Hello I'm Stephen.

Rustcrew37

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all I'm stephen from stoke on trent I have type 2 found out last week, on Metformin. Going for two eye tests this month wish me luck :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

PatsyB

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,956
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
I wish you luck and am sure you will be fine ...welcome to the forum :)
 

sanguine

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,340
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Intolerance, career politicians, reality TV and so-called celebrity culture, mobile phones in the quiet carriage.
Hi Stephen welcome :). Don't panic and have a good read around here.
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,381
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Good luck & welcome. Anything we might help you with?
 

kateincornwall

Well-Known Member
Messages
645
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
People who lie , animal cruelty , boredom and pineapple !
Hello and welcome Stephen , hope you enjoy the forum :)
 

WeeFergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
579
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Cruelty to humans and animals.
Welcome Stephen. Hope the eye tests go OK. Listen to what the experienced members say and you'll soon find everything improving. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Rustcrew37

Hello Stephen and welcome to the forum :)

Good luck with your tests. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want 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 over 140,000 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.
 

TimLaws

Active Member
Messages
29
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi
Hello to a fellow Stokie!
I too am T2 and was very interested in your comments re your diet, I have followed the Paleo diet but folks seem to be getting good results with your diet , I might give it a go 2 stone down 1 to go. I have also upped my exercise greatly so if you are interested I can recommend a great Bootcampt Fitness advisor. See you "up Hanley Duck"
 

cath99

Well-Known Member
Messages
619
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
rude d/n nurses and being treated like im wierd because im diabetic
welcome welcome you are with the right people here who understand everything your going threw .. x
 

JAY1JAY1

Well-Known Member
Messages
623
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diabetes
Welcome to the foram if we can help with anything ask , love the stag
 

moonchip

Well-Known Member
Messages
218
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello Steven

Well, you've found the very best place on the net for all the help & support you need :)

Garb a brew, pull up a seat and have a good look around. Read and read some more.

Ask any questions you want - the only 'stupid' question is having something to ask & not asking it :D

Everyone here will help you and we've all been where you are now