what to do

[marty_kuh]

So done a fair bit of reading on here an i have a problem i like pasta,rice,bread and potatoes (im doomed LOL) so yes i can switch to the more healthy options of rice and pasta but, spuds an bread are going to be my downfall. what do people replace bread with normaly get wholemeal bread from the super market,, veg i love but heard some weird saying about if its grown above ground its ok but if grown below its not ???? got me there . dont really drink beer unless they have a special ale on in the pub then its a problem . my main tipple is vodka an tonic used to be redbull it it made me sick after a big session. one of the main things is been thirsty i used to drink a lot of juice or cordial big no no acording to the nurse she said switch to diet fizzy drinks go figure, i would say i cant abide the water in my area even when its been filtered could buy bottles water but i drink 4liters some days. the other thing is when testing before and after meals its never below 8.5mmol before i eat an it always goes up testing 2 hours after its been as high as 25mmol prob down to what i had eaten and to be fair it was a one off reading

so as for a diet i have the will power of a gnat the only time i lost weight was on an extended stay in hospital, i suppose i find it hard to stick to it as rest of family are eating like they normally do i mean not large portions normal size having said that i dont suppose it would do them any harm to cut out a few carbs

anyway i have now decided to take this by the horns and attempt to get my life back i might even feel better for doing it you never know

M

 

[Squire Fulwood]

As far as bread is concerned it doesn't matter whether it's wholemeal(grain) or white they both pack a lot of carbohydrates. There are lower carb versions like Burgen or the low carb rolls in Lidl's. They are not carb free but lower and if you don't eat so much of it there is a gain there.

Alcohol is a problem in that ethanol will form fat in the liver so if you drink have a few days off quite often to give your liver a rest.

Plants store glucose as long chained polymers and there is more in the roots than in the green part so check on the particular root you want to eat, in fact check on all veg by Googling "Carbs in <veg>".

Juice or cordial. Again check the carb level in it. If sugar has been added or even if it contains natural sugar there will be fructose in it and this also forms fat in the liver. I have seen some fizzy stuff in Tesco that had zero carbs but that's not the way I want to live so I stick to tea or water with occasional wine.

 

[Oldvatr]

I use Lidl protein rolls to replace pasta, rice and some potatoes in my diet, and it works quite well. I also use sweet potatoes baked with coconut oil as chips. I find I am relatively tolerant of a multi-seeded loaf from Aldi or Hovis, but tiger bread is a killer for me, My OH has been using my LCHF diet (with added carbs) and she has lost 3 stone in the last 6 months without any struggle. My fussy daughter is also now preferring my low carb alternatives and is also on LCHF. Neither of these women are diabetic. There is a lovely recipe for LC pizza using almond flour that we all love.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

It is time to turn your life around, and as you say, grab it by the horns. It's that or suffer the consequences of progression, more and more meds, insulin, and possible complications. I know which I prefer, and which my family prefers.

Have a look at this site for ideas on what to eat and what to avoid/cut down on.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

If you keep a food diary including portion sizes, test before you eat and again 2 hours after the start of your meal and record these levels alongside the food, you will see at a glance what that meal has done to your levels and will soon see certain patterns emerging. This will tell you what your personal danger foods are. You can then eliminate or seriously reduce the quantity of the carb portions. You can experiment. I did, and I discovered I can eat 2 small new potatoes provided there are no other "major" carbs in that meal. I can also manage a few homemade chips, but 10 is the absolute maximum, preferably 6.

This is called eating to your meter.

 

[Phoenix55]

IF you want to take back control you will have to show a little determination. At the beginning it is not easy, but after a while you have set up new patterns and it becomes easier. The question is what do you want in your future? Are you prepared to sacrifice potatoes, pasta and bread or do you want to take increasing amounts of medication?

I am not surprised that you are permanently thirsty, your body is constantly trying to get rid of the excess sugar. Cut out the carbohydrates in bread etc and give your body a break. Be careful of the products you buy in the supermarket that have high carbohydrate content (more than 10g in 100 g) so learn to make your own sauces, alternatives are easy enough to make without the flour and using yoghurt. Lidl high protein rolls are an occasional treat when you need a bread 'fix'.

Learn to enjoy salads, olives, oily fish (salmon, mackerel), leafy vegetables and dairy products, even cream and cheeses are permissible. Cut out the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and the vegetables that you need to wash the soil off before preparing, just take a walk around a local market if you are not sure. Enjoy berries, sugar free jelly, eggs, cheese and natural yoghurt. Keep a food diary and note the rise in bg two hours after a meal. If it is more than 2 then there was something in the meal that your body can no longer tolerate. You can try cutting the portions but I found it easier to cut the offending foodstuff out. A glass of wine is OK.

I have lost just over two stone without trying and without feeling hungry and regular walking has made me fitter than I was. It sounds restrictive but it works and with a little imagination you can ring the changes.

 

[serenity648]

I suggest you start with small changes and reductions in carb amounts. Have you got a meter and strips to test two hours after a meal? I am tagging @daisy1 to come with her excellent advice.

I can eat two slices of wholemeal bread a day, but no white flour or pasta or rice. Your experience may be different, once to start testing. All the best, there is a wealth of info here, and support. One day at a time, eh : )

 

[AM1874]

Hi @marty_kuh
If you up your exercise regime and follow the LCHF lifestyle (it's not a diet) via the websites at ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds you will lose weight, be fitter, feel better, be healthier and go a long way towards lowering your blood sugar and dealing with your diabetes. If you continue to eat spuds, bread, rice and pasta, you won't.
As @Bluetit1802 has said above .. it's time to turn your life around .. and there are plenty of people here to help and support you
Hope this helps

 

[Guzzler]

As for replacing spuds, I just put more veg on my plate especially cauliflower which is quite filling. Potatoes, for me, were the easiest to give up except for creamed mash. We're I used to have chips I now put salad. As one member put it, even the rest of my family have benefitted from my low carb, they love Burgen bread (I started with a rule of two slices per day but have found over the weeks that that dropped to one slice and then to none but my family like it so much that I still buy it. It is the same with the Greek style yoghurt and berries, it is now on our regular weekly shopping list.)

 

[daisy1]

@marty_kuh

Hello Marty and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it 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 well over 250,000 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

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 free 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

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 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. They're all 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.