bloodsugars numbers
- Thread starter h1
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bulkbiker
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Will probably depend on what you are having for breakfast some foods will send your blood sugars into the stratosphere others maybe not. Cereals and museli will probably be the worst.
As you are a first poster I'll tag in at @daisy1 for the intro pack assuming you haven't seen it already and say hi and welcome.
As you are a first poster I'll tag in at @daisy1 for the intro pack assuming you haven't seen it already and say hi and welcome.
HSSS
Expert
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- Type of diabetes
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Hi and welcome.
The biggest influence on our numbers is out diet. It can be sleep, illness, exercise, stress but most of all it’s food. Specifically it’s carbohydrates (sugar is one but so are starchy whole grain type foods like bread, rice, pasta, potatos, grains, flour and cereals).
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat (LCHF) methods of eating. It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight if that’s required, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for welcome info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
IMPORTANT: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds.
Not sure if you are taking any medications for diabetes and it might be worth updating your profile to show this so people don’t keep asking.
The biggest influence on our numbers is out diet. It can be sleep, illness, exercise, stress but most of all it’s food. Specifically it’s carbohydrates (sugar is one but so are starchy whole grain type foods like bread, rice, pasta, potatos, grains, flour and cereals).
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat (LCHF) methods of eating. It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight if that’s required, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for welcome info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
IMPORTANT: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds.
Not sure if you are taking any medications for diabetes and it might be worth updating your profile to show this so people don’t keep asking.
bulkbiker
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- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
HSSS
Expert
- Messages
- 7,490
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
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In a perfect world 2 hours after a meal will be less than 2mmol higher than immediately before it and ideally under 7.8mmol.
This page lists guidance on numbers https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
HSSS
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You can make a grain free granola from nuts coconut flaxseed etc. Ditchthecarbs.com has a couple of recipes. Good with fullfat natural yogurt.
Pre make some savoury crustless quiches (mini ones maybe). Using ham or bacon instead of pastry to contain it all or maybe made in muffin tins.
Scrambled eggs only take a minute or two in the microwave. I like them with a splash of cream, a handful of grated cheese and most oddly a squirt of mustard all mixed in and eat the straight out of the bowl cooked in to save washing up.
Continental style meats and cheeses
Last nights left overs. Seriously it’s only convention that says which foods are eaten at which time of day. I’ve had some seriously untypical breakfasts in the last 6 months but it filled me up and who else knows or cares?
HSSS
Expert
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- 7,490
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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Not sure if you’re addressing me or bulkbiker. I’m 8 or 9 months post diagnosis. Stable and below diagnostic levels since 3 months. My signature at the bottom of my post shows hb1ac and weight changes. I’ve never had any diabetic meds. It was a steep learning curve to start with and I do get a little frustrated at eating differently to most people just because of the lack,of convenience but it’s far better than deteriorating and getting complications in my mind.
Hi @h1
The diabetes uk forum is great. But there is far more to diabetes.co.uk than just the forum.
For example, take a look at https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html This will answer our question, "what is the right numbers to have with type 2".
Go to the diabetes.co.uk home page and take a look around. There is a lot of information written in very easy to consume blocks.
Someone has taken the time and effort to compile this amazing library of diabetes information which is, sadly, often overlooked.
The diabetes uk forum is great. But there is far more to diabetes.co.uk than just the forum.
For example, take a look at https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html This will answer our question, "what is the right numbers to have with type 2".
Go to the diabetes.co.uk home page and take a look around. There is a lot of information written in very easy to consume blocks.
Someone has taken the time and effort to compile this amazing library of diabetes information which is, sadly, often overlooked.
daisy1
Legend
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- Tablets (oral)
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- Cruelty towards animals.
@h1
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.
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 and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.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.
