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Sooooo confused
- Thread starter KylaC
- Start date
- Status
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum. What may or may not be suitable foods for you may depend on where you are in the diabetic range which will be indicated by what your HbA1C result was, anything over 47mmol/mol would be diabetic but how far above that will indicate how much work you will need to do, if not too far then some modest changes may be all that is needed. Also if you have not been given medication which you don't mention it may not be too high.
This link gives very good reliable information for a low carbohydrate approach which many find successful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
There are also meal planners for different approaches on the main DUK site and also the learning zone (orange tab at the top)
Whatever way people choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it won't be sustainable and really has to become your new way of eating.
Losing weight if you need to and increasing exercise if you can will also help.
There are many ways people approach their diagnosis from the extreme to doing nothing at all which is why you see so many different opinions, the tricky bit is sorting out the sensible option for you.
Please do feel free to come back with specific questions when you have looked at the information. A planned approach is better than rushing into something you cannot sustain. If you post what your HbA1C is and if you are indeed on any medication that will help people make appropriate suggestions.
This link gives very good reliable information for a low carbohydrate approach which many find successful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
There are also meal planners for different approaches on the main DUK site and also the learning zone (orange tab at the top)
Whatever way people choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it won't be sustainable and really has to become your new way of eating.
Losing weight if you need to and increasing exercise if you can will also help.
There are many ways people approach their diagnosis from the extreme to doing nothing at all which is why you see so many different opinions, the tricky bit is sorting out the sensible option for you.
Please do feel free to come back with specific questions when you have looked at the information. A planned approach is better than rushing into something you cannot sustain. If you post what your HbA1C is and if you are indeed on any medication that will help people make appropriate suggestions.
Transistor
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
And your HbA1c? If you don't have the number then phone the surgery and ask for it.
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I'm cutting and pasting some extracts from posts I made recently, which might help you. I would emphasise that everyone is different, so it's trial and error to find out what suits you best.
First thing you need to do is ask what your HbA1c was. That's the blood test used to diagnose diabetes, and you need to know where you are starting from. A result of 48 mmol/mol or more is what diagnoses diabetes.
Metformin is the standard medication, but it can came with nasty side effects, cramps, diarrhoea, queasy. There is a slow release version which is kinder on the tummy. It is best taken in the middle of a meal - a pill sandwich! I started with mine at night, then morning and night when the dose was increased.
You will have lots of tests initially, then regularly for the rest of your life. These will include diabetic eye screening to test for retinopathy, foot test (tickle test) for nerve damage to the feet, blood pressure, weight, blood tests for glucose and organ performance. You should also be offered a training course about managing your diabetes and offered dietary advice. Things have changed with lockdown, so it might now be an online course. In the meantime, the Learning Zone - orange tab above - is the best place to start. I suggest one module a day, so you can take everything in.
The most important thing is your diet which is what you are asking about. From what I have read here, the quality of advice offered by dietary nurses varies. Some are more up to date than others, some still too heavy on carbs). But every body is different and you will have to find out what suits your body by trial and error.
What might help you understand your food composition is to get a food diary app, like NutraCheck or MyFitnessPal and enter everything you eat and drink. It will show you carb values by item, meal and a daily running total, amongst other nutrient values. You will need to weigh all your portions (no guessing) and that will surprise you just how small recommended portion sizes are. I keep digital scales and a clear bowl on my kitchen top and after 4 years still weigh most items except above ground and salad vegetables. It just takes a matter of seconds each meal and you will soon remember portion sizes and carb values. I also have crockery where I know what portion sizes fit. For example, my bowl takes 275ml home made soup, and my "dinner" plate is actually a 10" side plate, so I can't get too much on it.
It is suggested Type 2 diabetics aim for less than 130gm carbs a day (including all your drinks and snacks). If you are currently consuming more you should aim to reduce slowly, as too quickly can affect the eyes (temporarily). I experimented between 50gm and 130gm, settling on 75gm +- 15gm. Others go far lower as they are more sensitive to carbs. But low carb does not mean no carb.
There are different approaches. Some follow a Newcastle style diet (shakes), others reduce their carbs, some follow a keto diet which is very low carb. The foods you should look at include bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, most fruits, processed foods, below ground vegetables. It's not just the obvious things like sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries. Some nurses suggest swapping to brown bread, pasta, but they are just as high in carbs as the white variety, just a bit slower acting. If you don't need to lose weight, then you can increase your protein intake, otherwise a low carb approach with additional above ground veggies does help with weight loss.
I was told a fruit portion is 80gm, and no more than 2 a day. I buy frozen fruit so I can measure it out. There are plenty of substitutes, for example roasted squash instead of chips or roasties, low carb breads, courgetti or boodles instead of pasta, cauliflower mash or rice. I get soy bean pasta, but there is also black bean pasta. I make a lot of soups (in winter) and have salads (in summer). I also use my slow cooker a lot. This way I know exactly what I am eating without the processed food additives. In fact I had great fun trying out different foods and recipes. There is part of the forum with Food/carb queries and recipes to give you ideas.
The Learning Zone will give you ideas on exercise, if you feel you need to do more.
First thing you need to do is ask what your HbA1c was. That's the blood test used to diagnose diabetes, and you need to know where you are starting from. A result of 48 mmol/mol or more is what diagnoses diabetes.
Metformin is the standard medication, but it can came with nasty side effects, cramps, diarrhoea, queasy. There is a slow release version which is kinder on the tummy. It is best taken in the middle of a meal - a pill sandwich! I started with mine at night, then morning and night when the dose was increased.
You will have lots of tests initially, then regularly for the rest of your life. These will include diabetic eye screening to test for retinopathy, foot test (tickle test) for nerve damage to the feet, blood pressure, weight, blood tests for glucose and organ performance. You should also be offered a training course about managing your diabetes and offered dietary advice. Things have changed with lockdown, so it might now be an online course. In the meantime, the Learning Zone - orange tab above - is the best place to start. I suggest one module a day, so you can take everything in.
The most important thing is your diet which is what you are asking about. From what I have read here, the quality of advice offered by dietary nurses varies. Some are more up to date than others, some still too heavy on carbs). But every body is different and you will have to find out what suits your body by trial and error.
What might help you understand your food composition is to get a food diary app, like NutraCheck or MyFitnessPal and enter everything you eat and drink. It will show you carb values by item, meal and a daily running total, amongst other nutrient values. You will need to weigh all your portions (no guessing) and that will surprise you just how small recommended portion sizes are. I keep digital scales and a clear bowl on my kitchen top and after 4 years still weigh most items except above ground and salad vegetables. It just takes a matter of seconds each meal and you will soon remember portion sizes and carb values. I also have crockery where I know what portion sizes fit. For example, my bowl takes 275ml home made soup, and my "dinner" plate is actually a 10" side plate, so I can't get too much on it.
It is suggested Type 2 diabetics aim for less than 130gm carbs a day (including all your drinks and snacks). If you are currently consuming more you should aim to reduce slowly, as too quickly can affect the eyes (temporarily). I experimented between 50gm and 130gm, settling on 75gm +- 15gm. Others go far lower as they are more sensitive to carbs. But low carb does not mean no carb.
There are different approaches. Some follow a Newcastle style diet (shakes), others reduce their carbs, some follow a keto diet which is very low carb. The foods you should look at include bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, most fruits, processed foods, below ground vegetables. It's not just the obvious things like sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries. Some nurses suggest swapping to brown bread, pasta, but they are just as high in carbs as the white variety, just a bit slower acting. If you don't need to lose weight, then you can increase your protein intake, otherwise a low carb approach with additional above ground veggies does help with weight loss.
I was told a fruit portion is 80gm, and no more than 2 a day. I buy frozen fruit so I can measure it out. There are plenty of substitutes, for example roasted squash instead of chips or roasties, low carb breads, courgetti or boodles instead of pasta, cauliflower mash or rice. I get soy bean pasta, but there is also black bean pasta. I make a lot of soups (in winter) and have salads (in summer). I also use my slow cooker a lot. This way I know exactly what I am eating without the processed food additives. In fact I had great fun trying out different foods and recipes. There is part of the forum with Food/carb queries and recipes to give you ideas.
The Learning Zone will give you ideas on exercise, if you feel you need to do more.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sorry to hear you’ve been left a little in the lurch without the information you were hoping for.
Unfortunately diabetes is frustratingly individual, so even if there was an official approved list of foods to aim for and avoid, there’s no guarantee that would work for you - or might mean you were steering away from foods that your body would be fine with.
Many find that beginning by keeping a food diary of their current menu can be a useful starting point - Note down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the total carbohydrate content (not just ‘of which sugars’) in your meals and snacks - too precise, the nearest 5-10g is fine. It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu.
Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, the process might also suggest some likely candidates for swaps, portion reductions, or using lower carb alternatives (eg celeriac or swede mash, or cauli ‘rice’).
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
Unfortunately diabetes is frustratingly individual, so even if there was an official approved list of foods to aim for and avoid, there’s no guarantee that would work for you - or might mean you were steering away from foods that your body would be fine with.
Many find that beginning by keeping a food diary of their current menu can be a useful starting point - Note down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the total carbohydrate content (not just ‘of which sugars’) in your meals and snacks - too precise, the nearest 5-10g is fine. It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu.
Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, the process might also suggest some likely candidates for swaps, portion reductions, or using lower carb alternatives (eg celeriac or swede mash, or cauli ‘rice’).
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
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