Need advise on new diet

Klnewton

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
hey all, so, I was diagnosed in 2014 as type 2, went through the mill of different drugs,now,I've been on victoza for just under a year,yesterday I saw the diabetic nurse who has put me on a new pill called glicazide as well as still taking the victoza at 1.2. She has also stressed that I now need to be on a low carb diet as well as cutting out fruit (which sucks as I have a sweet tooth) and to be honest I have no idea where to start, I have a young family and work full time as well as run my home as hubby works really long hours. I've signed up to the lowcarbprogram but I'm still so overwhelmed by it all. I've been drinking lots of water today and I'm too scared to eat what I have in the cupboards in case it's wrong. We have a very tight budget for our food shopping.so any advise would be greatly received
 
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Goonergal

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
13,466
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Klnewton and welcome!

I'm tagging @daisy1 who will be along with some useful information for newbies.

On low carb, the program you've signed up to will help and you could also check out the diet doctor website.

You might also be interested in this thread which discusses eating low carb on a budget. One of the later posts also contains a link to another thread with a shopping list:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-carb-on-a-low-budget.115701/

Good luck!
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
When cooking for the family I would usually have the same main part of the meal, but add on something starchy for the others and mine would have salad or cauliflower - or even nothing at all. Low carbing tends to reduce hunger so it was never important to eat enough to 'feel full' - it is a sensation I don't like anyway.
There are some fairly cheap stir fry mixes which are low carb, and choosing chicken thighs rather than fillets, or cooking up a cheap joint in a pressure cooker are always good options when you need a cheap option - though meals such as bought in pizza seem far from economical to me.
 
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ewelina

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,354
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
If you are on fb join https://www.facebook.com/groups/LowCarbLifeGroup/ Lots of recipes and advice there
For me the easiest meals are:
eggs or sausages with some veg for breakfast
chicken/salmon salad for lunch
and at dinner piece of meat/fish with lots of veg (cauliflower, broccoli,salads, mushrooms or any non starchy veg)
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome,

Have a look at this page and follow some of the links. There are lists of foods you can eat and lists of foods you need to avoid or eat very sparingly. There are also some nice recipes. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

Have you got your own glucose meter? If so, you can use this to help you formulate a suitable eating plan. Test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite. Look at the rise from before to after. If it is more than 2mmol/l there are too many carbs in the food. It is preferable to keep it under 1.5mmol/l. The flatter the better. If you also keep a food diary including portion sizes and record your levels alongside you will soon see which foods your body is not coping with.

It is essential you start to read the nutrition labels on packaged food and look for "total carbohydrate". This will tell you how may grams of carbs per 100g are in that food - so according to the portion size you eat you can calculate how many carbs you will be eating. Unless I am only having a teaspoonful, I rarely buy anything that has more than 10g carbs per 100g.

I should also add that whilst taking Gliclazide you do need to test regularly. This drug works by stimulating your pancreas to produce extra insulin. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin you need. Too much insulin and your levels may drop too low, so testing before bed and especially before you drive is essential.
 
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Klnewton

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Thank you all so much for your advise, I'm going to look at all your links in the morning when I have a clearer head lol, maybe draw up a meal plan for myself and see what I can incorporate with the kids and hubby. I start the new meds tomorrow as I totally forgot and didn't have dinner tonight. I'm also looking at going to a local support group as I don't really know anybody where I live and really need some likeminded people around me now.

:)
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm also looking at going to a local support group as I don't really know anybody where I live and really need some likeminded people around me now.

You have found a support group with this forum! We are all diabetics of one sort or another, have all been where you are now, and are all here to help and support. Do stay with us, read, join in, ask questions.
:)
 
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Klnewton

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi and welcome,

Have a look at this page and follow some of the links. There are lists of foods you can eat and lists of foods you need to avoid or eat very sparingly. There are also some nice recipes. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

Have you got your own glucose meter? If so, you can use this to help you formulate a suitable eating plan. Test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite. Look at the rise from before to after. If it is more than 2mmol/l there are too many carbs in the food. It is preferable to keep it under 1.5mmol/l. The flatter the better. If you also keep a food diary including portion sizes and record your levels alongside you will soon see which foods your body is not coping with.

It is essential you start to read the nutrition labels on packaged food and look for "total carbohydrate". This will tell you how may grams of carbs per 100g are in that food - so according to the portion size you eat you can calculate how many carbs you will be eating. Unless I am only having a teaspoonful, I rarely buy anything that has more than 10g carbs per 100g.

I should also add that whilst taking Gliclazide you do need to test regularly. This drug works by stimulating your pancreas to produce extra insulin. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin you need. Too much insulin and your levels may drop too low, so testing before bed and especially before you drive is essential.
Hiya,
You have found a support group with this forum! We are all diabetics of one sort or another, have all been where you are now, and are all here to help and support. Do stay with us, read, join in, ask questions.
:)
thank you I really apriciate that,I'm finding it all very overwhelming and confusing atm, give it 6months and I will look back at myself and laugh
Xxx
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @Klnewton ,

Welcome to the forum.
If you haven't been issued with a blood meter? Get one. They realy are a great help to what the food is doing!

Best wishes..
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Klnewton

Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be pleased to reply.


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
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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all 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.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome!

It is overwhelming to start with, but I promise that if you keep reading, and gradually make changes, one at a time, things become clearer and clearer. :)
 

Ultramum

Well-Known Member
Messages
840
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Ask your GP or diabetic nurse for a meter if you don't have one - if your budget is tight that will help - given the meds you are on I suspect you may have one.

Ask away - no question is a problem for forumites to answer and you may be voicing what someone else is wondering :)
 
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Klnewton

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Thank you everyone! The DN issued me with a new monitor the other day, I'm trying to form a meal planner with what I have in the cupboards until I go shopping,it's harder than I thought as I didn't realise just how much 'bad food' I have lol. I think I'm drowning as I'm trying to do everything in 1 go,so I'm going to make a new change everyday,staring with water intake and reaching for the water bottle instead of food, my husband is going to do my measurements,but unsure the best time of day to weigh myself. One of my problems is that I have to cut out fruit all together,which as I have a sweet tooth I'm not sure what I can do to keep the cravings at bay. I cook a lot from scratch,and have 2 slow cookers at my disposal and I have on order the portion plate/bowl and 2 cook books specific to low carb/diabetes.so I hope I'm on the right track, the support group I wanted to go to is so I can take my husband and meet people face to face,hopefully strike up some friendships and I think it would be good for my husband to educate him a little more and support me at the same time,as he can eat anything without fear of ill health lol,also I have a big problem with work and the attitudes of certain people not understanding how quickly I can 'crash'. It's going to be a long road but I think I need to keep reminding myself to take 1 day at a time.xxx
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
One of my problems is that I have to cut out fruit all together,which as I have a sweet tooth I'm not sure what I can do to keep the cravings at bay.

No need to cut it out completely. Berries are normally OK for us, in small quantities with either full fat yogurt or cream and eaten as part of a meal rather than a snack. How many berries you can cope with depends on what your meter tells you. Personally I normally have maybe 7 raspberries, or 2 large strawberries cut up in small pieces. You will have to experiment. You could also try a small apple. It is the sweet tropical fruits that are the worst - bananas, grapes etc.