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Please Help a Newbie

N

newbienosugar

Member
Messages
16
I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and high levels of triglicerides.
I have had two blood tests and the fasting glucose levels were 14.1 MMOL in Oct and 11.9 in Nov. Hba1c in Nov was 10.7%. Triglycerides were 5.9 MMOL in OCT and 4.84 MMOL IN Nov.

I have a further blood test due soon and since December am on Simvastatin 20mg once a day. Nothing else.

Being a newbie would like to understand my body's reaction to food etc and it seems that the best way to do this is to carry out frequent glucose checks to see how my body reacts to various foods. I understand I will need to get a glucose meter to do this.

Is some one kind enough to educate me on how to keep trac of my glucose levels - for example should I test when I get up, 2 hrs after breakfast, before lunch etc etc. Should I test reaction to particular foods?

I would like to be in a position where I understand how my body reacts to different foods. I have been reading about glycemic index and it seems that each individual reacts differently to same food but in general food with lower glycemic index is to be preferred.

MANY THANKS.
Newbie
 
hi Newbie,
well, you've come to the right place. Take a look around and you'll find all the answers. Buying a meter and testing yourself (to begin with, several times a day) is a really good decision.
Understanding the GI concept can really help - so can monitoring the effect of carbohydrate intake on your levels, as many of us find carbs put things up pretty drastically.
Ask whatever specific questions you want, there are some pretty knowledgeable people here.
 
Thanks Dobbs. I found that the doctor was really too busy to explain anything properly and made no mention of testing. The first thing I need to understand is the testing business. Say, I start in the morning (if that is the best time) when and how often should i test? should i repeat the tests for a week or loner? I know I need to keep a food log.

Should I eat just specific things to see how It affects the blood sugar or should I eat a normal but lower carb diet?
Newbie
 
hi Newbie,
the general advice (which is very good) is to test first thing in the morning, before you eat. (The results then should be between 4 and 7 mmol/L according to the guidelines generally recognised.) Then, test one hour and two hours after each meal. The guidlines there are that you should be no more than 8.5 two hours after eating. Preferably lower.
If you do this strictly you would be testing a total of seven times a day. Personally I find this a bit "keen", but some people do it. When I was in my early testing phase I sometimes did five a day, varying which meals I tested on different days.
The reason for testing both one hour and two hours after is that some foods take longer to absorb, so that whereas normally your level will be highest about an hour after eating, occasionally you find that with some foods the two-hour reading may actually be higher, or as high, as the one-hour reading.
Personally I found reducing the amount of carbs (bread, rice, potato, pasta, breakfast cereal) made a huge difference, but there are no hard and fast rules in this game. Testing and writing down the results is an excellent approach, you'll learn a lot very quickly.
 
Thanks Dobbs. That's very clear and helpful. I'll get myself a meter and get on with the testing. Hopefully I will still have some of my favourite foods left to enjoy!
 
Well I got a meter. One touch Ultra2. My readings are shocking. PRE dinner 10.2 AT 9PM. 1 HR after 17.3 and 2 hrs after a whopping 19.8. Edit - the following moning fasting at 8am is 12.8
It seems my starting level is higher than the level should be AFTER the meal. and my fasting is TWICE what it should be.

I had a pretty moderate lunch ABOUT 2PM - m&S carrot soup and an apple mid afternoon :shock: :shock:

what to do<
 
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