Hi everyone

[dave123]

I'm Dave, type 2 and have recently received a high blood test result, jumping up to 77 from 54 after a 6 month period between diabetic reviews with my GP.
I have decided I need to take charge of this situation with urgency but I'm obviously uneducated in what food and diet habit is adverse to my condition personally - I'm ideal weight, 8-12k steps daily and eat well albeit with a sweet tooth, so both my GP and I were shocked at the spike.
So far, my GP is managing my health but I aim to seek out a diabetic nurse as I have much I need to understand with a professional who has a bit more time.
My GP advised me initially in 2022 that I fall into a group that confounds the WHO in that there is little or no understanding medically as to the relationship between diabetes and it's hereditary root - as I am within weight, active, non smoker etc, so not a great or hopeful introduction lol!
One thing Id like to ask out there to you all is does anyone recommend a smart watch which acts as a reliable glucose monitor?
I am in the process of asking my GP this again as it's time to investigate what my body is reacting too adversely.
Initially the GP advised I did not need a glucose monitor but I'm now inclined to disagree!
Many thanks in advance.

 

[Leadinglights]

Unless you want to go with something like a Libre CGM which is expensive then a home testing blood glucose monitor which you test from a finger prick and is very useful for giving you control over your condition as you can test the effect of meals on your blood glucose, these are relatively inexpensive the test strips being the costly bit so looking for ones with the cheaper strips is a good idea.
There aren't any watches despite claims that are in any way reliable. Ones people may mention are where the data from the Libre connect to the watch, a bit too techy for me.
As far as diet is concerned this link has good explanation and some meal plans for a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[Inka]

Welcome @dave123 🙂 I’d get a blood glucose meter. There are a couple recommended by members here if you’re on a budget (the test strips are the expensive bit and what you need to watch).

Do you have a history of diabetes in your family? Have you had any recent unexpected weight loss?

 

[harbottle]

There is a sub-type they call 'lean diabetes' - seen in people with no visceral fat, no antibodies, no metabolic syndrome & a low BMI. I believe it's currently thought the cause is defective insulin secretion.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

My GP advised me initially in 2022 that I fall into a group that confounds the WHO in that there is little or no understanding medically as to the relationship between diabetes and it's hereditary root - as I am within weight, active, non smoker etc, so not a great or hopeful introduction lol!

Has your GP run checks to see if you may have one of the other, less obvious, types of diabetes? They seem to recognise that you don’t fit the standard phenotype and presentation for T2, but I’m not sure what other options have been considered.

For example, LADA, a more gradually emerging form of autoimmune diabetes that develops in adulthood can look a little like T2 to start with, because the destruction of beta cells is more gradual.

But then again, as many people are diagnosed with standard T1 as adults - so if the basis of T2 was purely age, then more investigation could be helpful.

CPeptide measures how much of your own insulin your are still producing (usually lots in T2, and insufficient inT1 variants). Multiple antibodies can also be screened to see of your diabetes has an autoimmune root.

Hope you get some clarity soon.

 

[dave123]

Welcome @dave123 🙂 I’d get a blood glucose meter. There are a couple recommended by members here if you’re on a budget (the test strips are the expensive bit and what you need to watch).

Do you have a history of diabetes in your family? Have you had any recent unexpected weight loss?

Many thanks for the feedback, I'll check them out.
Plenty of history in the family yes, regrettably but weight strangely has been consistent for years.

 

[dave123]

There is a sub-type they call 'lean diabetes' - seen in people with no visceral fat, no antibodies, no metabolic syndrome & a low BMI. I believe it's currently thought the cause is defective insulin secretion.

Interesting. The whole condition is overwhelming tbh, but I'm seeing a nurse next month so hopefully will start a road to a better education.

 

[dave123]

Has your GP run checks to see if you may have one of the other, less obvious, types of diabetes? They seem to recognise that you don’t fit the standard phenotype and presentation for T2, but I’m not sure what other options have been considered.

For example, LADA, a more gradually emerging form of autoimmune diabetes that develops in adulthood can look a little like T2 to start with, because the destruction of beta cells is more gradual.

But then again, as many people are diagnosed with standard T1 as adults - so if the basis of T2 was purely age, then more investigation could be helpful.

CPeptide measures how much of your own insulin your are still producing (usually lots in T2, and insufficient inT1 variants). Multiple antibodies can also be screened to see of your diabetes has an autoimmune root.

Hope you get some clarity soon.

No checks from my GP that I'm aware off, however that is interesting.
I shall bring this up at my next review or sooner. Many thanks for the information though.
I will let you all know how I'm getting on.
My latest spike upwards has resulted in more Metformin daily.
I'm a little angry with my self as I've been eating a breakfast base of what I thought was low sugar items - eg porridge, bran flakes, dried fruit - and of course, both carry unacceptable sugars so feeling a bit of a idiot if I'm honest, though I do look at the traffic light symbols.
Bit of an own goal in between reviews which happened to be a six month period, not the previous 3 months.
So it's just porridge and cinnamon now.
Fined it astonishing that totally zero sugar cereals are difficult to shop for, and not simply off the shelf.

 

[Inka]

Zero sugar cereals are porridge oats and Shredded Wheat, but it’s the carbs you need to look at mainly. All carbs - even ones without a dot of sugar - raise blood glucose.

 

[dave123]

Zero sugar cereals are porridge oats and Shredded Wheat, but it’s the carbs you need to look at mainly. All carbs - even ones without a dot of sugar - raise blood glucose.

Cheers Inka, appreciated.
And that's the head buster right there!
Think I will need to stick to boiled eggs, the old faithful lol, as cereals commercially don't seem to be what I need.

 

[Inka]

Portion size is important @dave123 The recommended serving size for cereals is a lot less than you’d think. A set of digital scales will stand you in good stead. There are lower carb normal cereals and you can also get very low carb cereals, although some of them have sweeteners.

Another breakfast option apart from eggs are plain Greek yoghurt with fresh berries and a sprinkle of granola or seeds.

I’m interested in what exact type of diabetes you have, and I wonder if you could push for further tests.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @dave123 I am/was a normal weight Type 2 diabetic - in med free remission for nearly 4 yrs. lt's also known as TOFI (thin outside fat inside).
I don't think it's true to say we have no visceral fat, but I passed the waist to height test (waist less than half height).
I went low carb (eating to my meter). I had to go really low (up to 40gms of carbs per day), but was soon at normal BG levels and HbA1C followed with usual time lag (because it is a 3 month average). I did lose weight, so went from BMI 25 to BMI 23

Here is a link to the blog post which got me on the [path to remission:

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

 

[dave123]

Portion size is important @dave123 The recommended serving size for cereals is a lot less than you’d think. A set of digital scales will stand you in good stead. There are lower carb normal cereals and you can also get very low carb cereals, although some of them have sweeteners.

Another breakfast option apart from eggs are plain Greek yoghurt with fresh berries and a sprinkle of granola or seeds.

I’m interested in what exact type of diabetes you have, and I wonder if you could push for further tests.

Much appreciated information all round Inka - digital scales ordered!
Portion size is something I had not followed over the years - no excuses - but my working day is long and have routinely ate until full, and not for fuel sensibly, especially since my BMI is always steady and within limits.
Big error thinking im ok because I'm skinny.
The type of diabetes is something that my GP has not touched on whatsoever so your question has stimulated me to indeed push on this as I had no idea T2 can/has a specific type.
I'm due to meet a diabetic nurse next month so will raise this with her, also many other questions that are propping up daily after online reading.
I'm reading food and nutrition values on products more carefully currently as you can imagine but I simply seem to be scratching my head and seem to be misunderstanding this somewhere.
For example
I noticed a packet of garlic bread in the kitchen showing the carb content less then 5g per 100g (which I'm currently following because it's a start until I improve my personal knowledge), I think it was 0.7g or similar - but breads a huge no no!
We have a huge bag of long grain basmati rice which I looked at closely while the kettle was boiling - 1.2g per 100g!!
Yet both white rice and bread are avoid foods.
So I'm going to have to educate myself and find out how I am reading this wrong.
As my next DB review is in March, I'm about to order a libra freestyle 2 CGM so I can look more closely at my blood and food relationship.
Its been about 7 days since I've cut out the snacking and sugar things and was feeling pretty yuk until yesterday, unaware on why I have been off colour.
I have since read that cutting sugar dramatically can have a cold turkey period and actually started to feel better since yesterday - nothing major but it feels like my body is craving and because I can't have sweet/sugary products, it's a wee bit adverse.
Today's good but I did look at the jar of marmalade earlier with a tear in my eye, I'm not going to lie LOL.
I'll definitely look into the type of diabetes and make sure my health team give me some answers and knowledge which I shall share, as it was very simple to diagnose T2 without any background apart from the hereditary one.

 

[dave123]

Hi @dave123 I am/was a normal weight Type 2 diabetic - in med free remission for nearly 4 yrs. lt's also known as TOFI (thin outside fat inside).
I don't think it's true to say we have no visceral fat, but I passed the waist to height test (waist less than half height).
I went low carb (eating to my meter). I had to go really low (up to 40gms of carbs per day), but was soon at normal BG levels and HbA1C followed with usual time lag (because it is a 3 month average). I did lose weight, so went from BMI 25 to BMI 23

Here is a link to the blog post which got me on the [path to remission:

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

Many thanks for the feedback Ian!
TOFI wow! Who knew!!
Never heard of this but describes me to a tee.
That's some story you have - well done and keep up the good work.
Fantastic recovery especially the upto 40gms of carbs per day - that must have been extremely difficult? I can't imagine.
I will check out the link so thanks for sharing.

 

[rebrascora]

I noticed a packet of garlic bread in the kitchen showing the carb content less then 5g per 100g (which I'm currently following because it's a start until I improve my personal knowledge), I think it was 0.7g or similar - but breads a huge no no!
We have a huge bag of long grain basmati rice which I looked at closely while the kettle was boiling - 1.2g per 100g!!

I think you are somehow misreading the labels and perhaps looking at sugar rather than total carbohydrate content because garlic bread and basmati rice will both be very significantly higher than those figures you have quoted. Rice is usually about 60% carbohydrate ie 60g per 100g and garlic bread about 45g per 100g. You need to find the box which contains the nutritional information, usually in tiny print on the side or back of the packet and you are looking for the total carbohydrates.

 

[silentsquirrel]

I'm reading food and nutrition values on products more carefully currently as you can imagine but I simply seem to be scratching my head and seem to be misunderstanding this somewhere.
For example
I noticed a packet of garlic bread in the kitchen showing the carb content less then 5g per 100g (which I'm currently following because it's a start until I improve my personal knowledge), I think it was 0.7g or similar - but breads a huge no no!
We have a huge bag of long grain basmati rice which I looked at closely while the kettle was boiling - 1.2g per 100g!!
Yet both white rice and bread are avoid foods.

I think you are looking at the sugar values per 100g, but you need to look at the carbs. Ignore the "of which sugars." You will find the carbs on the full nutritional info., usually on the back or side of the packet in tiny print. The traffic lights only show sugars, not carbs, so are pretty useless for us.

 

[rebrascora]

I think you are looking at the sugar values per 100g, but you need to look at the carbs. Ignore the "of which sugars." You will find the carbs on the full nutritional info., usually on the back or side of the packet in tiny print. The traffic lights only show sugars, not carbs, so are pretty useless for us.

Not often I type faster than someone else but "SNAP"

 

[silentsquirrel]

@rebrascora
Snap!!

 

[silentsquirrel]

Not often I type faster than someone else but "SNAP"

double snap!!!

 

[SB2015]

I noticed a packet of garlic bread in the kitchen showing the carb content less then 5g per 100g (which I'm currently following because it's a start until I improve my personal knowledge), I think it was 0.7g or similar - but breads a huge no no!
We have a huge bag of long grain basmati rice which I looked at closely while the kettle was boiling - 1.2g per 100g!!

Those figures are likely to be the sugar content rather than the carb content. The media so often reports about sugar linked to Diabetes, but we need to focus on all carbohydrates. For our basamati rice there are 48g of carbs in 100 g of rice.

All the carbs we each eat are converted into glucose once inside us, whether they are sugar or not. The sugar is often converted more quickly, which is why that is more useful in treating hypos, but they will all top up our glucose in the end. well worth becoming familiar with the carb content of what you commonly eat. This will be essential once you are adjusting your insulin doses to match the carbs you choose to eat.