Hi Siamack, welcome to the forum
🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, it is always quite a shock. However, don't lose hope! Diabetes is a serious condition, but it is one that can be managed well with the right knowledge and application. I would recommend that you have a read of
Jennifer's Advice and
Maggie Davey's letter - these will give you a good understanding of what it all means and how to approach things. I would also highly recommend getting a copy of the excellent
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - probably the best book available for people new to diabetes, with lots of good, positive encouragement and information.
Diabetes is chiefly about carbohydrates, so it can be helpful to start a food diary, noting down the amount of carbs (in grams) in everything you eat and drink for a couple of weeks. This will give you a good indication of your actual carb intake, and identify areas where you might reduce portions or make substitutions for more diabetes-friendly items e.g. less potato and more green veg. It can also be helpful to follow a low GI/GL diet (Glycaemic Index/Glycaemic Load), as this is a method of choosing and combining foods that will have a slow and steady impact on your blood sugar levels, hopefully avoiding any 'spikes and swings'.
The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction.
Ideally, you need to be able to test your blood sugar levels before and after eating, as described in
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S . This will inform you about which foods you tolerate well and which you need to avoid (or reserve for special treats!). If you haven't been given a meter and a prescription for test strips (as is often the case, as GPs think there is no benefit in testing for Type 2s) then it would be worth getting your own and self-funding for a while, then showing your nurse of GP how the information is helping you to learn about your reactions to things and control your levels better - often they will then prescribe if they see it is helping and you are motivated
🙂 If you do buy your own, the cheapest option we have come across here is the
SD Codefree Meter with
test strips at around £7 for 50.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have - nothing is considered 'silly'! If it bothers or confuses, please ask. Also, despite me just battering you with links and information -don't get overwhelmed by everything. Take things at your own pace and pause or ask when you feel you need to - this is a marathon not a sprint, you don't have to make all the changes from Day !
🙂
