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- Thread starter Jacktar
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Leadinglights
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Welcome to the forum
If you are diagnosed as prediabetic then making some dietary changes is a good idea to stop your progressing to a diabetes diagnosis. It is basically a wake up call to make some changes.
You mention sugar but it is not just about sugar, ie the white stuff you add to your coffee or is used in cooking, it is carbohydrates that are the problem as all carbs including sugar convert to glucose.
When people get diagnosed to suggestion is to have no more than 130g carbohydrates not just sugar per day.
So the information to look at on packets, tins jars, for fresh foods is the total carbohydrates and look for foods which have a low number per 100g. The time when you may consider the 'sugar' is if two products have the same carbs so you may choose the one with the lower sugar.
Those food to be careful of are obviously cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks including fruit juice which you probably need to cut out but also potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, pastry, tropical fruits where reduction in portion size may be all that is needed.
Have a look at this link as there is good explanation and some menu plans as well as some do's and don'ts. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
rebrascora
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Hi and welcome.
I assume you are talking about dietary sugar intake rather than an acceptable blood sugar level, tested via finger prick?
If so, what you need to grasp is that all carbohydrates break down into glucose in your digestive system, so not just sugars but starchy foods too like bread and pasta and rice and breakfast cereals and pastry and dumplings and potatoes etc. Basically everything made with grains as well as the naturally occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables. That is not to say that you should not eat those things but you need to consider your whole carb intake not just the sugar you (hopefully used to) put in your tea or on your cereal and the sweets and biscuits you eat etc. So, whilst cutting out the sugar can be a good first step, you also usually need to reduce the portion sizes of the starchy carbs you eat too.
Low carb is generally considered to be less than 130g of carbs a day but some people need to go lower. As you are just at risk, 130g might be OK for you. You then need to decide how you "spend" that carb allowance and if you want to "spend" some of it on sweet stuff like fruit and some milk for your tea (milk contains lactose which is a sugar) or cereal or if you prefer to spend most of it on small portions of bread and pasta and potatoes, or have bigger portions of lower carb foods like beans and lentils and lots of veggies to fill you up. We all have different tastes and priorities, just like we all spend our money on different things and gradually you work out how to make your carb allowance fit in with your tastes and preferences.
It isn't necessarily set in stone as to how much you can have and 130 is just a suggestion of what is low carb.
Many people here on the forum find it useful to buy a cheap BG meter and test strips and see how their body responds to different foods and use that information to make decisions about what to include in their diet and what to mostly avoid or only have on special occasions. Some people find bread is particularly challenging for their diabetes and others can get away with one slice or sometimes two. Some find pasta causes problems but a couple of new potatoes are fine or a small portion of basmati rice. Porridge is one of the things that is often recommended for diabetics but some of us find that it is like rocket fuel for our BG levels whilst others find it lives up to it's slow release reputation. Finding what works for you and your body and your lifestyle is what counts and that is where a BG meter and strategic testing comes into it's own.
I assume you are talking about dietary sugar intake rather than an acceptable blood sugar level, tested via finger prick?
If so, what you need to grasp is that all carbohydrates break down into glucose in your digestive system, so not just sugars but starchy foods too like bread and pasta and rice and breakfast cereals and pastry and dumplings and potatoes etc. Basically everything made with grains as well as the naturally occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables. That is not to say that you should not eat those things but you need to consider your whole carb intake not just the sugar you (hopefully used to) put in your tea or on your cereal and the sweets and biscuits you eat etc. So, whilst cutting out the sugar can be a good first step, you also usually need to reduce the portion sizes of the starchy carbs you eat too.
Low carb is generally considered to be less than 130g of carbs a day but some people need to go lower. As you are just at risk, 130g might be OK for you. You then need to decide how you "spend" that carb allowance and if you want to "spend" some of it on sweet stuff like fruit and some milk for your tea (milk contains lactose which is a sugar) or cereal or if you prefer to spend most of it on small portions of bread and pasta and potatoes, or have bigger portions of lower carb foods like beans and lentils and lots of veggies to fill you up. We all have different tastes and priorities, just like we all spend our money on different things and gradually you work out how to make your carb allowance fit in with your tastes and preferences.
It isn't necessarily set in stone as to how much you can have and 130 is just a suggestion of what is low carb.
Many people here on the forum find it useful to buy a cheap BG meter and test strips and see how their body responds to different foods and use that information to make decisions about what to include in their diet and what to mostly avoid or only have on special occasions. Some people find bread is particularly challenging for their diabetes and others can get away with one slice or sometimes two. Some find pasta causes problems but a couple of new potatoes are fine or a small portion of basmati rice. Porridge is one of the things that is often recommended for diabetics but some of us find that it is like rocket fuel for our BG levels whilst others find it lives up to it's slow release reputation. Finding what works for you and your body and your lifestyle is what counts and that is where a BG meter and strategic testing comes into it's own.
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