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Controlling the condition with diet

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Redhearts

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all.

I am not currently on any meds but my levels are a little too high (fasting BS is ofsten 6 or 7) and I want to control them with diet and exercise before I get diagnosed.
 
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Welcome to the forum, Redhearts.
It's not compulsory to introduce yourself in the Newbies section, although you'll get more welcomes there.
You'll need to discover snacks that are low calorie and low carbohydrate to meet your aims. So, biscuits and cakes are not idea - once in a while OK, but not every day or several times each day.

A few ideas:
Some fruits are relatively low carbohydrate eg apples, nearly all types of berries & currants etc.
Veggies: carrot sticks, celery sticks, pepper strips etc, alone or with low calories dips.
Sugar free jellies - can either buy ready made pots or make your own with packets.
Drinks can also fill you up, so tea, coffee, fruit teas, squash etc, either unsweetened or with non-sugar sweeteners. Soup can also be good, but not noodle or potato based soups, which are higher carbohydrate.
 
Hi Redhearts, welcome to the forum 🙂 What you need to do is keep your carbohydrate intake moderate to low, so that means not just cakes and biscuits or sweet things, but you also need to be careful of things like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc.

Ideally, you would use a blood glucose meter to find out how well you tolerate different types of carb, and in what quantities. In the first instance, it would be a good idea to start a food diary, recording the carbs in everything you eat and drink (use the quantities on the packaging, or get a book like the Collins Gem - Carb Counter). This will give you a better idea of what you are actually eating (we tend to 'forget' quite a lot!), and also where you might look to make substitutions e.g. more green veg and less potatoes.

I would also recommend getting a book about the GI or GL diet. This describes how to choose foods that will have a slow, steady impact on your blood glucose levels, so will be much kinder to your system. The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction.

I'll put this in the 'Newbies' section so it may be sen by more people 🙂 Don't worry about posting in the wrong place, sometimes it's not always obvious and we can always move if we think it might be better elsewhere 🙂

Please ask any questions you may have and we will be happy to help!
 
Hi Redheart, my mate was type 2 & now he has nearly reversed it. Walking everywhere & eating the right food. Stopped drinking lager, Keep at it 🙂
 
Welcome Redhearts - dark green leafy veg like spinach, savoy cabbage, green beans etc are brilliant for keeping the levels down. Not the most ideal foods to eat at work but if you make your own sandwiches it's easy to include baby spinach.

I'm pretty sure it's not just that they won't raise your levels but they seem to reduce the glucose spike you get when eating other carbs with them. They can also lift your mood if you're feeling a bit glum.
 
Hi Redhearts, welcome. To answer your question about snacks at work, here's a list of things I take to work (not all at the same time!):

- Sausages from a proper butcher (with no added rusk)
- Asda do a nice range of chunky ham, chicken, etc.
- Babybel cheese
- Crustless quiche - recipe in the Food/Carbs thread (my favourite)
- Carrot sticks

I find that having a protein snack about 4pm allows me to get home and NOT hoover up all food in sight!
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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