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kassi47

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
HI my name is kassi, my husband has just found out he has type 2 diabetes, how do i support him besides diet, throwing out everything with sugar in, making all the meals from slimming world so he isn't hungry and when he started the blood checks doing them with him, what else can i do?
would appreciate any help and info, kassi
 
Kassi

welcome and sorry your husband has type 2.

Please read in depth the advice on this site about diet. It is not just sugars that cause a rise in blood glucose levels, but in general all carbs break down into sugars as well. Look at the information on low carb diets and it is best to test with a meter before and after meals to see the change in sugar levels versus different foods consumed. Reduce to a minimum consumption of rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. It is hard but pays dividends!

jim
 
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/index.php

hi have a look at this site it's very helpful, i was diagnosed 5 months ago, my husband has tried hard to support me eating the same, cutting everything i have, he's had to put up with my throwing a fit trying to get my head around it all, i was in a panic, reading and joining here has helped like i can't say, you will find all you need to make sense of things here, just don't panic, there are lots of nice people here who will help you.
take care Jill
 
Thankyou Jim
 
thankyou jill
 
hi, welcome

he lucky to have such a caring wife smart enough to seek us out

i cant add to whats been said, test blood sugars and reduce carbs, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals

theres alot to learn and take it at first but dont panic, once you learn you will find it gets easy and can be a blessing in disguise as it forces us to be healthy, you only need to worry about the complications if he chooses not to take this by the horns and make the necersary lifestyle changes, but that doesnt sound likely from what youve said
bestof luck, ask us anything you like


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi Kassi.

I'm relatively new to this forum. ( just joined last week). I've been type 1 diabetic since 1992 when I was diagnosed aged 21. My wife and daughters, now aged 20 and 22, have been an absolute consistent means of support to me by making themselves familiar with the disease, signs of hypos, signs of high readings, what insulin I take and when and making sure I take regular blood sugar readings etc.

I think you are fantastic the way you have immediately made it your intention to find out as much as you can about your husbands condition, and the way you have indicated to him that he is not alone and that you are with him. The importance of having this support will not be lost on your husband, and I speak from the experience of the tremendous support I got, and still receive, from my wife.

You will be bombarded with various advice and information on diabetes. Please take your time and don't put pressure on yourself to learn everything about it in a short space of time. You simply can't. I am still learning something new all the time about the condition.

I'm wishing you and your husband the best of luck and health. Anytime you want any advice or help just drop me a post.
 
Don't do slimming world, etc. - buy good quality food that fills you up properly and tastes wonderful, BUT reduce the portion sizes in gradual steps so that you don't really notice yourselves doing it - after a year, your diets will be so much healthier, you'll look back and wonder how it was you ever got into the biscuit-buying habit in the first place! (I certainly did!)

Lots of great ideas on this site, but in summary, include things like:
  • lots of leafy green vegetables (especially dark green ones),
  • wholegrain rices,
  • wholemeal / spelt pastas,
  • porridge oats rather than wheat cereals,
  • dark chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa)
  • more foods rather than processed foods,
  • full fat products, including milk, cheese and yoghurt
The thing to remember is this: changing your lifestyle should be enjoyable and it's not just about food. Slimming world, etc., just force you into unnatural eating habits replacing foods with chemical shakes, and/or making drastic changes that are hard to sustain for any length of time.

Also, you increase your activity levels, for example:
  • dump the electric whisk and use an old-fashioned one;
  • unplug the dishwasher and do them by hand;
  • hide the vacuum cleaner and go back to a carpet sweeper for all but the monthly spring clean;
  • park the car at the far corner of the car park and walk farther to the shop entrance;
  • join a club doing something you each like to do (e.g. dancing, building restoration, restoring steam engines, etc.)

Makng the changes enjoyable, fun and rewarding will encourage you to perservere together and even double your efforts - and changing both diet and exercise levels will work better at tackling the issues that led to his Type 2 diabetes in the first place.

Good luck - and do keep posting!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
hi, as you can see lots of info, just remember everyone is different, so try foods then test 1,2 and 3hrs after (test before) i can't eat porridge or whole grains, any pasta without my levels shooting up, it takes time, there is no one answer, everyone is trying to help.

i also have 2 books i find very helpful 'Diabetes no thanks' it's the scandinavian diet, Dr John Briffa 'escape the diet trap'.
keep having fun and enjoy life, mine is better because i'm getting fitter and healthier Jill
 
hi im dave from notts im been diagnosed type 2 diet controlled yesterday my liver is borderline and retest in 3 moths im overweight lost some but obviously more to lose got an allotment eat fresh stuff got weeds growing on allotment as i been tied up with blood tests and worrying about it now i know i got it need to do something about i also suffer from depression so a bit peeved off i have visions of me sitting in a corner eating lettuce leaves i have sugar fee alpen and weetabix what other cereals are there i have canderel for cooking purposes feeling sad but getting to allotments friday have paper from nurse write down what i eat etc its like being back at school i went for a bloood test as i was worried about prostate thats fine just diabetes and borderline liver hope to meet some of you is there a chatfacility
 

Hi and welcome to the forum, @daisy1 will hopefully be along soon with some great information for you to read. You've had some great advice already, my suggestions would be to buy a blood glucose monitor so your husband can see what foods cause spikes in his blood glucose levels, throw out the slimming world meals and start making and eating low carb meals.

Good luck and if you have any questions please feel free to ask
 

Hi kassi and welcome to the forum

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help you to support your husband. Dave too, I hope you will find this useful.


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 over 100,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum, there's no need to worry about sitting in a corner eating lettuce leaves, have a look round the forum there's some great meal suggestions. Many if us here eat low carb foods as this helps keep our blood glucose levels under control, this means that (certainly for me) breakfast cereals are a big no no.
There is a private message facility but you have to post 5 messages before it's 'unlocked' I think.

Feel free to ask questions we're mainly a friendly bunch, even with Arsenal fans
 
Sorry @kassi47 I should learn to read, you already have a BG monitor
 


Hi Welcome

Gunners? BOOOOOO! lol

sugar is a carbohydrate, weetabix and alpen is very high in carbohydrate, therefore its not the word sugar that you should be concentrating on, its the word carbohydrate which of course includes sugar, you don't have to sit in the corner eating lettuce, you can eat it out in the open or even on the bus, its not just lettuce (although lettuce is great) since eating diabetic wisely i eat a far more wonderfully tasty and diverse diet than i ever did before, don't worry if it all gets you down, its normal to feel like that, once you learn about food you will feel much better i promise

(opinion alert!!! asking the nurse what you should eat is like asking the optician to look at your feet)
 


i was told my liver was borderline, saw a specialist who said 90% people are and not to worry, said i was doing low carb high fat, he said carry on with that, i was a wreck when i was told at first, stay calm you'll soon get to grips with it all the best
 
Andy12345 said:
(opinion alert!!! asking the nurse what you should eat is like asking the optician to look at your feet)
Click to expand...

It would be no good me asking my optician to look at my feet, he is short-sighted!

jim
 
..Hi and welcome to the new members in this thread...I was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago and fumbled in the dark until I joined this forum a couple of years ago but didn't become an active member till a few months ago...there's so much advice, help and information in here....it may seem confusing at first, there's so much to find out, keep at it though, you'll learn loads as I have...
 
hi this is kassi thankyou for your help
 
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