Confused newly diagnosed Type 2

[gwalmsley]

Hi Lin,

After getting up, shower, dressed etc. but before breakfast.

I will try in the morning before getting out of bed 🙂

Hi. Do you test immediately after getting up or say after a shower or loo trip, if so try testing when you wake up.
Or It could be Dawn phenomenon (DP) when our helpful liver Starts trickling out glucose preparing us for a day of hunting and gathering. With some people it does it whether we need it or not 😡
Some on here suffer feet on floor syndrome , this is when you sit up in bed put your feet on the floor and you BGs shoots up , possibly for the same reason ad DP.
Some of us are so lucky and have both 😡

 

[Maz2]

I think this is the problem with a lot of people - they are given the warning but don't take it seriously, and claim they could 'never' do things or stop eating certain things They think it can never happen to them, but this is one of the insidious things about diabetes - it creeps up on you slowly so there's no sudden 'shock' to the system, except maybe when a diagnosis comes along, and then they think 'why didn't I heed the warnings?' Or maybe not, and continue as though nothing has changed

The frustrating thing is that diabetes is one of the few potentially really serious conditions that people can take a very active part in managing - as you are doing - and it doesn't mean giving up everything you like to eat, drink and do, it just takes some knowledge and application. Human beings are very adaptable, but only if they decide to change 🙄

I entirely agree with you Northerner. I have a friend who, to be fair, has diabetes in her family, so has a genetic load to start with. However, she has been diagnosed pre-diabetic (hba1c 47). We sometimes go out to lunch as I get free coffee/tea and cake from John Lewis from time to time. You can just take the beverage and don't have to have cake if you don't want to. Anyway, we went the other week and she was just back from a cruise. I decided not to have a cake as I had had a couple of desserts whilst on hols. She said she had been naughty on the cruise so might as well carry on and had a huge Danish pastry. We then went to lunch elsewhere and she had a load of sandwiches, although in fairness, she did not realise how much bread there would be when she ordered it as it was a big helping

A colleague of mine from where I used to work before I retired was also diagnosed pre-diabetic a few months back. She has had to see a cardiologist about problems too and her blood pressure is too high. She is very overweight. She said she could not understand it as three years ago her numbers were higher than now and she was told she was fine. I told her that they have brought the levels down which is a good thing as people are alerted earlier. My own GP admitted to me that a few years ago they would not bothered about my numbers, they would have lt through, but not now.

When I left my job the aforementioned colleague was still eating huge white baguettes at lunchtime and dipping into the biscuits and chocolates which were always all over the place in the offices.

No-one loved fresh and dried fruit like I did. I ate it until it came out of my ears. I loved my sandwiches and jacket potatoes for lunch and a dessert everytime I went out for a meal. As soon as I had the pre-diabetic diagnosis I soon decided to alter my eating habits. Whether it will work remains to be seen but I am going to have a good try. I think if you are given a chance you need to grasp it with both hands and at least try.

 

[Mark Parrott]

My brother, who is also Type 2, eats what he likes, yet his HbA1c is always within a good range (was 42 last check). He is a very heavy drinker (Whisky, mainly) which I think, along with his meds is causing his BG to plummet. After food, he is often in double figures, so his HbA1c is only showing the average. He also believes there is nothing you can do about diabetes, whatever you eat.🙄 He thinks my diet is stupid & I will kill myself.

 

[Drummer]

I don't understand why the colour of the carbs is relevant - makes no difference to me at all - if it is a carb it elevates my blood glucose.
The only sort of bread I can eat is the Lidl protein rolls, because they are low carb at about 9 grams each - ordinary wholemeal is far higher and not a good choice as far as my numbers are concerned.It might digest more slowly - so higher numbers for longer - not good.

 

[Maz2]

My brother, who is also Type 2, eats what he likes, yet his HbA1c is always within a good range (was 42 last check). He is a very heavy drinker (Whisky, mainly) which I think, along with his meds is causing his BG to plummet. After food, he is often in double figures, so his HbA1c is only showing the average. He also believes there is nothing you can do about diabetes, whatever you eat.🙄 He thinks my diet is stupid & I will kill myself.

I suppose all we can do really is do what we feel is best for us and if others don't want to bother I suppose no-one can force them. It must be frustrating for you though.

I know when I was first told I was pre-diabetic my colleagues at work would make comments about my not eating all the time like they did - i.e. chocs, biscuits, cake day in and day out, and thought I was mad because "I wasn't even diabetic." I kept trying to explain that was the whole point i.e.I had been given a warning before I got there and I was trying to avoid it. No one has any idea, not even my GP, whether I will avoid it or not but I would like to think I had tried.

Does diabetes run in the family Mark as you say your brother has it? If so, you have done remarkably well to get your levels down to what they are.

 

[Mark Parrott]

I believe it does run in my family. I wouldn't say it was difficult getting to where I am now, but I do miss pigging out on cherry bakewells.🙂

 

[gwalmsley]

Tested before getting out of bed for the last few days and still showing 6-7 so I guess I have Dawn Phenomenon

Not much I can do about that but at least it is in the 4-7 'normal' range.

On the plus side not had another spike since 'baguette gate' and generally staying below 8.6 after meals.

I may be starting to get the hang of it 🙂

Graham

Hi. Do you test immediately after getting up or say after a shower or loo trip, if so try testing when you wake up.
Or It could be Dawn phenomenon (DP) when our helpful liver Starts trickling out glucose preparing us for a day of hunting and gathering. With some people it does it whether we need it or not 😡
Some on here suffer feet on floor syndrome , this is when you sit up in bed put your feet on the floor and you BGs shoots up , possibly for the same reason ad DP.
Some of us are so lucky and have both 😡

 

[Bubbsie]

Tested before getting out of bed for the last few days and still showing 6-7 so I guess I have Dawn Phenomenon

Not much I can do about that but at least it is in the 4-7 'normal' range.

On the plus side not had another spike since 'baguette gate' and generally staying below 8.6 after meals.

I may be starting to get the hang of it 🙂

Graham

It takes a while gwalmsley...particularly getting those waking numbers down...they are usually the last to come down...taken me just over a year to get my waking numbers to what I consider reasonable...but...I did it at my own pace...slowly...have you tried a small snack before bed...a little protein...let that liver believe it doesn't need the extra burst of energy for you to start your day in the mornings...that you have enough in reserve...it's working for me at the moment.

 

[gwalmsley]

Spent a day out on the water with friends, Burger (no bun), coleslaw, potato salad, salad and sweet potato fries for lunch, got home and BS is 5.2! Result.

 

[gwalmsley]

Ok, back to confused again

After the baguette issue last week I took my own lunch which was a wholemeal wrap (which I have had before without issues) with salad leaves, roast beef and feta. All in the content as under 3g of carbs and the wrap was 30.5g of carbs.

Test before eating 5.2, 1 hour later 10.5! 2 hours later 9.5! 4.5 hours later and a brisk 1.3m walk, back to 5.2.

Anyone know why a wrap which I have had before would suddenly spike today?

Thanks

Graham

 

[pav]

It does it with me, eating the same food one day levels are normal the next time they sky rocket. Had some plain naan bread with a curry and later levels were in the 5.0's next time as a repeat test they were in the 17.0's. Depends on how well my pancreas is working or how good or bad the meds are performing. Naan bread is now off the menu, pity really as a treat with a curry they were nice.

 

[Drummer]

The wrap is over 30 gm of carb - more than some people can eat in a day and it is made from highly concentrated but 'empty' starches.
You were lucky not to see similar numbers the first time - you got away with it somehow, once, but I avoid all cereals as they spike my BG without fail. You are also racking up the carbs you eat with potato and sweet potato - highly concentrated and easily digested, and they push back any progress made, filling up reserves and storing up problems for the future.

 

[gwalmsley]

Ok, now more confused than ever. I thought the general guidance was 150g of Carbs per day (up to 50g per meal)?

"The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for minimum carbohydrate intake, as set by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, is 130 grams per day. This is the level which dietitians are taught to instruct people never to go below "in order to maintain brain function.""

The wrap was wholemeal which should slow it down (or am I wrong on that?)

The wrap is over 30 gm of carb - more than some people can eat in a day and it is made from highly concentrated but 'empty' starches.
You were lucky not to see similar numbers the first time - you got away with it somehow, once, but I avoid all cereals as they spike my BG without fail. You are also racking up the carbs you eat with potato and sweet potato - highly concentrated and easily digested, and they push back any progress made, filling up reserves and storing up problems for the future.

 

[Drummer]

Ok, now more confused than ever. I thought the general guidance was 150g of Carbs per day (up to 50g per meal)?

"The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for minimum carbohydrate intake, as set by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, is 130 grams per day. This is the level which dietitians are taught to instruct people never to go below "in order to maintain brain function.""

The wrap was wholemeal which should slow it down (or am I wrong on that?)

I don't know where they got their information from - there is no requirement for carbs in the diet.
People such as the Inuit lived without carbs in their diet, and lived well.
The brain functions better on ketones than on glucose according to people who bothered to check.
When I was trying to lose weight on Atkins I stopped losing weight at 80 gm of carb a day, so I'd have been in trouble trying to eat 150 gm - far safer, now I am diabetic to eat to my meter, any foods which spike me have been removed from my menu or greatly reduced in serving size so as to keep my BG down.
Eating fibre with carbs might help keep your cholesterol down - and it might slow digestion, though it is unlikely - amylase is in the saliva and so as soon as the starch is in your mouth it is being acted upon and you are absorbing the sugars. I can accept that the fibre increases the time you are exposed to the sugars in the food, but you still get the whole lot eventually.

 

[Maz2]

My GP advised max 120g per day when I was diagnosed pre-diabetic last year. I suppose it depends too on what sort. I don't think it would be a good idea to have 120 or 150 a day of high glycaemic index carbs but I suppose if they were lower glycaemic it may not be too bad. My GP felt the diet should be balanced not cut out any particular type of food completely.

 

[Drummer]

The low carb diet doesn't cut out any particular type of food completely, but using a blood glucose meter really shows just how bad the modern diet is for those unable to cope with it.
A balanced diet sounds really positive, something to aim for and feel good achieving. Unfortunately it is anything but equal to my requirements.

 

[Maz2]

I suppose this is the trouble Drummer. As I have read so many times on here "no one diet is suitable for everyone." The Optometrist I see at my Optician for my routine eye tests swears by the high fat low carb diet (he is not diabetic). he is quite a bit younger than me and I explained to him that, whilst I do have some fat, I cannot bring myself to have high fat everything as I lived through the "low fat" era which I have read has now been debunked. When you have heard nothing but that for years it is very difficult to set it aside. I try to do a mix and am now testing to see what foods are best for me. What has surprised me is that it seems that I don't seem to cope with sausage. I can cope with porridge at the moment although I know some forum members cannot. It just goes to show we have to decide what is best for us as individuals.

The modern diet is a disaster for most people I think one way or another. Far too much highly processed foods.

 

[Drummer]

I get sausages from the old fashioned butcher around the corner - and also meat, I buy hogget, which is a well grown lamb, as it is not as fatty as lamb. The sausages are expensive, compared to those from a supermarket, but they are firstly delicious and secondly, not full of carbs.
The 'fat is bad' information is where the present epidemic of obesity and higher mortality from 'new' diseases began.

 

[pav]

Ok, now more confused than ever. I thought the general guidance was 150g of Carbs per day (up to 50g per meal)?

"The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for minimum carbohydrate intake, as set by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, is 130 grams per day. This is the level which dietitians are taught to instruct people never to go below "in order to maintain brain function.""

The wrap was wholemeal which should slow it down (or am I wrong on that?)

On the EXPERT course for type 2's we were told that 135g of carbs per day, but they are living in the past, trouble is some DN's and dietitians still believe it and push diabetics towards this and the eat well plate , The up to date thinking is the is no need to have that many carbs and the more up to speed DN's and dietitians agree and promote a better understanding of what is needed. Just a pity I did not find out what the last DN I saw had in her mind as she discharged me from hospital care

 

[Robin]

The wrap was wholemeal which should slow it down (or am I wrong on that?)

The problem with 'wholemeal' anything, is that it can still be quite refined, or contain white flour as well, to make it less heavy. I avoid it, it always gets into my bloodstream faster than my insulin. I usually eat Burgen, or something home made with rye flour and seeds in it, which seem to suit me better. It's all a question of trying things out to see what your particular body can tolerate.