Two Weeks in ............................

susieq67

Active Member
Messages
36
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
and I'm beginning to get my ahead around testing and what I can and can't eat :)
So far today have had my lowest readings (5.8 pre lunch & 4.9 two hours later :D) since diagnosis - think the 10lb I've managed to lose so far has helped as much as monitoring what I eat. I've also had a lot more energy today - but that might be due as much to the cooler weather as anything else ! Generally my waking BS is around 6.1 and bedtime is slightly higher.
As I've had 'good' readings all day today I'm going to take a chance and try a small helping of pasta with a larger than usual helping of Quorn Bolognese sauce (I do so miss my pasta:() - wish me luck !!

I haven't been able to find anything for breakfast, other than cereal, fruit and yoghurt, that I can stomach without feeling nauseous, but after trying out different cereals I've found that Quakers Oat Crisp gives me the lowest 'spike' - ditto Ryvita Wholegrain Crackerbread doesn't cause my blood sugars to spike like other breads/crispbreads; have yet to check out what a small jacket potato will do to them ! And I still need to find something to snack on when the 'munchies' attack - nuts are out for me as they give me chronic indigestion:( (of course, pre diagnosis, I could always snack on fruit but that's off the menu too :()
 
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Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Congratulations on your fantastic levels! That is brilliant for only 2 weeks in. I hope you are delighted and proud!

I started a snack thread earlier today over in the low carb section, had some excellent suggestions so far.

Regarding the nausea at the thought of some breakfast foods - you may find that slowly changes over time. The more your body adjusts to the new way of eating, the more it may like the thought of a fortifying brekkie. Only time will tell...

Am so pleased for you though. Those results are fab.
 

susieq67

Active Member
Messages
36
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
well the pasta did spike my levels - till 8.8 at bedtime, but it's down to 5.7 this morning (lowest waking reading so far !).

Going to see what a small banana does to them later today !
 

jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Small banana should be ok, its about 15g , as long as your small banana is as small as mine :)
 

daisy1

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

You have made a really good start and here is some more information to help you. Ask all the questions you need to 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 over 100,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 

susieq67

Active Member
Messages
36
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you Daisy - everyone here has been very helpful and I've already learnt a lot in my first two weeks here (3 weeks since diagnosis) :)

I'm also very lucky in having a very good friend who was diagnosed with type 2 many years ago and she's helping me to keep on the right track :D
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
That is great - 2 weeks in and you're already getting a lower fasting BG level than me! I'm usually in the 6s.

Just don't worrit if your fasting readings shift about and fluctuate - it's perfectly normal. Mine varies from around 6 up to the higher 7s. You are looking for trends, not specific readings.

Interestingly, I often have a lower fasting level on the morning after I've eaten more carbs than usual. But I'm not prepared to go through the thrills and spills of haywire BG levels all day, just to shave a bit off my fasting, so I try not to do it too often...