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georgenfrances

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Type 2
I was diagnosed yesterday. I know absolutely nothing about what I should be doing. The doctor has prescribed Metformin (I have type 2) but I have to have further blood tests and a liver scan. I won't get the blood results until Wednesday next week. My immediate problem is apart from cutting out all the obvious sweet stuff, I have no idea what is ok for me to eat. Some basic information would be so helpful. Can anyone help me please?
 
georgenfrances said:
I was diagnosed yesterday. I know absolutely nothing about what I should be doing. The doctor has prescribed Metformin (I have type 2) but I have to have further blood tests and a liver scan. I won't get the blood results until Wednesday next week. My immediate problem is apart from cutting out all the obvious sweet stuff, I have no idea what is ok for me to eat. Some basic information would be so helpful. Can anyone help me please?
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Hi georgenfrances, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. The good news is that this is a condition that can be managed well with the right knowledge and application. To that end, I would recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and getting a copy of the highly recommended book: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These should all give you a good grounding and help you understand better what it all entails 🙂

Sugar is just one form of carbohydrate, so whilst it is important to limit your intake of it, you also need to be aware of any other carbohydrates you consume - things like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc. - as all these will raise your blood sugar levels. I would recommend starting a food diary and writing down the amount, in grams, of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink. Sounds laborious, but it will give you a good idea of the amount and types of carbs you are eating, and you can then look for areas where you might reduce or replace the carbs with more 'diabetes friendly' alternatives.

I'd also recommend looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet - The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction. This describes how to select and combine food that will have a slow and steady impact on your blood sugar levels, which is just what you want when you have diabetes! 🙂 How will you know how you are being affected by the thngs you eat? The only real way you can know this is by testing your blood glucose levels before and after eating in order to discover your particular tolerances for things - these tolerances can vary greatly from person to person, so it's important to know your own. Have a look at Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a fuller explanation of how to do this efficiently. If your GP hasn't given you a meter and strips (they often say you don't need to test) then it is worth getting your own whilst you find out how things affect you. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

Please let us know if you have any questions and we will be more than happy to help! Try not to get overwhelmed and take things at a pace where you can absorb things - nothing disastrous will happen overnight, this is more of a marathon than a sprint! 🙂 Most people find that, once they have learned how to get thier levels under control they feel much healthier and happier, so the work involved in getting there is well worth it 🙂
 
Hi georgenfrances. Welcome to the forum.🙂
 
Welcome from a fellow T2 whose 14 months in. Unfortunately I don't have any practical advice about anything, particularly food. I do say don't be English. Speak up, ask medical people questions, make sure the doctors and nurses tell you what's going on and don't put up with the brush off.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum georgenfrances. Bloody scary isn't it!! I was diagnosed in December and just left for 2 weeks before I got an appointment so I know how you feel. Thankfully I had some knowledge about carbs so was able to make adjustments more or less instantly.

Yes I did go in all guns blazing on cutting carbs but that was only initially until I had my sugar levels under control and stable then I started adding things in to see how they affected my levels.

I love a sandwich for evening meal (retired so cooked meal at lunchtime) so once or twice a week I have a buttie with ham or egg or ham and cheese or a burger (good quality one) with cheese and trimmings. The bread I use is from Lidl. They do a high protein roll which is about 11 carbs per roll and they have little or no impact on my glucose levels. They are big rolls so one is sufficient.

Northerner has already given you the links to the SD Codefree testing kit but one thing I will add is testing gives you the power to manage your diabetes. Without that knowledge you are just stumbling about in the dark and wondering what is going on.

Remember - knowledge is power! :D
 
Hi georgenfrances, it's tough at first knowing what to eat but I'd suggest reading the links northerner posted. They helped me when I was diagnosed last Feb. Only home testing will tell you how they uniquely affect you.

We always assume people know what carbs, protein and fats are but in simple terms, drastically reduce potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits, sweets and crisps! Plenty of vegetables but don't go mad on fruit and berries etc. won't spike you like bananas. Fruit juice can be high in 'sugar' too. Drink plenty of water. Meat is fine as is cheese and fish and eggs are a good staple especially for breakfast. Try and do some reading to inform yourself. White bread is like liquid sugar to me so watch for that. Just remember low fat doesn't mean low carb so diabetic food isn't necessarily calorie counting food.

Doesn't mean you have to give up all goodies but you'll find by losing weight and getting levels stabilised, you'll be able to introduce a little more into your diet. Carbs are the things to watch on the back of packets.

Good luck!
 
Hello , ok I have had type one for nearly 16 years , yes I hate it yes I am fed up with it and yes I am moaning ! but I am alive and if I behave I can enjoy life so hello !!
 
ang said:
Hello , ok I have had type one for nearly 16 years , yes I hate it yes I am fed up with it and yes I am moaning ! but I am alive and if I behave I can enjoy life so hello !!
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Hi @ang , welcome to the forum 🙂
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :D
 
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Hi georgenfrances and ang and welcome to the forum. As you can see from the messages already sent there's loads of advice here for the asking and everyone is very friendly 🙂
 
Thank you all for your lovely messages and helpful information, I AM floundering a bit just now as there seems so much to take in. I have cut out all the obvious sugars and carbs. But can't work out what I should be looking at on labels. When I read the amount of carbs per 100gr is say 17.8 of which sugars are 6.9 what does that mean? It's like learning a foreign language and I'm useless at that too!!!!
 
The first time I went good shopping after diagnosis, I was in Sainsburys for over 3 hours reading labels! I didn't understand them either. I came to the conclusion that anything 'convenient' was high in sugar/carbs (ie. ready meals, baked beans, cereals). Anything labelled as Low Fat was higher carb than Full Fat. Look at the total carbs, not the sugars bit.
 
The total carbs is the most important. The sugar is, well, sugar, but the rest of the carbs is probably flour, rice, pasta, whatever, all of which you want to be cutting down on. It's more helpful if the label on the back gives you the number of carbs per portion as well, then it makes it easier to compare things you're actually going to eat. Otherwise, you have to decide how many grams of the product you would be likely to eat at once and do the maths to work out how many carbs that portion would contain.
It's useful when it comes to choosing, for example, a yogurt. A lot of yogurts labelled as low fat contain thickeners in the form of rice flour, or,other thickener, which is the sort of carb you want to be avoiding. So comparing the labels on two yogurts, for example, can show you which is lower in thickeners and probably a better choice for you.
It takes a while at first, but as you get to grips with the best choices around each particular foodstuff, you get to know them by heart, and don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you shop!
 
Hi everyone
 
Thanks again everyone. This has given me lots to think about. I'm sure I will soon learn what is good and bad for me. Again many thanks
 
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