Diet for Type 2 Diabetes

[Iain7819]

When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes in 2014, I was told by my GP to just "wing it", which had surprised my wife and I, especially as my father had been diabetic and as had his mother. Now, in 2023 and post-pandemic, my diabetes has been really acting up - readings as high as 24 and the lowest as 15. I have not changed my diet other than using sweeteners instead of sugar and my wife and I don't cook as I can't any more due to a stroke that led to a brain injury and my wife is my full time carer 24/7, so we buy the ready meals from Tesco. My question is what am I doing wrong? - routine is: Breakfast - Mug of tea (Twinings) with two sweeteners after a small glass of orange-juice, a bowl of bran-flakes; lunch usually a roll with cold-meat and a coffee with two sweeteners; Dinner - a ready meal.
Due to health reasons my weight goes between 96 Kg and 104 Kg and I have been told its because of this that my health is as bad as it is - prior to my stroke I was a retained firefighter and also a keen rugby player so, without tooting my own horn, I was quite buffed up. Now this is my second question... With gyms refusing to accept me because of my health (The stroke caused me to fall down a flight of stairs at home so I also have mobility issues) what can I do or rather how do I get myself back to being reasonably fit. I have reached out to gyms in my area and been told they won't deal with me because of the issues I have despite doctors letters saying, look I can do some exercises.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Iain7819 and welcome to the forum.
So sorry to hear of your problems and that you have had no advice from GP. In any case a lot has changed since 2014 regarding advice to Type 2 diabetics.

All carbohydrates (when digested) turn into glucose which goes into our Bloodstream.
Type 2 diabetes used to be called 'Sugar Diabetes' because it was recognised that sugar made it worse, but avoiding sugar isn't enough - we need to reduce the amount of starchy carbohydrates as well as that of sweet ones.

Here is a link to the Blog post which helped me understand Type 2 and set me on the path to Type 2 remission:

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

So when you read that you should realise that you are doing a lot wrong, I'm afraid.
Though the good news is that there is lots of scope for improvement!

Edited to remove warning about a post which has now been deleted for dangerous advice.

 

[ianf0ster]

Don't worry about exercise in a gym. Can you walk? Can you lift a can of ham repeatedly? - That's about the level of exercise that is needed.
More is better, but what you eat (or don't eat makes a much bigger difference.
You can't out-run or out-exercise a poor or unsuitable diet!

 

[filly]

I still have some cooking challenges. I use an air fryer, it doesn't take long and you don't have to worry about the carbs if you don't want to.
Also I have food that can be eaten cold like salmon and smoked salmon. I know it all works out a bit expensive at times but works. Precooked chicken but check ingredients! Same with cold meats. Some ok but some have hidden sugars.
I am afraid orange juice not good.

 

[Paul_]

When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes in 2014, I was told by my GP to just "wing it", which had surprised my wife and I, especially as my father had been diabetic and as had his mother. Now, in 2023 and post-pandemic, my diabetes has been really acting up - readings as high as 24 and the lowest as 15. I have not changed my diet other than using sweeteners instead of sugar and my wife and I don't cook as I can't any more due to a stroke that led to a brain injury and my wife is my full time carer 24/7, so we buy the ready meals from Tesco. My question is what am I doing wrong? - routine is: Breakfast - Mug of tea (Twinings) with two sweeteners after a small glass of orange-juice, a bowl of bran-flakes; lunch usually a roll with cold-meat and a coffee with two sweeteners; Dinner - a ready meal.
Due to health reasons my weight goes between 96 Kg and 104 Kg and I have been told its because of this that my health is as bad as it is - prior to my stroke I was a retained firefighter and also a keen rugby player so, without tooting my own horn, I was quite buffed up. Now this is my second question... With gyms refusing to accept me because of my health (The stroke caused me to fall down a flight of stairs at home so I also have mobility issues) what can I do or rather how do I get myself back to being reasonably fit. I have reached out to gyms in my area and been told they won't deal with me because of the issues I have despite doctors letters saying, look I can do some exercises.

Hi Iain, welcome to the forum.

Do you currently track what you're eating, either on paper or using an app? This can be very useful to see where your highest carb meals are. If you measure your blood glucose before and 2hrs after each meal, you'll see for yourself the effect higher carb meals have. Sometimes it's best to start identifying the problem areas first, then solving/improving them one by one.

For exercise, it's a very open ended question, which I'm going to answer with some questions:

1) Are you able and are there walks you can do in your local area? Even if just around the block. If not, do you have a garden?

2) If you want something to do at home, do you have a budget available (you don't need to say how much if you do) and how much space do you have?

For weights, if budget/space is limited, you could use a 1ltr bottle of water (roughly 1kg), a 2ltr bottle of water (2kg), or a 5ltr bottle of water (5kg) with a handle at the top of you want something heavier. If you have budget, but limited space, dumbbells are a great flexible option, with hundreds of exercises you can do using them. If you have budget, space, and are able to do more, the options are endless.

 

[Rachox]

I know it might be a jump but maybe try to substitute with raw honey instead as it is a bit more natural.

It doesn’t matter if the sweet stuff is natural as in raw honey it is still full of sugar and will badly affect blood sugars. Of course if the natural route is more attractive to you, you could try Stevia which is a natural sweetener.

 

[Margarettt]

Hi @Iain7819 Welcome aboard. I was a bit hesitant to post this because I don't want to be seen as promoting ready meals but there have been times in my life (when I was a single mum of two toddlers and working full time) when something that went in the microwave was all I could manage. If you google low carb ready meals there are companies out there that will send you precooked meals to reheat. I've never used them and they are probably pricey but worth a look. The only freezer ready meal I occasionally have these days if I'm super busy or exhausted (If you are near an Iceland) is Slimming World teriyaki salmon. Its two big salmon portions (I sometimes split it with my son) The whole pack is less than six carbs.
Although my diet is better these days and more varied than it has ever been I still don't enjoy the kitchen after work so I prep as much as I can the weekend before.
This week on Sunday I boiled lots of eggs, made a big tub of low carb cauliflour cheese and roasted a giant gammon joint. On Sunday we had steaks with the cauli cheese on Monday we had gammon and cauli cheese, on Tuesday we had ham and cheese omelettes, on Wednesday we had fish fillets from the freezer with broccoli, last night we had lamb steaks with salad and tonight they are all having takeout and I'm going to picnic on all the leftovers in the fridge. No, recipes, no fuss, minimal kitchen time but lots of filling low carb meals. Might not be for everyone but it suits us.
You are at the start of a journey. Good Luck

 

[ianf0ster]

........... Now, in 2023 and post-pandemic, my diabetes has been really acting up - readings as high as 24 and the lowest as 15. I have not changed my diet other than using sweeteners instead of sugar and my wife and I don't cook as I can't any more due to a stroke that led to a brain injury and my wife is my full time carer 24/7, so we buy the ready meals from Tesco. My question is what am I doing wrong? - routine is: Breakfast - Mug of tea (Twinings) with two sweeteners after a small glass of orange-juice, a bowl of bran-flakes; lunch usually a roll with cold-meat and a coffee with two sweeteners; Dinner - a ready meal.

I don't know how much heating of food you or your wife can manage, so please forgive me if some things I suggest are not practicable for you.

What you eat is causing a lot of your high Blood Glucose, so let's take it meal by meal highlighting the problem areas:

Breakfast Orange Juice contains a lot of carbohydrates (all fruit juices are the equivalent of water + sugars + some vitamins + some flavour). If you want some vitamins from fruit eat some berries (preferably strawberries, raspberries or blackberries). best buy them frozen then you can eat them with cream or plain full fat Greek style yoghurt.

Corn flakes are mainly carbs as are all breakfast cereals - even most brands of Bran flakes. Milk has more carbs than you would imagine, full fat milk is better (fewer carbs) than semi-skimmed which is better than skimmed!
A better choice than cereal is eggs (no bread) boiled, poached, fried or omelette such as mushroom or cheese,

Lunch Bread is mostly carbs. Meat or fish or eggs or cheese with a salad would be much better.

Dinner Ready meals (nearly all of them) have lots of starchy carbs (because they are cheap). Many Ready meals also have added sugar to make them taste better. A good alternative would be grilled or fried meat or fish with lightly boiled or stirfried veg. But avoid legumes except for french beans (i.e. in their pods) or 'mange out' peas - again in their pods.

I hope this helps,
Ian

 

[CatsFive]

I'm astonished at the gym. I got to a local authority one which is regularly used by people in wheelchairs, and a number of the machines can cater for (e.g) paraplegics. It is a floor up but there is a lift, and also an accessible toilet just across the floor from the door in. Possibly because it's local authority that's why it is the way it is. The changing rooms are accessible as well.

Would swimming be possible? It can be great exercise, and it's not possible to fall when in a swimming pool.

 

[Guilty]

Don't worry about exercise in a gym. Can you walk? Can you lift a can of ham repeatedly? - That's about the level of exercise that is needed.
More is better, but what you eat (or don't eat makes a much bigger difference.
You can't out-run or out-exercise a poor or unsuitable diet!

I'll second this. Do what physical activity you are safely able to do. Even low intensity movement will do it's part to bring your sugars down.

A 20 minute walk after meals makes a huge difference for my blood glucose. But what I ate still matters most

And get a regular good night's sleep if you can!

 

[pcarl]

The best advice I can give you is to find out what type of foods make your blood glucose level go up. By taking your reading before you eat and two hour's after. You can them limit that type of foods. Any fruit Juice has sugar in it. Try to only have a small glass.

Any type of exercise is good it does not have to be in the gym. You tube is a good place to look.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes in 2014, I was told by my GP to just "wing it", which had surprised my wife and I, especially as my father had been diabetic and as had his mother. Now, in 2023 and post-pandemic, my diabetes has been really acting up - readings as high as 24 and the lowest as 15. I have not changed my diet other than using sweeteners instead of sugar and my wife and I don't cook as I can't any more due to a stroke that led to a brain injury and my wife is my full time carer 24/7, so we buy the ready meals from Tesco. My question is what am I doing wrong? - routine is: Breakfast - Mug of tea (Twinings) with two sweeteners after a small glass of orange-juice, a bowl of bran-flakes; lunch usually a roll with cold-meat and a coffee with two sweeteners; Dinner - a ready meal.
Due to health reasons my weight goes between 96 Kg and 104 Kg and I have been told its because of this that my health is as bad as it is - prior to my stroke I was a retained firefighter and also a keen rugby player so, without tooting my own horn, I was quite buffed up. Now this is my second question... With gyms refusing to accept me because of my health (The stroke caused me to fall down a flight of stairs at home so I also have mobility issues) what can I do or rather how do I get myself back to being reasonably fit. I have reached out to gyms in my area and been told they won't deal with me because of the issues I have despite doctors letters saying, look I can do some exercises.

You already got the Nutritional Thingy, so I'll not repeat it here, but that's the basics, really... You've put on weight because you can't burn carbs for fuel, so they're stored as fats instead. That'll ruin a buff figure! You're still eating/drinking a lot of carbs, what with the bun, cereal, juice, ready meal etc, so yeah. That's good news though: There's room for improvement!!! Get thee a meter, test around meals as described in the Thingy, and discover just the impact all this has. Silly suggestion: if making something of your own is too much, how about a walk to the nearest McDonalds for a few egg mcmuffins with bacon/sausage/whatever, but without the muffin? It'll not raise your blood sugars, and you'll have a walk. Sounds insane, sending a diabetic to a McD's, but it's healthier than the juice and bran you've been having. (A better option'd be a full english without the beans and toast, probably black pudding either as there might be starch in that, but otherwise.... Eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, would be quite good! McD's might be a tad cheaper though.). Chucking dinner in an airfryer or slow cooker means practically no work at all either. Frozen veg, pieces of chicken/pork/beef, Bob's your uncle. As much work as microwaving a meal. Might be something to look into.

As for the gym, strenuous excersize can cause your liver to start dumping glucose. A long(-ish), steady walk won't make your blood sugars rise, and can be built up to a longer distance, more stamina and it will likely drop your blood sugars for hours afterwards. Who needs a gym, when you can enjoy walks for free?

You're going to be okay. There are work-arounds. Just need a little time to find them, sometimes.
Jo

 

[Pipp]

Hi @Iain7819 . I see you have already had some excellent advice on diet. To reduce carbohydrates. This is excellent, and as you don’t appear to have medication that can cause hypos (very low blood sugar levels) will help you gainnsome control of your diabetes. You can do the changes gradually over a couple of weeks. It can be quite daunting to make a lot of sudden changes.

As for your mobility difficulty following stroke, I am sorry this is causing you such angst. Having been so fit as you needed to be as a firefighter, that must be a real blow. Firstly, I would like to say a big “Thank you” for your public service. You will have faced many challenges in that role, and overcome them. So how can you be helped to overcome your current challenges? I know that worldwide fire services support fireservice personnel and their familes, wherever in thevworld they are from. You could find help and advice / support to improve your wellbeing through this organisation..

Long-term health conditions

Sometimes it's not about recovering from an illness or injury, but learning how to move forwards with them as part of your life. We're here to support your wellbeing following a life-changing…

www.firefighterscharity.org.uk

Where I live the fire service charity gives grants to local community groups for all sorts of health and fitness activities. Perhaps they could find a way to support you.

Having been disabled in an accident, which left me with pain and mobility problems when I was in my 30s, I know the despair at having your former healthy life snatched away in an instant. For over 12 years I was not able to walk more than a few steps. I believed I could no longer participate in any form of exercise, and I had loved swimming, and long walks previously. I admit I wallowed in self pity for a long time, and my long suffering ‘significant other’, had to do much of the looking after of me. That included cooking, and we did often resort to ready meals for a time. I am sure these contributed to me becoming T2 diabetic. I gained a lot of weight, and didn’t really have the energy to care. It took a while for me to realise that if I didn’t help myself nobody else would. I had convinced myself that exercise meant doing what I used to do. Swim every morning for an hour before work. Regularly walk in the country and on hils and fells. Then I realised that any sort of movement was exercise, and an improvement on sitting round feeling miserable.
I started following an online programme similar to this

https://laterlifetraining.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chair-Based-Exercise_Cambridge.pdf

Slowly I regained strength, and following surgery was able to manage to do more. Swimming pool (dedicated sessions for people with health conditions) for gentle movement to start, gradually increasing , not quite as fast or as often as before, but the freedom of movement in the water, knowing it won’t hurt has transformed my life.
I am able , to go for short walks some days. Took a while to build up, and I am never going to be doing rugged fell walking again, but just getting out in fresh air and nature is good for physical and emotional wellbeing.

I think the main point I am trying to make, @Iain7819 , is that, although I cannot know your full circumstances, following the stroke, there is support out there, and you will find it if you look. Just as you have found this forum for support to manage your diabetes, I hope and believe you can find that.

edit, I forgot to add that I knew a firefighter who became disabled, but went everyday on his mobility scooter to the local council pool. They accommodated his mobility needs, as all public services should, and he, despite having paralysis on one side of his body, stayed fit by at least an hour swimming on his back every day.