Hi, new to pre diabetes.

L

lendal

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
Hi, a nice 68th birthday present of a blood test of 44, so after being there and there about for a while, now definitely pre diabetic….

(My elderly mother(96) has been type 2 since around my age, so sort of knew it was coming!)

What I didn’t realise, or take much notice/interest in, was that it’s not inevitable!

So, taking it seriously, and changing my lifestyle ( again!).
Have to be honest and say I drink too much cider & wine, so looking for low carb alternatives ( trying Westbrook Brewery- Red Cross parcel on the way!)
Bread…pork, lamb, sigh 😳

On wards and upwards, looking forward to finding help, advice and support from all on here…

Ps…website strongly urges no red or processed meat, then promptly has loads on the recipe section!!
 
If you are happy with dry wine, or spirits with a low calorie mixer, then they should be fine but cider is one of the carbier drinks.
Yes, bread is high carb and I mostly gave upon it other than at an occasional buffet when there is little or no choice, but lamb and pork do not contain any carbs, so they are certainly not off my menu. Personally I don't follow the DUK website or it's menus/recipes as it is closely tied to the NHS dietary guidance of the Eatwell Plate and I don't personally believe that it is helpful for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Many people here find a low carb approach works very well for them, but you have to find what works for you as an individual and our lifestyles and tastes and metabolisms are all different. For me a low carb approach has not just helped with my diabetes but also my gut health and reduced joint pain and significantly less migraines and disordered eating, so there have been lots of benefits to cutting carbs.
 
Welcome @lendal,
lendal said:
On wards and upwards, looking forward to finding help, advice and support from all on here…
Click to expand...
Or onwards and downwards would be useful .....
lendal said:
Ps…website strongly urges no red or processed meat, then promptly has loads on the recipe section!!
Click to expand...
Just to satisfy my curiosity is the website that urges no red or processed meats that you've just referred to this Forum OR somewhere within the Diabetes UK website? And is the recipe section the part within this Forum or from the DUK website?

Slightly confusingly this Forum is sponsored by DUK in that DUK provides the technical and digital wherewithal to make this Forum possible, but DUK does not define what the Forum discusses. Inevitably we try to stay close to DUK principles, as a courtesy at least; but we can (and sometimes do) discuss things that are not DUK policy.

Also confusingly this site Diabetes UK (with blue tops to pages) is the UK National website and closely tied to NHS doctrine and practice. There is another website using the words diabetes uk which is diabetes.co.uk, with red tops of pages. The red top site is sponsored by commercial organisations.
 
rebrascora said:
If you are happy with dry wine, or spirits with a low calorie mixer, then they should be fine but cider is one of the carbier drinks.
Yes, bread is high carb and I mostly gave upon it other than at an occasional buffet when there is little or no choice, but lamb and pork do not contain any carbs, so they are certainly not off my menu. Personally I don't follow the DUK website or it's menus/recipes as it is closely tied to the NHS dietary guidance of the Eatwell Plate and I don't personally believe that it is helpful for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Many people here find a low carb approach works very well for them, but you have to find what works for you as an individual and our lifestyles and tastes and metabolisms are all different. For me a low carb approach has not just helped with my diabetes but also my gut health and reduced joint pain and significantly less migraines and disordered eating, so there have been lots of benefits to cutting carbs.
Click to expand...

Thanks,

Red alert: processed and red meat

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave its verdict on the cancer risks of red and processed meat, putting our meat-eating habits in the spotlight. With the evidence stacking up, what does this mean for meat eaters with diabetes?
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

Found it here, but re-reading it the advice is reduce and swap. I'm old enough to understand a balanced, low carb diet will be my approach!

When I retired I set myself a goal of walking 30 miles a week…and until around 3years ago, I did and thoroughly enjoyed tramping around the countryside, But life got in the way and my brain just switched a switch and said, no, that'll do…I’m hoping to switch it back on again! Won’t be able to put the time in, but will get back to more…
 
lendal said:
Thanks…saw that and downloaded it…admit to being confused with full fat butter etc in green and low fat sprays in red!
Click to expand...
Well, Dr Kim Andrews' Low Carb Manual on the same website explains a lot of that https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/documents/6/Freshwell-Low-Carb-Manual.pdf.

In brief, American politicians jumped the gun 50 years ago on saturated fats and demonised them. However the results of the research they were relying on did not come out as they had anticipated. In retrospect they should have trained their weapons on sugar, especially on corn syrup.

The body can cope with natural saturated fats in moderation, maybe around 10-15g per day but I am no expert.

Low fat products substitute 'who knows what carbs' for healthy fat, and do not taste so good. Industrially processed oils and fats are a no go area.

For an eye opening guide to what's good to eat and what is not, read Tim Spector's 'Food for Life'. It's a mine of information.
 
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Plus fat makes you feel fuller for longer and provides very slow release energy which you need when you cut back on carbs. Natural fats like butter are also far less processed than those artificial spreads and sprays, which often have emulsifiers and other additives in them..... and of course butter tastes better.
The thing to consider is that you have to find ways of incorporating it into your diet without spreading it on bread or letting potatoes roll around in it. I use a knob of butter in with my veggies like cabbage and courgettes when I cook them. I fry my omelettes in butter or meat fat and sweat spinach or kale in it. I very occasionally put a knob of butter in my coffee if I have run out of cream but that is very much an acquired taste and I am still trying to acquire it, so not recommending to a novice 🙄 best just not to run out of cream!
 
lendal said:
Hi, a nice 68th birthday present of a blood test of 44, so after being there and there about for a while, now definitely pre diabetic….

(My elderly mother(96) has been type 2 since around my age, so sort of knew it was coming!)

What I didn’t realise, or take much notice/interest in, was that it’s not inevitable!

So, taking it seriously, and changing my lifestyle ( again!).
Have to be honest and say I drink too much cider & wine, so looking for low carb alternatives ( trying Westbrook Brewery- Red Cross parcel on the way!)
Bread…pork, lamb, sigh 😳

On wards and upwards, looking forward to finding help, advice and support from all on here…

Ps…website strongly urges no red or processed meat, then promptly has loads on the recipe section!!
Click to expand...
Hi, I'm in a similar position as you. Just been diagnosed as prediabetic with a level off 44. I'm 55 yrs old with a family history of type 2. Good luck, we can do this
 
lendal said:
Ps…website strongly urges no red or processed meat, then promptly has loads on the recipe section!!
Click to expand...
Well that isn’t what the website says, it doesn’t say no red meat. It says

“Red meat is a good source of some nutrients, such as protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. It’s just about being sensible, and not eating too much, too often.”

Not too much not too often doesn’t mean “no red meat”. So you should be perfectly able to choose recipes and meal plan for a week that includes some red meat but not too much and not too often.
 
Lucyr said:
Well that isn’t what the website says, it doesn’t say no red meat. It says

“Red meat is a good source of some nutrients, such as protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. It’s just about being sensible, and not eating too much, too often.”

Not too much not too often doesn’t mean “no red meat”. So you should be perfectly able to choose recipes and meal plan for a week that includes some red meat but not too much and not too often.
Click to expand...
Yes, I re read it and realised I had misunderstood it…
 
sharonann said:
Hi, I'm in a similar position as you. Just been diagnosed as prediabetic with a level off 44. I'm 55 yrs old with a family history of type 2. Good luck, we can do this
Click to expand...
Wishing you well - we can and will 🙂
 
lendal said:
Hi, a nice 68th birthday present of a blood test of 44, so after being there and there about for a while, now definitely pre diabetic….

(My elderly mother(96) has been type 2 since around my age, so sort of knew it was coming!)

What I didn’t realise, or take much notice/interest in, was that it’s not inevitable!

So, taking it seriously, and changing my lifestyle ( again!).
Have to be honest and say I drink too much cider & wine, so looking for low carb alternatives ( trying Westbrook Brewery- Red Cross parcel on the way!)
Bread…pork, lamb, sigh 😳

On wards and upwards, looking forward to finding help, advice and support from all on here…

Ps…website strongly urges no red or processed meat, then promptly has loads on the recipe section!!
Click to expand...
Welcome! I'm new to the forum and newly diagnosed too. I hope you find the forum as helpful as I do.
I was pre-diabetic for 2 years and didn't understand/wasn't in the right headspace/ was given enough information to manage it before it became type 2. It's good that you know and have committed to solving it before that point. Fingers crossed type 2 isn't an inevitability for you.
(I'm just back from a bottomless brunch - drank a few small flutes of Prosecco instead of cocktails, have kept to my carb limit for the day and my blood sugar has remained stable (whilst thoroughly enjoying myself!)
So, this is not us being condemned to go without some pleasures, just us learning how to moderate and manage them!
 
rebrascora said:
Natural fats like butter are also far less processed than those artificial spreads and sprays, which often have emulsifiers and other additives in them
Click to expand...
I view this as the key thing .. there is a big difference between natural fats and over-processed fats/oils.

You may think a simple bottle of sunflower oil would be ok, but most oils are chemically extracted and highly refined. The best oils are olive oil and cold pressed oils (if the bottle doesn't say 'cold pressed' then it is almost certainly highly processed.

Additives as mentioned are the other thing, one example is spray oil
Sainsbury's Vegetable Oil Spray 200ml
Ingredients: Rapeseed Oil

Frylight 1 Cal Rapeseed Oil Cooking Spray 190ml
Ingredients: Rapeseed Oil (51%), Water, Alcohol, Emulsifier: Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavouring, Thickener: Xanthan Gum
 
JITR said:
Well, Dr Kim Andrews' Low Carb Manual on the same website explains a lot of that https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/documents/6/Freshwell-Low-Carb-Manual.pdf.

In brief, American politicians jumped the gun 50 years ago on saturated fats and demonised them. However the results of the research they were relying on did not come out as they had anticipated. In retrospect they should have trained their weapons on sugar, especially on corn syrup.

The body can cope with natural saturated fats in moderation, maybe around 10-15g per day but I am no expert.

Low fat products substitute 'who knows what carbs' for healthy fat, and do not taste so good. Industrially processed oils and fats are a no go area.

For an eye opening guide to what's good to eat and what is not, read Tim Spector's 'Food for Life'. It's a mine of information.
Click to expand...

A big thanks for heading me in this direction 🙂

After a long weekend of fretting, surfing all the low carb diets places, and getting myself in a tizzy about counting carbs, or should I be counting cals, or what are macronutrients, or do I count Babybel snacks or…😳

Dr Andrews makes so much sense!

Again thank you
 
You are only prediabetic so go easy with any changes, just being aware of what are high carb foods and being careful of portion sizes. I would not bother too much about calories or macronutrient, far to complicated whilst you get your head around the carbs.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is useful though there are other apps people use.
I found the Freshwell program very straightforward in what were good options. It is carbs to be cautious of, protein and healthy fats with veg and salads are all good.
 
Hello and welcome

I just posted this reply to another newbie:
"You may wish to go down the reduced carb dietary route (less bread, potato, rice, pasta, cereal, pastries, processed food, some fruits). This does not mean NO carbs (virtually impossible) but it is recommended less than 130gm total a day. You can get an app to help you measure your carbs and will also teach you portion control. There are low carb breads but I settled on Warburtons no added sugar 400gm wholemeal loaf at 8.9gm carbs per slice. I have a lot of cauliflower instead of potato, and soy bean pasta instead of wheat pasta. Lots of other substitutes you can make, like celeriac chips, roasted squash, cauliflower rice. I fill up with larger portions of protein (usually fish and poultry) and veggies. You'll find lots of ideas in the forum Food/carbs queries and recipes.
I do a lot of home made slow cooker recipes and soups, so I know exactly what goes into them. Soup can be taken to work in a thermos, and slow cookers save cooking when you get home. I batch and freeze. If you snack or nibble a small pot with things like boiled egg, celery sticks, carrot batons, berries.
Bread and cereals are not a good breakfast. Full fat Greek yogurt with a few berries, nuts and seeds is a favourite, as are eggs in all forms - boiled, poached, dry fried, scrambled - with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. This morning I had a couple of boiled eggs, with a slice of toast cut into soldiers. Lunch can be a bit tricky, so I tend to have salads (today) in summer and soups in winter. You can make wraps with a thin omelette or lettuce and fill them with items of your choice. Fruit has a lot of sugar, but my diabetic nurse recommended berries as the best choice, and no more than two 80gm portions a day. I get frozen berries as that makes portion control easy."
Regarding exercise, have you considered the swimming pool, or joining a social walking group, now you are retired? Best wishes
 
Felinia said:
Hello and welcome

I just posted this reply to another newbie:
"You may wish to go down the reduced carb dietary route (less bread, potato, rice, pasta, cereal, pastries, processed food, some fruits). This does not mean NO carbs (virtually impossible) but it is recommended less than 130gm total a day. You can get an app to help you measure your carbs and will also teach you portion control. There are low carb breads but I settled on Warburtons no added sugar 400gm wholemeal loaf at 8.9gm carbs per slice. I have a lot of cauliflower instead of potato, and soy bean pasta instead of wheat pasta. Lots of other substitutes you can make, like celeriac chips, roasted squash, cauliflower rice. I fill up with larger portions of protein (usually fish and poultry) and veggies. You'll find lots of ideas in the forum Food/carbs queries and recipes.
I do a lot of home made slow cooker recipes and soups, so I know exactly what goes into them. Soup can be taken to work in a thermos, and slow cookers save cooking when you get home. I batch and freeze. If you snack or nibble a small pot with things like boiled egg, celery sticks, carrot batons, berries.
Bread and cereals are not a good breakfast. Full fat Greek yogurt with a few berries, nuts and seeds is a favourite, as are eggs in all forms - boiled, poached, dry fried, scrambled - with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. This morning I had a couple of boiled eggs, with a slice of toast cut into soldiers. Lunch can be a bit tricky, so I tend to have salads (today) in summer and soups in winter. You can make wraps with a thin omelette or lettuce and fill them with items of your choice. Fruit has a lot of sugar, but my diabetic nurse recommended berries as the best choice, and no more than two 80gm portions a day. I get frozen berries as that makes portion control easy."
Regarding exercise, have you considered the swimming pool, or joining a social walking group, now you are retired? Best wishes
Click to expand...
Cheers

I swam! I will start again, issue is time of adult lanes in our pool - lots of schools & teaching!

I much prefer my company walking, and feel that something tangible as this will kick in my hiking gene again …🙂
 
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