Hello

[Drummer]

Hi Ian
My HbA1C when diagnosed was 62. I am 5ft 1 and I weigh 10.8lb. I did weigh 11.1 when I was diagnosed. I want to lose 2 stone. I have based my meals around fish, meat, nuts and veg. I didn’t think we could eat cheese or very rarely. I have had brown bread as a sandwich, but I haven’t had any sandwiches the last few days. I don’t really like eggs. I will check out all your suggestions. Thank you

Cheese is fine, it is low carb unless it is cheese with added carbs of course. Cutting out the bread is a good idea at least to start with. Hopefully you can get/make a low carb bread.
Shame about the eggs - though perhaps adding them into other things to disguise them might help. I add one to mashed swede when making bubble and squeak.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi can you tell me what the fibre supplement drinks are called? I don’t think I could drink what you do. I also haven’t heard of Fibogel. I’m trying to get my head around how much carbs your allowed a day. I know we have to have carbs, but I have no idea. I don’t really even understand the traffic light system or how to work out if anything is good for you if it doesn’t have the traffic light system. I really just haven’t got a clue. I’m too wrapped up with worrying about the operation if I’m having one on my back. I’m just so scared it makes me panic and have anxiety attacks. But I need it because there is nothing else they can do. I also HATE the dentist too. Really sorry I have just ranted on. End of rant. Thank you for your advice
Dawn

I buy packets of chia seeds from Lidl and I buy Psyllium husk off ebay. They are both very low carb but very high in fibre. Chia seeds are also a very rich source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids so very good for you. I am not a fan of fish which are the more common source of Omega 3. Chia seeds are rather like poppy seeds but when you add them to water based drink they absorb water and swell. Similarly the psyllium husk absorbs water and forms a kind of gel. You can sprinkle it on salads and add it to soups and stews or even use to to make low carb cakes.... it is rather versatile stuff, but the important thing is that it is soluble fibre which works gently to get your bowels going and keep them working. It is important to drink plenty of fluids though as they need to absorb water and swell to have their beneficial effect. Fibogel is branded form of psyllium which has been flavoured and comes in sachets which you empty into a glass of water and drink. They are often prescribed by GPs to people with digestive problems.... usually older people.... to help keep them regular. You can buy boxes of Fibogel sachets in most pharmacies but probably cheaper to but a tub of psyllium and add it to whatever sugar free squash you like.

As regards the Traffic Light system of labelling, most of us agree that it is not helpful at all to us as diabetics. What you need to do is look at the small print on the side or back of packets where it says Nutritional Information and all you are interested in is the total carbohydrate. It will give the amount in that food as grams per 100g but also often the number of grams of carbs in the recommended portion size or unit of the food stuff..... So if it is biscuits it will tell you how many grams of carbs are in 100g of biscuits but also how many grams of carbs are in one biscuit. Similarly with a loaf of bread, it will tell you how many g/100g of carbs the loaf contains but will usually also give you the number of grams of carbs in one slice. Breakfast cereals will have a suggested portion size which you might find surprisingly small as I think most of us had got used to just tipping some into a bowl and gradually over months and years we would tip more into the bowl or start using a bigger bowl. If you weigh out the recommended portion size of the cereal, it will usually give tell you how many grams are in that portion in the nutritional info box too. Make sure to have reading glasses to hand because they like to make the print for this information tiny, which is particularly annoying for those of us whose diabetes affected our eyesight!

As regards how many carbs per day is good, we usually recommend under 130g carbs a day as being low carb but some people need to go a lot lower to control their diabetes and others can manage a few more. The best thing to do is to figure out roughly how many you are currently eating and then look at reducing it by a third for a few weeks and then perhaps reduce it again by another third. Keeping a food and drink diary can be really helpful for you to see where you are clocking up carbs..... Yes prunes are quite high carb..... I made the same mistake with sultanas in my breakfast porridge.... ended up not only did the sultanas have to go off the menu but so did the porridge. Now I have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with a few raspberries (which are one of the lowest carb fruits) and mixed seeds and maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon and I really enjoy my new breakfast and it has much less impact on my BG levels than the porridge and sultanas!

 

[Dawn17]

Hi

I buy packets of chia seeds from Lidl and I buy Psyllium husk off ebay. They are both very low carb but very high in fibre. Chia seeds are also a very rich source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids so very good for you. I am not a fan of fish which are the more common source of Omega 3. Chia seeds are rather like poppy seeds but when you add them to water based drink they absorb water and swell. Similarly the psyllium husk absorbs water and forms a kind of gel. You can sprinkle it on salads and add it to soups and stews or even use to to make low carb cakes.... it is rather versatile stuff, but the important thing is that it is soluble fibre which works gently to get your bowels going and keep them working. It is important to drink plenty of fluids though as they need to absorb water and swell to have their beneficial effect. Fibogel is branded form of psyllium which has been flavoured and comes in sachets which you empty into a glass of water and drink. They are often prescribed by GPs to people with digestive problems.... usually older people.... to help keep them regular. You can buy boxes of Fibogel sachets in most pharmacies but probably cheaper to but a tub of psyllium and add it to whatever sugar free squash you like.

As regards the Traffic Light system of labelling, most of us agree that it is not helpful at all to us as diabetics. What you need to do is look at the small print on the side or back of packets where it says Nutritional Information and all you are interested in is the total carbohydrate. It will give the amount in that food as grams per 100g but also often the number of grams of carbs in the recommended portion size or unit of the food stuff..... So if it is biscuits it will tell you how many grams of carbs are in 100g of biscuits but also how many grams of carbs are in one biscuit. Similarly with a loaf of bread, it will tell you how many g/100g of carbs the loaf contains but will usually also give you the number of grams of carbs in one slice. Breakfast cereals will have a suggested portion size which you might find surprisingly small as I think most of us had got used to just tipping some into a bowl and gradually over months and years we would tip more into the bowl or start using a bigger bowl. If you weigh out the recommended portion size of the cereal, it will usually give tell you how many grams are in that portion in the nutritional info box too. Make sure to have reading glasses to hand because they like to make the print for this information tiny, which is particularly annoying for those of us whose diabetes affected our eyesight!

As regards how many carbs per day is good, we usually recommend under 130g carbs a day as being low carb but some people need to go a lot lower to control their diabetes and others can manage a few more. The best thing to do is to figure out roughly how many you are currently eating and then look at reducing it by a third for a few weeks and then perhaps reduce it again by another third. Keeping a food and drink diary can be really helpful for you to see where you are clocking up carbs..... Yes prunes are quite high carb..... I made the same mistake with sultanas in my breakfast porridge.... ended up not only did the sultanas have to go off the menu but so did the porridge. Now I have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with a few raspberries (which are one of the lowest carb fruits) and mixed seeds and maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon and I really enjoy my new breakfast and it has much less impact on my BG levels than the porridge and sultanas!

I have chai seeds because I was doing a keto diet for a few weeks, but I felt quite ill on and off. So I decided I would sort my back problem out first as I was in too much pain and trying to juggle all the meds and strict diet was too much. I spent all my time in the kitchen. But once my back is sorted I may go back to a keto diet. I did start losing weight when I was on it. Anyway I am losing weight by cutting down on everything and not eating certain foods now. So I’m happy with that. I like porridge, I haven’t had it in a while though. I had porridge with blue berries. Only 30grams. Thank you for the information.

 

[Felinia]

Hi thank you so much for welcoming me to the forum. I cannot believe that we cannot eat much fruit and to stick to certain ones. In the diabetes magazine it said you can eat fruit. So I actually thought I’m safe to eat fruit. I also have a Fitbit. Thank you for looking up the 12 week meal planner for me that’s really nice of you. I will have to look for some low carb bars. I have scales too. What is the difference between this diabetes group and the other one?

I don't know too much about the other one - I thought it was just a Forum, but I could be wrong. This one has the Learning Zone, and all the articles as well as the Forum. I visit the Learning Zone periodically to update myself

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I don’t understand what you mean by ‘break through relief’. If my pain is worse at times I take a couple of paracetamol.

When my wife had severe pain with cancer, there was a balance of regular ‘background’ pain relief taken regularly, but also the option of some additional more focussed pain relief if there was a flare-up at any time.

Sounds like you are using paracetamol for that purpose. 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

Certain pain meds are renowned for causing constipation which then will not help your back problems.
You might find this link useful as there is straight forward explanation of managing Type 2 diabetes and many of the principals are ones which people on here find successful.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

Thank you for your help. I have a problem, because I’m having trouble going to the toilet as I am on medication, they do really cause problems, I have been eating high fibre cereals, I tried over the counter stuff but they cause me stomach upsets, so I’m trying to eat healthy and of course plenty of fruit. I don’t know what else to do, I’m struggling at the moment as I don’t usually eat breakfast and I don’t eat until 11am because I’m intermittent fasting. Until I can have an op on my back I cannot come off the medication which would be fantastic! I’m also wishing I didn’t need an op as it’s also causing me stress worrying about it, which causes high blood pressure and I have high cholesterol. I hate having problems and want them to go away. I will try anything that will benefit me. Thank you

I take migrain meds which gum me up. I take a fibogel sachet with water once a day, try to drink 2 pints of water, and eat 200g of green fibrous veg a day. (broccoli or similar). pain meds are bad for the digestion. xx

 

[trophywench]

When my wife had severe pain with cancer, there was a balance of regular ‘background’ pain relief taken regularly, but also the option of some additional more focussed pain relief if there was a flare-up at any time.

Sounds like you are using paracetamol for that purpose. 🙂

Mike - the pain relief you mentioned - and I guessed it would have been for your late wife - is not normally offered to those without life limiting conditions - it comes firmly into the 'palliative' category I'm afraid, when the side or knock-on effects of such drugs cease to be of great concern.

 

[trophywench]

Diabetes dot co dot uk are part of a commercial company who gain their revenue by paying for the web hosting of health forums which are operated mainly by participants out of the goodness of their hearts and welcome advertising of things re that condition from manufacturers, which obviously they have to pay for. Because something is advertised on there does not mean it is any good.

Most people I think, would rather see another person who happens to have the same medical condition as them, say 'I've been using XYZ and found it helpful because whatever' so then have a look for that product themselves, see what it costs etc and maybe buy their own - or discard it because the knobs drop off or stick out too far!

I've always strongly disliked them from Day One for the simple reason they used what was The British Diabetes Association logo (a hummingbird) to try and fool people they WERE the charity. Having been a member of that charity since 1973-ish and knowing they were knob all to do with it, this rendered me apopleptic with anger.

This forum is provided to us by the only charity in the UK for people with diabetes - ie Diabetes UK, their updated name. They gain their revenue from membership and donations, and use it wisely to help us including funding research. I always encourage people who find this forum helpful to join!

I used to be a member of that other one but got banned when I disagreed that you didn't necessarily ALWAYS need to go very low carb simply from being diagnosed T2. My email address is still banned and I see no reason to cancel our home broadband TV and phone package to get a different one. I know I do have a Google one but to me, a phone is far too small to use for the internet and anyway, I bet I'd need to know the password I set up for it in 1998. Doesn't affect my life so hardly a priority.

 

[Dawn17]

When my wife had severe pain with cancer, there was a balance of regular ‘background’ pain relief taken regularly, but also the option of some additional more focussed pain relief if there was a flare-up at any time.

Sounds like you are using paracetamol for that purpose. 🙂

yes I do, thank you

 

[Dawn17]

Certain pain meds are renowned for causing constipation which then will not help your back problems.
You might find this link useful as there is straight forward explanation of managing Type 2 diabetes and many of the principals are ones which people on here find successful.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

Hi Thank you for the link. I had a brief browse on there and its very interesting, so i printed off some help for me with carbs etc and will have another look at some stage.

 

[Dawn17]

I take migrain meds which gum me up. I take a fibogel sachet with water once a day, try to drink 2 pints of water, and eat 200g of green fibrous veg a day. (broccoli or similar). pain meds are bad for the digestion. xx

well done with your weight loss, that's brilliant. thank you for the advice 🙂

 

[ianf0ster]

@Dawn17 You asked about 'the other UK diabetes website and forum'.
I'm registered forum member in both, but have only been so over the last 2 to 3 years.
There are certain negatives about both main websites, but the two forums are really pretty similar.
I won't go onto details, but Diabetes.org.uk gets sponsorship from Big food &Drink companies, while Diabetes.co.uk gets its money from selling its 'Low Carb Program' which is obviously recognised by the NHS since it's available on prescription from UK GPs.

The Forums have much more in common (including members such as myself) than they have differences except that this one (.org) is more Type 1 focussed and UK focussed compared with the other(.com) which is much more Type 2 and more internationally focussed. Again, .org is more very low calorie diet focussed (for Type 2's) and the other (.com) is more Low Carb focussed , but both recognise other approaches.

As a matter of personal taste, I find the layout of the other forum to be better for me. But I get told off by other members and warned by moderators in both of them!

 

[Dawn17]

I was reminded that my Gran used to use Monastery Herbs as a sandwich to help. I decided to look them up and to my surprise found the Science Museum have a sachet in their collection.
Have you tried stewed rhubarb?

Hi, no I haven’t tried stewed rhubarb, although I love rhubarb, but I thought us type 2’s are not allowed fruit that’s been squashed etc

 

[Dawn17]

@Dawn17 You asked about 'the other UK diabetes website and forum'.
I'm registered forum member in both, but have only been so over the last 2 to 3 years.
There are certain negatives about both main websites, but the two forums are really pretty similar.
I won't go onto details, but Diabetes.org.uk gets sponsorship from Big food &Drink companies, while Diabetes.co.uk gets its money from selling its 'Low Carb Program' which is obviously recognised by the NHS since it's available on prescription from UK GPs.

The Forums have much more in common (including members such as myself) than they have differences except that this one (.org) is more Type 1 focussed and UK focussed compared with the other(.com) which is much more Type 2 and more internationally focussed. Again, .org is more very low calorie diet focussed (for Type 2's) and the other (.com) is more Low Carb focussed , but both recognise other approaches.

As a matter of personal taste, I find the layout of the other forum to be better for me. But I get told off by other members and warned by moderators in both of them!

Hi, no I wasn’t asking about the other diabetic group, I was asking which one had the 12 week meal planner, so the other lady said it was the other one. Good for you that you have joined both. Tbh I just need a meal planner at the moment because trying to research what I can and can’t eat is quite frankly doing my head in and it’s very upsetting! But it’s not just the diabetes that’s so depressing it’s my health at the moment and just being in pain. Thank you for the information

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi, no I haven’t tried stewed rhubarb, although I love rhubarb, but I thought us type 2’s are not allowed fruit that’s been squashed etc

Rhubarb isn't strictly a fruit even though it's treated like one, just as tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers etc are fruit but not treated like one. Stewing fruit doesn't make it's sugars as much available as juicing or liquidising it does.
Also rhubarb only has 4.5gms of carbs per 100gms which is very low compared with most fruits - about the same as the lowest carb berries (i.e. much better than blueberries).

The only problem with stewed rhubarb is keeping from adding additional sugars. My wife adds Stevia to sweeten it, but I just let it cool and have it with full-fat greek yoghurt myself.

 

[Dawn17]

Rhubarb isn't strictly a fruit even though it's treated like one, just as tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers etc are fruit but not treated like one. Stewing fruit doesn't make it's sugars as much available as juicing or liquidising it does.
Also rhubarb only has 4.5gms of carbs per 100gms which is very low compared with most fruits - about the same as the lowest carb berries (i.e. much better than blueberries).

The only problem with stewed rhubarb is keeping from adding additional sugars. My wife adds Stevia to sweeten it, but I just let it cool and have it with full-fat greek yoghurt myself.

Thank you, I will definitely be getting some rhubarb and having it with my full fat Greek yogurt. But am I right in thinking we have to stick to portion size with everything? 🙄Thanks again for your help

 

[ianf0ster]

Thank you, I will definitely be getting some rhubarb and having it with my full fat Greek yogurt. But am I right in thinking we have to stick to portion size with everything? 🙄Thanks again for your help

Very low carb things protein, leafy green veg don't need to be portion sized - eat as much as you like and you are unlikely to be able to eat enough either in carbs or in calories to affect your Blood Glucose or your weight.

Low carb fruits like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries are low carb and low calorie so you can eat quite a lot. Rhubarb has about the same carbs and calories as those .
Blueberries and Kiwi fruit are higher in carbs and calories so you may need to watch portions. Most other fruits are higher still. with the 'worst' being tropical fruit like banana or mango.
As far as carbs are concerned you don't need to restrict greek yogurt, it is just from the calories point of view that you may want to watch portion size because of the fat content.
Tree nuts are fairly variable depending on variety so some are quite low in carbs but high in fats while others are higher in carbs but lower in fats. Lower carb (higher fat) nuts are brazil, macadamia, walnut.

The website Diet Doctor (has handy lists of the lowest carb varieties in various categories such as vegetables, fruit, nuts.
Such as https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fruits

Other things you can just google but you want to look at carbs (or fats) per 100gms (so as to be consistent). Also US websites quote both carbs (which include indigestible fiber) as well as Net Carbs which doesn't In the UK web sites already subtract the fibre (notice the spelling difference) from the figure, so here carbs is the actual digestible crabs without the indigestible fibre.