing to do is give the dairy stuff a go, even if only until your next GP appointment, if you reallya re that worried, 3-4 months of it wont do any long term damage, and as Synonm says, you may be surprised. Ive been alternating breakfasts of (choice from bacon/sausage/mushroom/tomato) and scrambled eggs with cheese and feel fine, my next appt is in april, where Im hoping I will not have any effect. The other thing is you may even lose some weight doing the low carb thing, combined with some(any) exercse, which in turn will help the BGs, so its a win-win even if you only set your sights on the short term of a few months :mrgreen:

 

[Bazooka66]

I was having flavahans microwave oats & special k with skimmed milk for breakfast (low Gi) & oatcakes, huumus & apples for lunch. My issue is should I be eating cereals/oatcakes at all now?

I have knocked the beer on the head totally, as apart from the carbs, it sets off a bit of a feeder frenzy in me.

I do like your breakfast idea bufferz, obviously without any breads, & the foods both yourself & Synonym mention remind me of Atkins a bit. My previous Gp mentioned I should have a look at that diet a few years back (I didnt).

I suppose the proof in the pudding is to get the tester & test what keeps my BG regular- seeing things in black & white will make me realise why I should/shouldnt eat certain things.

Thanks again for advice

Baz

 

[cocacola]

Why not pop into your local library and see if they have any books on low GI or low carbs.

 

[noblehead]

Hi all,

Ive been diagnosed T2 for 5 years now, & its taken me this long to take it a bit more serious, I know I get knackered if I eat pizza or pasties & doubledeckers(!) - & when I ate low Gi foods for a couple of months last year my figures at the Docs improved & I felt better (couldnt stick with it ). I now have my yearly fasting blood test at the GPs next week (expecting a telling off!).

Anyway after reading advice on here I would really like to know what foods Im not too tolerant with. I would like to test but my GP has never offered me that option, assuming I get a knockback if I ask for one - does anyone know how much the tester/strips themselves cost roughly?

Baz

It sounds like the low-gi diet worked a treat for you Baz. Try it again, but this time combine it with a reduction in carbs also, nothing drastic, but enough to bring your bg's down and keep them stable. I, and others on this forum use this method with great success, but remember to test, or 'eat to your meter'.

Ask your diabetes nurse for a free meter, they often get them off the reps free to give to patients. I am not sure about prices of test strips, but e-bay is meant to be good, and often gets a mention on here.

Good luck!

Nigel

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi bazooka,
Nigel has given you good advice about lowering some of the low GI carbs. This can make a big difference to your blood sugar levels.

Read the following articles as well,
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142501.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/72818.php
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136100.php

I have followed this way of eating for 7 years and do not take medication. You still need to test the foods to see if they are suitable for you and also control the portion size of the carbs. If you need a good book to help you then I would suggest one by Rick Gallop, The G.I. Diet.

Hope this helps,

Catherine.

 

[Bazooka66]

I was just thinking should I try a combination low gi/carbs but worried about the slight 'contradictions' to them. Having read your posts Nigel & Catherine I realise that its all about moderation of both. They appear to have been successful for both of you so Im going to take my lead from that!

Catherine - I bought a copy of Rick Gallops Low Gi book about 3 years ago - & it did improve my figures until I fell off the wagon...was a good read in that he wasnt like a 'diet zealot', now Ive just got to find which box in the loft its hiding in! :roll:

cheers

Baz

 

[noblehead]

I was just thinking should I try a combination low gi/carbs but worried about the slight 'contradictions' to them. Having read your posts Nigel & Catherine I realise that its all about moderation of both. They appear to have been successful for both of you so Im going to take my lead from that!

Catherine - I bought a copy of Rick Gallops Low Gi book about 3 years ago - & it did improve my figures until I fell off the wagon...was a good read in that he wasnt like a 'diet zealot', now Ive just got to find which box in the loft its hiding in! :roll:

cheers

Baz

I think you'll find that the medical establishment are more likely to encourage people to follow a reduced carb/ low gi/gl approach than many other diet plans that are around. My gp follows this approach to eating too, and when I did my DAFNE course last year, to my surprise the course coordinator and dietitian were both advocates also. One thing about this diet plan is, it encourages you to eat a rich variety of foodstuff, and is less restrictive than others that are around today.

Nigel