Hi husband newly diagnosed as type 2, doctor phoned yold him sugar high in blood at 90 go to vhemist tommorow and pivk up tablets and dtart taking. Go on uk site if you want to know more. That was it and when at cgemist tanlets say take metformin one a day increase every 2 weeks until you on 4 a day. End of story. Needless to say ourheads are all over the place wondering how we eat now ie. Carbs how many ? Sugars how many etc etc in food items, ordo we live of diet food. I am reading up but so much any help or guidance would be great. Thanks
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Newbie
- Thread starter Emms
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SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @Emms
Firstly don’t t panic. It is a shock with every diagnosis, and a lot to take in.
There is plenty of advice and support available on here and you can tap into a wealth of experience, as well as link up with plenty of others with a new diagnosis.
You have already mentioned carbohydrates. These include the sugars, which are just a small part of the foods that are carbs. All the carbs we eat will be converted to glucose once inside us. With Diabetes we do not have enough insulin (or any insulin in the case of T1) to balance the glucose in our system.
A good starting point is to start to gather a brutally honest food diary including the foods eaten and the amount of carbs. This takes a bit of working out, but the information is available on packaging and with help of set of scales you can come to some idea of how many carbs you are eating at each meal. This will then help you and your health care team decide on appropriate changes.
Have a read around the forum, look at the thread on useful advice for newbies under T2, and come back with any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here. just ask.
Firstly don’t t panic. It is a shock with every diagnosis, and a lot to take in.
There is plenty of advice and support available on here and you can tap into a wealth of experience, as well as link up with plenty of others with a new diagnosis.
You have already mentioned carbohydrates. These include the sugars, which are just a small part of the foods that are carbs. All the carbs we eat will be converted to glucose once inside us. With Diabetes we do not have enough insulin (or any insulin in the case of T1) to balance the glucose in our system.
A good starting point is to start to gather a brutally honest food diary including the foods eaten and the amount of carbs. This takes a bit of working out, but the information is available on packaging and with help of set of scales you can come to some idea of how many carbs you are eating at each meal. This will then help you and your health care team decide on appropriate changes.
Have a read around the forum, look at the thread on useful advice for newbies under T2, and come back with any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here. just ask.
RirisR
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Emms, No you don't have to live off diet food, thats if you mean those
packet diet shakes etc. You can have cauliflower, cabbage, brocolli, meat
chicken fish make a curry with cauliflower rice etc sugar free jelly and any fruit which
are berries i.e. raspberry is the one I use usually high carb are potatoes, rice, bread
pasta so limiting those will help someone will probably be along shortly to let you know
more about how to go about this hang in there x
packet diet shakes etc. You can have cauliflower, cabbage, brocolli, meat
chicken fish make a curry with cauliflower rice etc sugar free jelly and any fruit which
are berries i.e. raspberry is the one I use usually high carb are potatoes, rice, bread
pasta so limiting those will help someone will probably be along shortly to let you know
more about how to go about this hang in there x
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
To control the blood glucose, reduce the intake of carbohydrate.
The starches and sugars we eat are converted into glucose which ends up in the bloodstream, and due to the diabetes, it is dealt with rather slowly.
If we eat meals with protein and fat - which are the essential foods, and only the amount of carbs we can deal with then the situation usually improves quite quickly.
As a Hba1c of 90 is quite high (I was diagnosed with 91) then slowly swapping or reducing is probably the safest - but I went low carb at once and seem to have survived intact, though I'd probably have benefited from having a blood glucose meter from the start rather than a couple of weeks later.
I eat low carb veges and berries - no more than 40 gm of carbohydrate these days, but I have a Hba1c just at the top end of normal year on year, from 6 months after diagnosis.
The starches and sugars we eat are converted into glucose which ends up in the bloodstream, and due to the diabetes, it is dealt with rather slowly.
If we eat meals with protein and fat - which are the essential foods, and only the amount of carbs we can deal with then the situation usually improves quite quickly.
As a Hba1c of 90 is quite high (I was diagnosed with 91) then slowly swapping or reducing is probably the safest - but I went low carb at once and seem to have survived intact, though I'd probably have benefited from having a blood glucose meter from the start rather than a couple of weeks later.
I eat low carb veges and berries - no more than 40 gm of carbohydrate these days, but I have a Hba1c just at the top end of normal year on year, from 6 months after diagnosis.
Cherrelle DUK
Much missed Online Community Coordinator
Hi Emms, welcome to the forum.
So sorry to hear about what's' happened and that your family hasn't been given the support needed.
I echo the advice above, take a deep breath and have a read of the following pages.
This is in regards to testing your blood sugar levels
This is in regards to what to eat
The trick for me was not to try and opt for a totally new diet but to figure out what foods I enjoyed that do not spike my BS and then build a plan around that.
A food diary is a great idea so that you can have a look at what he's eating and therefore what to swap for a healthier option.
That will get you off to a good start and if there's anything you'd like help with, just let us know and we'll be happy to help.
So sorry to hear about what's' happened and that your family hasn't been given the support needed.
I echo the advice above, take a deep breath and have a read of the following pages.
This is in regards to testing your blood sugar levels
This is in regards to what to eat
The trick for me was not to try and opt for a totally new diet but to figure out what foods I enjoyed that do not spike my BS and then build a plan around that.
A food diary is a great idea so that you can have a look at what he's eating and therefore what to swap for a healthier option.
That will get you off to a good start and if there's anything you'd like help with, just let us know and we'll be happy to help.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Click on the tab at the top of the page 'Learning Zone' and get learning!
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
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Welcome to the forum @Emms
Sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. Feeling overwhelmed and all over the place is completely natural.
Try not to be disheartened about his diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. 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.
Often people don’t realise how weary, worn down and lethargic they have been feeling. Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually. Making a few positive changes can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.
Starting gradually on Metformin and then adding in extra tablets over a number of weeks is an attempt to reduce any possible stomach upset. Some people struggle with this worse than others, and it generally settles down after a while, but can be quite unpleasant to start with.
The cut-off for a diabetes diagnosis is 48, so he is well into diabetes territory, but by balancing medication and a reduced carbohydrate diet many members here have been able to successfully manage their diabetes in a way that suits them.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to how many carbs per day (everyone is different) but lots of people here find somewhere around 100-150g of carbs a day is a reasonable starting point.
Sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. Feeling overwhelmed and all over the place is completely natural.
Try not to be disheartened about his diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. 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.
Often people don’t realise how weary, worn down and lethargic they have been feeling. Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually. Making a few positive changes can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.
Starting gradually on Metformin and then adding in extra tablets over a number of weeks is an attempt to reduce any possible stomach upset. Some people struggle with this worse than others, and it generally settles down after a while, but can be quite unpleasant to start with.
The cut-off for a diabetes diagnosis is 48, so he is well into diabetes territory, but by balancing medication and a reduced carbohydrate diet many members here have been able to successfully manage their diabetes in a way that suits them.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to how many carbs per day (everyone is different) but lots of people here find somewhere around 100-150g of carbs a day is a reasonable starting point.
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