prediabetes

[derek7]

hi i had a random blood test as i had a T.I.A about 2 years ago, well i was called back to be told i am prediabetes or rather glucose intolerant. i was quite shocked to say the least, not knowing very much about it i asked loads of questions but did not realy understand the answers properly. i know i have to reduce my sugar levels and eat more wisely .. and i have an MMOL/L of 42 it do not mean much to me at this stage, i would like to know more of what its all about for me know and in the future. i would to know what i should eat and not eat etc, are there any information to help me as this is somthing completly new to me.....derek7

 

[Lamont D]

Have a look around the site for the articles pertaining to prediabetes.
You will probably find out that it is not only sugar but carbs that are keeping your blood glucose levels high!
You will probably have to exercise more to lose weight and eat less.
After you realise all this and know more, it is a wake up call! You can improve your health. It is hard but the benefit is not feeling awful whilst your blood glucose levels are too high. There are plenty of experienced diabetics on here, so ask questions. Someone will be alon g soon to give you the lowdown.
Welcome, Derek.

 

[derek7]

thanks nosher 8355 thanks for the friendly advice,, im still in shock i was feeling more tired then normal with lots of headaches but i had no idea it could be type 2. so i need to learn as much as i can about it so i can change my life style to start feeling better and not to get worse. thankyou once again for your kind reply..... derek7

Have a look around the site for the articles pertaining to prediabetes.
You will probably find out that it is not only sugar but carbs that are keeping your blood glucose levels high!
You will probably have to exercise more to lose weight and eat less.
After you realise all this and know more, it is a wake up call! You can improve your health. It is hard but the benefit is not feeling awful whilst your blood glucose levels are too high. There are plenty of experienced diabetics on here, so ask questions. Someone will be alon g soon to give you the lowdown.
Welcome, Derek.

 

[derek7]

nosher8355... thankyou very much for your kind reply .. its made me feel a lot better about it.. thankyou.

 

[Lamont D]

No probs. I was in the same boat as you a few years back. I got a reply that opened my eyes and started a new lifestyle and am now fitter and healthier than I have been for donkey's years. If you can understand the correlation that carbs turn to sugar in your blood after digestion the overload is too much and when your blood glucose is too high, having a spike (hyper), is what makes you ill.
Diet is important. It is hard doing low carb. It is a long process and I suggest that you make your next blood tests at the GP to see if you can get your average down and if you can, return to normal levels.
Learn about the success stories doing low carb on this site including mine, and maybe you could be lucky to get real control and be as healthy as possible.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[derek7]

Thanks nosher8355, the worst thing for me at the moment is not having a realy nice cup of tea. im trying to do with out sugar and useing sweetners for the first time is killing me, ive tried 2 differant makes so far and they taste awfull and i love a nice cup of tea so its torture, i sopose i will just have to get used to it if i want to get back to some kind of normality. thanks again for your advise....derek 7

 

[Lamont D]

Try drinking different types of tea without milk and sugar/sweetner.
I discovered many years a go that it's better. Green tea, earl grey etc. savour the real taste!
I tried sweeteners, could not abide them! Yuk!

 

[Brunneria]

Thanks nosher8355, the worst thing for me at the moment is not having a realy nice cup of tea. im trying to do with out sugar and useing sweetners for the first time is killing me, ive tried 2 differant makes so far and they taste awfull and i love a nice cup of tea so its torture, i sopose i will just have to get used to it if i want to get back to some kind of normality. thanks again for your advise....derek 7

Hi @derek7 and welcome,

The artificial sweetener issue is a biggie, isn't it?

I loathe them all. They all taste chemically and synthetic to me, and I would rather go without.
Stevia is a good one (unless you have decent taste buds, in which case it has a bitter after taste)

At the moment, I'm using xylitol, brand name Total Sweet. It ain't cheap, and I've only found it in supermarkets (tescos) and Amazon so far, but it is definitely the best yet! Not as sweet as sugar, no aftertaste or chemical tang, and I don't get any gut problems, after, either.

There is another option, erythritol, I think it is called. I've heard good things about it, but I haven't tried it yet...

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Derek,

Your HbA1c of 42 isn't bad at all. It is almost normal, just a tad over the line and in to the pre-diabetes band. 20 to 41mmol/l is non-diabetic. 42 to 47mmol/l is pre-diabetic. 48 and over is diabetic. So you are lucky. You have been given a warning before actually becoming a diabetic. You can now do something to get back to non-diabetic levels.

Many years ago, over 30, I stopped taking sugar in tea and started sweeteners. They were awful as everyone above has said, but I put up with them for a week or so and before long they tasted normal. It wasn't long before I couldn't abide proper sugar in my tea. It's just a matter of getting used to them.

Have a good browse round the threads, ask as many questions as you wish, and try to work out a good sustainable diet for yourself. Obviously sugar and sugary things are to be avoided, and carbohydrates need to be reduced, but everything else is fine.

 

[derek7]

thankyou all you guys that have given me advise im starting to realize that. theres sound advise and help in the forum. and i am taking every thing you have said on board...thankyou.
Sent from my GT-S5830i using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Carine Allen]

If you have pre-diabetes, Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal.Specially focus in physical activity, Eat more ,stop drinking your calories,take proper diet .

 

[derek7]

hi carine allen thankyou for your advise i do not drink alcahol at all so thats not a problem .my level of fitness is not so good because i had a stroke 3 years ago but i am trying hard, so now i have to learn what i can eat and cannot, that whats i am finding difficult, but i should get there in the end. yes i should go on a some kind of diet i want and need to get my glucose down...... derek 7

 

[jack412]

hi carine allen thankyou for your advise i do not drink alcahol at all so thats not a problem .my level of fitness is not so good because i had a stroke 3 years ago but i am trying hard, so now i have to learn what i can eat and cannot, that whats i am finding difficult, but i should get there in the end. yes i should go on a some kind of diet i want and need to get my glucose down...... derek 7

have a cup of tea with one level spoon of sugar = 4g of carb....a slice of bread is 15g
personally I went tea, no sugar, no milk, as some have said
for something different a very weak jasmine/green tea is nice [I don't know why but it tastes better weak, I like normal tea strong]
42 is a kick in the bum and wake up to yourself, it's not that bad
buy a codefree meter and strips off amazon uk to test your meals.... other wise it's like having a car without a speedometer and wondering why you are getting speeding fines
cut back on your carbs.... grain, grain product, bread pasta,
get a measuring cup set, have 1/2 cup of spud and no second helping, big plate of veg with real butter on top, normal meat/protein
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php [link down at the moment be back later]
these also helped me
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

[derek7]

have a cup of tea with one level spoon of sugar = 4g of carb....a slice of bread is 15g
personally I went tea, no sugar, no milk, as some have said
for something different a very weak jasmine/green tea is nice [I don't know why but it tastes better weak, I like normal tea strong]
42 is a kick in the bum and wake up to yourself, it's not that bad
buy a codefree meter and strips off amazon uk to test your meals.... other wise it's like having a car without a speedometer and wondering why you are getting speeding fines
cut back on your carbs.... grain, grain product, bread pasta,
get a measuring cup set, have 1/2 cup of spud and no second helping, big plate of veg with real butter on top, normal meat/protein
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php [link down at the moment be back later]
these also helped me
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Hi Jack 412 thanks for the advice, before i lived on potatoes new boiled or mashed with loads of butter. don,t like pasta or milky products. unfortunatly i started to eat a bar of turkish delight every day for some resone i was just fancying them. i have stoped all that now. is it true that if you eat roast spuds and baked theres hardly any carbs in them maybe youknow. the outher thing i was eating a lot of was chicken fried rice, the practise nurse said not to , so i got to find somthing soon or i will starve to death .....derek7

 

[jack412]

Hi Jack 412 thanks for the advice, before i lived on potatoes new boiled or mashed with loads of butter. don,t like pasta or milky products. unfortunatly i started to eat a bar of turkish delight every day for some resone i was just fancying them. i have stoped all that now. is it true that if you eat roast spuds and baked theres hardly any carbs in them maybe youknow. the outher thing i was eating a lot of was chicken fried rice, the practise nurse said not to , so i got to find somthing soon or i will starve to death .....derek7

everyone has a panic, take a breath, you're not that bad. and just cutting back on spuds/bread and sugar stuff will be more than likely enough.
eat as much non starch veg as you want
eat to your meter when you get it, if nothing else..do this, if your BG doesn't go high..it's fine to eat it

go to the fridge and get out everything except grain/flour or potato stuff and have a fry up till you're full..keep eating the real butter, olive oil and coconut oil
only 1/2 cup of spud when you have them a few times a week.

spuds are mostly spuds I'm afraid, you can google 'resistant starch' and play with that, you might get away with a 48hr cold potato salad

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Jack 412 thanks for the advice, before i lived on potatoes new boiled or mashed with loads of butter. don,t like pasta or milky products. unfortunatly i started to eat a bar of turkish delight every day for some resone i was just fancying them. i have stoped all that now. is it true that if you eat roast spuds and baked theres hardly any carbs in them maybe youknow. the outher thing i was eating a lot of was chicken fried rice, the practise nurse said not to , so i got to find somthing soon or i will starve to death .....derek7

All potatoes contain a lot of carbs. "Harder" ones (once cooked) take longer to break down into glucose than mushy ones. Therefore boiled new potatoes are a better choice than mashed. They will still turn to glucose, but over a longer period of time so the spike may not be as high. Mashed and jackets are worse than new. You will only know what any sort of spud does to you by using a meter to test the results. Personally, I can manage a couple of small new potatoes, a couple of spuds roasted in duck fat, or a small handful of deep fried chips. Many other people can't manage this. We are all different, and portion size is important.

 

[derek7]

hi bluetit1802, my reading was 42 I know that's very low compered to most of the people on this forum. to be what they are saying prediabetic do that mean the reading is high enough to become a diabetic in the near future or can it be turned around completely to get back to normal readings.with healthy diet and exercise , or will this be waiting for me to put my guard down and just go higher and higher. is it something that's allways going to be there and for me to just get used to it and control it the best way I can. sorry to be a pain , but because this is all new to me my mind is going astray not knowing what will be happening next, thanks for your patience....derek7...

 

[Lamont D]

Hi, just a reassurance for you, you are not diabetic. Your BSLs are near to be diagnosed as such, but, a big but, it can be controlled with a good low carb diet, good exercise and a new lifestyle that keeps the disease away. Hopefully you will stay free of diabetes. Look after yourself and you won't have to worry about it, start your new lifestyle!

 

[Kat100]

Hi @derek7 and welcome,

The artificial sweetener issue is a biggie, isn't it?

I loathe them all. They all taste chemically and synthetic to me, and I would rather go without.
Stevia is a good one (unless you have decent taste buds, in which case it has a bitter after taste)

At the moment, I'm using xylitol, brand name Total Sweet. It ain't cheap, and I've only found it in supermarkets (tescos) and Amazon so far, but it is definitely the best yet! Not as sweet as sugar, no aftertaste or chemical tang, and I don't get any gut problems, after, either.

There is another option, erythritol, I think it is called. I've heard good things about it, but I haven't tried it yet...

Xylitiol ....yes I am another fan ...and the stevia 50% .....

 

[Bluetit1802]

hi bluetit1802, my reading was 42 I know that's very low compered to most of the people on this forum. to be what they are saying prediabetic do that mean the reading is high enough to become a diabetic in the near future or can it be turned around completely to get back to normal readings.with healthy diet and exercise , or will this be waiting for me to put my guard down and just go higher and higher. is it something that's allways going to be there and for me to just get used to it and control it the best way I can. sorry to be a pain , but because this is all new to me my mind is going astray not knowing what will be happening next, thanks for your patience....derek7...

As @nosher8355 says, you are not diabetic. You must not less this distress you. All you need to do is tweek your diet, lose weight (if you need to) and add a little exercise. Reduce your carbohydrates especially potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and of course all the sugary stuff. Eat as much meat and fish as you like, eat eggs, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, vegetables, salads. Cut out nasty processed foods and ready meals, drink sugar free drinks. Take a 30 minute walk every day. Keep posting on this forum and let us know how you are going on - and keep asking questions.