Calories or sugar

[Belboy1]

Past 5 years I have managed my diabetes by diet.
I am 63 years, male, office worker, and up until lockdown went to the gym for 45 minutes 3 times a week sometimes 4. Height 5.11, Weight 18.5 stone. No sport or walking
After lockdown, my HBA1C rate has risen to 67 and GP has pres., Metformin which I do not want to start - I went on a Desmond trial a few years ago and most that attended were on it and at that time no positive views but I do understand it is necessary for so many.
After speaking with my family I want to try and get these bloods down and understand the importance of a healthy balanced diet but should I concentrate on calories or sugar intake (I do understand both are required) but I need advice that has worked for you, what foods/brands are safe, sugar-free stuff and any tips on what is the best time to start to eat and finish - someone has said breakfast at 8 dont eat after 8 at night to allow 12 hours no food. Someone has suggested Patrick Holford's Get up and Go breakfast supplement?

 

[Drummer]

Neither.
Our problem is with carbohydrate, so that is what needs to be the focus, and if we are plain old type twos then that is the end of the problem.
Most people start off by removing the obvious suspects, potatoes, grains, sugary stuff in general. A blood glucose tester is useful as some foods might be better tolerated than others. Some people can eat porridge oats for instance, whilst for others it is a sure spiking food.
Forget about healthy balanced diets - type two diabetics can eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, full fat Greek yoghurt, butter and olive oil, and low carb veges, salad, frozen berries are useful, but most berries are OK - Lidl do a couple of very handy frozen stirfries which are low carb, but most supermarkets will provide low carb foods once you know where to look and what you can cope with.

 

[trophywench]

Sugar itself contains virtually 100% carbohydrate, but the human body doesn't actually care in what form any carbohydrate is so whether it was lettuce or jam doughnuts before you ate it, it still turns the carbohydrate into glucose.

 

[Belboy1]

Neither.
Our problem is with carbohydrate, so that is what needs to be the focus, and if we are plain old type twos then that is the end of the problem.
Most people start off by removing the obvious suspects, potatoes, grains, sugary stuff in general. A blood glucose tester is useful as some foods might be better tolerated than others. Some people can eat porridge oats for instance, whilst for others it is a sure spiking food.
Forget about healthy balanced diets - type two diabetics can eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, full fat Greek yoghurt, butter and olive oil, and low carb veges, salad, frozen berries are useful, but most berries are OK - Lidl do a couple of very handy frozen stirfries which are low carb, but most supermarkets will provide low carb foods once you know where to look and what you can cope with.

Drummer - your reply was really helpful - how many carbs do you limit yourself to each day ?

 

[Drummer]

Drummer - your reply was really helpful - how many carbs do you limit yourself to each day ?

I started off on no more than 50 gm, but when my Hba1c did not go down any further I went to no more than 40, but still the same number. I think that all the diets I was put on broke something in my metabolism, but I get normal blood glucose numbers so I am happy with that. I started deliberately low carbing back in the 1970s, so I know what to eat to have a tasty meal without lots of carbs.