Hi there, I’ve just been diagnosed with Diabetes, levels are very high so I’ve been started on Metformin straight away. I shop at Sainsbury’s and am obviously now having sugar free drinks, can anybody please recommend things such as jam, yoghurts, bread and suchlike. Today has been my first day on my new regime and definitely have more energy!
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Newly Diagnosed
- Thread starter Racheeroo
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Hello and welcome! You say your HbA1c levels are high - how high are they?
You'll find loads of practical advice here to help you but it helps if we know how you were diagnosed and your BG level.
I'm not the best person to answer your questions but full fat natural greek style yoghurt is a pretty standard go to for diabetics. I haven't touched jam in months and try to avoid breads. Borgen bread is a low carb option and some supermarkets offer alternative low carb bread options.
Avoiding foods that will spike your blood sugars is the aim of the game. Has your GP spoken to you about testing your blood glucose at home with a monitor?
You'll find loads of practical advice here to help you but it helps if we know how you were diagnosed and your BG level.
I'm not the best person to answer your questions but full fat natural greek style yoghurt is a pretty standard go to for diabetics. I haven't touched jam in months and try to avoid breads. Borgen bread is a low carb option and some supermarkets offer alternative low carb bread options.
Avoiding foods that will spike your blood sugars is the aim of the game. Has your GP spoken to you about testing your blood glucose at home with a monitor?
Thank you so much for your reply, there really is so much that I don’t know, I suppose a lot of it is about reading labels. I do like Greek Yoghurt but are the flavoured ones with no added sugar an option? I have heard that Borgen bread is better too so that’s on my shopping list! I have my first appointment with the Diabetic Nurse next week where I’ll get my blood glucose test monitor. Once again, thank you and from what I’ve seen so far, am finding some great advice on here
goodybags
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome @Racheeroo
You will find plenty of great advice from everyone on here
Regarding Pop
hope I’m not going to deep here but...
I've found staying clear of even the low sugar fizzy drinks is better to help control BS levels
due to their affect on the good bacteria in the gut, I saw something online (ok it was on DrGoogle) but whilst the so called sugar free pop might not contain sugar themselves, because of the chemicals init
when you have carbohydrates in your food they can actually spike your sugar levels
now I mostly drink water or no added sugar squash
Bread I only eat a few slices a day (on the days when I eat any)
I find it’s best just look at the nutrition label as looking for a lower carb one, usually I look for around 10 carb per slice which ive recently found in a warburtons wholemeal in Tesco 9g per slice ( its a eye opener when you see the content of a bog standard loaf)
they do the same loaf in a sugar free loaf but that one actually has more carbs ( it can all be quite confusing really)
I’ve never seen the much talked about Burgen loaf in the shops though I’ve looked
So now I’m thinking of making my own bread as a few people do on here
Good luck with your DSN appointment
You will find plenty of great advice from everyone on here
Regarding Pop
hope I’m not going to deep here but...
I've found staying clear of even the low sugar fizzy drinks is better to help control BS levels
due to their affect on the good bacteria in the gut, I saw something online (ok it was on DrGoogle) but whilst the so called sugar free pop might not contain sugar themselves, because of the chemicals init
when you have carbohydrates in your food they can actually spike your sugar levels
now I mostly drink water or no added sugar squash
Bread I only eat a few slices a day (on the days when I eat any)
I find it’s best just look at the nutrition label as looking for a lower carb one, usually I look for around 10 carb per slice which ive recently found in a warburtons wholemeal in Tesco 9g per slice ( its a eye opener when you see the content of a bog standard loaf)
they do the same loaf in a sugar free loaf but that one actually has more carbs ( it can all be quite confusing really)
I’ve never seen the much talked about Burgen loaf in the shops though I’ve looked
So now I’m thinking of making my own bread as a few people do on here
Good luck with your DSN appointment
PattiEvans
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Sainsbury’s stock Burgen Soya and Linseed bread, which is what you are looking for. It’s 12g carb per slice.
It’s not all about sugar though, all carbohydrates turn to glucose in your bloodstream. That includes cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes and all baked goods. It’s actually not as dire as it sounds as there are plenty of substitutes and it is all about moderation. Do you have a blood sugar monitor? If not then may I suggest you buy one and some test strips. I know others on here can recommend a couple of makes that are not too pricy. Then test before meals and 2 hours after to see the rise the meal has caused. That way you can build up a repertoire of meals that you can tolerate. Everyone is different in what they can tolerate. I can eat potatoes in moderation, but bread is my nemesis.
It’s not all about sugar though, all carbohydrates turn to glucose in your bloodstream. That includes cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes and all baked goods. It’s actually not as dire as it sounds as there are plenty of substitutes and it is all about moderation. Do you have a blood sugar monitor? If not then may I suggest you buy one and some test strips. I know others on here can recommend a couple of makes that are not too pricy. Then test before meals and 2 hours after to see the rise the meal has caused. That way you can build up a repertoire of meals that you can tolerate. Everyone is different in what they can tolerate. I can eat potatoes in moderation, but bread is my nemesis.
RirisR
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I have a liv life bread from Waitrose (only place that sells it here)
it is 3.4 grams of carbs and fairly small and seeded but it does
fill me up I am not a bread fan so don't misss it much I use it to
go under poached eggs for lunch at times ,sugar free squash is the
better option as goodybags says
it is 3.4 grams of carbs and fairly small and seeded but it does
fill me up I am not a bread fan so don't misss it much I use it to
go under poached eggs for lunch at times ,sugar free squash is the
better option as goodybags says
With regards to flavoured yoghurts, they tend to contain more carbs. No added sugar does not mean it doesn't contain sugar. For fruit flavours, the best thing is to mash fresh or frozen fruit into plain yoghurt at home and take away the processed function.
Carbohydrates, which are what to look out for, sneak into all sorts of things!
It's a really good idea tho keep a very honest food diary and pay attention to your carb intake. Add in your blood glucose readings once you start testing and you'll soon see what your body can and cannot tolerate. In some cases, having a smaller portion of eg rice or pasta might do the trick. In other instances, something may be best avoided and eaten only as a special treat. We're all different so what works for one person might not work for you.
When testing around meals, you are looking for a rise of no more than 3mmol points after eating. More than that and you'll need to think about tweaks you can make tho that meal.
Carbohydrates, which are what to look out for, sneak into all sorts of things!
It's a really good idea tho keep a very honest food diary and pay attention to your carb intake. Add in your blood glucose readings once you start testing and you'll soon see what your body can and cannot tolerate. In some cases, having a smaller portion of eg rice or pasta might do the trick. In other instances, something may be best avoided and eaten only as a special treat. We're all different so what works for one person might not work for you.
When testing around meals, you are looking for a rise of no more than 3mmol points after eating. More than that and you'll need to think about tweaks you can make tho that meal.
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