I came across this site while searching online for advice about my newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. It seems excellent, with lots of topics I was interested to read about. Am I your only Aussie member? I am female, 68, have had spinal surgery recently. (Fusion and laminectomy, L5/S1.) Before that, was very limited in ability to exercise, so put on about 15kg over the past couple of years. This is probably what brought on the diabetes, as I used to be very active. (Gardening, dog-walking, dancing, etc.) Now my spine is stabilised and I am beginning to exercise (carefully still, no bending), I hope to lose the weight and hopefully minimise the diabetes. I have already lost 2.5 kg in about 3 months by giving up chocolate and sweets in front of the TV, reducing carbs and increasing protein. I now buy sweets made with stevia, maltitol and isomalt, etc. to satisfy my sweet tooth. What a blessing they are! Cheers from Down Under.
Hi from Australia!
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daisy1
Legend
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- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
Hi opacity and welcome to the forum 
There are members on this forum from all over the world and I am sure someone from Australia will say hello if they see your post. Here is the information we give to new members which I hope you will find useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will 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 well over 30,000 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:
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 ... rains.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
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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 blood glucose 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.
There are members on this forum from all over the world and I am sure someone from Australia will say hello if they see your post. Here is the information we give to new members which I hope you will find useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will 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 well over 30,000 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
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 ... rains.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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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 blood glucose 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.
elaine77
Well-Known Member
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- 561
Ditto Andy!
Where in Australia are you from? My hubby is hoping to work for a company over there when he graduates... I vote Adelaide, he votes Perth! Lol welcome to the forum
Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.
Where in Australia are you from? My hubby is hoping to work for a company over there when he graduates... I vote Adelaide, he votes Perth! Lol welcome to the forum
Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.
Robinredbreast
Oracle
- Messages
- 18,448
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
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- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,406
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hello and welcome! Well done on your progress. Great name btw:smile:
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Squire Fulwood
Expert
- Messages
- 6,107
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I know you are not the only Australian member since I remember chatting to someone else from there some time ago but I can't remember her handle.
Welcome.
Welcome.
Wow! Thanks everyone for the encouragement and warm welcome. I have learned so much from the site and the forums already - much more than from my doctor.
To Elaine77, I have lived in Adelaide for 18 years, but spent 12 years in Perth, so I can tell you about both cities! I prefer the smaller, quieter city of Adelaide, but then I am 'an old dear'! Adelaide is very liveable - it hasn't grown too fast like Perth, which is sometimes referred to as the "Dallas" of Australia. Perth is more an American style city - all new suburbs, freeways, high-rise city towers, "Mc Mansions" and new wealth, a lot of it based on the mining industry. Adelaide is friendlier, not as brash. There has not been the huge influx of immigrants into Adelaide that Perth suffered from. Adelaide is more of a European style city, with large Italian and Greek communities, lots of great restaurants and the accent is on a relaxed lifestyle rather than wealth. There always seems to be some event/show/fair going on in the Parklands!
I hope I don't get a flood of irate Perth-dwellers abusing me after this! To them I say: OK, Perth is not as bad as Sydney!
To Elaine77, I have lived in Adelaide for 18 years, but spent 12 years in Perth, so I can tell you about both cities! I prefer the smaller, quieter city of Adelaide, but then I am 'an old dear'! Adelaide is very liveable - it hasn't grown too fast like Perth, which is sometimes referred to as the "Dallas" of Australia. Perth is more an American style city - all new suburbs, freeways, high-rise city towers, "Mc Mansions" and new wealth, a lot of it based on the mining industry. Adelaide is friendlier, not as brash. There has not been the huge influx of immigrants into Adelaide that Perth suffered from. Adelaide is more of a European style city, with large Italian and Greek communities, lots of great restaurants and the accent is on a relaxed lifestyle rather than wealth. There always seems to be some event/show/fair going on in the Parklands!
I hope I don't get a flood of irate Perth-dwellers abusing me after this! To them I say: OK, Perth is not as bad as Sydney!
elaine77
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 561
Lol! As much as I complain about the British weather I'm not sure I could cope without seasons and I've heard Adelaide at least retains some sort of change in weather? Also, we live semi-rural in the UK so I'm not sure I could cope with big city life in Perth! Lol
Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.
Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.
Hello and welcome to the forum!
I am 45 and from Ballarat, Victoria and was diagnosed in March 2012. This forum has been a great support to me, especially in the early days. I had gestational diabetes with my last child and also polycystic ovaries so you could say I had some risk factors there.
Anyway lovely to hear from a fellow aussie!
Warm regards
Sandra
I am 45 and from Ballarat, Victoria and was diagnosed in March 2012. This forum has been a great support to me, especially in the early days. I had gestational diabetes with my last child and also polycystic ovaries so you could say I had some risk factors there.
Anyway lovely to hear from a fellow aussie!
Warm regards
Sandra
What a friendly bunch diabetics are! To Elaine77. If you like semi-rural, you can achieve that easily in Adelaide. There are two areas you would probably love. One is the southern wine-growing region, which is near where I live. (In suburbia, unfortunately) The villages of Willunga and McLaren Vale are lovely and it only takes 30-40 minutes to get to the heart of the city. The other area is the "Adelaide Hills", which are east of Adelaide, about the same, if not less, distance from the city.
The weather gets into the high thirties (even 40+) in summer, and it is dry and sunny. In winter it rains a lot and average temps are in the low 'teens. (13 - 16C) So there are definite seasons, and if you don't like heat, one of the villages in the Hills would suit. It's much cooler up there. Try googling Adelaide (and Perth if you must!) to get more info. If I can help in any way, please let me know.
The weather gets into the high thirties (even 40+) in summer, and it is dry and sunny. In winter it rains a lot and average temps are in the low 'teens. (13 - 16C) So there are definite seasons, and if you don't like heat, one of the villages in the Hills would suit. It's much cooler up there. Try googling Adelaide (and Perth if you must!) to get more info. If I can help in any way, please let me know.
To SandrafromOz. Hi! Thanks for the welcome. Glad to meet another Aussie on here. I was intrigued by the info at the bottom of your message. What is diabetes 1.5 ? And is polycystic ovary syndrome a contributory factor? I ask because my daughter has it. She is not diabetic, but she is overweight and I worry about her.
Kind regards. Lee
Kind regards. Lee
Hi Lee,
I am definitely type 2
Yes polycystic ovarian syndrome is a risk factor for developing diabetes unfortunately. I lost a heap of weight when I was first diagnosed and have sadly put a little bit back on which I am trying my hardest to shift. Was put on a statin a month ago for high cholesterol which I have had no problem with in fact I see this as protection for my heart and with us diabetics we need all the help we can get if we need it.
Warm regards
Sandra
I am definitely type 2
Yes polycystic ovarian syndrome is a risk factor for developing diabetes unfortunately. I lost a heap of weight when I was first diagnosed and have sadly put a little bit back on which I am trying my hardest to shift. Was put on a statin a month ago for high cholesterol which I have had no problem with in fact I see this as protection for my heart and with us diabetics we need all the help we can get if we need it.
Warm regards
Sandra
