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Being Prepared - checking sugars?

B

Belton

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Hi, after a recent MOT with my doctor he stated I should consider my sugar intake because my levels are quite High.
I would like to be able to self check my sugare levels.
What recommendations would be suitable to keep a check and also manage my sugar diet intake.
I am 78 years of age

Thank you for any replies
 
Welcome @Belton :)

Do you know how high your blood sugar levels were? If you want to test at home, then you can certainly buy a meter. The SD Codefree is popular here as the strips are cheap. Tagging @Bluetit1802 for useful information.

It's not just sugar you need to watch. Carbohydrates also turn to glucose in our blood, so a big plate of potatoes might also push your blood sugar higher.

What kind of things do you normally eat?
 
Welcome to the forum.

It is essential that you have a meter if you want to control your glucose levels and find out which foods suit you and which don't. Keep a food diary including portion sizes, test before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite, record these levels in your food diary and keep an eye on how much you rise from before to after. The higher you rise, the more carbs were in that meal.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

Pharmacies don't sell them. There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

Other meters are available, but do find out how much replacement strips cost - these can be very expensive and you will need a lot.

I must add that it would be in your interest to find out what your blood test revealed - the levels you were that made your doctor tell you they were high. Just how high is important! If you ring reception they should tell you, or you can ask for a print out. Your surgery may also have these results on-line but you have to sign a consent form before you can see them. Reception should know.
 
azure said:
Welcome @Belton :)

Do you know how high your blood sugar levels were? If you want to test at home, then you can certainly buy a meter. The SD Codefree is popular here as the strips are cheap. Tagging @Bluetit1802 for useful information.

It's not just sugar you need to watch. Carbohydrates also turn to glucose in our blood, so a big plate of potatoes might also push your blood sugar higher.

What kind of things do you normally eat?
Click to expand...

I want to make sure my wife and I maintain a heathy diet, our diet in the main is real food not processed. Our weakness is cake and biscuits after a meal. Meat and lots veg, simple meals no fizzy drinks, basically craeful on what we eat. I am slightly overweight, my wife more so .
 
Belton said:
I want to make sure my wife and I maintain a heathy diet, our diet in the main is real food not processed. Our weakness is cake and biscuits after a meal. Meat and lots veg, simple meals no fizzy drinks, basically craeful on what we eat. I am slightly overweight, my wife more so .
Click to expand...

The problem is, your current diet is what has given you high blood sugars. You will obviously have to re-think the cakes and biscuits, but may also have to re-think what you consider to be healthy. What is healthy for the general public is not necessarily healthy for those with high blood sugars. Carbohydrates are the main problem - and by this I mean the starchy ones such as potatoes, other root veggies, rice, bread, pasta and cereals (including wholemeal varieties). These all play a BIG role in raising blood sugars. Using a meter will show you what I mean.
 
Belton said:
I want to make sure my wife and I maintain a heathy diet, our diet in the main is real food not processed. Our weakness is cake and biscuits after a meal. Meat and lots veg, simple meals no fizzy drinks, basically craeful on what we eat. I am slightly overweight, my wife more so .
Click to expand...

Ok. Meat and lots of veg sounds great :) It looks like you may have an obvious solution there. Cutting out the cake and biscuits would help. Although that might sound a bit miserable, it does mean you have a good chance of improving your blood sugar quite easily, I'd hope :)
 
Ok, thanks for all the reply's. I need a greater understanding of Carbohydrates.
My next step s to purchase a Meter, but I notice there are two methods a readings. Which one should I choose, or do I need to contact my doctor to determine what method he uses
 
Do get a meter to check your levels after meals. It quickly shows which foods are tending to raise your levels. At this time of the year a lot of people tend to eat root vegetables whereas some of us need vegetables that grow above ground. It does probably mean exploring new recipes for your favourite cakes that do not use wheat flour, for some reason grains tend to raise blood sugars, but enjoy eating the experiments!
 
Belton said:
Ok, thanks for all the reply's. I need a greater understanding of Carbohydrates.
My next step s to purchase a Meter, but I notice there are two methods a readings. Which one should I choose, or do I need to contact my doctor to determine what method he uses
Click to expand...

You need the meter that reads in mmol/L as these are the measurement units we use in the UK. The other one (mg/dl) is for our American friends who use different measurement units.
 
If you and/or your wife are keen cooks, then you won't necessarily have to give up cakes and other sweet stuff. Using low carb ingredients (almond flour, ground almonds or other ground nuts e.g. hazelnuts, sesame flour, coconut flour, stevia or erythritol sweeteners, and good pure dairy butter, or nut oils, (not low fat spreads or marge) you can still enjoy these on moderation. Have a look at our low carb recipes section, Ewelina's Diabetic Good Baking blog, and Google for other low carb baking recipes.

Robbity
 
Thank you all for your enthusiatic replies.
As I currently understand some impressive results.
Will order meter Monday (Having problems ordering from Web site) and progress from there.
 
Belton said:
I want to make sure my wife and I maintain a heathy diet, our diet in the main is real food not processed. Our weakness is cake and biscuits after a meal. Meat and lots veg, simple meals no fizzy drinks, basically craeful on what we eat. I am slightly overweight, my wife more so .
Click to expand...
Your healthy diet is good as you don't eat a lot of processed food but it is the sugar stuff like cakes and biscuits and starchy stuff like bread pasta rice and potatoes that are not so good so maybe if you could cut down on those it would be better for you both and hopefully you will not actually develop diabetes. A finger prick check on a meter sometimes will give you an idea of your BG levels
 
Waiting for delivery of my Meter.
Will publish results of my wife and I,
but I do love my Bread,
what are the alternatives.
Remember I have not yet been diagnosed, I believe in self heal or preventative action hence my original enquiry.
I am rather proud that at 78 I only take a blood thinning tablet, however I should take statins but the side effects are such that they affect my life style.
We took part in a group walk this weekend through the dull, misty muddy hilly countryside played hell with the lungs
Ended up in a pub for a rest and a pint, then home to collapse into the chair to reclaim our muscles.
 
If you have a Lidl near you they sell freshly baked high protein rolls. They do look a bit disgusting, but are very low carb, high in protein, fats and fibre. I slice mine in half and toast them, then add loads of butter. They freeze well and are currently 29p each. I find half a roll is plenty. A full roll is very filling. There are other low carb breads on the market (Burgen and Livelife) but have more carbs than the Lidl rolls.
 
1st Test 12 hrs fasting i.e. overnight
After overcoming some difficulties, mainly getting enough blood, lance penetration, adjustment assembly too tight etc.
Wasting test strips.
My surgery Nurse seems to have some problems locating my vein to take blood samples, maybe I have thick skin!!

My first results were 7.7 mmo/l
Looks to be rather high, where do I go from here.
My health I think is ok, however I do get rather tired and energyless after some exercise.
Typically putting some shelves up for my grand daughter, drilling walls, sawing wood, assembling, using steps etc.
I go for 4-5 mile country walks and need some rest afterwards

However one of the benefits are I sleep better.
Sometimes I have a sense of wavering with balance.

Apart from that I seem to be healthy
 
After 10 hour overnight fast. Took my first test 7.7 mmo/l
10.00 am had two pieces brown bead toast with marmite and cup tea.

3.30 pm took another test nothing to eat ordrink during this period.

Reading 6.6 mmo/l

I would like some experienced comments, suggestions please
 
Those are random tests and not much can be gleaned from them.

The 7.7 FBG is high but as these tests are unpredictable and often subject to outside influences they can't be relied on. Restless nights, stress, dawn phenomenon/liver dump, what you did between leaving your bed and testing. These all affect it. However, the 7.7 is indicative of diabetes if that was done as soon as your feet hit the floor and you washed your hands..

The random test at 3.30 means nothing. It all depends on what you were doing until then. Housework? DIY? Exercise? All these things can increase levels, and also lower them.

You need to test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite. Many of us also test at 1 hour in order to catch the peak as near as dammit. The following are the NHS guidelines, but if you want full control you should be aiming for the non-diabetic ranges, especially as you don't have diabetes.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
 
Belton said:
After 10 hour overnight fast. Took my first test 7.7 mmo/l
10.00 am had two pieces brown bead toast with marmite and cup tea.

3.30 pm took another test nothing to eat ordrink during this period.

Reading 6.6 mmo/l

I would like some experienced comments, suggestions please
Click to expand...

I'm a lightyear away from being experienced but those figures don't seem at all bad. Well under something to be seriously worried about
 
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