saying hi,and needing help

pinky1111

Member
Messages
5
I am a newbie to the board,I have had diabetes ,type "2 for 14 years, now take insulin,lantus and novorapid. I also take metaformin ,
I am struggling with my diabetes,am very confused how much and what kind of carbs I should be having and how many calories.My diabetes has been getting less controlled, I started off diet controlled, then tablets now I have insulin and tablets and all the while I have weight gain.Every time I see my diabetic nurse they increase whatever medication or insulin dose I am on and I still feel rough and very tired.
I suppose I have got very depressed and in denial, I have also got heart disease which means I cant exercise very well,(how much exercise should i be taking daily?) and I do not work due to the health issues.I also am on slimvasatin for my cholestrol. I am finding the longer I am a diabetic the more depressed and confused about it all I am becoming.I joined the board hoping that I would get advice from fellow diabetics, and some kind of guidance to put me on the path to better health.
I have bought a low carb book and diet plate and am even more confused as some of the things in the book other people say you should not eat.Please advise me what is a good low carb breakfast and what I should be eating?Thank you.
 

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forum.

Please read the introduction for the newly diagnosed (even though you aren't newly diagnosed, there is a lot of information in it):

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26870

Many of us type 2's have gained control of our blood glucose levels by following a LCHF diet. You can find a beginner's introduction here:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

Hope you find the support you need here :D
 

Ann19

Well-Known Member
Messages
271
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Pinky :wave:

As mentioned by Indy , lots of us control our diabetes by eating low carb and increasing fats. The diet plate and the NHS advice to eat lots of carbs such as wholegrain bread and brown rice etc will push our levels up, I wish they would advise us better! A good breakfast would be yoghurt and berries or bacon and eggs, although you may have to watch the fats with having heart disease. As for exercise, walking if you can is good, but any is better than none! I have mobility issues so can't walk far, but pottering about the house doing housework IS exercise! You'll get lots of help on here from people who actually live with this and control it, so fire away with your questions.

Ann
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Pinky and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information which we give to new members, even though you have had diabetes for 14 years, I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
 

Fraddycat

Well-Known Member
Messages
709
Hi Pinky, welcome to the forum! The advice from Daisy and the weblink from Indy are really good places to start. I often have yoghurt and chopped walnuts for breakfast, or egg and bacon or omelette or cold meat and cheese. Its probably a real change from what you have been eating but you will see the benefit really soon.
 

pinky1111

Member
Messages
5
thank you all for your replies,I am busy absorbing the information, and have written a shopping list.I normally have cereal for breakfast,I think that will have to change,perhaps have one small bowl a week to stop cravings?
I was told porridge was a good breakfast to have by my diabetic nurse,but that seems to push the bs up dramatically.
I think I am on a steep learning curve.Will update!
 

Ann19

Well-Known Member
Messages
271
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Porridge is something that I have sometimes, but I test and know that I can tolerate it, many can't so you have to test when ever you try something. You soon get to know what you can tolerate so only need to test every now and then with that to makesure that you can still have it. Another thing I have is Lizi's Granola, I have about 30g, some yoghurt, raspberries and blueberries and a couple of spoonfuls of seeds. This keeps me going till lunch without needing to snack. I can't tolerate any other cereals. I found that once i had dropped a lot of the carbs from my diet I didn't feel hungrey or crave carbs. If I have chocolate I havea couple of squares of 85%, you have to get used to the taste! Aldi do a pack of 5 small bars and 1 bar is enough to get a chocolate hit without sending my levels up. Testing whenever you try anything is the key.

Ann
 

Gappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
483
Dislikes
hypocrisy, prejudice and the corrupt legal system (never got compensation I deserved from an accident)
It's good you realise the need for change but do it slowly, any big change may less you to resent the diabetes & get you down. Small changes are easier to maintain then followed by another small change gets you there in a way that you can keep to
 

pinky1111

Member
Messages
5
I have been following a low carb diet..today though my blood sugar was low (4.2) at breakfast time, I had a small bowl of porridge with sweetners, and then by lunch time it was higher (9.3)so I had a bowl of soup and a slice of bread.. at teatime it was low (4.3) and then I had diahorria..an so I didnt take my usual insulin with my meal, or metaformin.. I just took it and it was 12.3 and I have had my slow acting insulin. the diahorria has stopped and my stomach seems settled, so I am going to bed, I wondered what may cause the diahorria could it be the sweetners I put on my porridge?Is it the low carb diet?
 

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have problems with porridge - it sends my blood glucose level very high. I have huge IBS issues if I use any of the artificial sweeteners, esp. if they end in '-ol' :(
 

emmanueltio

Newbie
Messages
3
Hello!

I usually eat hard-boiled eggs whenever I feel diabetic, that is, loss of breathing after eating plenty of sweets. The trouble here would be the emergence of chest pains due to cholesterol level. Just enough would be right!