Just prescribed meds!

[LindaW-C]

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic some years ago and diet controlled. My blood sugar results have been less than 50mmol but 2024 it went to 54 and this year it went to 65. Not sure where I have gone wrong, but just seen a Doc (who was great) he couldn't understand why I was not on meds. So he has now prescribed me Metformin. Can anyone offer advice on what food I should be giving up/reducing and what should I be doing to help me.

Thanks in advance

 

[Inka]

Do you have a glucose meter @LindaW-C ? That will help you see what foods work for you. You’re looking to reduce carbs - by how much depends on the individual and your current diet. Also, if you have weight to lose that will help, as will increasing exercise, eg walking or swimming.

 

[LindaW-C]

Do you have a glucose meter @LindaW-C ? That will help you see what foods work for you. You’re looking to reduce carbs - by how much depends on the individual and your current diet. Also, if you have weight to lose that will help, as will increasing exercise, eg walking or swimming.

Hi Inka, I have never been advised to get one of those. Should I? My medical centre is not really helpful

 

[Inka]

Hi Inka, I have never been advised to get one of those. Should I? My medical centre is not really helpful

Yes, it would be a good idea as you could then see what effect various meals have on you, and also keep an eye on your overall results.

 

[LindaW-C]

Which one would you recommend?

 

[LindaW-C]

Would it be to my advantage if I tried to see a Diabetic nurse?

 

[Inka]

I see from your earlier thread that you were trying to reduce carbs. How has that been going @LindaW-C ? If you give us an idea of an average day’s food for you, you’ll get suggestions of how to improve your diet:

L

Post in thread 'I need help!'

Jul 19, 2020

Hi Toucan and Henry

I haven't got a monitor as I don't know when I should get monitoring. I must contact my Nurse/Team, but all this came just as we went I to lockdown and just coming out of hospital and now working from home. I have cut down on everything and cut out a lot.

I'm not one that can easily open up to friends on a face to face thing. It is different with strangers and using a forum.

I am just feeling very low today, I just needed to vent.

Thank you both for the advice,

• LindaW-C

• 

The glucose meters often recommended for Type 2s here are the Contour Blue and Spirit Tee 2 meters as they give reliable results and the test strips are reasonably priced (some are very expensive).

 

[Inka]

Would it be to my advantage if I tried to see a Diabetic nurse?

That’s up to you. You could ask if there are any educational sessions on offer. The nurse might be able to point you towards some.

 

[LindaW-C]

I see from your earlier thread that you were trying to reduce carbs. How has that been going @LindaW-C ? If you give us an idea of an average day’s food for you, you’ll get suggestions of how to improve your diet:

L

Post in thread 'I need help!'

Jul 19, 2020

Hi Toucan and Henry

I haven't got a monitor as I don't know when I should get monitoring. I must contact my Nurse/Team, but all this came just as we went I to lockdown and just coming out of hospital and now working from home. I have cut down on everything and cut out a lot.

I'm not one that can easily open up to friends on a face to face thing. It is different with strangers and using a forum.

I am just feeling very low today, I just needed to vent.

Thank you both for the advice,

• LindaW-C

• 

The glucose meters often recommended for Type 2s here are the Contour Blue and Spirit Tee 2 meters as they give reliable results and the test strips are reasonably priced (some are very expensive).

Today I have had:
2 x crumpets with a teaspoon of strawberry jam
Mackerel in tomato sauce with cream
crackers
Lots of water/black tea
Having spaghetti bol with no spaghetti

 

[Inka]

Today I have had:
2 x crumpets with a teaspoon of strawberry jam
Mackerel in tomato sauce with cream
crackers
Lots of water/black tea
Having spaghetti bol with no spaghetti

Ah, ok, so that makes it easy to suggest some changes. Breakfast is usually when we’re most insulin resistant so eating that many carbs then probably isn’t a good idea (a glucose meter would show you the result). You could have plain full fat Greek yoghurt with some berries and seeds, or eggs of some kind, for example. Your crumpets are around 40g carbs but the two options I’ve suggested will be significantly less.

Nothing wrong with mackerel for lunch, but unless you stuck to one or two crackers you probably had more carbs. I notice you had no veg or salad. A mackerel salad would be a good choice and nice and filling. You could have posh leaves, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, maybe some grated carrot, a few slices of avocado, etc, along with the mackerel. Salads can be interesting and filling.

Spag Bol without the Spag is fine. You could have courgetti instead and plenty of green veg plus a green side salad to fill the spag gap.

 

[Leadinglights]

A couple of ideas would be to use edamame, black bean or soy bean pasta with your bol sauce and add all sorts of veg as well.
I can never believe how many carbs are in something that is full of holes like crumpets, check your packet for the carbs and I thing you will see they are as much as 20g each plus the jam is probably too much in one meal.
You may be OK with just one but adding some protein to your breakfast to help ameliorate the high carbs.
If you haven't already seen it this link has some good ideas for reducing your carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Make sure you take your metformin with food as that helps it not to give you a few stomach issues if you are one of those susceptible, many are fine, but just in case you do you know why.

 

[LindaW-C]

Many thanks Inka and Leadinglights, I will check out that website and we do eat a lot of veg and salad, but I now have to start and prepare and cook two different meals as my hubby likes the food I shouldn't have and is not a fan of beans and healthy food! . Tomorrow is a porridge day for breakfast, can I have that?

 

[Inka]

Many thanks Inka and Leadinglights, I will check out that website and we do eat a lot of veg and salad, but I now have to start and prepare and cook two different meals as my hubby likes the food I shouldn't have and is not a fan of beans and healthy food! . Tomorrow is a porridge day for breakfast, can I have that?

Porridge can be high carb. You’d probably be better have a lower carb breakfast. If you get a meter, you could test to see if you can tolerate a very small portion, but for now I’d keep it simple and cut it out.

You can still cook meals for your husband and just add or remove bits for yourself.

 

[Leadinglights]

Many thanks Inka and Leadinglights, I will check out that website and we do eat a lot of veg and salad, but I now have to start and prepare and cook two different meals as my hubby likes the food I shouldn't have and is not a fan of beans and healthy food! . Tomorrow is a porridge day for breakfast, can I have that?

Many find that is a food which is not tolerated well but that is the advantage of having a blood glucose monitor as you can not only find out which foods are not good but those which will be fine.
People steer away from a high carb breakfast as that is often when carbs are tolerated less well. Many have eggs, full fat Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds or nuts with maybe just a scattering of a low sugar or keto cereal.
When I adopted a low carb my other half got on board as well and we have the same meals, he may have a few extras. What food does he like that you feel you shouldn't have ?

 

[LindaW-C]

Oh where do I start! He loves potatoes, in any form, rice, pasta, full fried breakfasts, although, we do use an airfryer. He loves good old fashioned food. He will eat salads but not too many times in a week

 

[Leadinglights]

Oh where do I start! He loves potatoes, in any form, rice, pasta, full fried breakfasts, although, we do use an airfryer. He loves good old fashioned food. He will eat salads but not too many times in a week

The breakfast will be fine just without beans or hash browns. Bacon, eggs, high meat content sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms all should be fine.
That would be where a monitor would help because you may find the a couple of new potatoes, a spoonful of rice or pasta would be OK for you or you could just have extra veg instead.

 

[debs248]

Fried breakfast can be low in carbs if you use high meat content sausages and don't eat the toast/ fried bread yourself. Any meal where potatoes/ rice/ pasta are on the side you could have a smaller portion or none and have more non-starchy veg instead.

 

[saffron15]

I drafted this before some other posts. I agree fry up is OK but limit your servings of beans and hash browns. As to carbs use replacements for you eg edamame pasta or omit reduce potatoes on your portion and eat extra veg. Lots on forum have carb loving hubbies.

I was diagnosed last year. The bonus of diabetes is I have lost 2 and half stone gone bmi 32 to 26 so a bit more to go. I cut back on processed things and carbs. There is a section about remission in the forum and people who have too much belly fat by eating fairly restricitively have gone back to pre prediabetes. Equally many people by being carefull with their diet and moving more have got there. If you have belly fat to lose low carb is magical. I was eating 100 to 120 carbs but was then put on a drug which reqired a reasonable level of carbs. I chose to eat bread if I'm in a cafe and have enjoyed a few new potatoes. Decide how you want to tackle the situation eg diet what type exercise etc.
My first blood test was end of June then they did a second in July 64 . I saw the nurse mid August. I've never seen a Doctor. The nurse put me on metformin. I was given SR slow release which is supposed to be kinder to the stomach. My dose increased by one each week. Taken with food and glass of water. Initially it deadened my appetite so I took breakfast and lunch as I often didn't feel like eating in evening or if I didn't fancy breakfast I took lunch and supper. Initially it bunged me up but by the time I was on 3 it was loose. Four days after reaching 4 I had a new drug added and metformin was reduced to 2 x a day. My reading at end of that month was 51.
Start a food diary, include motions that's how I knew on second week I'd reached 8 day no pooh ( went that evening) perhaps add exercise to the diary - a short ten minute walk after food is good.
You can eat carbs but do it mindfully eg smaller portions. I gave up pasta and bought alternatives from H and B. Don't drink fruit juice. You can mix mash with swede or celeriac.
I love full fat Greek yoghurt with berries and nuts or seeds for breakfast.
This nhs website has loads of information and bottom left good links to freshwell moseley and caldesi plus other interesting videos.

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

If you buy packaged food the carbs are under nutrition. One of my favourite ready meals is M and S chicken katsu from high protein clever carb range.

Keep asking questions good luck

 

[Martin.A]

Oh where do I start! He loves potatoes, in any form, rice, pasta, full fried breakfasts, although, we do use an airfryer. He loves good old fashioned food. He will eat salads but not too many times in a week

By making some simple swaps I found I can have the same meals as the rest of the family, ie celeriac instead of potato, riced cauliflower instead of rice, non-grain pasta instead of wheat pasta. As a result we don't have to make separate meals just because I have T2.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi. Sorry to hear your levels have crept up.

What dietary changes did you initially make when you were first diagnosed and has that slipped a bit (we all do from time to time) or perhaps the dietary changes were simply not enough to manage your levels. Did you do any home testing with a finger prick kit to see how you were responding to the meals you were eating?

If you give us an idea of what you currently typically eat for breakfast lunch and evening meal, we can perhaps give you suggestions for alternatives to the higher carb ones that might be causing you problems.
Unfortunately the standard NHS dietary advice for Type 2 diabetes is not always conducive to good diabetes management.... porridge being one of the most controversial recommendations because, for some of us, porridge is like rocket fuel and puts our BG levels into orbit, but if you don't self test, you would never know that and assume that it was doing you good. If you start the day with something that sends your levels too high, then you are likely going to be higher than desirable most of the day after that until you exercise it off or fast overnight. Testing just before eating a meal and 2 hours afterwards will show you in numbers how your body responded to that meal and if it sent your levels too high then you reduce the portion size of the carb heavy elements of the meal and have more lower carb foods to fill your plate and test again. Once you find meals which don't raise your levels too much then you can stop testing that meal or just test it very occasionally and move onto testing other meals until you develop a repertoire of "safe" meals that your body can tolerate and then just test new meals. Many of us kept a food diary to begin with along with the before and after readings we got for those meals, so that we could see what worked for us as individuals.