At risk type 2 diabetes

There is a list of food under the heading ‘preventing type 2 diabetes healthy eating’.
Less or no sugar, higher fibre carbohydrates - avoid white carbohydrates, less red and processed meat, lots of vegetables and fruit low in sugar, sensible alcohol consumption, healthier snacks.
The detail is there

When DH was diagnosed as being pre diabetic, I bought a recipe book by Anthony Worral Thompson. Plenty of good advice and tasty recipes.

Thankyou

You need to look for Low Glycemic Index foods.

If you have rice, smaller portion of al dente basmati rice.
Pasta, small portion, al dente, rinsed in cold water after cooking and re-heated. Potatoes, new potaoes, not large baked. The key is to avoid starch, which quickl turns into sugar when eaten.

I am newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The meal plan I have now is much simpler than the one I was given when I had gestational diabetes years ago. It is:

First, meals go on a salad plate, not a dinner plate.

1/2 of the plate should be non-starchy vegetables.
1/4 protein
1/4 carbohydrates.

Then, of course, choose high quality options within each category.

For example, fresh or frozen vegetables are best and limit butter and salt

Low fat protein

Brown rice over white, whole wheat bread or noodles over white. Potato with skin on is better than without. Limited butter and salt

I try to do the same with snacks, though I don't always handle it perfectly. Just smaller portions of the meal combo above.

Really helpful
Thanks so much
Junie

Diabetes UK is a great web-site full of info, menus and meal plans. It has made a big diffrence to me... I am no longer pre-diabetic.

I do think it's a good idea to buy a blood sugar monitor and see how your body reacts to different foods.
The code free ones are good and not too dear.
You used to be able to have a months free trial of Libre which you wear on your arm and reads on your phone.
That way one can see what a difference a bad of chocolate makes!
But also how a walk round the block can bring it down.

Thanks so much to you all
Junie

Hi keepingquiet
Do you have a blog or any other helpful tips please.
Many thanks
Junie

No I don't have a blog. I have been following the mediterranean meal plans on the Diabetes UK web-site.

It promotes eating plenty of oily fish which I now have about five times a week, otherwise chicken.
Plenty of fresh fruit and veg- some eggs but not a lot of dairy except plain natural yoghurt.

Lots of olive oil, salads etc cut down on bread.

Treats are the odd glass of wine, dark chocolate. I like the Kallo brand veggie cakes, especially beetroot.

I drink herbal teas, one coffee per day.

This is a rough guide and I adapt it all the time so it isn't too rigid.

I have lost almost a stone in weight and a few inches from my waist. It has made a huge difference to me.

JUNIE1

When I was informed by the GP that I was PRE diabetic some years ago I bought a blood glucose meter to test against the food I was eating.
I kept a daily diary listed the food at each meal time that I had eaten and wrote down the result after testing. Don't forget to test drinks also.
I did this for months and although I don't use the diary now I absolutely know what food to avoid.
You have to remember that there may be food that you need to avoid that others can eat, so just take note of what YOUR body is telling you.
I am no longer pre diabetic because I rarely eat the food my testing told me to avoid.
Best of luck

I was diagnosed with type 2 last December. I have mostly cut out bread and cake and reduced carbs. I have lost a stone in weight. I take 2 Metformin tablets morning and evening.
Tomorrow I am booked on a ‘DESMOND’ course and hope to learn more and have lots of questions to ask. I will let you know how I get on.

Don't drink fruit juice as the process turns the fructose in fruit to glucose. When you eat food, your saliva sends messages to your brain which then sends messages to your pancreas to start producing insulin and then it can usually deal with fruit being turned into glucose through the chewing process but, if you drink fruit juices, you are just drinking glucose and it's basically the same as sweets etc. If you need to drink cranberry juice to combat cystitis, which diabetics can be prone to, use the no added sugar version. Lidl, Sainsbury and Tesco do their own brand no added sugar cranberry juice. Also beware of dried fruits because drying fruit turns the fructose into higher glucose levels within the fruit, dates are the exception, though. Three dates a day are actually good for you.

Hi keepingquiet
Thanks so much that’s really helpful,
What do you use in place of butter.
Many thanks
Junie

Thankyou all its helping me a lot
Junie

All carbs are turned into glucose. The trick is to try and include those which have additional nutrients, such as fibre. That's why whole fruits are better than juices. Berries are the best fruits for diabetics, but they still contain carbs.

Most pre-diabetics have insulin resistance, which means that the cells in your muscles, etc don't respond well to insulin, so the pancreas makes more glucose to help glucose enter the cells. Unfortunately, a lot of that glucose gets left in the blood stream and damages just about every organ of the body.

Exercise and losing weight can help reduce insulin resistance.

There's a book you can buy: shop.diabetes.org.uk/products/carbs-cals

It lists nutrients for many common foods, including carbs and calories. I'm T2 diabetic and have been for years. I keep my total carbs to less than 100g (some people go lower, but I can't stick to that).

Be aware that some low carb foods like saturated fat, cheese and red meat aren't very good for the heart, so the best sources of protein (if you're not veggie) are oily fish, chicken and eggs.

Low carb all the way. Be very careful with fruit and veg. Berries are ok. No root veg grown underground, except celeriac. You can buy some decent low carb bread and sub cauliflower or celeriac for potatoes. Konjac noodles/rice are useful. Diet Doctor website is good for recipes. Coconut and almond flor are staples. Meat is good - some T2Ds go full on carnivore. Use cream instead of flour and milk to make sauces. I find a spoonful of cream after a meal helps lower blood sugars. Don’t eat low fat foods. Buy a blood sugar monitor. Diabetes.co.uk is a great forum.

I bought a cheap electric scales when I was diagnosed (£10-£15) to weigh my food. It really helped me know how many grams of carbs were in foods as without it I often underestimated portion sizes. Once I got to know the look of a small/normal portion size of a plate I stopped using the scales after a couple of weeks. I still check every now and then.

Ask any questions you want.

The ‘Desmond’ course yesterday was very informative. I came away with a lot of knowledge and feeling much more confident about how to deal with T2.
I think there is also a course for pre diabetes.
I also have a book called Carb and Calorie Counter from Diabetes Uk which is easy to use.

Hello Ladies
I have always declined to take Statins, because of the well-known side effect of Muscle problems.
However, I was slightly bullied by a new GP, who insisted that I needed to change my viewpoint, if I wanted to avoid a serious Cardiovascular event.
I agreed, and now have a script for Atorvastatin 10mgs.
I am wondering if anyone on this site has any experience of this drug. and can let me know their view of it .
Kind regards
Thank you
Agnieszka. x
PS My total Cholesterol is always around 7
BP is always around 170 over 90
Lost my Mother and younger sister at 63 years old with Stroke.

You might be better to start a new thread Agnieszka about your medication. This thread is about T2diabetes and comments/suggestions on that subject.

Hi Ginny
Sounds Interesting, I will see if I can go on it.
Thanks so much
Junie