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diabetes type2

margaret molloy said:
diagnosed with type 2 and very depressed and beleive that all my organs will be affected long term please advise diet and how to manage im 35
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Hello .... ((((((((((((((((Margaret)))))))))))))))) I know it sounds near impossible, but don't worry, you'll soon have more information of a positive nature from Daisy. You don't have to learn everything all at once, take it one step at a time. Try going to the bottom of the main BOARD INDEX page and check out the FOOD AND NUTRITION SECTION. Don't get bogged down with all the complications of diabetes, there's plenty you can do on good diet.

Are you on any meds and what advice has your GP given you up to now?
:)
 
Hi Margaret, Don't let it get you down, it really isn't the end of the world (although it may feel like it now). You will find loads of advice, recipes and support on these pages. As you're still fairly young -well compared to me! - you have time to get your blood sugars under control and reduce the risk of long term damage. Instead of being down about being diagnosed, look on it as a new start to a healthier lifestyle. Good luck :D
 
Hi Margaret and welcome to the forum :)

You will soon start to feel better about things when you know what to do. We all went through this and accepted it and you are among friends now. Here is the information we give to new members which should really help you - just to make sure you have seen it as I posted it for you already on another of your threads. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will be able to answer.


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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
 
Welcome Margaret Molloy !
You have made a super choice by posting here !
The people on this forum are,in my book, the best in the world. They have patience and a vast knowledge base for you to tap in to.
I would suggest that you look into a low carb diet, there are plenty of threads on that issue.
You could not have come to a better place for friendly, knowledgeable advice.

Best wishes Superchip

P.S Keep your chin up, it just gets better from now on............
 
Hi. Do take the advice given to you so far on the forum and remember that if you take control of the illness the organ failures you have heard about are unlikely to happen. BTW are you overweight or perhaps instead normal/underweight and still losing weight? Do keep asking questions on the forum.
 
Hi Margaret, it isn't the worst thing to have in the world. I thought it was the end of the world when I was diagnosed at 21 years old. The best advice is to read/ask questions.

I learnt more on this forum in 5 mins than I did with the diabetic nurse when I was diagnosed.

Good luck :)
 
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