5 days ago diagnosed with Type II

[SallyP]

Hi, am female, 63 and 4 days ago diagnosed as above. Came as a complete shock and was so high in glucose it was off the scale 33 I think is the highest level and I was passed that. Severely dehydrated and hospitalised on Friday night, level down to 18, then 11 through the night. My query is have printed off recipes from the diabetes website but dont understand that some of the meals have 10.0 g sugar, I cannot see where the sugar is coming fromn brussels and bacon hash with poached egg is one, chicken butter bean and leek pie 10.3g sugar. Also I thought we could eat boiled potatoes but a friend of mine says they contain sugar. Can anyone recommend a recipe book for dummies like me!

 

[grovesy]

Welcome.
Carbohydrate is broken down in the body into glucose (sugar), so the sugar in the recipe is most probably the mashed potatoe in the hash. I find i can tolerate a couple of new potatoes but mash potato send my bloods high.

 

[Ljc]

Hi Sally, Welcome. How did you come to be diagnosed. Was that 33 a finger prick test ?
It's actually carbohydrates we need to be careful with , sugar is just another carb.

 

[Grannylorraine]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[the blue wildebeest]

Hi, am female, 63 and 4 days ago diagnosed as above. Came as a complete shock and was so high in glucose it was off the scale 33 I think is the highest level and I was passed that. Severely dehydrated and hospitalised on Friday night, level down to 18, then 11 through the night. My query is have printed off recipes from the diabetes website but dont understand that some of the meals have 10.0 g sugar, I cannot see where the sugar is coming fromn brussels and bacon hash with poached egg is one, chicken butter bean and leek pie 10.3g sugar. Also I thought we could eat boiled potatoes but a friend of mine says they contain sugar. Can anyone recommend a recipe book for dummies like me!

Michael Mosley's "Blood Sugar Diet" is a reasonable book. 🙂

 

[Northerner]

Hi, am female, 63 and 4 days ago diagnosed as above. Came as a complete shock and was so high in glucose it was off the scale 33 I think is the highest level and I was passed that. Severely dehydrated and hospitalised on Friday night, level down to 18, then 11 through the night. My query is have printed off recipes from the diabetes website but dont understand that some of the meals have 10.0 g sugar, I cannot see where the sugar is coming fromn brussels and bacon hash with poached egg is one, chicken butter bean and leek pie 10.3g sugar. Also I thought we could eat boiled potatoes but a friend of mine says they contain sugar. Can anyone recommend a recipe book for dummies like me!

Hi SallyP, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis Have you been given any medication?

The first thing to bear in mind (and hopefully clear up a bit of confusion!) is that you diabetes is not just about sugar. All carbohydrates will raise blood glucose levels, and sugar is just one form of carbohydrate - other examples are potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, baked goods that contain flour (flour is chiefly carbohydrate). This doesn't mean that you have to stop eating carbohydrates altogether, but you do need to be aware of how much you are consuming. I would recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter - these will give you a better understanding of diabetes and approaches to dealing with it. I would also recommend getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found extremely helpful to guide you through these early months 🙂

I'd suggest starting to keep a food diary, recording the amount of carbohydrates in everything you eat or drink. This will give you an accurate idea of your daily carb consumption, and can also be used as a basis for investigating areas that might be improved - more green veg and less potato, for example.

A good starting point for your diet is to find foods that have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels, and the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet is very useful in this respect - The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction 🙂

Have you been given a home monitor and a prescription for test strips, so you can monitor the effect of your food choices on your blood glucose levels? Often, these are not prescribed for Type 2s, but that is a shame because they are really the best tool available for discovering your own individual reactions to different food choices and the reactions can be very individual! Although there are some basic principles, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution, as people can very considerably in their tolerances for certain things (some people are fine with porridge, for example, whereas others would find their levels shooting up). Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S in order to understand how a monitor can help you. If you weren't given a monitor, it's definitely worth getting your own. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 (High St ones can charge up to £30 for 50 test strips 😱)

Finally, regular exercise really helps in keeping your blood glucose levels under control, so whatever you can manage will give you benefits - a daily walk, after a meal if possible, will really help as it makes you more sensitive to the insulin your body is producing 🙂 Is there anything in particular you enjoy already?

Diabetes is a serious condition, there is no doubt, but the good news is that, with the right knowledge and determination, it can be managed very well and many people find that the adjustments they make result in them feeling happier and healthier than they have for some time! 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions - there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here, and no questions is considered 'silly', so if it is confusing or confounding you, let us know! 🙂

 

[Andy HB]

What Northerner just said!

Welcome to the forum from me as well.

One other thing, don't listen to anyone who says that type 2 diabetes is necessarily a degenerative condition (I.e. Things will just get worse). If you can control it, then you can live a very healthy life.

I was diagnosed in October 2009 and after sorting myself out I have been medication free since April 2010 and remain fitter and healthier than at any time 10 years prior to diagnosis.

I have seen many others on this forum who have done the same or even better. So it isn't just me.

Andy 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

My query is have printed off recipes from the diabetes website but dont understand that some of the meals have 10.0 g sugar, I cannot see where the sugar is coming fromn brussels and bacon hash with poached egg is one, chicken butter bean and leek pie 10.3g sugar.

I'm going to guess some comes from the ingredients used.

Also I thought we could eat boiled potatoes but a friend of mine says they contain sugar.

I don't know about any sugar in them. Some people use the word sugar instead of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates affect BG. Thats potatoes, bread, rice, wheat and more. These have to be managed.

Can anyone recommend a recipe book for dummies like me!

No idea

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Hi and welcome 🙂

 

[SallyP]

Hi SallyP, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis Have you been given any medication?

The first thing to bear in mind (and hopefully clear up a bit of confusion!) is that you diabetes is not just about sugar. All carbohydrates will raise blood glucose levels, and sugar is just one form of carbohydrate - other examples are potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, baked goods that contain flour (flour is chiefly carbohydrate). This doesn't mean that you have to stop eating carbohydrates altogether, but you do need to be aware of how much you are consuming. I would recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter - these will give you a better understanding of diabetes and approaches to dealing with it. I would also recommend getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found extremely helpful to guide you through these early months 🙂

I'd suggest starting to keep a food diary, recording the amount of carbohydrates in everything you eat or drink. This will give you an accurate idea of your daily carb consumption, and can also be used as a basis for investigating areas that might be improved - more green veg and less potato, for example.

A good starting point for your diet is to find foods that have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels, and the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet is very useful in this respect - The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction 🙂

Have you been given a home monitor and a prescription for test strips, so you can monitor the effect of your food choices on your blood glucose levels? Often, these are not prescribed for Type 2s, but that is a shame because they are really the best tool available for discovering your own individual reactions to different food choices and the reactions can be very individual! Although there are some basic principles, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution, as people can very considerably in their tolerances for certain things (some people are fine with porridge, for example, whereas others would find their levels shooting up). Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S in order to understand how a monitor can help you. If you weren't given a monitor, it's definitely worth getting your own. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 (High St ones can charge up to £30 for 50 test strips 😱)

Finally, regular exercise really helps in keeping your blood glucose levels under control, so whatever you can manage will give you benefits - a daily walk, after a meal if possible, will really help as it makes you more sensitive to the insulin your body is producing 🙂 Is there anything in particular you enjoy already?

Diabetes is a serious condition, there is no doubt, but the good news is that, with the right knowledge and determination, it can be managed very well and many people find that the adjustments they make result in them feeling happier and healthier than they have for some time! 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions - there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here, and no questions is considered 'silly', so if it is confusing or confounding you, let us know! 🙂

Many thanks for your very helpful response. I have initially been put on Metformin slow release 1000mg, two in the morning two at night, and Ziclaseg 30mg 1 in the morning, slow release again. I take tablets for high blood pressure and I have auto immune diseases which also require medication, it is a real struggle swallowing so many tablets after breakfast, however needs must. Have ordered the First Year book and that should come this evening. I think the only carb I am eating at the moment is two slices of wholemeal bread, small slices, per day, one for breakfast and 1 for lunch with a slice of cheese, I have cooked myself stir frys with either chicken or steak in the evenings. My initial sugar reading was off the scale (it goes up to 33), was hospitalised last Friday as so dehydrated and on leaving my reading was 10 so going in the right direction. Certainly losing weight quickly with the Metformin but find it restricting having to be near a loo all the time, hopefully that will get better. Regards

 

[Steff]

Hi and a warm welcome Sally

 

[Northerner]

Many thanks for your very helpful response. I have initially been put on Metformin slow release 1000mg, two in the morning two at night, and Ziclaseg 30mg 1 in the morning, slow release again. I take tablets for high blood pressure and I have auto immune diseases which also require medication, it is a real struggle swallowing so many tablets after breakfast, however needs must. Have ordered the First Year book and that should come this evening. I think the only carb I am eating at the moment is two slices of wholemeal bread, small slices, per day, one for breakfast and 1 for lunch with a slice of cheese, I have cooked myself stir frys with either chicken or steak in the evenings. My initial sugar reading was off the scale (it goes up to 33), was hospitalised last Friday as so dehydrated and on leaving my reading was 10 so going in the right direction. Certainly losing weight quickly with the Metformin but find it restricting having to be near a loo all the time, hopefully that will get better. Regards

Things usually settle down with the metformin after a week or two, Sally, but if they don't then ask your nurse/GP for the 'slow-release' version, as a lot of people tolerate this better 🙂 (They don't prescribe it initially as it is more expensive than the ordinary type, and most people are - eventually! - OK with that).

You might like to try Burgen Soya and Linseed bread - sold in most of the supermarkets 🙂 It's lower in carbs than most other bread as some of the ordinary flour is replaced with soya flour. It also has lots of seeds which slow down its digestion, so it has a steadier impact on your levels. If you don't eat a lot then keep it in the freezer and just take a couple of slices out at a time 🙂 It's my favourite bread and I'm always really disappointed if I can't find any! 🙂

 

[Grogg1]

but find it restricting having to be near a loo all the time, hopefully that will get better. Regards

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