Newbie

[GFW2]

Hi all
Had blood test three weeks ago and it came back last week with Hb1ac level of 90, which I wasn’t expecting so type 2 diabetes, had confirmation blood test yesterday and it’s gone down to 76. Previously 18 months ago had a level of 42 and in three weeks it went down to 36, 90 was a shock.
Got to see a Dr Friday to talk about it and medication. Finding it hard to actually get exact information on what I can and can’t eat, is there a list of foods one can download. All sites I have looked have conflicting information on them or one site says you can have something and another you can’. Frustrating as I just want exact information! Can anyone tell me where to find this information. Also any questions I should be asking on Friday? I want to write things down so I don’t forget.

 

[Docb]

Hi @GFW2 and welcome to the forum. When it comes to food, prepare to be confused and frustrated until you work out what is best for you.

The general principle is easy, carbohydrate in food turns into glucose which finishes up in the blood and so cutting down on carbohydrate intake will reduce your blood sugar levels. Turning that principle into practice isn't so easy, hence the conflicting information you see. Some carbohydrate converts easier than others, the way each individual converts carbohydrate varies and the way each individual deals with blood glucose varies. Sounds a minefield but you can work your way through it and come to a regime that works for you. Beware magic lists and instant solutions is my thought.

Do you need to lose a pound or two? If so, then the evidence that losing the weight is by far the best bet for getting your blood glucose under control is compelling. Does not matter how you lose it. You will find many on the forum who have gone that route and are at the point where they are not concerned about what they eat provided they do not put the weight back on.

If you are normal weight (bit like me) and losing weight might not be a good idea then controlling carbohydrate intake is a route to go but my suggestion is that you work out what suits you rather than relying on lists and things. Monitoring blood glucose with a hand held meter before and after meals is an efficient way of doing this because you get rapid feed back about what gives big rises in your BG (blood glucose) and quickly check the effect of eliminating those things that look to be contributing to it. For me, wheat flour in all its guises was a biggie together with some oddities like cappuccinos and some apples and after finding this out a few tweaks in my diet worked a treat. Mostly substitutions and portion size adjustment was all that was needed. No need for panic and wholesale changes.

Exercise helps.

Medication helps.

Hope that gives you a starter.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, as said it can be a confusing time when information can vary but that is because sometimes information even from the NHS is outdated and more modern approaches have been found more successful. It is not so simple as saying eat this or don't eat that because people's ability to cope with carbohydrates can be very different depending on what it is. Somebody can eat 20g of carbohydrate if it is bread but not if it is rice or pasta or visaversa.
I found the principals in this link made very much sense, and it is a low carbohydrate approach which many have found successful in both reducing blood glucose and losing weight if they need to. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Low carb is suggested as being less than 130g per day TOTAL carbohydrate not just 'sugar'. So looking at the total carb value of the foods you are buying on the packet or the internet by searching for food X and total carbs.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is a useful resource giving carb values of various portion sizes helps you make better food choices.
When you see your GP you most likely will be prescribed medication but dietary changes are equally if not more important, so you need to take that on board.

 

[42istheanswer]

There is some information about dietary options on the main Diabetes UK website in the orange Learning Zone

I have also found this summary of the options helpful https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/content/uploads/2019/11/DiabetesSmart_dietary_approaches.pdf

It may be worth asking your GP if there is a dietary information course they can refer you to in your area, this is usually with a dietician if available so gives opportunities to ask them more specific questions.

Do you have weight to lose? If so then as @Docb says losing weight if possible gives your best chance of putting diabetes into remission. If you don't have excess weight then it may be worth asking your GP about Type 1 tests, as sometimes for adults development of Type 1 can be slower and confused with Type 2. (You can get either of the main types if you are underweight, normal weight, or overweight but as Type 2 is caused by insulin resistance, rather than the immune system attacking the insulin producing cells, it is frequently associated with visceral fat around the liver which may be associated with general higher body fat levels and losing weight can reduce this visceral fat and so reduce insulin resistance).

I have gone primarily with restricting carbohydrates, but as I also have weight to lose I have switched most carbohydrate rich foods for lower carbohydrate vegetables which has also reduced my calorie intake.

If your GP will give you a blood glucose monitor and prescribe test strips, or if you can buy a monitor and strips yourself, then you can test before meals and 2 hours after and see how your body copes with different amounts and sources of carbohydrates to help you work out which carbohydrates affect you individually most. For me I have noticed that having a little more fat with a meal means that I can have slightly more carbohydrates without that 2 hour post meal rise being too high, as that slows the rate that the carbohydrates are released by digestion and so helps my body to cope with processing the resultant glucose out of my bloodstream and into cells.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi GFW2, welcome to the forum.

There's a lot of conflicting advice out there because the truth is that it depends on person to person. Essentially, reducing carbs, which includes sugary drinks and sauces, can help to reduce your numbers.

The only way to know how your body reacts to certain carbs is to test. To start with, I'd keep a diary of what you eat in a week or two then look at how you can reduce and replace carbs. Then you can test when you wake and two hours after each meal to see how the impact those meals have on you. You can find out more about that here https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing