Hello - Paul -Cork-Ireland

[PaulCork]

Hi all

My name is Paul I am a type 2 diagnosed 8 years or so. I am on medication however I have left myself lose control of my diabetes as my last blood test was last Wednesday and my sugar level was 10.

I am now as of this week back in the gym with increased medication to try and get my level back down to 7 or below.

Can you advise what snacks I can eat between mealtimes and in the evenings as I find I am hungry in between meals. I tried cream crackers with butter thinking this would bring my sugar levels down and my monitor still indicates sugar level in double figures. Also tried strawberries which I read on another site was good for diabetics and it shot my sugar level up to 14.9 when I tested the following morning!!.

Thanks for reading this message.

Regards
Paul

 

[Northerner]

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum 🙂 Good to hear that you are trying to get back on track with your control, I am sure that the extra exercise will make a big contribution, so well done and keep with it!

Snacks are always a bit of a problem as unlike those lucky non-diabetics we can't just reach for something 'healthy' like a piece of fruit. It's best to stay away from things containing carbs whenever possible, or low carb/low GI. I find nuts are a good snack as they tend to satisfy the appetite fairly well, and things like walnuts or almonds are actually quite good for you, the only drawback is calorie content. Are you measuring your blood sugar levels before having the snacks or just afterwards? If you are not measuring before eating then it's hard to say how the snack affects you as you don't know the rise due to eating it, so a test before and then another either one or two hours afterwards should show you how much of an effect that particular snack has had. When exploring your options with food/snack choices you need to test quite regularly at first to see how well you tolerate different things, and also to get a good idea of your levels when you haven't eaten for some time (i.e. your fasting levels).

Have a read of the following:

Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S

Apologies if you already know all this! 🙂

 

[LeeLee]

Hi Paul, every diabetic is different - so solutions vary accordingly. In my case, weight is a major factor in my T2 diabetes so I try to avoid snacking if possible. For me, high protein low fat meals keep me fuller for longer. If I do need a snack, I go for fruit wherever possible. Also, sometimes I feel hungry when I'm actually thirsty, so try having a cuppa first and then go for a snack if you really need one.

If you browse the threads in the Carbs and Weight loss sections, there are lots of ideas. Good luck with finding something to suit you.

 

[Steff]

Paul hi and a warm welcome to the forum

 

[Mark T]

Welcome to the forum Paul 🙂

Sometimes having a (diet) fizzy drink can help hold off a hunger pang.

If I was in your position and trying to get my sugars into single figures from double figures I'd be making sure that my snacks contained very little carbohydrate - so possibly some thickly sliced chicken or turkey.

Although sometimes I find if I can get into something that entirely occupies my attention that I completely forget that I want a snack!

 

[PaulCork]

Hello

Thanks Northener, Lee, Steff and Mark for your kind replies

Off to try and find a healthy lunch !!!