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Feeling Very Low

You make a very good point you did not mention ice cream or cakes or sugar that was the OP so I apologise for that one.
However you have not shared what you would consider to be a "healthy well balanced diet" Maybe you would like to so we can see your point of view rather than just calling me names? We may even find some common ground.
 
You are right about the resistance to insulin. However, the added insulin appears to be better accepted by the body and lowers the BSL. When there is very little free BS in the blood flow, there is no trigger for the body to produce it's own insulin.

After 4-5 years of struggling with diet and medication without much effect, I am glad that I'm on insulin. Before it my energy levels were so sapped that several months I could hardly get up and move. Since, I feel better, every back, and I started enjoying life again. I am not struggling to think what I can eat and my BSL are significantly dropping.

I completely understand how you feel about having to test and inject several times a day. I used to feel like a rattle box with the amount of pills I was taking. I still take Metformin (lowers resistance), but no comparison. I have built a system for myself, so injecting is not so burdensome and am able to go out, dine out, live a life.

And isn't it all about living your life? Isn't it about quality of life? It is for me.
 
For a sweet tooth maybe try a 10 cal jelly pot with blob of extra thick double cream with a grated square or 2 of 70% plus dark choc. Couple of raspberries too. I used to keep Oppo ice cream in the freezer but prefer the Breyer ice cream now, especially if half price in Sainsburys.
 
I appreciate your apology. As for the diet, I can't imagine you haven't heard of "healthy eating plate".
I am attaching a picture for your viewing, but am not interested in discussions.
All I want is for people to know that there is life beyond low carbing. That there are different options. That their hcp are not as ignorant as some here make them. To not feel confused about following their advise. If they know there are other pathways, they can discuss them and agree on the one that fits their needs and priorities.
 
Thank god I found this forum before this was presented to me on a DESMOND course.
 


there are actually some kinds of artificial sugar substitutes that taste just like real sugar..like sucralose for instance,
you could maybe learn to make your own kind of treats and use these sometimes to substitute your sweet tooth..there are in fact a lot of treats one can eat on the low carb high-fat eating style...
have a look at the many recipes here


https://themerrymakersisters.com/10-keto-dessert-recipes/

https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/category/recipes/dessert/
 

I thought you may post that although yours has been replaced by the "Eatwell Guide" in 2017.
Fortuitously someone had just posted this picture on Twitter as to how to update the guide further...
Strangely a colleague of yours.. the picture was captioned " Simple way a nurse says she improves the Eatwell Guide".
 
I would have added a big red cross on some of those fruit and veg as well!
 
@Shelly47

Hello Shelly47 and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and helps you to feel better. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer.


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 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. 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.
 
I might've picked the wrong image, as I didn't have one handy. I have also read the info on how who and why has an input in the guidelines. There are some valid points and some that aren't.
But the idea is that moderation and a mix of various sources is best. And there is nothing new about it.
That was my last involvement.
 

I wanted to agree with Flora123. I too have/had a very big sweet tooth since childhood. I found with low carb eating, I generally no longer crave sweets. As well, I generally don't crave high carb foods or junk food most of the time either. When I do rarely, I think about the high level of blood glucose that will result and the complications of high glucose levels .

I was very skeptical about the cravings subsiding but I found much to my surprise, most of them were gone within several days. I also felt better physically than I had in years.

I've been on various diets throughout my life because of obesity. I have lost large amounts of weight before (twice through Weight Watchers, once through exercise and a low GI diet. I found especially with Weight Watchers (low fat) I was hungry all the time and constantly craving food.

I find eating low carb healthy food (unprocessed), I have normal hunger for the first time in my life (only hungry occasionally). I did not expect this benefit.

I think sugar and high carb foods have addictive properties for some people like me. Once you stop eating them, it becomes easier to resist them.
 

Hey Shelley47,

I know what works for one person may not be suitable for another. But tell yourself that you will regain the status of NOT being Type II diabetic. I keep a food log of what I eat. I keep telling myself that once I beat this because I know I can then is a matter of staying out of the diabetic zone. Which is only done with a healthy lifestyle and exercise. A friend sent me this link today and it made me smile as each success story I hear gives me a bit more motivation to overcome my condition. IT IS HARD I AGREE but I gave up smoking (2013) and this is harder than giving up smoking for me. I suffer from 'grumpyitis' (being a pain in the bum!) and it's depressing when shopping as I have to constantly tell myself be proactive, not underactive! Stop with the denial as 'denial' is just another term for 'diabetes wins' instead kick its butt! You don't have to join a gym or anything like that - is a matter of doing what is right for you. Make yourself your own timetable of walks, diet etc. I use google spreadsheets but an exercise book is just as good if you don't like SS.

Don't think of what food it is you are not having (as a friend told me) think of it as swapping one thing for another. Swap fizzy drinks for naturally flavoured water (cucumber, lemon, lime, apple etc can all be sliced diced and thrown into a drinks bottle and put in the fridge to chill. Believe me, as I don't like drinking just normal water!!! Swap white for wholemeal bread.
Talk to your diabetic nurse about an NHS educational course on diabetes near you. (I'm waiting to go on mine). The diabetic nurse is there to help you but she can't help you if you don't help yourself. Helping yourself is by doing. You can do this! It's proven it can be done by all the people on this website who are now in remission! You and I want to be part of the people who are in remission FOR GOOD! You can do this, Shelley47!

Exercise is a daily cycle ride for me; pick something you like and repeat in cycles. Whether it is going up and down a hill 20 times a day! Is exercise! I couldn't ride up a hill now I'm riding up that hill!!!! I couldn't walk up a hill without stopping now I'm doing it! Because I'm trying and doing and getting it done because I don't want to be diabetic type II.

Shelley47, it takes times. Time to get your head around it all. But small steps first ... which eventually lead to bigger steps!
You have done great by joining this forum. I'm new myself. You've taken your first small step!
This is the article a friend sent me today that made me smile!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45495384
 
I am 22 months from diagnosis, and today I have eaten a grapefruit - I eat two a week now, because my diabetes is essentially irrelevant - I call it negated, as it is not only not a problem it is an advantage to me.
I just peel and eat it, no need for sweetening.
From 6 months from diagnosis I have been recovering, my metabolism getting back into balance, my weight had reduced but my body shape has been altering, my waist shrinking, my muscles hardening up. I did that on 50 gm of carb a day, from low carb foods, not by eating small amounts of high carb ones.
I reduced to 40 gm of carbs when my weight had not dropped for months, and I will soon have to get all new clothes for the winter as I am shrinking, though weight loss is only minuscule.
By avoiding sweet things the perception of sweetness increases - beetroot and peas are sweet - so are carrots.
Low carb is still essential as it is the only way to control my weight, and it means that I can eat something like a grapefruit and not see a spike. That is a treat - and sugary floury foods will not be back on the menu, ever.
 
I am following a LCHF lifestyle. Could you tell me which of the carbohydrates I am in need of and why, please? And could you also tell me which of the healthy fats in my diet that are best avoided and why, please?
 
Sani. Are you aware that the Eat Well P
Hi Sani. Are you aware that the Eat Well Plate was an invention mainly of the food industry? It was updated last year and on one the forums it listed the meeting minutes and apparently the final one was wholly attended by the food industry. Two nurses were supposed to attend but for some reason didn't. The food industry likes to sell us carbs as they are cheap and habit-forming. You might like to ask Alison Tedstone of PHE about the way the plate was approved. The info on that forum could, of course, be wrong.
 
Yes. I come from a country where bread and beans together with veg is and has been a staple for centuries and T2 is not as prevalent as in the western countries. So, despite of who designed the plate, pyramid, etc., I find it much more acceptable. Just don't make the mistake to think that I'm advocating a diet of carbs. But huge reductions in carbs to me seem unreasonable, unhealthy and unacceptable.
I do not care to discuss or defend my opinion and will not respond to questioning.
 
Hi. It's not the insulin that causes weight gain but the carbs that it enables the body to metabolise. If you gain weight when on insulin then you may well need to reduce the carbs. Note that many T2s with excess weight will already have a high level of insulin due to insulin resistance. Taking insulin may well just be adding to that so may not be very effective. A c-peptide test will help show whether the natural insulin level is high or low. If high then it is important to get the weight and hence insulin resistance down before adding more insulin. Lowering the carbs may well be the best way to do that.
 
Guzzler said:
I am following a LCHF lifestyle. Could you tell me which of the carbohydrates I am in need of and why, please? And could you also tell me which of the healthy fats in my diet that are best avoided and why, please?
Click to expand...


On a low carb diet, do you eat any carbs? Low carbs as in some or low as in none? Just curious
 
Dixon1995 said:
On a low carb diet, do you eat any carbs? Low carbs as in some or low as in none? Just curious
Click to expand...

Personally, I have 30g of carbs per day. A low carb diet is considered to be anything lower than about 130g per day. I could go lower than 30g but I am comfortable at that level, my bg is good and I feel that my quality of life is good. I choose foods that are low in carbs but nutrient dense.
 
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