Total Newbie

[Shaddy4516]

hi ,
My names Andy and Iv been told I'm type two which came as a total shock ,
I'm finding it a bit overwhelming to be honest .
I'm not overweight, I exercise at least 5 times a week and I try to eat as healthy as I can ( but I do have a sweat tooth ) . So I'm at a loss as to how I'm ment to get my sugar down .

I suffered from UC for a few years until I had a j-pouch , I was prescribed steroids for a prolonged period and I have been told that this could be a side affect from using the steroids for to long .
Any advice on food ( especially chocolate replacement ) and protein, high energy foods would be great .

Thanks
Andy

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Shaddy from a fellow T2.
As a diabetic, it's not just a case of cutting sugars. We've to manage carbohydrates. Food doesn't put up out blood glucose levels. It's carbohydrates in particular; potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, breakfast ceriel. It can make our levels go up quicker and higher.
Things like meat, fish, fats, cheese don't effect our BG levels the same and are ok.
We can eat some carbohydrates. Which, how much and what with is the question. I'm afraid I can't be more specific, other than I've dumped all breakfast serial

 

[SB2015]

Welcome Shaddy.

I know that when I have had a steroid injection I have had to double my insulin (T1 so all my insulin comes from my pump). as the steroids makes my system a lot more insulin resistant. If you have had long term steroids then it may well be the same for you. The steroids may have made you more resistant to insulin and that means you need meds re to deal with the glucose in your blood. If your pancreas can’t make enough your BG will rise and this may then lead to T2 Diabetes. (@mikeyB, a medic, or people with T2 will no doubt have a clearer explanation).

As others have said the glucose in your blood comes from any carbohydrates that you eat. It can be informative to work out how much carb you are eating at any meal as an initial starting point, and see what happens if you set yourself a lower limit for each meal (smaller plates can help with this!!). Calculating the carbs is done by reading the back of packets, and /or weighing fresh produce and googling the amount of carbs per 100g. It is a lot easier than it sounds.

The only problems I have is with pasta packs which give me the carbs for weights as cooked, but hw do I weigh it after cooking when it is mixed in with other stuff. I have got round it and now have carbs per 100g for dry weight but it takes a bit of work. My simple solution is don’t eat pasta!! A good plan anyway as it messes up my levels. I have found alternatives and use black bean spaghetti, courgetti or other ‘pasta’ made from beans.

I hope that helps. Keep asking questions as there is plenty of experience on here and lots of very helpful people.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

The only problems I have is with pasta packs which give me the carbs for weights as cooked, but hw do I weigh it after cooking when it is mixed in with other stuff. I have got round it and now have carbs per 100g for dry weight but it takes a bit of work.

Nowadays a simple google search should do it. (You get nutrition information in a sidebar, with options including cooked and uncooked.) (Used to be more fiddly to find out, but our Google overlords have been working on it.)

 

[SB2015]

Nowadays a simple google search should do it. (You get nutrition information in a sidebar, with options including cooked and uncooked.) (Used to be more fiddly to find out, but our Google overlords have been working on it.)

Thanks Bruce. Oh oh, I feel that I might be heading back to the pasta.
I will try to resist as I know it causes me big problems overnight, but perhaps once in a while, and just accept a sleepless night of testing.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I will try to resist as I know it causes me big problems overnight, but perhaps once in a while, and just accept a sleepless night of testing.

I know what you mean. But reasonable-sized portions should be fine (so when I cook it myself I find pasta fine, including in ready meals of various sorts, but restaurants can be more of a challenge).

 

[Bruce Stephens]

especially chocolate replacement

Not sure there's a replacement, as such. I think the general recommendation is to limit it to small quantities of good stuff (so high cocoa, which tend to be lower sugar, and tend to have a strong enough flavour that you'll be satisfied with less). And don't bother with "diabetic chocolate", even if it's still being sold somewhere. (I think that's the advice, though maybe there are chocolates sweetened in some way that actually works successfully now.)

 

[Drummer]

As a type two diabetic - if you are as lucky as I am, you can eat any meat fish or shellfish, eggs cheese, low carb veges and salad stuff, plus a bit of high cocoa chocolate - and see normal numbers. Not just 'non diabetic' but normal.
You also get to eat the good stuff, rather than fill up on the stodge, and get 'healthied' into early old age.