My current diet (advice/suggestions welcome)

[Simon Workman]

I am very new to all of this as i've only found out I have diabetes in the past couple of weeks and still don't know if its actually type 1 or 2 but its looking more like type 1 as i've lost weight rather than put it on. No keytones in my urine test though so thats what's leaving them unsure which I have to more blood tests being done and a 4 week wait until I find out it seems.

In the mean time i've tried to make changes to my diet to keep my blood sugars as low as possible. I realise some foods affect certain people in different ways but just looking some conformation i'm on the right track here regarding my diet. I'll list the stuff i'm eating below and would be grateful for any advice or suggestions on improvements i can make.

Breakfast: Weetabix with berries OR avocado on toast with a poached egg.

Lunches: Avocado on toast with poached egg OR fruit OR salad with salmon/chicken OR mixed nuts

Dinners: Omelette with vegetables like Spinach, red onion, peppers, mushrooms OR Salmon with vegetables OR Red thai chicken curry with a smallish portion of rice OR low carb toast with reduced sugar beans and fish fingers.

Would also have 2/3 cups of tea during the day with natural sweetner (natvia) and admitedly have a 'nice' or 'rich tea' biscuit with each cup.

I've completely cut out all sugary drinks apart from the odd night out with friends when i'll have a few gins with diet tonic and cucumber. Chocolate has been cut out although I confess to having had a couple of bars of chocolate since diagnosis (Is this really bad or is the odd treat ok?). No longer eat pasta, white bread and very little chocolate.

I'm a little puzzled about fruit. Obviously it contains natural sugar. Is this just as bad as cane sugar? I've heard bananas are quite high in natural sugar so tend to stick to berries and that kind of thing now.

Sorry I know its a long post but just worried about this whole thing and after reading about all the complications you can develop if you don't get it under control I'm trying to make sure I try and reduce the chances of that happening!

Thanks!

 

[Ljc]

Please don't worry about long posts, not only do they help you they also help us to give you better advise .
I hate to say this but my understanding of urine test sticks for keytones is that they don't show positive for ketones untill they reach a certain level , sorry I can't remember what level, please bear in mind I have no experience of T1 other than what I've read on here, IMO GP should do blood tests for keytones. Sugar is sugar no matter what it's in or how natural it is but some can tolerate certain sugars better such as berries. I only use fruit juice to treat hypos.
Sorry I can't remember Do you test your BGs

 

[Mark Parrott]

I think what it comes down to is testing & see what your body can handle. If you peak more than 3mmols, then nexr time try a smaller portion. If that doesn't work then cross that food off your list.
As for fruit, natural or not, sugar is sugar & fruit will send your BG up. Berries are good in moderation. Tropical fruit is high in sugar & should be avoided or only as an occasional treat.

 

[Simon Workman]

3mmols in my dreams! I'm on the type 2 tablets at the minute but as I mentioned i have not been properly diagnosed yet and it seems like it may be type 1 but need to wait another 4 weeks for further blood test results as it seems unclear.

Yes i've been testing my BG daily several times. My lowest ever reading was yesterday morning at 8.8 so its going the right direction still too high obviously. Its been as high as 24 post meals which is obviously worrying. I'm trying to do all I can in the mean time to keep it low until I am definitely on the right treatment.

 

[Robin]

Hi Simon. I was misdiagnosed as Type 2 in the first instance, because of my age ( 51 at diagnosis) regardless of the fact that I was losing 1-2 lbs a week and had blood sugar readings like yours. The tablets made no difference at all, and the only thing that brought glucose levels down at all was cutting as much carb out of my diet as I could until I got a proper diagnosis and insulin.

In those early days, if I did eat fruit, I ate it after a carb free first course, (for example, scrambled egg, avocado without the toast, nuts etc, very much as per your diet at the moment.) I looked at the complete glycaemic load of the whole meal I was eating, rather than the component parts. I switched to dark chocolate, (as dark as you can stand, I'm currently addicted to Lindt 90% dark, which is a bit expensive. My local co-op does 85% for £1.20 a bar)

It took them 6 months to get me correctly diagnosed, and a further 3 to get on to full basal/Bolus insulin, when I found I could relax a bit and introduce a few more carbs ( I still restrict them, it helps smooth out bumps in my levels). Nearly ten years on, I haven't got any complications, and I'm probably fitter than I ever was before diagnosis.

 

[Owen]

Hi Simon. I was misdiagnosed as Type 2 in the first instance, because of my age ( 51 at diagnosis) regardless of the fact that I was losing 1-2 lbs a week and had blood sugar readings like yours. The tablets made no difference at all, and the only thing that brought glucose levels down at all was cutting as much carb out of my diet as I could until I got a proper diagnosis and insulin.

In those early days, if I did eat fruit, I ate it after a carb free first course, (for example, scrambled egg, avocado without the toast, nuts etc, very much as per your diet at the moment.) I looked at the complete glycaemic load of the whole meal I was eating, rather than the component parts. I switched to dark chocolate, (as dark as you can stand, I'm currently addicted to Lindt 90% dark, which is a bit expensive. My local co-op does 85% for £1.20 a bar)

It took them 6 months to get me correctly diagnosed, and a further 3 to get on to full basal/Bolus insulin, when I found I could relax a bit and introduce a few more carbs ( I still restrict them, it helps smooth out bumps in my levels). Nearly ten years on, I haven't got any complications, and I'm probably fitter than I ever was before diagnosis.

I have filled a similar path. I also have chrons, so too much fat cause large amounts of abdominal pain. I look at GL after @Norhener recommended the book. This gave me some new tricks. By mixing yoghurt with fruits like apples and Satsuma it shows the sugar release. Peanut butter with a banana again worked. I am HNF1 Beta, which works well with the GL diet and small amounts of insulin, 8 units of Lantus and 2-3 of Novo rapid.

Until you get the correct medication, you will struggle.

 

[Simon Workman]

Thanks for all your responses guys! My honest feeling is that I need insulin but I guess i have to leave it to the 'experts' to deliberate it for a few more weeks. I really don't like dark chocolate after trying it 3/4 times now. Maybe you can grow to like it?

I just did my pre dinner BG reading and its lowest ever beating yesterday mornings. 6.6 so now 'in range' its saying. Must be doing something right which is good!

 

[stephknits]

Are you making a record of your readings? I think it would be really worth while as what you are doing is a great idea ( minimising carbs to avoid high bs) but it can sort of backfire on you if they take readings which turn out to be not too high because you have basically cut the carbs right down. This is what happened to me and it took 9 months to get a correct diagnosis. If you have the evidence like when you ate your weetabix and berries plus a bit of pizza and went up into the 20s then this should help (if you turn out to be Type 1). I remember being sent by my gp to A&E cos I had ketones in my urine and they sent me home cos my bs was only 11 (I hadn't had any carbs that day) whereas if I had eaten even vaguely normally I would have been sorted quicker. I do think you are doing the right thing, as having high bs makes you feel rubbish and is obviously not that good for you, but do record the highs and what you are eating generally so everyone gets the full picture.