Hi I have just found out I have type2 and need to learn about the condition. This site is very helpful
New
- Thread starter Pennybodie
- Start Date
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Penny and welcome to the forum 
Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find this useful. Ask all the questions you like and someone will 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.
Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find this useful. Ask all the questions you like and someone will 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.
Trinity_32
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 50
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Fish
mickey121
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 140
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Try and get an appointment with diabetic nurse as soon as you can. Ask her to book you on a Desmond Course they very good, you also need booking in for retinal screening. It all seems a bit frightening at first but stick in there it all makes sense after a while. Good Luck
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Welcome to the forum Penny. Newly diagnosed myself in the last 4 weeks and like many have found this website a wonderful source of information and support.
M...
M...
Hi. Welcome to the large world of diabetics. Some of us are newly diagnosed and others like me go back a bit. Do follow Daisy's info and links and come back with any questions.
Hi I'm also new and been diagnosed last week, I'm also very confused and I've now come down with worst flu ever,!! This site looks great and so many lovely people to share their stories to
kittyj450 said:Hi I'm also new and been diagnosed last week, I'm also very confused and I've now come down with worst flu ever,!! This site looks great and so many lovely people to share their stories to
Came down with the same thing a week ago. I had lost so much weight in such a short period of time I think my immune system gave up ! Put 3 pounds back on in a week and have watched my blood sugars go from normal back to impaired fasting levels. Soul destroying after working so hard to change my diet and my whole way of life just to be put back a few steps by a wee bug.
But that is all it is, a few steps.
Feel better this morning so am back to the diet and hopefully out into the garden. Sun out here in Scotland (a rare occurrence given that it was actually snowing last week) so hopefully back to the exercise as well.
M...
can anyone help i keep getting itchey eyes as this anything to do with being type 2.
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
destiny0321
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 219
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- people who think nothing is wrong with you because they do not see blood or a plaster cast, i suffer with arthritis & use a zimmer & wheelchair but because they cant see anything wrong people assume nothing is wrong with you.
Hi. I have type 2 diabetes and I have not had itchy eyes but each one of us is different if it continues I would go back to your go and seek there advice.hope this helps
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Hi
Hello I am sorry if I have posted already but can't find it now. I am new to the and fusing the sure such a help,thank you
Hello I am sorry if I have posted already but can't find it now. I am new to the and fusing the sure such a help,thank you
Thank you so much for the replies, I wrote again as could not find my first post but getting my brain in gear now.
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Hi, I was diagnosed in February this year and I have learnt so much from other peoples' stories. It was a total surprise to me, I knew the symptoms of the disease but I did not apply them to me. I left the hospital on 4 injections a day now I am only on Metformin and my levels are spot on.. :thumbup: I listened to all advice but I am surprised by some attitudes, some people don't seem to know much about what is happening to them. :?:
