Hi
@H7DNA Andy,
And welcome to the site.
Sheesh, T2 and UC? You really, REALLY need to get those referrals. People tend to slip through the cracks, but you might want to put in a call on monday about the status of those referrals, because I have a feeling they were never put through. You have two serious conditions that need looking after.
I can't say much about the colitis, but I do know eating low carb, which would help with the diabetes, reduces inflammations, so I'm hoping it could make a difference there too... Just a sec, let me check something. Yeah, you might want to read this:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf-set-free
Rheumatism and certain foodintolerances are inflammation issues too, and mine got better on a Keto diet (very low carb), which I started for my T2. So it may be something to look into, not just for your diabetes.
Okay, so Type 2. Your numbers are high, and should ideally be between about 4.5 and 8. Not exact numbers, mind you, because I am a sieve, but that's what people who are functioning normally hover around, and those target numbers would mean no damage is being done to your insides. As a T2, you can't process glucose out efficiently anymore. You're making loads of insulin, but it doesn't do what it's supposed to, so it just floats around your bloodstream, doing damage to eyes, kidneys, veins, nerveendings, what have you. So the numbers you're seeing on your meter are cause for action,
really. So what causes a rise in glucose? Carbs. Practically all of 'em, are turned to glucose once ingested, so it's not just straight sugar to look out for, but starches too.
I don't know what pills you're on and whether they lower bloodsugar (If it's metformin it just tells the liver to take it easy with the glucose-dumping for the most part), but if you are on hypo-inducing meds, please be careful and if possible do this in agreement with someone in the medical profession. (Though with the way things are going, I think shopping for a new GP might be merited... Honestly, they've left you hanging...!).
So, foods that spike levels are: potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, bread, and fruit (Save for berries, avocado's and tomatoes. Berries and tomatoes in moderation though). I know that leaves rather big gaping holes in anyone's diet, but you're left with enough to fill up on: Meat, poultry, fish, above ground veggies/leafy greens, eggs, butter, nuts, cheese, olives, full fat greek yoghurt, extra dark chocolate, double cream...
Meals could look like this:
Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Omelet with cream, erythritol (sweetener) and cinnamon. Side of berries, nuts and coconut shavings. (Maybe another dash of unsweetened cream there)
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine), mayo, avocado, capers and olives
Leafy green salad with half-melted goat's cheese, and a nice vinaigrette (maybe with some pine nuts and stuff tossed in)
Meat, fish or poultry with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with bacon and cheese, and whatever herbs you fancy tossed in.
Snacks could be pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate (Lindt 85% is nice)... Of course,
www.dietdoctor.com had loads of ideas, and diabetes.co.uk has a bunch of recipies as well. Knock yourself out! Naturally, you could opt to fast, (intermittent fasting) so to skip breakfast or something... I usually just have tea in the morning unless I have to eat due to certain meds.
You already have a meter, so: Check before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite. If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l in the meantime, the meal was carbier than you could handle. Otherwise, it's something you can put on your "safe" list.
A fooddiary might help as well. And considering the colitis, you might want to add how that's progressing alongside what's been eaten and your glucosenumbers as well. Who knows, a patern may emerge.
With numbers like yours, a dramatic reduction in bloodsugrs might trigger a false hypo, so if you're feeling off, check what your levels are doing before panicking; if your body is used to high numbers it freaks out when you hit what others would consider normal/healthy. If you're under 4 though, (like I said, I don't know your meds and a true hypo can occur), you might want to grab a cookie or two. Also, lowering bloodglucose from where you're starting out from can affect your vision, as there's glucose in your eyes and it distorts quite a bit. So if things get blurry for a while, don't run to get a new perscription, because it won't last for long. (Cheap reading glasses might help in the interim.). And you might experience flu-like symptoms if you dive into this with gusto, achy joints and muscles, headaches etc, as your body adjusts and detoxes. Lasts for a few days to two weeks, but it is so very, very worth it. It also could mean peeing a lot, so you want to add some extra salt to your diet and drink a lot, because well, carbs hold on to water, and without them, your body loses water-weight. And with the water, salt/electrolytes flush out with it, so you could get a little dehydrated. Bone broth and coconut milk would help with all that though.
Hope this helps a little. You be good to yourself and *demand* those referrals. Neither condition is anything to sneeze at. Granted, docs might go against everything described above, but you have a meter, so you decide for yourself what works for you. You'll have the testresults right at hand every single day, so... That should help guide you.
(And yeah, there is medication that could be effective for T2. But if treated with meds only it is a progressive disease. Adding diet, or going diet-only, could actually get you back into the normal range without risk of complications. Something to consider. )
Good luck!
Jo
