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Hi guys

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TerryW

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
My name is Terry, sorry I already started a thread but want to introduce myself. I am 65 - very nearly 66, diagnosed in October last year with type 2. I live currently in Cambodia and obviously not much chance of that changing in the near future. I was vegetarian for many years and for over a year now have been vegan. I retired last December, well I haven't worked since but needs must and I'm hoping for some part-time work very soon.
My reason for joining is that although there is a Diabetes Association here that I go to to get checked and get my meds.I'm not exactly confident in the local medical knowledge, sad to say.
 
Hello again @TerryW.
I have just replied to your other posting.
I hope that you find the forum useful, there is a lot of experience and knowledge available here.
We will always try to help with any questions you may have.
 
Welcome to the forum @TerryW

How are you finding veganism suiting your diabetes? My youngest went Vegan a couple of years ago, and I have seen an increase in our general carb load for evening meals since then, because many of the swaps we’ve made to go from veggie to vegan add some extra carbs.
 
I am not eating much in the way of carbs at all, I'm careful what carbs I use too, brown rice, basmati rice, buckwheat pasta, quinoa, pearl barley all of which have a low GI and generally I use less than 1/3 cup uncooked. Not eaten out for a few weeks for obvious reasons as most places are closed but they tend to do cheap white rice so when I did I never ate the full portion.
 
I would also like to say it's great to have people to discuss this with, here is not so easy. I have a couple of friends with type 2 here but one is a carnivour who also drinks way too much, but only at about 2am sleeps from 4am till whenever and never tkes a reading. The other is a young local who I think has it mildly but doesn't test often either.
 
Hi Terry. One thing that might help in comparing notes is that in the UK, where most of the members of this forum reside, we do not normally use "cup" measures for things maybe because cups come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. We normally talk in weight, usually grammes.

I had a bit of a try to translate 1/3 cup of uncooked brown rice into weight of carbs and reckon that it comes to around 40g. To me, where I have found that keeping total carbs under 40g/meal works, that is in fact quite a lot of carbs for one component of a meal. Not looked at the other things in your list but I suspect similar thoughts would apply. I'm wondering whether your "I am not eating much in the way of carbs at all" would square with what those of us who have gone the reduced carb route would call low carb.

You have set yourself a challenge to take on a vegan diet with the target of reducing carbs whilst taking in enough calories to keep body and soul together. Don't think there is an easy route.
 
Docb said:
Hi Terry. One thing that might help in comparing notes is that in the UK, where most of the members of this forum reside, we do not normally use "cup" measures for things maybe because cups come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. We normally talk in weight, usually grammes.

I had a bit of a try to translate 1/3 cup of uncooked brown rice into weight of carbs and reckon that it comes to around 40g. To me, where I have found that keeping total carbs under 40g/meal works, that is in fact quite a lot of carbs for one component of a meal. Not looked at the other things in your list but I suspect similar thoughts would apply. I'm wondering whether your "I am not eating much in the way of carbs at all" would square with what those of us who have gone the reduced carb route would call low carb.

You have set yourself a challenge to take on a vegan diet with the target of reducing carbs whilst taking in enough calories to keep body and soul together. Don't think there is an easy route.
Click to expand...
So you think it's still too much in the way of carbs? wow, it seems so little :( I do try to get my protien up these days with a lot of pulses , tempeh and soy. I eat a lot of green veg and mushrooms too. The thing is as well if anything i'm eating less carbs than before I retired and my BS has risen in the mornings. I am leaning towards thinking Dawn Phenomenon being at the root of my problem. I do feel happier now I am getting support from you guys though 🙂 I hope this will reduce my stress level too as I know this is a major contributor to high BS.
 
Not thinking its too much carbs for everybody, just looks like too much for me. What I would do is to take out some of the guesswork and for a week or two note down everything I ate, doing a bit of weighing where necessary. I would then look up carb contents for each component of a meal, work out what was in my portion and then total it up to get my carb intake. If you have a blood glucose monitor, you could then check out the sort of blood glucose rise you get from various meals. From that lot you could see if any patterns emerge which explain what you are experiencing.

Too many years practising R&D leaves you wanting to get a decent data set before making assumptions!
 
Docb said:
Not thinking its too much carbs for everybody, just looks like too much for me. What I would do is to take out some of the guesswork and for a week or two note down everything I ate, doing a bit of weighing where necessary. I would then look up carb contents for each component of a meal, work out what was in my portion and then total it up to get my carb intake. If you have a blood glucose monitor, you could then check out the sort of blood glucose rise you get from various meals. From that lot you could see if any patterns emerge which explain what you are experiencing.

Too many years practising R&D leaves you wanting to get a decent data set before making assumptions!
Click to expand...
I think I'll have to try recording what I eat again. I haven't got scales but may get some.
 
I have found over the years what I can tolerate has changed and had to adjust a number of times.
 
Hi Terry. Sounds like you are going to get a great benefit from joining the forum. It is great to be able to 'run' ideas past more experienced diabetics. Certainly we all need help from time to time and everybody here is very happy to help. Don't feel any question is too big or small, often it is the little things that we are most unsure about but feel they may sound silly - they are not. I hope you get lots of useful advice and remember there is always someone here if you feel that you need a little chat/rant/advice. Take good care.
 
SueEK said:
Hi Terry. Sounds like you are going to get a great benefit from joining the forum. It is great to be able to 'run' ideas past more experienced diabetics. Certainly we all need help from time to time and everybody here is very happy to help. Don't feel any question is too big or small, often it is the little things that we are most unsure about but feel they may sound silly - they are not. I hope you get lots of useful advice and remember there is always someone here if you feel that you need a little chat/rant/advice. Take good care.
Click to expand...
Thanks Sue, I already feel this has been a good decision. My stress about it has lowered again which I know is a good thing. As BT ads used to say, "it's good to talk" :D:D:D
 
Hello Terry
As a vegan you have the most difficult path to tread, because as you might now realise, all your choices are high in carbs.
I like to make the most of the carbs I can cope with by choosing the lowest options, so a salad, stir fry, or roasted veges and never any grain, few seeds, no potatoes or root vegetables. The 40 gm of carbs a day limit means that I then need protein and fat from carb free sources. This keeps my blood glucose in normal bounds, but I am at a loss to suggest what you might eat.
Do you have a meter to test your levels after eating?
What medication are you using and is it helping?
 
Drummer said:
Hello Terry
As a vegan you have the most difficult path to tread, because as you might now realise, all your choices are high in carbs.
I like to make the most of the carbs I can cope with by choosing the lowest options, so a salad, stir fry, or roasted veges and never any grain, few seeds, no potatoes or root vegetables. The 40 gm of carbs a day limit means that I then need protein and fat from carb free sources. This keeps my blood glucose in normal bounds, but I am at a loss to suggest what you might eat.
Do you have a meter to test your levels after eating?
What medication are you using and is it helping?
Click to expand...
Yes I have a metre and test twice a day.
I'm on Glyciphage 850 (metformin hydrocloride ) in the morning Gsiptin 100 half morning half evening
 
TerryW said:
Yes I have a metre and test twice a day.
I'm on Glyciphage 850 (metformin hydrocloride ) in the morning Gsiptin 100 half morning half evening
Click to expand...

Read this and see what you can find out about your diet, Terry. No point in testing - unless you can utilise the info thus gleaned to inform yourself!

Test, Review, Adjust

Managing blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes. Learning how to achieve long term control by testing and diet.
loraldiabetes.blogspot.com loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
 
Good morning from hot Cambodia 😎 I want to thank you all for your help, I have a few things to play around with now. Seems like I may be over snacking at night, I have always done that when bored, living alone doesn't help as no one to guilt me out!!!! I needed this wake up call and will try cutting right down as recommended. It seems that everything else I'm doing is OK, I'm going to test 2 hours after my breakfast soon as that's the one I've never done, it was 93 (about 5.2).
I am currently doing an online vegan nutritional course and that is helping me too, I was def. low on protien some days before I started on it. Plenty of leafy veg though 😎:D🙂
 
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Hello and welcome to the forum @TerryW 🙂
 
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