Confused!!

[Drummer]

Hmm - is the strip the right way up?

 

[Felinia]

Well yippee!! It worked fine first time this morning, after I'd reset the lancet to 3. No problem with blood this time - bled for England. Now I need someone to confirm what I already suspected - the reading before breakfast is 9.8 mmol and I think that is considered high? I'll take it again when I get back from the vet, which should be around 2 hours after breakfast.

 

[Docb]

Yep, 9.8 is a bit high and it will be informative to see your reading after 2 hrs.

How are you with spreadsheets? If OK, then now is the time to get one going to record the numbers as you get them. If not, then get a notebook and start writing them down.

 

[Felinia]

I took the reading exactly 2 hours after downing 2 small poached free range farm eggs, on 2 medium slices from a small (400gm) wholemeal Warburtons loaf. The reading was 10.3. The kit came with a purpose built notebook for recording measurements which I will do. I'm guessing that was not much of a spike (at least I hope not). I don't want to get obsessed with constant recordings, but I will try out all my different breakfasts and lunches over the next few days. I am keen to see how my various oat breakfasts fare, and with fruit or chopped nuts. Lunch is always home made soup or salad, so plenty of veggies with added protein like chopped chicken or bacon lardons, but no more bread. I also want to check my readings before and after my 1 hour Aquafit classes.

 

[Pine Marten]

A 2-hour reading of 10.3 after a pre-meal reading of 9.8 is pretty good, as the ideal is not to go more than 2 or 3 whole numbers. The first reading was rather high, so this is what needs to come down a bit. However, that was an excellent breakfast, and you're gaining more info as you go along.

Well done on getting the hang of the meter too!

 

[Felinia]

A 2-hour reading of 10.3 after a pre-meal reading of 9.8 is pretty good, as the ideal is not to go more than 2 or 3 whole numbers. The first reading was rather high, so this is what needs to come down a bit. However, that was an excellent breakfast, and you're gaining more info as you go along.

Well done on getting the hang of the meter too!

I took the first reading before having anything - not even a glass of water. Should I have taken all my other medications, which include Fybogel and Benecol (both GP prescribed) and had a cup of tea first, or should the pre-breakfast reading be a fasting reading? I normally have my breakfast about 30 minutes after my medications and cuppa number 1. Today I had it straight after, as I was dashing off to the vet with Pussifer Kattus and her ear mites!

 

[Pine Marten]

The first (fasting) test in the morning should be as soon as you get up - I know some people here test as soon as they wake up, before getting out of bed, although I've not done that. It's normally the last one to come down as there is a thing called the 'dawn phenomenon' where the liver dumps extra glucose into the blood. It's difficult to fix but you could, eg., avoid carby snacks before bed, but it's another of those pesky try it and see things.

The test before breakfast (and other meals) should be done immediately before eating, then again 2 hours after as you've been doing. I don't think the medications make any difference, but maybe someone else will have more info.

PS I hope Puss gets treatment for the ear mites ok

(I have always been owned by cats!)

 

[Felinia]

The first (fasting) test in the morning should be as soon as you get up - I know some people here test as soon as they wake up, before getting out of bed, although I've not done that. It's normally the last one to come down as there is a thing called the 'dawn phenomenon' where the liver dumps extra glucose into the blood. It's difficult to fix but you could, eg., avoid carby snacks before bed, but it's another of those pesky try it and see things.

The test before breakfast (and other meals) should be done immediately before eating, then again 2 hours after as you've been doing. I don't think the medications make any difference, but maybe someone else will have more info.

PS I hope Puss gets treatment for the ear mites ok

(I have always been owned by cats!)

Thanks. I think my 1st reading was both as soon as I got up and before eating - 2 in 1 so to speak as I was in a rush. Puss' ears are much better - she had one more treatment and I take her back in another month. Since posting I've done my before and after lunch. Before 9.2, home made chicken and veggie soup, 2 hours after 7.1. So I guess this soup passes the test. I try not to eat or drink at all after 6pm, due to my hiatus hernia. Otherwise I get reflux in bed. By the way, we're the same age!!

 

[Drummer]

If you really need bread - I have bread with kippers because they are too strong a taste without it, but I love kippers, try a Livlife loaf - I get mine from Waitrose. Ordinary bread is just too high carb for me and for many type twos.
Watch how much fruit you add to your porridge, as that is a high carb meal, and chose low carb veges for your soup as a few starchy ones can soon push up the carb count. You might like my take on cauliflower cheese, which seems to be a popular one, it is simply putting almost cooked cauliflower into a warm dish, cover with cream cheese and then grated cheese - I like Red Leicester, but others add paprika after the cream cheese, and then a strong blue cheese, but that would have my taste buds in a panic.

 

[Pine Marten]

Thanks. I think my 1st reading was both as soon as I got up and before eating - 2 in 1 so to speak as I was in a rush. Puss' ears are much better - she had one more treatment and I take her back in another month. Since posting I've done my before and after lunch. Before 9.2, home made chicken and veggie soup, 2 hours after 7.1. So I guess this soup passes the test. I try not to eat or drink at all after 6pm, due to my hiatus hernia. Otherwise I get reflux in bed. By the way, we're the same age!!

Glad to hear the feline ears are better - life with pets can be stressful, can't it?!

Like Drummer I get Livlife from Waitrose, although it took me a while to get used to it as it has a slightly odd texture. I also have Burgen or Hovis Nimble to ring the changes. It sounds to me like you're getting a handle on all this, and with a positive attitude you'll be fine.

As to being the same age my current profile pic was taken some...ahem!...years ago, at one of the medieval banquets put on by the society I'm in. Happy days!

 

[Felinia]

If you really need bread - I have bread with kippers because they are too strong a taste without it, but I love kippers, try a Livlife loaf - I get mine from Waitrose. Ordinary bread is just too high carb for me and for many type twos.
Watch how much fruit you add to your porridge, as that is a high carb meal, and chose low carb veges for your soup as a few starchy ones can soon push up the carb count. You might like my take on cauliflower cheese, which seems to be a popular one, it is simply putting almost cooked cauliflower into a warm dish, cover with cream cheese and then grated cheese - I like Red Leicester, but others add paprika after the cream cheese, and then a strong blue cheese, but that would have my taste buds in a panic.

Told not to have ANY fruit with main meals, only as a snack and never more than one type at a time. Conflicting info re cereals: Don't have at all due to high carbs, only have with nuts and seeds, or have with boiled eggs (?!?!). I can't eat most bread - I'm gluten intolerant - but WW or Warburtons medium slice from small loaf seems to be OK. I'll try LivLife and see how the monitoring (and Diverticular Disease side effects) goes. I don't put potato or starchy veggies in my soups, but use beans (butter, cannellini, haricot, borlotti) instead for their protein. I only have low fat or fat free dairy (high cholesterol) and have stopped yogurt, cheese, quark completely. I think it will be a case of trial and error, and slowly trying different foods at first. That's how I advise people learning to live with Diverticular Disease.

 

[Felinia]

Glad to hear the feline ears are better - life with pets can be stressful, can't it?!

Like Drummer I get Livlife from Waitrose, although it took me a while to get used to it as it has a slightly odd texture. I also have Burgen or Hovis Nimble to ring the changes. It sounds to me like you're getting a handle on all this, and with a positive attitude you'll be fine.

As to being the same age my current profile pic was taken some...ahem!...years ago, at one of the medieval banquets put on by the society I'm in. Happy days!

I'm 69! I couldn't get on with Burgen, but Nimble was OK - it's much the same as WW. I tried Genius for a time, but it tended to disintegrate, so I decided to go without instead! Puss is a rescue and has taken about a year to settle with me, but we've got there.

 

[Pine Marten]

I'm 69 until next February - although I only admit to 29 I liked being 29 so thought I'd stay there!

Interesting about Puss, after one of ours died we fostered Mandy from the RSPCA, then took her on permanently when no one wanted her. That was in 2010 when she was about 6 months old. She's our only cat now, our old girl Molly left us at nearly 20 yrs old in May 2018. I still mourn all my lost moggies

 

[Drummer]

Told not to have ANY fruit with main meals, only as a snack and never more than one type at a time. Conflicting info re cereals: Don't have at all due to high carbs, only have with nuts and seeds, or have with boiled eggs (?!?!). I can't eat most bread - I'm gluten intolerant - but WW or Warburtons medium slice from small loaf seems to be OK. I'll try LivLife and see how the monitoring (and Diverticular Disease side effects) goes. I don't put potato or starchy veggies in my soups, but use beans (butter, cannellini, haricot, borlotti) instead for their protein. I only have low fat or fat free dairy (high cholesterol) and have stopped yogurt, cheese, quark completely. I think it will be a case of trial and error, and slowly trying different foods at first. That's how I advise people learning to live with Diverticular Disease.

It seems strange about the fruit - you were advised to eat it when it will have most impact on BG levels - very odd. The Livlife is only 4 gm per slice which is why it is a good choice for diabetes. Beans can have quite an impact on BG levels, if you want protein then chicken or some other meat might be a better option.
High cholesterol doesn't seem to be as a result of eating fats - first eggs and then other foods have been exonerated by actually testing, not making guesses without checking.
All you can do is check how various foods affect you both for BG and the diverticular problem.

 

[Felinia]

I'm 69 until next February - although I only admit to 29 I liked being 29 so thought I'd stay there!

Interesting about Puss, after one of ours died we fostered Mandy from the RSPCA, then took her on permanently when no one wanted her. That was in 2010 when she was about 6 months old. She's our only cat now, our old girl Molly left us at nearly 20 yrs old in May 2018. I still mourn all my lost moggies

Well I've now completed a day's monitoring. Don't know if it's good or bad.
Pre breakfast 9.8, Post breakfast 10.3
Pre lunch 9.2, Post lunch 7.1
Pre dinner 7.0, Post dinner 10.5
But I did have 2 mugs of tea before measuring - should I have waited until after? I understand a spike of 3 or more is not good, but all I had was one 110gm pork chop, all fat removed before cooking; 55gm boiled potato (3 baby ones), cauliflower, runner beans, Brussels sprouts, 2 tbsp gravy.
I took Tufty on just after my 17 year old much loved puss died. She's totally different, and quite a character. I've had more "presents" from her this summer, than the previous 25 years put together!

 

[Felinia]

Tomorrow I finally get my Oviva face to face training course, so reviewed the online training manual. It did indeed confirm what the dietician told me - fruit should be limited to a small portion of a single fruit, at least 2 hours away from a meal. And it did it in 2 different places! But rather than remove beans and pulses from soups and stews, it said to use them to add fibre to the meals, as fibre slows down absorption, just be aware of the carb content. Also black tea, coffee and sugar free squash do count towards your water intake. So it sounds to me like the left and right hand in Oviva don't know what the other is doing in some cases! And we wonder why we get confused???

 

[Drummer]

So you are cutting off fat and adding potatoes - and seeing higher numbers. Hmm.
Legumes not only cause spikes for me, they go higher than the carb count would imply - so not on my menu.
It is all very well for advisers to advise, but when they do so and are contradicted by numbers on a BG meter, I know what I'd rather act on.