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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Hello everyone ....
- Thread starter SamB
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Mark T
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum SamB 🙂
Lots of helpful information in the newbie help thread including the excellent boo by Gretchen Becker.
The answer to how much carb you can eat is down to you, as everyone is different. Do you have a meter to test your blood glucose levels before and after?
Lots of helpful information in the newbie help thread including the excellent boo by Gretchen Becker.
The answer to how much carb you can eat is down to you, as everyone is different. Do you have a meter to test your blood glucose levels before and after?
stephknits
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome Sam B, good to have you on board🙂
No monitor yet ....
...I'm back at the Doctors next week and they are going to refer me to a dietician but I thought I may as well make a start 🙂
Will I need a monitor? Does everyone have one? Where do I get it from?
It seems as one question is answered, it opens up another 5 lol x
And thank you for the warm welcome.
...I'm back at the Doctors next week and they are going to refer me to a dietician but I thought I may as well make a start 🙂
Will I need a monitor? Does everyone have one? Where do I get it from?
It seems as one question is answered, it opens up another 5 lol x
And thank you for the warm welcome.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Sam, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis - how did it come about? The good news is that diabetes is a condition that can be controlled well with the right knowledge and effort. Indeed, many people find that the changes they make in order to get things under control often lead to them feeling happier and healthier than they have for some time!
Knowing what you are dealing with is essential, so I would suggest having a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter. Also, I would suggest getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found very helpful.
Regarding testing, this is the best tool available for monitoring your progress and finding out what foods you tolerate well, and those you should avoid. Unfortunately, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution to what you can and can't eat as things can affect people in different ways, so you need to find out your own tolerances. It sounds complicated, but it's not really! Diabetes is largely about carbohydrate - bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, sugar etc. Carbs will convert to glucose and raise your blood sugar levels, and what you are interested in is the extent of the rise when you eat, and how quickly things return to normal. So, by testing your blood glucose levels before eating, then one or two hours afterwards, you can discover when and by how much your levels rise - if they rise too much you will then know that you need to alter the meal you just ate by reducing the carb content (for example, replacing some potato with other vegetables). Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S explains the principle very well. Your nurse/GP may, however, be reluctant to issue you with a meter and prescribe test strips. This will be based larely on cost as the strips are quite expensive, but this is a false economy as it is the only way of knowing whether you are make good food choices or not. In the long term it should save the NHS money by reducing the risks of complications, but often they don't look that far ahead! If you are refucsed a meter and strips then it is worth getting one yourself and recording your results - many members find that by showing how it is helping you control things, they can persuade the GP to prescribe strips. If you do need to fnd your own the cheapest option we have come across here is the SD Codefree Meter with test strips at around £7-£8 for 50.
There is a lot to learn to begin with, but take things at your own pace, things won't go badly wrong overnight! Think of it more as a marathon than a sprint, you need to learn and make lasting changes to your diet and activity levels, not rapid and short-term changes you quickly become bored or frustrated with. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we will be very happy to help you out! 🙂
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