You're quite right about cereal.. and fruit isn't such a great option either.
I would recommend taking a look at www.dietdoctor.com there are a huge amount of recipes, meal ideas and some great graphics as an easy intro to a low carb lifestyle.
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Type 2 latest results My husn
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I would recommend taking a look at www.dietdoctor.com there are a huge amount of recipes, meal ideas and some great graphics as an easy intro to a low carb lifestyle.
Bluetit1802
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Yes, cereals are not a good idea at all. You only need look at the nutritional details on the packets to see how carb heavy they are. Grapes and bananas are about the worst fruits there are for us. It is better to stick to half a dozen raspberries or 2 or 3 strawberries in either double cream or a full fat plain yogurt, although I find this difficult at breakfast time but a lot better as a dessert following either lunch or evening meal. The link to diet doctor that @bulkbiker gave you will help, especially these pages
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist
By far the best breakfast are eggs, cooked any which way, or bacon and eggs with a tomato and mushrooms. Personally I don't eat breakfast. I stick to coffee with cream and that sees me through to lunch time other than a cup of tea mid morning but that may not be suitable for your husband with his physical job.
rom35
Well-Known Member
I confirm that: My metabolism doesn't work as expected in the morning. Each gram of carbs has double effect on my BG that the same amount of carbs in the evening.
Guzzler
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Most cereals are a no no. Have a look at the Dietdoctor website for low carb recipes. Grapes are little sugar bombs and bananas are usually off the menu too. Grab yourself the Carbs and Cals book or app to learn about the carbohydrate numbers in foods. You can start a new thread in 'Ask a Question' part of the forum any time you like and you will get more tailored responses. Hope this helps.
Right - we have a lot of homework to do together and thank you ALL again for all your help and pointers.....
Immediately I can see where my lovely Hubby is going wrong - yesterday - straight after work he tucks into grapes and a banana! Then we had a healthy supper - but then at midnight - he is tucking in a bowl of cereal!
All seems relatively healthy until you look doesn't it!?
He does rely on All Bran or Bran flakes in the mornings for his tummy, so is this definitely out with all other cereals?
Is wholewheat pasta and rice a better option too? I get the impression pasta should be avoided?
Also has anyone heard of a website by Michael Dempsey - he seems to give good advice but also seems to be pushing hos own tablets....?
We have read a lot about big Pharma pushing Metformin etc and this has not helped with the fear we have about drugs from the Doctor.
Thanks again and will keep in touch x
Immediately I can see where my lovely Hubby is going wrong - yesterday - straight after work he tucks into grapes and a banana! Then we had a healthy supper - but then at midnight - he is tucking in a bowl of cereal!
All seems relatively healthy until you look doesn't it!?
He does rely on All Bran or Bran flakes in the mornings for his tummy, so is this definitely out with all other cereals?
Is wholewheat pasta and rice a better option too? I get the impression pasta should be avoided?
Also has anyone heard of a website by Michael Dempsey - he seems to give good advice but also seems to be pushing hos own tablets....?
We have read a lot about big Pharma pushing Metformin etc and this has not helped with the fear we have about drugs from the Doctor.
Thanks again and will keep in touch x
Bluetit1802
Legend
Oh dear! None of that will help, and is probably why he is in the mess he is in.
Very high in carbs - look at the nutrition label on the packet. Tesco Branflakes for example are over 64% carbs of which 13.6% is sugar. As suggested before, he needs to start relying on a different breakfast - protein and fats, as few carbs as possible. This is why eggs are so good - a 3 egg omelette with mushrooms/cheese, or a fry up without beans or bread.
All carbs turn to sugar once inside the system, and that includes the wholemeal varieties. Wholemeal is better for general health than white, but still raises blood sugar levels.
The https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds will help, but a meter will be your best friend.
Boo1979
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One problem with eating higher carb foods such as cereal, high sugar fruit etc etc that produce elevated blood sugars is that it drives a kind of roller coaster where eating the food produces high blood sugar which can rapidly drop down leading to a sense of hunger, leading to eating more higher carb foods etc etc. Stopping that roller coaster is one of the prime resons for keeping the shift between pre and post meal blood sugars As low as possible - flat sugars also reduce overall hunger. ( the other reason is to maximise the amount of time BS is out of the range where complications become more likely)
Resurgam
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I get milled flax seed and other seeds, in Lidl - on the shelf above the nuts in both the ones I frequent. A tablespoon of that mixed in with the scrabbled egg or coleslaw is a better way to add fibre than the sugary cereals.
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Some people find their temperament gets a bit sharper when their numbers aren't under control, so it could be. It could also be he's stressed by it all and not relishing the prospect f modifying his way of living.
Could he join the forum and join in the research? That could help him feel a bit more involved and in control.
Going back to an earlier post, I hadn't personally heard of Michael Dempsey, but a Google search returns some pretty unflattering responses, as well as good ones.
If you want to invest in a book, then Michael Moseley's "8 Week Blood Sugar Diet" or David Cavan's books on diabetes mightn't be a bad starting pace, but there's actually a whole wealth of information on this site, from folks living with the condition day-in-day out.
Good luck with it all.
Hi. Just back from shopping and have really started looking at labels! The coop only mostly sell low fat everything!? But that contains more sugar doesn’t it? It’s a nightmare! Have started looking at myself too and what I am eating. I could do with losing a stone so am going to support my Hubby and join him. I still am feeling quite emotional about it all. Is this normal!?
rom35
Well-Known Member
Yes. Basically if I see "0% fat", it's carbs poison for me
Yes, completely normal! And don't forget to take your time with this, you cannot possibly learn everything in one day and you don't need to. Take care and good luck to the both of you!
Bluetit1802
Legend
Shopping is a nightmare the first few times. Standing in the aisle trying to decipher the nutrition labels for ages and holding everyone else up, but it soon becomes second nature. I find the Tesco website excellent for finding how many carbs etc are in the products they sell. You could use this to give you an idea. (Google Tesco + product. ) Sainsbury's website is also a good one.
Look at the nutrition labels on all your packaged foods, and look for "total carbohydrate". You can ignore the "of which sugars" as the sugar is already included in the total carbs. Anything above 10% carbs is high, but may be acceptable if you are only having a spoonful or very small amount.
Good plan to join your hubby. This is the best form of support there is.
. I have bought both books just now. Also one quick question. What’s the difference between low carb and low GI foods? Thank you !
Oooh, now that is a can of worms! lol.
Low GI (glycaemic index) foods are ones that release their carbs slowly during digestion. So a slice of brown bread is lower GI than a slice of white bread because it is slower to release the glucose. However, they may well have very similar amounts of carbohydrate, so if they both have around 15 g of carbs per slice, then 15 g of carbs will still get into the bloodstream, although with white bread it may take approx 1hr, and with brown bread it may take 90 mins (all these figs are approximate, and intended to just give you the idea).
Type 2 diabetics are often advised (by well meaning health care professionals, friends and relatives to 'eat low GI' but those people don't have a handy test meter to test the foods' effects on blood glucose. If they did they would discover that the glucose still hits the blood stream and still raises the blood glucose, often by a surprising amount.
Low carb foods are foods that don't have much carbohydrate in them to start with. So there is less glucose to end up in the blood stream. You can get lower carb breads which might have anywhere from 6-14g carbs/slice, compared with the 15-20g/slice you would find in brown or white or granary breads.
Does that make sense?
Most low carb foods are also low GI, but some low GI foods can have surprising amounts of carb in them.
Low GI (glycaemic index) foods are ones that release their carbs slowly during digestion. So a slice of brown bread is lower GI than a slice of white bread because it is slower to release the glucose. However, they may well have very similar amounts of carbohydrate, so if they both have around 15 g of carbs per slice, then 15 g of carbs will still get into the bloodstream, although with white bread it may take approx 1hr, and with brown bread it may take 90 mins (all these figs are approximate, and intended to just give you the idea).
Type 2 diabetics are often advised (by well meaning health care professionals, friends and relatives to 'eat low GI' but those people don't have a handy test meter to test the foods' effects on blood glucose. If they did they would discover that the glucose still hits the blood stream and still raises the blood glucose, often by a surprising amount.
Low carb foods are foods that don't have much carbohydrate in them to start with. So there is less glucose to end up in the blood stream. You can get lower carb breads which might have anywhere from 6-14g carbs/slice, compared with the 15-20g/slice you would find in brown or white or granary breads.
Does that make sense?
Most low carb foods are also low GI, but some low GI foods can have surprising amounts of carb in them.
Lol! Yes indeed it is. Ooh my goodness. Better get some better reading glasses for all our homework! Thank you very much.
Please can anyone say which is the best blood glucose meter? My poor Hubby has a needle phobia so this is going to be interesting!
. Money no problem for the best and gentlest!?
Lastly. Is there such a thing a moderate carbs being allowed? Small portion of wholewheat pasta or rice say? Again will use meter to see the effect on numbers etc.
Thank you to everyone this week. Feeling a lot better about all this. Both of us are xx
Please can anyone say which is the best blood glucose meter? My poor Hubby has a needle phobia so this is going to be interesting!
. Money no problem for the best and gentlest!? Lastly. Is there such a thing a moderate carbs being allowed? Small portion of wholewheat pasta or rice say? Again will use meter to see the effect on numbers etc.
Thank you to everyone this week. Feeling a lot better about all this. Both of us are xx
Bluetit1802
Legend
It doesn't matter which meter you use as far as the needles (lancets) are concerned. The lancet device is separate, and you can use any lancet device with any meter. The best lancet device, especially for anyone with needle phobia, is the Acc Chek Fastclix. It is like a pen. At one end you insert a plastic drum that contains 6 hidden lancets, so you never see the needles at all. When all 6 needles are used you just replace it with another drum.
The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)
These meters will come with a lancet device, but you don't have to use it. I really do recommend the Fastclix. You should find them in pharmacies, Boots, or online.
EDIT If you buy the Fastclix you will also need to buy a box of drums.
The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)
These meters will come with a lancet device, but you don't have to use it. I really do recommend the Fastclix. You should find them in pharmacies, Boots, or online.
EDIT If you buy the Fastclix you will also need to buy a box of drums.
NicoleC1971
BANNED
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html
There is lots of useful info on this site re blood glucose measures and the conversion. It is good to take an interest in the numbers but we are not doctors here and you did not mention if this was a long term (3 month) glucose average HBA1c or a fasting blood glucose test?
If you do not find that your doctor has the patience or time or interest to explain these things then perhaps you should see someone else.
Metformin may be necessary but there is lots of advice here on the food options that may help your husband and if he has your support and has already lost 2 stone this approach could make all the difference to a) losing more fat if he needs to b) getting his blood sugars down further. Being diabetic and having higher blood sugars/insulin resistance is a major risk for heart disease even if cholesterol and BP are well controlled but eating the right low carb diet can really reduce that risk. Good luck and do keep asking for help here and from a more sympathetic GP!
