Sugars and Carbohydrates

psr said:

Hi I have recently been diagnosed as being diabetic, and am finding the information that I am receiving from various different sources very confusing and was hoping that somebody may be able to help me clarify this particular point that is my latest confusion, I saw a dietician at my local doctors soon after I was diagnosed around 3 months ago That told me to take note of the labels on food in particular the amount of sugar that is released from the carbohydrates per 100g ,They gave me a chart that shows what is considered to be Low sugar ( below 5g per 100g / Medium ( between 5 - 15g per 100g ) and high (15g and over)
So I have been focusing on trying to consume foods that fall into the low category and not paying much attention to the actual count of carbohydrates per 100g thinking that if they don't sugar then I don't need to worry about them, However I have now started a 6 week awareness course at a specialist clinic run by the local health authority and have been led to believe that all carbohydrates will turn to sugar making my previous system and advice redundant , This means that I would be better of eating Doritos with 55g or Carbs per 100g than Ryvita with 66g per 100g .So In summary my question becomes ,Is it the total carbs per 100g or just the (of which sugars) that is important ? or is it both

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I have now been a T2 Diabetic for 15 years and have gone through the whole range of tablets an now I am Lantos + 4 Glicazide per day and my control has never been better. Metformin, the cheapest of pills, knackered my kidneys to such an effect that I am now Stage 3/4 Chronic Kidney disease - so far without any noticeable effect. What has this to do with you? I would say eat normally, of course avoiding sugars, but do not cut out carbs. The point about diabetes is that we are all different and there is no one rule to suit all. They say that most diabetics are over weight! Is it any wonder because most of the country are over weight but you will find as you go along that many more people who are not overweight are now being diagnosed with T2 Diabetes. There is another reason for being overweight and that is almost every tablet you are put on says that you may gain weight so you are in a no win situation. So my advice would be to eat sensibly and when the time comes go on insulin as soon as it is suggested. It has given me the best control so far!! I am, by the way now 75 and have been a keen sportsman all my life i.e done everything the medical experts recommend and where has it got me two new hips and knackered knees - so much for exercise and now of course that is not so simple.

wizardo said:

To keep it nice and simple. Cut out sugar in tea and coffee and no pop. Cut out all sweets. Eat eggs, fish, meat, bacon, cheese, stir fries and any vegetables that you like. Don't eat carbohydrates bread, rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes, or if you do, small portions. Do eat fruit, especially berries, don't go too mad add some cream or full fat yoghurt. Have a half square of Aldi's 85% cocoa chocolate each night and wash down with a decent amount of red wine or dry white (spirits if you prefer). See, it's not too bad. And you need to take some form of exercise, something pretty vigorous, say five times a week, and that means panting heavily. Make sure the old ticker is ok before starting on this. Let's face it, your body has let you down, now punish it with some vigorous exercise. This has worked for me over the last 12 months and every 3 months my blood sugar level is down. The diabetic nurse has seen very few cases such as mine as people will not stick to their dietary or exercise regimes. Apparently, most would prefer to take tablets. Simple choice really.

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I've found through my testing that even the so called "good" breads put my bs up quite a lot towards other foods so expect pasta will be the same. I'm currently trying "Zero" noodles - tried the spaghetti version so far and it was ok - got to have a tasty sauce with it though or green pesto and veggies was nice. I've not sugared tea and coffee for years though when I have had pop it has been the "real stuff" no sugar free stuff cos the sweeteners are revolting . I'd been eating lots of fruit but in jelly as a "healthy" snack to help me lose weight which was working well and kept me full and off the crisps and biscuits. Think I'm going to make some again cos I just stopped completely because of the sugar but now want to see just what it does to my bs. (Does anyone know if the "2 hours" after meals if from the START or END of the meal please?

Unable to do the vigorous exercise because I have fibromyalgia but do use my x-trainer when I can

I want to avoid having to take any more pills than I already do so I'm really being good. A friend took me for a carvery for my birthday (delicious and the roasties don't spike me so much as the mash, though obviously too many won't help the weight) she asked if I wanted a pud but as usual I was full. She still got me a chocolate fudge cake, it looked "to die for" as they say but said I really am full but dread to think what that would do for my blood sugar - she said "oh sh*t, I forgot about that" and ate it herself. I didn't know what the phrase "to die for" really meant until I put it in that context and thought actually, I don't want to die for it at all......

Finished waffling now

And well done again for the weight loss and keep on lowering the blood sugar levels