Hi I was recently told I was prediabetas doctor said it was 42. I’m due to have another blood test next week which has been 3 months since last one. Been suffering with anxiety for various issues and been off work for 6 weeks. I’ve been getting itchy /prickly skin dizziness just feeling tired all the time not sure if due to anxiety or part of the prediabetas Im not very active I don’t drive so I walk everywhere I’ve just started using exercise bike and I’ve cut out white bread as I was eating 6 slices a day for years I’ve just got to get portion levels right as I’ve always been brought up on big dinners my reason for my post is I’m looking for answers on what foods should cut out. If it’s ok to still drink alcohole I smoke aswell about 15 a day. Which I know I need to cut down. I’m 37 years old
Prediabetas diagnosis
- Thread starter Dannyb22
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britishpub
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The most important thing to realise is that your blood glucose is raised by eating carbohydrate (sugar is a carbohydrate)
All the carbohydrate you eat will eventually be turned into glucose.
Cutting down on carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rise will help lower the amount of glucose in your blood.
@daisy1 has a great info sheet which is vital reading
All the carbohydrate you eat will eventually be turned into glucose.
Cutting down on carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rise will help lower the amount of glucose in your blood.
@daisy1 has a great info sheet which is vital reading
Bluetit1802
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
You are only just inside the pre-diabetic range.
Under 42 is normal
42 to 47 is pre-diabetic
48 and above is diabetic
You have been caught early and have every chance of turning this round with some tweaks to your diet and lifestyle.
What you need to guide you is your own blood glucose meter. Using a meter properly will show you how your body reacts to your food choices and give you the opportunity to reduce or avoid some foods, reduce the portion size on others etc. Meters really are essential in my opinion, otherwise you are simply working blind. I'm afraid you will have to buy your own as the NHS won't prescribe them other than 2 insulin users and similar.
With an HbA1c of only 42, your itchy symptoms, dizzyness and fatigue are unlikely to be related, although not impossible.
Alcohol is not banned for us, thank goodness, but beer and lager are not good choices and are known in some circles as liquid bread. Red wine, dry white wine and spirits with a sugar free mixer are fine. Although smoking is bad for us in many ways, as far as I am aware it has no effect on blood sugar levels. However, anxiety and stress do affect sugar levels. Walking is an excellent form of exercise, so you could even try to increase how far you walk. You don't need to be a gym member to exercise.
You are only just inside the pre-diabetic range.
Under 42 is normal
42 to 47 is pre-diabetic
48 and above is diabetic
You have been caught early and have every chance of turning this round with some tweaks to your diet and lifestyle.
What you need to guide you is your own blood glucose meter. Using a meter properly will show you how your body reacts to your food choices and give you the opportunity to reduce or avoid some foods, reduce the portion size on others etc. Meters really are essential in my opinion, otherwise you are simply working blind. I'm afraid you will have to buy your own as the NHS won't prescribe them other than 2 insulin users and similar.
With an HbA1c of only 42, your itchy symptoms, dizzyness and fatigue are unlikely to be related, although not impossible.
Alcohol is not banned for us, thank goodness, but beer and lager are not good choices and are known in some circles as liquid bread. Red wine, dry white wine and spirits with a sugar free mixer are fine. Although smoking is bad for us in many ways, as far as I am aware it has no effect on blood sugar levels. However, anxiety and stress do affect sugar levels. Walking is an excellent form of exercise, so you could even try to increase how far you walk. You don't need to be a gym member to exercise.
Thank you for the information I will take it on board. What are my chances of being 48 or over when I have my blood test in a few days
I was diagnosed pre-diabetic in March. My GP enrolled me in a course that operates nationally and teaches you how to adapt your lifestyle to improve your chances of reducing your blood glucose level and reversing the pre-diabetic diagnosis. My diet has changed radically, I have stepped up my exercise and I have reduced my weight from 15 stone to below 14. I have yet to have my next blood glucose test but I’m hopeful of a reduced level. Ask your GP about the course - you’ll find that getting to know other attendees gives you a sort of joint incentive to get your blood glucose levels down. Good luck!
Bluetit1802
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No-one can answer that! But if you take on board the advice given on this forum, the test after next could see you in the 30's. Good luck with your test.
daisy1
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- Cruelty towards animals.
@Dannyb22
Hello Danny and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 235,000 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:
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
Hello Danny and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 235,000 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
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
