New to forum, A few questions

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.

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Kevsul said:

Hi All, I was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with diabetes, I have not asked, but i would presume type 2.
That is a reasonble assumption. What figures were you given? HbA1c is the key figure.
I am well overweight by 7 stone, I have now cut out sugar, I have not had any snacks such as crisps or Chocolate bars .

How did you get so overweight? Obviously you need a radical lifestyle change, which you have begun, so good marks so far.

I have 1 spoon in a cup of tea now, most is 3 cups a day, I have weetabix with silverspoon light in the morning, only 1 spoon full.

I am now taking a regular walk everyday, and soon will use the gym a little more soon on the be active program.

I am waiting for a referral from the GP to a nutrion & dietic,

I am after advice as to what foods will always be good to eat, I do not like vegetables
I like most fruit, what I am looking for is rough times of day to eat and what to eat, which will help bring the sugar level down, and also with the exercise lose some weight .

To pre-empt the dietitian, you will be told to eat starchy carbs like multi-grain bread, basmati rice, pasta ... in amounts that many diabetics find contribute to uncontrolled blood glucose, weight gain (or no weight loss), lethargy, & other problems. I followed their advice 8 years & suffered crippling muscle pains. A low carb diet has restored my active life.

Sue's post gives lots of good dietary advice. Some of us have found that while the combination of carbohydrates & fatty foods is unwise, (chips, bread & cheese, biscuits, etc) we can enjoy fatty foods without carbs. Cheese & nuts can be eaten on their own.

As you look around, you will gain knowledge which I hope you will be able to turn into a healthy lifestyle with good control of D.

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