A lost newbie

[Did90]

Hi All
I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes last week, took me a bit by surprise so didn’t ask the docs enough questions! They referred me to the online diabetes page to answer my questions, however I do feel down about it all as all the foods I like, I’m now avoiding!
I have been prescribed metformin, and it’s giving me stomach cramps and diarrhoea already (500mg per day for 4 days) is this usual??
My vices are sweets and fizzy drinks and I have made a conscious effort to cut these out completely but is going cold Turkey to my favourite things the right approach?
I’m also feeling very tired, sore and achy as well as having some mouth ulcers- I have read this could be to a b12 deficiency so has anyone else experienced this?
Appreciate any help or advice
Dan

 

[TriciaWs]

Are you aiming to try low carb or just giving up sweets?
As all carbs turn to glucose in our bodies low carb made more sense to me.
But I knew I'd need to find low carb substitutes for my favourite foods to stay on it. And to celebrate foods I can now eat that were thought bad before such as cheese, double cream, and full-fat milk (milk in small amounts).
I bought some single-portion cheeses and left them in my fridge at eye height.
I learned to make low carb mug cake and 90 second bread.
and I switched from dairy milk choc to 95% dark - allowing myself 2 squares at night in the first weeks.

I also bought a meter and test strips and tested before then 2 hrs after every meal to work out how many carbs my body can tolerate.
I doubt I've have got into remission without the meter.

 

[Did90]

Thank you for replying! I don’t know what I should and shouldn’t be cutting out… carbs and sugar… the more I read the more it blurs!
I’ve tried to make healthier choices until I seen the doctors- having a glass of fizz with my dinner then just water really, seeded whole meal bread instead of wraps, avoiding the sweet cupboard!

Is cheese good? I like a bit of cheese but like you say portion control!

 

[TriciaWs]

I eat more cheese than I used to before T2, yet with that and double cream plus full fat greek yogurt, etc. my cholesterol figures are better too.

I counted carbs very strictly for months until I was firmly in remission. And looked at keto/low carb sites for foods I can eat now.
I used to love rice but am happy with home-made cauliflower rice instead. Not so keen on courgette instead of pasta but I just have the protein and a lowish carb sauce with grated cheese.
So many great ideas out there.

If you like a cooked breakfast have bacon, high meat sausage (less carby filler), eggs and mushrooms, omelette with cheese/ham/etc. otherwise you can get or make up lower carb cereals made with flaxseed, chia seeds, coconut, etc.
Avocado is good with bacon too.

 

[KennyA]

Hi All
I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes last week, took me a bit by surprise so didn’t ask the docs enough questions! They referred me to the online diabetes page to answer my questions, however I do feel down about it all as all the foods I like, I’m now avoiding!
I have been prescribed metformin, and it’s giving me stomach cramps and diarrhoea already (500mg per day for 4 days) is this usual??
My vices are sweets and fizzy drinks and I have made a conscious effort to cut these out completely but is going cold Turkey to my favourite things the right approach?
I’m also feeling very tired, sore and achy as well as having some mouth ulcers- I have read this could be to a b12 deficiency so has anyone else experienced this?
Appreciate any help or advice
Dan

Hi and welcome to the forums. The first piece of advice I'll give you is to try to forget everything you think you know about healthy eating. You'll find that while the official advice urges you to eat lots of carbohydrate and cut out fat, many of us here have put our diabetes into remission by doing the opposite. You've probably already noticed the conflicting advice on the internet.

The good news is that this can be done relatively simply - some willpower is needed and you may choose to give up some of your favourite foods.

Couple of questions to begin with: as you're on metformin, I'm assuming you're Type 2. When you were told you were diabetic, did they tell you what your HbA1c result was? If you know, it gives an indication of where you're starting from.

I would strongly recommend getting hold of a glucometer (tagging @Rachox for the current list please) and testing your blood glucose immediately before you eat, and then two hours afterwards.

Why? The first reading establishes a baseline. The second reading at +2 hrs shows you very clearly how well your system dealt with the carbohydrate in whatever it was you ate. In the intervening two hours, your body digests carb to glucose, and it's absorbed into your system, being moved through your blood. Your blood glucose leve;ls rise (this is normal) and in response your body releases insulin, which should move the glucose into your muscle cells for use as energy. You're looking ideally on the second reading for an increase of not more than 2mmol/l; and the result not being above 7.8 mmol/l.

The problem for those of us with T2 is that our cells become resistant to insulin. This means that the glucose isn't moved into the muscle cells, and is either stored as bodyfat, or stays in the blood. The bit that's left in the blood is what makes the second reading higher, and therefore gives you an indication of how well your system dealt with the carb/glucose.

If my experience is any guide then the "tired, sore and achy" plus mouth ulcers are a consequence of your diabetes. High blood sugar levels over time cause physical damage to capillaries and nerves, and also prevents minor injuries healing, so ulcers will develop.

By carbohydrate I mean bread, pasta, rice. pastry/cakes, sugar, potatoes and root vegetables, and most fruit. It doesn't matter whether it's wholemeal or whatever colour, it's all carb. My diet has been based around meat, dairy, and green vegetables since December 2019 (results in the signature below) aiming for around 20g carb total a day. This is less than the carb in one apple. You may well find equally good results with a higher intake - there is no single "right way" to do this.

best of luck. This forum is a huge resource and between us we have a lot of experience. We have all been exactly where you are now, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

best of luck

(Tagging @JoKalsbeek for the advice piece)

 

[TriciaWs]

Thank you for replying! I don’t know what I should and shouldn’t be cutting out… carbs and sugar… the more I read the more it blurs!
I’ve tried to make healthier choices until I seen the doctors- having a glass of fizz with my dinner then just water really, seeded whole meal bread instead of wraps, avoiding the sweet cupboard!

Is cheese good? I like a bit of cheese but like you say portion control!

Seeded bread will be a little lower than plain bread but not much, and don't believe anyone who tells you brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta are fine as they contain almost the same carbs as white. Us T2s just don't cope well with carbs in any form.

90 second bread is fine - I use ground almonds instead of 'flour' as it's cheaper and add a teasp of cream cheese to cut the eggy taste. Split and lightly toasted it makes a great base for a ham or cheese sandwich.

Keto Bread in 90 Seconds! • Low Carb with Jennifer

This 90 Second keto bread can be made with almond flour or coconut flour, a microwave or an oven! This is the best keto mug bread!

jenniferbanz.com

 

[Rachox]

Hi @Did90 and welcome to the forum. Thanks for the tag @KennyA , here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

 

[ajbod]

As far as the Metformin effect goes, try and give it a few days to settle down. If it doesn't ask to try slow release metformin, this is supposed to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the gut, it is usually much easier on the system. Some people never get on with it, but millions worldwide do.
You'll now come to learn, that all the foods that were forbidden, with rubbish about the harm it does to us, are actually the foods we evolved to eat. And funnily our bodies run a lot better on them.
Welcome aboard, and never be afraid to ask anything, however silly you think it is. We all had to learn the same things, and are very relaxed about helping others to as well.

 

[Did90]

Hi and welcome to the forums. The first piece of advice I'll give you is to try to forget everything you think you know about healthy eating. You'll find that while the official advice urges you to eat lots of carbohydrate and cut out fat, many of us here have put our diabetes into remission by doing the opposite. You've probably already noticed the conflicting advice on the internet.

The good news is that this can be done relatively simply - some willpower is needed and you may choose to give up some of your favourite foods.

Couple of questions to begin with: as you're on metformin, I'm assuming you're Type 2. When you were told you were diabetic, did they tell you what your HbA1c result was? If you know, it gives an indication of where you're starting from.

I would strongly recommend getting hold of a glucometer (tagging @Rachox for the current list please) and testing your blood glucose immediately before you eat, and then two hours afterwards.

Why? The first reading establishes a baseline. The second reading at +2 hrs shows you very clearly how well your system dealt with the carbohydrate in whatever it was you ate. In the intervening two hours, your body digests carb to glucose, and it's absorbed into your system, being moved through your blood. Your blood glucose leve;ls rise (this is normal) and in response your body releases insulin, which should move the glucose into your muscle cells for use as energy. You're looking ideally on the second reading for an increase of not more than 2mmol/l; and the result not being above 7.8 mmol/l.

The problem for those of us with T2 is that our cells become resistant to insulin. This means that the glucose isn't moved into the muscle cells, and is either stored as bodyfat, or stays in the blood. The bit that's left in the blood is what makes the second reading higher, and therefore gives you an indication of how well your system dealt with the carb/glucose.

If my experience is any guide then the "tired, sore and achy" plus mouth ulcers are a consequence of your diabetes. High blood sugar levels over time cause physical damage to capillaries and nerves, and also prevents minor injuries healing, so ulcers will develop.

By carbohydrate I mean bread, pasta, rice. pastry/cakes, sugar, potatoes and root vegetables, and most fruit. It doesn't matter whether it's wholemeal or whatever colour, it's all carb. My diet has been based around meat, dairy, and green vegetables since December 2019 (results in the signature below) aiming for around 20g carb total a day. This is less than the carb in one apple. You may well find equally good results with a higher intake - there is no single "right way" to do this.

best of luck. This forum is a huge resource and between us we have a lot of experience. We have all been exactly where you are now, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

best of luck

(Tagging @JoKalsbeek for the advice piece)

Hi thank you for all of this!
I don’t know if I’m t1/t2? My blood test was requested due to loosing a lot of weight quickly with no explanation (eating/drinking what I liked) but I think from what I read, it’s more likely I’ll be t2??

My readings were 15.8 and 128 from my fasting blood test and I think they said my levels are meant to be 7/48

My wife had pregnancy diabetes with both children so still has her testing kit- so tried it with dinner-
My reading was 18.2 before and then 18.8 2hrs after? That was having a pasta bake for dinner- any ideas what I should take from this??

I don’t know if I’m eating enough and that’s what’s causing the tiredness? I’m just conscious of what I eat at the moment so rather than going for a snack when I want I’m stopping myself!

Shopping this week is full of fruit, Greek yog, chicken and fish! Wish me luck!!

 

[Did90]

@Rachox

Thank you!

I’ll look into these! My wife has a kit left over from her pregnancy diabetes so have used this tonight to get some readings!
I think I’m going to do a few different foods over the coming days to see how my body copes with it!
Appreciate all the advice!
Do you know if I’ll be given a kit when I see the diabetic doctor? Or is it best to get my own?

Again many thanks for all this help

 

[Did90]

As far as the Metformin effect goes, try and give it a few days to settle down. If it doesn't ask to try slow release metformin, this is supposed to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the gut, it is usually much easier on the system. Some people never get on with it, but millions worldwide do.
You'll now come to learn, that all the foods that were forbidden, with rubbish about the harm it does to us, are actually the foods we evolved to eat. And funnily our bodies run a lot better on them.
Welcome aboard, and never be afraid to ask anything, however silly you think it is. We all had to learn the same things, and are very relaxed about helping others to as well.

Thank you!
I’m going to keep going with the metformin and see how I go! It may just be a bit of a shock to my body considering I’m now making a few better choices around food
Appreciate the help

 

[KennyA]

Hi thank you for all of this!
I don’t know if I’m t1/t2? My blood test was requested due to loosing a lot of weight quickly with no explanation (eating/drinking what I liked) but I think from what I read, it’s more likely I’ll be t2??

My readings were 15.8 and 128 from my fasting blood test and I think they said my levels are meant to be 7/48

My wife had pregnancy diabetes with both children so still has her testing kit- so tried it with dinner-
My reading was 18.2 before and then 18.8 2hrs after? That was having a pasta bake for dinner- any ideas what I should take from this??

I don’t know if I’m eating enough and that’s what’s causing the tiredness? I’m just conscious of what I eat at the moment so rather than going for a snack when I want I’m stopping myself!

Shopping this week is full of fruit, Greek yog, chicken and fish! Wish me luck!!

Hi, I hope I'm interpreting this correctly.

It seems your HbA1c may be the 128 figure which is usually given in mmol/mol. The 15.8 I'm assuming is a current blood glucose level and it's given in mmol/litre. If that's correct, these are reasonably high figures. I'm attaching a graphic that shows the relative figures.

I think that may be the cause of your tiredness. Your insulin is not getting enough glucose into muscle cells so you're not being fuelled and the glucose is hanging round in your blood. The issue is not that you're not eating enough, but that what you do eat is not being utilized.

The pasta bake will have been high in carbs. You were high before you ate and you stayed high. Full fat yoghurt, chicken and fish is good. Fruit is however high in both sucrose and fructose. I eat very little fruit.

If you are aiming to reduce your blood glucose by a low-carb approach, many people (me included) have had a lot of success that way. I eliminated bread, pasta, rice, root vegetables, sugar, fruit and anything using flour. I don't use prepared items because they frequently have added carbs. Instead I eat meat (all kinds) dairy (all kinds - cheese, cream etc) and above ground green veg. Results in my signature block below.

You can find handy information at this site: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

The other piece of advice I'd give you is to try to forget everything you've been told about healthy eating. As T2 diabetics, by definition we cannot process carbohydrate properly so dietary advice telling us to eat caerb is going to make a bad problem worse.

Best of luck and keep asking questions.

 

[Rachox]

Do you know if I’ll be given a kit when I see the diabetic doctor? Or is it best to get my own?

If they find you have type 1 definitely, if type 2 it’s not likely.

 

[Did90]

If they find you have type 1 definitely, if type 2 it’s not likely.

Thank you! We’ll see I suppose!!