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hi i was told i have type 2 diabetes 2 weeks ago, ive been put on metformin and statins...im a bit overwhelmed about eating the correct things, and how to read food labels...whats a safe amount of carbs that turns to sugar for example, can i eat baked wotsits is another one.
well i hope to contribute as much as i can...so thanks for allowing me in
Welcome to the forum, still early days so take things slowly and give yourself time to make a plan or action. Metformin will help your body use the insulin it produces more effectively but as you surmise dietary changes are going to be needed as well. Reading food labels will become second nature or looking up on the internet for food X and the amount of carbohydrate which is the relevant number. It is usually given as g per 100g so you will have to work out for the portion you are going to have.
A safe amount can be very individual but a good starting point is suggested as being no more than 130g carbs not just sugars per day as it is all carbohydrates which convert to glucose. Obviously it is better to split those carbs between your meals and drinks and snacks though there is some thought that snacking is best avoided and having fulfilling meals is better.
The first thing is to cut out things like cakes, biscuits, high carb snacks like crisps and sugary drinks including fruit juice and reduce your intake of other high carb foods like bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, pastry, potatoes and tropical fruits and base your meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables and salads and fruits like berries so there is still plenty you can eat.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for a low carb approach which many find successful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
The learning zone has some useful information and links for some other regimes which some people also find suits them.
thanks most of the things that you say i have done...i have also reduced my portions...is it ok to have baked snacks like a packet of wotsits. what i am doing is looking at how many carbs there are and which sugars, so i look for low in both. i hate veg, not kean on salad, im ok with fruit. i am eating melon and strawberries, as you say i guess things depend on the person...so i need to work things out....but thank you
thanks my diabetes nurse has not told me to test, just control my diet, take my medication, and exercise...i dont want to do anything that she does not recommend, i also do not have a test kit, i go back in 3 months to see how i am doing i guess if not on track then she may tell me to test..
thanks my diabetes nurse has not told me to test, just control my diet, take my medication, and exercise...i dont want to do anything that she does not recommend, i also do not have a test kit, i go back in 3 months to see how i am doing i guess if not on track then she may tell me to test..
Many people have ignored the instruction not to test as it is just like driving a car without a working speedometer, how do you know if you are exceeding the speed limit ie are you having too many carbs for YOUR body to tolerate. It makes me so cross when I hear of diabetic nurses telling people not to use the tools which are available to manage their blood glucose.
Most Type 2s will not be prescribed them so have to self fund, inexpensive monitors can be bought on line, the GlucoNavii or Spirit TEE2 are ones with the cheaper test strips but worth shopping around, it is the cost of strips rather than the monitor which is important.
Why wait 3 months when you could be checking from now on, especially if you want to be still having high carb snacks and are not too fond of low carb veg, melon and strawberries are fruits which many find OK but some do not and it will depend on portion size.
The book or app Carbs and Cals will give you a good idea of the carbs of various portion sizes of a whole range of foods.
Concentrate on the carb amount rather than the sugar as some food can be low sugar but still very high carb so don't be misled into thinking they would be OK. An example is the breakfast cereal puffed wheat which is low sugar 0.6g per 100g but a whopping 69.6g carbohydrate so definitely not a good choice.
Did you grab that first bit - every single gram of carbohydrate we put in our mouth - the body automatically converts into glucose because that is what every single cell in the body needs in order to operate, whether the cell is in your little toenail or the middle of your brain or inside your bowels or heart. It starts to convert it actually with an enzyme in the saliva in your mouth before you even get as far as swallowing it.
As it passes all the way through the digestive tract, to get it into the cells of the body, the brain signals the pancreas to respond with insulin, which opens the door of those cells that need feeding, to allow the glucose to enter. Trouble is once the cells are full of glucose, the doors close and remain shut but if there is still some un-needed glucose in the blood stream spare - then the clever ole body converts it into fat which it'll deposit anywhere there happens to be space. So, to begin with, under the skin is usually the ideal first place but here it's indiscriminate and will also park some of it around the internal organs that you can't see from the outside. You heart, your liver, kidneys etc. That fat around the internal bits causes them to start malfunctioning, slowing down in what they're designed to do. at the very least.
Then when the bloodstream's still got too much glucose in it - that bloodstream starts causing damage to what it passes through, like the nerves and veins. The veins around your eyes are vulnerable cos they're very fine veins not ruddy great big ones - and can cause damage to your eyesight - diabetic retinopathy. This ain't good news and if not corrected by reducing that glucose in the blood asap - can fairly easily cause sight impairment, which can become serious and if still not reduced enough - blindness.
That's why we think you should be testing your own blood glucose on an ongoing basis, since we absolutely don't want you to get serious complications. If you don't, it really is the same - except not as quick, as driving a car anywhere without ever looking at the speedo on the way. Not any good whatever saying Oh nurse says only check it every 3 months !
thank you so much for you long replies its much appreciated, my nurse never told me not to test, she just never mentioned it and i thought from your replies she may have said it would be beneficial, i will look at getting one then, then i can monitor myself and write down the readings on my daily diet sheet that im also doing.
Leadinglights always gives excellent advice to newly diagnosed diabetics, so I won't duplicate it. What you do need to know though, is your HbA1c, the blood test result which diagnosed your diabetes. How do you know where you are starting from without it? Depending on the mmol/mol result, you will know just how much work and tweaking you have to do.
What might help you understand your food composition (and I find a lot easier than writing everything down and doing the calculations) is to get a food diary app, like NutraCheck or MyFitnessPal and enter everything you eat and drink. It will show you carb values by item, meal and a daily running total, amongst other nutrient values. You will need to weigh all your portions (no guessing). I keep digital scales and a clear bowl on my kitchen top and after 4 years still weigh most items. It just takes a matter of seconds each meal and you will soon remember portion sizes and carb values.
I also have crockery where I know what portion sizes fit. For example, my bowl takes 275ml home made soup, and my "dinner" plate is actually a 10" side plate, so I can't get too much on it. One way to up your veggie intake without realising it, is what is suggested for fussy children. Puree down cooked veggies and mix them in with sauces, soups or gravies. I'm thinking of shepherds pie, pasta sauce.
I do have the occasional treat, like a small packet of crisps, if I am under my daily carb allowance, but perhaps bear that in mind for the future, when your carbs are well controlled. Moderation, not abstinence (I'm no saint but can cope with this!).
thank you so much for you long replies its much appreciated, my nurse never told me not to test, she just never mentioned it and i thought from your replies she may have said it would be beneficial, i will look at getting one then, then i can monitor myself and write down the readings on my daily diet sheet that im also doing.
That sounds like a good plan. Just for the record a 16.5g packet of Wotsits is 7.5g carbs so not too bad and certainly not as bad as some of those type of snacks.
You have to balance the amount of carbs with enjoyment value and does it fit in with your daily or meal carbs.
You also have to ask yourself why you are eating then, is it because you are hungry or is it just habit. If hungry then making sure you are eating fulfilling meals with protein and healthy fats.
That sounds like a good plan. Just for the record a 16.5g packet of Wotsits is 7.5g carbs so not too bad and certainly not as bad as some of those type of snacks.
You have to balance the amount of carbs with enjoyment value and does it fit in with your daily or meal carbs.
You also have to ask yourself why you are eating then, is it because you are hungry or is it just habit. If hungry then making sure you are eating fulfilling meals with protein and healthy fats.
lol i see what you mean....i would just love the occasional packet of baked wotsits....my main problem was i used to eat loads of kids sweets and jelly sweets and i mean loads i have cut them out completely, if i need something sweet i have a piece of melon and strawberries in the correct portion.
Many people have ignored the instruction not to test as it is just like driving a car without a working speedometer, how do you know if you are exceeding the speed limit ie are you having too many carbs for YOUR body to tolerate. It makes me so cross when I hear of diabetic nurses telling people not to use the tools which are available to manage their blood glucose.
Most Type 2s will not be prescribed them so have to self fund, inexpensive monitors can be bought on line, the GlucoNavii or Spirit TEE2 are ones with the cheaper test strips but worth shopping around, it is the cost of strips rather than the monitor which is important.
Why wait 3 months when you could be checking from now on, especially if you want to be still having high carb snacks and are not too fond of low carb veg, melon and strawberries are fruits which many find OK but some do not and it will depend on portion size.
The book or app Carbs and Cals will give you a good idea of the carbs of various portion sizes of a whole range of foods.
Concentrate on the carb amount rather than the sugar as some food can be low sugar but still very high carb so don't be misled into thinking they would be OK. An example is the breakfast cereal puffed wheat which is low sugar 0.6g per 100g but a whopping 69.6g carbohydrate so definitely not a good choice.
Lots of folk eat snacks when they are simply just bored and the snacks are 'just there' - I'm certain about that cos that's me sometimes!
Of course before I eat a snack containing carbohydrates like a bag of Wotsits, I need to check my blood glucose since of it's more than 5.0 or 6.0 Ill need to decide whether I want it sufficiently to bother injecting more insulin to cover those carbs cos I have Type 1 diabetes and therefore have to put all insulin required into me myself since my body doesn't produce any itself. As these 7.5g of carbs will increase my own BG by approx 2.0 if I don't bother injecting for them, it's often too much of a nuisance to bother walking to the cupboard to get a bag out.
So - get up and either do summat or find something to read - you're not truly hungry - just something my brother in law termed 'nice hungry' - ie you just fancy something nice!
Lots of folk eat snacks when they are simply just bored and the snacks are 'just there' - I'm certain about that cos that's me sometimes!
Of course before I eat a snack containing carbohydrates like a bag of Wotsits, I need to check my blood glucose since of it's more than 5.0 or 6.0 Ill need to decide whether I want it sufficiently to bother injecting more insulin to cover those carbs cos I have Type 1 diabetes and therefore have to put all insulin required into me myself since my body doesn't produce any itself. As these 7.5g of carbs will increase my own BG by approx 2.0 if I don't bother injecting for them, it's often too much of a nuisance to bother walking to the cupboard to get a bag out.
So - get up and either do summat or find something to read - you're not truly hungry - just something my brother in law termed 'nice hungry' - ie you just fancy something nice!
thank you so much for you long replies its much appreciated, my nurse never told me not to test, she just never mentioned it and i thought from your replies she may have said it would be beneficial, i will look at getting one then, then i can monitor myself and write down the readings on my daily diet sheet that im also doing.
Hi, I am also fairly new on here and learning a lot from reading the forum. I was given a BG monitor by the nurse at the GP surgery. It is very insightful into the reactions of certain types of meals on blood sugar levels. I have cut out a lot of junk like crisps and biscuits, lost about a stone in weight and feel less hungry than before. That said I haven’t cut out every carb or sweet thing completely yet my BG readings are heading in the right direction. I started at HbA1c of 81, I have another blood test next week so hopefully it will be heading in the right direction. I am sure the changes that you have made already will make a big difference and as others have said the monitor will keep you informed of what is ok for you, maybe your odd treat of Wotsits included.
thanks my diabetes nurse has not told me to test, just control my diet, take my medication, and exercise...i dont want to do anything that she does not recommend, i also do not have a test kit, i go back in 3 months to see how i am doing i guess if not on track then she may tell me to test..
I was told by my GP not test; however I couldn’t see the sense in that (neither could the nurse) how would I know what foods were ok or which to be avoided? Testing seemed the most obvious way. So I bought a testing kit and kept a food diary. Best thing for me. I rarely test now only when I eat something different. I saw the GP once 5 years ago and the surgery nurses ever since. BTW I am also a fan of Worsits but only have a packet every now and then
Tee hee, I also quite like em except even if you don't smoke, your hands did used to land up looking like heavily nicotine stained! In recent years I've only had the exceptionally rare bag of supermarket own brand Wotsit copies. These are usually smaller bags, but no info printed on the little bags and very vague info on the large bag containing the 30 or more little bags hence I usually avoid em anyway. In any case only when in company of more than several friends and most of them and us, drinking alcohol !
lol i see what you mean....i would just love the occasional packet of baked wotsits....my main problem was i used to eat loads of kids sweets and jelly sweets and i mean loads i have cut them out completely, if i need something sweet i have a piece of melon and strawberries in the correct portion.
I'm another wine gum addict... especially when I am marking exams.
I've been making gummys using sugar free jelly with additional gelatine (or vegan equivalent). I've got the texture right now, after a bit of trial and error. I know it's a little thing but it was making me grumpy
Tee hee, I also quite like em except even if you don't smoke, your hands did used to land up looking like heavily nicotine stained! In recent years I've only had the exceptionally rare bag of supermarket own brand Wotsit copies. These are usually smaller bags, but no info printed on the little bags and very vague info on the large bag containing the 30 or more little bags hence I usually avoid em anyway. In any case only when in company of more than several friends and most of them and us, drinking alcohol
