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Hi @MaureenR16 and welcome to the forum. As you'll see from browsing the forum, carbs as well as sweet stuff are generally to be treated with caution.
As a friend to diabetics, the best way to help is not to buy them biscuits or sweets! I had lunch with friends today (carvery with veg, no yorkshire pud or potatoes) and am loaded with early christmas gifts, mostly chocolate. It's meant with kind hearts but unfortunately it's not possible for me to eat and enjoy the gifts. I'll take them into work so my colleagues can at least enjoy them and they will be going to a good home!
 
Hi MaureenR16, lovely to have you here.

One of the biggest challenges with managing diabetes is the lack of support so it's nice to see someone wanting to help.

We've got lots of info on the forum and also our main site so do have a look around and let us know if we can assist in any way.
 
MaureenR16 said:
Hi, I dont have diabetes but have friends who do. I want to learn about it to support them were I can. I also want to look after myself and my family as I strongly believe that this is something that we should all be aware of.
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To support your friends, the first thing you need to do is find out what sort of diabetes they have. There are several kinds of diabetes, but the main ones are Type 1 and Type 2. The causes are different and the treatments are different.

Once you know what type of diabetes your friends have, you can find out about that type, so you can know how best to support them.

As for looking after yourself and your family: Type 1 is not caused by 'lifestyle factors'-- you can be an Olympic athlete and still get Type 1. There's nothing you can do to avoid it. Fortunately, Type 1 is relatively rare!

Type 2, though, is very common-- 95% of all diabetics-- and increasingly common; it's triggered by excess fat in your abdomen. You and your family will have a far lower risk of Type 2 if you maintain a healthy weight and get a reasonable amount of exercise regularly.

There's a lot more information on this website! Happy reading, and Cherrelle's right-- it's great to see people who don't have diabetes wanting to understand and help.
 
Vonny said:
Hi @MaureenR16 and welcome to the forum. As you'll see from browsing the forum, carbs as well as sweet stuff are generally to be treated with caution.
As a friend to diabetics, the best way to help is not to buy them biscuits or sweets! I had lunch with friends today (carvery with veg, no yorkshire pud or potatoes) and am loaded with early christmas gifts, mostly chocolate. It's meant with kind hearts but unfortunately it's not possible for me to eat and enjoy the gifts. I'll take them into work so my colleagues can at least enjoy them and they will be going to a good home!
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Plus your colleagues will think you are fantastic. Win win...
 
I would suggest not going in telling your friends you aren't buying sweets or chocolates this year, "as they shouldn't be eating carbs"
We all control diabetes in many different ways, some type 2's do diet control, but many others don't.
Type 1's can make a personal choice though, based solely on their own preference.
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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