Hello Newbie

[Libralady]

Hello Just joined on behalf of my husband with Type 2 Diabetes.

 

[Josh DUK]

Hello @Libralady ,

Welcome to the Diabetes UK forum. I am so pleased to hear you joined and especially on the behalf of your husband. How is he managing his diabetes? How are you in terms of supporting him?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Libralady

Lovely that you have joined to try to help support your husband 🙂

How long ago was he diagnosed? And does he take any medication to help with his blood glucose levels?

Do you have any specific questions that have brought you here? Or any frustrations you’d like to get off your chest? Folks here instinctively ‘get it’, so fire away!

 

[Libralady]

Hello and thank you for both for your welcome. My husband age 76 is not a newbie to Diabetes having had type 2 for some years I am estimating about 15. I am not new to Diabetes either as our son was diagnosed with type one aged 2 in the 1974. He is fine. My husband had been told to lose weight and reduce blood sugars. He is a stubborn man who just wants to eat what he wants. ( I do have some sympathy having just done 2 years on low fat diet for gallstones and now surgery is done I just want to eat everything). However he does need help as I am too close to the situation and he thinks I am just being over cautious or telling him what he can and cannot eat.. On my advice he has asked our gp to be referred to a dietitian no doubt there will be a wait for this on NHS. In the mean time how can I help. I think things have changed such a lot since my son was diagnosed back then it was glass syringes and counting carbs in 10g portions. I understand that the current thinking is about low carb but how much per day per meal snack etc. I don't think he will keep to any diet without snacks. Is there an amount of carbs he should aim for. He needs to lose 3 - 4 stone in weight and has the large tummy which goes with insulin resistance. I realise he will never be perfect but I am sure if he lost just a couple of stone and sorted out his diet things would be so much better He also has asthma and arthritis and those would benefit as well. I would like to think that the years we have left could be enjoyed as much as possible. Any advice would be welcome and for medication he takes Metformin 2 x 500mg twice a day and Empaglifozin25mg once a day. Thank you.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello and thank you for both for your welcome. My husband age 76 is not a newbie to Diabetes having had type 2 for some years I am estimating about 15. I am not new to Diabetes either as our son was diagnosed with type one aged 2 in the 1974. He is fine. My husband had been told to lose weight and reduce blood sugars. He is a stubborn man who just wants to eat what he wants. ( I do have some sympathy having just done 2 years on low fat diet for gallstones and now surgery is done I just want to eat everything). However he does need help as I am too close to the situation and he thinks I am just being over cautious or telling him what he can and cannot eat.. On my advice he has asked our gp to be referred to a dietitian no doubt there will be a wait for this on NHS. In the mean time how can I help. I think things have changed such a lot since my son was diagnosed back then it was glass syringes and counting carbs in 10g portions. I understand that the current thinking is about low carb but how much per day per meal snack etc. I don't think he will keep to any diet without snacks. Is there an amount of carbs he should aim for. He needs to lose 3 - 4 stone in weight and has the large tummy which goes with insulin resistance. I realise he will never be perfect but I am sure if he lost just a couple of stone and sorted out his diet things would be so much better He also has asthma and arthritis and those would benefit as well. I would like to think that the years we have left could be enjoyed as much as possible. Any advice would be welcome and for medication he takes Metformin 2 x 500mg twice a day and Empaglifozin25mg once a day. Thank you.

You obviously have a good idea of what is going to be needed but getting those changes taken on board is going to be the challenge, but the important thing is to find a dietary approach which is enjoyable and sustainable long term so woth investing in the time to get the right balance.
Many people who follow a low carb approach as it is all about carbs would restrict their carb intake to less than 130g per day and some do go less. The medication he is on should be helping in conjunction with the reduced carbs but it would be wise to reduce carbs gradually and also to use a blood glucose monitor to test the effect of various meals and this may reveal some problem foods.
This link may help with ideas for modifying your menu as it is a low carb approach based on real healthy foods and may benefit you both. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
If meals are filling then avoiding snacks or making good choices for snacks will help. Sometimes snacking is out of habit not need and people misinterpret and having a drink is satisfying enough.
With the empaglifozin he needs to make sure he drinks plenty, I believe 3litres a day is recommended as it works bu flushing excess glucose out of the body.
Somebody used the analogy that taking medications is like bailing out an overflowing sink but unless you turn off the tap (reduce carb intake) the sink will still overflow.

 

[Libralady]

You obviously have a good idea of what is going to be needed but getting those changes taken on board is going to be the challenge, but the important thing is to find a dietary approach which is enjoyable and sustainable long term so woth investing in the time to get the right balance.
Many people who follow a low carb approach as it is all about carbs would restrict their carb intake to less than 130g per day and some do go less. The medication he is on should be helping in conjunction with the reduced carbs but it would be wise to reduce carbs gradually and also to use a blood glucose monitor to test the effect of various meals and this may reveal some problem foods.
This link may help with ideas for modifying your menu as it is a low carb approach based on real healthy foods and may benefit you both. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
If meals are filling then avoiding snacks or making good choices for snacks will help. Sometimes snacking is out of habit not need and people misinterpret and having a drink is satisfying enough.
With the empaglifozin he needs to make sure he drinks plenty, I believe 3litres a day is recommended as it works bu flushing excess glucose out of the body.
Somebody used the analogy that taking medications is like bailing out an overflowing sink but unless you turn off the tap (reduce carb intake) the sink will still overflow.

Thanks so much. I know it is going to be hard. We did not know about drinking plenty with Empaglifozi. He drink loads of tea and I am always on at him to drink more water but he won't. I will have a look at the link you have mentioned. I just hope he will listen as there is only so much I can do to support him.

 

[ianf0ster]

I suggest that you don't think about Low Carb as a diet. To reduce Blood Glucose, there is no need to reduce calories, just the carbs that provide much of many people's calories these days. So look at Low Carb as an opportunity to eat more protein and traditional fat while roughly maintaining the same calorie intake and there is a good chance that the weight will come off too (it did for me and I was slim to start with). It helps if you like things such as eggs, cheese. butter, full fat dairy, nuts(tree nuts not peanuts or cashews), avocado, pork belly, bacon, lamb, beef, fatty fish.
These days I savour vintage cheese like I used to with chocolate. They won't make you fat unless you binge on them because fat with protein makes you feel full it is mainly carbohydrates or carbohydrates with fat that makes you fat!