Hi. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes just a week ago and am on a very steep learning curve. Have had an initial visit to the nurse at my surgery and given papers to read which are rather over my head at the moment. My task at the moment is to find out what I can and can't eat so any advice or recipes would be very welcome.🙂
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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 from a complete novice
- Thread starter barneldu
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Mark T
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum barneldu 
You can actually eat pretty much anything, but moderation is the key. Although having a blood glucose meter is essential to working out what you can and cannot eat as we are all different.
There are a couple of useful books in the useful links items in the newbies help thread.
You can actually eat pretty much anything, but moderation is the key. Although having a blood glucose meter is essential to working out what you can and cannot eat as we are all different.
There are a couple of useful books in the useful links items in the newbies help thread.
Welcome to the forum - as has already been said nothing is banned its just in moderation. As you have probably read it is carbohydrates that you have to be most wary about.
I was diagnosed in november last year and i found an app on my phone - myfitnesspal to be very helpful as it lets you make a food diary easily and from that gives you data on how many fat/protien/carbs you have eaten, which when i put against the checks i did with a glucose meter gave me help in finding out what i needed to alter.
As mark says anything in moderation and some things affect others more i personally found fresh fruit juice gave me massive spikes. I also on diagnosis cut out all sugary drinks and any added sugar i was having in my diet by switching to sweetens in my tea and in my cooking this had a big effect on me and brought me down quite a bit, may be different for you.
Hope thats a little help there is so much information that you will face over the first few weeks that it is hard to get your head round, take it easy and dont get swamped(easier said than done because i sure did lol).
Last bit of advice from me is write down any questions you would like to ask the doctor on your visit and write down when you are there some notes if you can. I didnt the first few times and came away not having asked what i wanted and not remembering everything i had been told.
Good luck and remember there are loads of friendly and informed people on here that are willing to answer any questions that you may have.
I was diagnosed in november last year and i found an app on my phone - myfitnesspal to be very helpful as it lets you make a food diary easily and from that gives you data on how many fat/protien/carbs you have eaten, which when i put against the checks i did with a glucose meter gave me help in finding out what i needed to alter.
As mark says anything in moderation and some things affect others more i personally found fresh fruit juice gave me massive spikes. I also on diagnosis cut out all sugary drinks and any added sugar i was having in my diet by switching to sweetens in my tea and in my cooking this had a big effect on me and brought me down quite a bit, may be different for you.
Hope thats a little help there is so much information that you will face over the first few weeks that it is hard to get your head round, take it easy and dont get swamped(easier said than done because i sure did lol).
Last bit of advice from me is write down any questions you would like to ask the doctor on your visit and write down when you are there some notes if you can. I didnt the first few times and came away not having asked what i wanted and not remembering everything i had been told.
Good luck and remember there are loads of friendly and informed people on here that are willing to answer any questions that you may have.
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stephknits
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to.the forum. As people have mentioned, the sticky at the top.of the newbie section has some excellent stuff to read, but do fire away with any questions/ comments etc 🙂
Amigo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum! I'm a relative newbie too and I know how strange it is to suddenly be thrust into a world where you have to acquire good nutritional knowledge to keep yourself well! This isn't like a slimming diet where calories are king, it's carbs that rule I've found and some medical ideas about what keeps the levels down doesn't work for everyone.
Are you testing at the moment? Some surgeries don't encourage Type 2's to self test but I've found it invaluable. I've realised fruit, bread and even tiny amounts of pastry will send my levels sky high! We all seem to tolerate different things in different ways.
If I could recommend anything it would be the Maggie Davey's letter Northerner has posted on the sticky. That to me told the reality of diabetes and has a diary of what she eats and how it's made her healthy. Worth a read!
Good luck, you'll get there I'm sure! 🙂
Are you testing at the moment? Some surgeries don't encourage Type 2's to self test but I've found it invaluable. I've realised fruit, bread and even tiny amounts of pastry will send my levels sky high! We all seem to tolerate different things in different ways.
If I could recommend anything it would be the Maggie Davey's letter Northerner has posted on the sticky. That to me told the reality of diabetes and has a diary of what she eats and how it's made her healthy. Worth a read!
Good luck, you'll get there I'm sure! 🙂
Thanks everyone. Am now checking every food label but it's so confusing. Obviously I'm going for the low sugar options but that then gives you higher fat content. This really is going to be a steep learning curve.
No I'm not self testing. Just started taking Metformin 500mg, one a day so see how I get on with those. Ever since I was aware that I possibly had Diabetes I have been trying to cut down on the sugars but since my meeting with the nurse at the surgery last Thursday, I'm obviously taking it far more seriously. My question is can you develope a reaction to cutting out the sugars? Since last week I am so tired I can't keep my eyes open all day.
No I'm not self testing. Just started taking Metformin 500mg, one a day so see how I get on with those. Ever since I was aware that I possibly had Diabetes I have been trying to cut down on the sugars but since my meeting with the nurse at the surgery last Thursday, I'm obviously taking it far more seriously. My question is can you develope a reaction to cutting out the sugars? Since last week I am so tired I can't keep my eyes open all day.
Welcome to the forum barneldu.
I too am recently diagnosed and was started on 500mg.
Others may say differently but I would say don't test yet.
You obviously have to watch what you eat now, especially those carbs, but I found testing at such an early stage made things worse.
What the doctor/nurse doesn't tell you, is you've just boarded an emotional rollercoaster.
I was getting mid teen numbers with testing and it can make you feel down when the numbers don't come down, no matter what you try.
You've probably got another visit with the nurse after blood tests, when your dose of 500mg may be increased.
Mine will steadily increase to 2g per day.
There is so much to take on board with this major life change, but I've found these forums invaluable for help and support.
I too am recently diagnosed and was started on 500mg.
Others may say differently but I would say don't test yet.
You obviously have to watch what you eat now, especially those carbs, but I found testing at such an early stage made things worse.
What the doctor/nurse doesn't tell you, is you've just boarded an emotional rollercoaster.
I was getting mid teen numbers with testing and it can make you feel down when the numbers don't come down, no matter what you try.
You've probably got another visit with the nurse after blood tests, when your dose of 500mg may be increased.
Mine will steadily increase to 2g per day.
There is so much to take on board with this major life change, but I've found these forums invaluable for help and support.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hiya - it's not only SUGAR that increases your blood glucose you know - or do you? It's ALL carbohydrates !
Sugar is only about 95% carbohydrate - some things eg some corn and other syrups - which are often added to all SORTS of manufactured stuff that you would never have imagined it could be in! - can be even higher carb.
So check the carb content rather than just the sugar - you'll most likely need to take your reading glasses shopping with you from now on in - cos none of the manufacturers emblazon the carb content on anything.
And again - it's in stuff you don't imagine it's in. Sausage - which I always assumed was 'just meat - ie protein' - well it isn't - not in the UK anyway - if you produce any sausage commercially - ie supplying to other outlets rather than just your own shop - it MUST have a certain %age of rusk in it by Law. Some has quite a lot so you need to compare labels ........
I had a pork butcher friend (from a family of pork butchers in Bloxwich) who produced his own sausage. It went well in the shop, it won prizes. So they set up a small 'factory' - and some exceedingly popular types had to go - the garlic sausage (with fresh, minced garlic) and the tomato sausage (with pureed tinned tomatoes) both went. However - every so often they would make a 'run' of both for pre-orders for family and special customers. So our freezer was well supplied! And then they virtually had to fumigate before they could produce commercially again.
Sugar is only about 95% carbohydrate - some things eg some corn and other syrups - which are often added to all SORTS of manufactured stuff that you would never have imagined it could be in! - can be even higher carb.
So check the carb content rather than just the sugar - you'll most likely need to take your reading glasses shopping with you from now on in - cos none of the manufacturers emblazon the carb content on anything.
And again - it's in stuff you don't imagine it's in. Sausage - which I always assumed was 'just meat - ie protein' - well it isn't - not in the UK anyway - if you produce any sausage commercially - ie supplying to other outlets rather than just your own shop - it MUST have a certain %age of rusk in it by Law. Some has quite a lot so you need to compare labels ........
I had a pork butcher friend (from a family of pork butchers in Bloxwich) who produced his own sausage. It went well in the shop, it won prizes. So they set up a small 'factory' - and some exceedingly popular types had to go - the garlic sausage (with fresh, minced garlic) and the tomato sausage (with pureed tinned tomatoes) both went. However - every so often they would make a 'run' of both for pre-orders for family and special customers. So our freezer was well supplied! And then they virtually had to fumigate before they could produce commercially again.
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