Diabetes Community

Welcome to the forums. Your blood sugar measurements are in mmol/l and not the mg/dl that is commonly used in the States. For those not familiar with mmol measurements, they are used practically worldwide except in the U.S.A. On the low range, your 5.5 mmol/l is equivalent to 98-99 mg/dl and on the high side, 7.5 mmol/l is equivalent to 134-135 mg/dl. Those values are considered acceptable by most medical practitioners but are still too high (in my own personal book) to avoid many long term complications. An excellent article that addresses the issue of Healthy Blood Sugar Targets can be found on the BloodSugar101 website by Jenny Ruhl. Although your health care providers may help determine blood sugar targets for you, those diabetics who do their own research may set individual targets that are lower than those recommended based upon individual needs (e.g., if they already have some existing complications that might be reversible with lower blood sugar targets).

Your food choices are fairly healthy for most members in these forums but some things that could produce even better blood glucose results would be further lowering of the carb content in your meal plan. For example, the ingredients in your morning porridge may contain grains and/or rice that might be better omitted to reduce the carb content. The milk in your coffees contains lactose, a disaccharide (consists of glucose bonded to galactose). When digested, it will increase your blood sugar levels just as much as glucose does but just not as rapidly (the digestive/absorption process for lactose is slower than glucose). Almonds are a very good choice for nuts but watch the portion sizes. Cashews are tasty but have a higher carb content than most other nuts so take that (as well as portion size) into consideration. Avoid ham and other cured meats that have been processed with sugar, honey or molasses. Also, avoid the use of sugar substitutes that contain sugar alcohols. Many of the things that I have mentioned, when taken individually, only have a relatively small impact on some diabetics. However, the incremental impact on blood sugar levels is a cumulative one and can add up in a hurry. It is therefore worthwhile to pay attention to details in order to achieve an overall improvement in blood sugar control. Good luck.

thankyou very much, im finding it hard to know what to eat as it seems theres not much i can eat? what are easy meals and does diabetes 2 cause headaches and blurry vision as my vision goes blurry every now and then and im not sure if i need glasses or have to wait till i get my sugars better under control? and im anemic right now as well, completly out of balance. what are some normal diet meals and snacks to eat?

One of the keys to good blood glucose control is to restrict the ingestion of foods that will cause blood sugars to rise. For most of us, that means eating foods that are relatively low in carbohydrates. I normally try to limit my own carb intake to 15 grams or less per meal. Others can get away with larger amounts but the key to success is to set your target or goal so that your post meal blood glucose levels don't rise more than 40 points above your pre-meal level. Studies have confirmed that serious damage to cellular proteins start to occur at levels that remain at or above 7.8.mmol/l (140 mg/dl) for any sustained period of time. The destruction of beta cells also accelerates at this level and explains why diabetes is a progressive disease for those who fail to successfully lower blood glucose levels below 7.8 mmol/l. For the majority of diabetics, the avoidance of starchy foods is a priority (breads, pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, etc.). Diabetics who have adopted a paleo-style eating plan have been more successful in keeping their blood sugars under control than those who eat SAD (Standard American Diet) meals. However, planning your meals around any low-carb regimen should provide you with reasonably good control. Here are some websites that host low-carb recipes that might provide you with some good ideas for planning your own meals:
FoodNetwork Low Carb Recipes web page
AllRecipes.com Low-Carb Recipes
Lowcarb-recipes.net web page
Food.com Low Carb Recipes

Also, try to avoid beverages that contain carbs and sweetening agents (even the diet variety) as they will not only add empty calories to your daily intake but are likely to impact your blood glucose levels as well.

Easy meal, my simplest is a large bowl of mixed frozen vegetables, and a piece of grilled chicken or fish. I use frozen stir fry vegetables in the microwave, dab a little ranch dressing on them, slice the chicken and have that over top. That is often a lunch. If I am eating out, I usually opt for a salad with chicken, fish or even a chef salad. There is a lot out there to eat, and more help if you look into the glycemic index for foods.

Here's another alternative: Cooking Healthy (246 pages; by Catherine Shaffer). This ebook is free (today only) and provides grain-free recipes for Diabetics, those with Gluten Intolerance, and proponents of the Paleo style of eating. You will either need to own an Amazon Kindle eReader or just download one of their free Kindle reading apps in order to view this ebook. You will also have to have (or set up) an Amazon account. However, there is zero cost to download this book but the free offer may only be good for today only (U.S.A. time).

Here's a brief description: The Cooking Healthy book details three diet plans, the Paleo Diet, Diabetic Recipes, and the Gluten Free diet. These two diets are a great means to help lose weight and become healthier while dealing with certain health conditions. They also help people with detrimental health conditions like diabetes, gluten intolerance, and gluten allergies. Diet and nutrition are excellent means of treating these conditions and often help to alleviate the ill symptoms completely caused by these health concerns. The Paleo Diet section covers recipes just for the Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet is the diet our ancestors ate back during the Stone Age. Historical research shows these people were healthy and lived long lives. They did...

If you do not own a Kindle/Kindle Fire eReader, just download one of Amazon's free Kindle Reading Apps by clicking on the link provided. I haven't had an opportunity to review the book but a cursory glance indicates it has promise. You also can't beat the price: 100% free. However, like other Amazon ebook freebies, the offer can be withdrawn at any time so act promptly if you would like a zero cost copy.

thankyou for that i seem to do the same salad or vegies with fish or chicken, snacks some nuts, or protein bar or roasted chickpeas, drinks are the hardest i hate plain water, what do you use for sugar alternative?

thankyou sooo much i will do that. again thnks for all you help.

I don't use any sugar substitutes except for stevia, and I use this very sparingly. I have found that if I am going with out the sweets, I don't expect them. As for water, it is the best for your health, and if you are staying away from other sweets even lemon will taste a little sweet in water. However, I have often crushed a strawberry, an orange section, or whatever light fresh fruit or vegetable I have in the bottom of a glass, add ice and water. Spas anymore have containers of cucumber water or other for hydration, taste great, no added sugars!

A man found out he was a diabetic.This man started a raw vegetable diet after finding out he had diabetes. He makes 6 meals a day and does not have this condition any longer.
No Bread, Rice, Sugar, Fruit, Cheese.
Look at the information on the back of all the packages and see if there is Sugar or carbohydrates. If there is then do not purchase them. You need to also look up :
Fig leaf extract, Cinnamon oil and Flax seed.
There are remarkable properties that can remove and control the insulin in your body.
Good Luck
PS: Important to drink 64 ounces of water every day