Hi Jual,
Lets see if we can resolve some of your confusion.
Jual said:
* The nurse told me bg monitors weren't a good idea as they can be out by 2 above or below the
reading. How else do you know how food affects you if you don't use one? I thought maybe your
ears glowed or something if your bg was up and no-one had told me!
It is true that BG monitors can be inaccurate, but generally they are at least consistently inaccurate, so if your monitor tells you that your BG is 12mmol/l then it doesn't matter whether it is 2 high or 2 low, the BG is still very high. You could always try asking your nurse on what authority she is able to ignore the new NICE guidelines that say diabetes patients must be encouraged to self-test.
Jual said:
* Do different foods affect everyone's bg differently?
To an extent they do. Generally the things that are highest in carbohydrate (rice, bread, pasta, potatoes) will raise your blood sugar. In some people they seem to create a bigger raise than in others.
Jual said:
* If they do then does that mean I need to start taking bg before I eat anything then just eat one item and test 2 hours later so I can get a list of foods that work for me?
It certainly is a good idea to understand which foods affect your blood sugar levels and by how much, and that will take a bit of experimenting over time. You will gradually come to learn which foods are ok for you and which you need to avoid - and that doesn't mean never eat, just use them more sparingly.
Jual said:
* Is shops own sugar equivalent the same as Canderel etc or do I need to change? Tended to just go for cheapest for years.
Own brand sweeteners are exactly the same as the branded products so nothing to worry about.
Jual said:
* What do I need to be looking at on labels? I know I need to check the carb as of sugars to make sure they're low ; but what is low? Under 3%, 5%,10%?
The most important information on the label is how many grams of carbohydrate the food has. All carbohydrate converts to sugar in your blood. How much of the carbohydrate is already sugar doesn't really matter because sugar is just another form of carbohydrate. There is a topic "General Links for Diabetics" that has a lot of information on carbohydrates and is a good place for you to start your learning process! Also highly recommended is a book by Dr Richard Bernstein that explains better than any of us ever could exactly how diabetes works and how the different food types (carbohydrate, protein and fats) affect you. The book is called Dr Bernstein's Diabetic Solution. (Dr Bernstein does advocate a very low carb diet and that may not be what you want or need, but the book is so informative it should be made compulsory reading for every new diabetic.)
Hope that helps, but if you have any more questions just fire away - all of us on this forum are here to help each other if we can.