Hi! Newly diagnosed yesterday as Type II

[DGH2304]

Came as a bit of a shock! Looking for newbie help and advice

 

[Alan44]

Hi @DGH2304 and welcome to the forum.
Your HBA1c score will be your starting point and indicate how much you will have to do, which may just be some Lifestyle changes.
If you know your HBA1c it would be helpful for other members to offer help and advice

Alan 😉

 

[Ieva DUK]

Hi @DGH2304 ! Welcome to the forum!
As Alan has said, your HbA1c levels would determine what type of changes you might need to do for your day-today life, be that food, exercise or anything else related, but it will also depend on your circumstances and any other conditions you might be living with. So feel free to share as much or as little that you feel comfortable with, so the forum users could cater their responses to your situation.
Is there anything specific that you're unsure or want to learn more about? No question here is considered silly as folk have been exactly where you are now. There's a lot of gathered knowledge and experience here to support you, should you find it useful. Just ask away!

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, a diagnosis can come as a shock or surprise but sometimes can be a relief as it may explain symptoms but some don't get any and it is picked up when the HbA1C is included in routine tests.
As mentioned what that result is will determine how much work you will have to do from some modest changes to something a bit more radicle and the possibility of the help from medication. What dietary approach will be suitable may depend on that but unless it is insulin which is unlikely at this point then many have found a low carb approach is successful, that generally means no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day is a good starting point. This link is an approach based on that and has been successful for many. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
In any case it has good information and explanation and some menu plans to suit various tastes.
You should be offered a foot check and have a retinal eye screening arranged by your GP and another blood test in 3 months to ensure the measures you have taken are working.
Hopefully if your HbA1C is not too high then you will be given the opportunity to make lifestyle changes before medication.

 

[DGH2304]

Hi everyone and thank you for the lovely welcome. Having had a blood test following a BP scare in November my reading in December was 60. Test has just been redone and is now 54. In between I have started to make some dietary adjustments and have managed to shift about 9lbs. Dr said medication not essential at the moment and am now waiting for my first appointment with the diabetes nurse in about a month’s time. Bloods have also revealed that my liver enzymes are too high, although they have also come down a bit between blood tests and my cholesterol is also a bit too high. By the way I am 62 and probably a good few stone overweight. I am now on permanent BP meds and my BP is now “normal.”

 

[saffron15]

@DGH2304 I was a fatty with high blood pressure and when called in for a check in June as my cholestral had crept up I discovered I had a diabetes test ten years ago but they hadn't bothered to test since then. I had been peeing more and requested a test. Meanwhile I started cutting pastry processed meat and sweet things. First reading 69 four weeks later it was 64.
I discovered by eating low carb 100 to 130 per day I was losing weight. I was put on medication from end of August by which time it was 58 and by December it was 44. If you buy any packaged food carbs are under nutrition.

There is a website from an nhs site in the newforest which has links to lots of good websites including Freshwell, Moseley and Caldesi. You will be helped that most people eat less carbs in the summer. You don't stop all carbs just cut some out replace with something else or use portion control. If you like bread have an open sandwich eg one slice. I've stopped pasta but use a substitute from Holland and Barrett. I rarely eat potatoes but had a small portion of chips with steak last month. I'd have preferred the brown butter mash but checked the carbs and chips were better. Try and move more gardening housework or short walk in the sunshine, Eat mindfully. Ask questions here and check info on diabetes UK site.

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi everyone and thank you for the lovely welcome. Having had a blood test following a BP scare in November my reading in December was 60. Test has just been redone and is now 54. In between I have started to make some dietary adjustments and have managed to shift about 9lbs. Dr said medication not essential at the moment and am now waiting for my first appointment with the diabetes nurse in about a month’s time. Bloods have also revealed that my liver enzymes are too high, although they have also come down a bit between blood tests and my cholesterol is also a bit too high. By the way I am 62 and probably a good few stone overweight. I am now on permanent BP meds and my BP is now “normal.”

It sounds as if you are heading in the right direction and carrying on with what you are doing with a bit of tightening up on carb intake will mean that meds are not needed.
Many find a low carb regime lowers cholesterol and helps with weight loss.

 

[DGH2304]

It sounds as if you are heading in the right direction and carrying on with what you are doing with a bit of tightening up on carb intake will mean that meds are not needed.
Many find a low carb regime lowers cholesterol and helps with weight loss.

Thank you, I hope I am! Trouble is I really don’t enjoy cooking and the less time I spend in the kitchen, the happier I am. My husband has been Type II for over 35 years and I’ve spent the past 19 years trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. Main issue with catering is that we have very different tastes when it comes to food, he is very much a “traditional” meat, potatoes and drown it in gravy kind of man, whereas I prefer things like lasagne, chilli, roasted med veg, fajitas, pasta, curry. When my son was still living at home I often ended up cooking something for me and him and something different for hubby which tbh is a pain!

 

[DGH2304]

@DGH2304 I was a fatty with high blood pressure and when called in for a check in June as my cholestral had crept up I discovered I had a diabetes test ten years ago but they hadn't bothered to test since then. I had been peeing more and requested a test. Meanwhile I started cutting pastry processed meat and sweet things. First reading 69 four weeks later it was 64.
I discovered by eating low carb 100 to 130 per day I was losing weight. I was put on medication from end of August by which time it was 58 and by December it was 44. If you buy any packaged food carbs are under nutrition.

There is a website from an nhs site in the newforest which has links to lots of good websites including Freshwell, Moseley and Caldesi. You will be helped that most people eat less carbs in the summer. You don't stop all carbs just cut some out replace with something else or use portion control. If you like bread have an open sandwich eg one slice. I've stopped pasta but use a substitute from Holland and Barrett. I rarely eat potatoes but had a small portion of chips with steak last month. I'd have preferred the brown butter mash but checked the carbs and chips were better. Try and move more gardening housework or short walk in the sunshine, Eat mindfully. Ask questions here and check info on diabetes UK site.

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

Do you track carbs on an app or something?
Can I ask what the pasta substitute from Holland and Barrett is please and is it actually nice?
Annoying thing is I don’t particularly have a sweet tooth, rarely eat sweets, biscuits or desserts but do eat some chocolate and yogurts. My main downfall is bread I think so that is the one thing I have made a big effort to cut down on since my BP went through the roof!

 

[DGH2304]

It sounds as if you are heading in the right direction and carrying on with what you are doing with a bit of tightening up on carb intake will mean that meds are not needed.
Many find a low carb regime lowers cholesterol and helps with weight loss.

My hubby and I did “low carb” about 5 years ago and the weight just dropped off him, he lost about a stone in a month. I lost about 3lbs and was totally disillusioned with it and gave up! I am now post-menopausal so I hope things might be a bit easier and I will continue to cut down the carbs and see what happens.

 

[Leadinglights]

My hubby and I did “low carb” about 5 years ago and the weight just dropped off him, he lost about a stone in a month. I lost about 3lbs and was totally disillusioned with it and gave up! I am now post-menopausal so I hope things might be a bit easier and I will continue to cut down the carbs and see what happens.

Hopefully you may find some meals in the Freshwell link that you could both enjoy and that would make life easier. Maybe you may have to get him to compromise as It would probably be beneficial to him as well.
There are some foods that you can still have but just look carefully at the carbs as there can be a big difference between brands.
It is surprising how different yoghurts can be for something like 18g carbs per pot to as little as 4g for some of the high protein ones or full fat Greek yoghurt to which you can add your own berries.

 

[DGH2304]

Hopefully you may find some meals in the Freshwell link that you could both enjoy and that would make life easier. Maybe you may have to get him to compromise as It would probably be beneficial to him as well.
There are some foods that you can still have but just look carefully at the carbs as there can be a big difference between brands.
It is surprising how different yoghurts can be for something like 18g carbs per pot to as little as 4g for some of the high protein ones or full fat Greek yoghurt to which you can add your own berries.

Thank you, yes I will check link that out and check the yogurts 🙂

 

[JimmyBlue]

Hi @DGH2304 welcome to the forum.

Re: your question about the H&B pasta, I have used both their black bean and edamame bean noodles/linguine and both are good but I prefer the black bean. The texture is different to normal pasta and you need to be careful not to overcook.
I have also tried some red lentil penne pasta which is a bit more chewy than normal pasta but it is a good option to replace normal penne pasta. Again be careful about not over cooking as it can fall a part a bit if you do.

I am a big fan of the Costco full fat Greek yoghurt and eat it for breakfast most days with almonds, rhubarb or strawberries, some black currants and a pinch of ground cinnamon. My favourite meal of the day!

 

[trophywench]

We have breakfast as our evening meal sometimes, if we've got the ingredients, so there has to be black pudding and back bacon and egg. Also has to be bread cos I have a slice of toast under my egg (sunnyside up), and my 2 tablespoons of baked beans go at the side of the toast, which soaks up some of the tomato sauce in the beans. OH just as fussy about his fried eggs cos he likes his over easy, which I can never achieve without busting the yolk. Hence - he has to fry em all!

 

[DGH2304]

Hi @DGH2304 welcome to the forum.

Re: your question about the H&B pasta, I have used both their black bean and edamame bean noodles/linguine and both are good but I prefer the black bean. The texture is different to normal pasta and you need to be careful not to overcook.
I have also tried some red lentil penne pasta which is a bit more chewy than normal pasta but it is a good option to replace normal penne pasta. Again be careful about not over cooking as it can fall a part a bit if you do.

I am a big fan of the Costco full fat Greek yoghurt and eat it for breakfast most days with almonds, rhubarb or strawberries, some black currants and a pinch of ground cinnamon. My favourite meal of the day!

Thank you, I will pop into H&B next time I am in town and try the pastas out. Love a tuna pasta bake! Went to my local Asda but couldn’t find lentil pasta but I’m sure I’ve bought it in the past from Sainsburys so I will try there. We don’t have a Costco but I love Yeo Valley full fat Greek Yogurt and have been having that this week with nuts, seeds and a few blueberries/raspberries. Feel like a budgie!

 

[saffron15]

The Yeo valley one is lovely. I also like the M and S one. So far as pasta concerned I've tried the edamame noodles which I liked but not tried lentil one yet. Sainsbury's Morrison and Waitrose also have substitutes.