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Forum SUPERSTAR goes global.. a great watch for the newly diagnosed.

I am no superstar that is for sure. @bulkbiker is too kind. I just want to try and help in my own way, as and when I can. I am currently working with 5 local GP surgeries (with the social prescribing team for obesity and diabetes) and much of my time is taken up there.

I was very active on here when I was first diagnosed, learning as much as I could from other members. Then, if I felt confident enough, sharing that knowledge. There are so many more members way more knowledgeable than me and I leave it to those experts to be honest.

I pop in almost daily but admittedly rarely post.

I have shared my journey far and wide. As many on here have, we just want to highlight the problems with the nutritional guidelines. This was just another avenue. I shared the video on my blog section in the hope it might help others. It was quite a fog when I was first diagnosed, I remember that all too well. I shared it in the hope that it might clear some fog

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I agree with all the praise and more. A credit to herself and selfless with her message about how you can control your blood glucose levels with diet only.
She's walking proof that meds are not needed.
 
I was wondering if when a new member joins the forum it could be automatically referenced along with Jo’s excellent ‘the nutritional thingy’. Some folk really like to listen and see the infographics especially coming from another forumite who has walked the walk.
 
There won't be automated references made to anything upon joining the forum. We're all different, and the information useful to a new member is highly depending on the member and their particular questions.
Once a new member has posted for the first time, people will chip in to try and help them, and you're of course free to send them a link to this thread if you think it's of use to them. That way, responses are taylored to the member.
I strongly believe this is the great power of a forum.

I can think of many members for whom this video or Jo's excellent piece would be very unhelpful or completely confusing, or even dangerous when half understood. People like bewildered parents of a newly diagnosed 5 year old T1, a long time T2 on mixed insulin who gets their food delivered in the ready meals for people who cannot cook for themselves anymore, a foreign member with a limited grasp of the English language etc.
 
Excellent point well made Antje I just got a bit carried away in the moment. Feet firmly now back on the ground!
 
It is great to hear of your continued hard work.
Our little walking (and talking about food for diabetics) group is still very much in the foothills though we have a couple of great success stories that we're pushing out to GP/DSNs.
May I ask how you got to work with the social prescribers within the inner sanctum of the surgeries? My fellow volunteers and I don't have Public health or clinical qualifications and would welcome any tips you have re offering our walking group as a tool for the right patients.
 
Rach612 said:
Amazing @Debandez, well done. Do you have any advice for thin diabetics?
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Hi @Rach612

You are very kind. I just do what I do trying to make some ripples at least. We are up against Goliath!

I am NOW a slim t2d. Thin some would say. I lost over 50lbs in 7 months and have maintained since. It will be 3 years next month. Still have to pinch myself. I find weighing myself every day works for me. Not for everyone though. I keep to a certain weight by doing this. I don't lose or gain. Varies a couple of lbs either way.

How have I maintained weight and kept my blood sugars in range, just keeping as low carb as I can but eating to my scales. If I dip I eat a little more if I gain I have a light day. 3 years in I'm a dab hand at it. It sounds hard work but it's second nature now.

I have had the advantage of using a CGM for the last 18 months which to me is a game changer blood sugar control wise (Soooo expensive though but I live in hope the cost comes down soon)

I've done lots of experimenting and shared results so others can hopefully benefit, although we are all different there are certain trends for t2d so I feel these results will definitely help others, hence this video. CGMs allow you to see exactly what you should avoid (food/drink/emotions/illness/medication can spike you).

Finger pricking doesn't always reveal the full story, that said it gives a very good indication. I've sometimes thought I got away with things only to find it's come back to bite me during the night/the morning after.

That said, if blood glucose monitoring isn't for you for whatever reason just keep your eye on carb intake. Carbs turn to sugar. the less starchy carbs the better. Keep stress levels as low as possible (stress puts my bs up, if I do a talk I go way up high for example and no food involved!). Illness put my bs up too. When I had covid my bs were sky high and I had lost my appetite for about a week. A good night's sleep certainly helps.

How are you doing with your blood sugar levels? Are you struggling?
 
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It's quite a long story. But this is how it went in a nutshell. Grab a coffee and cream ;-) we could be some time.....

I was dx t2d December 17 - gutted. Googled reversing diabetes - found dcuk and the answers!!! Reversed my symptoms relatively quickly and easily and got my hba1c down in weeks. Symptoms disappeared in days. Realised something was very wrong re current guidelines that class t2d as chronic and progressive.
Organised a get together with other forum members in Birmingham. Lots of leaflets on various things put together to highlight the benefits of low carb etc. An inspirational stories booklet (powerful). We all put ourselves out there for newspaper interviews, radio, magazine even TV (this morning with holly and phil). I put all the info in a big brown envelope and googled all drs and hcp names at my surgery. Took envelope in - handed over with instructions for everyone to read (how rude but it worked a treat !!!). I joined the ppg (good move). The practice manager has been ultra supportive. She could see the benefits for diabetics and invited me to hold my own sessions at local surgeries.

Lots of new initiatives had been introduced.

Patients helping patients
Empowering people in community
Social prescribing

They really were embracing what I had to offer.

They booked rooms for my talks and presentations in the local community. They invited me to share my story at big meet ups. And the latest development was being invited to help the social prescribers (newly appointed for obesity and diabetes). They set up zoom type meetings for any pts interested (pts with BMI over 30 and diabetics), and I just do my thing. They send out feedback forms and the response has been very positive.

I'm almost finished a 60 minute talk (similar to this one) that I intend to post to YouTube in the hope that it can help even more people. Anyone can dip in and view. I will be sending it directly to Boris et al!!!!
 

Oh boy you are going through a stressful time. New baby in the mix too.

Your hba1c is good at 27. Brilliant actually. But I have learned that you can have a normal hba1c but suffer the consequences and complications of insulin resistance. Your symptoms could be linked but then again they may just be something completely unrelated to diabetes.

I had many of your symptoms including skin tags which I subsequently found out can be a sign of high blood sugars.

Have you tried over the counter remedies for the issues? Tackle one by one.

Was the 11.3 after a meal? If so what did you eat. As I said in an earlier post, lots of other factors come into play with t2d. Lack of sleep (baby) not feeling well, stress. Can all effect your body and how it ticks.

Cholesterol 9 - there is a great thread on here which may help you get your head around things - you could phone your surgery for breakdown , if they don't have breakdown book another test and fast at least 12 hours before hand and ask for full lipid profile. Get the bigger picture.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

A house move in the middle of all this doesn't bare thinking about!!!!
 

Oh no. That's a shame :-(

Before low fat guidelines came in the advice for t2d was low carb high healthy fat. i have a folder full of previous guidelines dating back to 1910 up to @1980. And now we have advice like the examples attached, which would have made my t2d progressive for sure.

I've included much more info in the 60 minute video. Not quite ready yet though.
 

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Couldn't get on the forum yesterday.. said error every time I tried. Apologies for the delay.

Check out Ancel Keys info online. Basically it's down to him that fat was alienated from what I can understand.

3 macros - carbs protein and fat. So if you are avoiding fat you eat more carbs and protein. So much more sugar in the diet then for our insulin to contend with as per attached. That's why low carb is so good for diabetics.
 

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These are old now but will give you an idea. Keep meaning to update.

You certainly don't need to starve. I eat plenty and maintain my weight nicely. It's all in what you eat re blood sugar control (and trying to eliminate stress and get a good night's sleep. Meds can put up too as well as illness which I found when I had covid).

I have a good variety of food, I just don't eat pasta rice potatoes cereal. Only really eat berries fruit wise. No fruit juice. I do eat a little bread but stick to lowest carb when I do fancy a slice, and we make our own.

I include bread options on my swaps sheet as I hand this leaflet out to people who would find it too challenging to give up bread. Making better choices makes all the difference to bs control, especially if you eat a lot of bread as some do that I work with.

Hope this helps a little.
 

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