Where do I start

OK, hello, you're where I was a year ago and today I feel great thanks to this lovely forum. So you're in the right place. Many lovely people will be along shortly to set your mind at rest and give you guidelines.
Sorry I sound like an evangelist but it really is that good on here
*edit* I got 4 sheets of paper of which one was blank. All I could think was, what a waste.

Don't worry we've all been there. It never ceases to amaze me how we are just given a diagnosis and basically told to get on with it! Do you know what your glucose level was on diagnosis - it will either be a number or a percentage. One way that many of us have reduced our levels is by eating less carbs such as rice, pasra, potaoes, bread and fruit and full, rather than low, fat foods such as butter, cheese or Greek yogurt. One way of seing how different foods affect your glucose levels is using a meter. Read the threads in the forum and you will find that there is a wealth of information and don't be afraid to ask questions - someboby will be able to help!

First, don't panic since nothing bad is going to happen soon. You have time to get your head around it. The nurse knows that which is why she appears not to be in a hurry.

The best thing to do is to read as much of this forum as you can for now since there are things you can do to improve your circumstances. Come back and ask questions and someone will probably answer them.

Hello @missymoo and welcome to the forum

Where do you start? A good place to start is by reading this information we give to new members. I hope you will find it helpful. Ask all the questions you want and someone will be able to answer you.


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 130,000 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

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.

missymoo said:

I was told to eat more carbs, more regular meals, smaller portions, but not to mix two types of carbs at the same time. No meter given or anything.

Click to expand...

Yep, most of us were told something like that although the "don't mix carbs" is a new one on me.
49 is just inside Type 2.
Just for fun, find your BMI on this global chart http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18770328
It thinks I'm from Gambia in Africa

missymoo said:

I was diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes, I dont feel ill or anything. How do I start on the path of being a diabetic; I am confused, lost almost, am emotional everything. I saw the nurse today who, took my weight; gave me a sheet of paper about food apportionment; and then said see you in 3 months. I was advised I need my retinas check and will receive an appointment. That was it!

Click to expand...

I know just how your feeling as I was diagnosed with type 2 a week yesterday - I was just given a prescription and told to make an appointment to see the nurse in a couple of weeks! I posted on here and have been given lots of advice. If its possible get yourself a monitor so you can check your own blood sugar ( the sd code free seems to be a good choice as it is not expensive for the strips) everyone on here has been very helpful to me as I'm sure they will for you! X

missymoo said:

I was diagnosed today with type 2 diabetes, I dont feel ill or anything. How do I start on the path of being a diabetic; I am confused, lost almost, am emotional everything. I saw the nurse today who, took my weight; gave me a sheet of paper about food apportionment; and then said see you in 3 months. I was advised I need my retinas check and will receive an appointment. That was it!

Click to expand...

Hello and welcome

This is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time to digest things. Deep breaths and baby steps are what is needed. Take your time to read all about type 2, what the blood results mean, which diets are suitable, and how you can control it. Buy a meter and test strips and read these forums to see how and when to use it, or ask us. Asking questions is so important, and no question is silly if you don't know the answer.

Your level of 49 isn't at all bad. This will have been an HbA1c test, which calculates your average blood glucose levels over the previous 2 to 3 months. You are only just over the cut off for type 2. (48 and over is diabetic) So you have every chance of curbing this with a bit of effort and determination.

Good luck

@Bluetit1802 I long to tell distressed D's to take a deep breath and put the kettle on but I keep hearing David Cameron saying "Calm down dear," so I daren't. But you do it so well -- deep breaths and baby steps.

missymoo said:

I was told to eat more carbs, more regular meals, smaller portions, but not to mix two types of carbs at the same time. No meter given or anything.

Click to expand...

As Deejay says, that's a new one. The NHS just make it up as they go for Diabetes. Just keep the carbs down and low-GI is always best but you can mix 'n match. You've already been given a lot of good info. The meter is essential so you can manage things yourself. Do come back with any more questions

Hi, welcome - you've been through the same mill as most of us, rubbish customer service and rubbish food advice. Have a read around, especially the items linked in my sig below, and ask any questions.

Hi. Most of us found it a bit overwhelming to start with but give it a few weeks and it should start to fit into place. Many on this forum have bought the SD Codefree meter as the test strips are quite low cost. Amazon is one of several online sources. To keep costs down just test from time to time 2 hours after a meal to get some idea of what foods affect you most. We've all had to stop or reduce all the 'lovely' sugary/carby foods we enjoyed over previous decades. Proteins and fats are OK, so it's only the carbs that need serious attention. You don't need to stop them, but keep them as a smaller proportion of your diet. Keep the GI down to smooth absorption; this means whole grain bread and pasta when you do have them. Avoid tropical fruit. Have plenty of veg but keep the root ones down and have raw carrots. Cheese and nuts are great for snacks anytime. Substitute sweeteners if you want things still sweet. My wife uses Canderel for apple crumble. This still has carbs but less. She makes cake without sugar as the currants in fruit cake provide all the sugar you need. Read the labels on supermarket food packaging. You'll be amazed how much sugar, fructose (HFCS) etc is put into everything including soups. So, nothing is banned but you should be able to make changes without excessive cost.

If you get a meter you may have a pleasant surprise. You MAY find you can manage some bread or spuds or others on the avoid list because our metabolisms are all different. Your body may cope with, for example, a slice of seeded wholemeal bread, or 2 or 3 small boiled or roast spuds. It may not, which is why you need a meter to tell you.

You can have bacon and eggs with mushrooms (cooked in butter) and tomatoes, and a high meat content sausage. Black Farmers have a 97% pork sausage and it is delicious and only 1g carbs. You can have any meat or fish you like, as many eggs as you like, all dairy foods (not much milk), unsweetened and unflavoured yogurts (add your own berries), salads, most vegetables, onions, homemade soups. The list is endless if you put your mind to it. Sadly, it does require some sacrifices. You have to make the decision - less carbs or high blood sugars and potential health problems.

Personally I would stay away from slimming clubs unless you need group support, but you will find the diets they suggest are unsuitable for type 2's.. You will lose weight on a low carb diet because it is carbs that cause the weight gain, not dietary fats.