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Type 2 a few years, but new to forum

G

Gaaz

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello,
I am new to any diabetic forum. I have been type 2 for probably 7 or 8 years. Started being given diet advice now on tablets, then more tablets. My doctor is not happy and try's increasing tablets or tries me on more new tablets.
I feel I have made many life changes for the better, but I have not been convinced that I am receiving the correct dietary advice. I have had appointments with the dietician and even had my wife with me who is much more knowledgable on food than I and we both came out more confused than when we went in :-/
So recently I heard Dr Mosley on the radio talking about the 8 week blood sugar diet and after reading the book I am feeling very let down with the advice I have received by others in the past.
But at the same time feeling excited because I feel that hopefully with a bit more good advice, I could eventually get my head around how to reduce my blood sugar readings.
After a brief read through some of the posts, I think this maybe the right place to gain the knowledge.
 
Hi Gaaz, you're very welcome. Yes, the NHS dietary advice tends to be the Eatwell Plate, which isn't the best kind of food for diabetics! I will tag @daisy1, who will give you some great information to have a read through at your leisure.
Any questions, feel free to ask:)

PS. Forgot to ask, you mention blood sugar readings, are you doing your own testing? It's vital to do this, though we are often told not to do it - don't listen lol.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Welcome to the forums @Gaaz , you can get some great advice around here, if you need it, just ask.

Good luck with the food.
 
Hi Gaaz, I have also read through the 8 week blood sugar diet book, and have in fact just started the diet to see if it lives up to its claims. I will keep posting how I get on, but not convinced as the food is very limited and it seems a very restrictive regime.
 
@Gaaz

Hello and welcome to the forum:) Here is the information we give to new members, even though you have had diabetes for a while now, and I hope you will find it helpful. It includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you may find useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.

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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Thank you all for your kind welcomes. It's very much appreciated. :)

Daisy1 - Thank you for the introduction information, I will have a good read through.

Urbanracer - Thank you for the offer for me to ask questions, Do I ask on here or in the other section?

Bazzah1964 - I would be keen to see how you go with the books diet.

Ladybird64 - I did say blood sugar readings. I'm sorry, I meant the HBa1c test my doctors take approx.' every 3 months. I think my last but one came out at 81 and Cholesterol 4.2. (I hope that's correct, I quickly jotted it down)
I have often asked if I should buy a blood sugar tester and have been repeatedly told the tests they do are sufficient for them. But how am I to know how I am doing?
The other thing is again diet advice. Many of the foods the dietician previously recommended, seem to be frowned upon in the low carb diet. I am struggling to get my head around the recommended full fat products in the diet. For years we have been persuaded to go the way of skimmed and semi skimmed milk. The whole family are on semi skimmed milk now and have been for years :confused:

Thanks Again
Gary
 
Gaaz said:
The other thing is again diet advice. Many of the foods the dietician previously recommended, seem to be frowned upon in the low carb diet. I am struggling to get my head around the recommended full fat products in the diet. For years we have been persuaded to go the way of skimmed and semi skimmed milk. The whole family are on semi skimmed milk now and have been for years :confused:

Thanks Again
Gary
Click to expand...
Oh yes...the 'bad fats'...something that health professionals won't get their heads around and update their teachings neither:mad:.
Have a look through these websites...http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb.... http://realmealrevolution.com/ .. and then there is this.. http://www.ruled.me/ketogenic-diet-food-list/
Once you know what to look for....there TONS of info 'out there' .
It did take some time to get my head around it too, but since I'm VERY partial for whipped cream...what a treat it is not having to feel guilty about it anymore...:hungry:...nor do I waste a single drop of fat from roast chicken....:hungry: You will feel full with much less eating and far longer time too...it is BRILLIANT....and you LOOSE weight too! :D
Only thing is that if you have issue with portion sizes...you NEED to learn not to eat too much...just enough so that you don't feel hungry anymore..but because of the fats, that is quite easy and comes naturally if you just listen your tummy.
My non-diabetic hubby has whole heartedly joined me to this regime...though it is down to me to do the cooking :rolleyes:
 
Hi and welcome. Yes, do get hold of a meter as it's essential. The SD Codefree on the web is low cost. Dr Mosely tends to lag behind a bit on the diet front and follows the latest idea rather than fully researching the facts behind diet; it makes good TV and books however. Diabetes is a condition where we are glucose intolerant to varying degrees which is why NHS dieticians advice can be so bad for us. That means keeping the carbs down as all carbs are converted to glucose in the body. The meter will guide you on this. Proteins and fats are good for us. The 'avoid saturated fat' mantra is based on very shaky evidence. Protein and fats will keep you feeling full and hardly affect blood sugar. A low carb diet may not reduce your total cholesterol but will improve LDL, HDL and Trig ratios.
 
Welcome aboard Gazz. I think you've really got to push to get yourself a meter so that you can find out how what you're eating is affecting your blood sugar levels and then start looking at making change as necessary.
 
Gaaz said:
Hello,
I am new to any diabetic forum. I have been type 2 for probably 7 or 8 years. Started being given diet advice now on tablets, then more tablets. My doctor is not happy and try's increasing tablets or tries me on more new tablets.
I feel I have made many life changes for the better, but I have not been convinced that I am receiving the correct dietary advice. I have had appointments with the dietician and even had my wife with me who is much more knowledgable on food than I and we both came out more confused than when we went in :-/
So recently I heard Dr Mosley on the radio talking about the 8 week blood sugar diet and after reading the book I am feeling very let down with the advice I have received by others in the past.
But at the same time feeling excited because I feel that hopefully with a bit more good advice, I could eventually get my head around how to reduce my blood sugar readings.
After a brief read through some of the posts, I think this maybe the right place to gain the knowledge.
Click to expand...
Hi Gazz You are definitely in the right place to be here. Ask as many questions as you like someone will always answer you. Go onto the forum " What Have You Eaten Today " we all put our meals on there and you can try and test some for yourself Good luck.:)
 
Thank you all for the advice, much appreciated.

I have purchased a meter now and just getting to know it.

A couple of things I am struggling to understand is

1. I've realised after looking at the low carb diet, that cereal for breakfast is not a good idea. I was wondering why I was feeling a little off around an hour after breakfast. So I thought porridge would be better. I have tried Scotch porridge oats for a few days and it seemed better. But now I have read that I shouldn't have porridge. Is this the case?

2. Sweeteners. I have always struggled to cut out sugar in tea and coffee. But I managed to stop sugar a long while ago and used Canderel. But now I have read this isn't a particularly good substitute, is this the case?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Gary
 
Gaaz said:
Thank you all for the advice, much appreciated.

I have purchased a meter now and just getting to know it.

A couple of things I am struggling to understand is

1. I've realised after looking at the low carb diet, that cereal for breakfast is not a good idea. I was wondering why I was feeling a little off around an hour after breakfast. So I thought porridge would be better. I have tried Scotch porridge oats for a few days and it seemed better. But now I have read that I shouldn't have porridge. Is this the case?

2. Sweeteners. I have always struggled to cut out sugar in tea and coffee. But I managed to stop sugar a long while ago and used Canderel. But now I have read this isn't a particularly good substitute, is this the case?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Gary
Click to expand...

Horses for courses @Gaaz,

Well it wouldn't be considered low carb when compared to bacon and egg, but everything is relative isn't it. It depends on your own interpretation of 'low carb' and just how low you want to go. Only you can answer that.

1 x 40g serving of porridge oats has approximately 24g of carbs in it. For a few forum members, that's more than they eat in a day. Many don't set the bar quite so low.

What's your concern about Canderel? Is it the Aspartame content? It has been reported to be safe in many medical research papers but there are a few people who seem to be intolerant to it (and artificial sweeteners generally).
 
Hi Urbanracer,
Thanks for the advice. I see what you mean by level of carbs per own targets. But I take it porridge is better than corn flakes and weetabix?
I suppose I'll have to give up the coco pops then :-)
On Canderel, it is just when I read the low carb diet section, it seemed to discourage sweeteners?
I've have no problems myself.

Thanks again
Gaaz
 
Gaaz said:
Hi Urbanracer,
Thanks for the advice. I see what you mean by level of carbs per own targets. But I take it porridge is better than corn flakes and weetabix?
I suppose I'll have to give up the coco pops then :)
On Canderel, it is just when I read the low carb diet section, it seemed to discourage sweeteners?
I've have no problems myself.

Thanks again
Gaaz
Click to expand...

I am 99% sure (element of doubt involved) that I've read posts from people who stated that oats are a bit slower burning than other cereals. They may not spike your blood sugars in quite the same way, but the only way to find out is to eat then test. Corn based cereals are probably the worst types for giving you a sugar rush, but then again some people can eat them without the side effects.

Diabetes is very individual.
 
Hello and welcome I agree with unbanracer diabetes is very individual mine took a hold of me and wont let go :mad:
 
Gaaz said:
Hi Urbanracer,
Thanks for the advice. I see what you mean by level of carbs per own targets. But I take it porridge is better than corn flakes and weetabix?
I suppose I'll have to give up the coco pops then :-)
On Canderel, it is just when I read the low carb diet section, it seemed to discourage sweeteners?
I've have no problems myself.

Thanks again
Gaaz
Click to expand...
Hi Gaaz
Welcome to the forum and I hope you find the information here as useful as I do. As mentioned by previous members, it all depends on how low your carb daily level is. Some people go as low as 30g daily, personally I am on 80g daily which seems to work for me. I eat sainsburys organic multiseed wholemeal bread which has 9.3g of carb per slice I can eat 2 sometimes 3 slices of it and it doesn't spike my blood sugar. I can also eat ready brek, porridge oats, brown rice (70g) couscous (100g) all without it spiking my blood sugar. Some members I know can't eat any of what I've mentioned I can also eat fruit.. I have found that portion control of all the above is important.. what I definitely don't eat and avoid is potatoes and pasta! Some people can have small bits of the dark chocolate, but I can't it pushes my sugar up I tend to test before I eat and 2 hrs after I eat (very important in finding out which foods affects you) it takes a while to get your head around the low carb, high fat way of eating. You just need to decide your daily carb target that works for you and see how you get on, as foods affect us all in a different way it seems. Good luck and feel free to ask many questions.
PS: yes I believe porridge would be better than cornflakes, coco pops etc.. too much sugar
 
I eat a tiny amount of oats each morning, pre-boiled with courgette, then mixed with seeds, raw cacao and coconut yoghurt and left overnight in the fridge. I am okay with this, but I am usually active after breakfast. If you are looking for alternatives to porridge, there are plenty of low-carb granola, chia-pudding, etc etc recipes out there. Good luck and welcome to the forum :)
 
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