Type 2 Confused carb vs carbs which sugar??

[meegy2]

Newly diagnosed type2 and been told to try and limit my carb intake to 5g per meal. Is this actual carbs or carbs that sugar. Went into info overload and despite asking nurse can't remember her answer

 

[archersuz]

HI and welcome. I think 5g carb per meal is an extreme place to start! If you want to consider the low carb diet, then take a look at this page https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html and tour the threads on this site. Please feel free to ask any questions. I'll tag @daisy1 who will be along to provide you with some information soon.

 

[Rachox]

Welcome to our friendly little corner of the internet. I’ll just tag in @daisy1 who will post shed loads of info for you that you can read at your leisure. It’s total carbs you need to use, the ‘of which sugars’ number you can safely ignore. Did she really say 5g carbs per meal? That’s very very low, meaning on three meals a day you’d only have 15g, a very strict start! I started by reducing to 100g per day then after six weeks I dropped to 50-70g/day. Some people here do eat <20g per day, but dropping so quickly could result in carb or keto flu.

 

[EllieM]

Maybe the nurse did mean sugar carbs rather than total carbs, then? I too find it very unlikely that a nurse would suggest such a low carb level, let alone as a starting point.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I agree. 5g carbs a meal is far too low for a new starter, and not necessary initially.

However, to answer your question, when looking on food labels look for "total carbohydrate". The "of which sugars" can be ignored because the sugar is included in with the carbs.

 

[woodenone46]

I agree that is very low however having just completed the 2 week challenge on diet Doctor which is a Ketogenic Diet the most you were allowed carbs allowed were 20g per day & most were under 20g a day.
I would say that you should try starting on a low carb diet then if you still feel a need &/or need to loose weight then try the Ketogenic but do not go to low to soon.

 

[Tophat1900]

I'd suggest easing into a low carb diet, 5g is extreme. Maybe 100g or less to start, up to you really. You can then reduce as your body gets a chance to adapt and find what works for you as a daily amount to stick with.

 

[daisy1]

@meegy2

Hello Meegy and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to 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 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 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. Most of these are 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.
  

 

[meegy2]

Thanks I've read all the newby stuff and being reading through posts and website but can't seem to figure out which one. Not monitoring my bloods - they will test again in 6-8 weeks so trying to cut my carbs

 

[Mr_Pot]

Thanks I've read all the newby stuff and being reading through posts and website but can't seem to figure out which one. Not monitoring my bloods - they will test again in 6-8 weeks so trying to cut my carbs

What I did initially which worked for me was as follows: Had a cooked breakfast rather than cereals, cut out all obviously sweet things like cakes, biscuits and deserts, cut out or drastically reduced bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. My next HbA1c after 3 months had reduced from 53 to 42.
Less than 100g total carbs a day is a good first step, then see how you get on at the next test. Most of us graduate onto regular self testing and more sophisticated diets but the above plan is easy to follow.

 

[ringi]

I agree 100% with @Mr_Pot, I did the same when I started.

Aiming for less then 100g a day is good as it makes you read all labels and think about carbs. However, I would never add "empty carbs" like bread, potatoes, pasta or rice to get upto the 100g.

Also think about all drinks, as for example, fruit juice is nearly pure sugar, and a cappuccino has lots of carbs, yet a coffee with double cream is a reasonable option.

 

[bamba]

This is a good indicator
https://www.dietdoctor.com/how-low-carb-is-low-carb

 

[Mr_Pot]

I agree 100% with @Mr_Pot

If only Mrs_Pot had that attitude.