How can I reduce my glucose levels please?

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I take my glucose level before breakfast and it is between 17 and 20. I am on slow release Metformin and take 2 after breakfast and I have one Trulicity injection a week. I feel quite ill when it is that high. I have bacon, eggs and baked beans for breakfast. I have a tin of soup for lunch sometimes with 2 small slices of wholemeal bread. For dinner I have lightly dusted fish with lots of veg but no potatoes.
 

Mike d

Expert
Messages
7,997
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
idiots who will not learn
Baked beans and breads (ANY type) are not on. LOADED with carbs / sugars.
 

Tophat1900

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,407
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Uncooked bacon
Bread can spike levels rapidly, baked beans and often tins of soup are also quite high in carbs. I'd look at the ingredients on labels too, not just the carb count. I'd remove those foods and see how your levels respond.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It would be a good idea to stop the high carb foods, but if your levels don't soon go down then you need to consult your GP, or if you start to feel ill, to consider A & E.
 

philly1991

Well-Known Member
Messages
151
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Personally I'd cut the baked beans and the bread, tinned soup can also be quite high carb so make this fresh if possible. Are you snacking at all?
 
M

Member496333

Guest
Bread is glucose in drag. Wholemeal or otherwise. Baked beans are glucose in a glucose & fructose sauce.

Personal choice whether or not anyone cares, but the above items will certainly contribute to increasing blood sugar and should be avoided if they are causing problems.
 

Captain Crunch

Well-Known Member
Messages
187
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
As others have said, bread and baked beans are generally no-no's. Personally I can tolerate one slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter *if* I go for a brisk walk afterwards. Regarding soup, do read the label. Most have a recommended portion size of half a tin. I'm assuming you're having a whole tin? Also (and this doesn't just apply to soup), the nutritional labels can have values per recommended portion or values per 100g. If the latter, check the stated weight of the packet/tin and calculate as appropriate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KK123

aealexandrou

Well-Known Member
Messages
117
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Exercise
Why tolerate a slice of bread when you can simply skip it. Enjoy the walk for it's own sake. In any event a walk is not going to burn off the food you ate, although it may reduce your insulin slightly and all that happens is you get incrementally fatter.
 

Captain Crunch

Well-Known Member
Messages
187
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Why tolerate a slice of bread when you can simply skip it. Enjoy the walk for it's own sake. In any event a walk is not going to burn off the food you ate, although it may reduce your insulin slightly and all that happens is you get incrementally fatter.
I used to love my bread and I've found a way to enjoy it albeit in much reduced quantities. Cutting out so much from my previous diet has been traumatic at times and I want to be able to enjoy food from time to time without it being purely a sustenance necessity. My way may not be yours, but it works for me.
 

resander

Well-Known Member
Messages
122
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Vegetables may not be low carb..

Low carbs: grams per 100g product
mushrooms 0.3, celery 0.8, kale 1.4, spinach 1.5,
avocado 1.9, celeriac 2.3, leek 2.9, spring-onion 3, squash 3, cauliflower 3, broccoli 3.2,
cabbage 4, okra 4, green/red peppers 4,
turnip 4.7, swede 4.8

Medium carbs:
carrots 8, onions 8, peas raw 9, corn frozen 9,
peas mushy canned 11

High carbs:
corn canned 12, lentils 13, butter beans 13,
kidney beans 13, baked beans 14, potatoes new 14,
black beans 15, chickpeas 16, corn cooked 17,
potatoes old 18, mung beans 19, sweet potatoes 21


With dinner I always replace potatoes and rice with mashed/boiled celeriac/cauliflower + a low carb veg or a small quantity of medium carb veg.

And always exclude high carb veg.
 

Dr Snoddy

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,325
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Trolls
Hi, from what you are eating it sounds as though you may be following the dietary advice given by bodies like NICE and Diabetes UK. This is generally what GPs and diabetic nurses trot out.
Many people on this forum chose not to follow that advice and to limit their intake of carbohydrate considerably. This has lead to successful reductions in blood glucose with members being able to give up all medications and maintaining non-diabetic glucose levels.
 
Last edited:

Geordie_P

Well-Known Member
Messages
849
Type of diabetes
Type 2
17 to 20 sounds quite high.
I get mixed up with the different units, but if those are the normal UK units, then I think the beans and bread need to get kicked into touch immediately, and the soup needs a carb-check to see what's in it.
 

Dr Snoddy

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,325
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Trolls
What was your last HbA1c measurement please?
 

aealexandrou

Well-Known Member
Messages
117
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Exercise
I used to love my bread and I've found a way to enjoy it albeit in much reduced quantities. Cutting out so much from my previous diet has been traumatic at times and I want to be able to enjoy food from time to time without it being purely a sustenance necessity. My way may not be yours, but it works for me.
How an individual deals with his/her diabetes and or other metabolic issues (if they deal with it at all) is very personal to that individual. My goal was to get rid of it because I had in addition to the T2D, neuropathy and background retinopathy and became concerned that despite good BSL for many years and HbA1c between 35 - 38, my metabolic issues were deteriorating, slowly but surely. One year on my HbA1c is 23. I doubt that I am cured, but if I want my body to recover as much as it can, then I cannot see any option but a prolonged period of time where it is not subjected to high insulin levels.
 

KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I used to love my bread and I've found a way to enjoy it albeit in much reduced quantities. Cutting out so much from my previous diet has been traumatic at times and I want to be able to enjoy food from time to time without it being purely a sustenance necessity. My way may not be yours, but it works for me.

Captain crunch, I agree with you. You were not the one posing a question and yet it seems your response to the actual poster has led to YOUR approach being queried. You are doing well, don't let anybody make you feel as if you should justify yourself. x
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captain Crunch

Captain Crunch

Well-Known Member
Messages
187
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Captain crunch, I agree with you. You were not the one posing a question and yet it seems your response to the actual poster has led to YOUR approach being queried. You are doing well, don't let anybody make you feel as if you should justify yourself. x
Thank you @KK123. I believe I'm controlling my T2 quite well, although I accept that I'm still a newbie at this. I also accept that there are different approaches and that one size doesn't fit all. However, it seems that some members believe that their way is the only way and feel the need to put down alternatives. My philosophy is that you might have an approach that I don't necessarily agree with or subscribe to, but if it works for you then that's great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Snoddy

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Personally I'd cut the baked beans and the bread, tinned soup can also be quite high carb so make this fresh if possible. Are you snacking at all?
No, don't snack except for a banana occasionally
Baked beans and breads (ANY type) are not on. LOADED with carbs / sugars.
Don't eat much bread but do have baked beans or spaghetti for breakfast. My glucose level spiked at 27.1 at the weekend! Bacon end egg for breakfast and a roast lunch after I did my glucose level. Thanks for the info, really appreciate it
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Bread can spike levels rapidly, baked beans and often tins of soup are also quite high in carbs. I'd look at the ingredients on labels too, not just the carb count. I'd remove those foods and see how your levels respond.
Thank you so much for the reply
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
It would be a good idea to stop the high carb foods, but if your levels don't soon go down then you need to consult your GP, or if you start to feel ill, to consider A & E.
What was your last HbA1c measurement please?
Has gone down from 120 to 94 to just over 70 and as that came down, my glucose levels went up
 

whiteorchid

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Baked beans and breads (ANY type) are not on. LOADED with carbs / sugars.
I do have no added sugar anything when it is an option but don't often have bread and had no idea baked beans would cause so much trouble. Thank you for the reply