Diabetic

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hi all joined a while ago but not been following for a while,I've just found out I have type 2 diabetes I was just wondering if anyone on here has any tips as what to eat as its all very confusing some saying limit carbs and some saying eat lots of starchy carbs lol very confused any help would be greatly recieved x

Replies

  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
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    Hugs. I am a pre diabetic. I would suggest talking to your doctor. Maybe attending a support group or making an appointment with a nutritionist. It is overwhelming at first but once you get the hang of it becomes easy.



    In my case I have to lose 55 pounds. I exercise at least 5 days a week and eat as natural as possible, meaning less canned or boxed food and more veggies and fruits. Everything you eat will alter your glucose/insulin levels. The carbs that I limit are the processed carbs ( pizza, white bread, fast food, canned or boxed processed foods). Starchy carbs are good as long as you mix them up with lots of veggies or leafy greens. Balanced foods and portion control is key. Eating clean and natural will keep those levels in check. No soda, processed foods, sugary drinks. The internet is a great resource. Of course check with a dr. first. Hope this helps.
  • kgmcgee
    kgmcgee Posts: 34 Member
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    I've been diabetic for about 6 years now. The best thing to do is limit all carbs. Some will raise your blood sugar faster than others. Natural ones do it more slowly and help avoid that spike, but all will eventually raise it. It's important that when you do eat carbs, to have lots of veggies and some protein with it. Cardio helps a lot. Not only does going for a brisk walk after a meal help lower blood sugar but cardio can help your blood sugar long term as well. The more you do, the better your A1C will be. There is a diabetic group on here that may be worth joining. Lots of us on here trying to make diabetes better by losing weight. Feel free to add me!
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Welcome to the beetus, I was just diagnosed a few months ago. My dr had me go to a dietician (which was covered since becomig diabetic), and we talked about what foods ar ebest.
    Surprisingly mine put me on MORE carbs, but healthy ones that should not cause as much of a spike (brown rice, whole grains, red or sweet potatoes, etc) but small portions and in moderation. Get a monitor and test yourself after eating foods to find outwhat causes you to spike.
    If you're like me and it's weight related, diet and losing weight should hopefully get rid of it shortly for you.
  • juju012014
    juju012014 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you prgirl,kgm and Acura for replying,I got diagnosed four weeks ago so it's all quite new to me I am taking metformin twice a day at the mo but will be on it three times a day,I'm waiting to see a dietician but have so far been told by nurse to eat low fat low sugar and low salt which I have been doing,I've tried to go back to basics and cook from scratch which some things have been ok but something's have been disgusting lol (home made curry for one) I haven't been brave enough to try the wholemeal pasta yet.How do I find the diabetic group ? I'm not great at this sort of thing and have never posted in a forum before lol .I have been told that I don't need to test my sugars but I think it would be a good idea to see how my body reacts to different food,I am planning on joining the gym something I haven't done for years and I would like to lose about 3 st .I hope you are all doing well and it would be lovely to speak again x
  • kgmcgee
    kgmcgee Posts: 34 Member
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    juju012014 wrote: »
    How do I find the diabetic group ? I'm not great at this sort of thing and have never posted in a forum before lol x

    Go to the Community tab at the top and then click the Groups tab. You should be able to scroll down and find "type 2 diabetes support group". Click the green button that says "join group"

  • ace314159
    ace314159 Posts: 19 Member
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    Glad you have set up a meeting with a dietician. In the meantime my suggestions are much the same to those above. What personally works for me and my blood sugar levels is a diet filled with fruits and vegetables (yes...I still eat fruit...it is a good natural sugar and I just try not to go overboard. My rule is only one serving of each type of fruit each day and I try not to have more then 3-4 servings of fruit in a day). lean meats (chicken breast roasted, grilled fish with lemon juice, unprocessed turkey, etc) and some whole grains (not a lot). I also try to incorporate some healthy fats (the natural kind from nuts, avocado and a limited amount of olive oil). For me it is key to make my food taste good. So for example if I'm going to eat green beans as my main veggie with dinner I will use some szechuan sauce and garlic and slivered almonds to liven them up a bit. I don't shy away from low calorie low sugar sauces in this regard but I do try to monitor the sodium and keep it under the 2300 recommended per day. (Also, siratcha and tabasco can liven up some air popped popcorn!).

    For me it is also key to have three decent meals and some appropriately timed snacks. Breakfast usually consists of coffee (I skip the creamer now and am o.k. with it if I buy a better brand of fresh coffee) a whole grain toaster waffle (search around for the best option your store provides) and perhaps a quorn sausage patty. My nighttime snack is often a frozen light & fit dannon 80 calorie greek yogurt (I buy them and then just pop them in the freezer...this sounds weird but in order to eat them pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds and they are ready to enjoy) or frozen organic mango chunks (yum!).

    The other thing I highly recommend is just getting out and moving 'more'. Start with simply 'more' then you were doing before. For example if you honestly never really got out of the house to go for a walk or run or anything like that try to get out of the house and go for a walk 3-4 nights a week (start with something that makes sense for you and is 'more' then you were doing before). Don't go overboard and try to start running marathons right away. Just improve upon what you were doing and then slowly improve upon that and you will see that it will then become easier to add more activity.

    Find foods that work for you, find exercises you enjoy (walks in warm weather are fantastic in my opinion), find people who SUPPORT you (maybe even a 'sponsor' someone you can call when you are wanting to throw in the towel and binge eat pizza, cookies, ice cream etc.).

    Best of luck, add me if you want and let me know if you have any questions I can help with.
  • juju012014
    juju012014 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you kmc I found it,thank you ace I really appreciate any tips and advice it sounds like you have good control on things I may need more advice in the future if you don't mind lol x