Hello all I have been type 2 diabetic since 2013. I have regular blood tests done to monitor it. I do have a sweet tooth not all the time and i would really appreciate how to prevent myself giving in to cravings. Can diabetics drink diet drinks or are they safer with water? I don't drink alcohol or smoke. Also having Lymphodema in my left leg i find it hard to walk far, any advice on exercise, diet , preventing cravings would be appreciated. My dietician is of no help. Thanks in advance.
Advice & Query
- Thread starter norm62
- Start Date
MrsGruffy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 147
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
I think you might find if you avoid sweet things, including artificially sweetened things, your cravings for sweet things will reduce dramatically. Your brain can't tell the difference between the real sweet and the fake sweet. I drink water mostly, and a couple of cups of coffee with cream, and the odd green tea with a squirt of lemon juice. The best advice I ever got was to cut out bread, potatoes, rice, most veg which grows below ground, fruit except a moderate amount of berries and all types of grains and cereals. All of these contain a lot of carbohydrates, and that is what you want to avoid. Carbohydrates all become sugar after you swallow them. You can't go wrong eating meat and veg, dairy products, olive oil and avocados. Nuts are great too, in moderation. Try to avoid snacking between meals. If you can get a referral to an exercise physiologist, they are great at adapting a program for you which takes into account any issues you have. I saw one at the local university and I have a program I do at home, or I can go along to the group sessions they run at very minimal cost.
I have had a wicked sweet tooth my entire life so I get how hard it is to fight! I have been on the LCHF diet for 8 months now and as well as losing weight have apparently lost my sweet tooth...what a relief to be free of that. In fact, I think I have kind of lost my overly focussed interest in food in general as the cravings have diminished. Make sure you have the cupboards & fridge stocked with yummy foods that fit your dietary plan, research new recipes and get rid of anything that is not on the plan. When I started on this path I took boxes of stuff off to my kids and nephews- rice, potatoes, bread, crackers, pasta and all my lovely home made jams & pickles, bottled fruits and litres of frozen organic pressed apple juice from our orchard- out it went! ( I did actually feel a bit like I was kind of poisoning them...but they are all young & fit....) This weekend was my 1st family gathering that I have hosted since the LCHF plan and it felt pretty strange to be making the traditional birthday cake along with huge salads and vegetable frittatas etc. We had lots of fun, I stuck to my plan (and no-one even noticed) and every speck of "contraband" food went out the door with the guests. while folks are drinking beer or wine, I find sparkling water with a dash of lime or lemon juice very satisfying- toss in a slice of lemon, sprig of mint or a few frozen berries for extra fancy... it beats the diet soda junk by a mile. Re. exercise- if you are mobility challenged or out of shape, water exercise or swimming is a great place to start out. I started with a trainer and could barely drag myself out of the pool to home at 1st and am now going 3 times a week and exercising with 30 lbs of leg & am weights in the pool. I am quite astonished at myself to tell the truth... Can't wait to hear you brag as well! Good luck it all starts with one step n the right direction!
- Messages
- 13,465
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Prem51
Expert
- Messages
- 7,393
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- *
Hi @norm62 A lot of us probably ate too many sweet things too. I certainly did, cake, biscuits, sweets, chocolate and ice cream.
Since being diagnosed T2 I have given these up, I recognise that sugar is poison for me.
I stick to tea or coffee with sweetener rather than sugar, or water. If you feel the need for something sweet to drink you can add Robinson's 'Real Fruit' squash, which has no sugar and virtually zero carbs. If you like fizzy drinks use carbonated 'sparkling' water to dilute it.
I used to like chocolate and could eat one of those big 500 gm Cadbury's Dairy Milk slabs in an evening. Now I stick to dark 'high cocoa content' chocolate which has much less sugar, and a couple of squares is enough.
I like OPPO ice cream which is low carb.
Since being diagnosed T2 I have given these up, I recognise that sugar is poison for me.
I stick to tea or coffee with sweetener rather than sugar, or water. If you feel the need for something sweet to drink you can add Robinson's 'Real Fruit' squash, which has no sugar and virtually zero carbs. If you like fizzy drinks use carbonated 'sparkling' water to dilute it.
I used to like chocolate and could eat one of those big 500 gm Cadbury's Dairy Milk slabs in an evening. Now I stick to dark 'high cocoa content' chocolate which has much less sugar, and a couple of squares is enough.
I like OPPO ice cream which is low carb.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@norm62
Hello Norm and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask questions if you need to and someone will help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 well over 235,000 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:
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
Hello Norm and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask questions if you need to and someone will help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 well over 235,000 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
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
Guzzler
Master
- Messages
- 10,577
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
I agree with others when they say it is better to avoid all sweetened foods, it is surprising just how quickly your palate changes. For example, after diagnosis I halved the amount of sugar I put in my tea (I used to have half a teaspoon of sugar and cut it to a quarter of a teaspoon). I really struggled with this, the tea tasted horrible and a few times I caved in and put my usual half teaspoon in. Then I thought 'this is not working' so I cut out the sugar in tea altogether. It took just one month for my palate to adapt and I havn't had table sugar since then. Incidentally, a couple of times my son has forgotten that I no longer take sugar (or has brought me the wrong cup) and that first sip has my face screw up like a Champion Gurner!
Hi. Ensure you have enough fats and protein with the lower carb to slow digestion and avoid a carb high.
