Newbie

Hello Kirst and welcome. You have come to the right place for help and support from friendly, knowledgeable people. Good luck with your journey

Hello Kirst and welcome to the forum

Contrary to what you have been told, you do need a meter and testing strips. That way, if you test before a meal then 2 hours after, you can see the effect different foods have on your levels. A Codefree meter would be the best one to buy as the strips are the cheapest.

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like 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 over 100,000 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

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.

CaptainKirst said:

Hello!

I have been lurking on here for the past week or so and decided I should probably join and say Hello. So Hello *waves*

I was diagnosed with type 2 on 28/10/14 - Not likely to forget it - ended up crying all over the nurse. I felt terrible anger and guilt with myself, I am vastly overweight and it's been a problem for a while - but ever optimistic I thought 'I have time' - never going to tell myself that again. I have just turned 32.

I found my blood tests hard to understand but think I have got my head round them now - I had a fasting blood of 7.2 and the hba1c was 45 (6.3) - If I am right (and I am sure someone can tell me) - the fasting blood puts me in the 'diabetic' category and the other one 'nearly' - so to speak. I now know that my father also has diabetes (type 2) - long story.

I have been told not to purchase a blood testing kit? does that sound right? That I don't need pills and obviously need to get my weight under control - which I have made good progress with this past week They also found my blood pressure to be high and have just put me on Ramipril 2.5 - I am hoping with weight loss this will rectify itself but happy that its been spotted.

I had no idea that I had diabetes - I went in to the doctors just feeling below par and very tired. I wasn't excessively urinating or thirsty (the stuff the google machine throws at you). I kept thinking I was having the start of a cold but it never came to anything.

After the initial shock, I now feel, I have been given a chance to sort myself out and I am grateful that I am being monitored.

Kirst
x

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Hi Kirst and welcome,

For goodness sake don't beat yourself up about this being your fault. It isn't. End of story. Plenty of thin people are diagnosed as T2.

Daisy is right. Ignore the NHS rubbish about not getting a meter. You need one, otherwise how can you learn what your body can or can't cope with as regards sugar and carbs. We are all different, and you can learn what portions of various foods you can or can't manage. Once you get one, if you do, you can come back for advice on how best to use it.

You are lucky. You have been caught early before things have become too drastic. A bit of effort on your part and you can keep this well under control. Lose weight, reduce carbs, cut out sugar, and you will be there! The weight loss will also help with the blood pressure.

Keep reading, keep posting, ask questions. We are all here to help.

Hi and welcome. Yes, a meter is an essential piece of kit for us. At your only slightly raised blood sugar level you won't need to test very often really just to see the effect of different foods 2 hours after a meal. Yes, you must reduce the carbs to get the weight down. Set yourself a starter level of, say, 150gm/day and take it from there. I'm surprised the nurse didn't prescribe Metformin which most of us are on. It does help in particular if you are overweight. The right diet should get your weight and sugar down without it.

Daibell said:

Hi and welcome. Yes, a meter is an essential piece of kit for us. At your only slightly raised blood sugar level you won't need to test very often really just to see the effect of different foods 2 hours after a meal. Yes, you must reduce the carbs to get the weight down. Set yourself a starter level of, say, 150gm/day and take it from there. I'm surprised the nurse didn't prescribe Metformin which most of us are on. It does help in particular if you are overweight. The right diet should get your weight and sugar down without it.

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Metformin isn't licenced for GP's to prescribe to pre-diabetics.

Bluetit1802 said:

Metformin isn't licenced for GP's to prescribe to pre-diabetics.

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She was diagnosed with type 2. I think she should get metformin, or at least she should ask about it.

NoCrbs4Me said:

She was diagnosed with type 2. I think she should get metformin, or at least she should ask about it.

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Yes you are right. I was looking at the HbA1c result of 45, which is not diabetic. She is very border line, and we all know how unreliable FBG tests are! It could well be she has just slipped over the line recently.

Welcome to the forum Captain

Hi there and welcome

Hi Cap. If you are borderline you may be better to try diet only. If I missed something someone tell me.

this is too difficult two said:

Hi Cap. If you are borderline you may be better to try diet only. If I missed something someone tell me.

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I agree.

CaptainKirst said:

Thanks for all your replies. The way it was explained to me was that at 6.3(HbA1c) I wouldnt need pills unless I was a 7.0..... Now I know which test they were talking about, at the time I didn't understand a thing..haha .

Think I am borderline but perhaps the family history has tipped the balance. Sounds strange to say that I don't mind, I feel like, at least I'm in the system being checked and trying to sort myself out- rather than leaving it until further down the track.

Loving this website.....a wealth of info. My diabetic leaflet from the doctors was dated 2005...surely things change?

Kirst
X

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The 2005 leaflet won't be any different now! The NHS is way behind times with diabetes management.

hi, this will keep you busy for a few hours
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm
http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/carbohydrate-restriction-an-option-for-diabetes-management

blood testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
food counting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Newcastle diet aims in 8+ weeks to mimic or better the rate of ~80% remission, for surgery T2
“It is now clear that Type 2 diabetes is caused by abnormal fat storage. Research on how this may be reversed is available. “click that link on this page http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2010/mar/weight-loss-surgery-and-type-2-diabetes.html

American diabetic association ( http://www.professional.diabetes.org/)
http://www.professional.diabetes.org/admin/UserFiles/0 - Sean/dc132042 FINAL.pdf
Evidence is inconclusive for an ideal amount of total fat intake for people with diabetes;
therefore, goals should be individualized; fat quality appears to be far more important than quantity.
In people with type 2 diabetes, a Mediterranean-style, MUFA-rich eating pattern may benefit
glycemic control and CVD risk factors and can therefore be recommended as an effective alternative to a lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate eating pattern.


SD codefree meter
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
if you buy extra boxes of strips there is a discount code
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833