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Wheat bran, oat bran, rice bran etc. Actual bran, in a bag labeled bran (you can get it in health food shops). You can use it as a flour substitute for many purposes (it makes good pancakes and, so long as you use artificial sweetener, kind of OK muffins). I don't mean the various packaged...

Sorry for the winding up, but what I mean is that I treat these with caution. It isn't very scientific, I know, but I try to avoid counting units (carbs, calories or anything else for that matter). I am aware that counting works for many people, but for me it is bad psychology - if I know that...

I don't know if this will be any help, but here is a strategy that seems to work quite well for me. This approach should not be attempted by anyone on insulin (it would be downright dangerous), but it will be safe for most newly diagnosed T2s. 1. Temporary Diet I initially went on a very...

This is certainly true. Cheese and dry meats are very low carbohydrate, and won't have much impact upon BG. Saturated fat is certainly not a problem for diabetics (in fact it isn't anything like as damaging for anyone as many people would have you believe - that is a different topic, though)...

Alcohol lowers BG. It can trigger hypos, so people on insulin need to be a bit careful. However, provided you are sensible, modest amounts of wine (particularly red wine, with its anthocyanins and other antioxidants), is quite beneficial. I used to know a T1 who used alcohol as part of her...

Here are a few ideas for cold, diabetic-friendly, non-alcoholic drinks: Diet soft drinks. Mineral water (still or sparkling) - improved by a slice of lemon or lime. Iced tea - make it yourself, it is best flavored with lemon. Either drink it unsweetened or with artificial sweetener. Iced...

A lot of research is being done in this area - both by research labs and by many biotech companies. Any organisation that cracks this and comes up with viable insulin pills will make very serious amounts of money. The easiest possibility is to use a mouth spray - that avoids the digestion...

Be careful of the potato salad! Potatoes contain quite a lot of carbohydrates, and they certainly do bad things to my BG. Also, did you make the potato salad yourself, or was it bought ready made? Shop bought potato salads often have a fair amount of sugar added. Diet or "healthy" versions...

The impact of diabetes on life expectancy is an extremely difficult question to answer, because although there have been many studies they are hard to interpret because they are trying to hit a moving target. The traditional view of the medical profession is quite gloomy. One of the main...

If you are a T1, then you have a very strong case. Hopefully, presenting your GP with the NICE guidelines will suffice. However, these are ambiguous for T2s, who aren't on insulin. Many (possibly the majority?) of GPs are now refusing to prescribe strips to them. If that is the case then...

Oh I agree - the problem is very much more serious for the OP than it is for me (I am a non-pregnant and indeed male T2!), and in any case I can afford to pay for my own strips. It is the principle of the thing that infuriates me. If one believes in a welfare state, and some of us still do...

It's a bit hit and miss, but the going rate on eBay for most major brands seems to be very roughly half the high street price. I suspect that some people are doing exactly that. One hears stories that some doctors are willing to prescribe pretty much unlimited quantities, and some of the...

Nice idea, but unfortunately this is only likely to work if you are on insulin. For people on insulin testing is necessary for safety. For T2s not on insulin, testing is for monitoring the condition and for learning how best to control the condition. This is essential for long term health...

I wouldn't worry too much, this test is probably just a sensible precaution. Many non-diabetics get fungal infections for all sorts of reasons, and they are usually very easy to treat. Do you have any of the other symptoms of diabetes (excessive thirst, tiredness, tingling toes etc?). It is...

I'm lucky, I have never smoked (and it is simple dumb luck) - so I don't have anything to miss. I don't have any problem with smokers, and respect their decision to carry on - just so long as it is an informed decision. Pretty much everyone is aware that smoking is dangerous. Just so long as...

That may be true of smokers - because for physiological reasons they are going to find control much more difficult. However, this is absolutely not true for all diabetics. Complications are caused by high blood glucose. If your control is tight enough, you shouldn't have high blood glucose...

I am afraid that quite a lot of newly diagnosed T2s don't get any strips at all. Unfortunately there have recently been a couple of papers published in the British Medical Journal doubting the cost effectiveness of self-monitoring. Details of these are on another thread. I am fairly sure that...

Not exactly a substitute, but you might like to try EasiYo. This is an extremely simple DIY yoghurt, and has the big advantage that you control exactly what goes into it. You buy sachets of a culture powder, mix it up with cold water in a pot that is provided and put it into a flask with...

You have found every mention of the word "cinnamon" on the forum (I'm surprised there aren't more!). You can do an Advanced Search to whittle it down, or cheat and just go to this recent thread on cinnamon. :)

Well done! :D :D :D You are still going to have bad days as well as good days - but stick with it and you will quite soon find that the good days outnumber the bad. Eventually you will get through this rough period, and you will find that diabetes really isn't so bad. Once you get on...