Navigating food dos and don’ts from a new diagnosis

[Jezzerh]

Hi,

Newly diagnosed and attempting to manage via diet to see if it works.

I have done plenty of searching around what to cut out, what to reduce and what to eat more of but much of the advice (especially on this website) seems to be also about losing weight.

Don’t get me wrong I have had a few pies but I’m not obese and can manage that myself. My cholesterol and BP are okay too.

I wanted to see if I could still eat pizza and the advice was as much about eating less of it or having salad with it as anything. I just want to know if eating most of a doner pizza on a Friday evening will ruin my blood sugar!

Also bread. The website suggests wholemeal bread so I thought ah that’s okay I like brown bread. But the nurse at the GP says all bread is bad and limit to two slices per day.

Finally, how often is ‘occasional’? Just wondering how often I am allowed a ginger nut lol

 

[Drummer]

For me the best option was to abandon all the normal and supposedly heathy options and eat lots of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, full fat dairy and sprinkle on a little salt.
There are low carb options for pizza, and bread too - I'm afraid that I saw no real difference between white and brown carbs, grain was just bad news for me, but you might find lots of useful recipes on a site called sugarfreelondoner - including one for gingerbread, if you'd like to try out some home baked goodies

 

[Jezzerh]

Cheers that sounds like the kind of philosophy I can get behind!

 

[Leadinglights]

It is rather all about what YOU as an individual can tolerate at each meal without increasing you blood glucose by a huge amount as the more often that happens your overall blood glucose will increase and as newly diagnosed you are looking to bring your level down so may need to be more strict than when you have achieved your goal of back to normal.
Although many diabetic nurses don't suggest testing with a home monitor it really is the only way you will know how your body tolerates the carbohydrates in your meals and food. It is like driving without a speedometer in your car, you would mosy likely get more speeding tickets than you could afford.
Many find that testing before you eat and after 2 hours when you are looking for an increase of no more than 2-3mmol/l or when levels come down no more than 8-8.5mmol/l. Before meals you are aiming at 4-7mmol/l.
You may find that you can tolerate 1 slice of bread but not 2 at any one meal or a spoonful of rice but not pasta or pizza.
It is the carbohydrates which convert to glucose rather than protein or fats so basing meals on protein and healthy fats with only small portions of any high carb foods.
This link may help with some explanation and ideas for meals, it is a low carb approach based on real food. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g total carbs per day but is not NO carbs, you need to make the carbs you have worth it for flavour and enjoyment rather than empty carbs like sugar and sugary foods.
Home monitors can be purchased on line, the GlucoNavii or TEE2 are monitors with the cheapest strips but do shop around as prices do vary but are generally cheaper than from the pharmacy.