New and worried

[sugarlips]

Wow after reading the diet Resurface suggested I should have become diabetic years ago.
I had to wipe my phone when reading it as I drooled a little.....too much information?

 

[sugarlips]

Pardon me Resurgan but predictive text has a habit of making an idiot of me . My apologies getting your name wrong

 

[sugarlips]

Resurgam my apologies again

 

[DeejayR]

Hi and welcme Andy. If you're playing rugby regularly you can check out specialist advice here about sport as well. There isn't much the people on the forum don't get up to

 

[sugarlips]

Hi DeejayR unfortunately rugby gave me many things , enjoyment, camaraderie, but more recently questionable looks and a metal knee. My playing days are over

 

[Resurgam]

I have the most dismal of colds with a hacking cough and you managed to make me laugh out loud - well done that man.
For me the icing on the cake was to have all that at Christmas and then find that my BG level was 5.6mmol/l - could not be better.

 

[sugarlips]

Congratulations,
However I can't remember the last time I had a cold, I dont tend to get I'll at all apart from diabetes of course lol

 

[daisy1]

@sugarlips

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
  

 

[sugarlips]

Thanks for the information

 

[taxi lee]

I myself same pal.. diagnosed in December and only just sinking in... scary that u have to give up all the stuff we normally eat... but hey.. suppose its a good thing really... glad i found this furom

 

[NewTD2]

Please read this carefully-

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist

 

[NewTD2]

I was a semi pro tennis player on a very high carb diet. Big mistake!

My diagnosis devastated me but I’m now taking charge, controlling my blood glucose and watching my food intake, managing the condition and turning it around as a positive experience.

Not letting this dreadful disease defeat me!

 

[sugarlips]

Thanks again to all for support and information. Just what I need

 

[Ddegrae]

Hi Andy
Like you I am recently diagnosed T2. Older than you at 67 yrs.
I am reading a lot on the net and while a lot is informative and helpful , it can be very scary and causes me many sleepless nights.
I hope to pick up some positive vibes from this forum to ease the tense feelings I have at the moment.
Best of luck and hope to be able to advise as I learn to cope with this.
Cheers
Dave

 

[Mariedoc]

Straight after I was diagnosed, I threw away all sugar, chocolates, cakes, bread, potatoes, parsnips, swede (root vegetables), pasta, noodles, flour, fizzy drinks, sweet fruits, sweet fruit juices, frozen and canned sweet corn, peas, peanuts, omega 6 cooking oils from cheap sunflower oils; and sauces with hidden sugars and carbs ie ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings from my larder.

I adopted a low carb high fat diet instead.

Low carb = above ground “low glycemic” vegetables ie broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, celery, brussel sprouts etc.

High fat = healthy fats ie cheese, avocado, pecan, walnut, almond and almond flour, salmon, extra virgin olive oil and olives etc.

I also now cook my own food, no more junk food and take aways!

Also now make my own low carb Keto bread, cakes, chocolates, desserts made with almond flour and sweetened with Stevia (200x sweeter than sugar but zero sugar, zero carb) !

Plenty of recipes on YouTube and various low carb sites.

Can I get details on your keto bread as I have just started making my own bread
Thanks

 

[CrankyKat]

Hi Andy,

I’m Kat, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and stage 4 retinopathy at the same time in early August last year.

I am not going to lie, it is a bit of a head whirl fist of all but you do get used to it and you learn to adapt to a slightly different routine. It just takes time.

Everyone on this site is amazing and show support and offer advice whenever they can.

We will look after you!

 

[CrankyKat]

Straight after I was diagnosed, I threw away all sugar, chocolates, cakes, bread, potatoes, parsnips, swede (root vegetables), pasta, noodles, flour, fizzy drinks, sweet fruits, sweet fruit juices, frozen and canned sweet corn, peas, peanuts, omega 6 cooking oils from cheap sunflower oils; and sauces with hidden sugars and carbs ie ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings from my larder.

I adopted a low carb high fat diet instead.

Low carb = above ground “low glycemic” vegetables ie broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, celery, brussel sprouts etc.

High fat = healthy fats ie cheese, avocado, pecan, walnut, almond and almond flour, salmon, extra virgin olive oil and olives etc.

I also now cook my own food, no more junk food and take aways!

Also now make my own low carb Keto bread, cakes, chocolates, desserts made with almond flour and sweetened with Stevia (200x sweeter than sugar but zero sugar, zero carb) !

Plenty of recipes on YouTube and various low carb sites.

What recipe do you use for your chocolate?! I really fancy some white chocolate at the moment.

THE PAIN IS REAL!

 

[Guzzler]

One small note of caution here. If you choose to change your diet then do it gradually. Too drastic a change too quickly will make you feel rotten. Take a few weeks cutting carbs as you go and great tools to help you are a glucometer and a carb counter app or book. Those pesky carbs are hidden in loads of foods! Good luck.

 

[NewTD2]

What recipe do you use for your chocolate?! I really fancy some white chocolate at the moment.

THE PAIN IS REAL!

There are loads of recipes of low carb Keto chocolates on the diet doctor website and YouTube!

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/desserts/chocolate

 

[CrankyKat]

There are loads of recipes of low carb Keto chocolates on the diet doctor website and YouTube!

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/desserts/chocolate

I’ll give anything ago once! Then I can be all smug eating my own chocolate!!!!!