Hello

[MissB]

Hi
I was diagnosed in August 2022. Not a surprise as I have hidradenitis suppurativa and the correlation is apparently high, so they have been testing me every year.
I was quite overwhelmed with all the information that I was given on the day that I was diagnosed. I came onto the DiabetesUK website but there just seemed to be so much information, and I guess that at that point I wasn't sure what I really wanted or needed to know.
I have a very supportive partner who does most of the cooking, and he has been happy to try alternatives and tweak our usuals.
At my review after 3 months my bloods had gone from 53 to 43, and I had lost over 6kg. Off to a good start and the nurse was pleased.

Christmas was a bit of a challenge for me in terms of meals, and a recent visit to family involved eating out a lot - so I suspect that I may have slipped a bit, but back to work and back to routine now so that should help.

I came back on tonight because there were two areas that I needed to explore a bit more. Breakfast is a bit of an issue for me because I can't not have breakfast, but I also can't eat much first thing. I usually just have cereal but they are a bit of a minefield, and not particularly filling for the amount of carbs. Porridge looks like a good option and I might have to experiment a bit with what I add to it.
The other issue is that I am fairly dairy intolerant. I can eat small amounts of dairy, and I love cheese, but I have to be careful. I use oat milk because it is the only one that I seem able to tolerate.

So far I have found the information and opinions on here really useful. I am likely to be a lurker to begin with, but I will contribute if I feel that I have something worth contributing. I am on a facebook support group but there are a lot of Americans on there and sometimes the information isn't that useful. I suspect that this is a better place for more reliable input.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi
I was diagnosed in August 2022. Not a surprise as I have hidradenitis suppurativa and the correlation is apparently high, so they have been testing me every year.
I was quite overwhelmed with all the information that I was given on the day that I was diagnosed. I came onto the DiabetesUK website but there just seemed to be so much information, and I guess that at that point I wasn't sure what I really wanted or needed to know.
I have a very supportive partner who does most of the cooking, and he has been happy to try alternatives and tweak our usuals.
At my review after 3 months my bloods had gone from 53 to 43, and I had lost over 6kg. Off to a good start and the nurse was pleased.

Christmas was a bit of a challenge for me in terms of meals, and a recent visit to family involved eating out a lot - so I suspect that I may have slipped a bit, but back to work and back to routine now so that should help.

I came back on tonight because there were two areas that I needed to explore a bit more. Breakfast is a bit of an issue for me because I can't not have breakfast, but I also can't eat much first thing. I usually just have cereal but they are a bit of a minefield, and not particularly filling for the amount of carbs. Porridge looks like a good option and I might have to experiment a bit with what I add to it.
The other issue is that I am fairly dairy intolerant. I can eat small amounts of dairy, and I love cheese, but I have to be careful. I use oat milk because it is the only one that I seem able to tolerate.

So far I have found the information and opinions on here really useful. I am likely to be a lurker to begin with, but I will contribute if I feel that I have something worth contributing. I am on a facebook support group but there are a lot of Americans on there and sometimes the information isn't that useful. I suspect that this is a better place for more reliable input.

It is a pity you are dairy intolerant as many people find Greek Yoghurt and berries with a scattering of a low sugar granola is a filling breakfast. Can you tolerate the plant based yoghurts or Lactose free yoghurt as that may be an option. Have you tried almond or soya milk as I think oat milk is one of the higher carb alternative milks. How about eggs in any form for breakfast.
There is a very low carb granola Keto Hana but it is rather expensive so I mix 50/50 with Lizi's low sugar granola so it is then about 28g carb per 100g so not bad for the portion you might have for breakfast.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @MissB

Glad you’ve found it helpful so far, and feel free to get involved as much or as little as you find helpful. Semi-lurking is absolutely fine!

Are you monitoring your own levels at home? It’s not strictly necessary, but many members here find it really helpful, because it gives you a way to see how you as an individual react to different foods, rather than having to go by its reputation, and others’ experiences. One of the tricky things is that responses to foods can be a very individual thing. Porridge is a classic example - some find it a filling and sustaining start to the day, which releases slowly and is kind to their glucose levels, whereas it acts as rocket fuel for others.

Many GP practices are unwilling to prescribe a meter and strips (because of cost) unless you are in particular medications. The most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which are reliable, and have strips that cost a fraction of some alternative brands.

Taking a reading before a meal, and again 2hrs later, and aiming for a ‘meal rise‘ of 2-3mmol/L or less, can help you see how your body is reacting to different meals, so you don’t have to avoid things unnecessarily 🙂

 

[MissB]

Thanks. Yes, I bought my own meter after reading suggestions on a facebook support group. I used it for morning and after-dinner readings for a few weeks, and now just use it if I am eating something new/different, or if I feel like things aren't quite right. It's actually been good for me understanding when things aren't quite right - either high or low. With food, it has mostly given the results I was expecting, which means that I have correctly understood what foods are particularly 'bad'.

 

[MissB]

It is a pity you are dairy intolerant as many people find Greek Yoghurt and berries with a scattering of a low sugar granola is a filling breakfast. Can you tolerate the plant based yoghurts or Lactose free yoghurt as that may be an option. Have you tried almond or soya milk as I think oat milk is one of the higher carb alternative milks. How about eggs in any form for breakfast.
There is a very low carb granola Keto Hana but it is rather expensive so I mix 50/50 with Lizi's low sugar granola so it is then about 28g carb per 100g so not bad for the portion you might have for breakfast.

I don't like soy or almond milk, and don't use a lot of oat milk, so it's probably not really a problem for me. I have seen a few discussions about different yogurt alternatives on here and am going to try some. I like the suggestion of a small amount of granola with it because I like granola but realise that it's not good in bigger quantities. Eggs are a regular feature of our diet but I might have to try some different things. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Leadinglights]

I don't like soy or almond milk, and don't use a lot of oat milk, so it's probably not really a problem for me. I have seen a few discussions about different yogurt alternatives on here and am going to try some. I like the suggestion of a small amount of granola with it because I like granola but realise that it's not good in bigger quantities. Eggs are a regular feature of our diet but I might have to try some different things. Thanks for your suggestions.

You do seem to have the right idea, people often think they have to have things they don't like just because it is good for blood glucose management.
We sometimes have smoked salmon with scrambled eggs or creamy mushrooms on a small slice of toast for breakfast.

 

[Felinia]

Hello and welcome. First, congratulations on your good reduction of your HbA1c - you are clearly doing the right things. I don't like too much first thing as I often wake up queasy, and do my exercise classes at 10am. I have a slim shake - either Exante made up with water, or Tesco made up with 1/3 unsweetened almond milk and 2/3 water. I leave them for 20 minutes in the fridge to thicken up. On other days I'll have an egg in some form with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes.

 

[42istheanswer]

Hi @MissB welcome to the forum!

I usually have mini-frittatas for breakfast now or scrambled eggs, usually about 1.5-2 hours after getting up as I usually have breakfast when I get to work. The mini frittatas I do in a muffin tin (I have bought myself a new one which is silicone with a metal frame at the top and easier to clean than my metal one for egg based foods!) with a few veg and/or a bit of ham or pepperoni, eggs and milk. I sometimes add a sprinkle of cheese but it is still lovely without if you want to avoid dairy cheese and aren't keen on vegan alternatives. Then I pop them in portions in the fridge and grab a little tub each day. There is very little carbs in any other ingredients, so even with oat milk they would still be relatively low carb if you did want to add something like that to your range of possible breakfasts.