Newly diagnosed & a bit confused

SarahEN said:

Thank you so much. It is my biggest concern tbh as I do not want to eat western food in thailand - far too expensive on a backpacker budget.

I orderes a BG monitor yesterday. I hadn't even considered getting one until it was kindly suggested on here.

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Hi @SarahEN! Well done on getting the bg meter.
I go to Thailand every January/February for 4 weeks to avoid the cold and dark of the UK winter.

It is quite easy to eat out in Thailand, and cheap if you eat Thai food. You can substitute rice and noodles with vegetable dishes - I like 'Morning Glory' a green veg also known as water spinach, usually stir fried.
Ramen soups are good, though usually made with rice noodles. I eat just soup for the first 10 days and lose 1 lb a day, and my bgs are usually in the 5s, sometimes 4s. You can buy soups everywhere, they are popular with Thai people and carts come round the streets selling pork and chicken soups for around 40 baht (about £1) a bowl. It is filling and you can add chilli if you like spicy food.
You can get some ideas for 'healthy' Thai food here:
https://www.self.com/story/8-registered-dietitian-approved-thai-takeout-picks

Shirataki noodles made from Konjac would be better than rice noodles. Shirataki noodles are available in Thailand but don't seem to be used in street cooking.

SarahEN said:

If I can't get off the Metformin prior to moving does anyone know how easy it is to obtain in Thailand? Its been my experience that its easy to get pretty much anything there except malaria tablets but don't want to assume!

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Metafornin is widely available without prescription at most pharmacies - don't buy from private hospitals as it will be expensive.
At pharmacies 500 mg Metafornin/Glucophage tablets can cost between 200 Baht (about £5.50) for 100 in big city pharmacies.
In other places it will cost as little as 90 Baht (£2.50) for 100 tablets, or you can buy a blister pack of 10 for around 22 Baht (45p).
The Slow Release version is available too, though probably not so widely. I don't know how much that costs.
I'm thinking of buying some to bring back if my GP doesn't prescribe it at my next HbA1c as I think I might be going back into the diabetic range.

Note that not all medications are easily available. I couldn't buy Thyroxene tablets over the counter, I was told I would need a prescription.

Calorie counting and a diet limited for 8 weeks would not be my preferred option. You need to understand what foods are causing your blood sugar levels to rise, and it's not rocket science, its carbs, especially processed carbs, and frequent eating. Choosing or more importantly, discarding the right food and drink, is more important and considerably easier than counting carbs during the day. So bin the cerials, bread, pasta, rice, fruit juices and soft drinks. Look for real wholefood and investigate LCHF and Keto diets. These pages are full of examples of long term diabetics who have reversed there disease on these diets, including myself.

SarahEN said:

So my BG monitor arrived an hour ago so I thought I'd do a 2 hrs after eating test. Though i don't have the pre food control to compare to Its come up at.5.9 mmol. Thats ok isn't it?

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Very good - what had you eaten?

SarahEN said:

Some chicken, a small amount of houmous (50g), carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, a few pieces serrano ham & some goats cheese.
The total carbs in everything was 13g.

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It obviously worked. At least now you will be able to see the affect that different foods have on your glucose levels - it can be quite an eye opener at times!

aealexandrou said:

Calorie counting and a diet limited for 8 weeks would not be my preferred option. You need to understand what foods are causing your blood sugar levels to rise, and it's not rocket science, its carbs, especially processed carbs, and frequent eating. Choosing or more importantly, discarding the right food and drink, is more important and considerably easier than counting carbs during the day. So bin the cerials, bread, pasta, rice, fruit juices and soft drinks. Look for real wholefood and investigate LCHF and Keto diets. These pages are full of examples of long term diabetics who have reversed there disease on these diets, including myself.

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I 'd agree fully there, @aealexandrou

not disparaging the ND/blood sugar diets per se, but they are in MY eyes its just a stepping stone to other diets.

and the ND/blood sugar diets are pretty extreme, and have the potential to deter anyone from moving forward.

My worries would be some people try it, hate the desperately low calories, turn off the idea and then just take the meds or worse.

I went straight to LC..then once happy added the LCHF element
essentially a slower weight loss admittedly, but reading up the body can block sudden effects, so maybe the sneaky way attracts less attention and gets to the goal easier,

Either way i do believe the LCHF is a more sustainable diet choice over many years
currently eating very well, less hunger and good food.

As for Thailand. @SarahEN

i have to say the METER is a Non negotiable item.

it really is what separates those who just take the meds and hope for the best,
from those who TAKE CONTROL and manage this disease.

Because how else will any one know how a certain food affects then WITHOUT testing..?

i went Thailand pre diabetic, BUT had same issues re India post Dx

Found while testing i could have some /limited rice
foods curries etc fine, and Nan while nice a little effect but roti almost none.
did test to check first few day then relaxed.

I suspect it was either
A) More relaxed less stress as on holiday
B) More exercise so walked further, but also had scooter 24/7 so maybe not
C) food was all cooked fresh so less preservatives

personally i think C..we ate out a lot, i was sensible and chose meats, less sauces, some curries, less rice and a one Roti max

For me going back to Thailand..salads, ribs, meats, and deffo chicken satay, watching the dips.
or buy in supermarkets and cook at home..then you are in control

also plenty of scorpions, crickets and tarantulas to chow on if you get bored of the usual fare.

*yep, one scorpion..(won't be happening again :***

So eat test and learn
just like you would do on a desert island..
small amounts until you know its safe then indulge
or Not safe..then avoid

see food can be an adventure also.

Good luck.
enjoy the year

Get any vacancies
Need some one to fill the inkwells, clean the board, fetch papers,
let us know..

SarahEN said:

Urgh. I spent 8 months in SE asia & I managed to avoid all the deep fried insects. Though i did get 'treated' to bbq'ed snake on new years eve in Cambodia. It was distinctly underwhelming

Re the low cal part of the diet -

i really think its not for everyone.

I went in to it so completely focused in kicking this condition & that kept me going through the 1st few weeks, which were so tough.

Its almost like I needed the threat of a serious health condition to get me to do what I had known i needed to do for ages - lose weight.

I think if you don't have GP support etc & a very understanding family it would be very very difficult to stick to.

Also, i've no idea so far if its actually worked at lowering my BS levels so could all have been for nothing!

Editedby Mod

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i would agree, from what i saw some of it look like they stole it from 'TENKO.'
but for those it suits and helps, all praise to it

and if your not sure if a foods or diets IS doing you good.
then that's when your 'eat to the meter' mantra kicks in, right.

It's like a speedometer for your food intake.
if you've got one you'll know exactly what certain foods do to you..

THAT is your safety net, that determines what you
*CAN eat,
*what you CAN'T eat.
*and what you should be careful of eating..( amount OR food type )

you'll see it all over the forum
"i can eat X amount of //"
"Oh no. that much makes me spiike "

we are all individual with our own complex little eco system inside us.
the meter is your Guide to Foods that suits YOU.
.
use it wisely and it will repay you many times over.

@SarahEN

Quite jealous of the fact you had that time there...

Thought the snake..:***:
does make me a little less jealous..

I’d agree about having as low a carb breakfast as possible or even fast a bit longer and wait til brunch or lunch.

Fruit is a problem. Not only can it have a lot of carbs (30 for a banana!) but the fructose is only processed by the liver and any excess stored in the liver potentially contributing to NAFLD making insulin resistant worse. A few berries, avocados and tomatoes are the only fruit many of us eat.

Think eggs, bacon, high meat sausages, full fat Greek yogurt (unflavoured), grain free granola (probably have to be homemade), chia seed porridge. Or leftovers. Doesn’t have to be traditional breakfast food.

See dietdoctor.com for ideas and info or ditchthecarbs.com and many others

Hi @SarahEN

not sure how long you've trying lchf, i guess not long. ?

@HSSS makes great sense with the food choices.
and i can see your well into that game plan..good on you.

For me the morning FBG took ages to drop.

Everyone says its the last number to fall.
and in my own experience i have to agree.

I know it's the BANG of glucose to get us up and started for the day,
but i wonder if the idea that Glucose is leaking out of the liver and into us overnight,
makes that Rise in the early days a little more understandable.

i tried to get a grip on the numbers early on, but i'll admit i struggled.
i needed something to SEE or UNDERSTAND for me to 'get' what was happening.

i now see us as full of sugar, ...and the high FBG numbers can worry people

From what i have read, i now see those early morning FBG being higher as a good thing.

it indicates to me, that while WE are putting LESS carbs into our body to be spread about as Glucose
Our body is slowly using up and leaking out some of that stored previously
so our Glucose Tank, for want of a better word, slowly drops over time

which IS the goal, to balance our intake, with our needs, AND reactions to the foods that we take in..
and how else do we unload the stored glucose, that has stuffed into every orifice in our bodies, over many years, BEFORE we got diagnosed as Type 2..( fat or Thin T2's) ?

It doesn't happen overnight, but over time,

Many have seen those FBG's drop, their HBA1c settle at lower levels,
but i think more importantly are now better aware of what foods are best for them,
so in the majority of cases, keep a much more settled BG level through out each week/ month.

Mine dropped from the 9's..then plataue'd
then dropped from the 8's then plataue'd...etc

not sure if that experience is typical, but it's got me, one year later to the point
where my FBG is back among the 5's..(life will elevate that, holidays were i relaxed my diet, pushed that back up to low 6's
so had to get back to my new normal regime, and wait a while before that stabilised for me again.)

It took me time to Understand what was happening and how to treat THIS T2, the best way for ME
and to get more comfortable with what was 'UUGGHH :***: ' at the lack of food choices (i thought ) vailable to me.

The Forum was ESSENTIAL to that journey, and all it's wonderful contributors.

Now i find foods to eat very easy, practical and enjoyable.
with the added bonus i KNOW they are doing me good

Long answer, just wanted to share that the journey does have a happy ending
and not all the numbers are as scary as they look at first.

best wishes.
(top tip. Less snakes, More steaks }..

SarahEN said:

Ok thank you. Sounds like I'm on the right lines. I typically have full fat greek yogurt, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds & flaxseeds most mornings. I often add 50g of blackberries or raspberries but perhaps i should knock them on the head. Thats the only fruit I eat now, except tomatoes, which i limit as well. There are a terrifying amount of hidden carbs in food!

Have been avoiding bacon recently along with all other processed meat but will think about potentially having that occasionally.

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Now you’ve got your meter you can test for berries. I usually have Greek yoghurt, ground flaxseeds and blueberries or raspberries for my breakfast.

SarahEN said:

Hi Pauline

If you google blood sugar diet you can find the site (i would post it but for some reason it won't let me!)

There is also a book you can buy which talks you through it & a recipe book.

The basic principles are for 8 weeks eat 800 calories a day, avoid simple carbs, even the wholewheat versions. Have a very small amount of legumes (lentils, beans) and quinoa. Eat lots of green leafy veg & a very small amount of fruit. Oil, nuts & seeds are all fine in moderation. Full fat diary is also good in moderation.

If you still have weight to lose after 8 weeks you stop counting calories 5 days a week, but obviously keep to the basic principles. 2 days a week you do 800 cals a week. Its known as the 5:2 diet.

Once at your goal weight you maintain both your heathly weight & blood sugar levels by sticking to the principles of avoiding simple carbs & eating high protein & healthy fats.

Its a bit of a mindset change if like me you've done every low fat diet going over the years & have been told that less than 1200 cals is starvation mode & you won't lose weight.

I should stress I'm only 7 weeks in so I haven't had a HC1A retest yet - i have no idea if my blood sugar levels are down yet. I do know.I have lost more weight than I ever have in such a short time period & i feel a million times better.

My GP seems to be quite well informed on the new research & had actually tried the diet herself. She also got both her pre diabetic parents to follow it & they both dropped back into the normal range.

But, don't do it without researching, there are certain medical conditions that exclude you from being able to do it.

Good luck

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Thank you so much will research xx