Help with Diabetes and Diet.

[Jimmy37]

I need some help with my diet and blood sugar levels. I am taking 30 units twice a day of Humalin M3. Recently my blood sugar levels of being all over the place. In the mornings I can get readings between 8 -10 lunch time it could be between 10- 12 and after dinner it can be between 13-14. I have recently being diagnosed with profeletic diabetic retinopathy and I require laser survey in both eyes. I am scared that if I do not get these blood sugar levels under control soon I will go blind within 1 year. My breakfast consists of 3 x slice of wholemeal toast and tea. My lunch is normally 2 x bagels with Salmon and cream cheese. Dinner sometimes is wholemeal rice or wholemeal pasta with chicken or grill steak. Can anyone advice me on what part of diet needs changing so that I can control my blood sugar levels better. I am only 36 and I do not want to loose my sight and get worst. I need help and advice urgently. I am worried if I reduce all my carbs I will get Hypos. My eye doctor says that the eyes do not like Hypos either. I am due for my Hba1 test tomorrow and I am scared of the results and the bad news that they will tell me.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

The T1 people will be able to advise you better than me, but I think it's pretty sound advice to say there is room to cut down on the amount of carbs you are eating. Overall your diet sounds good, salmon is an excellent choice. You could reduce the portion sizes, for example for breakfast you could have bacon and eggs with i piece of toast, lunch could be one bagel with a good amount of salmon and cream cheese, and a salad with cheese in it. Dinner could be chicken or steak with lots of leafy green veges and no more than 1/2 a cooked cup of rice or pasta. You can replace the energy lost from the carbs you remove with cream, butter, eggs, cream and cheese, so you feel full and not hungry.

Aside from changing what you eat, there may be a better way to take insulin, that the T1s can advise you on. I would check the above food suggestions with them to make sure they are ok too. You can afford to wait a couple of days to make sure you get the right advice, I think. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Spiker]

If you stay on a fixed dose of mixed insulin your only option is to reduce your carbs and make your meals consistent.

Ask your diabetes team if you can switch to a basal-bolus regime (quick acting insulin and long acting insulin injected separately) as this will improve your ability to control your blood sugar.

Forget about wholewheat this or that. The effect on blood sugar is the same as normal wheat. Reduce the bread products and flour products. But don't do it overnight as you may need to reduce your insulin dose to avoid hypos.

Good luck. You sound focused on your goal of avoiding further eye complications.

 

[noblehead]

Agree with @Spiker that you should ask to go on a basal/bolus insulin regime so that you can be more flexible with your diet, have a chat with your diabetes team and see if this is possible.

As to regards your retinopathy diagnosis, you do indeed need to get your diabetes under control but you need to be aware that a sudden tightening of bg control in patients who already have prolific retinopathy can make matters worse, so you need to discuss with your Ophthalmologist and Diabetes Consultant how best to approach this.

The following website has a wealth of information on diabetic retinopathy and I advise you to have a read of it:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/Information_for_patients.html