They "think" I have Type 2
- Thread starter xfieldok
- Start Date
miahara
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- Type of diabetes
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Fruit per se isn't 'bad' Gavin. You just have to choose fruit carefully as some fruits and berries are much higher in carbs/sugars than others. I eat fruit every day.
That's reassuring. Main worry is high blood sugar butt having read yours and others comments I feel a bit better. This forum is amazing!
miahara
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- Type of diabetes
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Ditch the bananas Gavin, they are about the highest carb/sugar fruit you'll find.
Bananas - 20.3g carbs per 100g
Apples - 11.6g per 100g ( though varies a bit according to type)
Oranges - 8.2g per 100g.
Edit: I ought to add that the data here are not absolutely precise, but are near enough to provide a pretty good guide to relative carb levels in some fruits and berries.
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Thanks for the pix @miahara, I can see why my GP put me on Metformin last year after the September hba1c.
Bananas were 0.50 cents a kilo here in June and July of last year, so I got stuck into them no wonder it played havoc with the hba1c result. Nice bananas tho'
Firstly Metformin has very little effect in the short term, it takes time to build up in the body. Its long term benfits are great in preventing complications for Type2, independent of BG level.
Is it a good ideal for someone to start it with the common side effects people get in the first few weeks at Christmas?
People are much more likely to keep taking Metformin if it is explained to them how and when to take it so as to minimise the side effect along with reinsurance that for most people the side effects stop after a few weeks.
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- 4,182
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Tablets (oral)
I take Metiformin and had no issues after the first few days, its always the people who get problems with something that posts to the internet. Resent research even shows that Metiformin reduces the risk of cancer in people who do not have Type2.
Insulin resistance is when our body “ignores” most of the insulin we make, hence requiring our body to make a lot more. It is now thought that most strokes and heart problems etc are linked to this high level of insulin. Type2 is when our body gives up and can’t anymore make this very high level of insulin, but still often makes a lot more the in a “normal person”.
As our BG increases when we eat carbs requiring the insulin that we don’t respond to well (due to Insulin resistance), not eating many carbs is the best option. “Low carb” has brought my BG down from 33 to under 6. Metformin without changes to diet does not reduce BG much, but does limit the damage done to our body by the high insulin and BG.
No one knows why some people start to get high Insulin Resistance, but we do know that once BG and insulin levels start to increase, fat is deposited in our liver cells, and this fat makes the Insulin Resistance much worse. Metformin help to break this cycle, “low carb” often results in people losing all the fat from their livers.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/ is a good site to learn about carbs if you like learning at your own speed, https://www.lowcarbprogram.com/ is good for people who like a formal program that present lessens along with tools to track how they are using the learning and their progress. Dietdoctor is free to access to the basic information, but charges a subscription for some of the more detailed videos. Lowcarbprogram has a “one off” membership charge, but you can access some of the information before paying it.
https://phcuk.org/sugar/ has lots of graphics that shows how much sugar in our blood different food converts into, well worth looking at, as some of it is not what you would expect.
Otherwise there are 101 postings on these forums from people doing low carb.
If you are looking for diet books, the two I would recommend are, “The Pioppi Diet” and “A New Atkins for a New You”
If you want to understand the detailed science of “low carb” have a read of “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living” however there is no need to understand the science. After all you can drive a car without knowing in detail how every bit works.
Sadly you will find that most medics don’t understand how carbs increase BG as their training and most research is under the control of drug companies who have no interest in people being healthy.
Insulin resistance is when our body “ignores” most of the insulin we make, hence requiring our body to make a lot more. It is now thought that most strokes and heart problems etc are linked to this high level of insulin. Type2 is when our body gives up and can’t anymore make this very high level of insulin, but still often makes a lot more the in a “normal person”.
As our BG increases when we eat carbs requiring the insulin that we don’t respond to well (due to Insulin resistance), not eating many carbs is the best option. “Low carb” has brought my BG down from 33 to under 6. Metformin without changes to diet does not reduce BG much, but does limit the damage done to our body by the high insulin and BG.
No one knows why some people start to get high Insulin Resistance, but we do know that once BG and insulin levels start to increase, fat is deposited in our liver cells, and this fat makes the Insulin Resistance much worse. Metformin help to break this cycle, “low carb” often results in people losing all the fat from their livers.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/ is a good site to learn about carbs if you like learning at your own speed, https://www.lowcarbprogram.com/ is good for people who like a formal program that present lessens along with tools to track how they are using the learning and their progress. Dietdoctor is free to access to the basic information, but charges a subscription for some of the more detailed videos. Lowcarbprogram has a “one off” membership charge, but you can access some of the information before paying it.
https://phcuk.org/sugar/ has lots of graphics that shows how much sugar in our blood different food converts into, well worth looking at, as some of it is not what you would expect.
Otherwise there are 101 postings on these forums from people doing low carb.
If you are looking for diet books, the two I would recommend are, “The Pioppi Diet” and “A New Atkins for a New You”
If you want to understand the detailed science of “low carb” have a read of “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living” however there is no need to understand the science. After all you can drive a car without knowing in detail how every bit works.
Sadly you will find that most medics don’t understand how carbs increase BG as their training and most research is under the control of drug companies who have no interest in people being healthy.
Hi and welcome. First, many of us were treated far too casuallyl by the GP when first diagnosed and it takes time for the surgery to get into gear. As others have said although metformin is given, sensibly, to most of us to help, it only helps a bit so don't rely on it as a miracle cure. A good low-carb diet is the highest priority and the meter so you know where you are. Standard Metformin can cause bowel upset for a few weeks - if prolonged ask for the Slow Release (SR) version. Assuming you are a 'standard' T2 with some excess weight then the right diet and Metformin may well bring your blood sugar back into range as any insulin resistance you have due to fat deposits fades. There are further drugs but probably won't be needed but your HBa1C blood tests will guide the GP/DN.
daisy1
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@xfieldok
Hello Xfieldok and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to 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 259,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Xfieldok and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to 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 259,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
