Just been diagnosed with Type 2

Hi Cherry,

Welcome to the forum. 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 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.

I am a news starter, found out last week, it strange I was told that I could eat Pasta, Rice etc if it whole meal even better so I am a little confused.....

I have my DN appointment tomorrow so I guess I will get a few things sorted there.

Hobbis said:

I am a news starter, found out last week, it strange I was told that I could eat Pasta, Rice etc if it whole meal even better so I am a little confused.....

I have my DN appointment tomorrow so I guess I will get a few things sorted there.

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Hi Hobbis,

Unfortunately, that's the advice that healthcare professionals give to most people with diabetes. It's my experience that sort of advice made me worse instead of better!

I can quite easily understand your confusion. It really is crazy advice!

Best wishes - John

As John says, it is crazy advice! :roll: Your body has an inability to process carohydrate so you are being told to eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate. :evil: It has been compared to trying to put out a fire by pouring on petrol. :shock:

At the end of the day you can only find out what your food is doing to your body by self testing, so you need to ask for a meter and a prescription for testing strips.

Will be interested to hear how you have got on and then also interested in what you have decided to do.

Synonym said:

As John says, it is crazy advice! :roll: Your body has an inability to process carohydrate so you are being told to eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate. :evil: It has been compared to trying to put out a fire by pouring on petrol. :shock:........

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Synonym - I've never heard that before - I like it a lot!

Can I use it myself? You don't have copyright on it do you? :lol:

John

I read it on this forum and thought it was a perfect description as it tells it like it is! :roll:

Hi there, just diagnosed with type 2 , doctor put me on metformin was wondering do you get your glucose meter on prescription i know you get the strips on prescription or do i have to buy one myself and if possible can anyone recommend what kind to buy and where from?
much appreciated if anyone can help :?

aiden1 - I got my meter and 1st supply of strips and lancets from Hospital, following my appt there. Get strips and lancets from GP via repeat prescription as and when needed

I use Bayer Ascensia Contour meter with Bayer contour strips.

What dose of Met are you on?

aiden1
many Pcts don't allow meters to T2s. I got mine from the supplier and I buy my own strips, because they don't allow those either.
I use Abbott Diabetes Care. they provide an excellent service and their Freestyle Lite meter is simple to use and requires the smallest drop of blood. Just a pin-head sized drop.
Hana
Ps you can often get the meter free, because the strips are for one model only

FelineFan said:

aiden1 - I got my meter and 1st supply of strips and lancets from Hospital, following my appt there. Get strips and lancets from GP via repeat prescription as and when needed

I use Bayer Ascensia Contour meter with Bayer contour strips.

What dose of Met are you on?

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Hi there, thanks for getting back to me i am on 500g metformin the pharmacist said i"d get strips and lancets on repeat prescription my bg levels have been 13.2 and 12 have doc on friday morning will have a chat with her thanks for your help