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New T2 - starting to change 55yrs of bad habits

Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.


HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews if you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check-out, you’ll get the meter free. So total cost for meter + 5 x 50 strips will be £31.76.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

Links to the strips and the meter for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively.

Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

Discount codes for the Code Free strips

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833



SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793

with the strips found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097

Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:

Phone number 0800 8815423


With more expensive strips is their Caresens Dual, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.

Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

As always @Rachox a most informative piece, not sure if it's recently uodated ?.
I may have overlooked it previous times, but good to see the code (dcuk) makes the meter free

I did call up myself, explained I'd broken old one, and looking to update .

Great service from home health
An order of strips and meter was free.

But good to see it's now there for newbies, without the worry of an awkward conversation .

By the way
Very happy with the navii

Needs less blood then the codefree to read BG
So fewer errors....Win Win
 
Last edited:
Update:

So, 6mths after my diagnosis I had a call from the GP to talk about my high cholesterol - no mention of diabetes.

When I said I'm more interested in HbA1c, she rustled some papers and said I was non-diabetic with an HbA1c of 40



I am really pleased - in remission within 6 months!

I've lost a couple of stone - still got to lose about 6cm from my belly circumference but I'm heading in right direction.

Low carb plus no meals 8pm til 1pm plus a more walking and gentle cycling.

I'm amazed that I've never felt hungry once and love having cream in my coffee instead of sugar.

If any newly diagnosed type 2 is reading this and feeling overwhelmed - it's OK. There's a lot to take in, but it is possible to make big changes is a relatively short space of time.

A big thanks to those of you who helped me in my early days - you don't know how much you helped - thank you.
 
Ps...

Cholesterol:
HDL up, TryGlc down, LDL up, total up.
All in all I'm so very less concerned with Cholesterol if my insulin/blood sugar is coming under control
Hdl and triglycerides both in the right direction. Shame the gp didn’t recognise that. Ldl disputable for predictive value at best and depends a lot on particle size which they don’t usually measure.
 
Hdl and triglycerides both in the right direction. Shame the gp didn’t recognise that. Ldl disputable for predictive value at best and depends a lot on particle size which they don’t usually measure.
Yep, I've been reading up on how the LDL can change and the difference between Pattern A (more 'healthy' LDL, less risk) and Pattern B (more damaged LDL, high risk) distribution of particle size.

Although LDL particle size is not measured in the standard blood test, you can get an insight by looking at the ratio of Tryglyceride to HDL. Using that, it looks like I was Pattern B (increased risk) and am now in the zone between Patterns A and B. So heading in the right direction.
 
Hi cheekturner, welcome
10 years ago I was diagnosed with hba1c 53 same as you. Its not that high, no idea why you have been prescribed metformin. Fortunately I ignored all the advice from Gp and diabetic nurses. Did research, found this forum. I self manage still. best thing ever is a blood glucose monitor. Still diet controlled. Low carb, is best way to go.
At the moment its not plain sailing for me, as my carb intake has risen, so I am trying to keep a cap on it. it is difficult when surrounded by carbs, both in work and at home.

Good luck
 
Hi, eating more fibre, i.e. vegetables, can also help reduce cholesterol. The fibre speeds up how quickly the liver removes cholesterol from the blood because the liver uses the cholesterol in the bile that coats the fibre as it moves through the gut.
 
Hi, eating more fibre, i.e. vegetables, can also help reduce cholesterol. The fibre speeds up how quickly the liver removes cholesterol from the blood because the liver uses the cholesterol in the bile that coats the fibre as it moves through the gut.
Low carb is high fibre, It depends on the origins of the fibre,
 
Hi everybody

please excuse my ignorance as I have only been diagnosed on friday. Only spoken to my gp on the phone and I have an appointment booked with the nurse a week on monday. All I've been told is in type 2 and my level was 51, should be below 48?
The gp has ordered a script for metformin and spoke about my dket, but that the nurse would speak with me in depth. I hate putting medication in my body so if can reverse this thing by diet and exercise I'm 100% up for that cha!lenge. I'm 64 next month and probably around a stone and a bit overweight. I'm 13st at the minute and going to aim for 11.5st
any advice will be very much appreciated
 
Hi Poolie, you will receive some great advice and support. what ever you do, do not worry too much, because this is new so the more you learn, the more you are in control. Do not whatsoever let them make you do stuff you do not want to do. Gp and nurses that is.
your level is only 51. it wont be much of a challenge for it to come down, the challenge will be telling the Gp and Nurse, telling them that you will not be taking metformin. There seems to be a trend for newly diagnosed T2 to go straight on to metformin, instead of dietary changes and other alterations.
Plus if they tell you, you need to have carbs, don't.
Drop your carbs, then your levels will, drop, that is it. All you need to do, simple. your weight will drop. If you want to become fitter, then become more active, take up a sport you enjoyed, that is what I did. I took up walking football when I was 50, after I was diagnosed at 49yrs. (I have been trying it work out the time frame) I became so much fitter, my levels and weight dropped and stayed put for 10 yrs and still diet controlled. Yes my weight and levels fluctuate, that is only because of consuming more carbs than I can tolerate.
Please buy a monitor, this is the only tool to stay in control of your diabetes and not the HbA1c. All you need to do is, test before you eat and 2 hours after first bite, simple. if your spike is too high after 2 hours, all it means you have eaten something that you cannot tolerate. That will be the carbs, even the so called healthy carbs, (complex Carbs) these are not your friend, so kick them out of the ballpark.

Carbs are replaced through having fats instead. They will give you so much energy, you won't know what to do with it. (I have more energy than my counterparts who are half of my age and that is after a 12 hour shift in a nursing home) and this will assist you in losing weight. you will be relying on fats for energy and become fat adapted.

Remove carbs from your meals: Rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, veg grown underground such as carrots, swedes and so on as these are very high in carbs. Tropical fruit; pineapple, bananas, grapes, oranges and so on. These are your enemies not very diabetic friendly. By the way there is no such thing as slow releasing carbs either, a carb is a carb and it will raise your levels quickly.

things to eat, endless list and they are more pact in the vitamins than those listed above: All your greens, Brussel sprouts, kale, spinich, cabbage, tomatoes, cougettes, aubaugines, mushrooms and so on. all salads, olives, avecodo's, eggs, cheese, yogurt but not low fat rubbish. 5g in 100g of carbs is your baseline in your products. Fish, all meats even sausages, (look at the meat content, the higher the better, fewer filler) bacon.
fruit any thing with the word berry in it is fine.

cereals such as weetabix and porridge, are a no, no some people can tolerate a small portion, how ever for you, I would leave them out for now.
you won't starve.

Hope this helps and good luck
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