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Morganden

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18
Location
Lincolnshire
Hi guys, thought I would take a look on here and get some peace of mind. I'm off down to Lloyds Chemist later this avo for a diabetes test. Apparently the herbal tea I had this morning would upset the results so having to wait another 5 hours :?

I do everything naturally if I can and avoid GP's like the plague. Can't remember the last time I went to one and since moving here 3 years ago I have never visited 'our' surgery so wouldn't know who to trust, if any.

I pretty much know what I have to do now as I have all the symptoms. The dry mouth started about 3 weeks ago which pretty much confirmed my suspicions when things would go a bit blurry on the tv at times. My biggest problem will be exercise which I hate but have a dog to walk so will step up on that and get the small trampoline out again. I'm 60 btw so won't be going out jogging any time soon :lol:

I studied Kinesiology a few years back and have Reiki I and II under my belt but don't use either commercially. I 'worship' Dr Mercola and recently took two different nutritional type tests which both confirmed I am a protein person. This would explain why some foods spike insulin levels more than other in individuals. Nobody is the same and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.

I actually cut down on carbs a few weeks ago anyway but kidded myself that the odd Cadbury's egg would be ok. Well not any more!!!! I'm hoping to do a little experiment using Chromium at a later date jus to see if it helps stabilise sugar levels. I remember turning up at my kinesiologists practice one morning and her saying my levels were all over the place and she gave me Chromium and a lecture :oops:

Anyway this is going to be a new journey and hope to drop a couple of stone. :D
 
Hi Morganden and welcome to the forum :) In addition to the research and information you have already found on diabetes, here is some information we give to new members which will be useful for you if you are diagnosed diabetic (from what I understand you are not yet diagnosed). I hope you will find out a lot from this too, and ask any questions you may have as there is usually someone who can provide an answer.

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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Click to expand...
 
Welcome aboard i am Martina from British Columbia Canada, i am a type 2 diabetic since July 2005, and i am on Lantus insulin. need anything please feel free to pm me on here
 
Thanks guys. I had fasted for 19 hours in the end because the guy at Lloyds Chemist said the herbal tea I had this morning would distort the figures. Hey ho. When I got there the girl thought I had fasted too long but they did the test anyway and the reading was 7. I bought the kit so I can test myself at home and see what spikes my levels.

I'll post my other questions, experiences on the main forum so every gets a chance to read them. I'm gonna kick this :thumbup:
 
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