Hi everyone, I am totally confused, as I have 'white coat syndrome' ( a stupidly named fear of doctors/surgeries etc) and after being diagnosed with T2 around 4 years ago, I need only go for my MOT once a year and thats the ONLY time I go to the doctors for the results and to be checked, so heres my problem...today I plucked up the courage and went to see the Diabetic nurse to get help with diet 'food' as I want to get this fat middle off, so as I may be able to cut out the one diabetic tablet I am on.....my confusion is that I was told that citrus fruits such as oranges, grapes, nectarines, and bananas should not be eaten too often AND THEN only in small portions???...I eat a large bowl of fresh fruit salad A DAY and have done for many months....so who is right here please???...thank you
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Totally confused.........
- Thread starter Chrisn
- Start date
- Status
I wish someone could point me in the direction of lists!!!..... a list of what fruits/nuts I can have, what I can drink on a night out ( I dont drink but I might WANT to at Xmas!) and a list of what food I can eat...it just confuses the hell out of me 
its no good telling someone' just eat what you like in moderation'...what do you call moderation and what are the limited foods as opposed to foods you can eat without restrictions.....HELP!!!!
its no good telling someone' just eat what you like in moderation'...what do you call moderation and what are the limited foods as opposed to foods you can eat without restrictions.....HELP!!!!
grovesy
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Unfortunately some foods spike some but not others.I wish someone could point me in the direction of lists!!!..... a list of what fruits/nuts I can have, what I can drink on a night out ( I dont drink but I might WANT to at Xmas!) and a list of what food I can eat...it just confuses the hell out of me
Kaylz
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
To be able to work that out the key is testing, test before you eat and then again 2 hours later, if it has gone up more than 2-3mmol then the food might be best avoided or reduced portion size, nobody can tell what will and what wont spike you, this is why testing is important x
Wish it was simple to compile a list of foods to avoid, which unfortunately some DN's and docs say foods effect everyone in the same way, which they do not.
The only real way is to test as Kaylz says above, the next problem is being type 2 you are possible in a position where the DN or docs won't prescribe test strips on prescription unless one is on hypo causing meds. Some buy a meter and test strips usually the SD code free as it has strips around £8 for a pot of 50.
Bananas a quirky one for me as I can eat them just as they are turning yellow, once turned yellow the sugars in them makes my levels rise too much, some just can't eat bananas, while others can.
If you are not in a position to test, then its safer to have a small amount of fruit rather than a large bowl.
The only real way is to test as Kaylz says above, the next problem is being type 2 you are possible in a position where the DN or docs won't prescribe test strips on prescription unless one is on hypo causing meds. Some buy a meter and test strips usually the SD code free as it has strips around £8 for a pot of 50.
Bananas a quirky one for me as I can eat them just as they are turning yellow, once turned yellow the sugars in them makes my levels rise too much, some just can't eat bananas, while others can.
If you are not in a position to test, then its safer to have a small amount of fruit rather than a large bowl.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
The body makes glucose out of ALL carbohydrates, whatever form they take - from sugar in all it's forms including eg the fructose in fruits, from flour and everything that has flour in it, from rice, from spuds and root veg at least. Green veg - especially all those which grow above ground - have very few. But, there is even a tiny amount of carbs in stuff like lettuce - but it's so low it's negligible unless you eat a ton of it.
If a person doesn't eat enough actual carb to fully fuel their body's cells - then the body can make the glucose it needs for it to stay alive and functioning from protein (meat, fish, eggs etc) and fat you eat (on the outside of chips or other fried stuff, butter, cheese, milk etc) You'll already know this next bit - that's why when you go on a diet to lose weight and cut down on amounts of food you eat - if it's not getting enough from the food you put in - the body starts to use it's own stored fat wherever it's stored - under the skin, around the internal organs etc - so you lose weight and get slimmer.
If you don't need to lose any weight or inches, then you need to eat the right amount for you, to keep everything stable. The only element amongst all these that every and all diabetics have trouble with - is therefore the carbs. Very very difficult to cut them out completely - and because every single person is different in what their own body can cope with - we each have to work that out for ourselves.
As you most likely won't see any results from eating anything soon - the only way to find this out is, as has been said - by testing your BG before and an hour or two after, eating anything with carbs in it.
Lots of info on packets and tins, various sites on the internet or in books.
If a person doesn't eat enough actual carb to fully fuel their body's cells - then the body can make the glucose it needs for it to stay alive and functioning from protein (meat, fish, eggs etc) and fat you eat (on the outside of chips or other fried stuff, butter, cheese, milk etc) You'll already know this next bit - that's why when you go on a diet to lose weight and cut down on amounts of food you eat - if it's not getting enough from the food you put in - the body starts to use it's own stored fat wherever it's stored - under the skin, around the internal organs etc - so you lose weight and get slimmer.
If you don't need to lose any weight or inches, then you need to eat the right amount for you, to keep everything stable. The only element amongst all these that every and all diabetics have trouble with - is therefore the carbs. Very very difficult to cut them out completely - and because every single person is different in what their own body can cope with - we each have to work that out for ourselves.
As you most likely won't see any results from eating anything soon - the only way to find this out is, as has been said - by testing your BG before and an hour or two after, eating anything with carbs in it.
Lots of info on packets and tins, various sites on the internet or in books.
TheClockworkDodo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
If you want some general ideas, good foods to eat if you're diabetic include all meat (but if you get sausages make sure they're high in meat content), all fish, eggs, all green leafy veg, most nuts especially walnuts and pecans, and berries, eg strawberries and raspberries.
Foods you might be able to eat, but only in moderation include root veg (like carrots, parsnips, and of course potatoes) brown or grannary bread, brown rice, plain biscuits like Ryvita or oatcakes, and other fruit including all those ones you mentioned - a bowl of fruit salad is healthy for non-diabetics, but too sugary for diabetics.
Foods you are unlikely to be able to eat include pizza, pasta, white bread, white rice, cakes (except when it's your birthday 😉 ), and stodgy puddings.
If you want some more ideas, it's worth having a look at the food board here for recipes and more information.
But as everyone else has said, the only way to be sure what you personally can eat and what you can't is to test your blood sugar to see what different foods do to you. For instance, some diabetics can eat oats with no problems at all, but others find that oats send their blood sugar sky high - and you won't know what they do to you until you have experimented and tested!
Have you been given a meter and test strips? If not, it is worth considering doing what @pav suggested, and buying your own.
Foods you might be able to eat, but only in moderation include root veg (like carrots, parsnips, and of course potatoes) brown or grannary bread, brown rice, plain biscuits like Ryvita or oatcakes, and other fruit including all those ones you mentioned - a bowl of fruit salad is healthy for non-diabetics, but too sugary for diabetics.
Foods you are unlikely to be able to eat include pizza, pasta, white bread, white rice, cakes (except when it's your birthday 😉 ), and stodgy puddings.
If you want some more ideas, it's worth having a look at the food board here for recipes and more information.
But as everyone else has said, the only way to be sure what you personally can eat and what you can't is to test your blood sugar to see what different foods do to you. For instance, some diabetics can eat oats with no problems at all, but others find that oats send their blood sugar sky high - and you won't know what they do to you until you have experimented and tested!
Have you been given a meter and test strips? If not, it is worth considering doing what @pav suggested, and buying your own.
If you can't get test strips on prescription from the docs or diabetic nurse and want to self fund most who self fund on here buy this meter, in UK we use mmol unit of measurement (the meter comes in both measurement types and you need to select the right one), remember to tick the I am diabetic as that removes the vat off the order. The test kit only comes with 10 test strips and lancets, so you may want to order some extra at the same time.
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Sadly diabetes cannot read it's also deaf so it doesn't know the rules it shpould be following . Sorry I couldn't resist that.
Do try to persuade them to provide you with a glucose meter and enough test strips as it's the only way to find out what carbohydrates you can tolerate, while you're trying to get them to agree, do consider buying the SD Codefree meter suggested above.
More often than not the dietary advise we're given by the experts. Is fine for non Ds but not for us. Also as has already been said , it's very individual in what carby foods it can /can't tolerate. Our bodies are quite capable of turning non carby foods into the glucose our bodies run on, it just takes the body longer to do so, which means our glucose levels don't rocket up, it's more of a gentle rise and drop.
Some of the good edibles follow
All meat is fine, so are high meat content sausages and burgers, (I like black farmer or heck sausages)
Eggs cooked anyway you like including fried , cheese, mushrooms, veg that grows above ground, some people on here buy Lidle protein rolls , I've switched to wholemeal sliced bread but normally only have a couple of slices a day, Butter, cream , fresh fish, tinned salmon, some nuts are low carb, I have a couple of small new potatoes, many people tolerate berries better than other fruits grapes are full of sugar though.
I'm afraid it is a matter of label reading, it's only the total number of carbs you need to check, don't worry about the ' of which are sugars' as they are included in the carbs.
To give you some ideas , have a look at, What did you have to eat yesterday
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/
I hope you find this helpful
. Sorry I couldn't resist that.Do try to persuade them to provide you with a glucose meter and enough test strips as it's the only way to find out what carbohydrates you can tolerate, while you're trying to get them to agree, do consider buying the SD Codefree meter suggested above.
More often than not the dietary advise we're given by the experts. Is fine for non Ds but not for us. Also as has already been said , it's very individual in what carby foods it can /can't tolerate. Our bodies are quite capable of turning non carby foods into the glucose our bodies run on, it just takes the body longer to do so, which means our glucose levels don't rocket up, it's more of a gentle rise and drop.
Some of the good edibles follow
All meat is fine, so are high meat content sausages and burgers, (I like black farmer or heck sausages)
Eggs cooked anyway you like including fried , cheese, mushrooms, veg that grows above ground, some people on here buy Lidle protein rolls , I've switched to wholemeal sliced bread but normally only have a couple of slices a day, Butter, cream , fresh fish, tinned salmon, some nuts are low carb, I have a couple of small new potatoes, many people tolerate berries better than other fruits grapes are full of sugar though.
I'm afraid it is a matter of label reading, it's only the total number of carbs you need to check, don't worry about the ' of which are sugars' as they are included in the carbs.
To give you some ideas , have a look at, What did you have to eat yesterday
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/
I hope you find this helpful
Thank you LJC, that link was very helpful...but unfortunately, there you have it....all the advice you good people have given me ( for which I am very grateful 🙂)totally contradicts what I have been told ... so I guess I will continue to plod along on my own, as I have done since diagnosis doing what I feel is right for my body...thank you all very much for your help
... so I guess I will continue to plod along on my own, as I have done since diagnosis doing what I feel is right for my body...thank you all very much for your help
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
I am sorry to say that is usually the case, many of us here have been given similar advise to you and have by the professionals and had to find our own way, when I was first diagnosed the dietary advise was much better, they knew it was best to cut down on carbs also the food industry was not involved in advising on dietary needs as it is now (vested interest), it's called ' the eatwell plate'Thank you LJC, that link was very helpful...but unfortunately, there you have it....all the advice you good people have given me ( for which I am very grateful 🙂)totally contradicts what I have been told
The vested interest we have is, keeping ourselves healthy and preventing a leg dropping off later, we don't want it to happen to anyone else either.
Sorry I can't remember, do you test your own blood glucose? As that is really the best tool we have in finding how various carbohydrates affect us.
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