I' ve just received a letter from my surgery telling me that I'm pre diabetic. I've spoken to the nurse and she advised eating plenty of carbs. This must be wrong, surely carbs=sugar. I'm really confused, not sure what to eat. Also should I cut out fruit? I usually eat quite a lot. Would be grateful for any help or advice.
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New Pre Diabetic
- Thread starter teoni
- Start Date
Also pre diabetic cut down on the carbs that's what I have done lost weight easily and I wasn't fat to the point people were asking if I was unwell because of my weight loss and I still eat a lot just stuff with very little carbs I try to keep to less than 50 carbs per day fruit will be full of sugar I'm sure
ButtterflyLady
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Hi teoni and welcome to the forum.
I will tag @daisy1 who has some info for newbies that she will post for you.
As Daisy's info will explain, the advice to eat plenty of carbs is the opposite of what will help. Why they give this advice is a long story but the best thing to do is ignore it. Carbs do = sugar.
Some types of fruit are ok, fruit is best eaten with a meal, and you can always have your favourite fruit as an occasional treat.
Buying a blood glucose testing meter will help you find out which fruits (and other foods) increase your blood glucose and which ones don't. The meter with the cheapest test strips is the SC codefree and is available here, with discount codes if you want to buy test strips in bulk. You will need more test strips than the 10 strips that come with the meter:
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
The discount codes for the strips are --5 packs. 264086-----10 packs. 975833
Mongolia
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Everybody is individual and for some eating a small amount of 'brown' carbs doesn't affect their blood sugar readings. However a good number of people on this forum follow a low carb, high/full fat diet and by doing so are able to successfully able to regulate their bs levels so that they are within the recommended 'normal' levels. I have cut out all obvious carbs - bread, potato, pasta, rice, anything containing sugar, grain flour, root veg, fruit other than berries. My consumption of fat has gone up - full fat rather than low fat dairy products, avocado, nuts, coconut oil, olives, oily fish etc. Protein levels have remained the same. Consumption of green leafy veg has gone up. As a result my HbA1c has dropped from 64 to 41 which is now a 'normal' rather than diabetic or pre-diabetic level. My 'good' cholesterol level (HDL) has increased significantly and my non-HDL cholesterol has dropped. My weight has gone down by 15kg. For me the best thing I did was to buy a bs meter to test what effects different foods have on my levels. If you were to do this you would be able to judge whether carbs affected you; different carbs will also have different affects.
Please do ask any further questions. Everyone here is very friendly and keen to help in any way they can
Please do ask any further questions. Everyone here is very friendly and keen to help in any way they can
Welcome to this forum.There is lots of info, advice and friendly encouragement here to help you. Like you, I was diagnosed recently as pre-diabetic and this was over the phone. It is a steep learning curve and I have browsed the forum a lot..but you are in good company and will soon feel better equipped. It is taking me a while to come to terms, but I understand that there is a lot we can do to help ourselves avoid or delay going into Type 2. We are fortunate to have been made aware at this stage.
I snacked on all sorts of fruit a lot and wasn't aware of the sugar impact which was causing my glucose levels to go up and down. ( I always preferred fruit to biscuits and desserts)
Since joining this site a week ago, I have altered my diet to low carb, higher fat. (I had to shop differently with that mind-set)
I bought a glucose meter which is helping me to keep an eye on my levels. (apparently a Codefree is the best option as the test strips you use each time are cheaper and you can get through these quite quickly when first testing. )
I have learned that some fruits are better than others.
You are right... carbs =sugar so both need careful monitoring. Of course, there is lots of refined and hidden sugar in foods both sweet and savoury.
We don't have to cut out fruit altogether but it seems that berries are best and eaten as part of a meal with fat in some form to 'blunt' the sugar highs (spikes) they can produce in our blood.
I have just started the day with a coffee (decaff) with some almond milk instead of milk (apparently, dairy milk contains quite a lot of sugar and low fat foods often have added sugar and starch - I was eating 0% fat dairy products which have more carbs and sugars than normal to bulk them out and give flavour)
So for breakfast today, I am looking forward to my scrambled eggs with bacon and a small number of blackberries (picked on my dog walk yesterday). I'll eat them with a dollop of full fat crème fraiche which tastes much nicer and seems to help me feel satisfied without a sweet craving soon after.
The fruit bowl still beckons but I am managing to get through the day without too many cravings... It is quite an intentional experience but worth it in the long run.
There are lots of different threads to explore and you can ask questions and someone will soon be in touch about basic info.
Have a good day!
.There is lots of info, advice and friendly encouragement here to help you. Like you, I was diagnosed recently as pre-diabetic and this was over the phone. It is a steep learning curve and I have browsed the forum a lot..but you are in good company and will soon feel better equipped. It is taking me a while to come to terms, but I understand that there is a lot we can do to help ourselves avoid or delay going into Type 2. We are fortunate to have been made aware at this stage.I snacked on all sorts of fruit a lot and wasn't aware of the sugar impact which was causing my glucose levels to go up and down. ( I always preferred fruit to biscuits and desserts)
Since joining this site a week ago, I have altered my diet to low carb, higher fat. (I had to shop differently with that mind-set)
I bought a glucose meter which is helping me to keep an eye on my levels. (apparently a Codefree is the best option as the test strips you use each time are cheaper and you can get through these quite quickly when first testing. )
I have learned that some fruits are better than others.
You are right... carbs =sugar so both need careful monitoring. Of course, there is lots of refined and hidden sugar in foods both sweet and savoury.
We don't have to cut out fruit altogether but it seems that berries are best and eaten as part of a meal with fat in some form to 'blunt' the sugar highs (spikes) they can produce in our blood.
I have just started the day with a coffee (decaff) with some almond milk instead of milk (apparently, dairy milk contains quite a lot of sugar and low fat foods often have added sugar and starch - I was eating 0% fat dairy products which have more carbs and sugars than normal to bulk them out and give flavour)
So for breakfast today, I am looking forward to my scrambled eggs with bacon and a small number of blackberries (picked on my dog walk yesterday). I'll eat them with a dollop of full fat crème fraiche which tastes much nicer and seems to help me feel satisfied without a sweet craving soon after.
The fruit bowl still beckons but I am managing to get through the day without too many cravings... It is quite an intentional experience but worth it in the long run.
There are lots of different threads to explore and you can ask questions and someone will soon be in touch about basic info.
Have a good day!
daisy1
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@teoni
Hello Teoni and welcome to the forum The advice above is very good and you need especially to cut down on carbs and you may be able to become non diabetic with effort and luck. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help you. Ask more questions and someone will 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 over 150,000 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 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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Teoni and welcome to the forum
The advice above is very good and you need especially to cut down on carbs and you may be able to become non diabetic with effort and luck. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope this will help you. Ask more questions and someone will 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 over 150,000 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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
lizzi51
Member
- Messages
- 23
- Type of diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Welcome. I'm in the same boat as you and am so glad I found this site. I've lost some weight, though I wasn't overweight, and my blood glucose readings seem OK although I'll have to wait a few months before the next HBA1C test to confirm this. My general health has improved, too, with lower blood pressure and more energy. The NHS only seem to give one test a year to prediabetics, which gives you plenty of time to either become fully diabetic or (if you follow the advice here) get yourself out of danger!
Thanks for all the advice, have decided to follow low carb diet and i could do with loosing a stone. I've just ordered a blood sugar monitor as suggested. I have to wait a year before my doctor tests me again.
