Hi from the North East

[angstmann]

Hi,

I'm Richard from Co. Durham. Recently diagnosed Type 2 diabetic. Know a bit about diabetes as my Mum has been insulin dependent for nearly 20 years now. Finding that there's quite a lot to take in, mainly food and diet related. I've got my head round everything else... I am currently on a single Metformin per day, but fully expect that to be increased at my next appointment tomorrow! We shall see.

I am overweight but have lost almost 3 stone (unintentionally) over the last few months before my Diabetes was diagnosed. I'm not really the exercise type, but know that I need to seriously get my act together and get out there and do something!

Not yet been to the Dietician, but hoping things will fall into place once I have, as food-wise I will have to make fairly drastic changes I think.

Just wanted to introduce myself. I can see me spending quite a lot of time on the forums here!

 

[sugarless sue]

Here is the advice we give to new Type 2's re diet etc. I hope it is of use to you.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.