where to start

[Troya]

Hi , I am Troya i have had diabetes type 2 for a few years and controlled with diet never did much just not to much sweet stuff.Two years ago we lost my Granddaughter at 22 its devistated us all, i went into a self sabotage mode, ate everything in quantity i just didnt care any more. all the things you shouldnt eat and lots of it.
I have now been put on tablets my blood sugar is now 83, This was the kick I needed, but in all honesty i dont know where to start. i need a blood sugar counter? which and where do i get one? where can i find somewhere to show me meals where i can plan my life change I have put on weight so need to change I do feel a bit lost when looking at all the different diets . please can anyone advise where i start doing this properly.

 

[Kaylz]

Hi and welcome to the forum 🙂

If you are in the UK the chances of being prescribed a blood glucose test kit and strips is highly unlikely unless you are on a medication that can cause low blood glucose, instead you may have to look at self funding, I think SD meters are the cheapest to self fund still but @Ljc or @everydayupsanddowns may be able to better advise on this as I believe the old one has been replaced with a newer model

As for eating it isnt just sweet things that cause a rise in BG its total carbohydrates so things to at least cut down on would be things like bread, potatoes, rice/pasta etc, the nutritional information is available on most packaging but if you prefer to know what to buy before you go into a shop you can look at the supermarket of choice website and I'd you click on a product it will bring nutrition up, unfortunately Aldi doesn't have that available online but the other major supermarkets do
Xx

 

[stephknits]

Hi Troya and welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear of your devastating loss. You are already taking positive steps by coming on here as we are a welcoming and supportive community. There are loads of great recipe ideas in the food section. You might like to start by writing down a typical days food intake and having a look at the carbs you eat. You could then pick a couple of easy wins to get you started. People on here are very happy to offer advice on food swops you can make.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Troya

welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of the sad loss you have experienced. It’s completely understandable that such an experience can have a big impact on you, and on your focus and ability to manage your diabetes.

The meter @Kaylz was mentioning is the SD Navii, thoughothers use Caresens or Spirit Tee 2 meters. The SD used to be called the ‘codefree’ but has been recently updated to the SD Gluco Navii which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

One of the biggest questions is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will be wanting to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits. The really tricky thing is that blood glucose responses to food are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which forms and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself. But the good news is that it is possible to check this for yourself and tailor your own ideal way of eating that suits you and your BG levels. You can use a BG meter, checking before and after meals, and checking what the differences are. Then identify any foods that seem to be causing you difficulties and try varying or reducing them (sometimes just having things at a different time of day makes a difference)

You may find test-review-adjust by Alan S helpful framework to make best use of your BG meter to tailor your diet to improve glucose outcomes.

There’s lots of other information and support available too. If you’ve not already found it the ‘useful links’ thread is a mine of helpful information - useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes

Members her frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.

Above all it can really help to have others alongside you who are living with diabetes and facing the same challenges every day. That way you don’t have to face these things alone.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

 

[Toucan]

Hello @Troya and welcome from me as well.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your grandaughter, it must be an incredibly difficult situation to deal with.

It is good though, that you now feel able to focus on dealing with your diabetes, and as you can see from the replies you have there is a great deal of help and support here.
I would only add, take your time to absorb all the information. The way forward will involve changes, and they need to be for the long term and sustainable. As @everydayupsanddowns says a read of Maggie Davey's letter to see how this lady made some changes, is a good place to start.

Another option to join the Diabetes UK Learning Zone and there is a link to this at the top of the forum page.

Very Best wishes and please keep posting and let us know how it is going and ask any questions