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How much sugar

T

theblokefromstoke

Well-Known Member
Messages
177
Dislikes
Pizza (makes my BG go through the roof), Pasta & potatoes.
Hiya all,

I have been a type 2 on 3 metformin a day for about 3 weeks and my BG has dropped from around 16 to around 8 so going in the right direction but finding this really is a black art.

I am finding food shopping is mind blowing, picking everything up and looking at the Sugar levels is a real education. The difference in products is incredible. Even wholemeal bread varies massively from one manufacturer to the next.

My question relates to a 'rule of thumb' sugar level. What is OK and what's too much. For instance, If a product has 5mg per 100mg of sugar is this OK? Weightwatchers yoghurts have 14mg of sugar is this OK? I am just bewildered with it all and eating really bland stuff which is OK for now but i would like food to be more interesting again.

I am speaking to some diabetic folk who say they just eat what they want and take more metformin but i want to reduce the medication not increase.

Any advice greatfully received.

Thanks,

carl
 
This is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2's which contains info on 'sugars'.

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 a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice 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.

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.
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Hi TBfS
i think you are right to keep to minimum medication. Some studies havshown thqat keeping TIGHT control of T2 can be harmful, but when you examine them, what they really show is that taking loads of medication is harmful.
As already posted in the guide for newbies, It's the total carbs in the food that's critical.
If you are not sure what constitutes a carbohydrate. Hunt up my piece on it in the "stickies" section. That will show you why starch can have a worse effect on bg than sugar.
Hana
 
Drat and double Drat!

I really have not got the hang of this - i must be really thick.

I thought wholemeal Pasta, Wholemeal rolls and jacket potatoes etc were all starchy stuff and I should try and eat these things.

It's really getting me down now, I don't know what i'm supposed to be eating.

To add to things today i have had to travel to london for a big presentation to clients - up and out this morning at 5.30, into a meeting at 9, buscuits galore at the table - i had a banana - everyone laughing, all out for nice meal at lunch - i stayed behind and sat on my own with a margarineless wholemeal roll. All off to Starbucks at 3 for mucho choco lato things and cookies - i had a pot of tea!

I'm totally depressed about the whole thing and feeling stupid. Particularly as I was previously a great lover of food, have about 4 stone to lose and blaming my earlier lifestyle and work patterns for contributing to this whole thing that won't go away for the rest of my life.

Sorry for that rant - feel a bit better now for it though - off for a slice of carrot!
 
TBFS,

Not going to well is it!

Take on board the advice that Sugarlees Sue has given and check carb value on all foods.
I was diagnosed type 2 about 18 months ago, i have always had a sweet tooth and enjoyed all types of sweet things and it did not help having three young children around who were always eating some kind of sugary delight.

I have replaced my love of sweet things with good quality savoury low carb goodies such as parma ham and select cheeses a particular favourite of mine is one from M&S called "Pave d' Affinois" creamy delicious and very expensive but a treat.
I also have a couple of squares or 85% cocoa chocolate (Green & Blacks) it takes time but your tastes and palate do change.

All the best.

Robbo
 
theblokefromstoke said:
Sorry for that rant - feel a bit better now for it though - off for a slice of carrot!
Click to expand...
Hey BFS - steady on the carrot, root veg can be high in carbs if eaten in quantity!!!!

Seriously though,

once you get to grips with what you can eat, you will compromise and realise that there is a lot of food choice. I eat lots of meats, fish, chicken. You can also eat sausages and burgers, but ensure they are low carb as are the 100% meat varieties. Also can eat saveloys, bratwursts, eggs, cheeses.
I eat a hearty breakfast every morning either :-
Cheese and Ham on crackers, Kippers and eggs or 2 Eggs (ommelette or fried/boiled/scrambled), bacon, saveloy, mushrooms and half a tin of tomatoes.
Most days for mid-day I have a chopped salad with mayo and olive oil with plenty of cheese and meats and for Dinner I have meat and veg, or bolognaise or a curry with FAKE RICE ( 1/2 a cauli, grated with a cheese grater and micro'd for 4 minutes).

Always have a pudding of either rhubarb or sugar free jelly (Hartleys) with greek yoghurt.

So as you can see, there is always a good choice.
For the record, in 6 months I lost 5 stone, got cholesterol and LDL down, HDL up, Trigs from over 7 to less than 1, BP from 130/80 to 100/64 and HBA1C from 10.3 to 5.6.

Good Luck and happy eating!!

Steve
 
Hi BFS
If you want to eat anything, You can as long as the portion is appropriate. It could be a teaspoonful or less in the case of something like sugar.:evil:
Hana
 
Hi all,

Thanks ever so much for your kind support. I am feeling more positive today and determined to stick at it.

Cheers

Carl
 
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