Debutante type 2

[Carelbi]

I am recently diagnosed debutante diabetic, with A1C 6.6 or 49, which I think is first rung diabetes type 2. I am not overweight, 59 kilos, and 1.68 m tall, but have much type 2 diabetes in my family… mother, brother and two uncles on father’s side. I have always eaten a healthy diet… fresh veg, fruit, brown bread etc, home cooking, virtually no supermarket cakes nor biscuits, and am hoping to control and maybe even reverse the diagnosis to pre diabetic through diet.

I have been researching glycemic load and index on the internet, and looking for diet books to help, most confusing, and the books don’t seem to help with glycemic load on mixed food meals. So, I am looking for dietary help. If anyone has found a good book which could help along these lines, I will be grateful.

 

[Jenny65]

Not heard of debutante diabetic is this Prediabetic? welcome x

 

[Carelbi]

I live partly in France and the first rung of the T2 diagnosis was called debutante By my doctor. I am at 49 mmol which is just one above the top 48 for pre-diabetes. I think it’s a good description! I am hoping to reverse this blood test with diet. So far, over the last 6 months I am steady.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum. In the UK 48mmol/mol and over would give you a diabetes diagnosis so you are just on the first rung of the diabetes ladder and it is very possible with some modest dietary changes to bring you level down to normal which here would be below 42mmol/mol. Prediabetes between 42 and 47mmol/mol.
Many people think they are eating a healthy diet but some food would be OK if not diabetic but as the body struggles to cope with carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals, some fruits as well as the obvious cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks including fruit juice
This link may help you with some ideas for modifying your diet, https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
It is a low carb approach but with REAL food.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

I love that it is called a "diabetes debutante" in France. It sounds like you need to go out and buy a posh frock and tiara for it and learn how to curtsey! Just kidding of course but far better to have a positive spin on it than all the negative stigma so often associated with diabetes.

As regards GI and GL, the thing to be aware of is that we don't all digest the same foods at the same rate, so GI tells you how quickly the average person's digestive system releases glucose from a particular food, but you may not be average 🙄 . It all very much depends on your metabolism and gut biome. Unfortunately my digestive system is really fast at breaking down carbs even wholemeal/wholegrain/porridge/lentils etc. so following a low GI diet just doesn't help much for me, whereas following a low carb diet does because my body takes a couple of hours to break down protein and fats. I know this because using a BG meter or Libre sensor I can see the carbs from a bowl of porridge releasing into my blood within 20 mins of it going in my mouth, even the best jumbo oats made with cream to help slow it down. 😡

Diabetes is highly individual and rather than buy cook books you would be better advised to buy a BG meter and use it to test the food you eat and "see" which foods your body can cope with or which ones are best avoided or perhaps reserved for a special occasion once in a blue moon and what portion size. If you want more info on that, please ask. It is a method that many people here on the forum find very effective and motivational, because you can make adjustments to your diet based on how your particular body responds.

 

[Jenny65]

I live partly in France and the first rung of the T2 diagnosis was called debutante By my doctor. I am at 49 mmol which is just one above the top 48 for pre-diabetes. I think it’s a good description! I am hoping to reverse this blood test with diet. So far, over the last 6 months I am steady.

Ahh that makes sense, I am sure you can get this down with diet as its only just over. Mine was 80 and 3 months later is 50, my next test is in December so I am hoping for a lower number then as I am losing weight and exercising, but life sometimes suprises us. What changes are you planning. I reduced my carb intake to 100g a day, sometimes less, gave up smoking and eat 1200 calories a day. I need to get off another 2 stone and hope that when I get there all my other figures get in line too.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Carelbi and welcome to the forum.
I was eating what appear to be similar food to you, but in my case they are what I blame for becoming Type 2 diabetic in the first place.
Since I was not fat, I was drawn to the Low Carbohydrate way of eating methos to achieve remission. At first I was sceptical, but measuring my Blood Glucose before and the 2 hrs after meals soon showed me that even brown bread and whole grains and tropical fruit were all very unhealthy for me and that I needed to go back to eating like I did in the 1950's and 1960's with lots of eggs and fatty cuts of meat.

 

[Jenny65]

Hi @Carelbi and welcome to the forum.
I was eating what appear to be similar food to you, but in my case they are what I blame for becoming Type 2 diabetic in the first place.
Since I was not fat, I was drawn to the Low Carbohydrate way of eating methos to achieve remission. At first I was sceptical, but measuring my Blood Glucose before and the 2 hrs after meals soon showed me that even brown bread and whole grains and tropical fruit were all very unhealthy for me and that I needed to go back to eating like I did in the 1950's and 1960's with lots of eggs and fatty cuts of meat.

did you find you could reintroduce small amounts of carbs once you had lost weight and still stay in range. I am interested as I seem OK now with a small amount of brown rice or 1 slice of wholemeal bread with peanut butter or scrambled eggs as long as i stick to 1200 cals a day and continue losing weight from my belly it feels like my pancreas is better able to cope.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Hi @Carelbi and welcome to the forum.
I was eating what appear to be similar food to you, but in my case they are what I blame for becoming Type 2 diabetic in the first place.
Since I was not fat, I was drawn to the Low Carbohydrate way of eating methos to achieve remission. At first I was sceptical, but measuring my Blood Glucose before and the 2 hrs after meals soon showed me that even brown bread and whole grains and tropical fruit were all very unhealthy for me and that I needed to go back to eating like I did in the 1950's and 1960's with lots of eggs and fatty cuts of meat.

So, not Birds Eye Fish Fingers, the weird breaded fish triangles, crispy pancakes, pies, cornish pasties, white toast, oven chips, that me and everyone else at my school ate.
You seriously lived off meat and eggs?
Tropical fruit? You never even ate apples or oranges growing up?

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Welcome to the forum, Carelbi!

What a lovely way to put such a challenging condition, Debutante type 2! It sounds as though you're in a 'good' position to make some good dietary changes and get back within a healthy range.

As highlighted, it's difficult to give dietary advice as everyone is different. I would keep a diary of what you usually eat and then look into how you can reduce the carbs/ sugar you're consuming. This includes drinks which I have found to be a secret culprit.

We've got some info on our main site re testing which will help you to see the impact your meals are having on you. I know many health care practitioners don't suggest testing when you have low numbers but that's the only real way to know what's going on and hopefully you won't need more than what comes in one pack of the strips/ needles. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Welcome to the forum, Carelbi!

What a lovely way to put such a challenging condition, Debutante type 2! It sounds as though you're in a 'good' position to make some good dietary changes and get back within a healthy range.

As highlighted, it's difficult to give dietary advice as everyone is different. I would keep a diary of what you usually eat and then look into how you can reduce the carbs/ sugar you're consuming. This includes drinks which I have found to be a secret culprit.

We've got some info on our main site re testing which will help you to see the impact your meals are having on you. I know many health care practitioners don't suggest testing when you have low numbers but that's the only real way to know what's going on and hopefully you won't need more than what comes in one pack of the strips/ needles. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing

That is so true.
My first meeting with my NHS dietitian, I said I was on orange juice as it was "healthy" juice.
She told me it was purely empty calories, - no fibre.

 

[ianf0ster]

So, not Birds Eye Fish Fingers, the weird breaded fish triangles, crispy pancakes, pies, cornish pasties, white toast, oven chips, that me and everyone else at my school ate.
You seriously lived off meat and eggs?
Tropical fruit? You never even ate apples or oranges growing up?

I did eat apples in season (we had apple trees England is hardly tropical), perhaps 1 orange per month (perhaps 2 around xmas). Eggs and chicken yes, grandparents raised them and also grew lots of veg. Hardly ate any processed food at all until I was 18 and away at university.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I did eat apples in season (we had apple trees England is hardly tropical), perhaps 1 orange per month (perhaps 2 around xmas). Eggs and chicken yes, grandparents raised them and also grew lots of veg. Hardly ate any processed food at all until I was 18 and away at university.

Yes, I survived 30 years of processed food as well.
I doubt I can blame that if it took that long to catch up will me.

 

[West Leeds Rick]

I'm new too and I wanted to add to the appreciation of the "debutante" French term!

 

[Carelbi]

Ahh that makes sense, I am sure you can get this down with diet as its only just over. Mine was 80 and 3 months later is 50, my next test is in December so I am hoping for a lower number then as I am losing weight and exercising, but life sometimes suprises us. What changes are you planning. I reduced my carb intake to 100g a day, sometimes less, gave up smoking and eat 1200 calories a day. I need to get off another 2 stone and hope that when I get there all my other figures get in line too.

Thanks Jenny, I have managed to reduce my weight from 65k a year ago to currently 58.4k, which I feel comfortable with. I do have a goal of getting down to 57k which is about 9 stone, a little above my 20 year old weight, and one I feel good with. I haven’t counted carbs yet, but will start doing this soon, having bought the Diabetics for Dummies. I don’t think I should lose too much more weight, so probably need to eat a little more meat.
One of my major problems has been what to do when eating out, whether at restaurants or friends. I have started asking for more greeen veg and tiny portions of potatoes or rice, and actually telling the waitress that I am diabetic… seems to work well and I have stopped being embarrassed by saying this. My husband and I also share a dessert.
My French A1C shows 4.6 shows me pre-diabetic, while my U.K., one which is the latest, shows T2 diabetic at 4.8. I know I am in for the long haul, but am feeling very positive about this!

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks Jenny, I have managed to reduce my weight from 65k a year ago to currently 58.4k, which I feel comfortable with. I do have a goal of getting down to 57k which is about 9 stone, a little above my 20 year old weight, and one I feel good with. I haven’t counted carbs yet, but will start doing this soon, having bought the Diabetics for Dummies. I don’t think I should lose too much more weight, so probably need to eat a little more meat.
One of my major problems has been what to do when eating out, whether at restaurants or friends. I have started asking for more greeen veg and tiny portions of potatoes or rice, and actually telling the waitress that I am diabetic… seems to work well and I have stopped being embarrassed by saying this. My husband and I also share a dessert.
My French A1C shows 4.6 shows me pre-diabetic, while my U.K., one which is the latest, shows T2 diabetic at 4.8. I know I am in for the long haul, but am feeling very positive about this!

I think it can be confusing when you have different units and criteria in different countries. The numbers you are quoting I assume are in % which was what was used in the UK with 6.5% being the threshold for being diabetic but that is now mmol/mol with the threshold at 48mmol/mol and above. Between 42 and 47 mmol/mol is prediabetes. There are conversion tables on the internet.
You are coping with the eating out with what is a good strategy and there is usually something that is suitable, Some places I notice do a mini pudding with a coffee at a good price.

 

[Jenny65]

Thanks Jenny, I have managed to reduce my weight from 65k a year ago to currently 58.4k, which I feel comfortable with. I do have a goal of getting down to 57k which is about 9 stone, a little above my 20 year old weight, and one I feel good with. I haven’t counted carbs yet, but will start doing this soon, having bought the Diabetics for Dummies. I don’t think I should lose too much more weight, so probably need to eat a little more meat.
One of my major problems has been what to do when eating out, whether at restaurants or friends. I have started asking for more greeen veg and tiny portions of potatoes or rice, and actually telling the waitress that I am diabetic… seems to work well and I have stopped being embarrassed by saying this. My husband and I also share a dessert.
My French A1C shows 4.6 shows me pre-diabetic, while my U.K., one which is the latest, shows T2 diabetic at 4.8. I know I am in for the long haul, but am feeling very positive about this!

You have this! The changes you are making should show in your next test too, well done. Your weight is healthy too so I agree no need to lose more, just cut down on the carbs and increase protein.
Well done x