Type 2 Diabetes

[snogoose]

Having been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes, I still find it confusing with blood test monitoring and am failing with reducing my score to below 7 on my monitoring system. I am beginning to feel disheartened by this. Can any of you help me with suggestions. I do not eat much in the way of carbs, and what carbs I do eat are wholegrain or brown. I stopped eating white carbs some years ago.

Hope that you can assist me in my struggle.

Snogoose

 

[xfieldok]

Having been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes, I still find it confusing with blood test monitoring and am failing with reducing my score to below 7 on my monitoring system. I am beginning to feel disheartened by this. Can any of you help me with suggestions. I do not eat much in the way of carbs, and what carbs I do eat are wholegrain or brown. I stopped eating white carbs some years ago.

Hope that you can assist me in my struggle.

Snogoose

All carbs are carbs whatever the colour. Can you tell us everything you ate today, maybe we can tweak things for you.

 

[snogoose]

Breakfast - Natural yoghurt - 125mls with half a small banana and four raspberries mixed to make a shake
Exercise for 45 minutes swimming and gym

Mid morning 1 slice of ham and 1 oz of cheese with some home made coleslaw - yoghurt dressing with lemon juice

Lunch - half a grapefruit 2-3 oz tuna with nicoise salad Dessert - 2 ozs soft cheese and a small apple

Mid afternoon - cup of tea and a digestive

Dinner - chicken breast in a home made cheese sauce with mixed peppers and leeks

Dessert - yoghurt
Cup of coffee

before bed, a half water/ half milk semi skimmed cup of cocoa.

I take no sugar or sweeteners in any drinks and I also drink water during the day. about 2 -4 litres a day.

I attend the swimming pool and gym twice a week. I live a reasonably active lifestyle. gardening and walking at least once a day. 20 minute walk and in the garden for about 20 minutes a day. I will admit I used to be a lot more active, but due to recent illness I had to cut back. I ma now looking to increase my activity to what it was.

 

[Resurgam]

Have you added up the amount of carbs you are eating each day?
The carb content should be on the yogurt label, and you can get average percentages of the carbs in fruit, but you'd need to weigh them, the carbs per biscuit should be on the packet. Does the nicoise salad include potato? you need to add that in too, but it could be rather high if it has high carb foods included.
Blending the fruit into a shake means that the sugar is more easily available. Eating so often might not help as you are constantly topping up the need for insulin - many people limit either the time they eat or the number of meals a day, depending on what suits them best.

 

[Groundgripper]

Having been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes, I still find it confusing with blood test monitoring and am failing with reducing my score to below 7 on my monitoring system. I am beginning to feel disheartened by this. Can any of you help me with suggestions. I do not eat much in the way of carbs, and what carbs I do eat are wholegrain or brown. I stopped eating white carbs some years ago.

Hope that you can assist me in my struggle.

Snogoose

Hi Snogoose, and welcome, with testing, do a test before your food, then about an hour after to see the spike and finally just over two hours after your meal to see how well you have coped with the results of what you have eaten, effectively whatever you tested before eating, that reading in mmols (for example 5.3) should ideally come back down to within a maximum of two points of that by the two hours period end,
(for example under 7.3).
In the morning you may well initially experience what I believe is called a glucose dump into your system from overnight, initially that may show up as quite high, I found that to be the case myself, but nearly three months on now, with good testing and monitoring, my morning reading can be down to 4.5.
The spike you read for your blood glucose at the 1 hour point lets you see how your body reacts initially to the glucose it gets from your food, I have had spikes as high as 13 mmol in the past, but now that I know what food types cause large spikes I can avoid those and now rarely hit higher than 8.7.
The main thing is to test yourself on a regular basis to see what is affecting you, do not let any doctor, nurse or anyone else tell you not to, you must test or else you will not get into the routine of watching what you eat or how it affects you, once you have gained that knowledge and are aware of the good foods and the not so good ones, you can still regularly test, only the spike point will no longer be a big issue by then as much as it is now, and finally on the testing, you do not have to pin puncture yourself to extremes, give it time and you will become very self aware of how your body reacts to stimuli and various foods and drink, do not despair.
There are a great many people on here very eager and willing to help, with a great amount of genuine knowledge, have a look on the diet doctor website for food and drink information too.
You are not alone, really you are not alone,

 

[snogoose]

Have you added up the amount of carbs you are eating each day?
The carb content should be on the yogurt label, and you can get average percentages of the carbs in fruit, but you'd need to weigh them, the carbs per biscuit should be on the packet.
Blending the fruit into a shake means that the sugar is more easily available. Eating so often might not help as you are constantly topping up the need for insulin - many people limit either the time they eat or the number of meals a day, depending on what suits them best.

I appreciate the advice you have offered, but it was recommended by my trainer that I take the milkshake in order not to be shakey after my workout at the gym. This is taken in place of breakfast on my training days in the gym. Today was one of those days. I do not generally eat much bread or carbs of any description.
#
I have cut them down since I have been ill. I generally have eggs for breakfast and very occasionally baked beans reduced sugar and salt variety and yes, I do try to balance out the carb content in those along with the remaining sugar in those too.

I make my own food as much as possible, not relying on processed foods nor starch of any description. I necer a was bread eater - tastes too much like cotton wool!

My diabetic practice nurse is telling me that I am not eating enough carbs. I wish I knew what the rule is about this!

I will however take a look at what you have suggested and hope to improve my diet accordingly

Kind regards,

Snogoose

 

[xfieldok]

Are you testing before you eat and two hours after? What are your rises? Are you keeping a food diary?

I wouldn't touch a banana personally. Is your yoghurt full day?

How do you make your cheese sauce? Personally I don't eat biscuits.

Double cream has less carbs than semi skimmed milk. Cocoa has carbs, you need to read the packet.

It does take a while to get your head around things, don't get disheartened.

 

[Resurgam]

I don't understand - you list banana, beans, apples, grapefruit, nicoise salad, biscuits and other things with carbs - but with such poor advice as eat more carbs from those who ought to know better it isn't all that surprising.
If you are diabetic then you can't cope with carbs - that is what it is all about.
If we are to have low blood glucose levels, we must cut down on the carbs we eat and avoid high carb foods.
I can remain in the normal ranges by eating under 40 gm of carbs a day, and hope to stick to that for as long as possible, but eating carbs means blood glucose is going to remain high - it is just how it works

 

[xfieldok]

Your trainer is not an expert in diabetes. Your DN is quoting the old mantra. The word on low carb is getting out there but it takes time. Lots of us on the forum have had success with LCHF.

 

[bulkbiker]

My diabetic practice nurse is telling me that I am not eating enough carbs. I wish I knew what the rule is about this!

As few as humanly possible if you want to reverse T2..

 

[HSSS]

Have you seen this https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ with regards carbs?

 

[snogoose]

Hi Snogoose, and welcome, with testing, do a test before your food, then about an hour after to see the spike and finally just over two hours after your meal to see how well you have coped with the results of what you have eaten, effectively whatever you tested before eating, that reading in mmols (for example 5.3) should ideally come back down to within a maximum of two points of that by the two hours period end,
(for example under 7.3).
In the morning you may well initially experience what I believe is called a glucose dump into your system from overnight, initially that may show up as quite high, I found that to be the case myself, but nearly three months on now, with good testing and monitoring, my morning reading can be down to 4.5.
The spike you read for your blood glucose at the 1 hour point lets you see how your body reacts initially to the glucose it gets from your food, I have had spikes as high as 13 mmol in the past, but now that I know what food types cause large spikes I can avoid those and now rarely hit higher than 8.7.
The main thing is to test yourself on a regular basis to see what is affecting you, do not let any doctor, nurse or anyone else tell you not to, you must test or else you will not get into the routine of watching what you eat or how it affects you, once you have gained that knowledge and are aware of the good foods and the not so good ones, you can still regularly test, only the spike point will no longer be a big issue by then as much as it is now, and finally on the testing, you do not have to pin puncture yourself to extremes, give it time and you will become very self aware of how your body reacts to stimuli and various foods and drink, do not despair.
There are a great many people on here very eager and willing to help, with a great amount of genuine knowledge, have a look on the diet doctor website for food and drink information too.
You are not alone, really you are not alone,

Hi Groundgripper,

Many thanks for your consoling and supportive reply! Having been heavily involved in sports. tennis, dance, swimming and general fitness for most of my life it has been a shock to me to realise that since my inactivity through major illness, I should be in the mess that my body has placed me in. However, I am determined to get myself back to where I was and assist my granddaughter in her sports training. Many thanks for the suggestion to look on the diet doctor website I will most certainly take a look on there!

You are correct in assuming that I do suffer a temperature variance which for years was put down to hot flushes being a menopausal 50+ year old lady by my rather young and dare I say it inexperienced GP!!!It took a stay in hospital to getting my type 2 diabetes confirmed!!

May I further thank for your reassurance about this website! I have found more reassurance and offers of assistance from this website than from my own GP! - I never thought that I would admit that about my own profession!!

Thank you once again

Snogoose

 

[Member496333]

Far too much fruit, I’m afraid. The perfect storm of glucose & fructose. From an evolutionary standpoint it’s actually designed to make us temporarily insulin resistant so that we can lay down fat in the summer. If you want to take control of your diabetes then divorcing fruit will be the single most effective modification to your diet.

 

[snogoose]

As few as humanly possible if you want to reverse T2..

Hi Bulkbiker,
I have just had a quick read of the article mentioned above, and will revisit it again later over the weekend. Thank you so much for telling me about it.

thanking you so very much


Snogoose

 

[jjraak]

am failing with reducing my score to below 7 on my monitoring system.
Can any of you help me with suggestions.

as @xfieldok rightly says..carbs are carbs.

IF you wanted to get the FBG down, then i'd say you need to cut out a few of the more obvious ones.

And FATS help keep us satiated, meaning we feel fuller for longer, and any time you take fats OUT..(aka low fat)
invariably they add sugars in to add the taste back in.

So in that case FULL fat milk would be preferable.

Many try to only eat once a day...this is to reduce the intake of carbs AND to reduce the need for the body to release insulin to deal with the intake of foods..so the multiple stages of eating keep your levels higher then needed.

All this is hard in the beginning, i know i struggled, but now i'm comfortable eating maybe twice a day, proper..some days that will be a snack and a large meal so it can be done, but it takes a little getting used to.

So comparing what you posted food wise


Breakfast - Natural yoghurt - 125mls with half a small banana and four raspberries mixed to make a shake
I'd eat the greek yoghurt (5g carbs per 100ml..probably 3 large tablespoons, with blueberries..
(raspberries good, but banana is a no for me..too high carb)

Mid morning 1 slice of ham and 1 oz of cheese with some home made coleslaw - yoghurt dressing with lemon juice
I would eat that, but as part of a meal later in day..but check carbs in coleslaw

I sort of liken the release of insulin when eating anything to running a full bath..
ok if you are bathing, but not if you just want to splash your face or wash you hands..wasteful

so i now consider how badly i want to eat..surprising how often i can push that thought of food back by an hour or so, sometimes with a hot drink tea/coffee..or simply a glass of water.

Lunch - half a grapefruit 2-3 oz tuna with nicoise salad Dessert - 2 ozs soft cheese and a small apple
again all good apart from the grapefruit & apple..20+g for the tuna salad..i always try to be under 30g carbs per meal

Mid afternoon - cup of tea and a digestive
tea yep...DIGESTIVE.,.:***: nearly 10g carbs per biscuit..so no.

Dinner - chicken breast in a home made cheese sauce with mixed peppers and leeks
yep..quick like leeks now..and yum to chicken n cheese

Dessert - yoghurt
Cup of coffee
yep, if greek yoghurt

before bed, a half water/ half milk semi skimmed cup of cocoa.
full fat milk..but i'd probably avoid eating after 8pm...many only eat during an 8hr window 16/8 16 fasting 8 hrs to eat

so recap ?

eat less often..eat better..eat more fats
exercise does help, but i've found the main benefits come from food.

good luck trying AND getting the FBG down.

 

[snogoose]

Far too much fruit, I’m afraid. The perfect storm of glucose & fructose. From an evolutionary standpoint it’s actually designed to make us temporarily insulin resistant so that we can lay down fat in the summer. If you want to take control of your diabetes then divorcing fruit will be the single most effective modification to your diet.

Thank you Jim for your advice, I shall definitely take your advice on board.

Snogoose

 

[snogoose]

as @rersurgam rightly says..carbs are carbs.

IF you wanted to get the FBG down, then i'd say you need to cut out a few of the more obvious ones.

And FATS help keep us satiated, meaning we feel fuller for longer, and any time you take fats OUT..(aka low fat)
invariably they add sugars in to add the taste back in.

So in that case FULL fat milk would be preferable.

Many try to only eat once a day...this is to reduce the intake of carbs AND to reduce the need for the body to release insulin to deal with the intake of foods..so the multiple stages of eating keep your levels higher then needed.

All this is hard in the beginning, i know i struggled, but now i'm comfortable eating maybe twice a day, proper..some days that will be a snack and a large meal so it can be done, but it takes a little getting used to.

So comparing what you posted food wise


Breakfast - Natural yoghurt - 125mls with half a small banana and four raspberries mixed to make a shake
I'd eat the greek yoghurt (5g carbs per 100ml..probably 3 large tablespoons, with blueberries..
(raspberries good, but banana is a no for me..too high carb)

Mid morning 1 slice of ham and 1 oz of cheese with some home made coleslaw - yoghurt dressing with lemon juice
I would eat that, but as part of a meal later in day..but check carbs in coleslaw

I sort of liken the release of insulin when eating anything to running a full bath..
ok if you are bathing, but not if you just want to splash your face or wash you hands..wasteful

so i now consider how badly i want to eat..surprising how often i can push that thought of food back by an hour or so, sometimes with a hot drink tea/coffee..or simply a glass of water.

Lunch - half a grapefruit 2-3 oz tuna with nicoise salad Dessert - 2 ozs soft cheese and a small apple
again all good apart from the grapefruit & apple..20+g for the tuna salad..i always try to be under 30g carbs per meal

Mid afternoon - cup of tea and a digestive
tea yep...DIGESTIVE.,.:***: nearly 10g carbs per biscuit..so no.

Dinner - chicken breast in a home made cheese sauce with mixed peppers and leeks
yep..quick like leeks now..and yum to chicken n cheese

Dessert - yoghurt
Cup of coffee
yep, if greek yoghurt

before bed, a half water/ half milk semi skimmed cup of cocoa.
full fat milk..but i'd probably avoid eating after 8pm...many only eat during an 8hr window 16/8 16 fasting 8 hrs to eat

so recap ?

eat less often..eat better..eat more fats
exercise does help, but i've found the main benefits come from food.

good luck trying AND getting the FBG down.

as @rersurgam rightly says..carbs are carbs.

IF you wanted to get the FBG down, then i'd say you need to cut out a few of the more obvious ones.

And FATS help keep us satiated, meaning we feel fuller for longer, and any time you take fats OUT..(aka low fat)
invariably they add sugars in to add the taste back in.

So in that case FULL fat milk would be preferable.

Many try to only eat once a day...this is to reduce the intake of carbs AND to reduce the need for the body to release insulin to deal with the intake of foods..so the multiple stages of eating keep your levels higher then needed.

All this is hard in the beginning, i know i struggled, but now i'm comfortable eating maybe twice a day, proper..some days that will be a snack and a large meal so it can be done, but it takes a little getting used to.

So comparing what you posted food wise


Breakfast - Natural yoghurt - 125mls with half a small banana and four raspberries mixed to make a shake
I'd eat the greek yoghurt (5g carbs per 100ml..probably 3 large tablespoons, with blueberries..
(raspberries good, but banana is a no for me..too high carb)

Mid morning 1 slice of ham and 1 oz of cheese with some home made coleslaw - yoghurt dressing with lemon juice
I would eat that, but as part of a meal later in day..but check carbs in coleslaw

I sort of liken the release of insulin when eating anything to running a full bath..
ok if you are bathing, but not if you just want to splash your face or wash you hands..wasteful

so i now consider how badly i want to eat..surprising how often i can push that thought of food back by an hour or so, sometimes with a hot drink tea/coffee..or simply a glass of water.

Lunch - half a grapefruit 2-3 oz tuna with nicoise salad Dessert - 2 ozs soft cheese and a small apple
again all good apart from the grapefruit & apple..20+g for the tuna salad..i always try to be under 30g carbs per meal

Mid afternoon - cup of tea and a digestive
tea yep...DIGESTIVE.,.:***: nearly 10g carbs per biscuit..so no.

Dinner - chicken breast in a home made cheese sauce with mixed peppers and leeks
yep..quick like leeks now..and yum to chicken n cheese

Dessert - yoghurt
Cup of coffee
yep, if greek yoghurt

before bed, a half water/ half milk semi skimmed cup of cocoa.
full fat milk..but i'd probably avoid eating after 8pm...many only eat during an 8hr window 16/8 16 fasting 8 hrs to eat

so recap ?

eat less often..eat better..eat more fats
exercise does help, but i've found the main benefits come from food.

good luck trying AND getting the FBG down.

 

[Member496333]

Oh and buy some of these for the next time your DN moves her lips.

 

[snogoose]

Far too much fruit, I’m afraid. The perfect storm of glucose & fructose. From an evolutionary standpoint it’s actually designed to make us temporarily insulin resistant so that we can lay down fat in the summer. If you want to take control of your diabetes then divorcing fruit will be the single most effective modification to your diet.

as @rersurgam rightly says..carbs are carbs.

IF you wanted to get the FBG down, then i'd say you need to cut out a few of the more obvious ones.

And FATS help keep us satiated, meaning we feel fuller for longer, and any time you take fats OUT..(aka low fat)
invariably they add sugars in to add the taste back in.

So in that case FULL fat milk would be preferable.

Many try to only eat once a day...this is to reduce the intake of carbs AND to reduce the need for the body to release insulin to deal with the intake of foods..so the multiple stages of eating keep your levels higher then needed.

All this is hard in the beginning, i know i struggled, but now i'm comfortable eating maybe twice a day, proper..some days that will be a snack and a large meal so it can be done, but it takes a little getting used to.

So comparing what you posted food wise


Breakfast - Natural yoghurt - 125mls with half a small banana and four raspberries mixed to make a shake
I'd eat the greek yoghurt (5g carbs per 100ml..probably 3 large tablespoons, with blueberries..
(raspberries good, but banana is a no for me..too high carb)

Mid morning 1 slice of ham and 1 oz of cheese with some home made coleslaw - yoghurt dressing with lemon juice
I would eat that, but as part of a meal later in day..but check carbs in coleslaw

I sort of liken the release of insulin when eating anything to running a full bath..
ok if you are bathing, but not if you just want to splash your face or wash you hands..wasteful

so i now consider how badly i want to eat..surprising how often i can push that thought of food back by an hour or so, sometimes with a hot drink tea/coffee..or simply a glass of water.

Lunch - half a grapefruit 2-3 oz tuna with nicoise salad Dessert - 2 ozs soft cheese and a small apple
again all good apart from the grapefruit & apple..20+g for the tuna salad..i always try to be under 30g carbs per meal

Mid afternoon - cup of tea and a digestive
tea yep...DIGESTIVE.,.:***: nearly 10g carbs per biscuit..so no.

Dinner - chicken breast in a home made cheese sauce with mixed peppers and leeks
yep..quick like leeks now..and yum to chicken n cheese

Dessert - yoghurt
Cup of coffee
yep, if greek yoghurt

before bed, a half water/ half milk semi skimmed cup of cocoa.
full fat milk..but i'd probably avoid eating after 8pm...many only eat during an 8hr window 16/8 16 fasting 8 hrs to eat

so recap ?

eat less often..eat better..eat more fats
exercise does help, but i've found the main benefits come from food.

good luck trying AND getting the FBG down.

Hi jjraak,

Many thanks for the notes on my day's menu! I will take note of your comments and revise accordingly.

My sincere thanks to you

Snogoose

 

[snogoose]

Oh and buy some of these for the next time your DN moves her lips.

Easter is coming … she might get a pair instead of an easter egg!! Lol !!