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Teadance

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Type 2
Hi, I've just had type 2 diabetes confirmed. I'd been monitoring my own blood glucose, as it's in the family, and noticed it was creeping up. Went to Dr.'s who did an Hba1c, which came out at 52. Two weeks later it was 49. I was referred to the diabetic nurse, who said come back in 3 months. That was Monday. Results today were 47. It's been hard work and I wanted it to be lower. I don't know if I'm expecting too much. I've lost about a stone and half since February. Hope I can learn how to manage diabetes on here. Haven't been told to reduce carbs. or to monitor my own levels as I see many people on here do.
Thanks.🙂
 
Hi Teadance, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but well done on your achievements so far in tackling things! The key to getting your levels lower may well be due to your carb intake (including the kind of carbohydrate i.e. whether it quickly raise blood sugar levels, or more gradually). I would recommend starting a food diary, writing down the amount of carbs (in grams) in everything you eat and drink, plus what it is you actually eat. This will give you a good idea of your overall general carb intake, and give you an opportunity to look for places where substitutions can be made (e.g. more veg, fewer potatoes).

Your meter is your best tool to finding out the other part of the equation - which foods and food combinations you tolerate well, and those you don't and need to avoid, modify or keep for special occasions 🙂 Have a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and also Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S as a guide to efficient testing. You would also benefit from getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which comes highly recommended by many of our members.

And...after that information overload, please do ask us any questions you may have, nothing is 'silly', and we will do our best to help!

I look forward to hearing more from you 🙂
 
Thanks Northerner, I've been keeping a food diary for about 3 months and always had what I considered a healthy diet. Porridge, sunflower seeds, fruit, veg, avocados, nuts. Lean meat, home made soups, pulses, salads, oat biscuits, peanut or almond butter, dried fruit, eggs, yoghurts etc. I'm not a cake lover but can't say I never indulged. Weaknesses were cream, butter and cheese. (Did I mention chocolate?) Not a snacker in the evenings. Hardly drink alcohol. Not sure how to go about working out carb values, but will read the info you suggested. Many thanks Td.
 
You've done really well then, that diet looks pretty good! 🙂 Things you may wish to consider though is the porridge and dried fruit. Some people find carbs difficult to tolerate in the morning as we tend to be more insulin-resistant then than we are later in the day. Also, some dried fruit can be like little sugar bombs and 'spike' your blood sugar levels up quickly.

For working out carb values, read packaging which should list carb content (total carbs, not just 'sugars'), and for fresh items use a book like the Collins Gem Calorie Counter, which lists carb contents of most food. You may need to weigh things like rice, pasta etc., so a good set of kitchen scales is useful 🙂

How are you on the exercise front? Regular exercise can really help sensitise you to the insulin you are producing, making it more efficient and helping to keep you blood sugars under control 🙂
 
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Hi and welcome, looks like your taking control (took me years before i did lol), you've picked a good forum.
 
Thanks Northerner,
Exercise isn't too bad........or so I thought! I go Latin dancing for 2 hours each week, and have done for years.( Cha Cha, jive, that sort of thing.) I go line dancing Tuesday evenings, again, have done for years. ( I like tea and dancing, hence Teadance!) I ride a bike and walk. I can't deny that I don't veg out on the settee now and again.....ok, maybe a bit more than that, but the kids are grown, so I'm not chasing around after them. We holiday in the Lake District, so walking usually features there. The weight has been creeping up recently, post menopause and all that, plus stress etc. Clearly something I'm doing or not doing has caused this, unless it's just genetic and it wouldn't have mattered what I'd done......!

Megga, thanks. Looks like I have a lot to learn.
 
Well, you're considerably more active than most of the population, so all sounds very good 🙂

Type 2 has strong links to being overweight, but there is also a very strong genetic link. Around 20% of Type 2s are not overweight at diagnosis and may be quite fit and active. That's quite a lot of people actually, which is why it a bit unfair to lay the blame entirely at the door of people's diet and exercise regimes. If you think about it, half the population is overweight or obese, but less than 10% have diabetes, so weight isn't the only factor, just a very high risk factor.
 
Hiya, Teadance, and welcome.🙂
 
Thanks again, Northerner. That's really interesting. I didn't realise there was a genetic component, just that it ran in families, presumably through lifestyle. I was definitely overweight, and becoming more so. I think I was eating healthily, but perhaps too much of it. Both my late parents had type 2, my older sister has it and a paternal aunt, and one of her sons, so it's definitely in the family.

Thanks Bloden.
 
Welcome to the forum Teadance. Love the name btw. :D
 
hello teadance welcome to the forum, they are a great bunch on here. Any questions you have just fire away no matter if they seem like silly ones, someone will have an answer Take care and look forward to seeing you posting
 
Hi teadance , welcome to the forum, you will like it here everyone helpful and friendly....Tintin
 
Thanks KateR,
Just completed 4th week of Living Well, Taking Control. Nice to meet others and looking forward to 5 sessions of choice. I'm doing Label reading, Emotional eating, Spinning, T'ai Chi and a gym session. All measurements moving in right direction. Keeping them there might be the hard bit, but we are checked again in 2,3,6,9 and 12 months. Not bad for a freebie. (You have no idea how long it took me to come up with Teadance. I dance! I drink tea! You'd have thought it would have been obvious to me!!)

Thanks gail1. I think I'll have a lot of questions.

HERE TINTIN thank you.

Thanks Laura.
 
Ooh! Tai Chi is great, as you love dance, you will love Tai Chi, it's so balletic, but soothing for the mind at the same time. And the balance it teaches you also strengthens you, some of it is pretty tricky - good luck, let us know how it goes 🙂
 
Thanks Fluffy Jo.

Thanks jalapeño

Can I ask a question? If some people are more insulin-resistant in the morning than later in the day, what is the best thing to have for breakfast? Would it be more protein based? Thanks.

(Achieved long,(for me!) ride on new bike last night. Ok, it was to the pub, but......!)
 
If your insulin resistance is greater in the morning then it does indeed make sense to have a low carb breakfast. An omelette, yoghurt with some berries or nuts, a kipper perhaps, or bangers and tomatoes anything really that doesn't involve bread, pasta, rice or cereals.
 
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