Diabetes 2

Now it’s winter home made nutritious soups and stews etc with lots of barley lentils and vegetables. They are a comfort food in their own way with brown bread not white. Just subtle changes to the diet like half the portion of meat boiled rice cut down on fried foods.
My DH was diagnosed ten years ago and initially was too rigid with his diet. He lost a lot of weight but was down right miserable just getting the balance right is better. NHS website on diet and diabetes is excellent even if you don’t have diabetes.
Good nutrition and a bit more walking is good for mind and body it might even reduce anxiety.

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes over 30 years ago. I was told it would inevitably get worse over time and I'd end up taking insulin.

Well, here I am 30 years later and I don't take insulin and my condition hasn't got worse, so I guess I must have been doing something right.

My advice would be to cut the carbs - and not just obviously sugary foods. If she's not veggie, eat meat, fish and veg which grow above ground, restrict fruit, cut out cereals and flour. Eat mainly whole foods.

If your daughter has been diagnosed, she'll probably be sent on a course and have her BP, cholesterol and weight checked. If she's overweight, she'd benefit from gradual weight reduction. She needs to exercise, but it doesn't need to be anything too drastic - just keep moving and do whatever she feels comfortable with. Resist any "quick fix" remedies because she needs to get used to the fact that changes are for life, so she needs to do things she'll stick with.

The Diabetes Uk website has lots of useful information and well worth looking at. Without being rude is your daughter overweight type 2 diabetes can be reversed or put into remission by loosing excess weight. Not all type 2 diabetics can do this some carry no excess weight whatsoever but it could be a factor.

PS. Lack of sleep and stress cause havoc with diabetes. If she can, I'd push for better treatment for her narcolepsy.

Try and eat a mostly carb free diet. White carbs have as much influence on your blood sugars as sugary foods.

I don’t eat white rice or bread , mashed or jacket potatoes or pasta. I do eat other potato’s occasionally and some plain chocolate as a treat, no puddings except fruit occasional scone or biscuit

I eat lots of meat veg and salad and top pies such as shepherds with swede instead of potato.

I drink very little alcohol just a couple of units a week on the weekend and no sugary or sweetener type drinks, sweeteners work the same as sugar. I fast a long time between evening meal and lunch, never have breakfast . I don’t feel deprived, enjoy my food and have lost weight into the bargain.

I do take oral medication but have controlled my diabetes well since I was diagnosed 11 years ago

Thankyou for all your comments. I have told my daughter I was on here asking for help, but her mind at the moment just cannot take them on board. She is very overweight and is very aware of that fact. How do I help her to help herself ?She still lives at home, as it is not safe for her to live alone.

She will undoubtedly be referred to a diabetes nurse and have regular checkups. If she's very overweight, the first priority will be to lose some of the weight and it's possible she might be prescribed one of the new drugs She needs to follow some kind of weight loss program and possibly have counselling.

However, there's no substitute for eating less and exercising more. You know your daughter best and need to find some way of boosting her self-confidence and encouraging her to help herself.

Murraymint I've just read some of your previous posts. I really think you - and your daughter - need counselling. Ask your GP for it. Your daughter won't get on top of her diabetes unless she has a more positive frame of mind.

Murraymint if you are in Uk the NHS has some wonderful packages going on with Diabetes and pre diabetes. I have two close friends diagnosed very recently and they have been given a whole package of care to improve things including weight control You either do it through local groups or a computer package (if you are a worker) and you really are given everything you need, including human support Apparently although it’s all free to the user the NHS are using outside private packages
The first friend lost 3 stone. the second has only recently started on it so too soon to say
Do ask your GP about it
Of course I don’t know if its offered in every UK area

I agree about the carbs. With diabetes the body has trouble processing carbs... so give it less carbs.

There's a GP who's managed to reverse type 2 diabetes in half his patients with it, using this approach. Dr David Unwin, There's an article about him here:
www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/09/british-doctor-pioneers-low-carb-diet-as-cure-for-obesity-and-type-2-diabetes

and more info here.
phcuk.org/sugar/

The UK Low Carb podcast has some inspiring stories that might encourage your daughter, Murraymint. All the best.

I wouldn't worry about reversal - it only genuinely happens in a few cases. However, if it can be controlled (with HbA1c levels near normal), the condition will lead to far fewer complications (neuropathy, foot problems, eye problems, heart and circulatory) than currently.

My former GP has developed a project:

lowcarbfreshwell.com/

It's what I've more or less been following for 30 years and it works.

I know someone who was diagnosed with type 2 but after receiving life saving treatments for cancer, then lost so much weight that their type 2 status was reversed.
I think their life has improved but it has been very traumatic journey.

Granmarderby10

I know someone who was diagnosed with type 2 but after receiving life saving treatments for cancer, then lost so much weight that their type 2 status was reversed.
I think their life has improved but it has been very traumatic journey.

From what I know, it depends how long people have had diabetes and how much damage has been done. I've never been overweight, so my diabetes is a bit of a mystery. I've even been tested for T1 diabetes, but it was negative. I know my T2 can never be reversed. My metabolism just won't work again properly - ever.

The best I can do is manage the condition, which I do quite well. I try to keep my Hba1c within reasonable levels and have all the blood, eye and foot checks. My pancreas and liver don't work properly and that can't be reversed. All I can do is slow down progression, which I have. Diabetics need to be aware that the biggest danger is heart-related conditions. High sugar levels fur up blood vessels and cause all sorts of problems. They're also likely to be affected badly by infections, including Covid. Stress and poor sleep are known to affect diabetes. I had a heart attack in 2017 and the game-changer for me since then has been doing 20 minutes of mindfulness every day. I don't follow it rigidly ( bought a beginners' book), but just shut the door, get myself comfy and do deep breathing. I've trained myself to exclude everything except the "here and now" out of my mind. I swear that it's helped me to accept the meals I plan for myself and to motivate myself to do physical exercise. Learning to say "no" and asking myself why I'm doing things helps.

Asgrowstuff says cut the carbs. Diagnosed eight years ago I lost 2 and a half stone and reversed my diabetes 2. I did have one relapse , my own fault for beginning to eat what I shouldn’t but am back on course now. It isn’t easy but worthwhile. Good luck to your daughter

Here's an idea which might be worth giving a go ...

Get your daughter to write down everything she eats for a week. Absolutely NO cheating! She's not going to show the list to anybody else, so she's only being dishonest with herself if she cheats.

Buy her a copy of this book:

www.amazon.co.uk/Carbs-Cals-Carb-Calorie-Counter/dp/1908261153/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FTHOXOQJEY43&keywords=calories+and+carbs&sprefix=calories+and+carbs%2Caps%2C92&tag=gransnetforum-21&qid=1700027988&sr=8-1

There are apps and websites which have the same info, but I prefer a book.

Get your daughter to work out how many carbs she's been eating in a day. For the moment, don't worry about other nutrients - she can always adjust those later when she's got carbs under control.

If the total number of carbs is more than 150g a day, she's eating too many for diabetes. ( I aim for half that, but I'm starting off by being gentle).

If she needs to cut down her carbs, she needs to decide which ones are the healthier ones - most veg, some fruit, milk, yoghurt, wholemeal bread and oats only if she can fit them into her carb budget.

She shouldn't beat herself up if she has an occasional doughnut or sticky bun (or whatever), but stick to the plan for the majority of the time.

She'll probably have another HbA1c (blood sugar) test after three months and, hopefully, there will be a difference. She might even lose a bit of weight - it doesn't matter if it's only a couple of kilos because she'll be heading in the right direction.

PS. Don't see it as some sort of competition to beat diabetes, but if she does reduce her blood sugar and lose weight, it will be an amazing achievement and she should feel proud of herself. Hopefully, it will boost her self-confidence that she can control her health. You could even buy her a non fattening treat!

I hipped that your daughter has a good diabetic nurse to help her through this. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 and started on Metaformin. I’m hoping it helps along with exercise and no carbs.

Tricia2

I hipped that your daughter has a good diabetic nurse to help her through this. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 and started on Metaformin. I’m hoping it helps along with exercise and no carbs.

You can't cut out carbs completely.

The NHS doesn't recommend issuing T2s with a meter, but if you can afford it, I would buy your own and learn how to use it. Unfortunately, the testing strips are quite expensive.

Your blood glucose level should return to "pre-meal" after two hours. If it doesn't, you're eating too many carbs and need to reduce the portion size or cut them out altogether.

As others have said, she definitely needs to go low carb. So cut out bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. No root vegetables- if it grows underground, it’s no good, with the exception of celeriac.

Best thing is to get a blood glucose meter to identify what foods give her issues.

There is a soup that helps too, and it really does work. Not sure if I’m allowed to put a link, but it is a broccoli soup.

The thing I did was focus of finding things I could have and finding new things. Whilst I’m not overweight, I have found that, for me, it’s irrelevant. I’m about half a stone heavier than I was two years ago, yet my HBA1C is lower.

Hi, an update.. my daughter has lost some weight, Her clothes are definitely looser. Her diabetes nurse rings regularly to see how she is doing, which has helped considerably. She is very careful of what she's eating, and always asks if unsure. We are both learning together. Btw, we are Brits born and bred. I do appreciate all the comments from you lovely people.

growstuff

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes over 30 years ago. I was told it would inevitably get worse over time and I'd end up taking insulin.

Well, here I am 30 years later and I don't take insulin and my condition hasn't got worse, so I guess I must have been doing something right.

My advice would be to cut the carbs - and not just obviously sugary foods. If she's not veggie, eat meat, fish and veg which grow above ground, restrict fruit, cut out cereals and flour. Eat mainly whole foods.

If your daughter has been diagnosed, she'll probably be sent on a course and have her BP, cholesterol and weight checked. If she's overweight, she'd benefit from gradual weight reduction. She needs to exercise, but it doesn't need to be anything too drastic - just keep moving and do whatever she feels comfortable with. Resist any "quick fix" remedies because she needs to get used to the fact that changes are for life, so she needs to do things she'll stick with.

I have done everything right for 20 years but still had to go on insulin . If you are not producing enough yourself there is no alternative. I have never had a blood test that was anything but very good and was not overweight so you cannot blame yourself if insulin is needed. My GP agreed that I was not overweight or had a bad lifestyle it was all down to genes so no chance of reversing anything. It takes time to get into the mindset of just refusing foods that you should not have but you get used to it . For me it is no big deal .

As a matter of interest, which blood tests were "very good" but you were still required to use insulin?

I don't really understand why insulin was needed and how the GP worked out that it was. How was it known that your pancreas wan't producing insulin?