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Aamena1980

Active Member
Messages
25
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all, I hope you are all well, it is my first post on any of the forums and I have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes approx 6 weeks ago.

I have a a few questions as I'm confused about a few things. I am on slow release Metformin, twice a day, once after breakfast and once after dinner in the evening. I have been off work due to a couple of other things which is also when they realised I had diabetes, since then my diet has become very different, cutting out many carbs etc, and of course sugar is a total no.

We are due to go to a friends house for a get together this weekend but it won't be like a set meal at dinner time, we are due to go for approx 2pm and the food will be served throughout the day in bits, this will include pudding which may have traditional sugar. I will of course avoid the sugary stuff, and eat as healthy as possible from the items made, but I am confused about when to take my medicine in the evening as I won't have had a full meal in one go, instead it will little things throughout the time I am there.

My biggest problem is that I am unable to check my sugars as the docs have refused to give me a self management blood test monitor and strips - their excuse is that they are not recommended for type 2 patients anymore, although my opinion is that it could be due to trying to save costs. I am really worried about my blood sugar levels as a result and find that I am constantly thinking about what I'm eating and how it's affecting my blood sugars.

I am also worried about how things will work when I go back to work as I get up much earlier than I currently do and often feel sick if I have breakfast too early at 5.30/6am. Instead and before my diagnosis, I tended to have a coffee when I get to work at half 6/7 and then eat breakfast at between 8-9am which is squally either porridge with honey and seeds or srambled eggs with beans. Is this okay to do with my diagnosis? I drink a fair amount of water throughout the day.

Any advice possible will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Aamena1980

Welcome to the forum and Type 2 life in particular. I have type 2 but, luckily, not on any meds for it. Others who are will be along and will be able to help :).
Regarding the testing, a lot of us use the SD Codefree as it's the cheapest for the strips to go with it. I get mine from Amazon. The suppliers Home Health UK also have a website and you can buy from them.

@daisy1 should be along shortly with a great introduction and advice for all newcomers.

Just remember, no question is too silly to ask, we've all been where you are now. Browse the forum sections for other great advice. Take care.
 
doolallylady said:
@Aamena1980

Welcome to the forum and Type 2 life in particular. I have type 2 but, luckily, not on any meds for it. Others who are will be along and will be able to help :).
Regarding the testing, a lot of us use the SD Codefree as it's the cheapest for the strips to go with it. I get mine from Amazon. The suppliers Home Health UK also have a website and you can buy from them.

@daisy1 should be along shortly with a great introduction and advice for all newcomers.

Just remember, no question is too silly to ask, we've all been where you are now. Browse the forum sections for other great advice. Take care.
Click to expand...


Thanks, yes have had a look at other posts, so much info to take in!
 
liam1955 said:
@Aamena1980 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum :). Amazon have a good offer for SD Codefree Meter plus 50 Test Strips plus 100 Lancets ALL for £25.97 post free, just mention you are Diabetic. Click on: http://www.Amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS
You need to have a blood glucose meter it's a vital piece of equipment for any Diabetic, and use it to test to see what foods you can or can't eat. Test, Test, Test :)
Click to expand...

Hi liam1955, thanks for this. I agree, the monitor is def an essential pice of equipment which is why I am astonished that my GP surgery won't prescribe me this to help manage the condition. I think it's shocking that they tell you, 'have some great news for you... You now have a life long condition, and guess what, you need to change pretty much every aspect of your life and food, but hey, we don't need to help you manage it... You just have to shut up and get on with it yourself!!' Sorry having a rant, but frustrated as anything that working all my life, paying all my taxes and although I value the NHS for what it is, some parts of the NHS don't seem to care back.
 
Cumberland said:
@Aamena1980

Welcome to the forum

Ask your GP practice to be referred to a diabetes specialist nurse or a dietician as they are more likely to offer you a free meter and get test strips and lancets added to your prescription
Click to expand...

Hi there, yes have done that and diabetic specialise nurse has also refused point blank to provide me with meter and other parphanilia!
 
@Aamena1980 - About the Metformin, the SR version lasts for about 12 hours - so, you could take them as you are doing now. I would avoid eating the porridge and honey for breakfast, and stick with the scrambled egg. A lot of forum members follow the LCHF Diet and I am sure some of these members will advise you.:)
 
@liam55

Thanks for the advice. In terms of breakfast, what about weetabix with some sweet we and either blueberries or banana in it? Is that okay?


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Aamena1980 said:
@liam55

Thanks for the advice. In terms of breakfast, what about weetabix with some sweet we and either blueberries or banana in it? Is that okay?


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Click to expand...
You might want to hold off the bix and banana until you are able to test, they are both high carbo/sugar and most T2 find them a challenge, sorry to say.
 
hankjam said:
You might want to hold off the bix and banana until you are able to test, they are both high carbo/sugar and most T2 find them a challenge, sorry to say.
Click to expand...

Thanks @hankjam. My diabetic nurse told me that was a safe thing to eat. So I chose oatabix as the least amount of sugar that I could find that I found eatable and then have banana maybe once or twice a week but most days have with blueberry. When I go back to work I will only be able to have that at weekends. This is all so confusing.


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@Aamena1980 - Completely agree with @hankjam - Weetabix and Bananas avoid. Try plain Greek Yoghurt with some berrys? Click on this link:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

And go to the top of this page and click on Forums, scroll down to FOOD and NUTRITION there you will find threads for various diets. :)
 
Aamena1980 said:
Thanks @hankjam. My diabetic nurse told me that was a safe thing to eat. So I chose oatabix as the least amount of sugar that I could find that I found eatable and then have banana maybe once or twice a week but most days have with blueberry. When I go back to work I will only be able to have that at weekends. This is all so confusing.


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Click to expand...
Cereals usually have lots of carbohydrates in them. I avoid them like the plague. I learned that the hard way and my cornflakes went out the window years ago.
 
I will say on the other hand natural fuit doesn't affect me much. A banana or an apple is a good snack or quick breakfast if I'm in a hurry :)
 
@Aamena1980

Hang in there, before long you'll find it's more or less 2nd nature when you get your meter and start testing. Some of us can tolerate foods that others can't. It's a steep learning curve and I've learned more about food in the past months, since being diagnosed, than in all the years that went before (and still learning).
You've passed the hardest test by finding this place and the wonderful, friendly, helpful people that have made this their home from home.
 
Hi. A meter is essential and as others have said keep the carbs down. The NHS are a bit backward when it comes to diet and carbs and the nurses are just following their (poor) training.
 
@Aamena1980 hello :)
Try a omelette for breakfast. Throw in anything but not sweetcorn or peas, for now. Mushrooms or a bit ham or pits of chicken or cheese.
Yes cheese is good for you but not too much, just like nuts.
Do you like veg?
 
@Aamena1980

Hello and welcome to the forum :) In case you haven't seen this yet, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. You have had a lot of replies from members and if you need to know more just ask a question and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Aamena1980, welcome to the forum and we'll done for summoning the courage to post and ask questions. You'll only get encouragement and support here.

Great advice from everyone.

My twopennyworth:

Fruit: berries (blue, strawb, rasp, black) all good and about the best fruit you can eat whilst keeping your BG levels stable

Veg: above ground only would be my recommendation, e.g cabbage, broc, caul, sprouts, courgettes, peas etc. the underground stuff, pots, turnips,marrows all have lots of sugar in their retained starch.

Drinks: plenty of water (at least 8 glasses a day), green tea, coffee NO fruit juice (loads of fructose sugar) or soda. Be careful with milk as it has lactose sugar. Try cream in your coffee, your body will love it. If you have to have drinks sweetened, it seems Stevia is one of your best options.

Protein: try and get some of this in each of your three meals - oily fish, eggs, some nuts (macadamia are great), seeds, meat.

Fat: lots of fat - butter, olive oil or coconut oil, nuts, hemp, etc

Kick out processed food: just buy and eat real foods.

Massively reduce bread, rice, pasta, potatoes

Look at the intro content at www.dietdoctor.co.uk

I am only 5 weeks almost post diagnosis and by following this advice,mall gathered from this site and further research,,all my metabolic markers have dramatically improved (BG, tries, Hdl, LDL, blood pressure, weight down) and I feel so much happier, healthier, full and satisfied. Good luck. Kevin


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