Struggling

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curvycris

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Type 2
Hi. I have actually been type 2 since 1990. But I feel that the struggle is just as hard as on day 1. However, most of the time I have been more or less in control, its just the last, I'd say 9 months that things have started to go badly wrong and it's all down to myself. So my last blood result showed that my hb1c had actually come down slightly from 73 to 70. But my nurse has said that I have 3 months to try and get back to a more respectable figure, before going on yet more medication. I sort of know what I need to do but I am abit of a glutton so I do struggle. My question is, is the sugar in apples, classed as good sugar? I really love snacking on apple and cheese, usually for lunch, together . But 1 apple is never enough for my greedy self, so I have 2. Do you think that I'm ruining my attempts to lower my blood sugar by doing this. My gp will not give any diabetics who are not on insulin a monitor, so it's all guess work at the moment. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.
 
Just because your GP won't give you a monitor, there's nothing stopping you getting one yourself.

Then you can avoid the guesswork and see just what effect the apples have on you.

Apples can be quite high in carbs, perhaps 14g per Apple, so they are something to be careful with. (I tend to buy the smaller ones and have one every now and then, and sometimes use them in salads with other foods.)
 
Welcome @curvycris 🙂 My advice is to buy yourself a glucose meter and take the guesswork out of it.

As for apples, it’s the total carbs you need to look at. An average apple is approx 15g carbs so if you eat two you’re having 30g carbs in addition to any other carbs you have. It’s the carbs you need to watch not just the sugars.
 
harbottle said:
Just because your GP won't give you a monitor, there's nothing stopping you getting one yourself.

Then you can avoid the guesswork and see just what effect the apples have on you.

Apples can be quite high in carbs, perhaps 14g per Apple, so they are something to be careful with. (I tend to buy the smaller ones and have one every now and then, and sometimes use them in salads with other foods.)
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Thank you. Just looking for a monitor now on here.
 
You do know that diabetes isn't just about sugar, but all carbohydrates, so starchy carbs like break, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereal as well as the sugars both occuring naturally and refined added sugar.

Your body doesn't really care where the glucose comes from and whether it is a "good" (I assume you mean natural) sugar from apples or added sugar from sweets. I have apple and cheese for lunch quite often but usually just half an apple and the other half the next day. I don't stint on the cheese though! 🙄 There are about 15-20g carbs in an apple depending upon size and variety... the sweeter ones will obviously be at the higher end, the more tart ones lower, so you could be .

Apples aside, what else do you eat? Breakfast for instance? Just changing your breakfast menu can have a very significant positive impact on your levels, especially if you are currently having breakfast cereal or toast or even in some cases, trusty porridge which is of course also a breakfast cereal ie made of grains and eaten for breakfast!

If you can give us an idea of the sort of things you typically eat and drink in a day then we might be able to suggest alternatives. Have you every tested your levels so that you can see which foods your body is OK with and which ones cause you the most problems. It might be that 2 apples at lunchtime is OK for you but a bowl of porridge at breakfast time is not. Self testing allows you to see your diabetes in some respects and help you to make dietary choices to manage it more effectively. It can motivate you to eat the right things when you see levels gradually coming down week by week and it can discourage you from eating the things which spike your levels when you see the huge spike they cause. I hit 27mmols one night after eating a packet of Jacobs salt and vinegar crackers (normal levels are below 10) and it was borderline whether I would have to get myself to hospital with levels in the high 20s. I haven't eaten one since although a few would probably be fine, I don't have an off switch until the packet is empty, so my health simply can't afford for me to buy them.

Anyway, those would be my thoughts on your situation, but the more info you can provide us with, the better we can advise.
It would also be useful to know what medication you currently take for your diabetes?
 
You may even after all this time be confusing 'sugar' with carbohydrates. Sugar is just a form of carbs and all carbs covert to glucose so it is all carbs that you need to be careful of.
Getting a monitor is an excellent idea as it gives you control over managing your condition.
Have a look at the link https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ for some ideas for modifying your diet as that is what you need to look at doing if you want to avoid having more medication added. Of course that may be needed but worth giving the diet a shot, you have been 'driving' blind by not having a means of testing. How on earth do GP expect people to be able to reduce blood glucose with having the tools to do so.
 
rebrascora said:
You do know that diabetes isn't just about sugar, but all carbohydrates, so starchy carbs like break, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereal as well as the sugars both occuring naturally and refined added sugar.

Your body doesn't really care where the glucose comes from and whether it is a "good" (I assume you mean natural) sugar from apples or added sugar from sweets. I have apple and cheese for lunch quite often but usually just half an apple and the other half the next day. I don't stint on the cheese though! 🙄 There are about 15-20g carbs in an apple depending upon size and variety... the sweeter ones will obviously be at the higher end, the more tart ones lower, so you could be .

Apples aside, what else do you eat? Breakfast for instance? Just changing your breakfast menu can have a very significant positive impact on your levels, especially if you are currently having breakfast cereal or toast or even in some cases, trusty porridge which is of course also a breakfast cereal ie made of grains and eaten for breakfast!

If you can give us an idea of the sort of things you typically eat and drink in a day then we might be able to suggest alternatives. Have you every tested your levels so that you can see which foods your body is OK with and which ones cause you the most problems. It might be that 2 apples at lunchtime is OK for you but a bowl of porridge at breakfast time is not. Self testing allows you to see your diabetes in some respects and help you to make dietary choices to manage it more effectively. It can motivate you to eat the right things when you see levels gradually coming down week by week and it can discourage you from eating the things which spike your levels when you see the huge spike they cause. I hit 27mmols one night after eating a packet of Jacobs salt and vinegar crackers (normal levels are below 10) and it was borderline whether I would have to get myself to hospital with levels in the high 20s. I haven't eaten one since although a few would probably be fine, I don't have an off switch until the packet is empty, so my health simply can't afford for me to buy them.

Anyway, those would be my thoughts on your situation, but the more info you can provide us with, the better we can advise.
It would also be useful to know what medication you currently take for your diabetes?
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Thank you. I have ordered a monitor now. As for what I eat typically on my working day. Well its usually either poached eggs (2) and either air fried lean bacon or avocado, which i love. ( go on tell me it's a no no ) sometimes i have asdas own wheat biscuits, but being greedy, I've been having 3 with granulated no sugar sweetner, skimmed long life milk, maybe a few raspberries if i have some. I go to work and do 2 hours office cleaning, which is quite full on. Then after work i go food shopping, then come home to start my own housework. I'm up at 3am, then finish ready for lunch at about 12. (I had breakfast at 4.30 am) my evening meal varies but rarely includes meat. Last night I had broccoli steamed, then covered in cheese and tomatoes and baked in the airfryer with nas baked beans. I usually been craving something sweet at about 7pm so I've been having a low sugar mountain jos bar. I don't drink alcohol, or smoke.
 
curvycris said:
Thank you. I have ordered a monitor now. As for what I eat typically on my working day. Well its usually either poached eggs (2) and either air fried lean bacon or avocado, which i love. ( go on tell me it's a no no ) sometimes i have asdas own wheat biscuits, but being greedy, I've been having 3 with granulated no sugar sweetner, skimmed long life milk, maybe a few raspberries if i have some. I go to work and do 2 hours office cleaning, which is quite full on. Then after work i go food shopping, then come home to start my own housework. I'm up at 3am, then finish ready for lunch at about 12. (I had breakfast at 4.30 am) my evening meal varies but rarely includes meat. Last night I had broccoli steamed, then covered in cheese and tomatoes and baked in the airfryer with nas baked beans. I usually been craving something sweet at about 7pm so I've been having a low sugar mountain jos bar. I don't drink alcohol, or smoke.
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It might be your low Joes sugar mountain bar as looking online they are less sugar but 21g of carbs per bar and it might be the time you eat that after you exercise than before.
Good Luck its not easy.
 
Nayshiftin said:
It might be your low Joes sugar mountain bar as looking online they are less sugar but 21g of carbs per bar and it might be the time you eat that after you exercise than before.
Good Luck its not easy.
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Oh wow. I cannot believe I've been type 2 for so long and got away without doing too much harm. This is definitely a wake up call. Time to start reading up on carbs. Thank you so much for your advice.
 
curvycris said:
Oh wow. I cannot believe I've been type 2 for so long and got away without doing too much harm. This is definitely a wake up call. Time to start reading up on carbs. Thank you so much for your advice.
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I only really got into a low carb diet as my HbA1c scared me at 108,I really did not want to be told you know and you did nowt to help yourself. Leadinglights recommends the https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ diet and it has got reams on it and it does help. Start off easy on yourself. I chose the Diabetes UK as it gives recipes but get books from the Library too. It is worth it to get it lower but I am struggling to get it into the 5's.
 
Nayshiftin said:
I only really got into a low carb diet as my HbA1c scared me at 108,I really did not want to be told you know and you did nowt to help yourself. Leadinglights recommends the https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ diet and it has got reams on it and it does help. Start off easy on yourself. I chose the Diabetes UK as it gives recipes but get books from the Library too. It is worth it to get it lower but I am struggling to get it into the 5's.
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Thank you. How often and what time of day would you recommend that I do a blood sugar test with the monitor please?
 
curvycris said:
Thank you. How often and what time of day would you recommend that I do a blood sugar test with the monitor please?
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Your choice really. I start as soon as I get up. F2f foot to floor they call that.
Before breakfast then two hours after. The same before Lunch and Dinner and the readings two hours after will say what works for you. Then sometimes if say post dinner it is high I do it before bed. I always aim to get within 2 raises post a meal. Say for instance I have a large portion and it went up 4 I would see what I am with half the portion.
 
Nayshiftin said:
Your choice really. I start as soon as I get up. F2f foot to floor they call that.
Before breakfast then two hours after. Then same before Lunch and Dinner and the readings two hours after will say what works for you. Then sometimes if say post dinner it is high I do it before bed. I always aim to get within 2 raises post a meal. Say for instance I have a large portion and it went up 4 I would see what I am with half the portion.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice. I'm reading up on carbs now..
 
You'll take a big carb hit from 3 of ASDA's equivalent of Weetabix, too - probably between 30-40g. The fact that it has a green traffic light for sugar on the front of the box is misleading if you're diabetic. The nutrition panel on the back says they're 68% carbohydrate. As it happens I have Weetabix for breakfast, with plain Greek yogurt and a mix of berries, but only ever one.

You'll find your BG monitor invaluable in managing your carbs, so it's good that you've decided to go that route.
 
Obviously the 3 wheat biscuits are more than the portion size advised for non-diabetic people so definitely not great for a diabetic. I think some people here get away with 1 Weetabix plus natural yogurt and berries.
I wasn't aware of the Mountain Joes but you have to learn to look at the total carb content of whatever you eat, not just the sugar
On the whole however, if does not seem that you are eating many carbs and I certainly don't think you can consider it gluttony having 2 apples and some cheese for lunch. It sounds like you are quite active with your job, so aside from some small tweaks to your diet like reducing the quantity of wheat biscuits and doing some testing and looking for a better option to replace the Mountain Joes (Maybe try the Nature Valley Protein Bars as they are just 10g carbs per bar. so that is a 50% reduction straight away, although personally I am not a fan of these highly processed and sweetened bars anymore, I don't think there is much room for improvement and you may need more medication.

Did you tell us what medication you are currently on? If so, apologies, I must have missed it.
 
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