Newly diagnosed and haven't a clue...

[helloem]

Hi all,

Ive very recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It has hit me like a ton of bricks as I have always been fairly healthy and never really needed to go to the doctors. I am aware that my BMI is higher than it should be and I do like a fizzy drink and my carbs. Ive only just turned 30 and was looking to start a family in the next year or two and I just feel as this has put a massive blocker on that now.

I am basically just looking for some advice on what the best steps are for me, I have basically cut out all sugars now other than the natural kind from fruit, and I have considerably lowered my carb intake.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, I haven't had an appointment with a diabetic nurse who I can grill for any advice, and although my GP is great, she basically just said take the Metformin and eat better. Im thinking there can surely be something I should or could be doing. I am already fairly active as on my feet all day at work.

Any advice welcome! Are any of you also in your early 30s battling this?

THANK YOU!

 

[Vonny]

Hi @helloem and welcome to the forum 🙂 It sounds like you have made a good start cutting out sugars and reducing your carbs. Be aware that fruit contains more sugar than you may expect. Bananas, grapes and exotic fruit are particularly high. If you are eating fruit, best go for berries which are generally better for us diabetics, although everyone reacts differently. It's an individual thing!

Because everyone has different reactions to what they eat, a lot of us find it useful to monitor regularly. Glucose monitors aren't generally funded by the NHS for T2. I bought one myself: the SD Gluco Navii but there are other makes. The reason I went for the navii was because the strips and lancets are fairly reasonable and you get through a lot when are first testing! My DN actually discouraged me from testing, but I'm so glad I did because I now know what foods work for me and what sends my glucose sky high.

Were you given your hba1c? It's just helpful to know how much you need to cut your carbs by.

 

[Ljc]

Hello @helloem . Welcome to the forum. Yes it does come as a shock doesn’t it. Luckily diabetes of all types is doable, so don’t panic, nor does it need to stop you starting a family , but not just yet as you need to prepare and will need specialist support.

To give you the most appropriate advise , a bit more info will help us.
How did you come to be diagnosed, ie your symptoms.
What was the result of your Hb1ac blood test.
.

The most usual question asked is, what on Earth can I eat .
Carbohydrates are our problem .
Tbh I take no notice if the sugar content of foods etc as it is already included in the carbohydrate content on the nutritional label usually on the back of packs. ( Sugar is just ya simple carbohydrates )
Nor do I bother looking at traffic light system on the front as it doesn’t contain the info I need.

We are fine with protein in all it’s forms.
And this will probably suprise you, good fats too, you see when your cutting down on carbs , our body needs to get its fuel from other sources, plus it keeps us feeling fuller for longer n

Quite a few if us need to be careful with fruit , anything with berry as part of its name is often tolerated better.

Breakfast cereals are often high carb .

Many folks initially find breakfast difficult, because cornflakes ect or toast is so easy to grab.
Eggs cooked anyway you like are fine if you like them , as is the traditional English minus the potato products, beans and of course toast,
You could also have a nice Greek yogurt and add some berries.

Don’t worry their are plenty of good substitutes for bread, rice, ect.

Ask all the questions you need to about diabetes , we’ll do our best to help.

Others will be along soon with more info .

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome. The posts above have given you good information, so I won't duplicate. In these difficult times, you will get lots of information from the Learning Zone and Forums on this site. There's no such thing as a silly question, so ask away. You are recommended to have no more that 130gm carbs every day, but that includes everything you consume - milk, fizzy drinks, scraping the bowl etc. And you should weigh your carbs to get the correct portion size - you will be shocked at how many are in some foods - 20gm for a medium apple for example.
Writing it down and keeping a running total can be difficult, so an app which does all the hard work for you, and can be downloaded to your phone, is a good idea. I use NutraCheck which gives you a 7 day free trial to see if it suits. Just search for the item, select the correct portion size and enter. It gives you running totals by meal, by day and by week, and shows cals and carbs amongst other things.
I started on Metformin 9 weeks ago, and have my review in 4 weeks. I had to persevere with it but now get very few side effects, except a reduced appetite. Not a bad thing!! You can use the Signature feature on here to record basic information about yourself, like HbA1c, medication etc, so then other members can see and tailor their help. Mine will appear below. Best wishes

 

[Drummer]

All sugar is natural - sourcing it from fruit - I'm afraid - doesn't make any difference to the outcome - it ends up in your blood and your liver.
There is a similar outcome for all the 'healthy' carbohydrates we are supposed to eat, wholemeal wholegrain or brown, they all bring loads of starches along with them, all of which are swiftly broken down into sugars in your blood or your liver.
The good news is that we can eat protein and fats, and most can add in fair amounts of some tasty options to add variety and flavour.
I seem to need to stick to very low carb to be in normal numbers, but even so I can have stir fries, stews and salads, curries and omelettes, a diet I much prefer over the usual GP printouts - you know the one - starts with sugar free cereal and skimmed milk or wholemeal bread and low fat spread - which is of course exactly what type twos should be avoiding to stop high glucose levels.

 

[helloem]

Hi all,

Thank you all so much for your advice, I have been doing my research on the Learning Zone and will do my best to keep it under control. Unfortunately, everything I like the most, even down to the fruits that I eat are the ones where there is the highest sugar content.
I have a steep learning curve for sure!
Im also going to buy a glucose montior based on your suggestions so I can keep track of how I am reacting to certain foods. Might just give me the boost to stop eating what I shouldn't be!

thanks again for all your suggestions and advice. It is really appriciated

 

[Felinia]

I too like my fruit and now I get frozen fruit and measure out an 80gm serving as a pudding or a 40gm serving as a topping. I include these in my daily carb allowance. I spin out potato with blitzed cauliflower (new discovery - you're never too old to learn), and as I am typing I am making a root veggie mash with carrot, swede and a baked potato, seasoned well with black pepper. Pureed roasted or microwaved swede with curry powder (or paprika or spices/herbs of choice) is a good mash substitute too.

You are young for Type 2 so I suggest it is very important that you do measure your glucose daily, before and 2 hours after every meal and keep a written record you can pass to your GP and/or diabetic nurse. It will help you identify which foods affect you, and also show the GP/Nurse how effective the Metformin is.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @helloem

Glad you have been discovering the wealth of information in the Learning Zone

Do you know what your HbA1c was? This can give you an indication of whether you should be looking at wholesale changes, or just a few minor tweaks.

And be encouraged... these days it is perfectly possible for people with diabetes to successfully navigate the tricky task of pregnancy and carry beautiful babies to full term.