Unicornfairy2002
Newbie
- Messages
- 1
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hi I have just been informed I am close to developing type 2 diabetes and I don’t know if I can do it as I struggle with food diets
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New to me
- Thread starter Unicornfairy2002
- Start Date
dpoet
Active Member
- Messages
- 34
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I was pre-diabetic for five years, now been diagnosed type 2.
Lots of knowledgeable people on here will give great advice.
Any problems us new pre and diabetics have, these people have dealt with.
You came to the right place, I've learned a lot in less than a week.
Lots of knowledgeable people on here will give great advice.
Any problems us new pre and diabetics have, these people have dealt with.
You came to the right place, I've learned a lot in less than a week.
Kittycat_7_
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 492
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Caeseji
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 658
- Location
- Hull
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Self-fellating idiots that don't at all look at other people's views
I'll say from my experience that it is hard to get yourself into a diet which is why shifting to a way of eating mindset is really key. Plus the fact the low carb route usually includes a lot of really good tasting food makes you feel less deprived really.
JoKalsbeek
Expert
- Messages
- 6,724
- Location
- The Netherlands
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
You can do it. It takes some getting used to, but with a few adjustments in your diet, you'll be fine. Check dietdoctor.com for meal ideas; I think you'll find there's a whole world of amazing foods out there that will get out out of the pre-diabetic range and actually taste good at the same time. Just remember it's something you have to stick with... If you go back to the old way of eating the insulin-resistance'll return too. Just tweak a few things... Cut the spuds, add more above-ground veggies for instance. Go for meat, fish, eggs/dairy. Have extra helpings of those rather than adding rice or pasta. order burgers without the bun, add bacon and cheese and whatever. It's just switching out stuff, not per se eating less or downright starving yourself. Just eating other things than you usually would. I mean... Eggs with bacon and cheese sound good? Because that's a wonderful way to start your day. Practically no carbs, and filling 'till noon and possibly beyond. It's a bit of a puzzle at first, but.... I'd give anything to be in your shoes right now. I didn't know I was prediabetic for years, while it was in my medical file, no-one bothered to let me know. I could've tackled it before I became properly diabetic, could've known what the problem was and why I was gaining weight in spite of doing exactly what my dietician told me. (Cut fats, add carbs... The exact opposite of what I should be doing.). You'll be okay. Just read up, learn and avoid this whole T2 business for as long as possible, maybe even indefinitely.
Breathe. You'll be fine.
Jo
Shas3
Well-Known Member
As others have said... some discipline and some tweaks are enough to keep things under control without drastic changes / deprivation etc. Cut sugar, white flour (breads, pastas), rice etc. and go a bit higher on good full fats. Regular physical activity... doesn’t have to be extreme... just staying active but very consistently. And if you can get a meter and measure and record consistently your sugar levels, it goes a long way in helping to manage. Knowledge is power is absolutely true... i have learnt tremendously from the forum here than from my doctor
Prem51
Expert
Welcome to the forum @Unicornfairy2002. Well done on deciding to take action now to avoid becoming fully diabetic. I wish I had. 'Dieting' can be difficult to maintain, but adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating should be easier as it usually means you don't feel hungry.
Read @Daisy 1's information when she posts it and have a read round the forum to see how lchf works and ask any questions you want to.
It's useful to get a blood glucose meter to test how different foods affect your blood glucose. I use a TEE2+ which has among the lowest priced testing strips. You can order the meter here: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/
and the testing strips here: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/
Read @Daisy 1's information when she posts it and have a read round the forum to see how lchf works and ask any questions you want to.
It's useful to get a blood glucose meter to test how different foods affect your blood glucose. I use a TEE2+ which has among the lowest priced testing strips. You can order the meter here: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/
and the testing strips here: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@Unicornfairy2002
Hello 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 helpful.
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 600,000 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:
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
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 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.
Hello 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 helpful.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 600,000 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
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
- 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 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.
