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Help me understand diabetes......as a support person

M

Marmo

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello I am marmo.....and a concerned wife of my hubby who has recently been dignosed with borderline type 2 diabetes....now..he is one of the most stubborn people aroundand very set in his eating habits...he has been told to eat more fruit...(does't like fruit) told to eat more veg (no problem) I can cook those...told to eat such things as pasta (doesn't lik pasta) to eat more red meat...(odd this I have different health issues and must not eat red meat, however not the issue here...he has cut out his evening cakes and biscuits, but is getting very depressed as is now eating less than previously (he is less than 8 stone in weight and almost 6ft tall..next birthday 80 (Jan) but can w alk down all the local steep hills wih no problem.....now...how can I help him. He has just gone out to buy a malt loaf which contains sugar...now..I know carbohydrates has a lot to do with his necessary diet, but do not know enough about borerline diabetes 2 to really help him....His cholesterol is normal and his blood pressure fine......help please...if I can learn to unerstand it then I can help him......are alternative sweeteners a good idea......and what foods should I really avoid cooking for him........please enlighten me...
 
Hi Marmo, my take on this is :
Fruit - if possible berries or fruits from our part of the world.
Veg - IMO better than fruits pref "above the ground".
Pasta/rice/grains/ flour - too carb rich so avoid.
Red meat should be OK but avoid processed meats due to hidden carbs /salt/"god knows".
the best tool is to use a BG meter to see what works for HIM!

Good luck!
 
Hi,

How lovely for your hubby to have such a supportive wife.

Please tell him he is saved from having to eat pasta. It is a no-no for diabetics as there are too many carbs in it. Heaven knows why our health care people tell us to eat starchy carbs. This information is wrong. All carbs turn into sugar once digested - and some as soon as they arrive in your mouth. As Fergus said above, he needs to avoid pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, pastry, batter, or at the very least seriously reduce the portions he eats. We are all different, and some can cope with small amounts of these bad carbs. Some can't. The only way to tell is by getting a blood glucose meter and self test before and 2 hours after a meal to see what happens to your levels. For example, I can cope with one slice of granary bread, but not two slices.

He can eat meat, fish, eggs, most but not all vegetables, some fruits (not tropical ones like bananas), butter, cream, yogurt, olive oil/rapeseed oil, salads, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, lentils etc etc.

I can see that reducing his carb intake is going to be difficult if he needs to gain weight.
 
Hi. Can you confirm your hubby's age and whether he has always been quite a low weight or whether he has lost weight recently? Yes, have reduced carbs but plenty of veg, protein and enough fat to keep him happy and not losing more weight. For the NHS to recommend pasta is appalling but no surprise.
 


Thank you all for your input....and Daibell...my husband will be 80 next birthday and always been skinny and almost 6 ft..walks down all these hills in the Chilterns with no problem (lucky devil) I have trouble crossing the road, but he has no arthritis and hadn't seen a doctor for over 5 years...only when they called him in for a health check they found this borderline diabetes 2........no choleterol issues, no arthritic issues...blood pressure fine. .They aare putting him in a clinic fo the elderly..not sure what that will be about........guess we shall find out before too long........
 
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Sounds like he may be a bit more towards T1 than T2 or both which implies the islet cells may be failing a bit. Probably just lowering the carbs will resolve the issue completely and if not some tablets could be added. Hopefully the clinic you mention doesn't follow NHS carbs thing; keep an eye on that. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the input, shall watch what I cook, that should help him...now we are off to see Evita...so that should cheer him up......me too of course.
 
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