A New, confused, Newbie...

[PopsV8]

Hi !
Im a newly diagnosed, confused, Newbie...
Im old enough to be getting my bus pass in next month , a great grandad already with many health issues, after breaking my back in 1999, still requiring 20+ pain pills a day..
Now compounded by being diagnosed as Diabetic - most probably the reason for this being since last July, ive had esophagus problems ( endoscope`s and biopsies sadly gave no answers...) making it hard/imposible to swallow a lot of foods , so tea and dunked biscuits, chocolate that melts, ice cream and other unhealthy soft foods became the norm....
I had my 1st Diabetic training ,nurse appointment this week, ive gone from 48 to 54 in 2 weeks..Dont yet understand the meaning of this score , apart from its not a good thing !....

Its going to be dificult find foods I can eat, as im already highly allergic to anything containing eggs or fish...My diet has always been limited..
Sorry to waffle on..; Remember ;

Always look on the bright side of life.....
Kev.

 

[Drummer]

A friend having problems swallowing and keeping food down gave cauliflower cheese the thumbs up. My version requires a warm oven proof dish.
Steam some frozen cauliflower until almost done - chop any big bits and place in the warmed dish. Sprinkle on a little salt. Cover with cream cheese, add any herb or spice you might like then cover with grated hard cheese - I like red Leicester.
Place in the oven until the cheese has a light tan - don't hurry it, a warm oven is all it needs and time to become warm right through.
Another option is mince cooked with a little onion, then stock or gravy and a tablespoonful of sweet pickle, try it with swede, cauliflower or celeriac mashed with cream or butter and a pinch of dried herb of your liking.
Hopefully you'll be able to cope with such things.
It might help to cook them and then allow them to cool off slightly - as too high a temperature was one thing which caused problems, also to eat slowly and chew - even if not really necessary as it seemed to get the oesophagus ready to accept food.

 

[Rich DUK]

Hi @PopsV8! Welcome to the forum and I hope you are enjoying your time here so far? I am very sorry to hear about everything you have been going through. I hope you are doing well and I can sympathise with the feeling of confusion. We are all here to help Kev, you're not in this alone.

The HBA1C reading of 54, although alarming, can definitely be turned around. Undertaking some dietary modifications will definitely help bring this figure down. If you wanted a little more information on this reading, you can check out our page we have on it here - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/hba1c.

The meal ideas that have already been given, sound incredibly tasty and should help as a starting point. If you are struggling with ideas, you could check out our recipe finder here - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes.

If there is anything else we can do to help, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Take care and all the best
Richard

 

[janw]

Hi and welcome
To get your numbers lower you need to start reducing your carbs SLOWLY - one meal at a time, start with breakfasts for example. Instead of high carb cereals, try berries and greek yoghurt, or bacon, sausage and mushrooms. or ham and cheese with tomatoes kind of continental but without the high carb croissants and rolls. Go for lower carb bread - Burgen or Hovis seeded tend to be better, wholemeal rather than white bread - so enjoy toast and 100% nut butter or a toasted sandwich.
Carbs to be aware of are white bread, cereals, tropical fruit including bananas and oranges, berries are best with the occasional apple or pear, melon is okay too. Vegetables - best to avoid or limit any that grow under the ground including potatoes, above ground are best - peas and sweetcorn keep as a treat as both are higher carb. Most meats are 0 carbs, chicken and turkey are both great - and very versatile. You can eat any meats including the fats, but try to limit processed meats. Cheese in small quantities. Cream has lower carbs than milk, so treat yourself to some with your berries or in your coffee. A little ice-cream now and again as a treat - make it fit in with your daily limits. Chocolate, as already mentioned, a couple of squares of dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa. White pasta and rice are high carbs too, but there are replacements - I have homemade cauliflower rice and add whatever I want to it, or there are low carb options that you can buy or either, or wholewheat versions might work for you - and that is where at BG (blood glucose) monitor comes into its own, so you can finger prick before and after each meal, to see if anything causes a spike - but I won't go into that fully. Most type 2s have to self fund the monitors, test strips and lancets, but they really do help put us in control.
If you have any questions or queries, just ask - no question is ever silly - we have all had to start at the beginning and find our own pathway through this maze - but we are here for each other.

 

[Leadinglights]

In some areas hospitals have swallowing clinics which I assume are usually designed to help people regardless of the cause of the problem, so it may be worth asking for a referral.
You could try sugar free jelly with cream or ice cream for desert. Soups do sound like a good option, and are easy to make from any veg with the aid of a hand stick blender, you can add stilton to broccoli or courgette and brie, or butternut squash and red pepper all are nice options.

 

[PopsV8]

Many thanks everyone. Some great recipe`s..Shame I cant eat/swallow a lot of them..Im still learning ..Ive just been put on Metformin medicine( as Im have swallowing problems with the 28 pills a day im on ) Just to add to the fun..Ive just tested positive for covid....Time for the British Bulldog spirit !...

 

[Leadinglights]

Many thanks everyone. Some great recipe`s..Shame I cant eat/swallow a lot of them..Im still learning ..Ive just been put on Metformin medicine( as Im have swallowing problems with the 28 pills a day im on ) Just to add to the fun..Ive just tested positive for covid....Time for the British Bulldog spirit !...

Oh dear, I hope you are not too unwell with it.
You starting point for foods has to be with the things you are able to eat before and just make some subtle substitutions for some lower carb things.
If you would like to share what you can cope with then people may have some ideas as to what you could change for lower carb foods.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your brush with Covid @PopsV8

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

Oh dear, I hope you are not too unwell with it.
You starting point for foods has to be with the things you are able to eat before and just make some subtle substitutions for some lower carb things.
If you would like to share what you can cope with then people may have some ideas as to what you could change for lower carb foods.

Chips? try Celeriac chips. Pasta, try konjac pasta. Rice? try cauliflower rice. Mash? celeriac or other root mash...... it is not so bad. Bread - see this forum's recipes and food area - there is low carb bread to be found. Good luck and hope the covid passes; i had omicron for christmas!