Tim, ney diagnosed 121 sugar count.

[Kaylz]

@Leadinglights vision issues are common when newly diagnosed, your eyes change shape if your levels are coming down and it takes time for them to adjust so blurry vision for instance is a very common problem so don't be overly concerned, people like me are just very unfortunate to develop more serious problems

That wasn't the suggestion by 1 member, it was a complete no go for either but people have to find what suits them so....
xx

 

[Drummer]

Testing your blood glucose levels will indicate what foods you can deal with. Normally a test just before starting to eat and then another two hours later will indicate how well the meal suited your ability to deal with the amount of carbs it contained.
You might find that you are able to deal with more carbs at different times of day, as resistance to insulin can change.
I tested high and low GI foods and found no difference in the rise in blood glucose, except for beans, which I seem to be able to digest better than most, so got higher glucose levels than their carb count would suggest.

 

[grovesy]

I used the GI principles for a number of years successfully.

 

[Drummer]

I used the GI principles for a number of years successfully.

I think that the only way to be absolutely sure that your diet is right for your needs is to check blood glucose after meals and go by what you find.

 

[grovesy]

As I said, it was successful for me for a number of years !

 

[Drummer]

As I said, it was successful for me for a number of years !

Mmm - so no longer?
Was it not as effective as you'd have liked, or just not fitting in with what you found suited you better?

 

[Josh DUK]

Mmm - so no longer?
Was it not as effective as you'd have liked, or just not fitting in with what you found suited you better?

As I said, it was successful for me for a number of years !

Hello,

Could we please be respectful to one another and also support the original poster regarding their questions. we want the forum to be a welcoming place.

 

[rebrascora]

The problem with the GI index is that it is an average of how different foods release their glucose and as with everything biological, there is variation, so there are some people who will find that low GI works really well for them because the carbs release their glucose slowly as expected, but there will be a minority who find their digestive systems break even Low GI foods down very quickly. Like @Drummer I find that the glucose from many low GI foods like porridge, wholemeal bread and legumes hit my blood stream quicker and harder than anticipated, so testing can be really helpful if you opt for low GI.
I think it may also help to understand that 3 teaspoons of sugar is 15g carbs but those carbs will hit your blood stream pretty quickly if they are in a cup of coffee.
A medium slice of wholemeal bread contains 15g carbs but will maybe take another 15-30mins to start hitting the blood stream. If you add a bowl of porridge as well, say 50g dry porridge oats made into porridge, even just with water, that's another 30g carbs going into the system which is a total of 45g carbs when previously it was just a cup of sweet coffee with 15g, so breakfast is now 200% more carbs by switching from a sweet coffee to porridge and a sandwich. Yes it may hit the blood stream slightly slower but it might not be a good strategy for the OP, especially at a time of day when many people are more insulin resistant and therefore BG levels may take longer to come down.

I therefore do think that testing might be a good strategy for the OP in this situation, to ensure that their choices are helpful to their BG levels rather than detrimental.

I know it is a pretty radical thought but sticking with just a coffee for breakfast and perhaps just having 1.5 or 2 sugars in it instead of 3 might be a significantly better option BG wise than replacing it with porridge and a sandwich......
...... Just saying 😱 😳

 

[ianf0ster]

@Drummer please don’t advise people they can’t have certain foods such as porridge or bread. With a hba1c of 121, and no knowledge of what medication the poster is taking, a sudden switch to cut out certain foods completely can cause retinopathy, or hypos if taking medication.

To Tim, it is best to make small changes to bring your blood sugar down slowly as suddenly improving it all at once can damage your eyes. So switching to things like porridge and whole meal bread and reducing portion sizes sounds a good first step.

If you read the posts, th OP says they used to skip breakfast - just coffee before a run.
So introducing Porridge is introducing more carbs and so can't possibly be a good first step !

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Mmm - so no longer?
Was it not as effective as you'd have liked, or just not fitting in with what you found suited you better?

Very successful for me as well.
No longer?
Well I reversed my diabetes, so, no, I don't need to be as fussy now.
But it was a major step along the way, as many of us have found to our benefit.

If you read the posts, th OP says they used to skip breakfast - just coffee before a run.
So introducing Porridge is introducing more carbs and so can't possibly be a good first step !

As was introducing porridge at breakfast, and planning a varied diet throughout the day,
Far less load, if meals are spaced out well.
Again, it was very successful for me, and I do still eat that.

Each to their own

 

[Inka]

If you read the posts, th OP says they used to skip breakfast - just coffee before a run.
So introducing Porridge is introducing more carbs and so can't possibly be a good first step !

But it might be, mightn’t it, if it’s part of an overall better diet? To say it “can’t possibly” be a good step is assuming too much. Porridge works for some people and GI works for some people. Improving carb choices can help too. It depends on many factors.

They are a number of diabetes diets that include porridge eg the low fat WFPB one.They’re not compulsory and neither is the porridge. However, some people find they work. The good thing is that there are plenty of options and @Tim1 should be aware of all of them and choose what works for them individually. I use “work” there in the broadest of senses.

 

[trophywench]

That made me laugh - if porridge had been compulsory I'd have popped me clogs in 1972. Loathsome stuff that makes me heave! Yuk.

 

[Drummer]

I was never much bothered with breakfast, as I could not face the foods suggested for me.
Metformin forced me to eat lunch and the tablet after I had been out, and I often felt too miserable to eat dinner.
Once I ditched the Metformin I wanted to go out, and I was checking my blood glucose levels regularly - the 12 hour gap between meals meant that I was free to travel, to play sing and even to dance again.
With a multicolour salad or stirfry to set me up for the day I saw younger people wilt and need to sit down so I knew it was not just working but working very well.

 

[Drummer]

This is what I got up to at weekends in normal times

 

[Kaylz]

That made me laugh - if porridge had been compulsory I'd have popped me clogs in 1972. Loathsome stuff that makes me heave! Yuk.

May be that I'm a Scot but I adore the stuff! LOL (so did my dog, and cat when he nicked it!) xx

 

[Leadinglights]

Home
May be that I'm a Scot but I adore the stuff! LOL (so did my dog, and cat when he nicked it!) xx

My cat used to love melon, cucumber, and would kill for sprouts and broccoli and ice cream which is more understandable.

 

[Kaylz]

My cat used to love melon, cucumber, and would kill for sprouts and broccoli and ice cream which is more understandable.

how odd! The cat we have just now will play with sprouts if you drop one but he certainly wouldn't eat it! LOL, one of ours was a right sweet fan, answered the door leaving an iced doughnut on the window sill behind the curtain and then heard licking and he was licking the icing off it! (most would have just had the whole doughnut but not him haha) he somehow got in the kitchen cupboard while we were out and ate 3 big rolo cookies and the dogs bowl of porridge (his sides were absolutely bulging!) once got into my room and tore into a boxed chocolate cake traybake thing that I'd bought for my mums birthday and ate quite a bit of it yet despite that none of it made him unwell! xx

 

[Inka]

That made me laugh - if porridge had been compulsory I'd have popped me clogs in 1972. Loathsome stuff that makes me heave! Yuk.

Oh dear I think porridge can vary a lot. I was never a particular fan until I had some at a smart hotel (yes, it was posh porridge😛 ). It was quite thick and completely delicious. I think it was the quality of the oats and the way they cooked it. Now I actually hunt porridge out at breakfast buffets.

Blood sugar-wise the oats can make a difference too - ie whole oats are better than the dusty instant porridge.

Not that that would affect your heaving though

 

[goodybags]

Hi @Tim1
welcome tot he forum, a HbA1c of 121 is very high
you will see many have bought it down to more normal levels

not sure how far over 100 my HbA1c got to,
but I remember it was high (I’m sure at the end of 2019 it was in the 90’s)
by taking the necessary medication and eating the right foods for you
I’m sure you will get the levels under control and manage the condition.

 

[Leadinglights]

how odd! The cat we have just now will play with sprouts if you drop one but he certainly wouldn't eat it! LOL, one of ours was a right sweet fan, answered the door leaving an iced doughnut on the window sill behind the curtain and then heard licking and he was licking the icing off it! (most would have just had the whole doughnut but not him haha) he somehow got in the kitchen cupboard while we were out and ate 3 big rolo cookies and the dogs bowl of porridge (his sides were absolutely bulging!) once got into my room and tore into a boxed chocolate cake traybake thing that I'd bought for my mums birthday and ate quite a bit of it yet despite that none of it made him unwell! xx

Talking about the dog, we had left the wrapped Christmas presents under the tree and went out to pick my daughters up at the station and when we got back the dog was just starting on the second box of liqueur chocs, talk about a silly, chuckley dog. That was before anyone realised that chocolate let alone the alcohol was bad for dogs.