Hi, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after having problems controlling high blood pressure. For the last two weeks I've been struggling to accept it and feel overwhelmed. I saw a diabetes nurse yesterday hoping for advice on what I can/can't eat and was given a low fat diet sheet which says very little about sugar/carb regulation and says fruit juice is fine but shellfish I can only have rarely but also says I can sometimes eat cake and choc. Looking online is overwhelming me. I read so much conflicting advice that I'm now scared of eating anything and will have to wait 3-4 months before I can get on a one day NHS diabetic course. I am on metformin which I'm gradually increasing but I have been told I don't need to check my blood sugar. How do I deal with this for 3-4 months ?
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Struggling and confused
- Thread starter Elle321
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Pine Marten
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum, Elle. It can be very overwhelming and confusing to be diagnosed, as I know. I'm afraid that many surgeries still give out this outdated advice about eating starchy foods and self-testing, but you have made a good start by coming here - we have many type 2s (like me) who have found support, encouragement and invaluable advice from this forum.
The best thing you can do is to get a meter and test your blood sugar, otherwise how will you know what foods affect you? I use a Codefree meter (from Amazon or Home Health), and the test strips are around £8 for 50. By testing before and after meals you can eliminate foods that spike your blood sugar, and eat more foods that are good for you 🙂.
I'm sure Northerner will be along shortly with some helpful links and advice, and he will tell you that no question is daft, so ask anything you like!.
Don't be scared, it can be a challenging but ultimately satisfying journey to be on, as you can end up fitter, healthier (and slimmer, if you need to lose weight) than you were before. All the best to you.
The best thing you can do is to get a meter and test your blood sugar, otherwise how will you know what foods affect you? I use a Codefree meter (from Amazon or Home Health), and the test strips are around £8 for 50. By testing before and after meals you can eliminate foods that spike your blood sugar, and eat more foods that are good for you 🙂.
I'm sure Northerner will be along shortly with some helpful links and advice, and he will tell you that no question is daft, so ask anything you like!.
Don't be scared, it can be a challenging but ultimately satisfying journey to be on, as you can end up fitter, healthier (and slimmer, if you need to lose weight) than you were before. All the best to you.
Typicaltwo
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Don't worry. Diabetes type 2 is manageable fairly easily without any medication. I've changed my diet to LCHF, and it's been a doodle. My blood sugar is now in the low normal range, I've lost weight (I was normal weight anyway for my height) and I'm full of energy. Unfortunately there is a lot of old, outdated information/misinformation being peddled today within the NHS and by all those ill-informed dietitians and nutritionists. Just remember fat is good and carbs are bad. This charity (diabetes.org.uk) is not the best source for current thinking as it still gives out misinformation and ignores recent research findings... I wonder how Tesco much has a say in it's opinion?
Good luck.
Good luck.
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Thank you both so much. At the moment I'm living on non starchy veg and lean meat because I'm frightened of eating the wrong thing and I feel miserable. I feel as though I'll never be able to eat out again or go to friends for dinner. I know there are far worse things to be diagnosed with and I need to get on with it but I don't know what the hell in doing and feel as though I was given bad advice and left to get on with it.
Thank you
Sally71
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
You and loads of other newly diagnosed T2s unfortunately
The best thing you can do is get yourself a meter and start testing. The cheapest one is the SD Codefree. Then test before each meal and then 1-2 hours afterwards to see how much your blood sugar has risen. Try to avoid anything which makes it rise more than 2 mmol/l. You may find that you can tolerate small amounts of certain types of carbs, it's very hard to avoid them completely! And everyone is different, what one person can eat without having any effect on their blood sugar, another can't touch with a barge pole so you have to find what works for you. I'd like to say though, that eating whole fruit is way better than drinking the juice (berries are the lowest carb fruits, bananas are not good!), and I don't see why sea food should be an issue at all unless it's got a breadcrumb coating!
Have a look in the food and recipes section here too, you should find some good ideas on what foods you can substitute instead of carbs (e.g. Cauliflower mash instead of potato mash) and recipes to make your meals more interesting 🙂
Typicaltwo
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Green veg and lean meat won't cut the mustard. You'll make yourself unwell - you'll have no energy and be very miserable. You need to replace the energy source from Carbs (sugar) to fat. I start the day with a good old-fashioned English breakfast of Bacon, black pudding (iron), fried egg (the one true super-food) a tomato (2gms of sugar) and a mushroom. This will usually see me through to the evening. Salmon, avocado, cheese, nuts, cream and all fatty meats are good. Milk is not as it contains loads of sugar.
Stitch147
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- MODY
Hi Elle321, welcome to the forum. It can be very daunting at first but you are definately not alone. This forum is a great place for help and advice. You will still be able to eat out, I do about 2-3 time most weeks and I definatley dont struggle. I am lucky that my partner is very supportive and will let me pick what we go to eat. Always look at menus on line before going to restaurants as you will get an idea of what you can and cant choose. Dont be afraid to ask questions on here as we are all on this journey together and there are some very knowledgable people on here.
I just need to know what I can/can't eat first. That's the bit I'm really struggling to find out. I'm definitely going to get a meter otherwise I can't see how I'll know if I'm eating the right things.?
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Elle321, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis
The amount of information out there can be overwhelming, to be sure. The chief reason for all the conflicting information you will come across is that diabetes can be a very individual condition - how we react and what we can tolerate in our diets can vary considerably from individual to individual, so you need to determine what works best for you. What works well for one person may not work well for you, or it may be something you find difficult to sustain, which is essential if you are to stay on top of things.I would suggest reading these two articles first - Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter. They have been around for some time, but stood the test of time as wise and helpful starting points, helping you to understand your diabetes better and how to approach it. I would also recommend getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which I think all Type 2s should be given at diagnosis! It's really positive, and takes your through learning about diabetes management step by step 🙂
Next, I would suggest starting a food diary. Pay no attention to the outdated advice you were given, a similar thing was given to my auntie when she was diagnosed and I almost fell off my chair! 😱 In your diary, write down what you ate, and the amount of carboydrates in the meal, including any drinks. This will help you to assess your current diet and look for areas where you might be able to make changes that will improve your diet with regard to your blood sugars.
I would then recommend that you have a look at Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S . This describes how to use the information from a blood glucose test meter to determine your own tolerances for a particular meal. If you don't have a meter and strips, the cheapest option we have come across is the
SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. It is well worth investing in this, as it is the best (if not the only) tool that can help you determine what you tolerate well and what you don't, whilst at the same time retaining maximum flexibility in your diet, thus making it more sustainable in the long run.
Please let us know if you have any questions, we will be more than happy to help! 🙂
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
For starters, I would look into the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet. The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction to the GL approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels. 🙂
Pine Marten
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Exactly! That's the reason we should test, and so that we can control our own condition - just say pooh to the nurse and anyone else who says don't bother 😛 !
Actually I found it very interesting to discover what foods were good/bad for me...it was like a challenge. I'm not much of a cook but loads and loads of tasty, interesting, and simple recipes are online or in recipe books - I rather like the two books by Robin Ellis (the actor) who is type 2. You can use herbs, spices, white wine, almond flour, all sorts of things instead of the usual stuff.
Going out can be a bit more of a faff, but I second Stitch's advice to look at menus beforehand if you can, and then you will be prepared.
Stitch147
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- MODY
Just remember that everyone is different, what one person can eat will have a different effect on another person. Porridge is a good example of this, I can tolerate porridge and it helps bring my levels down in the morning, but it will send other people bg levels soaring.
Mark Parrott
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Everyone is different, but the general rule of thumb is to cut back on carbs. This includes bread, potatoes, rice & pasta. Even wholemeal versions can be problematic. If you can't do without bread, there are some that may be ok such as Burgen, Lidl high protein rolls or Nimble. Rice can be made from cauliflower blitzed in a food processor, pasta can be replaced with courgetti & potatoes with lesser damaging root veg such as sweet potato or celeriac.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Good to hear Elle 🙂 The one good thing about diabetes is that it is something that you can learn to manage well, and hopefully the adjustments you make will result in a happier, healthier person 🙂
What about exercise? Any regular daily exercise can work wonders - many people find that a brisk walk after eating can really help with blood sugar levels as it makes you more insulin-sensitve. Plus, of course, there are many other benefits to be gained 🙂
Pine Marten
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
We aim to please
AlisonM
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Welcome @Elle321, I'm firmly in the test, test, test camp as well. It's essential no matter what type you are and we all learn a great deal from it, so ignore anyone who tells you otherwise. As Northe says Alan Shanley's blog is a fantastic teaching aid for folk learning how to interpret test results. You may not get quite so much value out of an app/book called carbs and cals, but it could be of use in helping you discover just how much fat/carb/salt/sugar is in the food you eat, it's worth a look I reckon. There are a lot of very useful tools out there to help you get the hang of your diabetes, the important thing is for you to take control of your life back, anything that can help you do so has value.
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