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Hi all
It's the ist time I've been on here ,I have type2 diabetes just getting my head around it ,just finding info to what food and drink I can take ?
Any info welcome
Hi all
It's the ist time I've been on here ,I have type2 diabetes just getting my head around it ,just finding info to what food and drink I can take ?
Any info welcome
Hi - sorry you've had to join us but welcome. It would help if you're able to share some information about your diagnosis, in particular your HbA1c blood test result. This will show how far over the diabetes threshold you are and will have a bearing on what you will need to do diet-wise. Also, any medication?
Hi Martin
Thanks for getting back to me some info about myself
65 years old
No smoker
Not Very often I drink alcohol
Height 176 cm
Weight 98.4 kg
My HbA1c level is 73 was
Just been given a blood glucose meter
Hi and welcome.
Thanks for the information. With an HbA1c of 73 you are well into the diabetic range (48 and over), but not as high as some members on diagnosis. Some GPs will offer the chance to reduce your HbA1c with lifestyle changes, if a person is not too far into the diabetic range. With your level, I would expect you to have been prescribed Metformin initially. This can have gastrointestinal upsets (cramps, the runs). It often settles after a few weeks, but a slow release version, which is kinder on the tummy, can be requested.
Many of us have adopted a low carb diet. By that I mean less than 130gm a day in total (food, drink, snacks). It does not mean NO carbs (virtually impossible as even lettuce has carbs!!). It does mean cutting down or out high carb foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, some fruits, cakes, pastries, biscuits, sweets, processed food. Every person is different and it takes experimentation to find out what suits your body. I experimented and settled on 90gm a day. Some people are less tolerant of carbs and go lower. But change should be done slowly otherwise it can affect your eyes.
I swapped certain foods, like cauliflower rice or mash instead of potatoes, courgetti, soy bean pasta, and I upped my vegetables. To help monitor my intake, I use an app (NutraCheck), which I enter first thing each day. You might like to look at the Freshwell site, which has lots of ideas.
You are in the obese category for your height, regardless of ethnicity. That can happen with certain sportspeople, like rugby players, athletic throwers, certain body types. If you are honest with yourself, do you need to lose weight and/or increase your exercise, as that could help? Walking, swimming, cycling, fitness classes - whatever suits.
Best wishes
Carbs, as they all end up as glucose once eaten. Sugary stuff like cakes, biscuits etc are best avoided. Your Metformin needs to work alongside reducing your carbs. Losing weight and being more active will also help.
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us 🙂
Great to hear you’ve been given a BG meter too - lots of people aren’t offered them unless they go onto a medication that can cause hypos, but loads of T2s here find them hugely helpful to fine tune their meals.
There are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, but as @Martin.A says, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. You don’t have to try to avoid all carbs entirely, but one of the really tricky things about diabetes is that blood glucose responses to various foods are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which types and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself.
You can use your BG meter, taking a reading before and again 2hrs after the first bite of a meal, to see what the ‘meal rise’ is. This can help you identify any sources of carbs that seem to be spiking BG (initially in a way the numbers themselves matter less than the differences between them). Ideally you would want to see a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L at the 2hr mark. And eventually to end up 4-7mmol/l before meals, and no higher than 8.5mmol/L by 2hrs after.
Once you can see how you respond to different meals you can begin experimenting with reducing portion sizes of the carbs where you see bigger rises, or try swapping to a different source. You might find that you are particularly sensitive to carbohydrate from one source (eg bread), but have more liberty with others (eg oats or basmati rice) - It’s all very individual! You might even find that just having things at a different time of day makes a difference - with breakfast time being the trickiest.
@Redditchred welcome to the forum. I have had high blood pressure since 2007 and have a blood test once a year. I've not had a discussion about my BP apart from when doctor found correct level of medication then it was just busy nurses. I had put on weight following an early menopause. I now know I was tested for diabetes in 2014 not told result [ 40] and not tested again! When called in in June for creeping cholestral I discovered no diabetes testing and asked for a test. HCP was surprised I seemed shocked by the result [ 69] Four weeks later it was confirmed at 64. I cut sweet things. I'd stopped sugar on cereal and drinks as a teen. I then reduced processed meat and all carbs. I still have occasional bread a few potatoes and even pudding scone or cake once or twice a month Carbs turn to sugar. I was in M and S today and they had some beautiful pasta but the carbs are eye-watering. I have bought some edamame noodles from H and B and also red lentil fusilli. I havent tried the red lentil yet. I effectively went low carb and was losing 2lbs a week. I ate lots of fish and veg turkey and chicken and changed breakfast to full fat Greek yoghurt seeds and berries. Take it steadily. Decide what you can do without, what you can replace and what you will have a smaller portion of. I was on SR metformin. First two weeks it bunged me up then it got looser and I was reduced to two. I was taking two tablets for my blood pressure but I was put on an SGLT2 in September which causes you to pee a lot and taken off the diuretic, seemed sensible but my blood pressure wasn't checked for months and hit 198 over 103. I'm now back on the original diuretic and had it taken on Thursday before an op and it was 118. My warning is I was brought up not to bother Doctors but very much regret it. My hba1c in December was 44. You should also move more short walks after eating housework gardening. If you buy processed food look on the back undernutrition for carbs.
I have signposted number of times a New Forest site which h includes all the info about Diabetes in one section including bottom left links to the useful websites for diet including Freshwell Caldesi and Moseley.
Diabetes UK has info and a learning zone.
It can be tough but you are likely to end up healthier.
Hello @Redditchred, welcome to the forum. Hopefully you will find a lot of useful information here.
I would add, if you eat low carb you might find that your blood pressure falls to become lower than average, so getting a home tester for that might be an idea. I am on low carb sites where weightloss is the main concern and several times have seen reports of falls due to lowering blood pressure whilst still taking medication. One was life changing, so whilst not all that common it would be advisable to keep an eye on possible changes.
Hi @Redditchred, welcome to the forum. The ideas, suggestions and help provided here is really helpful and having followed it since last October, I am way fitter, eating better and have seen my HbA1c fall from 86 to 47. Good luck on your journey and remember, no one judges you here and you can ask any question even those some people might think are stupid ones because all questions are important.
Grapefruit Juice has the least carbs in it but you mentioned you are on tablets for high Blood Pressure - some medications for Blood Pressure it is advised not to have Grapefruit Juice, so best to read the information sheet first - Pineapple and Cranberry juice have the most carbs so probably best to avoid them
Personally I would say no undiluted fruit juice for breakfast as it is very high in carbs. A 250ml glass of unsweetened orange juice is over 20gm carbs, and a similar glass of pineapple juice closer to 30gm. I sometimes have 75ml of juice, topped up to 250ml with sparkling water, which makes it much lower in carbs. A 40gm helping of berries with Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of nuts/seeds gives a sweet breakfast.
Grapefruit Juice has the least carbs in it but you mentioned you are on tablets for high Blood Pressure - some medications for Blood Pressure it is advised not to have Grapefruit Juice, so best to read the information sheet first
Hi @Redditchred and a very warm welcome from me 🙂. As you can see, this is a great place to ask questions and hear about other members experience with managing the condition. This is also useful to try and work out carb intake Carbs & Cals | Dieting & Calorie Counting Books & App Glad you've been given a meter, think you'll find that really useful. Let us know how you're getting on ....
I swapped my glass of pineapple juice for a glass of sparkling flavoured water but you can get still if you prefer.
Most fruit juices are high carb and many will avoid.
lowcarbfreshwell.com
