Newly diagnosed 6 weeks ago.

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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MichaelUK said:

Hello

Hiya everyone looking for some advice, newly diagnosed with Type 2 five weeks ago currently on one metformin 500mg twice a day and one simvastatin taken at night.
My blood sugar was 17.8 on my first blood test with doctor.

I feel knackered all the time, no energy whats so ever, sometimes i feel like i seem to be getting better but then the next day i am knocked for six again also suffering from headaches a couple of times a week.

The reason you are knackered is the high blood sugar levels you have. Get the levels down and you will not be so tired.

Changed my diet trying to cut out all sugars and processed foods, having more pasta and rice, lots more fruit and vegs, was wondering about the fruit i am having roughly two of the following each day, satsuma, bananna, apple and pears. could these be effecting my BS. The veg i am having varying from day to day are carrots, cabbage, peas, sweetcorn, some baked beans but not to much due to the sauce, salad veg.
Having porridge for breaksfast mixed with some seeds ands nuts. this is new to me never had breakfast before.

All the foods marked in red are quite high in carbs. This does not mean you can't eat them but it does mean you need to test to see the effect they have on your blood sugar levels and then adjust the portion sizes.

Been told by the doctor i do not need to test my BS until she see me again on 30 July for the next round of blood tests so i do not know where i am with my BS levels on a regular basis but have tested them a couple of times using my Father's test meter but can not do this every day due to me using up his test strips, can these be purchased without a presciption? and they show a little decrease on a morning at 13.8 which i know is still way to high.

You really need a meter of your own as this is the only way to find out which foods are affecting your blood sugar levels. Doctors tell you not to test to save costs on the NHS for the test strips ! :evil:

You can buy a meter in any chemist's, it is the meter strips that are expensive. Ask the chemist which test strips are likely to be prescribed in your area and,once you can show the doctor how pro-active you are in controlling your diabetes you MAY persuade her to prescribe them !

Sorry for such a long post and any spelling mistake finding it hard to concentrate this morning due to a headache.

Have you had your blood pressure checked out as well ? There are many reasons for headaches and that can be one of them.

Michael

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MichaelUK said:

Sugarless Sue

Thanks for the replys.

Yes i do have high blood pressure and high colestorel, but not taking anything for blood pressure yet.
I guess the doctor is thinking it will come down when i start losing weight.

Michael

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