Type 2 Diagnosed two days ago
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Yorksman
Well-Known Member
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- 2,445
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
My Desmond course was fun, but not all that informative. After a few visits here, you'll know more than Desmond tells you about diet. I did find the stuff on cholesterol and different types of fibre interesting though as well as some of the medical explanations of what happens with diabetes.
BG meters are worthwhile and many here simply buy their own and pay for the strips. Getting the diet right, ie, one that works for you personally, for we are all different, is a big benefit. It's hit and miss to begin with but soon, you get the general idea, that's OK, that's not too bad in moderation, stay away from this one and so on. Excercise too is a big factor. I go in for several short periods daily, at least one after every meal. Losing weight is also a big help.
Exercise informs you. You get to know if things are becoming easier or if you are doing things quicker. For weight loss, you have bathroom scales. But, if you don't have a meter, how are you going to tell whether a food suits you or not? Moreover, the combination of all three is highly informative and you will know better than any medical professional looking at a reading on a print out how you are progressing. The feedback you get helps you adjust your regime if it is wrong and gives you confidence if it is right. With confidence comes more determination.
My own hobby horse is, learn to cook properly, if you have the time. You can eat well and meals can be something to look forward to.
BG meters are worthwhile and many here simply buy their own and pay for the strips. Getting the diet right, ie, one that works for you personally, for we are all different, is a big benefit. It's hit and miss to begin with but soon, you get the general idea, that's OK, that's not too bad in moderation, stay away from this one and so on. Excercise too is a big factor. I go in for several short periods daily, at least one after every meal. Losing weight is also a big help.
Exercise informs you. You get to know if things are becoming easier or if you are doing things quicker. For weight loss, you have bathroom scales. But, if you don't have a meter, how are you going to tell whether a food suits you or not? Moreover, the combination of all three is highly informative and you will know better than any medical professional looking at a reading on a print out how you are progressing. The feedback you get helps you adjust your regime if it is wrong and gives you confidence if it is right. With confidence comes more determination.
My own hobby horse is, learn to cook properly, if you have the time. You can eat well and meals can be something to look forward to.
daisy1
Legend
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- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
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- Cruelty towards animals.
Hi nomistheman and welcome to the forum 
In addition to the information Yorksman has given you, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Carry on asking questions and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
In addition to the information Yorksman has given you, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Carry on asking questions and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Hi There,
I was diagnosed type 2 last Wednesday as my bloods were 25.5 but after taking Glicozide (sorry can't spell it) 1 in the morning and half at night from Wednesday and then Metformin from Friday 1 per day my bloods are now 12.5. I did speak to my GP as I was worried about my bloods and he did give me a monitor and pricker and then a prescription for the strips etc. He has been wonderful and he was the one that suggested this website as I don't think this has really sunk in yet. My cholesterol is 4.8 and my blood pressure is fine so I am not too worried. I was however very upset last week as some people were talking about comas and that freaked me out a bit so I was scared to eat so I called the Surgery and my GP called me back within a couple of hours to reassure me. My only problem now is the tiredness as I am having to sleep 8 or 9 hours per night otherwise I am exhausted and when it gets to about 3 in the afternoon I could actually go to sleep so having the monitor calms me down and puts my mind at rest as I can test my blood to see what is happening. I told my GP that when I stress I eat so this is why he gave me the monitor. I am waiting for a referral to see the dietician and my GP wants to see me in 2 weeks to talk about my feet! Don't know what that is all about
Thanks Sandra
I was diagnosed type 2 last Wednesday as my bloods were 25.5 but after taking Glicozide (sorry can't spell it) 1 in the morning and half at night from Wednesday and then Metformin from Friday 1 per day my bloods are now 12.5. I did speak to my GP as I was worried about my bloods and he did give me a monitor and pricker and then a prescription for the strips etc. He has been wonderful and he was the one that suggested this website as I don't think this has really sunk in yet. My cholesterol is 4.8 and my blood pressure is fine so I am not too worried. I was however very upset last week as some people were talking about comas and that freaked me out a bit so I was scared to eat so I called the Surgery and my GP called me back within a couple of hours to reassure me. My only problem now is the tiredness as I am having to sleep 8 or 9 hours per night otherwise I am exhausted and when it gets to about 3 in the afternoon I could actually go to sleep so having the monitor calms me down and puts my mind at rest as I can test my blood to see what is happening. I told my GP that when I stress I eat so this is why he gave me the monitor. I am waiting for a referral to see the dietician and my GP wants to see me in 2 weeks to talk about my feet! Don't know what that is all about
Thanks Sandra
Andy12345
Expert
- Messages
- 6,342
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Doctors
Welcome to the forum guys, i speak with a huge 4 weeks experience when i say, its all way to much at first, it also means changing things you may not want to change like diet exercise and sticking little needles in your fingers 6 to 8 times a day but hey the alternative to the changes is worse, i personally have gone on this insane sounding low carb diet you will read about, that quite simply seems impossible but actually it isnt (coming from a 100% junk food diet) it along with smaller portions than what im used to has helped me lose 14lb and counting, i joined a gym and am aching all over, i have started cooking (wow) because most things processed are bad so raw ingredients is the way to go, and my bloods have gone from 24.9 to averaging 6.5 (i may be lucky) but the moral of my boring story is.....life isnt over, things will become clearer the more you read (99% this forum, 1% the rest of the internet) i have days where im up and days when im down, i feel so much better than before i was diagnosed, try not to panic like i would suppose we all did, we will get through this together because this forum is full of folks that are going or have been through the same as you, please ask questions, as i have been told more times than i can remember there are no stupid questions, oh and we are allowed to rant too apparently , good luck!
Andy
PS. the most demorallising thing for me was thinking im going to the supermarket to buy all the things im allowed to eat well....there arent many things, so expect to have a depressing time, just mentioning that to save you my pain.
, good luck!Andy
PS. the most demorallising thing for me was thinking im going to the supermarket to buy all the things im allowed to eat well....there arent many things, so expect to have a depressing time, just mentioning that to save you my pain.
pav
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 361
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hi Sandra, ref your feet, he will probally want to arange for you to go on the annual foot screening programe. Where they check things from any hard skin that needs removing to any nerve damage and set a base line to see how you get on in the future.
The checking of feeling and nerves is done in 2 ways, the first is like a pen test where there is like a thin flexible rod (more like thick fishing line). With your eyes closed they tough the bottom of your feet in various places and ask you to say when you feel it touching your feet.
The second part is like a vibration test, where they touch your big toes with a instrument that vibrates, which can be varied in the depth of vibrations and they record the level of vibration that you can feel. They do this test a couple or so times on each toe to get a average reading.
There is a third test they may or may not do, which is like a ultra sound to determin how good the circulation is in the feet.
You may be advised not to walk around in bare feet as any cuts, could take a while to heal, as part of this if you do cut your feet its worth checking how well its healing. If a cut shows slowness to heal they would advise you to see a doctor.
The checking of feeling and nerves is done in 2 ways, the first is like a pen test where there is like a thin flexible rod (more like thick fishing line). With your eyes closed they tough the bottom of your feet in various places and ask you to say when you feel it touching your feet.
The second part is like a vibration test, where they touch your big toes with a instrument that vibrates, which can be varied in the depth of vibrations and they record the level of vibration that you can feel. They do this test a couple or so times on each toe to get a average reading.
There is a third test they may or may not do, which is like a ultra sound to determin how good the circulation is in the feet.
You may be advised not to walk around in bare feet as any cuts, could take a while to heal, as part of this if you do cut your feet its worth checking how well its healing. If a cut shows slowness to heal they would advise you to see a doctor.
pav
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 361
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Getting a meter is a good idea, but the problem is getting the doctors to give you a perscription for the test strips, a lot of companies will provide you a meter for free if you ring them or use the on line requests for a free meter. The getting of strips can be down to a post code lottery or in my GP's practice which doctor you see. I have had my test strips removed from my repeat perscription and have just put a letter in to request them to be re-added.
If your GP does not want to give you a perscription for the test strips there a a couple or so meters that use lower cost test strips like the SD code free or the supercheck2 meters.
and have just put a letter in to request them to be re-added. If your GP does not want to give you a perscription for the test strips there a a couple or so meters that use lower cost test strips like the SD code free or the supercheck2 meters.
Hi. I'm afraid unless you are very lucky it's unlikely you will be given a meter if you are only on Metformin; it is a PostCode lottery. Ref your Son, obviously if you get a meter then do let him do a prick test 2 hours after a meal and if it's above 8.5'ish% (see Daisy's guidelines) then have him checked at the surgery. If you do get 'wind' problems with Metformin and it doesn't go away then ask the doc to change your prescription to the Slow release (SR) version. Also, if the dietician gives you advice that you aren't sure of do come back and ask more questions as sometimes NHS diet advice is not the best around for diabetes.
jennyleach
Member
- Messages
- 10
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- All processed foods, rice, pasta and potatoes
Andy is absolutely right....I listened to the NHS doctors and nurses and ended up after 8 years of being a insulin diabetic feeling as if I was feeding my insulin by eating all the carbs I was told to eat; getting heavier by the day and sleeping nonstop and feeling dreadful for the best part; I then discovered the forum 8 weeks ago and discovered low carbing! I have got my sugars down from 12s to 6s; I am losing weight and most of all I am feeling so much better. I have given up all processed foods, potatoes, rice and pasta (with no regrets or cravings for them). I enjoy a meal of Asda free from porridge oats (for gluten sufferers) lunch consist or fish, chicken with either salad or vegetables and once a week even a meal of eggs, bacon and tinned tomatoes; dinner consists of fish, chicken, seafoods vegetables and stirfries. I am never hungry and have suddenly discovered foods that I thought I didn't like eg peppers and spices!. I snack on berries if I have a craving for sweet foods (which is now very rare).....and last week went out to a restaurant and had gammon steak (and asked them to serve me with vegetables instead of chips which they gladly did) and my sugars remained at 6.2! ....reading Zoe Hardcourts book "Why do you overeat" gives an insight to the carb problem for diabetics. Hope this all helps and best of luck
