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New pre diabetic lady

M

Maxinejane

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
Hello, I am a newbi here , just had results that I am pre diabetic . Scared me a bit at first but researched and realised that I can reverse this , this has pushed me into action.
I am starting a group session next month locally in Bournemouth and have reduced eating sugary things , hard when Christmas is round the corner .
Hoping to get some info on what to eat and to avoid sooooo tips please.

Maxine
 
Maxinejane said:
Hello, I am a newbi here , just had results that I am pre diabetic . Scared me a bit at first but researched and realised that I can reverse this , this has pushed me into action.
I am starting a group session next month locally in Bournemouth and have reduced eating sugary things , hard when Christmas is round the corner .
Hoping to get some info on what to eat and to avoid sooooo tips please.

Maxine
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Welcome to the forum.
In a rush at the moment but you could do no better than have a read of this link and you will realise it is not just 'sugary' foods but all carbohydrates that will have an impact. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
This is based on a suggested no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day, it is not NO carbs and is very doable if you choose your carbs carefully and ditch the 'empty' carbs and make what you have worth it for flavour and enjoyment.
 
Hi @Maxinejane and welcome to the forum.

As you are pre diabetic, there is no need to panic, but some lifestyle changes may be required.

Can you remember what your hba1c result was as this will be your starting point and it will help others on the forum to know how best to help you.

Alan 😉
 
Hi @Maxinejane and welcome to the forum
Some fairly modest diet changes will help lower your blood glucose levels. This will be my first Christmas since diagnosis so I have decided to have plenty of meats and veg to fill up my plate and have small portions of roast potatoes and Xmas pudding with cream. It's hard to say no to the sweet treats but I have been doing that for over 6 months now. I do allow myself the occasional treat, just not on a daily/weekly basis.
Be kind to yourself over Christmas and factor in a small treat as part of your overall carb intake for the day. A moderate walk after dinner (weather permitting) is also good for getting those blood sugars down. We go out for a walk after dinner anyway, even before the diabetes diagnosis.
 
Hi and welcome, as above the lowcarbfreshwell site has loads of good recipes.
Also check out the learning zone on here and the recipes on the Diabetes UK site.
Also check out the SugarFreeLondoner website for more great recipes.
As mentioned above it's all carbs not just sugars, (as they are just one type of carb) that you need to try and reduce. Especially bread, starchy veg (most underground root veg), rice, pasta, obviously most sweet things, (cake, crisps, chocolate, etc), also watch out for carby / sugary fruits, berries are usually best for diabetes.
Lastly the Carbs and Cals book is great IMHO, especially as it shows you actual portion sizes, so is a good visual reference. Good luck with it and stay positive.... cheers
 
Welcome to the forum @Maxinejane

Hopefully you’ll find the links and suggestions from members here helpful and reassuring.

As @silver minion says, it can be good to allow yourself a little treat every now and then. Making it your choice, when you decide to have something (or not!). A positive decision, without guilt or stigma. Not forced into it, or feeling like you have ‘failed’.

Some family members may be full of their own opinions (either “you can’t have this” or “go oooon, a little bit won’t hurt”) which can be a bit exhausting, but in the end it is your diabetes, and these are decisions that only you are able to make.

Pretty soon you’ll realise that many of those things aren’t actually all that enjoyable, so keeping it to less frequent, and sticking to the things that you really like becomes a way of getting much more enjoyment out of them, and really savouring the experience.

I may only have one or two mince pies over the season, but man! They really hit the spot when I have them.
 
I’m sticking to a low carb diet of mostly less than a hundred carbs a day.
Just wondering what classes as empty carbs. Is it white bread, pasta , rice etc. I’ve been using carb free rice and noodles that I found in Holland and Barret . Not as tasty as the real thing but ok when cooked with garlic and tomato purée to give it taste. Have it with bolognaise, stir fry , Salmon etc .
 

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Theo said:
I’m sticking to a low carb diet of mostly less than a hundred carbs a day.
Just wondering what classes as empty carbs. Is it white bread, pasta , rice etc. I’ve been using carb free rice and noodles that I found in Holland and Barret . Not as tasty as the real thing but ok when cooked with garlic and tomato purée to give it taste. Have it with bolognaise, stir fry , Salmon etc .
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Empty carbs is probably my phrase that I call foods which really have no added value to the meal either because they are very bland like rice and white bread and are just fillers rather than having flavour or very sugary foods.
Not keen on the rice but I do like the edamame or black bean pasta or noodles.
 
Where can I get the edamame or black bean pasta from.
 
Thanks for that. Have you seen the ones on my link from Holland and Barrett’s no carbs at all.
 
Theo said:
Thanks for that. Have you seen the ones on my link from Holland and Barrett’s no carbs at all.
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I haven't tried those but did try some konjac rice and it was vile, even though I rinsed it well it still tasted fishy and had little texture. It went in the bin.
 
Theo said:
I’m sticking to a low carb diet of mostly less than a hundred carbs a day.
Just wondering what classes as empty carbs. Is it white bread, pasta , rice etc. I’ve been using carb free rice and noodles that I found in Holland and Barret . Not as tasty as the real thing but ok when cooked with garlic and tomato purée to give it taste. Have it with bolognaise, stir fry , Salmon etc .
Click to expand...
I class empty carbs as any carbs that have little or no nutritional benefit. White rice and pasta and most sweets, cakes and pastries. Even high carb veg like potatoes, parsnips etc contain vitamins and fibre. I just limit the portion size and don't have them every day.
 
Hi @Theo I have seen the no carb options in H&B but tend to go with the edamame bean or black bean noodles. I target below 130g carbs per day and due to significant weight loss (which I didn't need) realised I had gone to far with reducing carbs. So I avoid carb free as it is not good for me.
The other change I have made is to red lentil pasta (most supermarkets) which also provides a carb boost but allows me to stay within the 130g/day limit.
 
That’s interesting as have lost enough weight as wasn’t that much overweight but due to low carbs it unavoidable I suppose.
Think until I have my follow up blood test in January I’m frightened to go too mad although only pre diabetic with reading of 46.
Think I’ll try the edamame bean noodles as mentioned. Never thought I’d have a problem with higher sugar levels as not got a sweet tooth it’s more carbs that are my problem, crusty bread, cereals, pasta etc. I’m rarely above 100 carbs a day so hope it’s worked as not been easy. Now just to get over Christmas.
 
Leadinglights said:
I haven't tried those but did try some konjac rice and it was vile, even though I rinsed it well it still tasted fishy and had little texture. It went in the bin.
Click to expand...
I agree it’s not the best but I’m frightened to eat anything too carby so suppose make myself like it. I will give your edamame noodles a try.
 
Theo said:
That’s interesting as have lost enough weight as wasn’t that much overweight but due to low carbs it unavoidable I suppose.
Think until I have my follow up blood test in January I’m frightened to go too mad although only pre diabetic with reading of 46.
Think I’ll try the edamame bean noodles as mentioned. Never thought I’d have a problem with higher sugar levels as not got a sweet tooth it’s more carbs that are my problem, crusty bread, cereals, pasta etc. I’m rarely above 100 carbs a day so hope it’s worked as not been easy. Now just to get over Christmas.
Click to expand...
Hi @Theo, I was 13 stone 10lbs when diagnosed in September, now about 12 stone 8lbs. I have managed to panic the diabetes nurse and the GP so have an appt with the Gastroenterologist on Friday and CAT scan being booked just to double check that everything is OK. In the meantime my wife pointed out that I might have cut to many carbs (<40-50g/day) and that I needed more fat (milky coffee was a bit of a mistake). When I mentioned to the nurse what I was eating in the evening, she was very concerned about the lack of fat involved hence the fact I now eat a Freshwells chocolate mousse that my wife makes. With added cream of course :D
My Jan appt is also on my mind and I hoping for a big fall from my September HbA1c figure of 86.
As for the sugar issue , I have always had a sweet tooth but tried to use fruit as an alternative but seems that hasn't worked out either. But I love(d) my bread and always needed a snack of some sort.
For Christmas, I have found that I can eat small portions of things (chocolate covered gingerbread man's head and a fruit bread) so plan on enjoying half a mince pie and piece of my wife's traditional christmas cake over the period, followed by a very brisk walk or run to burn off the excess BG.
 
Theo said:
That’s interesting as have lost enough weight as wasn’t that much overweight but due to low carbs it unavoidable I suppose.
Think until I have my follow up blood test in January I’m frightened to go too mad although only pre diabetic with reading of 46.
Think I’ll try the edamame bean noodles as mentioned. Never thought I’d have a problem with higher sugar levels as not got a sweet tooth it’s more carbs that are my problem, crusty bread, cereals, pasta etc. I’m rarely above 100 carbs a day so hope it’s worked as not been easy. Now just to get over Christmas.
Click to expand...
I would have thought if you are keeping to that amount of carbs then your HbA1C will have come down, hopefully into the normal range.
 
Thanks for all your help and advice. I have really learnt an awful lot on this forum and so glad that I joined. I do like baking so will look at the freshwell site. Especially the chocolate mousse. Although my husband will most likely eat it all if I don’t watch him. Good luck Jimmy Blue for January. At least we’ve tried and nothing to feel guilty about.
 
Theo said:
Thanks for all your help and advice. I have really learnt an awful lot on this forum and so glad that I joined. I do like baking so will look at the freshwell site. Especially the chocolate mousse. Although my husband will most likely eat it all if I don’t watch him. Good luck Jimmy Blue for January. At least we’ve tried and nothing to feel guilty about.
Click to expand...
The other site to look at is sugarfreelondoner for low carb cakes, biscuits and also savoury dishes.
 
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