Just been diagnosed with type 2, I am shocked and angry, I never eat sugar and eat healthy, why has this happened, I have been given tablets but don't know what to eat or anything now, please can someone help.
Hi Karen, welcome to the forum
🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis
There's an undue emphasis on lack of exercise and poor diet being a cause of Type 2 diabetes, and other factors such as genetic susceptibility are often overlooked, so please don't blame yourself - many thousands of people find themselves in exactly your situation.
As has been suggested, it is not just sugar (which is just one form of carbohydrate) but all carbohydrates that you need to be mindful of - so bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc. are all things that will have an impact on your blood glucose levels. The trick is learning how your body tolerates these various things and understanding how diabetes affects you. Have a read of
Jennifer's Advice and
Maggie Davey's letter for starters - these will help you understand things better, and the more you understand, the easier it will be to manage your diabetes. I'd also recommend getting a copy of
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found really useful, positive and encouraging
🙂 Diabetes is a serious condition, but it can be managed well and it doesn't have to stop you living a full, happy and healthy life
🙂
Using a blood glucose meter will help you to understand how well (or otherwise!) you tolerate elements of your diet. Have a read of
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this can be done. If your doctor won't prescribe test strips for you (unfortunately, most don't
) then it is worth buying your own whilst you get to grips with things. The cheapest option we have come across is the
SD Codefree Meter which has
test strips at around £8 for 50 (strips are commonly £25-£30 in high street pharmacies). Start a food diary and record the amount, in grams, of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink for a couple of weeks. This is a bit tedious, but hugely useful in allowing you to look for areas where you might reduce or replace things so that your diet becomes more diabetes-friendly. Doing this, and using your meter will allow you to retain maximum flexibility in your diet which will make it more sustainable (and enjoyable) for you - these are changes that need to be fundamental, not just for a week or two, but you will be surprised at how your tastes can change in a relatively short period. You've probably already got a head start as you say your diet is healthy to begin with - it's just a case of identifying things that you need to treat more cautiously (fruit, as mentioned, can be healthy, but can also contain a lot of sugar. Many foods marketed as 'healthy' are actually not so healthy when you look closely - they may be low fat, but high sugar/carb to replace the fat).
Many people find that following the principles of the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet is very helpful. This describes a method of selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels.
The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction
🙂
Finally, don't forget exercise! If you can include some regular exercise in your daily routine this will really help with managing your blood glucose levels - doesn't have to be an intensive gym session or a 10 mile run, a half hour brisk walk in the park will do nicely
🙂
Please let us know if you have any questions (and you probably have lots!). No question is considered 'silly', and you have the experience of hundreds of experienced and knowledgeable people here who collectively know far more than your GP or nurse about diabetes (which, from what you have said, wouldn't be difficult!
🙄) Let us know how you get on.
