Recently diagnosed and need friends

@less Sugar Bee

Hello and welcome to the forum

You have come to a good place to make friends. To help improve your health read this basic information we give to new members, and in particular the sections on diet and carbohydrates. Ask all the questions you like and someone will come along and 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 150,000 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

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.

less Sugar Bee said:

I am less sugar Bee and recently diagnosed with type2. I was diagnosed about two weeks ago. My BG was 22.9 mmol (not sure about mmol).my doctor put me on Galvus Met drug and a high protein diet. Am using my thread mill one hour a day. 30mins. In the morning before food and 30 mins after food at night. Any suggestion about how I can improve my health. I hate been on drugs.

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You have found the place to improve your health, right here. It's a bit quiet at the moment but stick around and you will find lots of lovely people to help you gain control. The first thing to do is to ditch the carbs especially bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and fruit isn' t as good for you as the NHS suggest, especially tropical fruits, pineapple and bananas are the worst for most people, berries are good. Some people can tolerate small amounts, I can have an apple each day without a problem but most cannot.If you don't already have a meter......your Dr probably won't give you one! Get one and test all foods before you eat them and again two hrs after, it is the only way to find out which foods raise your bs. Read through the forums past and present, try some of the low carb recipes there are loads of them. I have only been diagnosed for a year (today) have lost over two stone and am in control so the information here is definitely tried and tested. Daisy 1 will soon send you the new member information for you to read and don't be afraid to ask questions, there is always somebody here to help solve them good luck and welcome

less Sugar Bee said:

Thanks Willowbunny, is my 22.9 really on the high side. I did not really understand any of this. I always think that with exercise and right diet I can become undiabetic or is that it. Would I have to control it for life

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Hi, you are diabetic so yes, you will have to gain control or have medication. You can control it but not become undiabetic. Following the help of the forum you will get used to a new way of eating which in turn will help your control but it's a lifelong new way of eating. I know it' s confusing and scary but the more you read, ask questions and try new recipes the quicker you will find that control and feel so much healthier so stick with it and you will soon find your feet

Hello and welcome from me too . This is a journey we all have to take , a massive learning curve but good control can be achieved . This forum is a great resource , full of information, help and support so please, use it and let it help you .

Hi. A reading of 22.9 would be typical of someone at diagnosis. It could be worse or better. If you are an overweight T2 then getting the weight down may bring you back into the right range without drugs. If you are diabetic as the result of islet cell failure and hence probably slim having lost weight recently then drugs will be unavoidable. Have a low-carb diet, test with the meter and see how you do. Galvus Met is acombination of a Gliptin and Metformin. The Gliptins reduce blood sugar spikes and are normally well-tolerated with very rare but serious side effects. Metformin is very safe but doesn't affect blood sugar by much

Just wanted to say hi and welcome. Some great advice and support on the site to help you find the right thing for you. It's all very scary and daunting at first but the more you know about the condition the more you can deal with it. Have a good look round and ask questions, fab help available from members

less Sugar Bee said:

Thanks but am scared. Took small rice with vegetables this afternoon and start feeling unwell. I quickly hit the threading mill and walk for 30mins at speed 4. After the exercise am still feeling sick. Pls what can I do.

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Welcome. Rice is not a good diabetic food. Any high carbohydrate food is going to increase your blood glucose. Try to avoid rice, cereals including oats, any wheat products such as bread and pasta etc...As a rule of thumb any veg that grows above ground is ok, below ground not ok. Potatoes are probably the worst. Most salads are ok. Meat is protein so.is ok. Eggs are good. Bacon and eggs for breakfast is a good way to start the day. This is just a quick guide and my no means comprehensive but a good starting point. When reading food labels ignore the which is sugers bit and look at the total carbohydrates. Try and stick to 5.5g per 100g or lower. An excellent book is carbs and calls available from this website's shop or Amazon. It is a visual aid to portions and the nutritional value of foods. An eye opener. Hope this helps you on the wild and rocky rollercoaster ride that we call diabetes. Don't worry. Help is here.

Hi there less Sugar Bee and welcome.
For myself, I don't think in terms of meals but how hungry I am. For instance today I drank 3 glasses of water when I got up at 7am. 2 hours later I had bacon, eggs and tomatoes with a slice of my low carb bread. I have had another 4 glasses of water since then as well as a couple of brazil nuts and a small amount sweet potato crisps that I made. I then walked into town to buy ingredients for dinner.

The point is, try not to get stressed, drink water, eat slowly and don't go at exercise to hard, it can work against you. I was advised to get myself a blood testing kit - best advice I have been given as it puts me in control.

have a read here to start with and then search round, : http://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-to/bring-down-high-blood-sugar-levels.html

ok lsb you say you can't find anything to eat , so no Wight bread warburtons do a whole grain which I find is ok for me but restrict it to 2or 3 slices a day cheese is fairly good bacon eggs and good sausage are ok , salads you will get sick of but they are good and will keep you going . So my advise get a blood testing kit and chech just before you eat and 2 hrs after your first mouth full . That way you can see the affect it has on you ,
Ask your GP if he will prescribe one tell him you are really struggling . Keep off or cut down on the carbs rice , pasta , spuds . You will never cut out all carbs but smaller amounts and fill the plate with veg is the way to go try it please . Keep asking and we will try to help JJ

Just read your post again , when you say beans do you mean baked beans ? ??
If you do DONT there is a lot of sugar in them I made the same mistake and they send me mega high

Meat ...Beef, chicken, pork, high meat content sausages, bacon, eggs, lettuce. tomato, cabbage, kale, courgette, onion, cheese, spinach, salmon, tuna...most fish in fact...low carb crackers, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, nuts ...so many foods to start you off.....avoid rice, potatoes, bread, cakes, beans, sugar, crisps and snacks and any processed foods and ready meals. It is hard at first but if you read throught the forum here you will find many things to eat and a lot of people who will help you to understand things. Low carbohydrate foods and higher fat content ( using butter to cook food and full fat yogurts, milk and cream )....this will help you to lose weight if you need to. Don't worry...you will get to understand it in a short time

less Sugar Bee said:

Thanks Jay1JAY1. It's not baked beans. It's is raw beans cooked in water and a little salt as in kidney shaped black eye beans . I cooked it myself. Pls can I eat wheat bread at all and what about drinking green Tea with my drug. My drug is Galvus.

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It would be a good idea to get a meter and test your blood glucose before and 2 hours after you have eaten...this will tell you which foods are making your blood sugar go up too high so you can avoid them. Some people can tolerate wholewheat bread whilst it makes others spike badly so you need to test your blood to find out

less Sugar Bee said:

Thanks Jay1JAY1. It's not baked beans. It's is raw beans cooked in water and a little salt as in kidney shaped black eye beans . I cooked it myself. Pls can I eat wheat bread at all and what about drinking green Tea with my drug. My drug is Galvus.

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Wheat bread is likely to increase your blood glucose alarmingly. You need to test before and 1hr after eating and test again 2hrs after eating to see how different foods affect you. It's the only way to work out a diet that is good for your bg. Many here eat to their meter. Aiming for a not more than a 2 mmol/l increase after 2 hours

Warburtons do a whole grain which are slow release and doesn't make my glucose spike but I don't know how it would affect you , I keep it to 2or 3 slices a day .

Typically bread is around 17g carbs per slice. Burgen linseed and soya is around 11g per slice. Available in supermarkets everywhere.