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Confused new member

M

Muggle71

Well-Known Member
Messages
275
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I'm Kay, new here but not newly diagnosed. That was done 4 years ago when i collapsed because of a ruptured oesophagus and loss of blood after vomiting 4 years ago. I guess because I was told it was only type 2 (my nana had type 1 and needed medication) I didn't think it was that big a deal and was kind of in denial. I didn't want to be diabetic so if i ignored it, it wouldn't be real. So here I am 4 years later, feeling quite rubbish, tired and cold all the time and steadily losing my hair... After googling my symptoms, I got a shock to see it could be down to the diabetes. I bought a bg testing kit, these are the readings so far...ImageUploadedByDCUK Forum1424334436.413999.jpg
Yesterday was a very hungry day. I had 3 fried eggs and 2 slices of white bread for breakfast, an iced finger bun at around 5 pm, and a banana after my walk because I was famished. Im really worried because I don't know if my bg is ok, and more so because of the way ive not faced up to my situation for the last 4 years and what damage I could have done. I was awake til after 3 reading posts and info on this forum and see my bg is probably high for a fasting waking reading. Ive also learnt that my diet is ridiculously high in carbs and need serious change quickly. I just don't know how to do it or what i should and shouldn't eat. Ive loved rice, pasta, bread (ham sarnies) jacket potatos all my life. It's not wonder my body is screaming at me as i approach my 44th year. I did the slimming world diet, ate the exact same as my daughter, she lost 5lb in 1 week and I lost 0.5lb and promptly gave up and went back to my old habits. On a positive i have given up my daily large bar of chocolate and don't eat a fraction of the biscuits I used to mainly because Id get palpitations and feel shaky and thirsty after them. So here I am. Where do I go from here? Any help or advice or pointers in the right direction would be so very welcome. And if you made it to here, thanks for reading and staying with me
 
Hi toto, thanks for replying! I read about that in the early hours. It was so interesting but it seems to be the exact opposite to everything we have ever been told about being healthy. Is it similar to the Atkins diet? My dad did that years ago and the weight fell off him. Could the carbs be why my weight isn't shifting? I thought skipping lunch would help but it clearly hasn't. It just leaves me hungry tired and irritable. I need to research this further and find out what meals I can make for me and my 3 kids. My youngest has Asperger's syndrome so will find any changes to his food hard to deal with but ive somehow had a wake up call, from where I do not know, and i feel a new determination to face this and make the much needed changes
 
Firstly welcome to the forum :)

Secondly, I know you are not new to diabetes but I'm tagging @daisy1 so that she can send you the information she gives to the newly diagnosed, just in case you have missed out on some of this during your time in denial . Many of us go through that to, so you're not alone. The important thing is that you are not ignoring it now. :)I expect you have read daisy's info on other threads, but it's always useful to have a copy on your own thread.

As Totto says testing is really important because you can find out which foods are no-nos for you personally and which are OK
 
I got so little info from my gp. It was kind of hey you have type 2. Watch your diet and goodbye. A lot like when my son was diagnosed with Aspergers. No help advice at all
 
Thanks zand. Im honestly now just beginning to read up about the condition. I tried online when I was first diagnosed and there was just so much conflicting info I just couldn't take it in. This forum has been a massive source of clear info for me so far.
 
@Muggle71

Hello Kay and welcome to the forum :)

As other members have already said above, you need to cut down on the carby foods which you already know. And you can see the results in your tests. This information which we give to new members, even though you are not newly diagnosed, will tell you more about carby foods and testing and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 130,000 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

Reduce your 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Muggle71 said:
Could the carbs be why my weight isn't shifting? I thought skipping lunch would help but it clearly hasn't.
Click to expand...

Yes carbs are most probably the reason the weight isn't shifting I have that problem too. I once had flu at the same time as my son. We ate very little for 11 days. My son lost 11 1/2 pounds I lost just half a pound! He wasn't overweight to start with and I was morbidly obese. :rolleyes:

I have been having 50-80g carbs for a while and my BG's are fine on that......not the weight though, so I'm am dropping the carbs further. You need to find your own level that suits you.

There is a book that I would recommend reading, it has lots of good information even if you don't decide to follow its dietary advice .

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/now-the-x-pert-advice-is-low-carb-high-fat.70271/

There is no need to go hungry...that is the fault on most diets they are not sustainable. This is a way of eating for life, not a slimming diet.
 
So if ive interpreted what ive read so far, an omelette cooked using butter instead of sunflower oil with a little grated cheese on would be an ok breakfast rather than my usual ham sandwich? I hope so because im absolutely famished this morning
 
Kay,
It looks like this is an impossible task but it doesn't have to be!:)
First you need to look what you have been eating, and list them (perhaps via a "Carbs & Cals" book or app http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbs-Cals-Count-Calories-Photos/dp/1908261064
Try to replace those foods high in carbs with others lower in carbs and/or slower releasing in carbs (low GI).
Feel free to ask us for recipe ideas on this.
as an example , your fried eggs were low carb, but the white bread was empty carbs (Burgen Soya & Linseed bread might be lower carb & more filling).
The iced finger bun again is a bit too carby so perhaps a nibble of nuts would be better.
Pasta & rice again are a carb - fest but they can be substituted with courgette ribbons, bean sprouts or "cauliflower rice" so experiment and hopefully you can find recipe ideas that will work for you!
 
Muggle71 said:
So if ive interpreted what ive read so far, an omelette cooked using butter instead of sunflower oil with a little grated cheese on would be an ok breakfast rather than my usual ham sandwich? I hope so because im absolutely famished this morning
Click to expand...
No the omelette using butter isn't an 'OK' breakfast.......It's an excellent breakfast. ;)....you're getting the hang of this already! :):D
 
Hi Kay and welcome from me as well

Drop the bananas and that iced finger bun would be dynamite as well. FULL of sugars. Drink heaps of water, drop fizzy drinks and avoid starchy foods and wheat / wheat products and almost all breads.

Hang around .... we'll get you thru it
 
Muggle71 said:
So if ive interpreted what ive read so far, an omelette cooked using butter instead of sunflower oil with a little grated cheese on would be an ok breakfast rather than my usual ham sandwich? I hope so because im absolutely famished this morning
Click to expand...
The Omelet sounds great!( Cheese OR ham), cooked in butter Yum!
 
Muggle71 said:
Hi toto, thanks for replying! I read about that in the early hours. It was so interesting but it seems to be the exact opposite to everything we have ever been told about being healthy. Is it similar to the Atkins diet? My dad did that years ago and the weight fell off him. Could the carbs be why my weight isn't shifting? I thought skipping lunch would help but it clearly hasn't. It just leaves me hungry tired and irritable. I need to research this further and find out what meals I can make for me and my 3 kids. My youngest has Asperger's syndrome so will find any changes to his food hard to deal with but ive somehow had a wake up call, from where I do not know, and i feel a new determination to face this and make the much needed changes
Click to expand...
It is more or less the opposite to what we have been told. The difference between them is that this works. I have always found that if one approach doesn't work the opposite often does.

I think the Atkins is higher in protein.

The science behind LCHF is that you minimise the need for insulin. Insulin stops the body from using its fat stores. That is why carbs are fattening, they stimulate insulin secretion. Carbs can also stimulate hunger or cravings so you'll eat more than you actually need while fat will fill you up nicely. You also stay full longer on a high fat diet compared to a high carb diet.

Also leptin levels tend to normalise on LCHF and leptin is what tells you you've had enough to eat.

Many on here do what they call LCEF or low car enough fat, some restrict calories while I and some other do LCHF with around 80E% from fat, 5E% from carbs and the rest 15E% from protein. For some it works to restrict calories but the risk with this approach is that your body will go into starvation mode and refuse to let go of any excess weight. Because of this some find they start to loose weight when they up the fat content in their diet.

Cholesterol usually normalises on LCHF too. At least the breakdown improves.

Then there are thyroid hormones. If you are low on thyroid it can be almost impossible to loose weight due to low metabolism regardless of how little you eat.

I find I can tolerate some root vegetables quite well so I use celeriac and turnips instead of potatoes. I also eat moderate amounts of carrots but no parsnips. I also eat lots of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, winter squash, aubergine and zucchin for example.
 
Mike D said:
Hi Kay and welcome from me as well

Drop the bananas and that iced finger bun would be dynamite as well. FULL of sugars. Drink heaps of water, drop fizzy drinks and avoid starchy foods and wheat / wheat products and almost all breads.

Hang around .... we'll get you thru it
Click to expand...
Bananas are bad? I didn't know that! One good thing is that I don't like fizzy drinks and always drink water although sometimes I have the no added sugar squash that i also found out isn't great.
 
Muggle71 said:
Bananas are bad? I didn't know that! One good thing is that I don't like fizzy drinks and always drink water although sometimes I have the no added sugar squash that i also found out isn't great.
Click to expand...
Most fruits are bad. If something tastes sweet the odds are it contains sugar. But bananas and grapes are said to be the worst.

Remember that tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, aubergine and zucchini are fruits too. When my DSN asks if I eat enough fruit I tell that I do indeed eat a lot of fruit.
 
Totto said:
Most fruits are bad. If something tastes sweet the odds are it contains sugar. But bananas and grapes are said to be the worst.

Remember that tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, aubergine and zucchini are fruits too. When my DSN asks if I eat enough fruit I tell that I do indeed eat a lot of fruit.
Click to expand...
Are they high in sugar too or ok?
 
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