Type 2 Diabetes Advice

[wallycorker]

Andy - I've not been on the X-Pert course, my PCT don't do it - they do one called HEIDI which I have been on. The dietary advice was standard food pyramid stuff - the role of different foods groups did not get a mention but we were advised to base all meals on granary bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, that sort of thing, which suggests they were pushing a low GI approach. Those foods give me unacceptable numbers except in very small quantities.

Hi Cliff - I've not been on the X-Pert course myself either because it isn't done in many areas. However, I have been on a DESMOND course run by Rotherham PCT and another one drawn up locally by the Barnsley PCT. Both of these courses told me to "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate" and "eat starchy carbohydrate with every meal" - i.e. advice very similar to, as you say, the "standard food pyramid stuff" that is rather surprisingly also shown on the Diabetes UK website - see here for details:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Healthy_lifestyle/Eating_Well/

Absolutely crazy advice in my opinion!

Just like you eating starchy carbohydrates except in very small quantities gives me totally unacceptable blood glucose levels into double figures.

My advice to the original poster would be to tell her mother to start testing to see what different foods do to blood glucose levels. However, even more importantly than that, to cut back on the starchy carbohydrates that she eats - e.g. cereals, bread, potatoes, pizza, pasta, rice etc. That usually leads to a big improvement in blood glucose levels - and quickly too.

John

 

[bigpurpleduck]

Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions.

I had a brief chat with MIL the other night, but it was her & her husband's Pearl Anniversary so didn't want to depress her by talking about D too much!

We checked her BG on the spot - she'd eaten an hour before and was 5.7, so we were well chuffed 🙂

Apparently the doctor told her to eat better, exercise more, try to lose a bit of weight and then they'll check again in a month to see if it makes any difference. MIL is hoping that she'll get a meter after the month is up.

She had gestational diabetes 11 years ago with her youngest child and had to check BG and treat with diet then, so she's not completely new to it.

If no meter appears in a month I shall purchase her one then.