New to diabetes

[Kenny1963]

Hi just been diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes
Nurse told me she would send a prescription to my chemist for tablets said to get sweeteners for my tea and basically that was that so I’m totally in the dark about diet or any other relevant info

 

[Tophat1900]

This is a really good write up on diet etc by @JoKalsbeek

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

 

[Tophat1900]

And welcome...

 

[Mr_Pot]

Hi just been diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes
Nurse told me she would send a prescription to my chemist for tablets said to get sweeteners for my tea and basically that was that so I’m totally in the dark about diet or any other relevant info

I suppose that might work if you normally have 10 cups of tea a day each with 5 teaspoons of sugar but for most people it is a bit more complicated.

 

[Muneeb]

As I saw on twitter the other day, you can only see the stars in the dark...
May seem like a lot to take on board, but its probably better they haven't given you much info, you can learn what is best yourself with the help of this forum and low carb. You would rather figure out what works for you than them stipulating a load of rubbish.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Your nurse wasn't being very helpful. I suspect the tablets will be Metformin which is fine but they don't do a lot. The important thing is to keep the carbs under control and have proteins and fats to make up the difference. The NHS thinks carbs are an important part of the diet - they aren't and are not good for diabetics.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi just been diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes
Nurse told me she would send a prescription to my chemist for tablets said to get sweeteners for my tea and basically that was that so I’m totally in the dark about diet or any other relevant info

Hi Kenny,

I see @Tophat1900 already posted my quick-start guide. I hope it'll be helpful to you, because honestly, sweeteners do more harm than good, and if having my tea without sugar was all there was to it, I don't think T2 would be such a big deal. There's lots you can do though to get this under control. You have a say in this condition.

If you want more in-depth information, try this forum's website on for size, at diabetes.co.uk (Not .org!), dietdoctor.com and Dr. Jason Fung's the Diabetes Code. All of them, invaluable sources of information.

If there's anything you want to know about specifically, give a shout. There's always someone around with answers.

Good luck,
Jo

 

[xfieldok]

Do you know your Hba1c number? If not find out. It is important to know where your starting from. Ask lots of questions.

 

[ianbod]

hi i can only say what worked for me but this will at least give you some ideas.i started on low carb diet and lost 2 stone hba1c was 5.9 then i moved to 16/8 intermittant fasting lost more weight but still same hba1c level.after a while i found no further improvement .next was 1 meal a day and lost lots more weight and now my hba1c is 5.5 in the normal range this diet is working really good for me.
ive found a good tip for people trying this diet i found that i could not pass my sugar tests after food even though i was eating meals that i always past before.the problem is free fatty acids build up due to fasting and it makes insulin resistance worse due to muscle not accepting glucose.i found a paper online which tested this problem and there is a simple answer you need to do a pre breakfast snack maybe 1 hour before your meal this maybe variable for people to find the sweet spot in the paper they used yogurt and found glucose was 40% lower.
i can confirm this works ive tested this with 1 hard boiled egg 1 hour before and i am now passing all my post meal tests.
maybe its just me but i always found it difficult to pass glucose test with the first meal of the day this does seem to be the answer if anybody has the same problem.
more ideas=i weight train 4 times a week and walk 30 mins every day

 

[Resurgam]

Sweeteners might help if you need to have that taste in your drinks - these days I have coffee with cream, and find that my sense of taste has altered so that beetroot and peas taste sweet. It is three years since diagnosis now.
I eat a lot of meat, seafood, eggs and cheese, full fat yoghurts, salad and low carb stir fries - really enjoy them, and a couple of times a week I have frozen berries with cream and sugar free jelly, sometimes with yoghurt mixed in and whipped up to make it frothy. The food is so nutritious that I only need to eat twice a day, morning and evening seem best for me, with most carbs at night time. I have a test meter, a Tee 2 from Spirit Healthcare, and normally find my after eating level is under 7mmol/l which puts me in the normal range.

 

[jjraak]

Hi just been diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes
Nurse told me she would send a prescription to my chemist for tablets said to get sweeteners for my tea and basically that was that so I’m totally in the dark about diet or any other relevant info

Hi @Kenny1963
Sorry for your Diagnosis and the paucity of details.

Quite a few get that lack of information and then get ushered out, to stumble on by themselves.
Dazed and shocked at the news.
Very sad andd so very wrong.

BUT as nicely said, at least you haven't been given the wrong information and followed that for a few months before looking for real information, because it clearly WASN'T working
( I did .. and My HBA1c numbers got worse and I was starving and miserable all the time)

So... Stick around, ask questions and try to soak up a few of the ways others have had that have helped them put T2D into perspective, AND given them better control over this disease.

You've taken the biggest and best step to help yourself.... simply by finding this WONDERFUL Forum

Best of luck on the start of your journey back to good health.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi Kenny1963,
You may mot realise it at the moment nut you have already had 2 lucky breaks:
1. You found this website and forums (the world's best for Diabetes).
2. Your nurse didn't give you all the standard bad advice and send you off in the wrong direction for months.

Everyone's path is slightly different, but collectively the members here have the best, most up to date knowledge of Diabetes on the planet!
Type 2 diabetes is caused by Carbohydrate intolerance - so it is all starches as well as sugars that you need to cut down on.

Thousands have taken control of their bodies and have a bright future.
There are 3 basic methods that work for getting Type 2 diabetes into remission, but although I list them in the order I feel is easiest, only you can find which one is right for you (and not all methods work for all people):
1. Low carb lifestyle - actually easiest if you have the confidence to do Low Carb High (traditional) Fat.
2.Restricted Time Eating , or Intermittent Fasting, or 16:8 where you only eat during a relatively small time period
3.Various forms of extreme Calorie Restriction:
A. Something like the Newcastle Diet or Dr Michael Mosely's 'Blood sugar Diet'. Both of which are hard to maintain after the initial weight loss period.
B. Longer term Fasting (only for the Obese). This needs to be used with caution because supplements of electrolytes and vitamins are required. But I am told that for most people it gets easier after the first few days (energy levels increase).
C. Bariatric Surgery. Instant results, but most people try to 'cheat' with disastrous consequences.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

Not a good start from your health care professionals- I agree that maybe it was the for the best as now you have found the best place to find good advice and support.

You've been given some good links- read around, ask questions, test regularly and let us know how you are going. If things get tough come back. The people here will understand and be able to provide adv ice and support.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[mariefrance]

Hi Kenny,
I'm sorry you've had such poor advice from your nurse in relation to dietary changes, that's not uncommon, I'm afraid. Certainly in the UK, NHS policy and practice has not yet caught up with the latest research and evidence-base so you will often get the same poor dietary information from GPs, practice staff, dieticians etc. I do think things are changing but not quick enough, and not in my neck of the woods!. It's just something to be aware of. Other care is good.
I've done a mix of the methods outlined by Ianf0ster and it's worked for me. It can feel a bit daunting at first but it really isn't. Stay on the forum, read any posts relevant to you, and read/watch and listen to the resources people have recommended. Make a start but remember you don't need to do it all at once. Do what you can as you can. Best wishes.