Paulnorthants
Newbie
- Messages
- 2
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I have just downloaded this app. As I found out yesterday I have type 2. 
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Paul, newbie.
- Thread starter Paulnorthants
- Start Date
C
catherinecherub
Guest
Hi @Paulnorthants and welcome to the forum.
I have moved your post to this section so that you can introduce yourself and ask any questions that you may have.
@daisy1 will be along soon to give you some basic information that will be helpful.
It is a shock to be diagnosed and leaves us all confused. With the help of the forum things will become clearer and you will not feel alone.
I have moved your post to this section so that you can introduce yourself and ask any questions that you may have.
@daisy1 will be along soon to give you some basic information that will be helpful.
It is a shock to be diagnosed and leaves us all confused. With the help of the forum things will become clearer and you will not feel alone.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@Paulnorthants
Hello Paul and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will 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 140,000 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 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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Paul and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will 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 140,000 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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
- Messages
- 5,236
- Location
- Worthing, UK.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi Paul and welcome to the forum. Hope you find it useful.
Paulnorthants
Newbie
- Messages
- 2
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi there Simon, I am trying to get my head around it. Didn't realise how much sugar was in everything, it opens your eyes to it. Where in Northants you from. I live in Kettering.ello paulinnorthants! im si from northants as well,,,im type 2 for the last 6 months,,it does get easier
JTL
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,418
- Location
- North Wales.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Litterbugs war mongers hate mongers propagandists.
I'm sure there's more.
Hello Paul.
The sugar in everything came as a bit of a shock to me too.
A little research shows that sugar is a drug and possibly more damaging than amphetamine.
The people who are pushing this stuff are very sneaky and very clever.
Last edited by a moderator:
JTL
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,418
- Location
- North Wales.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Litterbugs war mongers hate mongers propagandists.
I'm sure there's more.
‘You don’t need added sugar in diet... it has no nutritional value’
Why do you say Big Sugar is the new Big Tobacco and that it is worse?
There are many comparisons to be made with the sugar and tobacco industry. Both are financially and politically very powerful and as we are learning the sugar industry is using tactics similar to the tobacco industry in resisting any control or regulation to reduce population consumption. We mustn't forget that It took 50 years from when the first studies linking smoking and lung cancer were made before any effective regulation was introduced because Big Tobacco engaged in a corporate strategy that involved planting denial, planting doubt, confusing the public and even buying the loyalty of scientists. But Tobacco was avoidable and they didn't target children unlike the food industry that spends billions in marketing targeting the most vulnerable members of society.
How does Big Sugar target children? How can this be regulated/stopped?
The government should introduce regulation to ban junk food advertising to children including the internet.These mult-billion dollar companies are able to over-power positive health messages, with the odds stacked very much against public health. Their ONLY interest is profit. Doctors' interest is to protect your health. For every £1 the World Health Organisation spends in preventing diseases caused by unhealthy eating, the food industry spends £500 in marketing junk food.
More here ..... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...no-nutritional-value/articleshow/29275239.cms
Why do you say Big Sugar is the new Big Tobacco and that it is worse?
There are many comparisons to be made with the sugar and tobacco industry. Both are financially and politically very powerful and as we are learning the sugar industry is using tactics similar to the tobacco industry in resisting any control or regulation to reduce population consumption. We mustn't forget that It took 50 years from when the first studies linking smoking and lung cancer were made before any effective regulation was introduced because Big Tobacco engaged in a corporate strategy that involved planting denial, planting doubt, confusing the public and even buying the loyalty of scientists. But Tobacco was avoidable and they didn't target children unlike the food industry that spends billions in marketing targeting the most vulnerable members of society.
How does Big Sugar target children? How can this be regulated/stopped?
The government should introduce regulation to ban junk food advertising to children including the internet.These mult-billion dollar companies are able to over-power positive health messages, with the odds stacked very much against public health. Their ONLY interest is profit. Doctors' interest is to protect your health. For every £1 the World Health Organisation spends in preventing diseases caused by unhealthy eating, the food industry spends £500 in marketing junk food.
More here ..... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...no-nutritional-value/articleshow/29275239.cms
daddys1
Well-Known Member
Hi & Welcome, Paul it's not just the sugar, it's is the carbohydrates that you also have to watch. When you read the labels on food look for the carbohydrates including the sugars, It is these that turn to sugar. Lots on here have a Low Carb High Fat diet.
It is all very confusing at first but it will get easier, don't panic everything will fall into place.
Neil
vintageutopia
Well-Known Member
Welcome Paul! You have wandered into a great place.
Ellie-70
Well-Known Member
Welcome Paul, you have arrived in the right place. I am 44 and only 3 months diagnosed Type 2 so we are both at the beginning. My morning blood glucose levels have fallen from elevens or twelves to sixes and sometimes fives since I reduced my carb consumption. I am very sweet toothed but I just had some sugar free jelly with lots of cream as a mid morning snack so it isn't all bad news
️. Have you a meter and strips? A meter is vital as it is the only way you can know which foods spike your blood sugars and which don't. Good luck Paul.
Ellie
️. Have you a meter and strips? A meter is vital as it is the only way you can know which foods spike your blood sugars and which don't. Good luck Paul. Ellie
Welshgooner
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 185
- Location
- Ayr
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Tottenham and High BS scores
Welcome Paul, this place helps! Spend lots of time going thru the older stuff and unearth some nuggets of info - there is no need for you to try and recreate the wheel - just drive on
