Hi! Have recently been diagnosed/registered as type 2 diabetic, given a blood glucose meter along with lancets, test strips etc. Testing various times of day and been advised by diabetic nurse to try and keep pre-breakfast readings beneath 7 if possible which have been doing so far. However, just wondering if there are any hard and fast guidelines as to other times of the day - previous daily readings have been between 4.7 - 7.7 (before lunch); 6.8 - 8.5 (evening meal) and 8.5 - 9.2 before bed just as an 'average' example.
Also, please, how does exercise come into and fit into this equation exactly?; I'm not on any meds right now, just trying on diet/exercise alone as per 2nd visit to diabetic nurse yesterday. They do give you a fair bit of information in a pack but not all, can be a bit all at once and a little confusing :roll: You know how you mean to ask a whole bunch of questions and they all go out of your head at the crucial moment sometimes?! Anyways, I was a little concerned at the 4.7 before lunch reading, isn't that a little low or perhaps not? Had done half an hour keep fit dvd earlier that morning but would it make that much difference? Hmmm... :?:
Type 2 diabetes (NICE 2008)
Before meals: 4-7mmol/L
Two hours after meals: less than 8.5mmols/L
So as you can see 4.7mmol is fine.
Many people have lower targets post meal but they are a starting point.
As for exercise it does several things.
1) good for cardio vascular health
2) helps reduce insulin resistance
3) aerobic exercise (ie exercise that raises your heart rate but doesn't make you breathless)can lower blood glucose level.
4)burns calories
5) releases endorphins (the feel good factor which you can get after exercise)
So all in all its an important part of the 'treatment'
There's some excellent info on here including links to many original and important papers.
These days I try to stay in the fours as much as possible and try not to go over 6 post-meal, which is about what many normal people achieve. At first it took a fair bit of work but now it pretty much comes naturally. The reason is because I used to have spectacularly bad lipids, and now I don't!
In a nutshell, growing muscle produces more glucose transporters, and using it actually gulps more glucose out of your bloodstream. Quite how much difference it makes to *you* is up for grabs, I was always relatively fit and active but was eating far too many carbs. Others in the family are even fitter and more active and are travelling the same path as me only slower. It may not be a "cure" but it certainly does no harm!
Hi and thank you so much for the great help and information! As all above, this really does help clarify things lots for me and will check out the link too - cheers, Trinkwasser!
Don't worry about any 4.7 - just aim to get them all at that level. That certainly isn't a reading that you need to worry about.
mine on average is 9 i have just seen nurse and she has put me on colestral tablets and asprine my my blood presure is high and i am just a couple of pounds overweight . she says to tyr diet control for now .urine sample didnt show any sugar .confused
mine on average is 9 i have just seen nurse and she has put me on colestral tablets and asprine my my blood presure is high and i am just a couple of pounds overweight . she says to tyr diet control for now .urine sample didnt show any sugar .confused
That certainly isn't a reading that you need to worry about.