London newbie

[JayEazyPeazy78]

Hi all!

I'm a 43 year old Dad from London, recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Still trying to work out what things are safe to eat and what are not, have appointments with a dietitian to come, but any basic advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

It can be really overwhelming at first because food is such an important part of our lives, that it is a shock to learn that some of it may be doing us harm rather than good.... especially as it is usually the things we really enjoy!

Firstly, do you know what your HbA1c result was? This is the blood test used to diagnose your diabetes and gives us an idea about how far into diabetes territory you have strayed. 48mmols/mol is the red line for diagnosis but it can be into 3 figures if things have gone badly astray. If you are just over the red line then some minor tweaks to your diet may be sufficient to push things back the other way. If it is a lot higher then a more comprehensive overhaul may be needed!
Another important factor is what if any medication they have given you as this can impact the dietary advice we give.
Lowering your intake of carbohydrates can have quite a dramatic impact on your BG levels but if you have been prescribed certain medications, the combination of the two can be dangerous, so knowing that info will help us to give sound advice based on your individual situation and it can vary quite significantly from one diabetic to another. We are all individuals.
It might also be helpful to know if you have much/any weight to lose?.... Yes there are some slim Type 2 diabetics! And how active/mobile you are?

 

[JayEazyPeazy78]

Hi!

Thank you for the welcome and response. My HBA1C was very high at the time of diagnosis (122 MMOLS) though other tests should my ketone levels are normal. Cholesterol was 5.1. I have been prescribed metformin to help with managing the condition, along with suggestions from my GP that I change my diet by removing white bread, pastas, rice etc.. And swapping with brown and wholemeal options. I have also been advised to avoided eating Bananas, Grapes and Mangoes as these are high in natural sugars. I have started to replace this with citrus fruits like grapefruit and oranges. I haven't been advised to lose weight, so I am assuming it is at normal levels (I'm slim to medium build, 5ft 9" tall) I walk for part of my commute to and from work (Not sure of the distance but roughly 25 mins every 3 days when I am in the office) and I have started jogging in the last two weeks. I do this once a week for 30 mins, normally covering a distance of about 2K each time.

Hope that clears things up, but if there's anything else you need to know, I am an open book!

 

[Leadinglights]

With glucose levels so high you probably want to gradually reduce the bread, rice, pasta as really the colour don't matter it is still the same amount of carbohydrates it just might be converted to glucose more slowly. The best fruits are berries as those are the lowest carbs.
It is better to reduce carbs gradually over a few weeks as that can help prevent damage to your small blood vessels and eye issues. Keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink with quantities and an estimate of the amount of carbs would be helpful as you can then reduce that by say one third for a couple of weeks then another third until you get to where you need or want to be. A low carb regime is one people find successful at reducing blood glucose that being less than 130g per day. The food diary will help you see how far you are from that.
Basing meals on meat, fish, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables, salads and fruit like berries with only small portions of any of the higher carb food will still give you options for tasty meals.
Avoiding cakes, biscuits, sugary drink, too many takeaways or prepared ready meals is also a wise idea.
There are lots of ideas in the recipes or What did you eat Yesterday threads in the food forum (the white forum tab at the top)

 

[richardmillar11]

Hi!

Thank you for the welcome and response. My HBA1C was very high at the time of diagnosis (122 MMOLS) though other tests should my ketone levels are normal. Cholesterol was 5.1. I have been prescribed metformin to help with managing the condition, along with suggestions from my GP that I change my diet by removing white bread, pastas, rice etc.. And swapping with brown and wholemeal options. I have also been advised to avoided eating Bananas, Grapes and Mangoes as these are high in natural sugars. I have started to replace this with citrus fruits like grapefruit and oranges. I haven't been advised to lose weight, so I am assuming it is at normal levels (I'm slim to medium build, 5ft 9" tall) I walk for part of my commute to and from work (Not sure of the distance but roughly 25 mins every 3 days when I am in the office) and I have started jogging in the last two weeks. I do this once a week for 30 mins, normally covering a distance of about 2K each time.

Hope that clears things up, but if there's anything else you need to know, I am an open book!

Hi and welcome

My storey is similar. Hba1c 115 on diagnosis. 3 months on its 55 with diet and exercise and no meds but as advised above best to make changes slowly. I am experiencing some of the effects of reducing too quickly. By the sounds of it you are doing everything you should. Diet and exercise is a big one and you already exercise. Just try and eat more healthy don't skip meals and try to be finished eating as early as possible in the evening having a cut off point of say 7pm. This one was hard for me as I liked to eat all evening after dinner but I am starting to see the benefits. You'll get lots of help here and your in the right place. Be encouraged you can turn this round!

 

[rebrascora]

Your starting results are similar to mine although HbA1c yr is a little higher. How did your diagnosis come about? Did you have symptoms and if so, did they appear suddenly or was it a routine blood test? Have you lost or gained any weight recently?

Good to hear that they have tested for ketones and none present but that might be something to keep an eye on with your Blood Glucose (BG) levels being so high. You can buy Ketostix over the counter in most pharmacies for about £5 and it would be advisable to test when your BG levels are persistently mid teens and above. Of course, it is likely that you currently have no means of testing your BG levels and this is something that we strongly advocate here on the forum. It gives you the power to SEE how your body responds to particular foods or meals and that will enable you to make choices based on your body's individual response and your tastes and it can vary significantly from one diabetic person to another due to differences in metabolism and gut biome, to name just 2 factors..... So for instance some people can get away with a small portion of porridge whilst for me it the glucose it releases, can get from my mouth, into my gut, into my blood stream and be starting to raise my BG levels in my finger tip (where I test) in 20 mins....not exactly what I call slow release!! Some people can manage a slice or two of wholemeal bread or seeded bread. For me, bread is just not worth the BG upheaval in any form and it is less aggravation just to avoid it. I can get away with a couple of pieces of potato every once in a while or a couple of dessert spoons of rice occasionally but mostly I avoid high carb foods altogether.
Most people find brown/wholemeal is very little different to white versions when it comes to bread and pasta and reducing portion size is far more important. Some people use Edamame bean pasta which is lower carb or Konjac noodles which are pretty much carb free and full of fibre which is good.

As regards fruit, exotic fruits like bananas and mangos and grapes are generally higher in carbs but oranges are still moderately high as are apples and pears. Many of us restrict ourselves to half an apple a day perhaps with a nice chunk of cheese or half an orange....... or as a very special treat, half a banana once in a blue moon, usually with plenty of cream or creamy yoghurt to slow the sugars down. Berries tend to be the fruit of choice for those of us cutting our carbs and they have the lowest carb content. Raspberries are my absolute favourite and one of the lowest carb. Most berries are quite nutrient dense so a small portion gives you both a big kick of flavour and healthy micronutrients. I have my daily portion of fruit with my creamy natural Greek style yoghurt and seeds for breakfast as a low carb start to the day. Beware breakfast cereals are usually loaded with starchy carbs as well as sugars and toast is bread of course so carb rich even before you think about putting marmalade on it. Eggs are a good choice for breakfast which ever way you choose as they are so versatile and very low carb and having them with bacon or high meat content sausages and mushrooms and a tomato is a low carb option but maybe best not to have bacon every day.

Anyway, I hope that gives you a bit of an insight.

The two BG testing kits that are found to be economical and reliable by people here on the forum who self fund, are the Gluco Navii and the Spirit healthcare Tee2. There may be cheaper or even free meters available on the market but the important thing to consider is the cost of the consumables and in particular test strips as these are individual to a model of meter and can vary in price enormously. The 2 above have some of the cheapest test strips on the market @ approx £8-9 per pot of 50 and the meter kits themselves are only about £15, so a very worthwhile investment in your future health if you can't persuade your GP to fund you a meter and test strips on prescription..... worth a try!
Both of the above meters and test strips are available to buy online and make sure to click the box confirming you are diabetic so that the VAT is removed. Also sound advice to buy at least 2 extra pots of test strips is you buy a meter as they only come with 10 in the kit and those will be used up in the first day or two by the time you make a few mistakes and develop a technique for testing.

Anyway, that is my advice for now. Very conscious that I am probably over loading you, but lots to take in at this early stage of diagnosis. Anything you don't understand, just ask.

 

[ianf0ster]

Slim Type 2 diabetics are only around 10% of all Type 2's, but we do exist, so it's more likely thta you are a Type 2 rather than a Type 1. But Since a Type 1 will definitely need insulin sooner or later (where a Type 2 can often control their diabetes with just cutting down of carbs), it's good to get a conclusive diagnosis.