Help with information on eating carbs etc

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bevpugh

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Type 2
Good morning I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic 5 years ago I had my one and only diabetic review December 2022 with a nurse at my practice,as my numbers are going up she’s increased my tablets told me I’m overweight and that I should go on a low carb diet. That’s all the information she has provided me with and the internet is confusing as it contradicts itself with information, could anyone help me and point me in the right direction please? Thank you.
 
What most people refer to as "low carb" is under 130g total carbohydrates per day (exclude the fiber on American food labels, on UK labels fibre is already excluded).

All carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body which is why we look at risk carbohydrates not just "of which sugars". Swapping some higher carbohydrate foods (e.g. pasta, bread, potatoes) for lower carbohydrate vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, courgette) can be an easy way to reduce carbohydrates (and as the vegetables are lower in overall calories too can help with weight control).

What can really help for you as an individual is to test your blood sugar before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. That can help you see how well your body tolerated that meal (i.e. processed and stored the carbohydrate content). Blood glucose monitors themselves are fairly cheap, if your GP/practice nurse won't prescribe the strips then looking for cheaper strips can be very useful. There are a couple often recommended on here that are reliable but cheap, if you search for blood glucose monitors.

https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/content/uploads/2019/11/DiabetesSmart_dietary_approaches.pdf this talks about different dietary approaches including low carb

https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/content/uploads/2019/11/Carbohydrate-reference-tables.pdf this is one option for helping to estimate carbohydrates in the food you are planning to eat
 
42istheanswer said:
What most people refer to as "low carb" is under 130g total carbohydrates per day (exclude the fiber on American food labels, on UK labels fibre is already excluded).

All carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body which is why we look at risk carbohydrates not just "of which sugars". Swapping some higher carbohydrate foods (e.g. pasta, bread, potatoes) for lower carbohydrate vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, courgette) can be an easy way to reduce carbohydrates (and as the vegetables are lower in overall calories too can help with weight control).

What can really help for you as an individual is to test your blood sugar before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. That can help you see how well your body tolerated that meal (i.e. processed and stored the carbohydrate content). Blood glucose monitors themselves are fairly cheap, if your GP/practice nurse won't prescribe the strips then looking for cheaper strips can be very useful. There are a couple often recommended on here that are reliable but cheap, if you search for blood glucose monitors.

https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/content/uploads/2019/11/DiabetesSmart_dietary_approaches.pdf this talks about different dietary approaches including low carb

https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/content/uploads/2019/11/Carbohydrate-reference-tables.pdf this is one option for helping to estimate carbohydrates in the food you are planning to eat
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Hi thank you but several of the nurses at my doctors have told me I don’t need a glucose monitor as I’m a type two its not necessary to use it ( we don’t have a diabetic nurse at my surgery) so it’s something to look into thanks.
 
bevpugh said:
Hi thank you but several of the nurses at my doctors have told me I don’t need a glucose monitor as I’m a type two its not necessary to use it ( we don’t have a diabetic nurse at my surgery) so it’s something to look into thanks.
Click to expand...
You don't "need it" in that from what you've said you're not on medication that can make you go hypo, so NICE guidance says not to prescribe. Many of us find that it is very helpful though only a few of us are lucky enough to be prescribed one/strips without being on medication that can cause hypos
 
42istheanswer said:
You don't "need it" in that from what you've said you're not on medication that can make you go hypo, so NICE guidance says not to prescribe. Many of us find that it is very helpful though only a few of us are lucky enough to be prescribed one/strips without being on medication that can cause hypos
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I’m on 4 metformin tablets a day as the doctor has changed my blood tests from once a year to every 6 months and my numbers are going up but was told it wasn’t necessary for me to have a glucose monitor. But I will now look into sorting this out thank you.
 
bevpugh said:
Hi thank you but several of the nurses at my doctors have told me I don’t need a glucose monitor as I’m a type two its not necessary to use it ( we don’t have a diabetic nurse at my surgery) so it’s something to look into thanks.
Click to expand...
What they are actually telling you is that they are not obliged to supply one - but in the early stages of a low carb diet it is rather like trying to learn to drive in a car where the speedometer doesn't work.
I had a meter because my mother in law was diabetic, but unfortunately not able to use the meter supplied. It soon showed me that I needed to eat exactly as the Atkins way of eating had proved to be right for me.
 
bevpugh said:
I’m on 4 metformin tablets a day as the doctor has changed my blood tests from once a year to every 6 months and my numbers are going up but was told it wasn’t necessary for me to have a glucose monitor. But I will now look into sorting this out thank you.
Click to expand...

I found it useful for changing the foods I ate.
I tested initially, and got rid of the foods that spiked me the highest.
My plan wasn't diet control, I didn't get pushed down the "low carb" route, so I didn't overly stress about numbers, I was on a low fat diet with the NHS dietician to lose weight as the main focus of my lifestyle change, so we tweaked the diet based on that.

Testing is certainly useful, but it can become addictive, and become very stressful.
This was one of the reasons surgeries don't always like to suggest testing.
You will see high readings, after food, after exercise, in the morning when you wake up, or you won't.
To me, while it was important to cut out the main suspects, the odd high was always going to happen, so long as I understood why, I didn't overly worry, so long as the plan was working, and everything was dropping into place.
It's also important to realise none diabetics see high numbers.
I was prescribed strips by my surgery, so I could play with a few, it was interesting to see the changes running my hands under a hot or cold tap, jogging up and down stairs, sitting still on the sofa, having a hot bath, could make.
 
bevpugh said:
Hi thank you but several of the nurses at my doctors have told me I don’t need a glucose monitor as I’m a type two its not necessary to use it ( we don’t have a diabetic nurse at my surgery) so it’s something to look into thanks.
Click to expand...
Hi bevpugh. I cannot believe nurses are still giving this advice. Self monitoring was the key to my avoiding progression. When diagnosed nearly 10 years ago with T2 the DBN told me it was progressive and I should expect to need meds and perhaps even insulin and there was no point me buying a monitor as a T2. Luckily I'd found this forum already with @Northerner's excellent wise counsel. I bought recommended books - the best for me was 'Blood Sugar 101' by Jenny Ruhl. I followed all that advice. I didn't put a label on my diet, just tested and ate only what didn't spike as per Jenny's guidance. It needed disciplinre giving up all my usual stuff but I lost shed-loads of weight and never needed meds. Ten years on I am still T2 but with no medication and normal HBA1C. I'm not cured, just not provoking my personal carb intolerance. GP told me few years back I probably didn't need to be tested every year with such results and asked if I would talk to the practice's diabetics group as to my story. I declined and referred him to this forum.

Every journey is different I believe, but I see no sane sense being told not to self-monitor as a T2. Eat to your meter. Has worked for me and carb intolerance was the key. Good luck. PS. I have always used the SD Codefree. PPS. I rarely test these days as I never vary my diet but do some monitoring a month or so before next bloods due.
.
 
Lurch said:
Hi bevpugh. I cannot believe nurses are still giving this advice. Self monitoring was the key to my avoiding progression. When diagnosed nearly 10 years ago with T2 the DBN told me it was progressive and I should expect to need meds and perhaps even insulin and there was no point me buying a monitor as a T2. Luckily I'd found this forum already with @Northerner's excellent wise counsel. I bought recommended books - the best for me was 'Blood Sugar 101' by Jenny Ruhl. I followed all that advice. I didn't put a label on my diet, just tested and ate only what didn't spike as per Jenny's guidance. It needed disciplinre giving up all my usual stuff but I lost shed-loads of weight and never needed meds. Ten years on I am still T2 but with no medication and normal HBA1C. I'm not cured, just not provoking my personal carb intolerance. GP told me few years back I probably didn't need to be tested every year with such results and asked if I would talk to the practice's diabetics group as to my story. I declined and referred him to this forum.

Every journey is different I believe, but I see no sane sense being told not to self-monitor as a T2. Eat to your meter. Has worked for me and carb intolerance was the key. Good luck. PS. I have always used the SD Codefree. PPS. I rarely test these days as I never vary my diet but do some monitoring a month or so before next bloods due.
.
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Why do you monitor before the hba1C?
Do you ever find you need to take any action?
 
travellor said:
Why do you monitor before the hba1C?
Do you ever find you need to take any action?
Click to expand...
I think I do it because the NHS was so adamant that T2 is progressive and I half expect to find this as I get older. I don't do many tests, just for a few days to reassure myself I'm still on track for a good result. I once had to change when the Burgen soya bread went away. I ended up abandoning all bought bread in favour of home made almond flour bread. I'm easily pleased and happily avoid permanently anything the meter showed me was a spiker. I only fear ending up in hospital for some random issue and forced to eat the poison served up under the 'healthy' diet. I made a laminated card to underline I'm diet-only controlled T2 and listed the modest list of safe foods I eat! 🙂
 
Lurch said:
I think I do it because the NHS was so adamant that T2 is progressive and I half expect to find this as I get older. I don't do many tests, just for a few days to reassure myself I'm still on track for a good result. I once had to change when the Burgen soya bread went away. I ended up abandoning all bought bread in favour of home made almond flour bread. I'm easily pleased and happily avoid permanently anything the meter showed me was a spiker. I only fear ending up in hospital for some random issue and forced to eat the poison served up under the 'healthy' diet. I made a laminated card to underline I'm diet-only controlled T2 and listed the modest list of safe foods I eat! 🙂
Click to expand...

Well, I've never seen poison served, but it does seem to be a choice from a set menu, or sandwiches.
Food could be brought in from outside though if you have anyone that could do that?
 
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