Hello

[TraceJones4]

Hi, I have very recently been told on the phone by my GP that I am pre diabetic and very near to being diabetic - presumably type 2. I feel thrown in the deep end because, apart from saying he was referring me for group sessions around this, my GP didn’t give me any further advice. He also said my cholesterol levels are very high. It’s all a bit of a shock - I eat fairly healthily, exercise every day and I’m average weight for my height. I’ve been trying to do some research but am still unsure what I should be doing. I am suddenly scared about everything I go to eat in case it is the wrong thing - although I’ve always had a fairly healthy diet anyway. Has anyone else had this experience and what did you do?

 

[Drummer]

Hi, I have very recently been told on the phone by my GP that I am pre diabetic and very near to being diabetic - presumably type 2. I feel thrown in the deep end because, apart from saying he was referring me for group sessions around this, my GP didn’t give me any further advice. He also said my cholesterol levels are very high. It’s all a bit of a shock - I eat fairly healthily, exercise every day and I’m average weight for my height. I’ve been trying to do some research but am still unsure what I should be doing. I am suddenly scared about everything I go to eat in case it is the wrong thing - although I’ve always had a fairly healthy diet anyway. Has anyone else had this experience and what did you do?

Unfortunately what is described as a healthy diet is most likely why your blood glucose levels are high.
I was on a GP prescribed diet of high carb low fat foods for almost 2 years before diagnosis, and had been pushed to eat a similar diet for decades even though it made me feel unwell.
If you are heading for ordinary type 2 diabetes and not something less mundane, then by cutting down your carb intake all should be well.
As you are not into the levels of type 2 then just a few cutbacks or substitutions should do the trick.
Protein and fats are fine, but anything made with grain, starchy foods such as potatoes, high carb fruits or foods with a lot of starch and sugar are the things to regard as the usual suspects for raising blood glucose.
Cholesterol levels usually reduce on a low carb diet, even if foods we are usually advised to avoid are included
I'm afraid that being sent off with no advice can be very common for the newly diagnosed, but there is a lot of advice on the forum if you have a look around under the various different sections.

 

[Leadinglights]

Do have a look around the forum as there have been suggestions to the new people joining in the last few day who are in your prediabetic situation but as mentioned some modest changes may be all that is needed to turn it around. I was just into the diabetic zone and found following the principals in the link https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ I reduced my Hba1C to normal in several months.

 

[TraceJones4]

Thank you so much for the advice. I will definitely have a look at similar forums and ensure I am as fully informed as possible. The low carb is new advice for me - I wasn’t aware to avoid grains and thought they were good for lowering cholesterol so have been including them in my main evening meal. The other thing I’m confused about is actually being able to monitor this situation. Shoild I buy a glucose monitor? I obviously want to ensure that the situation is under control. Thank you for your help.

 

[MikeyBikey]

Hello and welcome! As I have been Type I for six decades and seen numerous changes in dietary advice, and others are better placed to advise you on pre-diabetes and Type II.

What concerns me is you were told your cholesterol is "high"... But "high" means anything above the NHS guidelines. What is important is the actual level and the breakdown as HDL is good, and LDK and others are bad. Whilst you can work on reducing a total of 6 you really need cholesterol lowering therapy ((like stations) if it is much higher. If you were not given any figures they should be available via a patient app or ringing the practice.

A BG meter is a worthwhile investment as besides checking BG levels you can see the effect of different foods. For instance whilst chips cause a gentle rise notv in my BG mashed potato causes a spike worse than dark chocolate!

Otherwise my advice is healthy diet, exercise within your personal capabilities, BMI in normal range, alcohol within guidelines and absolutely no smoking!

Good luck!

 

[Leadinglights]

Many find that by adopting a low carb regime their cholesterol improves, there has been lots of discussion here about the importance of cholesterol and the prescribing of statins. The NHS guidelines for people 'at risk' whatever condition that might be are generally lower than otherwise but the body does need cholesterol for all sorts of functions, hormone production, tissue healing etc and the body makes cholesterol anyway.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @TraceJones4

Sorry to hear you have been given so little guidance and information at the start of your diabetes management journey. Hopefully with the support of the forum you’ll be able to make some positive changes and steer away from a formal diagnosis with Type 2.

Different people have different tolerances to carbohydrates, both sources and portion sizes. While there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, as others have suggested you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.

As you say, it can be very helpful to have a way of seeing how your body is responding to different foods, but unfortunately you may not be offered a BG meter by your GP. If you think you’d find it helpful, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £10 for 50. Some other brands can be £30 for a pot!

By taking a reading immediately before and again 2hrs after eating, you’ll be able to see what the differences are - the ‘meal rise’. This can help to identify any types of carbs that seem to be spiking BG (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark. Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time being the trickiest.

Over weeks and months of experimentation you can gradually tweak and tailor your menu to find one that suits your tastebuds, your waistline, your budget and your BG levels - and a way of eating that is flexible enough to be sustainable long-term. 🙂

Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂