New here - banana question etc.

[wilderness]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

 

[lucylocket61]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

Hello and welcome. Here is a link to some helpful information to start you off. I have bought myself a blood glucose monitor and test my blood just before eating and two hours after a meal so I can see how the meal has affected me, as we are all different in our responses to food and drink.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

 

[xfieldok]

Ask yourself why tennis players eat bananas between sets and stay away from them. Weetabix is a no no along with all other cereals. Try Bacon and egg. No toast.

Have a look at dietdoctor.com for ideas.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

1: I wouldn't touch a banana with a 10 ft pole. The Dutch Diabetes Association magazine featured a rich, carb heavy high tea on their front page, so it is very safe to say, ideas on a suitable T2 diet differ. Wildly. I'm in the non-diabetic range, I doubt many of their members are. (That was the last straw and I cancelled my donations.). Incidentally, they did have banana bread recipes as well. So yeah... You'll read a lot of conflicting things. That's where your meter comes in, it'll let you know who's full of it and who's right!
2: Better not, sorry. Too carby.
3: Yeah... If the NHS had to fund all T2's, they'd be bankrupt in no time at all. The bulk of us self-fund. You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been, and it helps to weed out non-suitable foods, and find good ones.

Here's a bit of info on food and how to test effectively, hope it helps clear stuff up! https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/

 

[coby]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

Hi and a warm welcome to you
Your numbers are not too high right now and I think your best move would first be to get yourself a blood glucose meter to test what foods raise you too high. It's your number one friend!
If you look to lower carbs (and banana is high in them) then you would see results in just weeks!
Give it a go ... you won't regret it x

 

[TriciaWs]

I agree with other posters, I got into remission by following a low carb diet, only low carb bread in very limited amounts (a couple of slices a week), only fruits are rhubarb and berries, but I have more fat than I used to eat (double cream, cheese, oily salad dressings).
I tested before and then 2 hours after every meal at first so I could check how many carbs I can safely eat. Even now I do a day of testing most weeks to check I don't do carb creep.

 

[Dr Snoddy]

Hi Wil and welcome. If the DESMOND course is the same as the one I went on 7 years ago you will get dietary information that is in direct conflict with the approach that most people on this forum advocate as a way of controlling Type 2 diabetes. They will suggest keeping complex carbohydrates in your diet but swopping to higher fibre options like brown rice and wholemeal bread and pasta. Many of us have had success with a low carbohydrate, higher healthy fat regime instead.
However, it is always worth gathering as much information as you can and their approach may have changed (she said hopefully!)

 

[xfieldok]

The DESMOND course may hae changed since I went. The first half consolidated stuff I had learned from the forum. Then came lunch. Out came my tub containing cheese, walnuts, olives. Out came most other peoples sandwiches, crisps, biscuits, sodas, cake, bananas, only the lady sat next to me was low carb. We got to chat after lunch with quite a few of the attendees. There was an observer who had a personal interest. So I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I didn't rant and rave, I just told my story. I had got down my hba1c from 122 to 35 within 4 or 5 months by being vigilent, l,ow carb and reading my meter.
A couple of people were interested, I pointed them to this forum.

You won't grab everyones interest. Every person you do grab is worth a hundred. Four years down the line, I don't count myself as an expert by any meants. I agree, you should do your own research. Don't automatically accept the medical professions advice as gospel. Come back here, ask the opinion of people who live with the condition. Knowledge is power.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @wilderness and welcome to the forums. I agree with the others, reducing carbs and testing with a meter is a good way to reduce your levels. However, when you browse round the forums bear in mind that many of the folk on here have pretty low carb tolerances. Given that you've started with a level of 6.6% (49) you're only just in diabetic territory so may not need to avoid carbs quite as assiduously as many of the posters here do. But if you let your meter be your guide then you'll soon find out what your body can and can't cope with.

Good luck.

 

[Riva_Roxaban]

I live about ~400 klm from the Tropic of Capricorn so all of our fruit is called locally grown.

I can eat small portions of most of whats grown around the area with out to much problems, but bananas are bgl killers as they really spike me badly.

Weetbix are worse than bananas.

Getting a meter is a must so yes.

 

[wilderness]

Thanks everyone!
Wil

 

[Daibell]

Bananas are a No-No. Weetabix aren't too bad as long as it's only one and not every day. Have a look at the Total carbs on the packaging. Have eggs and bacon instead if you can.

 

[Em16]

re: bananas

Just in case anyone does miss them terribly, I have a recipe that doesn't spike my sugars and seems to work with my low carb/high fat diet.

It is: 1 banana eg. 100g combined in blender with at least 150g finely chopped brazil, almond, pecan nuts (go more on the nuts if you want to take care and see how you do), 4 table-spoons of cocoa powder (obviously with no sugar added and no fat reduction) and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. Sometimes I also add in a few berries, but always make the ratio of fruit: nuts at least 1:1.5 Bake in a loaf tin at 160 degrees for 15 mins. Eat in thin slices - again, test the amount good for you. It's very dense so a very slim slice is complete satisfaction!

 

[coby]

re: bananas

Just in case anyone does miss them terribly, I have a recipe that doesn't spike my sugars and seems to work with my low carb/high fat diet.

It is: 1 banana eg. 100g combined in blender with at least 150g finely chopped brazil, almond, pecan nuts (go more on the nuts if you want to take care and see how you do), 4 table-spoons of cocoa powder (obviously with no sugar added and no fat reduction) and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. Sometimes I also add in a few berries, but always make the ratio of fruit: nuts at least 1:1.5 Bake in a loaf tin at 160 degrees for 15 mins. Eat in thin slices - again, test the amount good for you. It's very dense so a very slim slice is complete satisfaction!

This sounds nice Em. Would you serve it spread with butter or eat as a cake slice, and does it keep well please?

 

[KennyA]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

Hi and welcome. i had the experience (on my DESMOND-equivalent course) of having the diabetic nurse saying "eat carbs at every meal" and the dietitian saying "don't eat carbs if you can possibly avoid it". In the same room at the same time. Most people there were really confused.

Everyone's approach can be different and there is no one size fits all solution (although that is of course exactly what the health service pushes). I am on around 20g carb/day (ie one apple equivalent) because that works for me and I get on OK with it. I went from an A1c of 50 to an A1c of 36 in four months. Others here have seen bigger drops more quickly.

So...I won't eat bananas (which I like) or other fruit apart from some berries maybe once a week. Weetabix and any cereal and all bread is right out - it spikes my blood glucose. So I don't eat it. That doesn't mean others can't, but I would advise making decisions like that on the basis of testing, rather than eating stuff and hoping it will be ok.

Best of luck.

 

[Buster_]

This thread has reminded me how much I like banana on toast as a snack. My glucose meter would explode if I ate that nowadays!

 

[SaskiaKC]

Newly diagnosed (2 weeks), I'm Type 2 with HbA1c of 6.6% (49). The nurse is happy for me to control this with diet and I have yet to go to DESMOND where I expect I will get some good information. In the meantime I have cut out most of the 'bad food' I used to eat and I'm surviving on salad meals, eggs, limited bread (sorry), and several other things I deem OK such as poultry and pulses. I worry that I may not be getting all the correct foods and nutrients.

Clearly I need to do more research, and will. For starters, a few quick questions.

1. I have seen that all tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) is best avoided yet I have also seen recipes including banana: so what gives? I am just curious here as I don't generally eat bananas!
   
2. Can I eat Weetabix?
3. I have not been told to get any testing equipment: is that normal?

My next review is in 6 months.

Pleased to meet you all.

Wil

Welcome!
My doctor surprised me by telling me bananas are OK as long as they're not too ripe (unfortunately the way I like them best but I am starting to like them less ripe!). They are the best fresh fruit for me these days because the berries at the grocery store are all either flavorless or sour, and the apples now hurt my teeth. At least bananas have some flavor as well as nutrition. And they go well with dark chocolate and nuts.

I don't particularly like eggs these days and they have too much cholesterol for me to eat them often anyway. Bacon has too much sodium.

 

[lucylocket61]

Welcome!
My doctor surprised me by telling me bananas are OK as long as they're not too ripe (unfortunately the way I like them best but I am starting to like them less ripe!). They are the best fresh fruit for me these days because the berries at the grocery store are all either flavorless or sour, and the apples now hurt my teeth. At least bananas have some flavor as well as nutrition. And they go well with dark chocolate and nuts.

I don't particularly like eggs these days and they have too much cholesterol for me to eat them often anyway. Bacon has too much sodium.

I think being able to eat bananas depends on what type of diabetes one has, and what meds one is on, as well as how many carbs one can safely eat. The OP is a diet controlled type 2.

I cant view you profile to find out what meds, if any, you are on.

 

[Daphne917]

This thread has reminded me how much I like banana on toast as a snack. My glucose meter would explode if I ate that nowadays!

I used to love banana sandwiches made with wholemeal bread - quick, easy and nutritious and, some would argue, fairly healthy - not anymore though!!

 

[PenguinMum]

Hi Wil we are all different in how food affects us although generally speaking grains affect most of us badly. I just want to say do get yourself a meter and test everything and keep notes so you can build up a menu of meals that don’t raise your. BG too much. Sometimes you can tinker like when I make chilli for Mr PM and me I only have a few kidney beans and have cauli rice with it. The trick with meters is buy one that the strips are inexpensive because the first few months you will lose a lot. Your meter will show how things affect YOU. I think tackling Diabetes without a meter is like crossing a busy road with a blindfold on Good luck Wil.