Any type 2 diabetics out there?

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

I'm newly diagnosed and was wondering if anyone could post a weekly meal plan? I love meal plans but mine have had to go out of the window.

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Ah CES thanks for calling me pretty young you have made my day. I am bloody determined. This is not going to ruin my life thats for damn sure.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Stairs are great exercise and presumably you're on your feet teaching as well. Good news is that a relatively small weight-loss can have a positive effect on blood-sugars, BP etc. Even half a stone can make a big impact - so think of it that way and it's less daunting. As you're pretty young & sound determined I think the prognosis is good. :)

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

I'm very overweight - about 4st that's why I'm starting slow.

I will be doing more at work now too as we are moving into a new building and I teach in 3 different classrooms - one on the 3rd floor, the other 2 on the ground floor and office on the 2nd floor so lots of stairs for me to do during the day which should help.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

That's a really good way to approach it. You'll be quite surprised at how quickly your fitness levels improve if you do it regularly. Anything you can do the rest of the day to build in more activity will also help. Do you mind me asking, are you overweight at the moment?

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Thanks again CES. I plan to start walking each evening once DD is in bed. I'll have to start slowly because I'm very unfit but I'm going to aim for 15 mins a day for a week and then build up to 20 then just keep adding 5 mins on until I can manage an hour a day.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Your diabetic team will also recommend getting to a healthy weight (if you're not already) and taking some daily exercise as well as improving your diet. For the exercise, a good method is to invest in a cheap pedometer and aim to get up to 10,000 steps a day. Buy building extra movement into your regular day (taking stairs instead of lifts, using the car less, going for a walk in the evening etc.) it becomes more of a habit than suddenly taking up something more physical. Good luck.. I'm sure you'll do well if you take all the advice on board. :)

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Thanks fluffy. I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Thanks for those pointers. I intend to stick close to the guidelines. I don't want any complications. I'm only 37 so need to minimise the damage.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'm a podiatrist, we work with diabetes A LOT.

Here's mistakes my patients have made;

orange juice, high in sugar.
Vitamin c tablets, some are made with sugar (sucrose)
a whole bottle of wine every night
diabetic chocolate
no added sugar jam, still sugary as fruit is sugar.
Meals high in high glyceamic food such as cheese pie.

My dh is type 2 and I give him lactofree milk, it has roughly half the sugar of normal milk.

He has good sugar controll but he is carefull unlike some of my patients who hoof the food and then wonder why their HbA1C is too high.

Make sure you understand HbA1C readings.

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Thanks CES I'm going for my appointment tomorrow so will get more info then.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Your diabetic team at your surgery should be giving you some pointers. The main things to remember are

• Eat little and often. Light meals and small snacks evenly spaced better than heavy meals or skipped meals. Always make time for a light breakfast
  
• Choose natural, high-fibre & wholefoods over heavily processed or starchy foods as these take longer to digest, and raise blood sugars more slowly, putting less strain on your body to produce insulin
  
• Avoid sugary foods, including alcohol. On nutrition panels, any food with more than 20g sugar per 100g is a 'high sugar food'. Also be wary of any ingredients including 'honey', 'corn syrup', 'cane sugar' or ending in 'ose'... lactose, dextrose, fructose, sucrose... as they are all types of sugar.
  
• Aim to have some protein (vegetable or animal) and fat at each meal/snack
  
• If you eat a sweet food, do so as part of a meal rather than a standalone snack. This puts less strain on your body
  

A typical daily menu then

Breakfast - a wholegrain cereal or porridge oats with a little milk and a glass of natural orange juice. Or some scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast

Snack - some unsalted almonds

Lunch - A wholemeal sandwich with a savoury filling, or some chunky lentil/vegetable soup with a wholemeal roll, or a salad with a few new potatoes or a bean salad on the side

Snack - A plain yoghurt with some chopped fruit

Supper - Some low sugar/salt baked beans and a small jacket potato. or Some grilled fish/chicken with brown rice and steamed vegetables. or Some wholemeal pasta with a tomato/meat/bean sauce or Spanish omelette (frittata) made with new potatoes and spinach. Follow with a little cooked fruit and fromage frais

Late snack - Some hummus with raw vegetable crudites