Another Newbie

[Raymondo]

Hi I'm Raymond, 60 years of age and was diagnosed a few days ago with type 2 diabetes, the reading i got told was 55 and have been told to get on a low carb diet to reduce my sugar levels. I was given diet information such as what's high in carbs and alternatives to these, the thing that threw me was I was told I can continue to eat sensible meals, but to control the portions I eat.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Raymondo from a fellow T2.
Is the 55 a HbA1c test?
You've been given better food advice than some of us. Go with the controling carbs. It's not foot that makes our blood glucose (BG) spike. It's carbohydrate in particular. It's possible to eat some. Which, how much and what with is the question. Self testing will help you with that, as it will show how food affects your BG levels.

 

[Toucan]

Hello @Raymondo
Welcome to the forum and it is good to know that you have already been given some sensible advice.
Many of us here follow a low-carb diet and find that it is a good way to control our blood sugar levels

You will find a lot of information about this on the various sections of the forum
I would suggest starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.

There is no 'one-size-fits-all' and you need to work out what foods and quantities are right for you.

A glucose monitor is a way to find this out, by testing before and 2 hours after eating. (The aim is to have a rise of 2 or less)
If something causes a spike, reducing portion size may help. Certain food combinations can be a cause as can time of day that it is eaten.
Eventually you can derive a list of foods that let you maintain good blood sugar levels, that you enjoy eating, and fits your lifestyle in terms of how much preparation and cooking you like and have time to do.
SD Gluco Navii is one of the cheaper options .
Look at https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html for information on how to test.

Please ask any questions you may have, and let us know how it goes.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Raymondo and welcome.

An HbA1c of 55 is not far over the 48 threshold for diabetes so the good news is that you should manage to bring it down with relatively small dietary and lifestyle changes.
From your avatar it looks like you have a dog, so plenty of brisk walks will definitely help if you are able.... walking a little faster and further than you normally would is important.
15) but the on going need for test strips is what racks up the finances, so buying a meter which has the cheapest test strips makes sense. For that reason, the SD Gluco Navii (previously known as the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Healthcare TEE2 Blood Glucose Meters are recommended by people on this forum as they have the cheapest test strips @£8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to £15-£25 for 50 for some other brands.
Carbohydrates are not just the sweet sugary stuff including fruit and fruit juice but also starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, couscous, breakfast cereals etc. Drinks like beer, cider are also higher in carbs so maybe switch to dry wine or spirits with or without a diet mixer if you like an occasional tipple. These changes need to be for life, so finding a way of eating which maintains low BG levels as well as being enjoyable is important.
It is also worth noting that most of our calories tend to come from carbohydrates, so eating less of them will also lead to weight loss. Once target weight is achieved then more fats can be introduced into the diet to provide an alternative source of energy. The great things about fat are that it tastes good (so you don't feel deprived) and it keeps you feeling full for longer because it takes longer to digest and it provides slow release energy over many hours, whereas carbs are broken down quite quickly..... and the original research 70 years ago which linked dietary fat to cardiovascular disease which was the basis for all the low fat dietary advice we have been bombarded with throughout our lifetime is starting to be regarded as flawed, by some quite eminent scientists and medical professionals.

Anyway, take your time getting your head around your diagnosis and figuring out your path to dealing with it. If you spend a bit of time reading other posts on the forum, you will soon get an idea of how to go about it and feel free to ask any questions that pop into your mind.

 

[Tee G]

Hi @Raymondo - welcome. Its all a bit daunting isnt it, Diabetes is a very individual thing and the food goes with it. Take your time in absorbing all this new info. and here's another link which i found useful in the early days, about vegetables. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides. If you have any question at all, please post them up and someone will be along to help you, im sure. All the best.

 

[SueEK]

Welcome @Raymondo. Good advice above, try to employ as much of it as you can and find what works best for you. Have a good look round the site and let us know if you have any questions we can help you with. Sue

 

[Raymondo]

Hi and thank you all for the warm welcome and the excellent advice

@Ralph-YK Yes the 55 was the HbA1c test result I was given

I have invested in the SD Gluco Navi which I should have shortly. I intend to read all the articles in the posted links you have all kindly provided and if there is anything (which I'm sure there will be) I'm not sure about I'll ask the forum.

Thank you all once again.

Raymondo