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Recently diagnosed with type 2

Jester 2

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Because I have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I don't know what sort of foods to eat.at some point I was just eating some fruit at lunch time which made me lose weight. I have not seen a nurse yet about what to eat. its all new to me. Maybe someone can give me some good ideas on what is correct to eat please.
 
Hi Jester 2

Welcome to the club and wonderful world we recently diagnosed Type 2's now inhabit.

This new wordl is confusing at best, but it can be navigated, and a few wrong turns are par for the journey.

I can only offer the advice that I followed and read the posts on the forum for Low carb diets https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/

I found the advice and tips given useful, and have created my own Low Carb high fat diet around my particular needs (as I have allergies).

Do some investigation and as I have found do not be afraid to ask questions as the forum is a really useful place to get answers.

I am sure some knowledgable member will be able to offer more constructive advise soon
 
Some fruits are OK - but eating fewer carbohydrates seems to be the key thing for many of us.
I got down to normal eating 50gm of carb a day, plus protein and fats as required.
I eat a lot of salad things, sweet peppers courgettes mushroom aubergines - and set a limit of 10 percent on most things - dark chocolate is a small exception, but it has to be the lowest carb I know I can find, at least 80 percent cocoa or I do without.
Tesco do a frozen fruit mix which is under 7 percent carbs, which I eat with very thick cream, and I use a bowl the size of a tea cup.
It might seem rather limiting, but once you find the right aisles of the supermarket, it gets easier.
 


Thank you for your reply. its all trial and error at the moment with me. I eat a lot of salads and vedgetables,but sometimes get stuck what to have as I like bread as well. anything that helps will be good.
 

Thank you for replying. its all new to me. I hope I will get some answers on here.
 
Hi
Has anybody else got any good recipes for me. or tips that I could use . All will be appreciated
Thank you.
 
@Jester 2

Hello Jester 2 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 want and someone will 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 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
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

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
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 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.
 
well its a long time since I have been on here. What a journey. I was starving myself at the beginning. now I eat some carbrohydrates,but in moderation. I feel I am on he right path now. thankyou for all the advice.
 
Hi welcome to the forum! I have only been diagnosed since the middle of March and it’s neen a rollercoaster of knowing what to eat and what not.....
The first thing I did was get a meter to check my blood sugar levels before and after meals.
I havnt cut carbs to a very low amount, I probably have between 150-200g a day...but I often track my blood sugars and they have stayed below 7 mmol the majority of the time.....I’ve learnt everyone with diabetes is different so your body will react differently to the amount of carbs compared to another.
One thing I do with my meals is to make sure I have carbs, fats and proteins with each meal, this keeps you full and stabilises blood sugar levels (this is what’s worked for me).

I have cut out all refined carbs like white rice, pasta and bread...I go for wholegrain like quinoa, wholewheat pasta, lentil pasta - these have more nutrients and fibre in....but I do watch my portion sizes with carbs still, and make sure I have lots of veggies and protein and fats.

I follow a slimming world plan which in my opinion has helped me get my blood sugars low, I know a lot of people says it’s high carb and low fat, but I just makesure I portion my carbs better and ensure I have other food groups with my carbs.

But regardless of everyone’s diet advice do what works for you...check your blood sugars to the foods you eat....you may find you can handle whole grains , or maybe low carb or Keto will be better, only you will know ...good luck
 
 
Hi thankyou for that. You are right its what works for each individual,i feel like I have got on top of this. I was having a blood test every 3 months and in 6 months its gone down now to 51. I am so pleased with that. I am on two metformin a day,and they seem to have worked. I do eat some bread now during the day and allow myself a treat once a week that seems to work as I forget sometimes to have one,,but it stops me thinking about it .I also have low fat yogurt as well.It seems to work. I hope this helps other people as well,as its a mine field when you are first diagnosed. I am seeing the nurse now in 6 months which is good.
 
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