Hi, I'm Alan, and having recently been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2, I've decided it's time for me to do something about it. Luckily, I do not yet need to be medicated and the NHS provides excellent facilities to help patients cure themselves. This comes in the format of some interesting, face-to-face and online education. So, from Wednesday, I will be online for two hours a week for six weeks learning how to hopefully reverse my condition and not have to rely on medication. I came to the forum in the hope of receiving good advice and support and offering the same to others in return.
Recently diagnosed, looking for solutions
- Thread starter Ajayent48
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- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
Hi and welcome. I hope you get a good course - people report very different experiences.
If you read around a bit on this forum - have a look at the "Success stories" section in particular - you'll see very quickly that a lot of people have been able to reduce their blood glucose levels and keep them that way. For me that meant adopting a traditional low-carbohydrate diet - the sort of thing that was recommended for weight loss up to around 1985 or so. That involved reducing and eliminating starches and sugars. I'm coming up on five years since diagnosis, although I've probably been diabetic for about fifteen, and my last out of range BG reading was in January 2020. Plus a bit of weight loss that came along later.
This forum is a very good resource of lived experience. You're encouraged to ask questions - "why?" is a good one - and don't forget that we've all gone through or are going through the same stuff.
Best of luck.
If you read around a bit on this forum - have a look at the "Success stories" section in particular - you'll see very quickly that a lot of people have been able to reduce their blood glucose levels and keep them that way. For me that meant adopting a traditional low-carbohydrate diet - the sort of thing that was recommended for weight loss up to around 1985 or so. That involved reducing and eliminating starches and sugars. I'm coming up on five years since diagnosis, although I've probably been diabetic for about fifteen, and my last out of range BG reading was in January 2020. Plus a bit of weight loss that came along later.
This forum is a very good resource of lived experience. You're encouraged to ask questions - "why?" is a good one - and don't forget that we've all gone through or are going through the same stuff.
Best of luck.
- Messages
- 2,351
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hello and welcome @Ajayent48
I agree with @KennyA that I hope you get a good course
What I would definitely recommend is that you get a meter. This is absolutely essential if you want to reverse your condition and not rely on medication. This is the tool that will give you feedback on how different foods affect your levels and allow you to make choices based on that information.
Best of luck and welcome.
I agree with @KennyA that I hope you get a good course
What I would definitely recommend is that you get a meter. This is absolutely essential if you want to reverse your condition and not rely on medication. This is the tool that will give you feedback on how different foods affect your levels and allow you to make choices based on that information.
Best of luck and welcome.
Resurgam
Master
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- 10,011
- Type of diabetes
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Its the carbs - the starches and sugars - which cause the level of blood glucose to rise above normal for an ordinary type 2 diabetic.
By cutting out high carb foods blood glucose usually reduces, lowering spikes and also the average levels, and HbA1c goes down as the corpuscles are broken down for spare parts to build new ones.
A blood glucose meter is useful to measure after meal levels so that if there is a food which gives an unusual reading it can be detected and the problem resolved. I found that peas and beans not in pods raised my blood glucose levels higher than the listed value ought to have done, so I have smaller amounts to compensate.
By cutting out high carb foods blood glucose usually reduces, lowering spikes and also the average levels, and HbA1c goes down as the corpuscles are broken down for spare parts to build new ones.
A blood glucose meter is useful to measure after meal levels so that if there is a food which gives an unusual reading it can be detected and the problem resolved. I found that peas and beans not in pods raised my blood glucose levels higher than the listed value ought to have done, so I have smaller amounts to compensate.
Hi Alan, hope your doing well. I am borderline because my HC1 was 45 , never had this warning before so I'm trying to make changes. What are the NHS resources online? I'm struggling to find anything xx
becca59
Well-Known Member
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- 3,022
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
@Deborahstatham have just seen on another thread about the Freshwell low carb programme. I’m a type 1 but decided to have a look and I thought it was excellent. Very informative with many resources easily available.
Hi Alan, I’m Alan
Just like to highlight that if you’re diagnosed as in Diabetic range it’s very unlikely that you’ll cure yourself. If you’re pre diabetic you can shake it off but if diabetic it’s more like remission you can keep yourself safe but you’ll be a bit like an AA meeting! You can stay sober for ever but if you fall off the wagon you’re going get right back into things! I’ve been drug free since 2016 but they don’t like it much! GPs mainly think the old way, treat the symptom not the cure! They are fighting to get me on statins. I gave up Atorvastatin because it puts my bloods up 2 points on average. I complained about it but they’ve said that my cholesterol is up again and because of age weight and type 2 I’m very high on the “you’re gonna drop dead in 10 years” list so they want me back on statins. I said no Atorvastatin and why: GP prescribed Rosuvastatin! Google “what two statins are most likely to cause Diabetes?” Guess! Atorvastatin number 2 and Rosustatin number 1 they ****** work by attacking and reducing the insulin in your blood. Nearly twice as likely to develop type two than no statins. We’re already insulin resistant! It’s like telling a patient with lung cancer to smoke a few cigarettes to control anxiety! So bear this in mind when you get offered Atorvastatin because they will
Keep watching best of luck
Alan
Edited by mod to confirm to forum rules
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Sorry Typos! Med free not Drug Free and treat the symptoms not the CAUSE!!
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- Messages
- 1,287
- Type of diabetes
- Other
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
@silverback2000
There are many people who choose not to take statins after their Dr has recommended them. We are, of course, all free to choose to take them or not. I was one of those people who refused them until recently, when my gall bladder / pancreas starting playing up. I now take rosuvastatin.
High intensity statins, such as atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are associated with a higher excess risk of diabetes than moderate-intensity statins, such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, or pravastatin, but importantly it is dose dependant.
Understanding why I think is helpful. Firstly, Statins work by blocking an enzyme the liver needs to make cholesterol. This causes the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood. The downside to this medication is statins likely raise insulin resistance. Insulin resistance being one of the primary drivers of Type 2 diabetes. Statin use can decrease pancreatic B cell secretion, reducing B cell mass. Insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion often walk together when we think of Type 2 DM. What statins do do is increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes in those who are already susceptible to diabetes, those with Prediabetes, and increase blood glucose levels in those who already have diabetes.
Whether we believe that statins reduce the risk of LDL cholesterol and its association with cardiovascular disease is another matter. I know there is a lively debate in the medical world about statins use and lipids. I think the important takeaway from this is to listen to what your Dr. has to say. What other health issues are going on, for instance heart related or vascular issues. I didn’t want to be on Statins. Even though I am consuming next to no fats because I have gall bladder/ pancreas issues, my Triglycerides are low at 0.54, but my LDL cholesterol is high. I have been unable to bring my LDL cholesterol down despite walking the equivalent of 11 miles a day.
I’m not for or against statin use, I do think, however, it is important to listen to your Dr especially if you have other medical issues that maybe impacted by high cholesterol. At the end of the day we can choose to be on them or not, but do your research.
I have attached several research papers on diabetes and statin use.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25887679/
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(24)00040-8/fulltext
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3612713/
