Hello all

Hi @Ian79 and welcome

Adapting your diet and some exercise are great places to start. Other than that the best thing you can do is invest in a blood glucose testing kit to keep track of your sugar levels and understand the impact of the foods you eat. I’m tagging @Rachox for some information on that.

Also linking to some useful information: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

Stick around and let us know how you get on.

Hello Ian and welcome to the forum!

Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned. For a meter with cheap strips go for the Tee2 + found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/ with the strips found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/


With more expensive strips is the Caresens Dual which I currently use, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual


And to be totally transparent I used to use the SD Code Free from Home Health which has the cheapest strips available. However I found it to be becoming less and less reliable. Here it is for anyone wanting to give it a go, just bear in mind it seems they are replacing it with the Navii, details below.

http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips

http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


Home Health have recently bought out this one too, but I haven’t heard any reviews yet, links to strips and the meter:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/


https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/gluconavii-blood-sugar-meter-glucose-monitor-starter-kit/


Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

Welcome!
I am one of the many here who has got our T2 into remission by going low carb.
I didn't find the diabetic team at my GP's much help about diet, and the dietitian was very anti even though my blood sugars had already improved by the time I saw her. She ignored everything I've brought with me but I'd read the research and people's experiences so ignored her.
The nurse at the GP surgery was much more supportive when she saw my improved results by 3 months, seeing my blood fats were better as well as blood sugar went against everything she expected.

Apart from checking with a meter, you might be surprised at the carbohydrates in food - people often think things like fruit and porridge are good but they are not good for (most) T2s.
Have a look at these as a start:
https://phcuk.org/sugar/

Hello and welcome,

There is a lot of information on the site.

I agree completely with @Goonergal that you would be wise to invest in a glucose meter. This is the thing that will enable you to work out what effects different food has on your body. This is the information which allows you to make choices that can put you right out of the prediabetes range.

Good luck and welcome.

Hi @Ian79 and welcome
I, like you was diagnosed as prediabetic 6 weeks ago and was very shocked as I like to think I followed a good diet, wasn't considered overweight and had always exercised. The advice and information on this site has been a Godsend to me and I am now following a low carb, high fat diet. It's amazing when I look back to how I ate before how many 'hidden' sugars I consumed through foods high in carbs. I'm already feeling the benefits of cutting down the carbs and sugars, I just feel more energised and to add to that I very rarely feel hungry. Im grateful that this has been found early enough for me to put it right - I feel in control.
You can get on top of this, many on here have. All the best.

Ian79 said:

My name is Ian I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 6weeks ago. I was taken by surprise as I exercise regularly & followed what I believed to be a good diet.
Since being diagnosed I have had no further contact from my doctor so not sure what to do next.
I have researched benefits of low carb diet & exercise much more. Other than that I would appreciate any experienced suggestions as to what next ?

Click to expand...

Hello @Ian79 ,

You're not likely to hear much more, as GP's don't often tackle prediabetes. They don't do anything until you've crossed the threshhold into T2 and require medication, which I think is a bit weird... Why not treat it immediately, as it makes a T2 diagnosis avoidable? So yeah, that does mean you're not doomed to become a T2, if you take charge now and change your diet. You wouldn't get T2, no complications, no medication, etc etc.... So this is a rather excellent time to start with low carb, high fat. I wish I'd been told I was prediabetic, then I would've known why my metabolism was a mess and could've done something about it, but ah well... You, at least, got told, rather than it being put in your file never to be mentioned again. And hey, knowledge is power! You can get a grip on this and head it off!
https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- have a read, see whether it resonates and go from there; it's my own little quick-start-guide. Dr. Jason Fung's book The Diabetes code is excellent, and he's got a bunch of free videos on youtube. This place's website is great too, diabetes.co.uk (not .org!), and can't forget dietdoctor.com... You've got options.

Good luck!
Jo