what should I not eat

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jezzer128

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Hi guys.....i went to the doctors this week feeling tired and lethargic and came away yesterday with type 2 diabetes...no history in the family etc...so it was a bit of a shock....the problem is my doctor was a little vague on what i should and shouldnt eat and the nurse who deals with new diabetes patients cannot fit me in for a week....so i am in limbo at the minute and know absolutely nothing about the condition and what i can or more importantly cannot eat...any help will be greatly appreciated...Thanks🙂:confused:
 
Hi Jez,

Probably not the greatest news you've received, but the good news is that diabetes is a manageable condition. One of the things you'll need to consider, as you've already guessed, is your diet - both the type of food you eat, and what portion size. Diabetes is a condition which means that the body is unable to keep blood sugar at a 'desirable' level - normally, the pancreas does most of the work by producing insulin whenever we eat, and this allows the cells in the body to store the blood sugar (glucose). In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin, so it has to be injected. With Type 2, the problem is generally that ther is 'insulin resistance' - your body may be producing insulin, but the cells cannot use it efficiently to absorb the glucose - so the levels become too high.

Glucose comes from carbohydrate in the food we eat - bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, as well as sugar (cakes, chocolate, fruit, even milk in the form of lactose!). Because of this it's best to avoid eating too much of this type of food. You do not need to avoid it completely - far from it, and as you receive treatment your body will be able to cope better with this type of food. You'll probably be given more tailored advice when you get to see the diabetes nurse.

For now, try not to worry too much about it. Exercise will help to keep the levels of sugar down, so if you can do this try and fit some in every day. Try to eat 'healthily' - low sugar, low fat foods, with plenty of vegetables and fruit. There's nothing you can't eat, you just need to try and eat good balanced meals - the same kind of diet everyone is recommended to follow!

Diabetes UK has advice on the following link, which should give you some pointers:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Food_and_recipes/Food_and_diabetes/Eating_well/

Some people believe that their recommendations contain too much carbohydrate, but you will have time to learn more in the weeks to come, and with guidance from your nurse. It's a good idea to look at the 'Recommended Books' section and read what you can so that you can be ready with any questions you may have for the nurse when you see her.
 
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Hi Jezzer,

Welcome to the club! I hope you're soon back on your feet and feeling good again soon.

What to eat and not to eat, well, quite simply a healthy, balanced diet. Limit fats and salts, moderate carbohydrate intake. Cut out the fast and ready foods, good sensible home cooking. Omit the sauces and mayonaisse etc on sandwiches.

Essentially, you need to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can't miss meals of vary the times you take them by too much.

There are some good cook books for diabetics and some awful ones, my favourite as it has a good cross section of recipes for everyday living is 'The everyday diabtic cookbook' by Stella Bowling it is published with Diabetes UK, who are a superb organisation and I'd strongly suggest for the twenty something pounds a year you join, you used to get an introduction to type one or two diabetes and the bi-monthly magazine Balance. www.diabetes.org.uk

One of my favourite recipes in this book is lamb and lentil hotpot - I tend to add a bag of scotch broth mix (lentils, pulses and beans) and make a big stock pot, it freezes very well, only you need a big freezer for the stock pot!

I'd suggest you steer clear of the Worzell-thomsons book (the ginger TV chef) its too fancy for everyday cooking.

Avoid expensive 'diabetic' sugars and foods, the sugar content is often only a tad less than normal food and the price twice that of a jar of normal jam - just use a fraction of the amount - you still get the taste.

It's all about being sensible and balancing what you eat, well I think so, sure I might get told off by some for my advice.

Good luck with your appointment, seeing a dietician can often be beneficial, there is a waiting list for these people, but the information they have about diet is far more extensive than specialist nurses (in my opinion).
 
Hi and welcome. As far as I can tell you need to cut down on simple carbs and eat more complex carbs. Portion size and physical activity will have an affect on your glucose.

From exploring this site, and sites like diabtes UK, you need to eat a variety of things. make sure you have plenty of fruit and vegetables and a generaly well balanced diet. One of the things to avoid or keep to a minimum is refined sugar as it is a simple carb which is absorbed very quickly

Use things like whole grain rice, whole meal bread and whole meal pasta rather than the non whole grain whole meal variety as they take longer to turn to sugar.

As you are waiting for an appointment withthe nurse, write a list of questions so you are prepared and get the most out of the appoinment.
 
Jez, good advice here from Notherner, Einstein and Caroline. Just want to add a few points for emphasis as changes you need are difficult to make and maintain so

a) remember you are learning and it takes time
b) you will be advised to switch to unsaturated fat rather than saturated so think about skimmed milk and reduced fat cheese - although the latter is not a step I have taken
c) if you are overweight then losing weight will help you use what insulin you produce far more effectively
d) exercise also really makes a difference
 
Thanks very much for the advice....i already only use semi skimmed milk, I dont eat butter only low fat spreads etc...i dont eat meat just fish...unfortunately my vice is sugar....not any more i guess lol......thanks for the advice caroline,vanessa and Einstein
 
Hi Jezzer,

You're welcome for the information, that's why we're here, oh and to pass an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon :D

I'd suggest you discover Splenda - www.splenda.co.uk unlike the traditional sweeteners you can cook and bake with them, I even think they do a brown sugar now. The are some sample recipes on their web site.
 
Candarel is good too.

Just pointed out to me by hubby who can't have cows milk- if you use soya milk try to get unsweetened, although I'm not sure how the carbs in soya milk work as I use mainly skimmed milk.
 
jezzer128 said:
Hi guys.....i went to the doctors this week feeling tired and lethargic and came away yesterday with type 2 diabetes...no history in the family etc...so it was a bit of a shock....the problem is my doctor was a little vague on what i should and shouldnt eat and the nurse who deals with new diabetes patients cannot fit me in for a week....so i am in limbo at the minute and know absolutely nothing about the condition and what i can or more importantly cannot eat...any help will be greatly appreciated...Thanks🙂:confused:
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Dear Jezzer,

Thre is not much more I can add to the advice already given except that your tolerance for carbohydrates is of critical importance. Others have said that no food group is barred and indeed this is true, but you can be more precise if you wish to have good blood glucose control. I used a book by Jenny Ruhl "Blood Sugar 101 - What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes". In it you will find a protocol for determining what your carbohydrate tolerence is and what foods affect you most. Soon after becoming Type 2 your tolerance may well be quite high, but as it is a progessive condition, tolerance decreases with time. However, I have found that it is possible to still be "diet controlled" 15 years after diagnosis.

Regards Dodger
 
Dear Dodger,

It has been very reassuring to know that it is possible to still be diet controlled 15 years after diagnosis !!!! Going to get hold of the book you mentioned above,

Cheers !
 
Circe, just wanted to add that for some of us the option to try diet control alone was not there as our Type 2 was too far down the line when diagnosed - fortunately we live in an era where medication can help us out alongside the right individual diet and exercise regime. As you will see from this site - all of us are different and our bodies respond differently and the more you can learn about how you respond to various foods over time then you can make better choices about what is right for you

I'm so pleased for Dodger - his results are remarkable and a great reflection on him
 
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