Making sense of the numbers
- Thread starter Ollie88
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It was 6.30pm (10.9) and 8.30pm (8.2). The meal was fish and chips. My husband is the diabetic and he is not adjusting too well to eating a low carb diet. His appetite has diminished. I wanted him to eat something I knew he liked for once. He was not overweight to start with and has now lost about a stone. We haven't got into a regular testing cycle yet and wanted to see what would happen with this particular meal.
Mike d
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Thanks for the info but when was the 10.9 reading Immediate or post dinner? Was it battered? Is he a Type2? What is his weight and when was he diagnosed? What is his usual diet? It's recommended a test be done pre dinner (and other meals) then at 1 hour after 1st bite and 2 hours to get a feel for what's going on.
Sorry to hit you with all this (and @daisy, will be along (as is her warm custom) to post some INVALUABLE info at some point) but that's what we need to guide you and offer assistance
Mike
Sorry to hit you with all this (and @daisy, will be along (as is her warm custom) to post some INVALUABLE info at some point) but that's what we need to guide you and offer assistance
Mike
jack412
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you may find with fish and chips that the spike comes later than 2hrs because the fat slows the digestion of the carbs, hubby needs to replace the lost energy from the reduced carbs with healthy fats so he doesnt lose any more weight, or ask Dr about meds so he can eat carbs
I would start a diary so to build a picture that the Dr can relate to.
do you mind if I ask his age..if he's youngish he really should try low carb, to stay healthy BG level longer,
the other thing to watch for is if he is late onset T1 with weight loss
I would start a diary so to build a picture that the Dr can relate to.
do you mind if I ask his age..if he's youngish he really should try low carb, to stay healthy BG level longer,
the other thing to watch for is if he is late onset T1 with weight loss
Thanks for your replies. Danny is 75, a lover of sweets and toast. Diagnosed T2 in November with HbA1c of 59 (7.5% I think). He was prescribed metformin but he asked if he could try diet first and to his credit has stopped eating sweets and taking sugar in drinks. He is on many pain killing drugs for nerve damage from knee surgery and tends to sleep a lot, at night and during the day.so regular meal times are tricky as his appetite is poor. Currently he is on strong antibiotics for an infection following surgery on his hand.
The 10.9 reading was the first we took yesterday and was just prior to eating battered fish and chips from chippie., the 8.2 was two hours later. I just wanted him to eat something he liked ( I do know it wasn't the best choice but I was desperate). He's beginning to get snappy with me and I'm getting close to throwing the towel in - not very kind of me - sorry!
This morning, on rising it was 6.8.
The 10.9 reading was the first we took yesterday and was just prior to eating battered fish and chips from chippie., the 8.2 was two hours later. I just wanted him to eat something he liked ( I do know it wasn't the best choice but I was desperate). He's beginning to get snappy with me and I'm getting close to throwing the towel in - not very kind of me - sorry!
This morning, on rising it was 6.8.
Oh and he is 5'4" and weighs around 10 stone. Don't have accurate scales. He also has prostate cancer! Seeing nutritionist so next week.
Mike d
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All that does not sound TOO bad at all. Don't expect me to comment about snappy attitudes beyond saying he APPEARS do be doing the right thing given his other complications. I wish you both well
When did he last eat before this meal? Was it something high carb? I get little insulin response straight away from a carby meal, but then it finally kicks in between three to four hours later. So perhaps the 10.9 was elevation from an earlier meal, and the 8.2 was the delayed insulin response from the earlier meal helping to damp down the effect of the fish and chips? Just a thought ...
Scandichic
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Have a read of this
Www.dietdoctor.com
It was a revelation for me. I didn't realise that starchy carbs are sugar by another name. I have regulated my bs and brought it down into the 5s (as long as I don't do anything daft like eat a mince pie
) and tell him the food is yummy so he won't go hungry or feel like it's too much of a sacrifice (hopefully)You both have a lot going on so its not surprising that thinks are a bit tense (have a hug)
Wishing you both a better year this year!
Hugsxxx
More questions than answers at the moment. There is so much to learn about diabetes and its effects. Danny is so tired almost all of the time. We put it down to pain meds but now I'm wondering if it could be the diabetes. Wounds are taking ages to heal. Is that the diabetes? Seeing doctor on Monday, perhaps he actually needs to be on the metformin now. Must write down all the questions. Thanks for your replies, I do appreciate it.
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Yes, the tiredness and slow healing are both classic symptoms of high blood sugar.
Does he get up to go to the toilet more than once a night? That is another sign, but only happens if blood sugar rises above 10mmol/l for a while.
You have a test meter
How often is he testing? And are you writing it all down? That's the way to work out his best, and worst foods.
Metformin is a great drug, but it doesn't lower blood glucose by very much. It's main function is to lower insulin resistance. It also has other benefits.
Diet changes are really the most effective choices you can make, but I realise that the transition is hard. Although, in my experience, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences. Plus I love low carb food.
Waking up refreshed, not going to the loo 3x a night, not craving carbs, no mood swings and irritability (well, reduced), no itching, better wound healing, no receding gums, better mental clarity and short term memory, more energy, depression lifting, less joint pain in knees and finger joints... I've had them all, at one time or another. And I am only mildly diabetic!
I can't recommend cutting carb portions enough.
Does he get up to go to the toilet more than once a night? That is another sign, but only happens if blood sugar rises above 10mmol/l for a while.
You have a test meter
How often is he testing? And are you writing it all down? That's the way to work out his best, and worst foods.
Metformin is a great drug, but it doesn't lower blood glucose by very much. It's main function is to lower insulin resistance. It also has other benefits.
Diet changes are really the most effective choices you can make, but I realise that the transition is hard. Although, in my experience, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences. Plus I love low carb food.
Waking up refreshed, not going to the loo 3x a night, not craving carbs, no mood swings and irritability (well, reduced
), no itching, better wound healing, no receding gums, better mental clarity and short term memory, more energy, depression lifting, less joint pain in knees and finger joints... I've had them all, at one time or another. And I am only mildly diabetic!I can't recommend cutting carb portions enough.
daisy1
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@Ollie88
Hello Ollie and welcome to the forum
To help you to help Danny, and you have already had some good advice, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions and you will get more help from members.
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 130,000 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 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
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 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.
Hello Ollie and welcome to the forum
To help you to help Danny, and you have already had some good advice, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions and you will get more help from members.
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 130,000 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
- 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 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.
Bluetit1802
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Another point to bear in mind is that Metformin is also an appetite suppressant, so if he is already losing too much weight and has no appetite, this may not be the right drug for him. There are other drugs.
Have you read this thread? http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/ You may find it useful.
Have you read this thread? http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/ You may find it useful.
The tale of the older man.I have similar problems with my husband he is 82 diagnosed about 5 months ago. I think when they are older change in diet is more difficult for them. Mine still insists on eating porridge or other cereal for breakfast as he has done all his life and he has one toasted slice of Burgen Linseed and Soya bread he will not have a cooked breakfast He has cut out starchy carbs like rice and pasta... he loved pasta bakes and pizza one or the other of those was always his Saturday tea... and all sweet stuff and he really misses that
I do find main meals quite difficult as he is not one for casseroles and stews or stuff cooked in sauces that a lot here on LCHF have We are not big meat eaters and have mostly chicken and fish but he only likes fish in breadcrumbs He does like all vegetables but not keen on salad and he still eats a banana or a pear the only fruit he likes with greek yogurt as dessert .He was diagnosed at just over 7 it was still the same at his 3 month blood test and he has T2 probably the doctor said because he takes steriods .There is no point at all in me nagging him as he said he is to old to make any more changes now
I do find main meals quite difficult as he is not one for casseroles and stews or stuff cooked in sauces that a lot here on LCHF have We are not big meat eaters and have mostly chicken and fish but he only likes fish in breadcrumbs He does like all vegetables but not keen on salad and he still eats a banana or a pear the only fruit he likes with greek yogurt as dessert .He was diagnosed at just over 7 it was still the same at his 3 month blood test and he has T2 probably the doctor said because he takes steriods .There is no point at all in me nagging him as he said he is to old to make any more changes now
