28yr man - diabetes

I never think of it as a disease but as a condition or as a challenge that I have got to deal with much in the way I would think of having to drive car through a bad winter. The diet aspect isn't that bad just learn to think LCF (low carb higher fat) or as somebody else in the forum put it "carbs are evil" CARE.
In all honesty I don't find keeping my diet under control difficult it is just a matter of double checking the carb content of everything you eat and self-testing after meals so you know what works for you and what you can't go near.

gorilladrumbum said:

Oh the shame! I feel terrible really, after years of overeating and gorging on food to my hearts content - I have been given the diagnosis of type 2

Anybody got any tips on how to deal with the strange feeling of knowing We have a disease

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Be wary, you may well find you are late onset type 1 diabetic.

Reduce your carbs right down.....
DON''T STARVE, go lower carb......

Take any medication if its offered.... You can always reduce it as you get better blood figures..

You posted 3 years ago with a diagnosis of T2.... Are you prepared now to make changes??

gorilladrumbum said:

Oh the shame! I feel terrible really, after years of overeating and gorging on food to my hearts content - I have been given the diagnosis of type 2

Anybody got any tips on how to deal with the strange feeling of knowing We have a disease

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Is your BMI significantly above the normal range? If not, you should consider asking for autoimmune antibody tests as a significant proportion of T2 diagnoses (around 25%) under the age of 35 turn out to be late onset t1.

Two people suggesting late onset.. Please ask for further tests...

Brill, but watch the fruit, it has a fair amount of sugar in it - make sure you test after eating it!

Fruit and fruit juice is bad to varying degrees, Tropical fruit is really very bad for diabetics, fruit that will grow in northern Europe less less so but still only in sensible amounts. Any dried fruit is particularly bad.

Sirmione said:

Fruit and fruit juice is bad to varying degrees, Tropical fruit is really very bad for diabetics, fruit that will grow in northern Europe less less so but still only in sensible amounts. Any dried fruit is particularly bad.

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Yet we have people here who can manage to eat pineapple with no spikes, guess it reiterates that we really do need to test and see!

gorilladrumbum said:

No 3years ago it turned out it was pre diabetes
Didn't take any notice - should have done

I am 21stone, but since posting on Saturday - I have literally had hardly any carbs - fruit and veg and protein - feel great

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Ok, so is weight loss will also be a factor in your getting improved levels too.

It is important to also gain a little exercise each day as this will help to tone you and can help lower bloods aa well. Even if it is just raising your legs off the settee 10times for 30 seconds each time...

Its great to hear that you're changing to more fruit and veg.. Fruit should be monitored. Ie see what your levels rise to 1 and 2 hours after you have eaten just an apple-or an orange etc. fruit ending in berries like blueberries generally cause less rises in bloods-but again, we are all different and can all vary with how we react....

Some fruits are cheaper when bought frozen.. Like blueberries. You can defrost them over night and have them with a bit of greek yogurt..

There are loads of good foods to eat.. Honest...

I lower carb with no lactose, no gluten, no preservatives and only xylitol for sweetener and also only low FODMAP foods. If I can find good food to eat still, then I'm sure you can....

Have you been able to get a blood testing machine and blood strips from your GP?

The other thing that helps greatly... Don't see it as a diet... Its a permanent lifestyle.

Hope to hear from you again with an update how you are managing this week.

ladybird64 said:

Yet we have people here who can manage to eat pineapple with no spikes, guess it reiterates that we really do need to test and see!

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True I too can eat proper ice cream or half a dozen M&S choclate profiterolers without a major spike but both use up precious insulin reserves needed to deal with glucose produced from starchy carbohydrates and have longer term implications for the progress of my type 2 so I don't indulge that often. Some fruits don't put a huge GI load on bodies system so it is wise to stick to these and don't over indulge. Being diabetic is a bit like playing chess it is best to play a long game. For longterm survival a diabetic has to learn that a lot of what has been accepted as healthy eating for the 30+ years is bad for diabetics.

I don't understand why everyone talks about testing their BS every two hours. My GP says it's pointless as the only results that matter are over months, not a couple of hours. I'm on a very low sugar, low fat diet, so even if I had a spike there's nothing I can cut. We all know what's good and what's bad, so if you cut out the bad and only eat the good, why bother with the meter? All it does is tell you you've been 'bad'. Obviously it's different for insulin users. Can anyone enlighten me?

It's not just sugar you need to cut out. It is all Carbohydrate as your body treats it all the same way.

No you don't have to test every 2 hours, and nobody on here says that you do.

Testing 2 hours after a meal will tell you your BG response to what you have eaten, and you can make adjustments.

When you become comfortable with what you eat and your BG levels you can reduce how often you need to test.

@joe-90 - Hi. It is a personal choice and up to you if you want to control it? I don't test my blood sugars several times a day, (although I have been told to do so) I take Insulin and Diabetic tablets daily, and have had Type 2 nearly 16 years now and my blood sugars are mostly within range

joe-90 said:

I don't understand why everyone talks about testing their BS every two hours. My GP says it's pointless as the only results that matter are over months, not a couple of hours. I'm on a very low sugar, low fat diet, so even if I had a spike there's nothing I can cut. We all know what's good and what's bad, so if you cut out the bad and only eat the good, why bother with the meter? All it does is tell you you've been 'bad'. Obviously it's different for insulin users. Can anyone enlighten me?

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Testing is optional and your choice to do it or not. Are you and your GP happy with your BG results when you have your HbA1c tests

joe-90 said:

I don't understand why everyone talks about testing their BS every two hours. My GP says it's pointless as the only results that matter are over months, not a couple of hours. I'm on a very low sugar, low fat diet, so even if I had a spike there's nothing I can cut. We all know what's good and what's bad, so if you cut out the bad and only eat the good, why bother with the meter? All it does is tell you you've been 'bad'. Obviously it's different for insulin users. Can anyone enlighten me?

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The reality is we all "think" we know what is good or bad. But do we really? A lot of it is misguided information. When we start testing before and after meals we begin to see the real and very immediate impact of what some "good" food may have on our glucose level. Sometimes it may just impact us, no problem for others. And this little bit of information goes a long way to improving our condition. It helps us to understand whether simple/complex carbs has any impact and eat accordingly. Fats eg avocado, nuts, pork belly, knuckles, some dark chocolates have little impact for me.

Low fat food often have added sugar. Low sugar food doesn't mean low carb. And the total amount consume makes a difference.

When I tested high after a meal, I usually drink tea to bring it down. It works for me.

In fact the blood glucose improvements and normalization can happen within days not months. But it is by maintaining the change over the weeks that we begin to see the HbA1c numbers (2-3 mths ave) normalize. https://www.facebook.com/myHbA1c/ph...361436841649/1717171541860638/?type=3&theater

I have actually got a meter somewhere that I bought about 7 years ago. I stopped using it after talking to the doc. If it's a really good idea, why does every GP I've ever read on the subject say not to bother? Since going on Metformin 10 weeks ago I've taken a whole new interest in diet and nutrition. Read a few books already. One thing I've noticed on the forum in the past couple of days is that everyone's experience of diabetes seems different. My world changed the day I took metformin. The biscuits and cake went into the bin, and I now live on the Med diet. Another funny thing is that I've gone right off meat and am now a vegetarian. I didn't plan it - it just happened. Has anyone ever heard of that before?

kokhongw said:

The reality is we all "think" we know what is good or bad. But do we really? A lot of it is misguided information. When we start testing before and after meals we begin to see the real and very immediate impact of what some "good" food may have on our glucose level. Sometimes it may just impact us, no problem for others. And this little bit of information goes a long way to improving our condition. It helps us to understand whether simple/complex carbs has any impact and eat accordingly. Fats eg avocado, nuts, pork belly, knuckles, some dark chocolates have little impact for me.

Low fat food often have added sugar. Low sugar food doesn't mean low carb. And the total amount consume makes a difference.

When I tested high after a meal, I usually drink tea to bring it down. It works for me.

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I understand what you're saying, but there becomes a certain point when you know how much a particular food is going to spike you. I would agree that a meter is extremely important for someone who is recently diagnosed, but I have to wonder what value a meter adds to someone who has been diagnosed for years and isn't on insulin.

Of course, I think any diabetic (insulin or not) should have a meter and at least a few test strips handy. Stress, illness, and medication (particularly steroids) can also have a significant impact on glucose levels, but those things aren't so predicable.

joe-90 said:

I don't understand why everyone talks about testing their BS every two hours. My GP says it's pointless as the only results that matter are over months, not a couple of hours. I'm on a very low sugar, low fat diet, so even if I had a spike there's nothing I can cut. We all know what's good and what's bad, so if you cut out the bad and only eat the good, why bother with the meter? All it does is tell you you've been 'bad'. Obviously it's different for insulin users. Can anyone enlighten me?

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I would say if depends on your definition of "bad". In general, the NHS definition of bad is anything full fat, so butter, meat with fat on - but these do not raise blood glucose levels. The NHS definition of "good" (in general again) is the Eatwell Plate, and advice to eat brown bread, rice, pasta, low fat everything..but no mention of the sugar that these things contain. These foods are still carbohydrate, and they will still raise blood sugar levels. How much they raise them is why people are advised to use a meter.
Test strips for meters are very expensive. There is also no perceived risk of hypo for a type 2 on metformin or diet, so it is not deemed necessary for those with type 2 to have one, instead relying on the HbA1c, which can happen every 3 months, or 6, or 9 and in some cases 12. If somebody is eating foods that they have been advised is good for their diabetes, and it is in fact raising their levels significantly, they won't know about it. So the HbA1c gets higher and higher, more meds are brought into the mix, and the person concerned is left wondering what the hell has gone wrong..is it any wonder we are told it's a progressive condition?