New Type 2 - Ostrich with questions

[CG]

Hello All,

I was diagnosed Type 2 last Friday, after having blood test for an unrelated issue, and have successfully buried my head in the sand for a week (I'm good at that). Not really overweight, in fact following a 'fun' divorce last year I'm probably the thinnest I've ever been but I realise that is only one factor. Sadly a carb addict so this is going to be a shock to the system.
I've been reading this wonderful forum and hopefully now have a better grasp of what I need to do going forward.
HbaC1 was 77, BG 12.6. The doctor prescribed Metaformin and statins which I haven't started taking yet. She said she wanted to treat it aggressively because I'm young (I'm not I'm 46 but hey it was almost worth the diagnosis to hear that - almost !)

So many questions, but I will start with just a few.

So the Low carb diet is clearly the way forward. I've read lots on here so I think I've got a fairly decent idea of what to eat. But I was wondering how people cater for the kids etc ? I have a sporty 19 yr old who eats like a horse and might leave home if I cut his carbs too much. And a 16 with eating issues already. I just don't think I've got the energy to cook different meals for everyone after work. I'm just concerned that the high fat part won't be ideal for them, because they'll probably have high carbs when out of the house.

The doctor said now I was on 'the register' for diabetes (which sounded suitably ominous) I would be contacted for lots of tests. What will these be exactly ?

And lastly (for now) it seems everyone has a testing kit to monitor what foods react well or badly. Would you say this is very important ? The doctor didn't mention anything and as far as I know I won't be seeing her for 3 months for another blood test.

Thank you in advance for any advice. This seems a great place for support and everyone is still smiling, which is the most important bit for me.

 

[bulkbiker]

This seems a great place for support and everyone is still smiling

Some of us are positively thriving..!

Hi and welcome.
My view would be that a meter is essential so you can see what foods are doing to your blood sugar levels and then you can avoid the one's that have a bad impact for you.
As for the kids.. I'd say cook them some carbs to go with whatever you are having.. the High Fat is more not avoiding fat rather than drenching everything in melted butter (although they'd probably like that too!). So don't go for "Low Fat" anything just regular.
Lots of meaty/fishy things for you with green veg. Cream in coffee cheese etc.. Eggs, bacon instead of cereal or even skipping breakfast altogether worked well for me in the early days.
I'm guessing you have seen Daisy's intro so won't tag that one unless you want to have your own copy!

But feel free to ask questions or use the search box at the top if there's anything that's unclear.. and have a great time.

 

[Muddikins]

Welcome to the forum.
Tell the sporty one that training whilst fasting is the choice of champions, cos it is and then you can eat like two horses.
Tell the fussy one that looking like a sporty one is the way forward.
The tests are for eyes and feet and well worth having.
Definitely still smiling here
More seriously though don't compromise your health by compromising for others, even your children. At 14 I could cook for myself, it has stood me in good stead my whole life and has meant that having to change my diet has not phased me one bit.
A blood monitor is very helpful otherwise how can you know what works and what doesn't.
You will be fine, keep reading the boards.

 

[Winnie53]

Protein stays the same, to increase fat, just cook with butter or avocado oil, no deep frying unless using lard, tallow, duck fat, etc., and add extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts, green olives, avocados, and full fat dairy here and there to meals for the fat and flavor. It's good to have leafy greens once a day to which you can add a viniagrette of EVOO, vinegar, and spices.

If you eliminate all the unhealthy, damaged, omega-6 industrial seed oils - (soy, saffola, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, canola, peanut oil) - from your home and kitchen you will reduce any hidden inflammation that you or your children may have or be developing.

I'd say it's cutting out all the processed foods - (refined starches and sugar) - is the biggest challenge. Replace them with non-starchy, above ground vegetables, but I found carrots to be okay at first, but only in small amounts. I think in the beginning I'd allow myself a quarter of a carrot. Today, I have a whole carrot daily. Berries, plums, and apricots, are low carb, as are lemon and lime. Grapes are high in sugar and problematic. If I have them at all, it's only a few, halved and added to my chicken salad for example.

Some people eat all meals low carb from day 1, others go slower by switching to low carb one meal at a time. Giving up or greatly restricting refined carbohydrates - (bread, sweet breads, candy, sugary beverages, pasta) - and starches such as potatoes, beans, legumes, and fruits high in sugar content initially can be a huge shock to the body. Perhaps you could work on learning how to eat healthier for just one meal a day to start. Or perhaps you could cut your carb intake down slowly, perhaps eating only 50 - 100 carbs a day to see how your glucose levels respond.

A good place to go to get started is www.DietDoctor.com There you will find lots of tutorials, lectures, and interviews. It's worth signing up for the free month even if you cancel it at the end of the month. Or read, read, read here, and keep asking questions! I joined this forum 5 days after I started the diet 4 years ago, and the members here educated me every step of the way. You couldn't have found a better forum. This one is the best I've found to date, and I sampled a lot for forums early on.

Welcome to the forum. Learning how to eat a real, whole food diet will change your life for the better.

 

[jjraak]

So lastly first.

If the kids got temperatures, you would use a...
Or just guess.

If you cook you use the .,... Temps or just guess.

When your driving, you use the ......
Or just guess and wait for the summonses

So meter. No brainer.

As for @bulkbiker ..he answered so well.
Nothing to add

Check the forum, read a few signatures..see what others started at and after a while what they achieved

46 is young-ish
So plenty of time to get a good rein in it

Sorry about the divorce .life is so hard sometimes...and stress...that won't help.

Good luck finding a way that suits you..

 

[Antje77]

Catering for everyone is easy, take some extra veg and put butter, cream or cheese on yours and let them have the spuds. Cook up some more spaghetti sauce and call your portion stew or soup with some added water. Or cook cauliflower at the same time as the spaghetti and pour the sauce over the cauliflower. With more grated cheese than the others.

Tagging @daisy1 for you for her nice starter pack of information.

Good luck!

 

[CG]

Firstly thank you all so much for the replies. I really appreciate it.
Bare with me because I haven't quite worked out the quote thing yet, I belong in the last century!

Bulkbiker - Very glad you're thriving !! I hope I'll get there too. When I left the doctors last week she looked pityingly at me and said, I'm so sorry (which felt to me like a bit of an overreaction but I think she meant well). I just grinned at her (not because I'm a total idiot) but because I've realised over the last couple of years you just have to deal with what's in front of you, and you may as well do it with a smile on your face. But it has felt slightly more daunting after researching everything.

I don't really do breakfast, the occasional protein shake but I'll have to work out the carbs in that. I sort of understand the fasting thing but this will be a steep learning process. I suspect I will be asking a lot of questions.

Muddikins - glad you're another smiler !
That's actually really helpful advice re the kids. I think I'd been trying to work out a way I could adapt round them, but perhaps it needs to be the other way round ( breaking the habit of a lifetime).

Winnie53 - thank you, there's some really useful information there. I hadn't thought about reducing the carbs gradually and I was intending to hit it full on, but I guess there's going to be an energy deficit that way. More food for thought. The forum is an incredible source of information and I'm sure I'll be here a lot.

Jjraak - Problem is i've always been a bit of a guesser !! Or closed my eyes and hoped for the best (works well when driving). But clearly I need to buy a monitor. Knowledge seems to be the key here.
Stress levels are better than they were thankfully, but I accept I've been somewhat cavalier with my health over the last few years, so it's time to face the music!

 

[Traceymac23]

Firstly thank you all so much for the replies. I really appreciate it.
Bare with me because I haven't quite worked out the quote thing yet, I belong in the last century!

Bulkbiker - Very glad you're thriving !! I hope I'll get there too. When I left the doctors last week she looked pityingly at me and said, I'm so sorry (which felt to me like a bit of an overreaction but I think she meant well). I just grinned at her (not because I'm a total idiot) but because I've realised over the last couple of years you just have to deal with what's in front of you, and you may as well do it with a smile on your face. But it has felt slightly more daunting after researching everything.

I don't really do breakfast, the occasional protein shake but I'll have to work out the carbs in that. I sort of understand the fasting thing but this will be a steep learning process. I suspect I will be asking a lot of questions.

Muddikins - glad you're another smiler !
That's actually really helpful advice re the kids. I think I'd been trying to work out a way I could adapt round them, but perhaps it needs to be the other way round ( breaking the habit of a lifetime).

Winnie53 - thank you, there's some really useful information there. I hadn't thought about reducing the carbs gradually and I was intending to hit it full on, but I guess there's going to be an energy deficit that way. More food for thought. The forum is an incredible source of information and I'm sure I'll be here a lot.

Jjraak - Problem is i've always been a bit of a guesser !! Or closed my eyes and hoped for the best (works well when driving). But clearly I need to buy a monitor. Knowledge seems to be the key here.
Stress levels are better than they were thankfully, but I accept I've been somewhat cavalier with my health over the last few years, so it's time to face the music!

The tests they will call you for will be diabetic eye screening and a diabetic foot review. You are probably aware that diabetes can damage nerves......especially at the bodies extremities so they will check your Retinopathy(eyes) by putting a few eyedrops in and taking pictures of your eye which is no more painful than other eyedrops and bright flashlight going off, and also your neuropathy(feet) which consists of you closing your eyes and saying what you feel when they touch areas of your feet with a metal prodding thingy........nothing to get uptight about.......in fact if they do not get in touch then chase them up........they're important!!!

 

[Winnie53]

CG, the one thing I forgot to explain is that we increase the fat to make up for the loss of calories due to the carb reduction. Additionally, the fat will eliminate or greatly reduce the cravings for refined carbs and sugars in time. If you start craving corn chips for example, you're likely craving the salt, not the carbs. If your craving something sugary, you're craving sugar. The brain loves it's daily sugar hits throughout the day. It's truly an addiction! To counter sugar cravings, I'll have something sour like a pickle, or something savory like a couple of green olives for example. If I'm hungry, and can't make a meal immediately, I'll eat some raw nuts. You're off to a great start!

 

[bulkbiker]

I suspect I will be asking a lot of questions.

Excellent ...nothing we like more than an enquiring mind.!

 

[daisy1]

@CG
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

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 147,000 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.

 

[Gran25]

Mostly it's just my husband & I at home and we follow the LCHF and IF plan when we are on our own. We do have family meals often and here's a few suggestions for feeding a crowd of diverse eaters (our current 4 generation crowd runs from age 2-87 and vegan to carnivore to picky & bona fide eating disorders )
I usually go for a buffet theme so as to take the focus off who is eating what and allow for choice and I let the parents deal with their own kids. So if it was a pasta night that would be a humungous salad and/or raw veggie platter, brown rice pasta and side dishes of vegetarian sauce, grated cheese, tofu, roasted veggies. sliced olives, seeds and nuts, round beef etc. Being LCHF I would have the roasted vegetables with a little sauce & cheese and a sprinkling of this and that, my picky eater would have pasta with nothing added. Similarly a sandwich buffet works for a diverse crowd as well.
No desserts and I don't bake anymore after years of churning out the goodies- fruit and yogurt or fruit/yogurt popsicles are as decadent as the grandkids get around here now...
I remember some interesting research around kids and foods from when mine were young and they found that if you offered a range of choices, no pressure or comments, most kids would eat a healthy diet over a period off days even if each meal was a bit skewed. And...rather than teaching them to cook send them off to someone else for cooking classes.

 

[Debandez]

Hi and welcome to the best forum in the world!

Cant add much to the info above but take a read of this:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/