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New Member and Just Diagnosed Type 2

Hi Lorne Ranger, and welcome to this forum. I am sensing that you have been given the standard NHS advice on a ' healthy' diet for people with Type 2 diabetes. This is still reliant on carbohydrates whether it is brown pasta, fruit etc. Many of us have found that this advice does not lead to weight loss or to normal glucose levels. A diet based on protein, healthy fats like olive oil, full fat plain yoghurt and avocado, above ground vegetables and berries has and does work.
Indeed some NHS trusts are now recommending the low carbohydrate diet plan available in this site specifically for weight loss and blood glucose levels control. Good luck with rethinking your eating plan You will get a lot of support here!
 
I see you are still clinging to the low GI idea. Brown bread and wholemeal pasta need to go in the bin not your stomach, if you want to lower your BG. The secret to not eating or drinking the wrong things is not to have them in the house.
 

No, quite the opposite, the NHS haven't offered me any advice.. Got blood test, diagnosed by phone, put on meds, told to eat more healthy and exercise (But not really given any info on what foods) Will review in 3 months, bye.

I've not seen any specialists or diabetic clinic appts. Got an eye screen the other day, but that's it.

Anything else I'd had to research and find out myself. But I don't mind that really, as that's the only way I really learn about things and retain information is if I do them or research them myself. I'm just the kind of person that doesn't retain the information if it's spoken to me, if someone tells me something, in less than 5 mins, it's gone!
 
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Mr_Pot said:
I see you are still clinging to the low GI idea. Brown bread and wholemeal pasta need to go in the bin not your stomach, if you want to lower your BG. The secret to not eating or drinking the wrong things is not to have them in the house.
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Not really, I didn't make that meal because I thought is was low GI, it's a recipe I've made every so often for many years, it had lots of vegetables, passata, cheese and beef meatballs, I've just swapped the white pasta for brown.

2 hours after the brown pasta my BG was 6.4, and 2 hrs after the toast my GI was 8.9 which I'm happy with for now, so why would I need to throw them away? I just need to limit my intake and frequency.

I know that secret only too well, I used to drink lots of coca cola, 5 cans a day, and only option to cut it out was not to have it. Brown pasta and brown bread are things I have never craved ever, so it's not like having a cupboard full of coke, sweets, biscuit's and crisps.
 

Have you had many episodes of feeling like you are going low?
I ask because, I was confused by my symptoms, I was getting normal readings, but still spiking higher than most T2s were describing. Not savvy on diabetes, I just went on believing that it was diabetes and I was getting worse symptoms, I wasn't aware that the high and low glucose levels constantly were actually doing me harm.
And if I was given an insulin level test rather than a hba1c test, the doctors would have noticed that at the time, my insulin resistance, my high insulin levels (hyperinsulinaemia), the tests necessary to diagnose me properly.
A food diary showed that I was carb intolerant, and a fasting test confirmed my true condition. If you are carb intolerant, like I suspect, you do need to look at what you eat.
 

About 4 episodes in 3 weeks, and only on the Glimiperide, and occured just before lunchtime each time. Have not had any episodes since starting the Metformin 10 days ago. My high readings from last week (or what I thought were high, never above 12) were a lapse in diet, takeaways, coca cola, and other rubbish for around 4-5 days which I put a stop to on Sunday.
 
Ok people, here's a question for you.

So in trying to learn about the contents of foods, I took a wander round my local Sainsburys looking at the content of some products, must have looked like a shoplifter constantly picking up things, looking at them, and putting down

So a lot of people are saying it all about the carbs, so here's some info below from a couple of products:


Sainsburys Taste the Difference Sausages
Typical Values Per 2 sausages (grilled)
Energy 344kcal
Fat 28.3g
Saturates 10.0g
Mono-unsaturates 12.2g
Polyunsaturates 4.7g
Carbohydrate 1.2g
Sugars 0.5g 1%
Starch 0.6g
Fibre 1.2g
Protein 20.7g
Salt 1.21g


Sainsburys Extra Thick Double Cream
Typical Values per 100ml
Energy 439kcal
Fat 47.5g
Saturates 29.7g
Mono-unsaturates 13.8g
Polyunsaturates 1.4g
Carbohydrate 1.5g
Sugars 1.5g
Starch 0g
Fibre 0g
Protein 1.5g
Salt 0.05g 0.02g

Looking at the carb content, it seems low. So does that mean these products are ok for diabetics?
 
Yes.
 
the_lorne_ranger said:
So basically, the Atkins diet?
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I don't know enough about the Atkins diet to know what the differences might be but I am sure @Resurgam does.
When I was diagnosed I just gave up anything sweet, cakes, biscuits, desserts etc. and cut out breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. That worked, only later did I start calculating carb content to further improve my BG. I don't eat many ready meals or take aways but that is where studying the label is vital as the carb content varies so much.
 

Basically Atkins is a low carb diet, to make the body to burn fat instead of sugar for fuel.

I was probably diagnosed because of takeaways and ready meals, after my fiancé died last year and my step daughter moved away to live with her grandmother, I found myself on my own again, so kind of gave up a bit and stopped looking after myself, eating lots of **** etc, so this is just the consequence of my own actions really.

I was getting 6 monthly BG checks anyway as I have high blood pressure (Now managed and normal), and BG has always been normal, until the last 6 months.
 

Please take it easy on yourself, I sympathise, because of shielding, I have not seen my daughter and grandsons for months if not more than a year. There is no need to blame yourself. You weren't aware of the prospects of developing diabetes. You were stressed and mourning. I know what you are feeling. I lost six members of my close family since the turn of the century.
It is acceptable to eat junk, because it can be completely understandable in the present pandemic.
I have gone through anxiety and depression and developed another condition. As well as my RH. If that is not enough, my better half is disabled.

My advice to you, is get the knowledge, how to control your diabetes and be more positive about your future, your daughter would be appalled if she thought you were going through this experience. What has happened is something you can't change, the damage is done. So, what you can do is live in the present, get your dietary intake sorted, get your meds sorted, get your head sorted. And try to look forward for your future health.
I wish, that I could do something, I wish that you get your doctor to get the tests necessary. But I can't do this.
Only you can.
Only you are going to look after your health.
Only you can do this.

Stay safe
 
First thing you have to do is clear your thinking of all the information you have had about what is healthy food and what is not. We are T2 diabetics and carbohydrate is the problem. The so-called "healthy diet " that the NHS and media has been pushing at us for the last 50 years is high in carbohydrate and fructose. Personally, I'm not surprised that the incidence of diabetes is increasing - that style of diet is causing it, in my opinion. Meat (all kinds), dairy, green veg, are foods T2s can generally tolerate (Incidentally - those sausages look OK but many are stuffed with a cereal filler and are quite high in carb. They need to be checked as you're doing).

You're right that it's basically the Atkins - it's just that Atkins is generally seen as a (possibly short-term) weight loss diet and a low-carb lifestyle is about maintaining a low blood glucose level indefinitely, so that you avoid the consequences of diabetes. For context - I take in about 20g carbs/ day. I've put my T2 into remission and lost (so far) maybe 15-20kg. I'm never hungry. I take cream in my coffee and bacon is my friend. There are many unknown pleasures ahead of you.
 


Thanks, I feel I'm starting to get the hang of things now, I just came out of a bad patch where I was eating junk, but the last few days have been much better, I've been looking at foods, checking carbs, going for short walks after meals, and I'm getting good readings lately, my average BG from the last 7 days is 7.5, which I'm happy with! My HbA1c about 5 weeks ago was 89, and by BG was up around 16.5 most days.
 
the_lorne_ranger said:
So in trying to learn about the contents of foods, I took a wander round my local Sainsburys looking at the content of some products, must have looked like a shoplifter constantly picking up things, looking at them, and putting down
Click to expand...
Yes, 4 years in to my carb watching/avoiding journey, I still do this too. However, I find it is often easier to consult the online sites offered by most supermarkets while sitting at home in comfort and privacy. How lucky we are that they give so much info. for us to ponder at leisure.
A diabetic friend of mine was desperately tempted to buy (and eat) something he shouldn't. In his little local supermarket he kept picking up and putting down the packet, going away and coming back. Finally he realised the security guard was watching him suspiciously, and had to explain his predicament. He never told me whether he finally resisted or gave way!
 
I still check carb content on products, 8 yrs down the line on diagnosis. The products you have shown are absolutely fine for the low carb content. checking no more than 5g or less per 100g. There is no such thing as low GI for people with T2 a carb is a carb regardless. We are insulin resistant, aka cant break down carbs, so why eat them.
shouldn't be hungry on low carb diet, if so, not eating enough protein maybe fats. have low carb snacks.
bacon is absolutely fine as all meats, just check sausage content the ones shown are fab. full fat products are the way to go. living on salads is not the way to go, throw in a big juicy steak with greens. No way can you go hungry on low carb high fat diet.
 
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