So much confusion re diet

[Diadav99]

This is only my second post following diagnosis (type 2 un-medicated) last week. The website and forum are a quite fantastic resource and I must say firstly a big thanks to all who manage the site and those who contribute with their own views & experiences. After feeling a we bit deflated when diagnosed on Thursday I've now got the bit between my teeth and feel quite determined to do something about it. Ordered up the small tester from Amazon and I'll use it decided to try and modify my diet. This is where the confusion sets in there is lots of advice opinion about having a balanced diet which includes carbs but there is also the low carb high fat approach championed by sum . My question quite simply is , is there a right way or wrong way to go about thing long term? Like most I've also found that my blood pressure is higher than it should be and I've shied away from too much fat and starchy carbs where possible. As a fairly fit 57 yr old male who is not too heavy I'm not sure which direction to go. Any views advice much appreciated

 

[trophywench]

Well - the advice I'd give you is - eat to your meter!

That is after all why you are testing before and after meals - to see what different foods actually do to your BG, to see what you need to cut down on, what you need to stop having entirely (if any) and what you can eat till the cows come home.

 

[Diadav99]

Thanks for the reply and advice , no doubt the diet thing will give me most problems initially

 

[trophywench]

Well nobody can say here - stick to exactly this or that - for the simple reason that we are all different in how we individually react after eating different things. The only actual stable thing about us all is the fact that we have bodies that have difficulty converting carbohydrate to energy!

 

[JamesAM]

After a year of spikes, dips and general difficulty in gaining any sort of control after diagnosis, I decided to go awry on the medical advice and employ the low carb route.

I prefer high protein, but supplement the rest of my calories from unsaturated fat. I also exercise regularly. This involves a commute 3-5 times a week (30 mins each way) by bike, the stop-start of traffic really helps to burn fat and keeps your sensitivity up for at least 24 hours after stopping.

I also go to the gym to lift weights twice per week, for one hour each.

On this routine, my hba1c has been 6 exactly for the last 2 years, cholesterol is 3, almost all 'good' and blood pressure has dropped slightly - last checked yesterday and 118/72. I have around 1 hypo per month (the diet the hospital gave me had me seeing around 1 hypo per day...) and best of all, I use 24 units of Levemir once per day and no Novorapid.

As trophy said, we are all different, so the above may not work for everyone for one reason or another, but if you have the chance, I would say definitely give it a try!