Type 2 T2 Food Shopping list

[Sara100]

Hi Diagnosed T2 in Nov 2018 Hba1c was 110, I test my blood sugar in the mornings my average is 7.2 ? Im on Gliclazide and Metformin. Ive no idea how at this stage I’m doing ?
Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ? Thanks for any help Sara

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi Diagnosed T2 in Nov 2018 Hba1c was 110, I test my blood sugar in the mornings my average is 7.2 ? Im on Gliclazide and Metformin. Ive no idea how at this stage I’m doing ?
Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ? Thanks for any help Sara

Hey Sara,

Your shoppinglist is a bit tricky, as you're on gliclazide as well as not knowing "how you're doing". Top of my shopping list would be a meter and teststrips!

Things is, with gliclazide, and not knowing what your numbers are like, I can suggest an excellent load of low carb or even keto groceries... And you could easily hypo on those, which'd be a dangerous place to be in. (And there's a lot of hidden carbs in ready-made soup, so not entirely sure why those are on the list...?)

I dunno... You know what, here's my little nutrition list thing. Sorry if you've seen it before and I'm repeating myself, but it may help a little when it comes to the groceries. Just do me a favour and don't go low carb if you can't check your numbers. I can't stress enough how dangerous that could be.

There’s a few things you should know.

1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, so not just straight sugars, but starches too. Food doesn’t have to taste sweet to make your blood sugars skyrocket.

2. A meter helps you know what foods agree with you, and which don’t. Test before and 2 hours after the first bite. If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was carbier than you could handle. (It’s easy to remember, as you’re a T2: all 2’s, all over the place!)

3. In case you didn’t know already, this isn’t your fault. It’s genetics, medication, decades of bad dietary advice, and basically all manner of things, but nothing you can actually blame yourself for.

4. Diabetes T2 is a progressive condition, unless you (also) change your diet. So you have options. Diet-only, diet with medication, or medication only. But that last option will most likely mean more medication over the years. (And there is more than just metformin, so if it doesn’t agree with you, there’s lots of others to try). So even if going really low carb isn’t for you, you might consider moderately low carb an option, with meds to assist.

5. Are you overweight? 90% of T2’s are. Yeah, that means 10% are slim and always were. If you did gain weight, it was the precursor of this metabolic condition. We make loads of insulin, but become insensitive to it. So carbs we eat turn to glucose, and normally, insulin helps us burn that glucose for fuel. When it doesn’t, that glucose is stored in fat cells instead. When those fat stores are full, the glucose remains in our bloodstream, overflowing, into our eyes, tears, urine, saliva… And then we’re T2’s. So weight gain is a symptom, not a cause. This also means that “regular” dietary advice doesn’t work for us. The problem lies in our inability to process carbs. And most diets focus on lowering fats and upping carb intake. Which is the direct opposite of what a T2, or prediabetic, for that matter, needs.

6. There are 3 macro-nutrients. Fats, protein and carbohydrates. Those macro’s mean we get the micro-nutrients we need: that would be vitamins and minerals. So… If you ditch the carbs, you should up another macro-nutrient to compensate, to make sure you don’t get malnourished or vitamin deficient. Carbs make our blood sugars rise. Protein too, but nowhere near as bad as carbs do, so they’re alright in moderation. Fats however… Fats are as good as a glucose-flatline. Better yet, they’ll mitigate the effects of any carbs we do ingest, slowing down their uptake and thus the sugar-spike. Contrary to what we’ve been told for decades; fats are our friends.

7. Worried about cholesterol? On a low carb diet, your cholesterol may rise a little as you start to lose weight. That’s a good thing though. (Believe it or not). What was already there, stored in your body, is starting to head for the exit, and for that it’ll go into your bloodstream first. So when you have lost weight and it stabilises, so will your cholesterol. And it’ll probably be lower than what it was before you started out.

8. You’ll lose weight on a low carb diet. Weight loss will help with your insulin-resistance, and not only that… Going low carb might help with other issues as well, like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and depression.

9. Always ask for your test results. You don’t know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you’ve been.

10. Last, but certainly not least: If you are on medication that has hypoglycemia listed as a side-effect, like Gliclazide for instance, do NOT attempt a LCHF diet without a meter nor your doctors’ knowledge/assistance. You can drop blood glucose levels too far, too fast, if your dosage isn’t adjusted accordingly. This could mean a lower dose in stages or even stopping medication completely. Never do this without discussing it with your doctor first!


So what raises blood sugars? Aside from the obvious (sugar), starches raise blood glucose too. So bread, and anything made with grain/oats flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, corn, cereals (including all the “healthy choices”, like Weetabix and muesli), most beans and most fruits. So you’ll want to limit your intake, or scratch them altogether.

Which food items remain on the shopping list? Well, meat, fish, poultry, above ground veggies/leafy greens, eggs, cheese, heavy cream, full fat Greek yoghurt, full fat milk, extra dark chocolate (85% Lindt’s is great!), avocado, (whole) tomatoes, berries, olives, nuts, that sort of thing… Meal ideas? Have a couple:

Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Eggs with ham, bacon and cheese
Omelet with spinach and/or smoked salmon
Omelet with cream, cinnamon, with some berries and coconut shavings
Full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine!), mayonnaise, capers, olives and avocado
Leafy green salad with (warmed goat's) cheese and bacon, maybe a nice vinaigrette?
Meat, fish or poultry with veggies. I usually go for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with cheese and bacon to bulk it up. Never the same meal twice in a row because of various herbs/spices.

Snacks? Pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate, nuts.

Of course, there’s loads more on the web, for people more adventurous than I. (Which is pretty much everyone). Just google whatever you want to make and add “keto” to it, and you’ll get a low carb version. There’s a lot of recipes on the diabetes.co.uk website, as well as on www.dietdoctor.com where you’ll also find visual (carb content) guides and videos. And I can wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Jason Fung’s book The Diabetes Code. It’ll help you understand what’s going on in your body and how to tackle it, whilst not being a dry read. Not only that, but you’ll know what to ask your doctor, and you’ll understand the answers, which is, I believe, quite convenient.

 

[Pipp]

Hi Diagnosed T2 in Nov 2018 Hba1c was 110, I test my blood sugar in the mornings my average is 7.2 ? Im on Gliclazide and Metformin. Ive no idea how at this stage I’m doing ?
Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ? Thanks for any help Sara

Hello, @Sara100 and welcome.

Depends on what you like to eat. It helps to reduce carbs for T2s.
How about cheese, cream, meat, bacon, nuts avocado, oily fish such as sardines, salmon, mackrel, nut butters, dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
Things to avoid, or at least reduce, would be bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar, sweets, biscuits crackers.. If you are buying packaged foods check the nutritional values anything with more than 5%carb leave on the shelf.

I’m sure others will be along with ideas. In the meantime, I am tagging @daisy1 , who will post information for new members shortly.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi Diagnosed T2 in Nov 2018 Hba1c was 110, I test my blood sugar in the mornings my average is 7.2 ? Im on Gliclazide and Metformin. Ive no idea how at this stage I’m doing ?
Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ? Thanks for any help Sara

Oh, and I'll tag @daisy1 in, as you're new and her info-sheet's invaluable.

 

[Energize]

As you're on Gliclazide, your surgery should have provided you with a glucometer. with test strips and lancets on repeat prescription. Gliclazide can cause hypos, hence the need for the meter. Also, you should have been advised to test your glucose levels prior to driving and, if on longer journey, every 2 hours minimum.

So, before buying one, maybe contact your surgery's Diabetes nurse and ask for one.

Oh, and in spite of the nurses telling you that you don't need to keep testing, I would recommend you test as often as you see fit, especially when eating different foods, so you can see how you are doing and what foods are OK for you and what foods raise your glucose level too much

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ?

Bacon, chicken (whole and pieces), cheese, butter, full fat Greek yoghurt, to name a few...

Edit: Clarity.

 

[lovinglife]

Dried herbs, spices, garlic, leeks to replace onions in recipes, mini pepperami for snacks, stock cubes - not stock pots they are higher in carbs- sugar free jellies- be careful going to low carb whilst on gliclizide- it's a hypo causing drug and if you don't have enough carbs it can be hypo territory- make sure you test

I was on gliclizide and ate about 70 - 80g carbs a day - I've recently gone full keto - below 20g and had to stop my gliclizide but not without consulting my GP - don't alter meds without speaking to your HCP

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Diagnosed T2 in Nov 2018 Hba1c was 110, I test my blood sugar in the mornings my average is 7.2 ? Im on Gliclazide and Metformin. Ive no idea how at this stage I’m doing ?
Going food shopping tomorrow, can anyone suggest what I could have on the list other than eggs, cauliflower and soups ? Thanks for any help Sara

You would have a better idea of how you are doing if you did more regular testing. Once a day in the morning tells you nothing at this stage in your journey. Try testing immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite. This will show you how your body has reacted to the food eaten. If the rise is more than 2mmol/l there were too many carbs in that meal. 2mmol/l is the maximum. Better to be a lot less than that if you can mange it. It is normal for our lowest readings to be before our evening meal.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Fish and seafood is on our menu as well.

 

[Resurgam]

meat and fish - I usually get one kilo packs of chicken thighs, frozen fish and shellfish, frozen berries - look for the lowest carb content. Also frozen veges, look for lowest carb again great for a casserole or stew. Cheese, nuts and seeds, savoy cabbage, salad stuff, celeriac aubergine leeks courgette, beetroot, coleslaw ham and corned beef, sweet pickle. Greek yogurt, soya yogurt, sugar free jelly, gelatine, cream - thick and very thick, ground almonds desiccated coconut, a good ground coffee if you like using a percolator. Sugar substitute, plibs for drinks and powder for mixing in and concocting. Co-op sausages seem to be quite good. Go through your herbs and spices, check the use by date. Flavoured waters, low carb squash, various teas - but check fruit teas for carbs - some are flavoured with dried fruits and are high carb. Multivitamin and mineral tablets, the one a day sort. I found that they helped with the cramps in the hot weather and have continued to use them as an insurance policy. Don't forget butter and lard, olive oil, lemon and or lime juice - mustard and curry powder if you like them.

 

[daisy1]

@Sara100
Hello Sara and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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.
  

 

[Sara100]

Thank you everyone