New not new

[Laynibee]

Hi,

I was diagnosed in 2014 but opted for the "la la la I'm not listening" approach. Consequently, I've just been given metformin. I was given it a few days ago but haven't started taking it yet. Ideally, I'd like a do-over to go back and take it seriously when they said I was pre-diabetic.

I recently read about the Newcastle trial. I bought some Slimfast and had been going to give it a bash but my doctor is unsupportive. I suppose I don't blame her, I've shown no capacity for handling the situation myself at all.

I'm finding it all quite confusing. I walk around the kitchen cupboards, hungry but not knowing what to eat. I pick up a piece of fruit but I don't know if I should eat it, I put it back. I went to the works canteen the other day, looking at the options there, I came out with a baked potato and beans. Pretty sure that wasn't the best way to go but everything in the canteen either comes with bread or potato or pasta or rice.

I think I did OK with last night's dinner. Wholewheat spaghetti with spag bol, made with half quorn/half lean mince, home made sauce.

Breakfast today was scrambled egg with a toasted pumpernickel roll (I think it was pumpernickel, sometimes they put the wrong rolls in the wrong trays at Morrisons. I've seen three different rolls identified as pumpernickel so far, so I haven't a clue what they're actually supposed to look like).

So anyway, hi.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

'Lo

 

[sally and james]

Hi @Laynibee and welcome to the forum. I'll tag @daisy1 who will be along with the introductory information. Meanwhile, my personal view is that it is important to Eat Real Food and Slimfast doesn't come into this category. Have a look at the Diet Doctor site, https://www.dietdoctor.com/ where there is loads of info about best foods for diabetics, all nice and clear in big colour pictures and diagrams, you can't go wrong.
Good luck
Sally

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

I'm tagging @daisy1 as she will come along with an introductory post that is full of useful information. Do have a good read of it and take note of the role of carbohydrate in controlling T2.

Metformin is a mild drug that only helps to a limited extent. Diet is the key, and the best way to sort out a diet for yourself is to buy a blood glucose meter and start testing. Testing before you eat and 2 hours after first bite will tell you at a glance what that meal has done to your levels, which will give you the opportunity to reduce certain carb portion sizes or eliminate the worst ones. (You may find your pumpernickel roll, jacket potato and beans are off the menu, at least initially.) A meter will show you instantly which foods your body reacts to.

Have a good read round the forums, and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[Liam1955]

Welcome @Laynibee to the Forum .

 

[daisy1]

@Laynibee

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


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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.
  

 

[4ratbags]

Hi and welcome to the forum, you're in the right place to get yourself on track. Don't be afraid to ask questions as it can be very confusing at times.

 

[Laynibee]

Thank you all for the responses. I've ordered a Libre sensor starter kit. I'm hoping it will give me a good view of what's going on with me. I know it gives different results to BG testing but if I test both for a while I should find some correlation between the results. Anyway, I'm a bit of a data geek so I'm hoping to get as much out of it as possible before I run out of money (those things are a bit pricey!)

I'll go look through the links you've given me now.

Again, thanks.