Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

[Debbie k]

Hi ive been waiting for my blood test results to come back and now been diagnosed diabetic , im now in shock and dont know what to do , doctor wants me to try changing my diet first before i am put on medication , ive got to go see diabetic nurse next week till then im in dark what to eat or not to eat , do i need to test my blood sugar levels every day ???

HbA1c 6.5
plasma fasting glucose 10.3

 

[Mark Parrott]

Hi, Debbie & welcome to the forum.🙂 I will give you a quick guide on what to do. Lower the amount of carbs you eat. These all change to sugar in your body & increases blood sugar levels. This includes bread, potatoes, rice & pasta, as well as the obvious cakes & sweets. As for testing, you should test before a meal & around 2 hours after. You are looking for no more than 2-3mmol/l difference. It's also a good idea to do a waking (fasting) test to, as this shows how well you are controlling your D.

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, Debbie K. Initially, until you know how various meals / activities / stress etc affect you, you'll need to test a lot, but once you know, you can cut back tests. Best to keep notes of blood levels before and 2 hours eating, along with type and amount of food.

 

[Debbie k]

ive not been given anything to test my blood dont see diabetic nurse till next friday , do i have to buy my own meter if that is what you call them ? i have to get my cholesterol lowered apparently its above 6 , so now been put on Atorvastatin 20 mgs a day , can i eat any bread at all ?? sweets and cakes ill have to get used to they taboo now for me as have sweet tooth ill admit it , weight im too embarrassed to say right now but after being weighed at doctors today ive lost 5 kilos , what about fruit ? youghurts ?

 

[Grannylorraine]

Welcome to the forum, I think for most of us it is a shock when diagnosed but you will get used to it.

 

[Debbie k]

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Welcome to the forum, I think for most of us it is a shock when diagnosed but you will get used to it.

thanks Grannylorriane , i feel helpless , right now i dont know what to eat or not

 

[Grannylorraine]

t

thanks Grannylorriane , i feel helpless , right now i dont know what to eat or not

I felt the same, I am only just getting used to eating low carb meals and have had a few slip ups along the way. It is really a bit trial and error as to what makes your blood glucose rise. It was suggested to me to get a meter to test my blood glucose levels after meals. I bought a codefree meter from Amazon which is what a number of people on here suggested, it has taken me a while to get used to testing as I was a bit phobic of testing (I am not needle or blood phobic) so I think I was frightened of the results. The guys and gals on here who have much more experience of living with Diabetes will give you some wonderful advice and support.

 

[Debbie k]

I felt the same, I am only just getting used to eating low carb meals and have had a few slip ups along the way. It is really a bit trial and error as to what makes your blood glucose rise. It was suggested to me to get a meter to test my blood glucose levels after meals. I bought a codefree meter from Amazon which is what a number of people on here suggested, it has taken me a while to get used to testing as I was a bit phobic of testing (I am not needle or blood phobic) so I think I was frightened of the results. The guys and gals on here who have much more experience of living with Diabetes will give you some wonderful advice and support.

ive a print out doctor gave me and its making my head spin and was told im taking news very well my own doctor saying it , ive just seen you are newly diagnosed too , and thanks for advice its greatly appreciated .

 

[Stitch147]

Welcome to the forum. Things can be very daunting and scary at first but things soon become natural. You will soon get used to what you can and can't eat.

 

[Martin Canty]

Hi Debbie, welcome.... As has been said, there is a ;lot to take in at first.

One of the first things to do is get a meter, it's unlikely that you will be issued one. The SD Codefree from Amazon is probably the best option for self-funded.... Buy plenty of test strips as you will be using a lot to start with.

Next is to modify your diet, cut or reduce carb sources such as Bread, Pasta, Rice, Cereals & starchy vegetables.... Instead replacing them with green leafy vegetables. Avoid "diet" & "low fat" foods as they contain hidden carbs to make them palatable.

My final words of wisdom is to take what the medical profession say about diet with a pinch of salt, develop a meal plan that works for you; we do not need all the carbs that they tell us we "need".

 

[Dave W]

Hi Debbie and welcome!
It will take a bit of time to digest all you've been told, but you'll get there and there isn't a rush.
It was great that your Doc. suggested trying dietary adjustments before introducing medication - some just reach for a prescription as an easy 'cure'.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggest the bog standard NHS/NICE 'Eat Well' advice isn't perhaps the best as it's very high in carbohydrates and these all become glucose when digested. Many here have adopted a low carb diet and have found it does reduce blood glucose.
Bread is in most of its guises a high carb food, though there are one or two types that are very low carb. Nearly all pasta based foods are also high carb. Veg is generally low carb particularly green veg. Fruit varies, but on the whole is pretty high, the lowest are rasps and strawberries. Potatoes are high carb though new potatoes are much lower than old ones. Chips - well you can forget them. Fish is good with very low carb and other benefits too.
You might like to have a look at another site dedicated to diabetes where you'll find loads of dietary advice. I'll not post a direct link as it might be deleted but (fingers crossed this works) try -
diabetes(dot co dot)uk. Just replace the 'dots' with with a full stop.
You may also find this link to be useful -
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documen...00911.pdf?_ga=1.24312698.179575632.1472079931

Dave

 

[Debbie k]

Hi Debbie, welcome.... As has been said, there is a ;lot to take in at first.

One of the first things to do is get a meter, it's unlikely that you will be issued one. The SD Codefree from Amazon is probably the best option for self-funded.... Buy plenty of test strips as you will be using a lot to start with.

Next is to modify your diet, cut or reduce carb sources such as Bread, Pasta, Rice, Cereals & starchy vegetables.... Instead replacing them with green leafy vegetables. Avoid "diet" & "low fat" foods as they contain hidden carbs to make them palatable.

My final words of wisdom is to take what the medical profession say about diet with a pinch of salt, develop a meal plan that works for you; we do not need all the carbs that they tell us we "need".

im on blood thinners so have to be careful what i eat any way and i will go look on amazon for a meter now , i feel in dark because all i was told it i have type 2 diabetes , that i will be seeing diabetic nurse next week and doctor wants to try diet first before medication , i would not know what is high or low if i tested myself right now

 

[Debbie k]

Hi Debbie and welcome!
It will take a bit of time to digest all you've been told, but you'll get there and there isn't a rush.
It was great that your Doc. suggested trying dietary adjustments before introducing medication - some just reach for a prescription as an easy 'cure'.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggest the bog standard NHS/NICE 'Eat Well' advice isn't perhaps the best as it's very high in carbohydrates and these all become glucose when digested. Many here have adopted a low carb diet and have found it does reduce blood glucose.
Bread is in most of its guises a high carb food, though there are one or two types that are very low carb. Nearly all pasta based foods are also high carb. Veg is generally low carb particularly green veg. Fruit varies, but on the whole is pretty high, the lowest are rasps and strawberries. Potatoes are high carb though new potatoes are much lower than old ones. Chips - well you can forget them. Fish is good with very low carb and other benefits too.
You might like to have a look at another site dedicated to diabetes where you'll find loads of dietary advice. I'll not post a direct link as it might be deleted but (fingers crossed this works) try -
diabetes(dot co dot)uk. Just replace the 'dots' with with a full stop.
You may also find this link to be useful -
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documen...00911.pdf?_ga=1.24312698.179575632.1472079931

Dave

thanks Dave i have link and saved it so i can take my time to read it , been looking around diabetes site , tell me we are allowed a drink of wine or small spirit as that is all im allowed on blood thinners or is alcohol forbidden too ?

 

[Dave W]

thanks Dave i have link and saved it so i can take my time to read it , been looking around diabetes site , tell me we are allowed a drink of wine or small spirit as that is all im allowed on blood thinners or is alcohol forbidden too ?

Well I'm on my second glass of vodka & zero sugar coke just now. And I think I read somewhere that a glass of wine lowers BG. I'm on blood thinners too.

Meden Agan, μηδὲν ἄγαν - 'Nothing in excess' - Applies to alcohol and carbs too!

 

[Debbie k]

enjoy think ill join you with drink think its needed tonight cheers 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome Debbie from a fellow T2

 

[Debbie k]

thank you Ralph-YK

 

[Grogg1]

. And I think I read somewhere that a glass of wine lowers BG. I'm on blood thinners too.

!

Probably from me! A whole bottle of wine and a jacket potato and blood sugar low 5s two hours after eating!!

 

[Debbie k]

any advice on what meter to buy ?

 

[Grogg1]

ive not been given anything to test my blood dont see diabetic nurse till next friday , do i have to buy my own meter if that is what you call them ? i have to get my cholesterol lowered apparently its above 6 , so now been put on Atorvastatin 20 mgs a day , can i eat any bread at all ?? sweets and cakes ill have to get used to they taboo now for me as have sweet tooth ill admit it , weight im too embarrassed to say right now but after being weighed at doctors today ive lost 5 kilos , what about fruit ? youghurts ?

Okay you eat severely limited amounts of potatoes, bread, rice and pasta. You eat plentiful amounts of healthy protein like fish, chicken, butter, tofu.
You eat limited amounts of berries. You ditch other fruit for a while and then test to see how you react to them. Bye bye cakes and biscuits except as an occasional treat.

Bread - I followed recommendations on here for Burgen sliced loaf from supermarkets. Lower carbs and I have 1 slice a day.