Hi every body I woud appreciateyour comments on my post

[Alankearn]

Hi everybody
I am am a newby/oldie (87 years old) who was a few weeks ago told by my doctor that I should take care with what I ate as I had prediabetes 4.3mmol. Maybe a litle bit late in life to worry to much about what I eat/don't eat but I am cuting back on carbs intake. I have been pretty active all my life and still do a early one and a half mile morning walk in 30 minuites so I do get some exercise.
I have three meals a day breakfast 7am, lunch (main meal) 12pm, light meal 4pm, with nothing normally eaten between them. Breakfast is always the same 40g bran flakes chopped peaches and a few blueberries other meals vary.
I am using a blood sugar monitor so I wonder if you can make sense and comments of the following averages taken from 15 reading of each time below.

Just before breakfast aprox 17 hours since last meal 6.3

Just before 12pm lunch 6.5

2 hours after lunch 8.3

The highest after lunch single reading being 12.4

Do I need to cut back more

Thanks

 

[grovesy]

At your age and think I would reduce portions, 8.3 is not to bad, what did you have at the 12.4 as that is quite high?

 

[Alankearn]

I had this meal deliberately to see what came up on the monitor
A Pukka Steak pie 100g boiled new potatoes broccoli and a mixture of vegetables and half a small advocano

 

[Tee G]

Hi @Alankearn - Welcome to the forum - its never to late to take care of our health.

I would suggest the 'pie and new potatoes' were a little too many carbohydrates in one sitting. Its the total carbs on our plate we need to think about, as they turn to glucose in the body.

If not already, It may be helpful to test : 'upon waking' - before each meal & one 1 hour and 2 hours after the meal. This way you can gauge where you are getting your 'spikes' (some food climb quickly, others are slower depending on several factors) - This will put you in a position of knowledge and therefore in a better able to see where adjustments are needed.

Diabetes is a VERY individual thing, some get a spike from porridge, others dont. Later on it can be a case of 'maintenance' testing.

You will be safe, i imagine, to cut out that 1 hour post meal test, once you have your menu sorted. You are really aiming for no more than a 2 mmol rise 2 hours post meal, from first bite (If that makes sence). I hope this helps you.

Useful links for people new to diabetes

These links provide useful information, particularly to those newly-diagnosed. You can also browse the Recommended Books and Links sections for further information :) Contents: Type 1 Section Insulin Pumps Section Type 2 Section General Help and Information Section Complications and screening...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Toucan]

Hello @Alankearn and welcome to the forum.
It's never to late to learn! but your reading don't look too bad at all.
I'm sure it is wise to follow your doctors advice though and adjust your eating if you can.
You might find Maggie Davey's letter, useful to read, as it describes how this lady went about making some changes.

I hope that it goes well for you, and please keep posting and we will always try to answer any questions you may have.

 

[grovesy]

I had this meal deliberately to see what came up on the monitor
A Pukka Steak pie 100g boiled new potatoes broccoli and a mixture of vegetables and half a small advocano

There are 2 likely culprits there the pie and or the potatoes.

 

[Drummer]

I'd suggest that rather than having two high doses of carbs at any meal, you have just one - rather than have pie and potatoes have something more meaty with potatoes, or the pie and cauliflower and other low carb veges. Bran flakes and peaches and blueberries - personally I'd swap the whole lot and have steak and mushrooms, or a chop, or sausages - far fewer carbs and much more nutrition.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Alankearn

Glad you joined us.

Sounds like you are living life to the full in your autumn years! Great to hear about your regular exercise.

Its also great that you quite like a fairly regular routine. Diabetes can be a fickle monster, and there are so many variables in life, that having a routine can really help.

Great to hear that you’ve got yourself a BG meter too - that can be an invaluable tool for checking different foods, types and amounts of carbs and whole meals affect your blood glucose levels as an individual.

It sounds like your ‘pie experiment’ was a success... in that you’ve discovered a level of carbs that your metabolism struggled with.

Best of luck with your future experiments and let us know how you get on. Oh... and keep asking questions!

 

[Alankearn]

Thanks to all for your replies/advice.
No doubt I will be back with more questions/posts

 

[Marmite]

I find that surprising; swap bran flakes/blueberries/peaches for sausages/steak/chop !!
I'm not saying it is wrong (as I'm a newbie ), just so surprised because of all the saturated fat.
Also , I hadn't realised the first group were calorific. Wife won't be happy grilling steak first thing!

 

[Drummer]

I find that surprising; swap bran flakes/blueberries/peaches for sausages/steak/chop !!
I'm not saying it is wrong (as I'm a newbie ), just so surprised because of all the saturated fat.
Also , I hadn't realised the first group were calorific. Wife won't be happy grilling steak first thing!

The fat isn't the problem - we need fat - things high in starch and sugar are going to raise blood glucose so low carb is better. Other options would be scrambled eggs - I eat it with cheese melted in and a thinly sliced tomato on top, or in hot weather I have salad and tinned tuna or leftovers of meat or fish from dinner.