Recently Diagnosed and Confused

[Jackster70]

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed with Type 2 a week ago and am so confused. I am reading what is best not to have but most of the recipes include those items. What's a girl to do?

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed with Type 2 a week ago and am so confused. I am reading what is best not to have but most of the recipes include those items. What's a girl to do?

Welcome to the forum. The first thing is not to rush into anything but read about the various options which are open to you. What will be most suitable will partly depend on where you are on the diabetic scale and that will be indicated by what your HbA1C result was so do you know that, if not then ask. The other thing which may influence what is suitable is if you are on any medication for lowering blood glucose. Taking those things into consideration many people find that a low carbohydrate approach is successful, that being less than 130g total carbs per day, it does not mean NO carbs. Cutting out the big hitters like cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks including fruit juice and reducing portions of the other high carb foods like potatoes, bread, cereals, rice, pasta regardless of colour, tropical fruits there is still plenty you can eat. Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries will still give you options for tasty meals.
This link might help you if you feel a low carb route might suit you. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Some people favour a low calorie or very low calorie approach or shakes-based regime to give them a kick start but whatever way you choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable, it really has to become a new way of eating.
You say all the recipes include things you can't have, can you give examples of what those might be.

 

[Docb]

Hi @Jackster70 and welcome to the forum.

What's a girl to do? Sit back and take stock is my first thought. So, do you know the result of the HbA1c test that led to the diagnosis? I think that is a good place to start because it is a good pointer to how much work you have to do. Are there any other things you need to be thinking about and ought to be taken into account? Don't share anything you don't want to but don't deny their existence to yourself.

When you have the basics sorted out then you can begin to think about lifestyle changes and diet modifications. Diving straight in without any basis for deciding what might or might not be useful to you, will, as you have found out, just lead to confusion.

 

[Jackster70]

Welcome to the forum. The first thing is not to rush into anything but read about the various options which are open to you. What will be most suitable will partly depend on where you are on the diabetic scale and that will be indicated by what your HbA1C result was so do you know that, if not then ask. The other thing which may influence what is suitable is if you are on any medication for lowering blood glucose. Taking those things into consideration many people find that a low carbohydrate approach is successful, that being less than 130g total carbs per day, it does not mean NO carbs. Cutting out the big hitters like cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks including fruit juice and reducing portions of the other high carb foods like potatoes, bread, cereals, rice, pasta regardless of colour, tropical fruits there is still plenty you can eat. Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries will still give you options for tasty meals.
This link might help you if you feel a low carb route might suit you. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Some people favour a low calorie or very low calorie approach or shakes-based regime to give them a kick start but whatever way you choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable, it really has to become a new way of eating.
You say all the recipes include things you can't have, can you give examples of what those might be.

Thank you. My level is 50. I have been given statins and am starting out of a diet, cutting out snacking, high calorie food and swapping desserts for 5% greek yogurt with fruit. I have a colleague at work who has the same T2 but the advice she was given was different to mine.

 

[Jackster70]

Hi @Jackster70 and welcome to the forum.

What's a girl to do? Sit back and take stock is my first thought. So, do you know the result of the HbA1c test that led to the diagnosis? I think that is a good place to start because it is a good pointer to how much work you have to do. Are there any other things you need to be thinking about and ought to be taken into account? Don't share anything you don't want to but don't deny their existence to yourself.

When you have the basics sorted out then you can begin to think about lifestyle changes and diet modifications. Diving straight in without any basis for deciding what might or might not be useful to you, will, as you have found out, just lead to confusion.

Thank you for your advice. My level came back at 50 and I am starting with eating healthier and making changes like swapping rubbish snacks for fruit and veg although my friend was told not to have any snacks as they are full of sugar. But I read berries, apples and pears are OK??

 

[Leadinglights]

That is not unusual that people are given different advise but that advise may depend on what her HbA1C is as if very high then she may need to be more careful with her carb intake. Snacks do not need to be high carb, cheese, nuts veg sticks, protein bars like Nature Valley and even the odd piece of dark chocolate are all OK.
50 mmol/mol is just over the diagnostic level so some modest changes may be all that is needed. Be careful of fruit as some can be high carb. Berries are lowest except blueberries, apples, pears, oranges, melon, middle and tropical fruit and bananas high.
The only way you can know if YOU can tolerate various foods and meals is to test with a home blood glucose monitor by testing before you eat and after 2 hours, it is the increase than will indicate if the meal is ok if no more than 2-3mmol/l
Some diabetic nurses and GP are more in tune with the principal that low carb can be very successful others not so and give the standard NHS advice which for many is too heavy on carbs for many to tolerate.
I found the principals in the link I posted successful in reducing my HbA1C from 50 to 42 in 3 months and 2 years on it is at 39mmol/mol.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you for your advice. My level came back at 50 and I am starting with eating healthier and making changes like swapping rubbish snacks for fruit and veg although my friend was told not to have any snacks as they are full of sugar. But I read berries, apples and pears are OK??

Welcome to the forum @Jackster70

Sounds like you are making a good start. Sorry to hear it has been a bit confusing with different suggestions coming from different directions!

The truth is, there really aren‘t any hard and fast rules when it comes to diabetes management - certainly dietary changes for T2 - because different people vary so much in the ways they respond to the same foods, and in their individual tolerances to different types, sources, and portion sizes of carbohydrates.

Which is why so many forum members find using a BG meter to check their own responses to foods so helpful as @Leadinglights describes.

 

[Jackster70]

That is not unusual that people are given different advise but that advise may depend on what her HbA1C is as if very high then she may need to be more careful with her carb intake. Snacks do not need to be high carb, cheese, nuts veg sticks, protein bars like Nature Valley and even the odd piece of dark chocolate are all OK.
50 mmol/mol is just over the diagnostic level so some modest changes may be all that is needed. Be careful of fruit as some can be high carb. Berries are lowest except blueberries, apples, pears, oranges, melon, middle and tropical fruit and bananas high.
The only way you can know if YOU can tolerate various foods and meals is to test with a home blood glucose monitor by testing before you eat and after 2 hours, it is the increase than will indicate if the meal is ok if no more than 2-3mmol/l
Some diabetic nurses and GP are more in tune with the principal that low carb can be very successful others not so and give the standard NHS advice which for many is too heavy on carbs for many to tolerate.
I found the principals in the link I posted successful in reducing my HbA1C from 50 to 42 in 3 months and 2 years on it is at 39mmol/mol.

Thank you for your advice and to everyone else. I don't feel I can eat anything due to being told one minute something is OK but the next person saying its not. My cancer was so much easier to deal with. Now I'm just upsetting my mum who is trying to help but everything she suggests cooking I have to say no to. I know everyone us trying to help me but I can't cope with this diagnosis. I'm sorry this is the wrong place to do this but I don't know who to talk to.

 

[Dragonheart]

Thank you for your advice and to everyone else. I don't feel I can eat anything due to being told one minute something is OK but the next person saying it’s not. My cancer was so much easier to deal with. Now I'm just upsetting my mum who is trying to help but everything she suggests cooking I have to say no to. I know everyone us trying to help me but I can't cope with this diagnosis. I'm sorry this is the wrong place to do this but I don't know who to talk to.

This is a great place to do it. Many of us have been in your shoes.

Have you got a meter? Testing meals/foods immediately before eating and 2 hrs later will show you exactly what you body reacts to and what it tolerates well. No opinions no bias. A non diabetic will generally return to the first reading within that sort of time so we aim for as close to that as we can or at least within a couple of mmol so our bodies get a similar exposure. A non diabetic would usually be under around 8mmol at the later reading so that too is another goal to aim for.

Typically as a type 2 the foods that rise you will be carbs. All of them not just sugar itself. So these are the ones to pay most attention to in your testing and see how you react. Individually we might cope particularly badly or well with specific items. So consider all grain based items including flours and cereals and oats, including all kinds of breads and pastas. Rice, starchy veg like potatoes and parsnips. Sweeter veg like peas and carrots. legumes like beans and peanuts are an issue for some more than others. Sweeter fruits can be an issue too particularly banana, grapes and pineapples.

Conversely things like meat, fish, full fat dairy, cheese, eggs most other veg, berries seasonings herbs and spices are likely to be just fine.

It might well mimic the way your mum ate growing up much more than the way we did since the 80’s.

Testing can be intensive in the early days but as you learn which foods work or don’t they it usually eases back a lot.

 

[Jackster70]

This is a great place to do it. Many of us have been in your shoes.

Have you got a meter? Testing meals/foods immediately before eating and 2 hrs later will show you exactly what you body reacts to and what it tolerates well. No opinions no bias. A non diabetic will generally return to the first reading within that sort of time so we aim for as close to that as we can or at least within a couple of mmol so our bodies get a similar exposure. A non diabetic would usually be under around 8mmol at the later reading so that too is another goal to aim for.

Typically as a type 2 the foods that rise you will be carbs. All of them not just sugar itself. So these are the ones to pay most attention to in your testing and see how you react. Individually we might cope particularly badly or well with specific items. So consider all grain based items including flours and cereals and oats, including all kinds of breads and pastas. Rice, starchy veg like potatoes and parsnips. Sweeter veg like peas and carrots. legumes like beans and peanuts are an issue for some more than others. Sweeter fruits can be an issue too particularly banana, grapes and pineapples.

Conversely things like meat, fish, full fat dairy, cheese, eggs most other veg, berries seasonings herbs and spices are likely to be just fine.

It might well mimic the way your mum ate growing up much more than the way we did since the 80’s.

Testing can be intensive in the early days but as you learn which foods work or don’t they it usually eases back a lot.

Thank you but this what I mean. My nurse told me I could have bread, rice and pasta as long as I changed to brown and not constantly but everyone is saying not to have these. I was told also I could have potatoes as long as they were new potatoes but again everyone says no. Fruit, I was told by the diabetic nurse berries, pears and apples but now I'm told not pears or apples. What meter should I get? Everyone is mentioning a meter but I'm not sure where I would start. I don't mean to sound as if I don't appreciate every bit of help. I am so upset. It feels like I might just as well give up on life, even if that sounds over the top.

 

[Dragonheart]

Thank you but this what I mean. My nurse told me I could have bread, rice and pasta as long as I changed to brown and not constantly but everyone is saying not to have these. I was told also I could have potatoes as long as they were new potatoes but again everyone says no. Fruit, I was told by the diabetic nurse berries, pears and apples but now I'm told not pears or apples. What meter should I get? Everyone is mentioning a meter but I'm not sure where I would start. I don't mean to sound as if I don't appreciate every bit of help. I am so upset. It feels like I might just as well give up on life, even if that sounds over the top.

So did most of us get told the same. And the majority found the nurse was wrong. Some nurses are unambitious in their targets, assume we won’t bother to make changes and think it’s all progressive anyway. Fortunately knowledge has moved on more than they have and we know it doesn’t have to be that way.

And that is why I tell you to test. Don’t believe me or the nurse. Find out for yourself. Pretty much any meter will do the same basic job. The bells and whistles might vary but probably won’t make much difference. Like printers the cost is in the running of them. So look for one with more affordable strips. Home health glucose navii or spirit healthcare Tee2 get mentioned a lot as more affordable ordered online. I have zero association with either and don’t use them personally but mine cost more.

Diagnosis is a shock and it’s likely you will need to make some changes. They will take time to adapt to. But. Many of us feel once we get a hold of it we feel better and healthier than we have in a long time and knowing we are putting a halt and even a reverse on the harm being caused is very reassuring. And more than a few have found a new enjoyment in different foods once they step off the sugar and carb rollercoaster and life becomes a new but different normal in time.

 

[Jackster70]

Welcome to the forum @Jackster70

Sounds like you are making a good start. Sorry to hear it has been a bit confusing with different suggestions coming from different directions!

The truth is, there really aren‘t any hard and fast rules when it comes to diabetes management - certainly dietary changes for T2 - because different people vary so much in the ways they respond to the same foods, and in their individual tolerances to different types, sources, and portion sizes of carbohydrates.

Which is why so many forum members find using a BG meter to check their own responses to foods so helpful as @Leadinglights describes.

Thank you. I wasn't given told to take my blood sugars. I was told to go down the diet route so am a but perplexed about doing my blood sugars ‍♀️

 

[Dragonheart]

Thank you. I wasn't given told to take my blood sugars. I was told to go down the diet route so am a but perplexed about doing my blood sugars ‍♀️

Again it’s sad how little useful guidance many of us get.

If you are overweight losing some will help. But how you lose it is the issue. And it’s as much a symptom as a cause. Because we T2 cannot process carbs well and because almost all type 2 are insulin resistant losing weight the low calorie, low fat way can be an uphill struggle. Whereas if we focus on the foods we can utilise and burn for energy rather than those we can only store (as fat) that helps. If we lower our insulin levels by demanding less by eating less glucose (aka carbs) we begin to reduce our insulin resistance as too much insulin actually makes our bodies fight against it. Too much insulin also blocks fat burning and encourages fat storage.

We aren’t told to test unless on drugs that cause hypos or to dose insulin. It could be argued that is ignorance of the benefits of testing meals to see their effects or the cost of doing so for the millions of type 2, not all of whom would use the information.

This free page explains it better than I can www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes. They have more free pages with all sorts of information on diabetes related subjects and loads of recipes. Also take a look at https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/ which is what a more useful nhs surgery gives their patients. Others do the same.

What is perplexing you? The method or the reasoning?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you. I wasn't given told to take my blood sugars. I was told to go down the diet route so am a but perplexed about doing my blood sugars ‍♀️

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £10 for 50

Some brands can be more like £30 for a pot of 50 strips!

Thank you but this what I mean. My nurse told me I could have bread, rice and pasta as long as I changed to brown and not constantly but everyone is saying not to have these. I was told also I could have potatoes as long as they were new potatoes but again everyone says no. Fruit, I was told by the diabetic nurse berries, pears and apples but now I'm told not pears or apples.

Sorry to hear you are upset @Jackster70. People will only be commenting on their own experiences. It doesn’t mean that you have to avoid all those things entirely, just because they don’t suit someone else.You may find that apples are find for you, and that smallish portions of brown rice or whatever are also perfectly OK as far as your metabolism is concerned - that’s why a meter can be so helpful. You can check these things for yourself

I don't mean to sound as if I don't appreciate every bit of help. I am so upset. It feels like I might just as well give up on life, even if that sounds over the top.

It’s perfectly understandable to feel overwhelmed at the beginning.

Hang in there. Take things one small step at a time. we are rooting for you.

 

[Jackster70]

Again it’s sad how little useful guidance many of us get.

If you are overweight losing some will help. But how you lose it is the issue. And it’s as much a symptom as a cause. Because we T2 cannot process carbs well and because almost all type 2 are insulin resistant losing weight the low calorie, low fat way can be an uphill struggle. Whereas if we focus on the foods we can utilise and burn for energy rather than those we can only store (as fat) that helps. If we lower our insulin levels by demanding less by eating less glucose (aka carbs) we begin to reduce our insulin resistance as too much insulin actually makes our bodies fight against it. Too much insulin also blocks fat burning and encourages fat storage.

We aren’t told to test unless on drugs that cause hypos or to dose insulin. It could be argued that is ignorance of the benefits of testing meals to see their effects or the cost of doing so for the millions of type 2, not all of whom would use the information.

This free page explains it better than I can www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes. They have more free pages with all sorts of information on diabetes related subjects and loads of recipes. Also take a look at https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/ which is what a more useful nhs surgery gives their patients. Others do the same.

What is perplexing you? The method or the reasoning?

I felt my nurse was very good even if I did feel like ending it there and then. I am overweight and have lost 3lb in a week by cutting out all cakes, biscuits and doing swaps. Everything seems to contradict itself. I was told all veggies were OK but now I'm told carrots aren't. I am looking on all foods to check the carbs that sugar. Is that what I'm meant to be looking at?

 

[Leadinglights]

You are really only just into the diabetic zone and as such need to be taken seriously but please calm down and even if you do nothing for a few days whilst you think about a plan which will suit you nothing bad is going to happen.
Everybody is different in how they cope with carbohydrates but you may only need some modest changes.
For example if you previously had a big bowl of cereal for breakfast you can swap that for a bowl of Greek yoghurt with some blueberries or strawberries and just have a spoonful of a low sugar granola for the crunch or have some scrambled egg on 1 slice of toast.
For lunch you could have a big salad with cooked meat or tuna, some cheese or boiled egg, crackers like ryvita or oat cakes. For dinner you could have any meat, fish, with veg or salad or stirfry or a small portion of pasta with lots of the sauce.
You could have sugarfree jelly with berries and cream for desert or Kvarg deserts.
If you want to buy a monitor then a couple of good ones can be bought on line, the GlucoNavii or Spirit TEE2 are ones with the cheaper test strips.

 

[Leadinglights]

I felt my nurse was very good even if I did feel like ending it there and then. I am overweight and have lost 3lb in a week by cutting out all cakes, biscuits and doing swaps. Everything seems to contradict itself. I was told all veggies were OK but now I'm told carrots aren't. I am looking on all foods to check the carbs that sugar. Is that what I'm meant to be looking at?

You want to check the carbs on the packets or internet not the sugar.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is good as it gives carbs for various portions of foods and meals.
With all foods it is portion size which matters as well as your personal taste. So a portion of carrots and some broccoli would be better than just carrots or carrots and peas for example.

 

[Dragonheart]

I felt my nurse was very good even if I did feel like ending it there and then. I am overweight and have lost 3lb in a week by cutting out all cakes, biscuits and doing swaps. Everything seems to contradict itself. I was told all veggies were OK but now I'm told carrots aren't. I am looking on all foods to check the carbs that sugar. Is that what I'm meant to be looking at?

I didn’t say carrots (or anything else for that matter) wasn’t ok. I said they were on the list of suspects and those things were the most likely to cause issues and the most important to test. And even then it will be a scale. Some things will be ok in smaller portions, some will need virtually avoiding. And it won’t always make perfect sense looking at the carb numbers but they are a good first guide.

Yes look at the carbs on labels or nutrition guides. In the uk that’s all you need to do. Ignore the of which sugars bit and the fibre in the uk is already measured separately. (The USA do it differently so beware if looking at USA based information. They have total carbs including fibre or net carbs without it. Fibre won’t raise your levels and might smooth any curves out a little and slow things down a touch)

 

[Jackster70]

If you need to self fund your BG meter, the most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £10 for 50

Some brands can be more like £30 for a pot of 50 strips!



Sorry to hear you are upset @Jackster70. People will only be commenting on their own experiences. It doesn’t mean that you have to avoid all those things entirely, just because they don’t suit someone else.You may find that apples are find for you, and that smallish portions of brown rice or whatever are also perfectly OK as far as your metabolism is concerned - that’s why a meter can be so helpful. You can check these things for yourself


It’s perfectly understandable to feel overwhelmed at the beginning.

Hang in there. Take things one small step at a time. we are rooting for you.

Thank you so much for the advice on the meters. That gives me a much better idea of what to get.

I was feeling like I was doing everything wrong but you have made me realise I can do this.

I am so grateful to everyone who is helping me.

 

[Dragonheart]

You want to check the total carbs on the packets or internet not the sugar.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is good as it gives carbs for various portions of foods and meals.
With all foods it is portion size which matters as well as your personal taste. So a portion of carrots and some broccoli would be better than just carrots or carrots and peas for example.

If you use the phrase “total” carbs about uk carb figures it invites confusion with USA total carbs (that include fibre which ours don’t). Our labels don’t use the word total anyway. Perhaps clearer to identify to count carbs not just sugar.