Hi to everyone

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hello @Phil C DUK and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear you are having to cope with so much at the moment, with your diabetes diagnosis as well as your wife's dementia. My Dad had dementia, and my Mum was his carer, so I have a good idea of how difficult it is to care for someone 24/7, and I know that however much you love them you do need a break sometimes. I would definitely ask for all the help you can get from your local authority, and also perhaps see if there is something like a dementia activity or social group anywhere near you, as these can be helpful for both the person with dementia and the carer (though I know many will be closed at the moment because of restrictions) - there's more info about finding support near you on the Alzheimer's Society website here - https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/find-support-near-you - and they also have a forum if you would find it helpful to chat to other carers and other people with dementia - https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/

You've already had a lot of good advice about your diabetes, and I agree that as you're on Gliclazide you should have been given a blood sugar monitor and test strips on prescription - most type 2s don't get ones from the NHS, but anyone (whatever type of diabetes they have) who is on medicine which can cause hypos should be given one, so do have another go at getting one from your surgery and remind them you're on meds which can cause hypos, as they may have just assumed type 2 = no monitor if that's their usual policy, and not thought it through.

If you don't have time or inclination to do things like bacon and eggs for breakfast, then as others have said, full fat yogurt is an easy alternative, and you might be OK with (a very small amount of) oats with it if it is not filling enough for you on its own, but packet cereals are really bad for diabetics as they tend to be very sugary, so should be avoided. Oats are still carbs though, and you won't really know if you're OK with them unless you have a monitor to test your blood sugar before and two hours after eating them. Different foods effect different diabetics in different ways, so having a monitor really helps you to find out which things you can eat regularly, which you can get away with now and again, and which you really, really can't eat at all. Some of these may surprise you.

If you are peckish between meals nuts are a good option, much better than fruit as they are low in carbs and most fruit isn't. A chunk of cheese is also a good snack, and if you're the sort of person who can eat one biscuit and not go on and eat the rest of the packet, then something like one TUC biscuit (which only has 2.7g carbs) or something similar would be OK to have with it.

The other thing is - this is easily said and much harder to actually do - if you can find anything which will help reduce your stress levels, this should also help reduce your blood sugar levels, as being under a lot of stress can send your blood sugar sky-high. My Mum was in hospital just after Christmas (she's home and fine now) and the stress of worrying about her and not being able to get through to anyone at the hospital on a bank holiday, and not being able to visit and so on sent my blood sugar through the roof, my readings were easily double their normal levels. So whether it's going for walks with your wife, or finding a friend or neighbour or carer who can sit with your wife for half an hour every day so you can have some time to do something else that calms you down, or learning some breathing exercises for relaxation, or just making sure you get enough sleep, anything that will relax you will help with your diabetes too.

 

[Drummer]

@Phil C DUK Welcome to the forum.
First, it is essential that your GP provides you with a means to test your blood glucose level as you are taking glucose lowering medication and you could go hypo. If there is any argument, ask what number to call when you are going hypo and your wife needs help to cope with it - they prescribe the pills, let them have the responsibility.😉
I am pretty sure you should be registered as a full time carer and get all the allowances and assistance due to that situation.
I am type two and have two proper meals a day, so 'breakfast' can be a salad with fish or eggs and cheese as a first meal in the summer, or, these days a stir fry and a chop, beefburger or slice of meat from the joint, or a chicken leg.
I drink coffee with cream and then don't need to eat again until the evening, when I have meat, fish and veges, and sometimes a dessert of berries and jelly and cream, or real custard.
You might find that your wife benefits from a similar diet - I feel so much better eating this way, even though I had no obvious symptoms of diabetes, other than not flourishing on the high carb low fat diet I was on - oh - and the weight gain.
I have lost over 12 inches from my waist - I was practically spherical eating all the 'healthy' starches.

 

[gll]

Hey @Phil C DUK

Just wanted to see how you are getting on after the ton of info that has been dumped at your feet over the last few days.

Any questions, concerns or thoughts about it all?

 

[Phil C DUK]

Hey @Phil C DUK

Just wanted to see how you are getting on after the ton of info that has been dumped at your feet over the last few days.

Any questions, concerns or thoughts about it all?

Hi ya, to be honest Ive been bombarded with info which although is great but a bit over whelming at times, I know and appriciate the help Im being given but I think Im going to take a break for a while and try and work out some of the info Ive been given. Ive seen my GP and now have a blood sugar test meter, Ive used it a few times and now I need to find out what the readings mean, like what is a good sugar level reading for a diabetic, Ive used it 5 times already and my readings have been 7.7 10.1 6.6 7.4 and 7.9 at the moment Im in the dark as to weather the'er good or bad. Ive started to eat better like yougart and berries for breakfast, and chicken with vegatables or salad for main meal with some fruit and cheese if Im peckish in between meals. I guess some out there will say that is not a good choice but its what I like and its so much better than what I used to eat throughout the day so Im sticking to it.

 

[Docb]

@Phil C DUK - sorting out what the numbers mean can be a bit of a problem to start with.

Can I suggest that you record everything, in particular the date and time you took the reading and what it was. Also record what you have eaten and when you ate it. Most of us take a reading on getting up in the morning because it is going to be at the low end of your range. Then do some tests immediately before and a couple of hours after eating. That will give you some idea of the effect of different meals. No need to test every meal every day. Check out different meals on different days. Don't get too tied up with interpretation until you have got a couple of weeks worth of data - you need that to begin to see the patterns.

The levels you have recorded so far should not have you panicking. To give you some idea, I look for my levels to be somewhere between 5 and 10. I would expect them to be nearer 5 before meals, to be nearer 10 an hour after eating and heading back towards 5 an hour later. The odd reading in double figures I do not worry about unless I woke up with a reading at that level! That's me, and we are all different, so you need some more readings to find out where you are.

Hope that helps.

 

[gll]

My target set for me is 7-9 (by my healthcare team)
I believe the official guidelines are 4-7 before meals and under 8.5 after a meal (achieving that really depends on where you were before a meal).
You are aiming at reasonable numbers and not perfection. At least until you get a good handle on everything which takes time.

What a lot of folks do is do a wee finger stab before you start eating and take a note of the number.
set an alarm and 2 hours later, do another one.
Compare the 2 numbers and if the difference (or rise as we call it) is no more 2-3 then that food (and portion) is generally okay for you.
I would generally test a couple of times just to be sure one way or another.
If it is too much of a rise, sometimes just adjusting the portion can bring that down (and re-test) 🙂

You don't need to "food" test every meal everyday. you can try doing one a day or a few a week. Whatever works for you.
Once you are sure something is fine, don't worry about continuing testing it.

As @Docb said, keep notes. what were the test circumstances (eg waking up morning reading, pre meal or post etc) and write down what food you had.
You are looking at slowly building up a good picture of how your body responds to your diet and make adjustments as you go based on the results.

I'm glad you are looking at your diet and making positive changes already! Cheese is perfect to snack on. Fruit can push the blood sugars a little (more the tropical fruits) however it is still a great choice and your body will thank you for the nutrients 🙂 Run the food tests on tropical ones like mangos and bananas etc if that's your fav type.

A morning test when you get up is usually a good start (gives you an idea how things are going overall) and add a food test in somewhere if you have time. I tend to do a bedtime one also.

We do have a thread where folks post their morning readings and have a bit of a chit chat and it is a great place to just check in and share the good and the bad 🙂
it is HERE and if you are looking manually, it is found in the general forum section.

Please do ask anything if you are unsure.

 

[Phil C DUK]

@Phil C DUK - sorting out what the numbers mean can be a bit of a problem to start with.

Can I suggest that you record everything, in particular the date and time you took the reading and what it was. Also record what you have eaten and when you ate it. Most of us take a reading on getting up in the morning because it is going to be at the low end of your range. Then do some tests immediately before and a couple of hours after eating. That will give you some idea of the effect of different meals. No need to test every meal every day. Check out different meals on different days. Don't get too tied up with interpretation until you have got a couple of weeks worth of data - you need that to begin to see the patterns.

The levels you have recorded so far should not have you panicking. To give you some idea, I look for my levels to be somewhere between 5 and 10. I would expect them to be nearer 5 before meals, to be nearer 10 an hour after eating and heading back towards 5 an hour later. The odd reading in double figures I do not worry about unless I woke up with a reading at that level! That's me, and we are all different, so you need some more readings to find out where you are.

Hope that helps.

Thanks my friend, it certainly has helped me out. I will strive to do the tests once a week as you prescribed and to record all the data. Again, many thanks.

 

[Docb]

No problem @Phil C DUK.

You suggest doing tests once a week. Most of us would take a "first thing in the morning reading" every day. In the early days we would be testing one meal a day, sometimes more than one, until we have a good idea about what is going on. When we have got that we have tended to reduce the amount of meal testing, reserving it for checking out particular foodstuffs.

Sounds like a lot of testing but once you have got a routine sorted out it is far from burdensome and will tell you a lot about your blood glucose control, so is well worth it.

PS... Has your surgery prescribed test strips on repeat? If they have not done so then you need to get that organised quickly. A phone call to the surgery should fix it. The meter usually comes with a few test strips and you will get through those in no time at all. You then need a routine supply of strips for your particular meter - a couple of boxes of 50 a month should do - to set up a testing schedule. Test strips are not interchangeable between meters of different types so you need ones that work with your meter.

 

[Phil C DUK]

No problem @Phil C DUK.

You suggest doing tests once a week. Most of us would take a "first thing in the morning reading" every day. In the early days we would be testing one meal a day, sometimes more than one, until we have a good idea about what is going on. When we have got that we have tended to reduce the amount of meal testing, reserving it for checking out particular foodstuffs.

Sounds like a lot of testing but once you have got a routine sorted out it is far from burdensome and will tell you a lot about your blood glucose control, so is well worth it.

PS... Has your surgery prescribed test strips on repeat? If they have not done so then you need to get that organised quickly. A phone call to the surgery should fix it. The meter usually comes with a few test strips and you will get through those in no time at all. You then need a routine supply of strips for your particular meter - a couple of boxes of 50 a month should do - to set up a testing schedule. Test strips are not interchangeable between meters of different types so you need ones that work with your meter.

Ok, how about if I do a test as you say EVERY MORNING before breakfast and then test again just before my main meal, then again 2 hours after the meal, would that be acceptable? I can do the morning test everyday no problem but do I need to do the main meal tests everyday as well? Im getting a little confused.

 

[Phil C DUK]

Ok, how about if I do a test as you say EVERY MORNING before breakfast and then test again just before my main meal, then again 2 hours after the meal, would that be acceptable? I can do the morning test everyday no problem but do I need to do the main meal tests everyday as well? Im getting a little confused.

Yes sorry to mention I have a prescripton for test strips.

 

[Windy]

Ok, how about if I do a test as you say EVERY MORNING before breakfast and then test again just before my main meal, then again 2 hours after the meal, would that be acceptable? I can do the morning test everyday no problem but do I need to do the main meal tests everyday as well? Im getting a little confused.

Morning Phil, I test:
First thing in the morning
Before a meal, and then 2 hours after a meal.
But I also keep a note of what I ate, so if it's a meal I've had before, ie mushroom and cheese omelette for breakfast, I don't test as I know what it's going to do with my BG levels. If it's something new, I do. That way, I'm minimising finger pricking to when I need to.
There's information here about BG levels . Don't be put off if you have higher BG levels than the ones on the page, it's about you learning what each food and meal your body can handle. You can fine tune what you eat when you get an idea of that.
Sorry to hear about your wife. My mum is in a home with dementia, it's a horrible illness. I hope you manage to get your council to give you a carer's break, or respite care, or get your wife into a day centre for a day once in a while to give you a break. There's no shame in asking for help, or giving your wife a change of scene so you can have some time to top up your batteries.
Keep yourself well and safe, Sarah

 

[gll]

🙂 sorry for confusion

What you are doing are 2 separate things.

1) morning test is to get an idea where you are at. This can help spot trends and see if your overall diet and medication is working. This is ongoing.

2) the meal ones tests are to help identify how your diet affects your blood sugars on a food by food bases so you can adjust your diet to suit
This is done at your own pace and tackling one meal (can be any of your meals) a day is a reasonable target to go for but don't panic if you cant fit it in and don't manage to do it consistently.

Simplistic explanation:
say you eat 2 different breakfasts, 3 different lunches and 5 different dinners and that is the extent of your diet and it never changes (I know - unrealistic)
Those 10 meals you would need to test a few times each to get the full picture of if they are suitable for you.
Once you have that data (and we will assume all 10 meals are perfect) then there is little need to continue meal testing over and over to get the same results.

Of course it isn't as straightforward as that with adjustments needing to be made, retesting and probably more than 10 different meals you may rotate through but I hope that helps you understand 🙂

We just work our way through testing our typical diets and figure out our own bodies responses and adjust as we go.
Unfortunately what send my numbers into orbit might be fine for you and visa versa which is why there is no concrete list of what you can and can't have, just a general carbs and sugars tend to = high blood glucose.

I guess the bonus of knowing yourself is finding the food you thought would be terrible was actually okay (for me it has been noodles )

The 3rd instance to test is when feeling unwell (Immediate action required here)
(feeling hungry, sweating, dizzy, tired, shakiness, blurred vision, palpitations)
This can indicate a hypo (low blood sugars)
Sometimes as dietary adjustments are made and our bodies are under less load, medications can be too "helpful" at bringing down glucose levels resulting in low blood sugar.
Have you had this explained to you and do you have a good understanding of what to do if they are low? (if not we can explain)

Sorry if you feel overwhelmed again with the info. It is not a requirement to test food vs your body but I can assure you that it is an extremely helpful and empowering tool to help you take control. Having good control can minimise the associated risks of diabetes and can even help you reduce medications. Some folks can manage with diet alone and come off meds.
We are all different and have different circumstances and battles on our hands. It is just the one universal thing among type 2s that we can control and have a positive impact on.
(that is until your body throws a tantrum and leaves you confused hehe)

 

[Phil C DUK]

Morning Phil, I test:
First thing in the morning
Before a meal, and then 2 hours after a meal.
But I also keep a note of what I ate, so if it's a meal I've had before, ie mushroom and cheese omelette for breakfast, I don't test as I know what it's going to do with my BG levels. If it's something new, I do. That way, I'm minimising finger pricking to when I need to.
There's information here about BG levels . Don't be put off if you have higher BG levels than the ones on the page, it's about you learning what each food and meal your body can handle. You can fine tune what you eat when you get an idea of that.
Sorry to hear about your wife. My mum is in a home with dementia, it's a horrible illness. I hope you manage to get your council to give you a carer's break, or respite care, or get your wife into a day centre for a day once in a while to give you a break. There's no shame in asking for help, or giving your wife a change of scene so you can have some time to top up your batteries.
Keep yourself well and safe, Sarah

Thank you Sarah for your very kind words, they mean so much to me. Phil.

 

[Docb]

A brilliant run down from @gll!!!!

 

[Phil C DUK]

A brilliant run down from @gll!!!!

Hi Docb, I have a question which I think I already know the answer to, as a diabetic is it wise to drink carbonated drinks? Up until now I have enjoyed a can of diet coke maybe 2/3 cans a day but now I drink water, lots of it, and if I fancy a hot drink I have herbal tea, my favorite is mint tea.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi Docb, I have a question which I think I already know the answer to, as a diabetic is it wise to drink carbonated drinks? Up until now I have enjoyed a can of diet coke maybe 2/3 cans a day but now I drink water, lots of it, and if I fancy a hot drink I have herbal tea, my favorite is mint tea.

Some people are sensitive to the caffeine and some of the sweeteners used in 'diet' drinks but 3 cans coke per day is probably excessive not just for diabetics but everybody. You could try sparkling flavoured water which is refreshing.

 

[Phil C DUK]

Some people are sensitive to the caffeine and some of the sweeteners used in 'diet' drinks but 3 cans coke per day is probably excessive not just for diabetics but everybody. You could try sparkling flavoured water which is refreshing.

Thats great, I was going to suggest that.

 

[Docb]

There are no rules, only guidelines when it comes to what you consume. It's a question of what works for you as @Leadinglights lights suggests. From a carb intake point of view, low or zero sugar fizzy drinks should be fine. The "original" versions probably not, after all, many T1's use them as a hypo treatment when there is a need to get sugar levels up quickly.

I used to drink canned fizzy stuff (non diet) with some meals but binned them early on because it was an easy hit when it came to reducing carb intake. I did not go to the "diet" versions after I asked myself why was I drinking flavoured water in a can! If you stop and think about it, it is an environmentally pretty daft thing to do when you live in a country like ours with a clean water supply. When you add that to the alternatives added to cans to compensate for the lower sugar content and the behaviour of companies like Coca Cola and the like, I simply moved to drinking plain water out of the tap. Suited me fine.

 

[Phil C DUK]

There are no rules, only guidelines when it comes to what you consume. It's a question of what works for you as @Leadinglights lights suggests. From a carb intake point of view, low or zero sugar fizzy drinks should be fine. The "original" versions probably not, after all, many T1's use them as a hypo treatment when there is a need to get sugar levels up quickly.

I used to drink canned fizzy stuff (non diet) with some meals but binned them early on because it was an easy hit when it came to reducing carb intake. I did not go to the "diet" versions after I asked myself why was I drinking flavoured water in a can! If you stop and think about it, it is an environmentally pretty daft thing to do when you live in a country like ours with a clean water supply. When you add that to the alternatives added to cans to compensate for the lower sugar content and the behaviour of companies like Coca Cola and the like, I simply moved to drinking plain water out of the tap. Suited me fine.

I compleetly understand. One quick question then I'll leave you alone. What are your thouhts on white/brown rice with pilchards in tomato sauce? Thats always been a faverite of mine and I wasnt sure if thats a good choice for main meal.

 

[Leadinglights]

I compleetly understand. One quick question then I'll leave you alone. What are your thouhts on white/brown rice with pilchards in tomato sauce? Thats always been a faverite of mine and I wasnt sure if thats a good choice for main meal.

You need to get used to checking carb values of the things you are thinking of having. For example rice, brown or white is high carb so it would all depend on how much you were proposing to have. The sachets of microwaveable Tilda rice would be 40g carbohydrate for HALF a sachet (125g)
A 125g tin mackerel in tomato sauce is 9g carb. Your decision but to me the rice would be too much and I would have the mackerel with salad and coleslaw and a slice of bread would be lower carb.
It might be fine for you but you won't know unless you test before and 2hrs after the meal.
Sorry don't have the info for pilchards but probably quite similar.