Struggling & a little confused :-( ...

as a type 1 my diet is a bit more relaxed as I have control over my insulin response...........

you need to get yourself a blood testing meter so you can test to see what different foods do to your blood sugar........

ideally low carb and low GI food items will help at this stage in order to minimize the effect on your blood sugar levels.........

that's what most type 2 patients get told.............

I suppose you should really just test for new foods where the effect on your blood sugar has not been observed. Once you see what happens, you can make a decision on whether to have it again or regularly...

low carb foods, I cant really think of anything low carb, but I suppose its just all about keeping your portions of carbs lower.........obviously your meats and cheeses etc are carb free, so are eggs.........

lower GI foods refers to food that have a slow and gentle effect to the blood sugar...have a Google......

welcome and ask lots of questions
this is what I did till I worked out what I could and couldn't do
I stopped eating all grain, grain product, bread pasta etc, no potato or sugary stuff.
I ate lots of vegies, normal meat, more eggs, dairy, more butter, olive and coconut oil to replace the lost carb calories
these sites helped me initially
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

We are all told not to test so often and most of us ignore it if we buy our own meters and strips. Testing is the only way to find out what foods effect your blood sugar, by how much and how quickly.

As far as I understand low carb foods do not contain a lot of carbohydrates (sugars and starches), the GI rating reflex how quickly the carbs turn to sugar and enter the blood stream, normally wholegrain variants contain a similar amount of carbs to their refined counterparts but effect your blood sugar slower. When you buy food remember to check the total carbs not just the sugars. I aim for 20-30g for smaller meals and up to 50g for my main meal, far higher than some but working for me, you will need to find your own level.

I have found that I don't have much difference between whole grain and white pasta, rice or bread, so I use the white as I prefer it, quantity is what matters. I normally aim for a rise of no more than 2 to 2.5 points on my meter two hours after eating (from 5.5 to 7.5-8.0 roughly), anymore and I know I have to reduce the carbs in that meal next time I have it, or if it is too high then I don't have that meal again.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse matters further.

Hi Amy,

Ignore what your doctor told you about not testing often. For type 2's that are new or struggling, it is essential to test your meals. Test immediately before you eat then again 2 hours after your first bite. You could perhaps aim for a spike of no more than 2mmol/l from before to after. If it is more than that then there is something wrong with that meal. If you keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink, then record your levels alongside, you will soon see patterns emerging, and will be able to adjust your meals accordingly. Maybe something needs cutting out altogether, or maybe just a smaller portion of that food would help. If you start doing this today, then come back and tell us what the results are, we may be able to make some suggestions.

High carb foods are bread (any sort), potatoes, rice, pasta and anything made with flour such as batter and pastry. Dairy goods (not low fat ones) are carb-free apart from milk, all fresh meats and fish are carb-free, and low carb foods are green veggies, salads, tomatoes, mushrooms.

I suspect the low glycemic index food thing is a lot of bull-ony. I think I read somewhere that it is based on what happens to the blood sugar of non-diabetic people when they eat the various food items, not type 2 diabetics with impaired insulin issues.

What @NoCrbs4Me said is absolutely right , forget low GI, or high GI, or medium GI. It's all a load of ****. I'm assuming that's 'no carbs for me' and not 'no crabs for me'.......

Low gl eating seemed like a really good idea to me, so I tried it.
Thank heavens I had my trusty BG meter - it was playing havoc with my blood glucose.
Went back to low carbing.