Diagnosed Type 2 back in February

[Purple-cat]

Hi my name is Caroline age 52. I am looking for answers to a huge amount of questions. I have other health issues that I can see is going to cause a lot of problems for me with the diabetes. I can't stand or sit to prepare food from scratch as I have damaged the nerves in my neck from a road accident 29 years ago. I have been having a look on here to get help with my diet. I have cut out all the biscuits (which was my weakness ). I have noticed that everyone is talking about cutting down on the carbs especially bread. I am not a huge fan of potatoes (especially chips) so I do eat a lot of bread. I can't eat anything that is high in fibre as it doesn't agree with me. I have started to eat more fruit and salad veg. I am looking for a suggestion to replace the bread if it is really that bad. Oh by the way I have lost 8kg in weight since February (I am unable to walk very far). Any diet suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Hi Purple and welcome from a fellow T2, who's also 52. Are you on any medication? Tablets or insulin? Are you self testing? I've just started self testing and am still sorting out my diabetis management. So I can only give limited advice. Self testing allows you to see what effect what you eat has. From what I've seen, some meals will have minimal effect on your bg, while others will have a big effect. I think bread, including wholemeal, will show in any readings. I've been adviced to have pitta bread.
Go on any courses/info days you can. DESMOND, X-pert or any local provision, carbohydrate awarness and 'supermarket tour' (this last was looking at lables). Be prepared to ask questions at these to get information.

 

[Purple-cat]

Hi Ralph I am not on any medication at the moment. I don't self test either as I have a fear of needles when it comes to me doing to myself or to others. It is my biggest fear health wise about getting diabetes. I will need to control this by diet or tablets without using needles. It is not an option for me to use jab myself regularly.

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, Purple-cat. Could you lean against a perching stool when using a kitchen work surface or stove hobs?

 

[Ralph-YK]

I'm sorry for all the problems you have Purple-cat.
As far as I know it is carbs that you have to control (along with the obvious sugary things). I don't know about any carbs in particular. You may have to control fruit as well. It has sugar in it.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Fruit is generally bad for us unfortunately, particularly exotic fruit. Berries are best (strawberries, blueberries, etc). Forget what people say about natural sugar. It makes no difference. As for carbs, these also raise blood sugar levels. These include bread, potatoes, rice & pasta. Even wholemeal versions can spike but may be more tolerable. White bread is worse than sugar. Heavily seeded bread is preferred.

 

[Purple-cat]

Thank you all for welcoming me to the forum.Copepod I have problems with hands regarding holding things,also I have ME/CFS which causes every joint and muscle in my body to ache. I can only take painkillers for a few days at a time as they stop working. The ME prevents me from doing exercise because of being tired all the time.Every little thing I do drains me of energy,I have to rest between everything I do. I am a qualified chef and not being able to cook since the road accident has been frustrating. Is there any way to make my life that bit easier. I would be grateful for any suggestions. I am really starting to panic over the diabetes. Thank you all for your help.

 

[bilbie]

I throw everything in a pot/pressure cooker, everything falls apart when cooked, It seems to work for me and the vegi skins give me fiber.
I just stopped the sugars including fruit/juice ...and starches and grains.
I eat lots of low carb veg and salads, moderate protein and use healthy fats to replace any lost energy from carbs. It's called a LCHF diet

 

[HOBIE]

I throw everything in a pot/pressure cooker, everything falls apart when cooked, It seems to work for me and the vegi skins give me fiber.
I just stopped the sugars including fruit/juice ...and starches and grains.
I eat lots of low carb veg and salads, moderate protein and use healthy fats to replace any lost energy from carbs. It's called a LCHF diet

Sounds good to me from a nearly 53yr old 😉 (me) Less carbs & I would try some fish without the batter. Welcome 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

Eggs are usually a pretty good bet, particularly for replacing those so called "heart-healthy" breakfast cereals in the morning. A lot of D's prepare a batch of hard-boiled eggs for the week & have them for breakfast; zero carb & highly nutritious.

 

[Pine Marten]

Thank you all for welcoming me to the forum.Copepod I have problems with hands regarding holding things,also I have ME/CFS which causes every joint and muscle in my body to ache. I can only take painkillers for a few days at a time as they stop working. The ME prevents me from doing exercise because of being tired all the time.Every little thing I do drains me of energy,I have to rest between everything I do. I am a qualified chef and not being able to cook since the road accident has been frustrating. Is there any way to make my life that bit easier. I would be grateful for any suggestions. I am really starting to panic over the diabetes. Thank you all for your help.

Hi Purple-cat, welcome to the forum. A friend of mine has had ME for many years, so I understand how it must affect you from seeing how it has affected her - though for the last year it has been getting better, and she is not as tired, so you can never predict it!

Please don't panic, there is a lot you can do to take control, cutting carbs being one of the basic things, as others have said. Eggs, lots of salad (all colours are good, though things like corn on the cob may spike), good fats like butter and olive oil, cheese and so on. I have Ryvita quite often instead of bread, and buy Burgen Soya & Linseed bread or Hovis Sunflower & Pumpkin, both of which have fewer carbs per slice than most other breads.

It's a pity about your fear of needles as regular testing will make a massive difference, as you find out which foods spike you and which foods you can tolerate. It's really only a very tiny needle 🙂 ! Anyway, come on here and ask any questions you like and we'll try and answer them. No question is daft!

 

[Purple-cat]

Hi Pine Martin, thank you for welcoming me to the forum.What I am finding very confusing is that the dietician has said that you need to eat some carbs,eat as much fruit and veg and eat high fibre foods. I am a qualified chef so I was taught about different types of dietary requirements. I have a big problem with high fibre foods as they don't agree with me big time ( no explanation needed).I know that if I eat fruit smoothes /juice it sends my blood sugar levels high. I am not a great lover of veg but I am going to start off with the ones I like and then increase the variety of veg over time. Due to nerve damage in my neck and the ME I have problems with the feeling in my hands which is causing problems holding things. The nerve damage is now causing problems with my legs as well. I don't want to sound negative but I really couldn't be doing with the diabetes as well as the other health issues. I do realise that there are many more people who are a lot worse off than me but at the moment I feel so fed with my health. Sorry for the moaning about everything. Thank you all for your help and I am looking forward to everyone's suggestions.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Your dietician is reading from the book. A book that is very outdated. Unfortunately, this is very common with dieticians & they are not experts on diabetes. I found out everything l needed to know about food on this forum, and my diabetic nurse totally agrees with cutting carbs.

 

[Purple-cat]

Thank you Mark for settling the confusion for me. I have known that the dietician's are not very good at understanding the structure of food and it's effects on the body.I am worried about not getting my diet sorted out quickly because I am terrified of having other health problems from the diabetes. I have spoken to my friends and they have said I don't need to worry about it. This is the only illness that terrifies me to death.