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Newly diagnosed

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storryvickster

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Hi everyone,
I am newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (HBa1c 12.3) I am quite scared about it but not surprised>>>> my Dad had it.
My GP has decided in his wisdom to keep me on diet only for the time being, I have had no symptoms to speak of and weigh in at around 11stone 12lbs, at 5ft 6ins I suppose I could do with losing a stone or so, oh and I am 61 years old and reasonably fit. my question is is it possible to reduce my levels by diet only, I have what you would probably call a Mediterranean diet, plenty of fish,chicken salads and veg and fruit, nothing fried, minimal fats as I have gall-stones, but have to say I am a carb addict.... pasta, rice, potatoes, breads , cakes, chocolate, biscuits, you name it I love it! Fizzy drinks I also love and my one weakness is full sugar Ribena, I am however tee total! If I cut out all or most of these lovely things and just leave some good carbs (I am trying to have no more than 30g to 40g of carbs per meal) could I successfully lower my sugar levels to avoid medications, thank you for being here, my GP and surgery have not been much help!
 
You were doing great until I read carb addict :roll: yes its the pasta rice , potatoes and bread that are high in carbs, the cakes, biscuits high sugar ribena and fizzy drinks high in sugar. If you could cut right down and cut out the bread, cakes and biscuits, especially the sugar ribena then your BS I would imagine would go right down. If you could get yourself a blood counter and see what your BS is after eating (2hours after) and how what you have eaten has affected your BS. I can eat a small portion of spag bol some diabetics can't. Eat person is different as to what they can eat and how it effects their blood sugar. The only way to see is to test yourself after eating.
Best of luck and hope it all works out for you
Sue
 
Hi storryvisckster and welcome to the best Diabetes forum. Well most of us members think that anyway, :D

It looks like you have worked out which items in your diet need to be looked at. I too was a carb junkie and by cutting out as much as I could have reduced my Blood glucose levels and also, as a happy side effect caused me to lose well over 4st since January.

Daisy will be along soon to give you some information that you may find useful but the main thing I would advise, as Sue has already said, is to get a BG meter and test which, and what amount of, carbohydrate you can eat, however I can definitely predict that the fizzy drinks and full sugar Ribena will be something you will need to give up. Don't despair though 'cause there are alternatives for nearly everything you may have to give up. Our Low Carb diet section is fantastic with a wealth of information. :D
 
Hi storryvickster and welcome to the forum :)
Here is some information that we give to new members, which, among other things, emphasises the importance of cutting down carbs and testing. Ask all the questions you want as there is always someone here 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 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Click to expand...
 
Hi again,
Thanks to all who replied, it's amazing to have a bit of support, I know what I should do, but it helps so much to know that one is not 'alone' so to speak, my GP says not to test, but surely it would help to know if anything in particular spikes your blood sugars, I shall get one, which is the best one to buy, and how do I know what levels I should be considering my high HB1ac of 12.3, I have been using urine diastix and already after 3 weeks of keeping to my diet am seeing readings of 5 instead of 20 which is midway on the colour chart , as you can tell I am very confused, and would be grateful for further assistance. :? :?
 
Hi storryvickster! Yes, you can do it. My friend went from 11.7 to 5.8 in 3 months on diet only. Here's what i said to him, and yes, you need to test DEFINITELY:-
"In general terms you will need to reduce the total number of carbohydrates you eat per day. All carbohydrates turn to sugar when we eat them, and no type 2 diabetic on diet only, or on diet and metformin only, can control their blood sugars (BGs) without controlling their carb intake. Even those on strong medication normally choose to control their carb intake to keep the level of medication they take down. The total number of carbs per day you can eat depends on how advanced your diabetes is. It’s perhaps worth starting at about 50% of normal levels for a non-diabetic then adjusting up or down according to how you get on. So that means eating 150 grams of carbs per day for a man, 125 for a woman. You can read the total carb content of food under “nutritional info” on the packet or wrapping, or look it up on the internet for loose food. Just google “carb content..”
You also need to stop or reduce the bad carbs; that is the starchy ones that make your BG go up quickly.
So obviously no sugar or glucose! But also no white bread, white rice, pasta, flour products like pastry, cake and batter. You can eat a little basmati rice, wholewheat pasta or the tri-color pasta fusilli ones in small quantities. Boiled new potatos (again not too many) are OK but not old pots mashed, boiled or in their jackets. (Roast is not so bad, the fat slows their absorption and conversion to glucose in the blood) Amongst other veg, parsnips are about the worst for BG, and carrots not great but ok in smaller amounts.
Multi grain bread (not wholemeal) is not SO bad, but lots of us eat Burgen soya and linseed bread from tescos and sainsburys, although all bread should be in limited amounts.
All fruit has carbohydrates, and needs to be included in the amounts of carbs you eat in a day. For most people, bananas are about the worst for pushing our BG up and berries (like strawberries, raspberries etc) are the least bad.
No sweeties!
Exercise is important. I tend to exercise about an hour after eating when I know my BG will be peaking. This helps to bring it down quicker and further. I do ten minutes hard work on an exercise machine, but you could run up and down stairs for ten minutes or go for a brisk walk.
Returning to types of food and quantities of carbs - you can only find out how many you can eat by testing. Most type 2’s are not given access to testing equipment, so you should get your own – although try arguing with your Doc that you want to manage to NICE guideline blood sugar levels, and can’t do that without testing! If you have to buy a meter, they are cheap and most manufacturers will give them away for free. They make their money on the strips you have to use! So go for the meter with the cheapest testing strips. The SD Codefree available on the internet is about the cheapest at the moment. Some people test before and after eating, on waking (fasting test) and before bed. But if you have limited strips because of cost, the key to me is testing 2 hours after eating. If your BG is above, say, 7.8 at that stage, you need to cut down on the carb content the next time you have that meal. Test after various different meals and you soon get to see a pattern of what you can and can’t eat, and in what quantities. Keep careful records of what you ate and when, together with the result, so you can refer back at a later date. You can then reduce your testing. I said “below, say, 7.8” because NICE guidelines are below 8.5 but most of us think that’s a little high. 7.8 is the max. level at 2 hours after eating that a non-diabetic normally gets to so is perhaps a better target. Some then set progressively lower targets.
Do ask lots of questions; there is normally an answer on here. The more you get to learn about your diabetes, the better it will be."
Good luck!
 
Thanks so much Grazer, so if I am testing high, do I reduce my carbs down further, I am having between 30-40g per meal, I have had probably 70 g before evening meal, so after dinner have a few left over usually, sorry to appear a bit dense, but can't seem to understand that if the hb1ac test was so high, how will my blood sugars come down after low-carbing for only three weeks? :?
 
It takes a while for your BGs to settle down, so stick at it. Your HbA1c result reflects what your BGs have been over the last few months, so your aim is to gradually get your BGs down so your next test shows a better average. If you are too high after a meal, just have a few less carbs in that meal the next time you eat the same, or look at changing the TYPE of carbs - the starchy ones are worse for raising your BGs quickly. Keep carefulo notes of all your test results so you can look back at what happened and decide what is a good diet for you. Look at changing WHEN you have your carbs as well. I can eat loads in the morning, but can't have many by tea-time. Most others seem to be not able to have many in the morning (so have eggs, ham etc) but are better later.
It will become easier. Just keep testing and adjusting. Experiment with different things at different times. And keep asking us questions, we don't mind!!
 
Thanks, things are a bit clearer, I am determined to get those levels down, I don't know what I would have done without your help. :D
 
Are you sure about the HbA1c result? 12.3% translates to an average blood glucose level of around 20mmol, and I amazed that your GP is even considering treating this by diet alone. I was diagnosed with a 7.2% (average level around 10mmol) and my GP wanted to start me on medication.
 
sugarmog said:
Are you sure about the HbA1c result? 12.3% translates to an average blood glucose level of around 20mmol, and I amazed that your GP is even considering treating this by diet alone. I was diagnosed with a 7.2% (average level around 10mmol) and my GP wanted to start me on medication.
Click to expand...

Probably was a correct HbA1c figure. It's not at all unusual for almost any level to be treated with diet only for 3 months. As I mentioned earlier, my friend had an HbA1c of 11.7% on diagnosis, and went to 5.8 in 3 months on diet only.
The medocation you were put on is probably metformin? Some doctors put all their diabetic patients on that straight away regardless of A1c as it's a good preventative against cardio vascular episodes. And that's not a bad thing. I'm on it by request for this reason, even though I initially got my A1c down to 5.9 on diet only; i wanted the extra cardio protection. In the USA, many doctors prescribe it for pre-diabetics. But it doesn't do much at all for blood sugar levels (about 2mmol at the most off peaks on maximum dose is estimated) so A1cs in double figures still have to be tackled mainly by diet.
Metformin is also often prescribed regardless of A1c if you are overweight as it is a hunger suppressant.
 
Hi, the first figure was 111>>> I believe this is mmols, translated into 'old money as it were was 12.3, I only know what I was told being new to all this. Whilst I am on here again I would like to ask another question........ since I am carb counting, do I count the total carb content of the food including (of which are sugars) and the fibre, say if the total carb content is 18g and the of which are sugars are 9, is this bad and do I avoid, or can I have it because its the total carb content which counts, as you can see I am very unsure? Thankyou again to all who reply. :(
 
For now, I would suggest you focus on the total carb count. The "of which sugars" can be confusing and doesn't neccesarily mean it's worse than other things. For instance, mashed potatos have virtually no "of which sugars" but won't half send your BG up!
 
Thanks Grazer, I am sure I will get the hang of it eventually, it seems so strange having to think about the food you eat all the time, instead of just going to the fridge or cupboard and eating what you fancy.......... I suppose once you get used to it everything will become habit. It sure gives a whole new meaning to 'you are what you eat'. Just going up the lane for the second dog walk of the day, the dog thinks it's Christmas, bless him!!! :lol:
 
Hehe, it will be just like Christmas when you get this all under control and see the result with the next or next after that hba1c test.

GL mate.
 
Thanks, you have just got to laugh, things always look better!! No doubt I will be back when I have purchased my new toy (BG monitor) Ha Ha :thumbup:
 
storryvickster said:
Thanks, you have just got to laugh, things always look better!! No doubt I will be back when I have purchased my new toy (BG monitor) Ha Ha :thumbup:
Click to expand...

A BG monitor is not a toy! It's a serious piece of medical equipment!

(Make sure you get one with lots of flashing lights and buttons and stuff :thumbup: )
 
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