Type 2 and confused

[ClaireH88]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this so apologies if I've got it wrong! This is my story so far...

I was diagnosed T2 officially June last year and my experience in the last 12 months has been extremely confusing and very up and down. At first it was a bit of a shock as I was already having to deal with problems caused by PCOS, but to add this to my ever growing list of ailments hit me pretty hard. The nurse at my surgery sat me down and said I was going to die. Actually said this to me. I don't think I've been able to shake this off ever since if I'm perfectly honest. He wasn't very supportive at all. I explained that my diet was average, I wouldn't have said it was bad per se at the time but like most people it could always be improved. I ate lots of vegetables as I am not a massive fan of fruit, I don't particularly like bread and I was reasonably active but struggled with weight loss over the years (apparently due to my PCOS according to the consultants) He still said that I was going to die and that I needed to change, but offered no guidance in how to change.

I can't remember what my hba1c was when I was diagnosed, or on the second check around September last year - I think the one in September was somewhere in the 80s. Then combined with the stress of a new job and my Grandfather passing away, my blood sugars went through the roof and my hba1c in December was 105. I was seeing a Dietician at the hospital for my PCOS and I managed to lose a little bit of weight which has since gone back on again. I was originally put on Glimepiride which made me gain weight and didn't make much of a difference to my sugar, so they put me on Metformin. As I have IBS, even the slow release Metformin made me poorly and didn't settle even after taking it for 3 months. In January this year I was put on Canagliflozin and we have seen some great results. My hba1c has come down from 105 to 77 from December to March/April. It is still very high so we increased my dose to 300mg a day (my next review is in 2 weeks) I have started testing my sugars first thing on a morning and before my evening meal. When I first started testing I was anywhere between 12-18. Now I'm between 7-11. I know it is slow and steady progress but it is nice to see some positive results in comparison to where I started!

The thing that is confusing me so much at the moment is my diet. I have been told so many different things about what is good/not good, what I should/shouldn't eat etc. And it all just contradicts each other. I keep being told to go low carb, or even LCHF diet, but I am struggling with alternatives to the carbs I currently eat. I love potatoes and I love rice and noodles, but they just don't agree with me at all. I can swap potatoes out for Sweet Potatoes but I don't know what to do as an alternative for rice/pasta/noodles. Sometimes things like rice I'm okay with, then the next time I eat it I'm overcome by the fog and struggle to stay awake. There is no rhyme or reason at all. It has got to a point where I am becoming nervous to eat as I don't know what effect it will have on my body anymore, but I don't know what the alternatives are. It has really started to get me down and feel a bit deflated. I'm trying to have a positive mental attitude but it's difficult when there are so many different and conflicting articles out there on this subject.

I put my appeal out to you lovely people who know what it is like to feel how I am feeling and are on the front line of this battle every day. Can anyone help and give me some guidance of replacements for these everyday "staples"?

Thank You

 

[noodl3s]

Ive been told Cauliflour rice is a good substitute for rice though ive yet to try it.
Like you im having trouble with what i can n cant eat although ive lost weight in 3 months im still learning
It will be interesting what othets say x

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[Hiitsme]

Hi @ClaireH88 and welcome.
I will tag @daisy1 for her helpful guide for newcomers.
My suggestion on diet is to test before a meal and 2 hours after. Write down both readings and what you have eaten. That will show you what the effect of that meal has on your blood sugars. To begin with try and keep the rise under 2. Look particularly at the carbs in that meal. Then try either reducing them or cutting out carbs that your body can't cope with.
There will be a link to the Low Carb program on Daisy's post which would help.

 

[daisy1]

@ClaireH88

Hello Claire and welcome to the forum Here is the information, mentioned above, which we give to new members. I hope this will help you with your diet and help you to keep your levels under control. Ask as many questions as you want 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 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.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I'm afraid many of us have had to face up to the fact that rice, pasta etc are not good for us. I still have them sometimes but I know what it will do to my BS.

 

[ClaireH88]

Hi. I'm afraid many of us have had to face up to the fact that rice, pasta etc are not good for us. I still have them sometimes but I know what it will do to my BS.

Thanks for your reply. I have accepted I can't eat these things anymore, but I am struggling to find alternatives for them. I was hoping for some suggestions of alternatives like someone has said Cauliflower Rice (which I will give a go) for me to try that have been tried and tested and are good substitutions


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[ClaireH88]

@ClaireH88

Hello Claire and welcome to the forum Here is the information, mentioned above, which we give to new members. I hope this will help you with your diet and help you to keep your levels under control. Ask as many questions as you want 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 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.

Thanks Daisy, I have signed up to the low carb program so hopefully I will find something helpful there


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[ClaireH88]

Hi @ClaireH88 and welcome.
I will tag @daisy1 for her helpful guide for newcomers.
My suggestion on diet is to test before a meal and 2 hours after. Write down both readings and what you have eaten. That will show you what the effect of that meal has on your blood sugars. To begin with try and keep the rise under 2. Look particularly at the carbs in that meal. Then try either reducing them or cutting out carbs that your body can't cope with.
There will be a link to the Low Carb program on Daisy's post which would help.

Thanks Hiitsme, I have already done the testing before and after meals which is how I know certain things are just not suitable for me anymore. I was just looking for ideas of what to replace them with instead that are low carb that I can try


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[ClaireH88]

Ive been told Cauliflour rice is a good substitute for rice though ive yet to try it.
Like you im having trouble with what i can n cant eat although ive lost weight in 3 months im still learning
It will be interesting what othets say x

Sent from my SM-G935F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

Noodl3s I've seen recipes for Cauliflower rice, I bought a cauliflower today so will give that a go at some point. I imagine it shouldn't be that different to normal rice. I'll give anything a go at this point! I love a stir fry and I need an alternative to noodles so hopefully someone out there might have a yummy suggestion


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[Jasperville]

If you test test test, you will discover how many grams of carbs you can get away with. I really miss oven chips, but I now occasionally have a box of Mccain micro chips with an evening meal of meat and a creamy sauce (I don't eat other veg - just don't like it). One box is 30 grams of carbs, and it will usually raise my BG by about 3.5 ie from about 5.0 to 8.5. I also sometimes have fried bread as a treat with a fry-up. One slice of white bread is about 20-25 grams of carbs, but this has far less effect on me, presumably because of the much higher fat content of the meal.

I used to have 120-150 grams of carbs with most meals, whether, potato, rice, pasta, but I have had to accept those days have gone.

 

[bulkbiker]

Courgette spaghetti is a good replacement for noodles in either italian or chinese style dishes. Have a look at http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb for some meal ideas and lots of info on LCHF.

 

[Jasperville]

Also, just to say that although gluten is undoubtedly bad for me, I cannot live without bread. There are a lot of low carb breads available which are palatable, and don't spike me too high.

My favourites are Joseph's low carb pitas which I get from Amazon. I might have one with a curry (no rice). Also hilo bread (from some sainsburys) and livlife bread (online). Just discovered Lidl high protein rolls..........huge and only 9 carbs each.

Also just to encourage you, if you keep low carb, your blood glucose WILL continue to reduce, and you may be able to reintroduce small quantities of some starchy foods as time goes on.

 

[DeejayR]

Hello and welcome @ClaireH88. Your confusion about diet is very apparent and familiar to many of us. There is plenty for you to read (above) to guide you to a new way of thinking, eating and living.
Lots of people on here do wonders to make cauliflower taste and look like something else, but after trying some of them I now like it as itself, and especially as cauli cheese with bacon.
I find when I'm mashing raw cauli it goes everywhere, so have a dustpan and brush handy. Good luck!

 

[srobertson06]

I tried the cauliflower rice - personally I did not like. I have tried the basmati rice - cooked in lots of water and sometimes it is ok and other times it spikes the sugar levels - next I am going to try the curry with a stir fry of bean shoots and cabbage and a little carrot - hoping I can live with it as I lived on curry before becoming type 2 ..............
I am a long way from getting blood glucose levels into anything lower than 6.0 so no expert here but I am beginning to learn that if you are in pain, under a lot of stress then this does affect the readings, as in today all my readings are close to 8.0, I have eaten what I normally do which keeps my readings in the 6's - the only difference is I am in pain.
I am trying to take on board that I am unable to tolerate rice, pasta, bread or potatoes - I can have the protein rolls from Lidl but only if they have any when I get there (normally they are sold out) only got to try one two weeks ago not been able to get any more since then. Going to try making my own so I can have them in the freezer but again I think it will have to be an occasional treat rather than lunch each day at work. It is a learning curve for each of us.

 

[Mrsmary]

Noodl3s I've seen recipes for Cauliflower rice, I bought a cauliflower today so will give that a go at some point. I imagine it shouldn't be that different to normal rice. I'll give anything a go at this point! I love a stir fry and I need an alternative to noodles so hopefully someone out there might have a yummy suggestion

If you get a spiriliser and do courgettes they can be your noodles. Theye only take a few seconds to cook.
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[amoreamore]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this so apologies if I've got it wrong! This is my story so far...

I was diagnosed T2 officially June last year and my experience in the last 12 months has been extremely confusing and very up and down. At first it was a bit of a shock as I was already having to deal with problems caused by PCOS, but to add this to my ever growing list of ailments hit me pretty hard. The nurse at my surgery sat me down and said I was going to die. Actually said this to me. I don't think I've been able to shake this off ever since if I'm perfectly honest. He wasn't very supportive at all. I explained that my diet was average, I wouldn't have said it was bad per se at the time but like most people it could always be improved. I ate lots of vegetables as I am not a massive fan of fruit, I don't particularly like bread and I was reasonably active but struggled with weight loss over the years (apparently due to my PCOS according to the consultants) He still said that I was going to die and that I needed to change, but offered no guidance in how to change.

I can't remember what my hba1c was when I was diagnosed, or on the second check around September last year - I think the one in September was somewhere in the 80s. Then combined with the stress of a new job and my Grandfather passing away, my blood sugars went through the roof and my hba1c in December was 105. I was seeing a Dietician at the hospital for my PCOS and I managed to lose a little bit of weight which has since gone back on again. I was originally put on Glimepiride which made me gain weight and didn't make much of a difference to my sugar, so they put me on Metformin. As I have IBS, even the slow release Metformin made me poorly and didn't settle even after taking it for 3 months. In January this year I was put on Canagliflozin and we have seen some great results. My hba1c has come down from 105 to 77 from December to March/April. It is still very high so we increased my dose to 300mg a day (my next review is in 2 weeks) I have started testing my sugars first thing on a morning and before my evening meal. When I first started testing I was anywhere between 12-18. Now I'm between 7-11. I know it is slow and steady progress but it is nice to see some positive results in comparison to where I started!

The thing that is confusing me so much at the moment is my diet. I have been told so many different things about what is good/not good, what I should/shouldn't eat etc. And it all just contradicts each other. I keep being told to go low carb, or even LCHF diet, but I am struggling with alternatives to the carbs I currently eat. I love potatoes and I love rice and noodles, but they just don't agree with me at all. I can swap potatoes out for Sweet Potatoes but I don't know what to do as an alternative for rice/pasta/noodles. Sometimes things like rice I'm okay with, then the next time I eat it I'm overcome by the fog and struggle to stay awake. There is no rhyme or reason at all. It has got to a point where I am becoming nervous to eat as I don't know what effect it will have on my body anymore, but I don't know what the alternatives are. It has really started to get me down and feel a bit deflated. I'm trying to have a positive mental attitude but it's difficult when there are so many different and conflicting articles out there on this subject.

I put my appeal out to you lovely people who know what it is like to feel how I am feeling and are on the front line of this battle every day. Can anyone help and give me some guidance of replacements for these everyday "staples"?

Thank You

 

[amoreamore]

I agree that it is all so confusing. I like cauliflower rice fortunately and if I have a home made curry I choose a bed of cabbage rather than rice. It is delicious and I don't feel deprived.

Fruit is a big problem as if I don't have a dessert then I want to have fruit instead. We have all been advised to have our 5 a day. In the morning in an attempt to have my 5 a day I Nutriblend Spinach with a mixture of fruit, nuts and seeds but I think this is probably too much fruit now.

I am also confused as having cut fat levels down for years and years I am reading that more fat in the diet helps to reduce blood sugar.

What is the best diet for type 11 diabetes?

 

[6cats]

I can totally sympathise about potatoes and stir fries. I had fresh egg noodles in a store fry with a spoonful of chilli sauce for the first time since diagnosis in March. The followi day my BS was 13.5!

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[kokhongw]

I put my appeal out to you lovely people who know what it is like to feel how I am feeling and are on the front line of this battle every day. Can anyone help and give me some guidance of replacements for these everyday "staples"?

For me what works was to look for enjoyable fats, nuts and roast pork belly works for me
https://goo.gl/maps/Uyi1BQp5XuL2
https://goo.gl/maps/ogvLrqkxr8p

 

[ClaireH88]

I had my diabetic review with the nurse today and my hba1c went from 69 in June to 65 end of September.. and I got told off, told it was out of control and it simply isn't good enough. I feel a bit deflated as I have been testing my sugar levels 3 times a day, first thing in the morning it ranges between 8-10, before my lunch and tea anywhere between 5-7. I don't know what more I can do to bring my Hba1c down. It is coming down but just slowly now. How do I bring it down more quickly? Is it even possible? Surely some progress is better than none?
She did try and deter me from the LCHF diet and said I need to eat low fat options and more carbs which annoyed me (I won't be doing this!)
I just don't know what more I can do!