confused . com

[dado]

Hi there im 72 years of age and classified obese I was diagnosed at the beginning of August with type2 my HbA1C or whatever its called .it was was 90. I've been put on metformin and dapagliflozin. my question is why do all the sources of info for managing what you can eat etc ( I have been attempting low carb ) differ depending on what web site you go on. ie nhs website ,gl and gi loads handbook all differ. some say for eg. you cant eat jacket potatoes but nhs says you can with tuna etc. some advise avoiding chocolate some say 70%dark choc ok i am really confused my daughter gave me a keto book to look at.????!!!! any comments would be greatly appreciated

 

[goodybags]

Hi @dado welcome to the friendliest and I think by far the best place to get information on managing your diabetes

a lower carb diet is certainly a very wise move, a few things you ask about in your post
Jacket potato
hardly ever eat one these days (occasionally half) but not a huge one

chocolate, yes dark is best, but often I eat a lot of fruit and berries rather than chocolate (unless I’m treating a hypo)

someone with the ability to post a few links I’m sure will be along shortly
you will find, there is some very useful information giving advice to newly diagnosed people

It can be daunting and confusing on initially discovering your suffering from this condition ( I remember it was for me) at first when I was diagnosed

one piece of advice I’d give is ask ANY question, someone will post an answer
and on here there’s no such thing as a silly question

 

[JOV]

I am new to this as well (under 2 weeks) and found conflicting advice. I have removed all Free Sugars (sweets fruit juice cakes biscuits) I am also on a lower carb diet but avoiding processed carbs white flour, white rice and pasta etc.. EAT CLEAN and lose the weight it is not easy but use the diabetes as a drive for change Good Luck

 

[Leadinglights]

One of the problems that leads to confusion about what to eat is that everybody is different in their tolerance to carbohydrates and what dietary regime may be suitable depends on what medication people take as with some like dapagliflozin a very low carb or keto diet is not recommended. How much reduction in carb intake will depend on what their HbA1C is from something fairly modest if only just in the diabetic zone to something more significant if HbA1C is high.
Many find a low carb approach successful and that is suggested as around 130g carbs not just sugar per day. It is not just what you eat but portion size which is important.
Have a look at this link for good information for a low carb approach not a NO carb one. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It was developed by a GP surgery who found the standard NHS advise did their patients no favours as it was too high in carbs.
Whatever approach you take has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable, it has to become your new normal way of eating.

 

[dado]

One of the problems that leads to confusion about what to eat is that everybody is different in their tolerance to carbohydrates and what dietary regime may be suitable depends on what medication people take as with some like dapagliflozin a very low carb or keto diet is not recommended. How much reduction in carb intake will depend on what their HbA1C is from something fairly modest if only just in the diabetic zone to something more significant if HbA1C is high.
Many find a low carb approach successful and that is suggested as around 130g carbs not just sugar per day. It is not just what you eat but portion size which is important.
Have a look at this link for good information for a low carb approach not a NO carb one. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It was developed by a GP surgery who found the standard NHS advise did their patients no favours as it was too high in carbs.
Whatever approach you take has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable, it has to become your new normal way of eating.

Many thanks that freshwell app is brilliant

 

[BobbleHat]

Many thanks that freshwell app is brilliant

It really is. I'm newly diagnosed too (last month) and this forum and that app have been the two most helpful things I have come across since being diagnosed!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

my question is why do all the sources of info for managing what you can eat etc ( I have been attempting low carb ) differ depending on what web site you go on.

Sorry to hear about your confusion @dado - it can be an overwhelming and befuddling time at the beginning - not to mention frustrating too. Especially where what most people would like is a simple list that they can start from.

Unfortunately diabetes is complex, contradictory, fickle, and occasionally seems deliberately out to confuse us! The human body is a remarkable thing. And is very skilled at breaking down different foods into useful component parts. A whole host of things from genes, to metabolism, to gut biome, to patterns of thinking/behaviour can influence the sorts of food a person is drawn towards, in what quantity, and what their body actually does with the available energy on digestion.

The snag with all that complexity, is that the simpler a list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods is, the more likely it is that it won’t quite match your own individual body/metabolism/preferences.

For any one source of carbohydrate (bread, potatoes, whatever) there simply isn’t a way of knowing what portion size will be right for any one individual without checking it for themselves with a BG meter. Some bodies break down carb X at lightning speed, and carb Y gives a very steady, gradual absorption. While for someone else it could be the opposite way around!

Hopefully some of the hints, tips, and shared experiences of members here will help you build your own unique ‘diabetes toolkit’ and to develop a way of eating that is flexible, satisfying, and sustainable for you 🙂