Hi everyone, I'd like to say hello and introduce myself. My name is David, I'm 70 years old, and recently been told I'm pre-diabetic. I will be having another blood test to make sure the first one wasn't an error. I have done a bit of research as probably most of you have. I wanted to know what I can do so that I'm no longer pre-diabetic. The problem is I'm not overweight, I eat healthy options, I exercise quite a lot, there's no family history of diabetes! The only thing I seem to have against me is my age and I can't do much about that!
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Pre-diabetic
- Thread starter engine987
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Leadinglights
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Welcome, I am a similar age to you and had been prediabetic for a few years then 2 years ago leapt over the threshold into the diabetes zone but only just. A combination of stopping work where I was very active and stress, I did put on weight as I was not doing all the steps I had before.
It is all about balancing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet with wha t your body can tolerate. Sometimes people think they have a healthy diet but it is not necessarily so for someone who is Type 2 diabetic.
This is a warning sign to make some modest changes to your diet.
Many find that by cutting out cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks including fruit juice and reducing portions of potatoes, rice, pasta and bread and increasing vegetables that be sufficient. This does not mean that you can't have any carbs.
Obviously a better understanding of how the body handles carbohydrates will guide you and this link may be helpful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
It is all about balancing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet with wha t your body can tolerate. Sometimes people think they have a healthy diet but it is not necessarily so for someone who is Type 2 diabetic.
This is a warning sign to make some modest changes to your diet.
Many find that by cutting out cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks including fruit juice and reducing portions of potatoes, rice, pasta and bread and increasing vegetables that be sufficient. This does not mean that you can't have any carbs.
Obviously a better understanding of how the body handles carbohydrates will guide you and this link may be helpful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Hi @engine987 and welcome to the forum .
2 myths about Type 2 diabetes are: Only overweight or obese people get it. - Not true about 10% od Type 2's have never been overweight before they developed Type 2 (including me).
That it's all about sugar. - not true, it's all about carbohydrates with all turn into sugars almost as soon as eaten. So it's important to cut down of starches (particularly refined grains, but whole grains as well) as well as sugars (particularly fruit juices and tropical fruit - bananas are the worst for most).
2 myths about Type 2 diabetes are: Only overweight or obese people get it. - Not true about 10% od Type 2's have never been overweight before they developed Type 2 (including me).
That it's all about sugar. - not true, it's all about carbohydrates with all turn into sugars almost as soon as eaten. So it's important to cut down of starches (particularly refined grains, but whole grains as well) as well as sugars (particularly fruit juices and tropical fruit - bananas are the worst for most).
Cherrelle DUK
Much missed Online Community Coordinator
Hi engine987, welcome to the forum.
At this stage, you're in a good position to avoid becoming diabetic so glad to have you here.
I think that's one of the tricky things about diabetes, that some of the foods that are considered healthy can be challenging for someone who is at risk of diabetes.
Things like porridge, certain fruits and most types of bread, can have an impact on your blood sugar levels.
Might be worth keeping a diary of the food you eat in a week and have a look for any tweaks that an be made. You're more than welcome to post your meals for some feedback.
At this stage, you're in a good position to avoid becoming diabetic so glad to have you here.
I think that's one of the tricky things about diabetes, that some of the foods that are considered healthy can be challenging for someone who is at risk of diabetes.
Things like porridge, certain fruits and most types of bread, can have an impact on your blood sugar levels.
Might be worth keeping a diary of the food you eat in a week and have a look for any tweaks that an be made. You're more than welcome to post your meals for some feedback.
Hello All, thank you for your stories and suggestions. From what I gather with your comments, it's really mostly about carb intake. As I have porridge nearly every morning (if not, it's usually toast - more carbs!) with strawberries and blueberries, and a kefir drink blended with bananas, I can see that my carb intake might be high (I'll also frequently have cake and coffee before lunch). Although I've now stopped having cake, I know I should cut down on porridge and toast every morning but, I'm thinking, what do I replace it with? There's always eggs but I don't want to eat too many of them either. My guess is that cutting down on carbs for a period of time and then be tested to see if affects my levels. Any suggestions regarding food I can substitute for carbs at breakfast?
42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
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Yoghurt is often lower carbs than porridge. I do often have eggs (omelette, mini frittata with tomatoes/peppers/spinach or similar, scrambled, fried), but today I had 2 high-meat-content sausages (cooked a pack last night so just blasted 2 in microwave to heat up) and a Skyr yogurt pouch. I prefer flavoured yogurts which do have some sugar but look for ones with minimal sugar and watch what other carbs I have at the same meal.
Other options are semi-continental breakfast (ham and cheese, keeping the breads side minimal); kippers; scrambled-eggs-style tofu; full English but easy on the beans/hash browns/toast (maybe pick one of the 3 as being pre-diabetic you may not need to reduce carbs quite as much as most type 2s).
Or you could just ignore conventions about what breakfast foods are and have anything you fancy that's lower in carb - vegetable soup maybe for winter, salads maybe for summer
Other options are semi-continental breakfast (ham and cheese, keeping the breads side minimal); kippers; scrambled-eggs-style tofu; full English but easy on the beans/hash browns/toast (maybe pick one of the 3 as being pre-diabetic you may not need to reduce carbs quite as much as most type 2s).
Or you could just ignore conventions about what breakfast foods are and have anything you fancy that's lower in carb - vegetable soup maybe for winter, salads maybe for summer
Why don't you want to eat eggs? - Not that old myth that dietary cholesterol is bad for us (which was disproved over a decade ago)? 85% of the cholesterol in our bodies is made by our bodies so we only absorb as much from our food as we need. And Cholesterol is vital for life (hormones, immune system etc.)
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