Type 2 How do you achieve low blood sugar levels?

Yes I eat very low carb,. Your dietician is spouting outdated nonsense in my opinion.
For low carb idea there is a great resource on this site
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/
as well as
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
Have a read around and come back with any questions you may have.
Oh yes.. welcome to the community.

Nicola54 said:

What on earth do you eat? Are you low carb and high fat?

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Some, but not all of us. Low carb certainly helps, high fat varies for individuals and remains controversial for many. There continues to be deep seated fear of saturated fats after the years of indoctrination. But slowly that is changing...

Basically low carb high fats works remarkably well for many of us who have tried.

Coincidentally the successful normalization of blood glucose/insulin levels, or diabetes remission rate for those on recommended lifestyle change has been rather dismal.
http://www.diabetes.org/research-an...ss-to-research/type-2-diabetes-remission.html

Over 7 years, 1.47 percent of the entire group had a partial remission, 0.14 percent had a complete remission, and 0.007 percent had a prolonged remission. Overall, 1.60 percent of the entire group (4.6 percent of those who had been diagnosed for less than 2 years) had some sort of remission. People who were older than 65 years of age, were African American, had been diagnosed for less than 2 years, had an A1C of less than 5.7 percent at the start of the study period, or were taking no diabetes medicines at the start of the study period were more likely to have a remission. - See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/research-an...tps://www.google.com.sg/#sthash.4uvpcqnt.dpuf

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Nicola54 said:

Are you low carb and high fat? My dietician told me this is not OK as it causes strokes and heart attacks.

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There are different degrees of low carb. If you're not comfortable with the more extreme ketogenic options, you still might see improvement from a moderate low-carb diet. Due to other health problems, I get sicker if I stress my system by going under 20 carbs per meal, so I eat 65-70 per day. That's about one-half to one-third of what someone would have with a normal-carb diet, and it won't result in dietary ketosis.

Hi, I've tagged @daisy1 to give you the newcomers welcome information.

The basic idea behind low carb higher fat, is to try and get your blood glucose levels near as possible to normal levels without the spikes you get from those foods that do that. Your body will like stable blood glucose levels, the nearer to normal levels the better.

Testing is necessary because it gives you the information of what foods do to your blood glucose levels. The pre meal and post prandial readings give you an idea of your tolerance to certain foods, alongside the testing you need to keep a food diary, this to see trends after a few months, to see if your average levels (Hba1c) and wether your insulin resistance is getting better.

The thing with LCHF is it works, especially if you find your balance.

Read the low carb diet forum and the success stories forum, there is a wealth of information on the forum.

Best wishes.


Edited to remove incorrect information

Nicola54 said:

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the links. I am still feeling rather overwhelmed and a little frightened to be honest so the forum is going to be a fabulous support!

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The best advice is to 'eat to your meter'. Some people need to eat very few carbs, but others can eat more and still get good levels. We're all different. Testing will allow you to identify what food/meals suit you best.

Hi @Nicola54 and welcome
I found testing the most useful aid to controlling my blood sugars. It did take me 6 months to get the control that I am mostly happy with so you may need to be patient. If you need to lose weight then any weight loss will help and by reducing carbs that spike you that helps with weight loss. I also started walking and that also helps, any exercise should help. I didn't go very low carb, just restricted the carbs that my body couldn't cope with. Now I can manage some of them in small quantities.

Nicola54 said:

Are you low carb and high fat? My dietician told me this is not OK as it causes strokes and heart attacks.

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https://www.spacedoc.com/articles/fat-and-cholesterol-dont-cause-heart-attacks-1-of-3

Somewhere to start. Increasingly GPs, heart surgeons etc are coming to see that fat is not the enemy. In January 2012 I read in Dr John Briffa'a book Escape The Diet Trap that fat is good for you. 'What?' I thought. Much investigation later I stopped being a fatophobe, and increased my intake of saturated fats. Very slowly, dietitians may be catching up. There are many excellent sources of up-to-date knowledge of the benefits of fat.
Geoff

The answer is to test, test, test, and eat to your meter. Keep a food diary including portion sizes, record your levels alongside, watch the rises, look for patterns over a period of time.

You need to set your own targets, at a level you are happy with. I don't aim for 4s at all, although they are a nice bonus when they happen. I like 5s and 6s. I hate 7s. Once you reach your personal targets, lower them and see what happens.

It is unwise to compare your results to anyone else. Metabolisms are different, medications are different, degree of pancreas damage is different. Just set your own targets, test, record, analyse, tweak the food accordingly.

You don't need to go overboard with fats, just avoid anything low fat and eat real food. If you find yourself feeling hungry or fatigued, add a bit more fat for energy and fullness..

I use lard, goose fat, and groundnut oil, I eat low carb as described by Dr Atkins and just this week was told that my second full bloodtest would not label me as diabetic, my cholesterol has gone down, my blood glucose - although out of normal range is way down to what it was, triglycerides are just in range - they were really rather peeved that I made such a change in 80 days - I think they weren't happy when I told them my blood pressure was lower than the 'ideal' level to aim for just written up on the flip chart.
If my diet is so dreadful, why are all the numbers either in the right range or heading towards it?
If I'd stuck to eating low carb I'd probably never have been diagnosed.

Hi and welcome. T2 Diabetics tend to always have a higher blood sugar level even when controlled then non-diabetics so achieving a BS of 4 when T2 is very difficult and unnecessary unless on a tablet such as Gliclazide. Anything less than 8.5 2 hours after a meal is fine. A meter is essential so ignore the GP on that point. Your dietician is wrong as many of them are. These people assume that the fat you eat is what is deposited in the arteries whereas it's the fat that the liver produces that is deposited and that is inly loosely related to the fat you eat and in fact the carbs you eat can be worse. An HBa1C of 7.5% (3 month average) could be better and your diet should gradually help. You need to target below 6.5%. If necessary your GP can prescribe Metformin which helps a bit and many of us have.

Nicola54 said:

How do you achieve such low blood sugar readings as a 4? My lowest ever is a 5.8.
What on earth do you eat? Are you low carb and high fat? My dietician told me this is not OK as it causes strokes and heart attacks. She is advocating a small increase in good fats but basically a very restricted diet.
SO what is the basis of your diet so you can achieve these levels which are what a normal person is. Do you just watch your sugar levels fastidiously and remove anything from your diet that causes even a remote rise.
What do you aim for say 1 hour after a meal and two hours after?
Apparently I am and average of 7.5 (first three month check the other day) and my doctor says he is very pleased with me - but I think this is still way too high! I try not to eat any grains potatoes or sugar. I do test my blood but my doctor told me I didn't need to - I asked to so I know what is happening to my levels.

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I rarely see 4's and if I do never lower than 4.5 - I aim never to go above 6.0 and I rarely do - if I do its mainly fasting result in the morning - then can occasionally see low 6's. So don't set the bar too high for yourself (yet) : A typical day for me looks like this, with variations on the theme daily :
Breakfast : Eggs-Fried/Poached or scrambled/Fried Bacon/Fried Mushrooms
Lunch : I go Tapas style so - couple slices of chorizo, piece of cheese, some wall nuts, few olives, 2-3 small tomato's.
Evening Meal : Pork Belly Draft, cauliflower/broccoli with butter or cream.
If I snack will choose Pork Scratchings and I have a small piece of cheese with peanut butter last thing before bed. I can typically hold to 20-30g of carbs per day, sometimes 40-50g on odd occasions - and around 70% of my intake is fats, I aim at 70% Fat, 25% Protein, 5% Carbs - Current myths around fats would say this food not good for me - I have now lost 4 stone in 7 months - not to everyone's taste, and may not get the same results - but works for me. Follow your meter is the best advice - see what works for you -

@Nicola54

Hello Nicola and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new Members and I hope you will find it helps you to keep lower levels. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 147,000 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

Reduce your 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Nicola54 said:

How do you achieve such low blood sugar readings as a 4? My lowest ever is a 5.8.
What on earth do you eat? Are you low carb and high fat? My dietician told me this is not OK as it causes strokes and heart attacks. She is advocating a small increase in good fats but basically a very restricted diet.
SO what is the basis of your diet so you can achieve these levels which are what a normal person is. Do you just watch your sugar levels fastidiously and remove anything from your diet that causes even a remote rise.
What do you aim for say 1 hour after a meal and two hours after?
Apparently I am and average of 7.5 (first three month check the other day) and my doctor says he is very pleased with me - but I think this is still way too high! I try not to eat any grains potatoes or sugar. I do test my blood but my doctor told me I didn't need to - I asked to so I know what is happening to my levels.

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Hi Nicola
If you look at my profile, you will see that I eat a ketogenic diet, with carbs less than 20g and a protein target of 60g. To achieve my energy needs, I then need to eat 150g of fat. I have no problems with the fat or carbs, but find the protein a bit restrictive in my food choices. I am very happy with the diet anyway, having lost weight and achieving my blood sugar and lipids targets. My current average fasting glucose is 4.3mmol/l and I haven't had a reading over 4.7 since just after Xmas, so very little variation. it's a matter of choice, how hard you want to be on yourself. I am a bit compulsive and tend to binge, so try to keep a tight rein. I envy (but admire) people who can enjoy occasional treats. My diabetes is controlled by diet only.

All good advice above.

Interestingly, I have spent the last few years (since I got a meter and have been able to test) eating to my meter.
- and the lowest I could beat my blood glucose down to was the 5.8-7.0 range. And it took me eating 20-40g carbs a day, regular walking, cutting gluten (not just grains), and a fair few other things, including intermittent fasting.

Then recently I saw a thread on here about the dietdoctor eating plan (less than 20g carbs a day), and decided to try it.
Within 10 days my blood glucose was in the 4.5-6.00 range.
Effortlessly.
Eating more food, more regularly, and that food is pretty delicious.

This surprised me (understatement!!!) but it has definitely convinced me that for my body, the idea of a personal carb threshold applies. Although I admit that I wish my personal threshold was higher. lol.

If only I had tried this years ago.