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Newbie needing advice
- Thread starter Gemmy31
- Start Date
Guzzler
Master
- Messages
- 10,577
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hi there and welcome. Will tag @daisy1 for you who will post lots of info for newly diagnosed diabetics.
Browse the forum and look up the different diets members are using and think about buying a glucose meter which will show you how your blood glucose is reacting to the things you are eating. Best wishes.
Browse the forum and look up the different diets members are using and think about buying a glucose meter which will show you how your blood glucose is reacting to the things you are eating. Best wishes.
Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place. In some ways the advice is simple - buy yourself a meter and use it to find out what foods raise your blood glucose levels. Try to put in place an exercise regime to improve your insulin resistance if you are type 2 and test, test, test. We can generalize and suggest that most people find that bread, potatoes, rice and oatmeal all tend to raise blood sugars, vegetables that grow above ground, dairy products, oily fish and meat tend not to cause a large rise. We also know from experience that everyone is different and we all have to find our own way through the initial fog, but if we can do it you can too. View it as an exploration of your own body and you will learn something new everyday. Best wishes.
therower
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,922
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
@Gemmy31 . Welcome to the forum. At this point in time I would suggest you try not to get to stressed . Diabetes is manageable and controllable, problem is different types of diabetes demand different regimes and until you actually know your diagnosis and medication it's difficult to put a plan in action.
Once you get your diagnosis we can all help you.
Buying a meter is an option, but at this point in time will you know what to do with the information it gives you .
If you require insulin to treat then you will be prescribed a meter and test strips if you reside in the U.K.
If you have any questions continue to ask, the forum is great.
Keep us posted especially when you've seen the specialist.
Once you get your diagnosis we can all help you.
Buying a meter is an option, but at this point in time will you know what to do with the information it gives you .
If you require insulin to treat then you will be prescribed a meter and test strips if you reside in the U.K.
If you have any questions continue to ask, the forum is great.
Keep us posted especially when you've seen the specialist.
Gemmy31
Newbie
- Messages
- 4
Thanks a lot I do have a test meter and do test a lot by GP says that don't matter as my hb41ac level is extremely high , my last few Glucometer yes test were 2.7, 3.9, 4.5 and 4.9 , so think it's ok and just worried abt the hb41ac levels
Gemmy31
Newbie
- Messages
- 4
Thank you so much I will definitely try our your suggestions .
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@Gemmy31
Hello Gemmy and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to 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 well over 245,000 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 free 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
Hello Gemmy and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to 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 well over 245,000 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 free 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all 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.
Shazzle80
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 94
Hi Gemmy
I can't give any more advice than above, I can add I'm a type 1 diabetic and I find following a low gi diet works well for me in terms of co trolling sugars. You could try this until you get further support from your diabetes team. I will say that there blumming sugar in more than you think so just google carb values of everything!!
It's not an easy illness to understand initially, I bought a book called type 1 diabetes for dummy's and it was flipping mega!
I find this forum really supportive so post all you need to
I wish you luck as you begin your diabetes journey xx
I can't give any more advice than above, I can add I'm a type 1 diabetic and I find following a low gi diet works well for me in terms of co trolling sugars. You could try this until you get further support from your diabetes team. I will say that there blumming sugar in more than you think so just google carb values of everything!!
It's not an easy illness to understand initially, I bought a book called type 1 diabetes for dummy's and it was flipping mega!
I find this forum really supportive so post all you need to
I wish you luck as you begin your diabetes journey xx
