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Drowning here but willing to learn

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Trekbabe

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I was recently diagnosed about six months ago and my levels were between 20 & 32 which are a bit high. I now hit 13 - 24 although usually 18 tops apart from naughty days. So great improvement but I am lost in a sea of contradictory information and don't even know how many carbs a day I should have. I look forward to learning how to cope with this condition
 
@Trekbabe - Welcome to the Forum. @daisy1 will provide you with some basic information - have a good read and check out the sites listed.
 
Hi just a quick welcome I think you will find all the information you need right here it's a great place for support good luck.
 
Hi. Are you diagnosed as T1 or T2? What medication are you on? The amount of carbs you should have can be as low as you like as you don't actually need any as long as you have fibre, proteins and fats. Many stay below 100gm/day and anything over 150/day is too high for many not on insulin.
 
Since you joined back in Aug 2014 it seems rather a long time to wait before getting advice on high blood sugars. Prolonged high blood sugars can result in diabetic complications.

The best advice is to bet a blood glucose meter to check the levels before and two hours after eating. Lowering carbohydrates should result in a swift drop in blood sugar levels. So reduce or avoid foods like breakfast cereals, bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Also avoid fruit juice and fruits high in sugar like bananas and grapes.
 
Welcome to the forum @Trekbabe . I started reading the forum in 2012 joined in 2014 and started posting in 2016.

The forum has changed so much over the years, much more friendly and welcoming I think.

Pull up a comfy chair and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
 

Hi. I am glad you have made some progress, but your numbers are still too high to leave it much longer to get things under control...which you should certainly manage by changes to how many carbs you take in. Bottom line is that even reduction will help, but you should try completely cutting out certain foods (particularly bread, potatoes, cereal and rice...as well as the obvious sweet stuff). If you are self-testing as others have advised, you will soon see a dramatic drop in blood sugar levels after a fairly short space of time. That said, some do better on this kind of diet than others. I would say that there is no such thing as carbohydrate deficiency, so, so long as you are eating enough fibre, protein and the right kind of fats, and are eating enough calories for your physical output, you don't really need any. A good marker is to check labels...anything that's 10g carbohydrate per 100g of product or less is low carb and shouldn't have much if any real impact on the average Type 2 diabetic's blood sugar level. I would suggest cutting down to maybe 50g carbs per day to see who you cope and what difference it is making. Only by testing with a meter before and 2.5 hours or so after eating will you learn what is working ad what isn't. Good luck.
 

Perhaps you can share what medication you are on and what your meals are like. Then we may have some idea where the mismatch in level is coming from...
 
@Trekbabe

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find this useful. Ask questions when you need to and someone will help.


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
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

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 free 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
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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all 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.
 
Hi
 
You have to get your BGL's down. They are too high and are going to do damage long term. Get to know the Glycemic Index and find a good dietician you can rely on to assist with carb counting. Observe labels on packaging and know how to keep the carb loading below a certain level. Not just sugar, carbs are the villian. I have lived through some frightful BGL's, and learned to make good. Fellow diabetics can help with this problem. I welcome you to the forum.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. An awful lot to take in. I don't remember joining in 2014 tbh although I was diagnosed as pre diabetic then so possibly. As asked, I take sitaglyptin and glycoside. I get bored of chicken and veg and end up back on normal food like pasta and potato.
 
Get to know glycemic load as it's much more informative than glycemic index.
IMO.
You have to take this disease seriously or die early.
You clearly haven't and aren't ....taking it seriously.
Not to late to start hopefully.
I have never weighed or measured anything other than using my meter and looking at food on a plate with a more educated eye.
I got my educated eye from joining this site and taking the disease seriously.
The only good thing about this disease is those who don't take it seriously cannot spread it to others around them.
I consider 8 on my meter as having crossed a red line from safety to nerve damage.
We're all different so we all have to find what's right for us.
For me it was all sugar gone.
Six months of eating nuts full fat yogurt no carbs other than porridge.
Some people can't tolerate porridge.
I soak it overnight and have it every morning even summer with a spoonful of coconut oil in it.
High fat low carb.
After six months I relaxed the rules a little but ate to my meter.
Two hours after my bowl of porridge I would be back down below 8.
Coffee with a spoonful of unsalted butter with it.
Any coffee will do and for me it's plain old Nescafe original.
Starting the day like this means not even the slightest desire for food/snacks till around 6 pm.
I started on Metformin but now take no medication for T2.
I have reversed the damage behind my left eye.
No statins as the porridge handles that job.
Noo blood pressure medication as the porridge handles that job.
Full fat products as in milk butter cheese and so on.
No low fat semi skinned no fat products are tolerated.
Full fat everything.
Weight loss and an almost reversed T2 situation here.
For the last year I think ... I get time figures wrong all the time .... I have been eating more or less what the rest of the family eat.
Full fat raised fat as in veg and dairy mean I'm not craving food.
Right now I'm having a glass of whiskey and a bowl of nuts.
 
Normal food is going to increase your blood glucose and cause you all sorts of problems.
Eating low carb is not just chicken and there are so many low carb vegetables - there is no need to be bored.
I intend to go on eating all the delicious things which I can eat and keep my readings low, and to stay healthy. I don't need to take tablets, because normal food is just so deadly dull.
 
What not normal about meat, veg, cheese, cream and butter? I would say thats all normal food.
LCHF Just leaves out some food but the rest we can eat.
 
I recommend eating something besides chicken and veg, but not pasta, potato, rice, or bread.
 
Hello trek babe and welcome.

Have a look at diet doctor website for lots of Lchf meal ideas, so much more than chicken and veg to be had. I am never hungry and have lost weight and reduced my levels down as well.
 
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