Advice please

[jjjjjjjj]

Hi, all.
I have just been diagnosed with type 2, problem is I live in Rural Spain, where there is no such thing as a diabetic nurse, I have just been given some tablets, told to take 2 a day and not to eat sugar. and that was it. So is there anyone out there that could give me some tips, from what I have read (and its lots!!) I should be watching carbs, so can I eat Bread???? or Potatoes,? how do I know how much sugar is in natural things like Potatoes, Veg. Perhaps someone knows of a site where it tell you these things, I cant seem to find one. TIA Jenni

 

[Martin9]

You basically need to cut carbs as well as the simple sugars so anything that contains wheat, rice, potatoes etc need to be limited as our bodies readily convert these into sugars, brown wholemeal versions of these are better than the more processed white versions as the body takes longer to process and doesn’t cause the rapid spikes in BG
There are lower carb versions of Bread such as Burgens Soya & Linseed or Hovis Low carb bread available in UK but have no idea what’s available in Spain
There are books that you can order in paper or e version that list the carb content in most foods and I would suggest you try limit both simple sugars found in cakes, jams biscuits, etc as well as the more complex starch carbs found in rice, wheat, potatoes and other grain type foods,so limit these foods.
You might also consider obtaining a BG meter so you can check your bodies response to foods and try to avoid spiking in your blood glucose levels.
Any way welcome to the club no one wants to be in, and any questions feel free to ask, if I can’t answer someone will be able to ...
One last thought, are your tablets Metformin or something else as you may not wish to reduce your carbs too much if they are some other meds that reduce your blood sugars as they may push your blood sugars down too low if you have a very low carb diet
If Metformin however you should be safe enough...

 

[jjjjjjjj]

Hi, Martin, thanks for replying that's really helpful, I knew nothing about 'your body converting carbs into sugar. Yes the tablets I have are Metformina. I love the 'welcome to the club no one wants to be in' very funny. Have a nice day, and once again thank you Jenni

 

[Northerner]

Hi, all.
I have just been diagnosed with type 2, problem is I live in Rural Spain, where there is no such thing as a diabetic nurse, I have just been given some tablets, told to take 2 a day and not to eat sugar. and that was it. So is there anyone out there that could give me some tips, from what I have read (and its lots!!) I should be watching carbs, so can I eat Bread???? or Potatoes,? how do I know how much sugar is in natural things like Potatoes, Veg. Perhaps someone knows of a site where it tell you these things, I cant seem to find one. TIA Jenni

Hi jjjjjjjj (I think I've spelled that correctly 😉), welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, how did it come about? Do you have any family history of diabetes?

Try not to worry - although diabetes is a serious condition there is a lot you can do to help manage it well so that it doesn't cause you any problems. In fact, many people discover that the adaptations they make in order to bring their blood sugar levels under control results in them feeling much happier and healthier than they have for some time - it's true! 🙂

As you have observed, it's not simply about restricting sugar as all types of carbohydrate will convert to glucose and raise your levels - the trick is in finding out what things you can tolerate well, in what quantities, and what you may need to restrict or replace in your diet. I'd suggest beginning by reading the excellent Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a very practical overview on learning how to manage things well. If you can get hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker then that will also help you a great deal, as it is a very positive, practical guide to these early weeks and months 🙂

Ideally, you would also test your blood sugar levels before and after eating using a home blood glucose monitor - read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this helps 🙂 Has your doctor supplied you with a monitor and test strips? If not, and you can afford it, then it is an excellent investment. You won't need to test as frequently once you have established your personal tolerances, so although it can be quite intensive to begin with, the need to test will only really arise when trying something different, or to check that things are still on track 🙂 I'm not sure what is available in Spain, but you may be able to buy something online - we usually recommend the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. If you can't get it from amazon, then you can buy direct from Home Health, who deliver abroad:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

Finally, if you can get some regular daily exercise, this will be of great benefit. Apart from making you feel good, it also helps to make your body more sensitive to the insulin it is producing, which then helps you to keep blood sugar levels under better control 🙂

Please ask any questions you may have - nothing is considered 'silly' and there are lots of friendly, knowledgeable people here who will be happy to help 🙂

 

[jjjjjjjj]

Hi Thanks for replying,
I just had a regular blood test, because I had a virus that wouldn't clear, and it showed 160 (which I think is about 8.9 in the UK) so they did another fasting test the next day and it had gone up to 179, so they send me to the hospital and they did a fasting one also which was 184. I don't have Diabetes in the family but I did have gestational Diabetes with both kids. (Its all their fault LOL!!!!) I will try and order the Gretchen Becker Book on line, thanks for the tip. I have to go back to the GP next week when I think they are going to give me a monitor, if not I will buy one. I have 9 dogs and live high in the Andalusian Hills, so I get loads of exercise, too much some days!!!!! I have been told that a diabetic nurse doesn't exist in this part of Spain, neither does an Asthma Nurse, they give you the meds and then you just get on with it. I am not worried about it, but trying to get my head around what to eat and what not to eat is a mind field. I had no idea Carbs converted into sugar DOH!!! So I have learnt something already. One of the websites I read said you can eat Peanut butter!!!! Really I would have thought that was full of sugar??????? Anyway thank you again Jenni

 

[Drummer]

There should be labels on all processed foods to show you the amount of carbs per 100gm - there are many peanut butters which do not have sugar in them - I am told - I don't eat it myself.
There are some carbs in peanut butter, and as it is a legume rather than a nut it can affect people differently - I have only small servings of peas, for instance.
You can eat meat or fish, shellfish, eggs and cheese as they are the basics of low carbing. Salad stuff, things which grow above ground are usually OK - but sweetcorn is a grain not a vege
Avoid below ground veges, grains, most fruit, though berries are usually OK, - and people who tell you that wholegrain is a healthy choice as you can't live without carbs.

 

[KARNAK]

Hi jjjjjjjj welcome to the forum 🙂.

 

[Northerner]

trying to get my head around what to eat and what not to eat is a mind field. I had no idea Carbs converted into sugar DOH!!! So I have learnt something already. One of the websites I read said you can eat Peanut butter!!!! Really I would have thought that was full of sugar?

Peanut butter is generally fine. Although carbs convert to sugar (actually technically glucose) the key to choosing well in diabetes is the speed at which this happens - some foods will raise your levels much more quickly than others, so what you are looking for is a balanced diet that your body is able to tolerate well and having only a slow and steady impact on your levels. Meals containing fat will digest more slowly than those without, so this can help slow the impact on your blood glucose levels - peanut butter is a very good example, as it contains quite a bit of (healthy!) fat, so yes, it is OK to eat 🙂

This 'speed of conversion' can be measured, and predicted to some extent, by a system called G.I. (Glycaemic Index) which ranks foods in order of their potential glucose, so it can help when choosing food to look at its G.I. number (100 is very high e.g. table sugar is around 70). However, the G.I. system only measures things in isolation, not when they are eating together, which most people don't do! A more sophisticated approach is the G.L. (Glycaemic Load) system, which describes how to combine different things in order to produce a lower overall impact on your levels - The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction.

As I said earlier, don't panic! This will all be a journey of discovery. You will eventually find a diet that suits you well but is not overly restrictive. This will be a diet that is not just suitable for you as a person with diabetes, but one that anyone would happily eat, so it's not all salads and cardboard! 😱 🙂 Your numbers are not especially high, so I would predict that with only relatively minor ca=hanges may show a significant improvement 🙂 Great to hear that you are so active, that will really help! 🙂

Diabetes is always 99.99% managed by you, not the doctors and nurses, and as long as you have a good, reliable source of information you will be fine - good that you found us so quickly! 🙂

 

[jjjjjjjj]

Morning All,
I have a question, perhaps someone else knows the answer. On rising this morning my BG was 9.6, I then ate 1 scambled egg, 1 grilled rasher of bacon and a grilled tomatoe. I checked my BG 1 hour after eating and it had dropped to 7.2 and then after 2hrs and it was still 7.2. Is this normal, I thought your BG went up after eating???????not down. Sorry if this is a silly question, new to all this malarkey.thanks Jenni

 

[jjjjjjjj]

Hi Northern, Thanks for replying. and for all the info. I will try and order a copy of the dummies guide. I have just posted another question, can you help with that one please. Yes it is good I found you so quickly, as not a lot of information here in Spain, so was foundering. Jenni

 

[Northerner]

Morning All,
I have a question, perhaps someone else knows the answer. On rising this morning my BG was 9.6, I then ate 1 scambled egg, 1 grilled rasher of bacon and a grilled tomatoe. I checked my BG 1 hour after eating and it had dropped to 7.2 and then after 2hrs and it was still 7.2. Is this normal, I thought your BG went up after eating???????not down. Sorry if this is a silly question, new to all this malarkey.thanks Jenni

That's a very low carb breakfast, and a very good response in your blood sugar levels 🙂 The food you chose will digest very slowly over many hours, so it will only have a very gradual impact on your levels 🙂 Bear in mind that, after breakfast, you are up and about and using energy, so your body is using that glucose 🙂 Another factor, particularly in the morning, is something called 'Dawn Phenomenon'. Throught the day and night your liver releases some of its own stores of glucose into your blood - it has to do this in order to keep everything supplied with energy when you are not eating, so your heart, lungs, digestive system and brain etc. never stop 🙂 This release of glucose follows a cycle (you may have heard of 'Circadian Rhythms'), and usually over night less glucose will be released as you don't need as much. However, as you wake in the morning often your liver will give you a 'boost' of glucose o get you ready for the day so your levels start to rise - hence your 9.6 on waking. It's quite possible that before your feet hit the floor your levels were lower by 1-2 mmol/l. Once you eat, this mechanism of extra glucose slows back down again as your body detects that you are no longer 'starving' 🙂

Hope that makes sense! 🙂

 

[jjjjjjjj]

Yes perfect sense, thank you.

 

[CathyB]

Welcome @jjjjjjjj keep asking the questions and reading the back posts, we are all here to support you

 

[Martin9]

Morning All,
I have a question, perhaps someone else knows the answer. On rising this morning my BG was 9.6, I then ate 1 scambled egg, 1 grilled rasher of bacon and a grilled tomatoe. I checked my BG 1 hour after eating and it had dropped to 7.2 and then after 2hrs and it was still 7.2. Is this normal, I thought your BG went up after eating???????not down. Sorry if this is a silly question, new to all this malarkey.thanks Jenni

You made a great low carb breakfast there, saw a result immediately, but this is a marathon, not a sprint, don’t push it too hard, but well done , keep at it
Regards M x