Jeanettejjj
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Iam totally new to this and struggling .
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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Hi all.I am a newbie.
- Thread starter Jeanettejjj
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42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi @Jeanettejjj welcome to the club none of us planned to join....
Is there something in particular you're struggling with that we can offer advice/support around? It can help make advice more appropriate if you can also share a little bit about yourself - how your diagnosis came about (symptoms/routine blood test/ etc), what your HbA1c level was that led to diagnosis (as your profile indicates you are diagnosed with Type 2 that would usually be a number of 48 or above, for some people it's in 3 figures before they are diagnosed), and what if any medication you have been given (that can be very important in terms of dietary advice, most type 2s find we need to reduce carbohydrates but some medications mean that you may have to be careful about how much you reduce them!).
Is there something in particular you're struggling with that we can offer advice/support around? It can help make advice more appropriate if you can also share a little bit about yourself - how your diagnosis came about (symptoms/routine blood test/ etc), what your HbA1c level was that led to diagnosis (as your profile indicates you are diagnosed with Type 2 that would usually be a number of 48 or above, for some people it's in 3 figures before they are diagnosed), and what if any medication you have been given (that can be very important in terms of dietary advice, most type 2s find we need to reduce carbohydrates but some medications mean that you may have to be careful about how much you reduce them!).
Jeanettejjj
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Am very elderly,just diagnosed and a blood specimen for arthritis/rheumatism diagnosed it.Was sent to my GP and though being weighed,etc and a blood monitoring device given to me, was just told to eat moderately. Have taken blood and the results are fluctuating .Highest being 18.1 and lowest 5.5. Havnt a clue what I can/cant eat but know about the green signs on food. Honestly am in a fog really knowing nothing. I am a full time carer and obviously want to be healthy, but have an ache across my stomach area and being worried about the diabetes too causes me concern. Need good advice please. Thank you for your time and patience and hope you are able to help.
Vonny
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
One of the biggest problems about diabetes is that we all react differently to different foods. In general, a reduction in starchy carbs (taters, rice, pasta and bread) works well along with a reduction in sweet foods. You are very lucky to have been given a blood monitoring device; I had to fund my own. The best way to check which food you can eat is to take a reading before eating, then another 2 hours after. The increase should be no more than a couple of mmol. So if you are reading 6 before eating, you should be looking at a reading of around 8.
That way you'll be able to know which foods to cut out. For example, I spike more on bread and rice than potatoes and pasta, so I rarely eat bread, but will have an occasional potato.
Also, fruit contains a lot of sugar. You are best sticking with berries as these have the fewest carbs.
Incidentally, what classes as "healthy" on food packaging isn't necessarily true for diabetics. You need to be looking at the total carb value on a packet meal.
That way you'll be able to know which foods to cut out. For example, I spike more on bread and rice than potatoes and pasta, so I rarely eat bread, but will have an occasional potato.
Also, fruit contains a lot of sugar. You are best sticking with berries as these have the fewest carbs.
Incidentally, what classes as "healthy" on food packaging isn't necessarily true for diabetics. You need to be looking at the total carb value on a packet meal.
42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
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- She/Her
The green signs are pretty much irrelevant to diabetes (though some may be relevant to other conditions that can be linked e.g. saturated fat if you also have high cholesterol).
For diabetes it is all carbohydrates that need to be reduced and monitored, not just those listed as "sugars" on the packaging. To see those you need to check the full nutrition information boxes which are usually on the back of packets.
Mostly for type 2 diabetes people aim for a maximum of 130g of total carbohydrates in the day. If you are eating a lot more than 200g a day at present, then it may be easier to cut by 1/3 at first and then cut again by 1/3 until you get to where your blood sugars are within the guidelines.
Ways to reduce carbohydrates include: having one slice of bread rather than 2; swapping some potatoes for lower carbohydrate vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach; having cakes and sweets less often; having a smaller portion of pasta or looking for lower carb alternatives like edamame bean pasta (can be bought in some supermarkets as well as online).
Ideally what you are aiming to get on the blood sugar tests is:
- 4-7 when you first wake up, and before you eat a meal
- maximum of 3 mmol rise 2 hours after starting to eat a meal (as your blood sugars start to improve you would also hope this would usually be under 8.5 but initially just look at whether it is within 3 of the pre-meal reading)
Don't worry about what your blood sugar might be an hour after meals, just look at the 2 hour reading. If it is more than 3 above the pre-meal reading, that suggests you might have eaten more carbohydrates at that meal than your body can cope with, so next time you might want to try reducing them slightly, or adding some protein/fat to help slow down the digestion so the sugar from the broken down carbohydrates doesn't all hit your bloodstream at the same time.
If you are overweight, then losing weight can help as well (and if you lose enough can sometimes put type 2 into remission so that you can then relax a little bit about carbohydrates again without blood sugars spiking too high).
If you are not overweight, or if you have recently lost weight without trying to, then I would suggest asking if you can be tested for Type 1 diabetes (this is more blood tests to look for antibodies which immune systems can produce against the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, and also something called c-peptide which is a good correlation for how much insulin your body is producing). If you have been diagnosed with anything rheumatic, or otherwise automimmune, as a result of the tests you have had, then it is a good idea to ask about type 1 testing even without weight loss, as sometimes people find they are susceptible to autoimmune conditions.
For diabetes it is all carbohydrates that need to be reduced and monitored, not just those listed as "sugars" on the packaging. To see those you need to check the full nutrition information boxes which are usually on the back of packets.
Mostly for type 2 diabetes people aim for a maximum of 130g of total carbohydrates in the day. If you are eating a lot more than 200g a day at present, then it may be easier to cut by 1/3 at first and then cut again by 1/3 until you get to where your blood sugars are within the guidelines.
Ways to reduce carbohydrates include: having one slice of bread rather than 2; swapping some potatoes for lower carbohydrate vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach; having cakes and sweets less often; having a smaller portion of pasta or looking for lower carb alternatives like edamame bean pasta (can be bought in some supermarkets as well as online).
Ideally what you are aiming to get on the blood sugar tests is:
- 4-7 when you first wake up, and before you eat a meal
- maximum of 3 mmol rise 2 hours after starting to eat a meal (as your blood sugars start to improve you would also hope this would usually be under 8.5 but initially just look at whether it is within 3 of the pre-meal reading)
Don't worry about what your blood sugar might be an hour after meals, just look at the 2 hour reading. If it is more than 3 above the pre-meal reading, that suggests you might have eaten more carbohydrates at that meal than your body can cope with, so next time you might want to try reducing them slightly, or adding some protein/fat to help slow down the digestion so the sugar from the broken down carbohydrates doesn't all hit your bloodstream at the same time.
If you are overweight, then losing weight can help as well (and if you lose enough can sometimes put type 2 into remission so that you can then relax a little bit about carbohydrates again without blood sugars spiking too high).
If you are not overweight, or if you have recently lost weight without trying to, then I would suggest asking if you can be tested for Type 1 diabetes (this is more blood tests to look for antibodies which immune systems can produce against the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, and also something called c-peptide which is a good correlation for how much insulin your body is producing). If you have been diagnosed with anything rheumatic, or otherwise automimmune, as a result of the tests you have had, then it is a good idea to ask about type 1 testing even without weight loss, as sometimes people find they are susceptible to autoimmune conditions.
Jeanettejjj
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
To Vonny and 42. Thank you for your very quick responses. I do appreciate it .It is hard to absorb such a lot of info. [probably my age] but am trying. Think I understood you to say [as I had been told before] reduce certain foods and stop certain foods like white bread. You put my mind at rest re monitoring. I was doing it incorrectly. Thanks once again. xx
Jeanettejjj
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Lucy.I am eighty yrs old,and as independent as possible but do have other health problems.. Am also a full time Carer for my daughter. This diagnoses is worrying me a lot, so I am trying to understand it quickly. It sounds so complicated. Can you tell me what the blood sugar targets are in my age range please? Thank you for taking the time to answer my query.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi @Jeanettejjj you have been given lots of good information in the posts above but it would be helpful to know what the result of the HbA1C blood test your doctor did which gave you your diagnosis as it indicates how much you might need to do to bring down your glucose level and also did they prescribe medication or just suggest some dietary measures as that will make a difference to the suggestions. The HbA1C result will be a number above 47mmol/mol as that is the threshold for diagnosis.
Take your time in making changes as it will be better to reduce levels slowly.
Take your time in making changes as it will be better to reduce levels slowly.
Cherrelle DUK
Much missed Online Community Coordinator
Hi Jeanettejjj, welcome to the forum.
You’ve got some great advice above so I won’t overwhelm you further! As advised, reducing carbs/ sugar is helpful so do keep an eye on that.
We’ve got a really handy chart at the bottom of this page which shows you what numbers are typical before and after a meal. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing
Please feel free to ask as many questions as you have and we’ll do our best to help.
You’ve got some great advice above so I won’t overwhelm you further! As advised, reducing carbs/ sugar is helpful so do keep an eye on that.
We’ve got a really handy chart at the bottom of this page which shows you what numbers are typical before and after a meal. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing
Please feel free to ask as many questions as you have and we’ll do our best to help.
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