Prediabetic

[SuzanneAbird]

Hi all, I'm new here so please forgive any verbal clumsiness. I was diagnosed 'pre diabetic' about three years ago, with a HbA1c level of 45. In January this year my test showed an increase to 47 and my GP called me to tell me how serious this is and that I need to take steps now to stop it progressing to Type 2 diabetes and hopefully actually reverse the trend. Any advice would be most helpful. I know my diet was lazy and did not include many veg or fruit, I'm changing that now. I've always used Splenda as a sweetener but am cutting that down. Thanks everyone x

 

[Docb]

Hi SuzanneAbird. Good advice from your doctor - T2 is a bit of a pain and avoiding it is to be recommended. Did he/she give you any clues as to what to do? Does their practice have a specialist diabetes nurse who you could chat to get you going? If you have been left to your own devices, as many seem to be, then you have found a good place to get information. Read through some of the posts and then ask questions. You will get lots of advice from which you can sort out what is best for you. First thought for you is that getting the diet right is more about carbohydrate consumption than lots of fruit and veg and I know its a rude question to ask a lady, but do you need to loose a bit of weight?

One thing for sure is that you have more time to get things sorted than those who's first inkling that thay have a problem is a HbA1c of 100 and being told by a doctor's receptionist that they have type 2 diabetes.

 

[SuzanneAbird]

Hi Docb, thanks for responding so swiftly. I have received conflicting advice really. The GP who called me said to lose some weight as I'm a bit heavier than I should be so I'm trying to do that (have lost 8lbs since Christmas). He also said to up my vegetable intake but not fruit as fruit contains it's own form of sugar. I thought fructose was a different category of sugars and not so concerning for diabetes but always happy to be educated. I don't have a lot of sugary stuff and am trying to watch the carbs to sugar amounts contained in food I buy. The Dr also said for me to be tested again in June but I'd quite like to know if what I'm doing is enough and is making a difference. Also, the test I had was taken in early January so I'd had Christmas, New Year and my birthday ( Jan 07) to contend with diet- wise (not that I'm making excuses but... 🙂 ) I will enquire about seeing the diabetic nurse at the practice though.

 

[Docb]

The focus on sugars can be a bit confusing but it might be a bit clearer if you remember that they are just another carbohydrate. Glucose (the sugar yo shovel on your cornflakes to make them edible) and fructose (the sugar you find in fruit) are fairly simple carbohydrates but they are carbohydrates nontheless. In simple terms all carbohydrates are turned into blood glucose and the only difference between them is the rate at which that happens. So looking to cut back on carbohydrates generally is an approach you can think about in terms of diet. When checking packets, don't worry about the ratio of total carbohydrate to sugar ratio, simply look at the total carbohydrate.

Hope that is a start.

 

[trophywench]

Anything with carbohydrate in it can affect our blood glucose, to a larger or smaller degree. Bearing in mind that even lettuce and cucumber contain carbohydrate (although you'd have to eat about half a ton to actually have any noticeable effect) the sensible thing is to cut down on the high value, fast acting ones - hence sugar itself is at the top of the list, quickly followed by white flour which is so heavily refined before it get's into a bag and only slowed down a smidgeon by being wholewheat, then rice ditto, spuds, parsnips are very high carb too. Hence everything that contains flour like pastry or bread or cake, automatically becomes suspect. The fact that fruit sugar comes in the form of fructose doesn't help - but at least raw unprocessed fruit contains fibre which helps keep us 'regular' LOL whereas smoothies and fruit juices don't so you may as well eat neat sugar as have them!

Hence - cut down on carbs - if you cut down enough, combined with some extra exercise (go for a walk a bit more often!) you'll lose some weight and finish up a lot more healthy than you currently are.

We have a good recipe section where you can get quite a lot of different ideas - although do watch out because it concentrates more on low carb, NOT low calorie - although some of them will be.

 

[SueEK]

You are right to take this seriously, I have just found out today that I was pre-diabetic in 2015 but had no idea. I now have type 2 and am having to change just about everything plus being on the maximum dose of Metformin. Anything that you can do to help yourself NOT become type 2 would be of such benefit to you. Well done for joining the forum and getting lots of information now.

 

[Drummer]

Table sugar is actually sucrose, a double molecule composed of glucose and fructose, so sugar from fruit is nothing special, all sugar is bad news.

 

[SuzanneAbird]

Thank you so much for all the information - it really helps xx

 

[Docb]

Table sugar is actually sucrose, a double molecule composed of glucose and fructose, so sugar from fruit is nothing special, all sugar is bad news.

Thanks for putting me right Drummer about the types of simple sugar. Note to self... stop relying on memory, you last did this stuff 60 odd years ago!

 

[Blackqueen]

Hi all., was recently told am pre-diabetic and yes am freaking out. Been having anxiety attacks and can't sleep at night. I went to the Dr because I was urinating far too often so often it interrupts my nights and I don't' often go out because of it. .So that's when I went to the Dr. The Dr did the A1C test my reading was 5.7. So am researching to find some help. SO am truly thrilled that this forum exist

 

[Drummer]

Hello @Blackqueen - as long as you are prepared to change your diet to one with lower carb foods, you should be fine if you are just a little lucky - I was fully diabetic at diagnosis and now have normal readings, two years along from there.
Your body is trying to get rid of the glucose in your blood, so by stopping putting it in there, you should quickly lose the symptoms.
There is a lot of rubbish spouted by people who should know better so you might need to do some testing of what foods you can cope with - using a blood glucose meter, as for instance some people can cope with porridge, some spike really high.

 

[Blackqueen]

Have been trying to exercise its not my favourite either. What is best glucose monitor and how often should I check my levels?
Next question I urinate more often than normal and have been ruled out for infection etc. I understand its a condition of diabetes , what am wondering is if it gets better when the blood glucose levels are down or normal?

 

[Drummer]

Have been trying to exercise its not my favourite either. What is best glucose monitor and how often should I check my levels?
Next question I urinate more often than normal and have been ruled out for infection etc. I understand its a condition of diabetes , what am wondering is if it gets better when the blood glucose levels are down or normal?

Yes - as I wrote - your body is trying to get rid of the glucose, so as soon as you stop eating more carbs than you can cope with, the symptoms will go away.
The best meter is one with cheap strips, so you can then afford to check your progress without worrying that each test is expensive. I don't have the link, as I don't test now but I am sure someone can provide it to get meter etc mail order.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Have been trying to exercise its not my favourite either. What is best glucose monitor and how often should I check my levels?
Next question I urinate more often than normal and have been ruled out for infection etc. I understand its a condition of diabetes , what am wondering is if it gets better when the blood glucose levels are down or normal?

Unfortunately, exercise is one of the best way to help diabetes.
It opens your muscles to using glucose, improves your insulin resistant, encourages your liver to cycle glucose correctly, improves blood circulation, and also burns calories.

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @Blackqueen, many of us use the SD Codefree meter, which is cheap and reliable. You can get it from Amazon, or from Home Health here: https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/ (we use the mmol/L version).

If you tick the 'diabetic' box the VAT gets taken off, and if you buy extra strips in bulk (5 or 10) packs then there is also a discount.

Check before eating, and then 2 hours after starting to eat, and you will get an idea of what foods you can tolerate and what foods spike you....well done on coming here, and also to @SuzanneAbird

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Apparently there is also a discount code.
you order 5 packs at a time you put in 264086
if you order 10 packs it's 975833.

 

[Blackqueen]

Yes - as I wrote - your body is trying to get rid of the glucose, so as soon as you stop eating more carbs than you can cope with, the symptoms will go away.
The best meter is one with cheap strips, so you can then afford to check your progress without worrying that each test is expensive. I don't have the link, as I don't test now but I am sure someone can provide it to get meter etc mail order.

Wow !!! thanks a million it is great to have this forum. I have so many questions turning in my head. I really appreciate the guidance and experience

 

[Blackqueen]

I have started skipping and walking around more at work instead of sitting and am doing some stretches and leg raises in the house etc .

 

[Drummer]

I bought a big trampoline for the garden some years before diagnosis - I ought to get a little one for indoors, though it seems that all I have to do is live long enough and global warming will mean it is garden weather all year round, though I might need to move the trampoline into the shade.....