Hello everyone,
Just got told a few days ago I'm type 2 and my blood was at 52 and the normal is somewhere between 36-41 or something along those lines.
Since then my GP has game me leaflets describing what to eat. The obvious ones to lose weight reduce portion size, smaller plate etc...
But then the rest is confusing just based on other diets ive read online.
So the leaflet from GP with BDA fact sheet - Include some carbs (wholegrain, fruit veg, low fat milk, low fat yoghurt)
Reduce intake of Cheese, butter, processed meats and pastry.
swap meat for beans pulses lentils...
sugar can be eaten but dont overdo it.
However then i've read some other things - High fat is good for blunting the glucose spike when eaten with carbs.. so eat high fat
Gow low carb and they also ear meats.
Just hoping someone could give me an idea of what i should be aiming to do as im making a shopping list tonight and a bit confused by it all.
Thanks
52 isn't the end of the world. That's only just outside of the pre-diabetic range. We have a habit of thinking in absolutes: you either have diabetes or you don't. The way I see it these days, it's more of a spectrum. At one end, you have people with perfect blood sugar management, regardless of what they eat, and on the other, people whose blood sugar is several times what it should be, unless they heavily medicate and moderate their diet.
A meter will give you snapshots at specific times. UK general medical advice is to stay below 8.5 mmol/l at all times, except for within 2 hours after a meal, when you're allowed to exceed that. Bear in mind that it's possible for a non-diabetic to go as high as 11 for a short time, after a heavy carb meal. In an ideal world, you'll want it to settle around the 4's and 5's. But it's also worth considering that someone who averages 6.5 mmol/l through meter testing probably won't get diagnosed as even pre-diabetic on an A1c test.
A Libre sensor will give you a better overall view, including how high food 'spikes' you within that 2 hour window, and whether it continues to affect your levels for more than 2 hours after. If you're really curious as to how your body responds to different foods, it can be worth the investment.
Frustratingly, blood sugar monitoring is very hit and miss. Allowed tolerances mean a genuine blood sugar level of 6 mmol/l can read as low as 5.1 or as high as 6.9. I've run 2 meters and a Libre simultaneously, and they don't agree. You can take 2 samples from the same finger with the same meter, back to back, and get substantially different results.
In your shoes, I'd buy a meter and eat as you were for a few days, to get an idea of what your bloods normally are and what spikes you (bread is the absolute killer for me.) Then adjust your diet to minimise carbohydrate (not just sugar) and see if it brings your numbers down. Starting from 52, you only really need to reduce your figures by about 25% to get back into the normal range.
I believe you're entitled to an A1c test every 6 months, so if your GP fobs you off with testing annually, I suggest you press for more frequent tests. Get the A1c result down into the 30s to low 40s, and you don't really have much to worry about. I halved mine from 76 to 39 without meds, just cutting out most carbs.