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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Newbie
- Thread starter Doreen B
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Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello and welcome
You are in the right place here. It can be very overwhelming at first but as you get to learn more about diabetes you should find you soon adjust. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your HbA1c, any medication you are on, other medical conditions and how you came to be diagnosed? That way we can best make suggestions.
I would suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone (orange tab above), slowly one module a day so you can take in the information. Please ask any questions you may have - there is no such thing as a silly question - we have all been where you are now.
You can best help yourself by making lifestyle changes - food, weight and exercise. If you are overweight a weight loss generally helps reduce blood glucose. Exercise is also helpful. This can be as simple as a daily walk. I'm 72 with mobility issues, but go to the swimming pool 3 times a week. I do aquafit (we are mainly ladies of a certain age - I'm one of the youngest!), but my 88 year old friend simply swims. My 80+ neighbour cycles twice a week, and my other neighbour has the most walked dogs in the area!
You asked about what to eat and drink. A lot depends on how far you are in the diabetic range - if you are just in the range a few simple adjustments might be enough. Most Type 2 benefit by reducing their carbohydrate intake. By that I mean bread, potato, rice, pasta, most fruits, cakes, biscuits, sweets, pastries, not just sugar. But not going overboard, as that can damage your eyes. It is suggested trying to keep below 130gm carbs a day. But everybody is different and some people are more sensitive to carbs than others. I experimented and settled on around 90gm a day. I found substitute foods, like cauliflower rice, soy bean noodles, roasted squash and lots of new vegetables to try. I got an app which measures calories, carbs, fats, proteins, fibre, salt and exercise, by meal, by day and by week. There are lots of food suggestions on the thread "What did you eat yesterday", looking for Type 2 respondents. All I drink is water, decaf tea and coffee, but others may have drinks suggestions.
A typical day for me is
Breakfast: poached egg, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes or Greek yogurt with berries (some top with seeds and nuts)
Lunch: Home made vegetable soup or salad
Dinner: 2/3 plate vegetables (not root veggies) plus 1/3 plate protein like steamed fish or grilled chicken
Snack: Depends on my daily carbs and how many I have available. I do like a dash of lime juice in my water, or a little dark chocolate. Sometimes it's fruit like strawberries.
Hope this has given you some reassurance and ideas.
You are in the right place here. It can be very overwhelming at first but as you get to learn more about diabetes you should find you soon adjust. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your HbA1c, any medication you are on, other medical conditions and how you came to be diagnosed? That way we can best make suggestions.
I would suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone (orange tab above), slowly one module a day so you can take in the information. Please ask any questions you may have - there is no such thing as a silly question - we have all been where you are now.
You can best help yourself by making lifestyle changes - food, weight and exercise. If you are overweight a weight loss generally helps reduce blood glucose. Exercise is also helpful. This can be as simple as a daily walk. I'm 72 with mobility issues, but go to the swimming pool 3 times a week. I do aquafit (we are mainly ladies of a certain age - I'm one of the youngest!), but my 88 year old friend simply swims. My 80+ neighbour cycles twice a week, and my other neighbour has the most walked dogs in the area!
You asked about what to eat and drink. A lot depends on how far you are in the diabetic range - if you are just in the range a few simple adjustments might be enough. Most Type 2 benefit by reducing their carbohydrate intake. By that I mean bread, potato, rice, pasta, most fruits, cakes, biscuits, sweets, pastries, not just sugar. But not going overboard, as that can damage your eyes. It is suggested trying to keep below 130gm carbs a day. But everybody is different and some people are more sensitive to carbs than others. I experimented and settled on around 90gm a day. I found substitute foods, like cauliflower rice, soy bean noodles, roasted squash and lots of new vegetables to try. I got an app which measures calories, carbs, fats, proteins, fibre, salt and exercise, by meal, by day and by week. There are lots of food suggestions on the thread "What did you eat yesterday", looking for Type 2 respondents. All I drink is water, decaf tea and coffee, but others may have drinks suggestions.
A typical day for me is
Breakfast: poached egg, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes or Greek yogurt with berries (some top with seeds and nuts)
Lunch: Home made vegetable soup or salad
Dinner: 2/3 plate vegetables (not root veggies) plus 1/3 plate protein like steamed fish or grilled chicken
Snack: Depends on my daily carbs and how many I have available. I do like a dash of lime juice in my water, or a little dark chocolate. Sometimes it's fruit like strawberries.
Hope this has given you some reassurance and ideas.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Doreen B
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and that you are feeling a little lost in it, and finding it difficult. This is perfectly natural, and not at all uncommon, so be kind to yourself. But take heart - things will get easier. Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.
You might like to sign-up to the Learning Zone, which has heaps of helpful and informative modules that will give you a great grounding in diabetes.
Additionally, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter to the Newly Diagnosed and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually in your own time.
And ask away on the forum too. All questions are welcome, and nothing will be considered too obvious or ‘silly’. 🙂
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and that you are feeling a little lost in it, and finding it difficult. This is perfectly natural, and not at all uncommon, so be kind to yourself. But take heart - things will get easier. Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.
You might like to sign-up to the Learning Zone, which has heaps of helpful and informative modules that will give you a great grounding in diabetes.
Additionally, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter to the Newly Diagnosed and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually in your own time.
And ask away on the forum too. All questions are welcome, and nothing will be considered too obvious or ‘silly’. 🙂
Thank you this helps a lot, also makes me a little ashamed I'm not the most active person on the planet. I have arthritis, high cholesterol and am recovering from bowel cancer, which was found very early and completely removed, just waiting for the next follow up endoscopy. I'm on Atorvastatin, Bisoprolol, Perindopril, Furosemide. Omeprazole and as of yesterday Metformin. It was a routine blood test that diagnosed the problem. Your eating suggestions are really helpful as with yourself I only drink water or decaf tea or coffee so don't have to change there, but really need to think as potatoes, carrots and white bread amongst my favourite foods. Not had cauliflower in years don't know why as I like it fish and chicken I love so that will help, will have to get my head around other veggies.
It had certainly given me reassurance and ideas again thank you
Thank you I will sign up for the learning zone its a big help hearing from people with the same problem, I think cutting down the carbs will be my biggest problem, and exercise I'm ashamed to say. I will get copies of your recommend reading again thank you
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
This link may also help you with some meal ideas, but you do need to balance your food choices with your other conditions. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
How much you need to do will depend on how far you are into the diabetic zone and your HbA1C will tell you that, 48mmol/mol is the threshold.
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yes I am on very similar medications for high BP, hiatus hernia and have arthritis. I can't take statins but have slow release Metformin and Canagliflozin. I did a cauliflower cheese and gammon hotpot, with onions and a little sweetcorn in the sauce and grated cheese on top. Tonight I'm having baked salmon with spinach, carrot and swede puree (instead of mash) and broccoli. So I have a little bit of some of the higher carb veggies, but weigh when I am making and count their carbs. I'm post a few pictures of meals (I kept them to show my diabetic nurse) to give you ideas. As you can see, I don't starve!!
Beef stew with a few carrots, cabbage, runner beans, roasted squash
Gammon and cauliflower hotpot with runner beans
Steamed haddock with cheese sauce, carrot/swede puree, green beans, cauliflower
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