Possible Newbie

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
No brown bread, pasta, rice, no cereals, grains.
There are diabetics posting on this site who do manage to keep their blood glucose down while allowing themselves the odd slice of bread. This is where having a meter and testing your bg before and after meals and snacks is so useful. Everyone's carb tolerance is different. However on a low carb diet bread will almost certainly be an occasional treat, probably from a specially high protein lower carb loaf, rather than the useful staple most of us used to rely on.
 

Addyb

Active Member
Messages
39
I think the most confusing aspect of all this is how contradictory it all seems to be on the web. Some sources say carbs are fine and everything in moderation. Some say don't eat these fruits as they are high in sugar yet others say eat more of these.

At times I don't know what to think and what's a myth and what's true etc.
 
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Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
I think the most confusing aspect of all this is how contradictory it all seems to be on the web. Some sources say carbs are fine and everything in moderation. Some say don't eat these fruits as they are high in sugar yet others say eat more of these.

At times I don't know what to think and what's a myth and what's true etc.
Some carbs are fine. A recent study showed that 80% of participants in a continuous glucose monitor test had diabetic numbers eating Corn Flakes - this was really no surprise to me, just look at the back of all cereals they are all around 60 -70 grams of carbs per 100, so mainly sugar. 200 hundred years ago Americans consumed 2 pounds of sugar a year, now this is 152 pounds a year i.e. 6 cups of sugar a week; this is consumed in the form of high gi carbs and sugary drinks - it is the major biggest macro change of the lot, alongside fake fats. Whether you believe sugar / carbs cause diabetes is another discussion (I do, others don't), what we do know is that removing hi GI carbs / sugars from the diet of a diabetic makes a dramatic effect. Many on this site, I would say the majority who reverse or get remission in their diabetes do so via eating what would be classed as a regular meal and replacing the rice, pasta, chips, potatoes etc - this is fact, call it anecdotal or whatever it is the case (again 80 / 20 rule applies).

Vegans, vegetarians and WFPB advocates can achieve similar results and have proven this. I think by "cleaning" up the diet and removing processed carbs and sugar it is possible, but I would like to see proof that this can be done with rice, potatoes, pasta, bananas etc in the portion and calorie sizes I eat, of course if you are eating say 1200 calories you may get results, but for me I do over 3000 calories a day. Those who are advocating high carb also say saturated fat is bad due to it raising LDL, yet when put to the test the evidence Ancel Keys and his followers extol melts away. The ones who attack LCHF / Keto / Paleo are now admitting you can get "short" term results on these protocols (excellent tactic, embrace a little and stick the knife in with fear), but they say there is a sting in the tail long term, ignoring populations who have eaten low carb higher fat for centuries with great health and the fact that in modern times diabetics get their bloods drawn more than the average person so those of us doing this protocol can see the actual multi-faceted scientific results at intervals, as well if we wish, daily on our monitors. So I have been "reversed" since December 2015, have a clear head blood sugars well over 98% of the time under 5.6 mmol (after eating) and should abandon what is working.

Be careful about the "proof" out there, a lot is self referencing from areas you would not believe, if you see a study that says for example Beef raises your risk of a stroke by say 15% try to find the original data and you will always be shocked by the real results - seriously. The more you research the murkier it gets, what would you call destroying data, leaving out data that does not suit, pay offs or just publishing data that doesn't suit in journals you know will not be read (several years late, as you didn't like the results). Some things that you think are stone in the wall facts are a shambles. A root one insight is "The Big Fat Surprise" - I downloaded the audio book, and have listened to it 3 times so far, on a scale of 1 to 10 my anger pointer is a 10 - the "facts" in this book took 9 years to compile and has been critically assessed by third parties having no axe to grind in any of the camps, if you read or listen to this everything falls into place, the author has interviews even from those who perpetuated scenarios that have in my view led us to the crisis we are now in. Although this looks at Fat mainly, it also points to how we have got into the mess with carbs.
 
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Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I think the most confusing aspect of all this is how contradictory it all seems to be on the web. Some sources say carbs are fine and everything in moderation. Some say don't eat these fruits as they are high in sugar yet others say eat more of these.

At times I don't know what to think and what's a myth and what's true etc.
With a meter you can conduct your own experiments.
 

Roseanne01

Well-Known Member
Messages
81
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
'isms'. Not being able to eat potatoes.
I think the most confusing aspect of all this is how contradictory it all seems to be on the web. Some sources say carbs are fine and everything in moderation. Some say don't eat these fruits as they are high in sugar yet others say eat more of these.

At times I don't know what to think and what's a myth and what's true etc.

What I was told thirty years ago was absolute rubbish. Straight on medication no diet advice at all. Knowledge has improved but what works for one may not work for another. If you’re T2 you need to understand what it all means first then gradually work out what works for you, sometimes there will be great advice you cant follow for all sorts of reasons. Best advice I ever got on T2 was the need to understand this disease really well. My GP said 'it’s a patient disease not a dr disease'. You have to be responsible for you. Good luck.
 
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Daphne917

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,320
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
The carbs thing. Is brown bread totally a no go then?
Probably however there are lower carb breads out there - I can tolerate a slice of Tesco High Protein bread, Hovis Low Carb or Hovis Seed Sensations (in the orange wrapper) which, when loaded with filling, is quite substantial. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and everyone is different. The only way to find out is to test and you will eventually learn what you can or shouldn’t eat.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Best advice I ever got on T2 was the need to understand this disease really wel
I totally agree. It actually rather horrifies me when people new to all this seem happy to get all their information and guidance from this Forum. Better than getting it from their GP, but still! The help we can get from each other here is invaluable, but naturally enough our views are contradictory. Between us we have an enormous amount of experience, helpfulness and warmth to offer, but we can also be fanatical, confused, crazy and just plain wrong. IMO it is much safer to acquire one or two books to help evaluate all this. My preference would be books by respected authors who are also themselves diabetic - Jenny Ruhl and Dr Bernstein.
 

Richard Frost

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've been eating less carbs and it has dropped my sugar levels to between 6.5 to 5.0 unless I have something out of the diet I take care metformin
 
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Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've been eating less carbs and it has dropped my sugar levels to between 6.5 to 5.0 unless I have something out of the diet I take care metformin
Well done! You must be pleased with yourself (and you should be!) When are you testing?
 

Richard Frost

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Well done! You must be pleased with yourself (and you should be!) When are you testing?
Every morning once because I don't get the equipment I have to buy it myself strips and lancets I bought a reader for the computer this is brilliant it takes the readings from the Accu machine and gives you a graph of your progress Down from 11.5 to 6.8 over a 8 month period slow but sure
 
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achike

Well-Known Member
Messages
64
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I cannot advice you fully now until your doctor makes a definitive diagnosis based on HbA1c test and gives recommendations.

Meanwhile, check your BMI to be sure it is within the normal range for your weight and height.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Every morning once because I don't get the equipment I have to buy it myself strips and lancets I bought a reader for the computer this is brilliant it takes the readings from the Accu machine and gives you a graph of your progress Down from 11.5 to 6.8 over a 8 month period slow but sure
What dose of Metformin are you taking?
 

ALLEYES

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi , im new to this and dont like to intrude or jump into your convrrsation but im trying to find my way round the site , i spoke to a moderator yesterday about my issues im not diabetic but theres something not right with bg as i check it 3 0r 4 times a day , i got a fright last night with bg 15.1 post prandial 3 hours actually , my question is if im prddiabetes and i dont eat lunch to try keep blood down , its going down to 3.8 but i feel weird bit shaky is that a hypo and would you say its ok to do this ?
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi , im new to this and dont like to intrude or jump into your convrrsation but im trying to find my way round the site , i spoke to a moderator yesterday about my issues im not diabetic but theres something not right with bg as i check it 3 0r 4 times a day , i got a fright last night with bg 15.1 post prandial 3 hours actually , my question is if im prddiabetes and i dont eat lunch to try keep blood down , its going down to 3.8 but i feel weird bit shaky is that a hypo and would you say its ok to do this ?
I think you should insist on seeing your doctor asap. Or ring 111.
 

Alison Campbell

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi , im new to this and dont like to intrude or jump into your convrrsation but im trying to find my way round the site , i spoke to a moderator yesterday about my issues im not diabetic but theres something not right with bg as i check it 3 0r 4 times a day , i got a fright last night with bg 15.1 post prandial 3 hours actually , my question is if im prddiabetes and i dont eat lunch to try keep blood down , its going down to 3.8 but i feel weird bit shaky is that a hypo and would you say its ok to do this ?

Have you had your lab test results yet? From my experience fasting or skipping meals is much more comfortable when you are on a lower carb diet and you have your results in range. I found the same with increasing exercise too fast.

You have had a shock with finding out you are at risk and it is unstandable to want to fix it like yesterday. Try to give yourself time to learn more about diabetes and change your diet once diagnosis is confirmed.