Not the greatest news as due go Disneyland Paris in few weeks time...
Hi there.....Hi and welcome.
Do you know what your HbA1c reading is? That is the number which diagnoses you as diabetic.... it will likely be 48 or more as that is the red line for a diabetes diagnosis with pre diabetic range being 42-47. If you are not too high then I wouldn't be too concerned about making significant changes to your diet until you get back from holiday. We often refer to diabetes as a marathon not a sprint, so taking your time to come to terms with the diagnosis and educate yourself on the subject and figure out a plan of action which is sustainable is important.
Have you been prescribed medication? If your reading is just over the diabetes threshold then small dietary changes and increased activity and perhaps some weight loss can be enough to push it back into remission without the need for medication.
If you have been prescribed Metformin then it is worth taking them mid meal with a substantial amount of food to reduce the risks of digestive upset.
Diabetes is about an inability of the body to remove glucose from the bloodstream. Blood Glucose (BG) is produced mostly from the digestion of carbohydrates which you have eaten. Sugar is an obvious source but there are many other foods and drink which can be broken down into glucose by the body and starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, pies, breakfast cereals probably produce the greatest amount, so cutting portion size of these as well as cutting out the sweet stuff like cakes, biscuits and sweets and of course added sugar is important. That may seem like a daunting task, but many of us have found that we enjoy our food more now than we did before, once we learn what to buy and how to cook it etc.
Have a good read of the forum threads and you will get an idea of how to go on. We are here for support, tips and advice, because we have all been through that period of feeling overwhelmed after diagnosis, but once you are armed with a plan and what you need to do to achieve it, it all becomes much more manageable and many of us feel much healthier for sorting our diet and lifestyle out and our diagnosis provided the kick up the bum we needed to implement it.
Hi thereFirstly welcome. Secondly this will probably turn out to be much less scary than you may have thought. Loads of great info here for you to find a way that suits you and your lifestyle for you to make changes you enjoy and can maintain for a healthier, happier way forward.
France is a great place to eat low carb and low carb is great for minimising the problems diabetes can cause. There is a wonderful supermarket in Marnes La Vallee which is easy and quick to get to from the Disney Station. There you can find meat, cooked meats, cheeses, fresh berries and pates and almonds if you want to make your own easy quick low carb snacks and food. While in the park you can enjoy hotdogs, pizza, steaks, just ditch the buns and most of the crust and only have a couple of fries instead of a full portion. I don't have fries and just steal a couple of my husband's. As you will probably be walking a lot if you reduce your carb intake (milk is very high in carbs and so is ice cream but actual unsweetened cream isn't so no milkshakes unless you make your own with cream and some crushed berries, berries are okay fruit but most other fruit is too sugary) you will likely be doing very well. Gentle exercise helps reduce blood sugars and eating the tasty parts of hotdogs, pizzas and burgers and salad and having protein at breakfast with a nice black French coffee will be ideal. I remember Disneyland Paris doing wonderful creamy buttery scrambled eggs at the character breakfast and I am sure that will be a low carb option. Salami and saucisson are also fine for diabetics. Remember to drink plenty of water during the day and wine in the evening is ok too.
Hi KayHello @GDDT and welcome to the forum.
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis it can be a shock, and difficult to come to terms with.
Diabetes is a serious disease, but it can be positively managed and in many circumstances, you can do a lot to help yourself and there is a help and support available. You will need to make a few changes though, and these need to be sustainable, as this is for the long term.
There is some information for Newbies on useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes and there are many of us here to try and help with any questions your may have.
Thanks IanHi GDDT,
Unfortunately situations can change fast with corona virus because the number of infections being reported are effectively 1 to 2 weeks out of date because it takes up to 14 days to get symptoms and the tests often/usually report false negatives unless the symptoms have started.
Like you say, not the best timing, but like all the rest of us all you can do is wait and see how things turn out.
Are you testing your Blood Glucose with a BG meter? If you are and can get it into the normal range, then I suspect there is little extra risk in being a T2 Diabetic. I had a 3x Coronary Artery Bypass a few years back, but I'm reasonably fit and have by BG under control so I don't feel that much more at risk than the general population - perhaps even less at risk because of my Low Carb Way Of Eating, fitness etc.