General Chat

SALT WARNING Hardly use it but...... I've now got to talk to a pharmacist. Cant remember which tabs but the notes with one of my box of tabs state"Not to be taken if on a low salt diet"!! Tabs were prescribed after my heart attack

He doesn't really miss the cheese Ronald...he'd miss the bacon more. He doesn't have it often, and when he does it's very lean and grilled...little or no effect, but if I had to ban that *ducks*

People don't realise just how life-threatening diabetes really is. It's one of those invisible conditions that prompt the thought 'if they look ok, there's nothing wrong.'

He's nice and stable now though, pretty level readings all the time, so that's good news.

For AnninGlos. I too suffered a double whammy. Was told one day that having lived for over 5 years after major surgery for cancer in 1997 that I was free of it then the next day being told I was diabetic 2. Life is a battle and I'm still enjoying life. My main complaint that at 71 I can't find anyone willing to have a weekly game of badminton so just have to make do with my weekly gym session which is classed as "Heart Rehab" - had heart attack 2008. Am thinking about starting another weekly gym session tho. Read somewhere that exercise good for cancer sufferers as cancer doesn't like the extra oxygen in the blood

FOR TERESAW You mention nil cheese for hubby - I'm not quite that bad just have one small portion a week but there is a substitute called "miniCol"which I also use, quite nice as 'cheese on toast' but tis expensive. Only place I've found it on sale so far is Sainsburys.

Nice to see someone else who regards diabetes as highly dangerous. People, especially men, do tend to bury their heads in the sand or get all macho and ignore it and then suddenly get a major illness or even death.

carol.
i also had gestational diabetes while carrying my 3rd child,borderline diabetes diagnosed in 2007,i keep to a low fat diet and have never had any problems,i does nothing to spoil my life, ive almost forgotten i have it,but of course with boarder line,you may or may not develop full blown diabetes.x :-D

I was overweight, then over several years lost a lot of weight, thought it was because I had changed to a smaller plate. At age of 57 had a heart attack it was then they said I was diabetic.

Had gestational diabetes with middle child, also had to have second medical for job age 21 as diabetes showed up. They put me on insulin as they said it would help, have been on for 11 yrs. When I was first diagnosed would check sugars after every meal just to see the affect each had, was actually told off by hospital that I was too in control.

Like others have said, have eyes checked each year plus feet. Don't buy diabetic foods. Eat lots of veg, cut out fat, exercise, don't put salt on food, don't have sugar, it is in enough food, and as my doc said a glass of red wine is fine.

And if you can go on Insulin you can be in complete control.

Mine is hereditary, me, father, grandmother who was on insulin back in 1923. and possible my middle daughter who also has gestational diabetes. Just to add nan and dad were both 80 plus when they died.

Carol

she has no need to worry if she keeps to a low fat diet.hope things turn out ok for her.x

thank you TW and Ronald, some very good advice there. I am confident that her diet is very good and not just since she has heard she is diabetic, she does a fair bit of exercise, walking mainly. She is 50. Like I said, has the breast cancer to tackle first, although is on medication for diabetes and watching her diet, diabetes will get the full treatment after breast cancer sorted.
It was definitely a double whammy.

diabetic chocolate bork
it tastes like LIKE LIKE (well it does)

i am diabetic
but i still have chocolate sometimes real chocolate
its all about moderation not depriving yourself

My OH is type 2 diabetic, his is a long story. He was first diagnosed at 36 as diabetes being the cause of his heart attack. He'd just finished a charity bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End, having passed a full medical previous, but two days later was suffering pain in his chest which didn't go away.

So he'd been diabetic without knowing it for quite some time, causing damage to the nerve endings, and cardio-vascular disease.

He's now 54, and has just had his second amputation operation. In September he had an angioplasty, in an attempt to free up the circulation to his left foot, which was so poor they couldn't actually find a pulse. The stents failed almost immediately, and three weeks later was admitted again with gangrene in his foot. His leg was amputated to below the knee, and when well enough came home after a couple of weeks. The scar became infected but stuffing him full of antibiotics and iodine dressings saw it off, but then the stitches gave way and the wound opened right up. So three weeks ago, the leg was amputated further up, half way up the thigh. Thankfully it's healing and now it's just an ongoing battle with the council and social services to get the help he needs to be able to live as independently as possible, so he can get into the bathroom and not have to use a commode in the bedroom, a ramp outside so he can get out, etc.

He's also had a stroke caused by the diabetes related cardio vascular problems some years back.

It IS worth checking sugar levels, it helps to know which foods cause spikes in levels, etc etc. For years he wouldn't be tested regularly, but now he at least lets me do it once a day, which usually tells me if there are any foods that are toxic to him. (low fat salad cream, just a smidgen in a boiled egg sandwich will send them through the roof. cheese is a big no-no).

As for special diabetic products...complete waste of time. They are low in sugars, but loaded with other dangerous carbohydrates, and it is the carbs that do the damage. Read the labels on products, they will all say..carbohydrates....xxxg then (of which sugars) ....xxxg.

Diet need to be anything too special. Just a healthy low fat diet, swap butter for low fat spread, cut the sugars, but occasional treats are ok, they won't kill you. While he was in hospital, his levels were normal one day so they allowed him a dessert of blackcurrant and apple crumble and custard. I often make carrot cake, and he will eat a small slice. I don't make victoria sponge as he'll eat far too much of that. A small portion of vanilla ice cream has been known to pass his lips.

It's lifestyle that is key, healthy diet, quit smoking, excercise.

Diabetes is a killer, and type 2 is not worse than type 1 (insulin dependent), just different. Type 2 is often late onset. Ignoring it and not watching what you eat (barring the occasional treat), is the worse thing you can do, it will catch up with you in the end, as my OH will bear testimony to. He buried his head in the sand for so many years, and now he has just one leg, possibly could lose the other eventually, and is at high risk of heart attack or stroke that could end up being fatal. Take heed. Choosing a healthy diet is not the same as being on a fad slimming diet where you deprive yourself of anything remotely fattening. It's a case of eating more of the things you like that happen to be healthy, and much much less of the things you like that aren't, and substituting high-fat high-carb for their lower equivalents. It's about adjustment, not complete change.

Type 2 since 2002. Lasted 8 years on Diet and Exercise. Started tab's last year. Current age 71. Diabetes can be a killer! As my mate found out - and others I knew

Have some cake recipes suitable for diabetics but prob is I can take low sugar ones most women can't! ie I like fruit crumbles. For the crumble mix I use SR Wholemeal Flour, porridge oats, low fat spread and a small amount of granulated sweetener in lieu sugar. Wotever 'fruit' I use - apples, rhubarb, blackberries etc I do NOT add any sugar to said fruit. Women I know just screw their faces up when tasting it and reach for the sugar bowl. 19 year old g'son (not diabetic) just asks for more crumble!

Low fat diet - most certainly as most fats can turn to sugar! My low fat diet incls full skimmed milk. Out - pastry, crisps, fry ups, takeaways - chinese high in fats, jams, beware some tinned/boxed soups - can be very high in sugar. Bread - advised to use wholemeal. Cereals some very high sugar. I stick with one weetabix for breakfast followed by 2 rounds wholemeal toast. NB Breakfast is a must for diabetics. If have to have choccy then advised to use dark stuff withat least 70% cocoa solids but even then only a small amount in any one day

Balancing sugar levels - have to or else in trouble. ie I am advised by my diabetes nurse to eat a biscuit halfway thro my gym session as exercise lowers blood sugars as well as BP. But, come wot may I have to have mid morning/afternoon snack ie a single biscuit is OK with a cuppa.

Meals I have to eat at more or less same time every day. I can just manage to go one hour past my usual meal time but then start heading for a hypo

Her GP should be able to refer daughter to dietitian. I can arrange to see a dietitian anytime

She should be having 2 eye tests a year. One where drops administered and then back of eyes foto'd - my local hospital does that one amd a 'normal' eye test at opticians but enhanced for diabetics. VERY important eyes are so checked.

Another 'must' is annual diabetic MoT which must incl a test for feet to see if diabetic retains full feeling in soles of feet. Most people you see with missing feet/legs are usally diabetics!

A diabetic should carry emergency sugar on their person at all times ie chocolate, Dextrose or wotever. I've had to make use of mine on several occasions over the years.

Most car insurers require notification if drivers start with diabetes. Driving Licence people have to be notified in some instances - I'm not uptodate with their current requirements but they know about mine

Hope this info useful. If want cake recipes just place a post on here. I look in on GRU every few days

The best thing to do is get help from nurse at health centre . they will give her does & donts with food & diet .i was told nearly 7 yrs ago was border line type two .still not on meds & just eating sensibly .dont let it take over your life .& dont worry to much .sensible eating & as Julia says, dont buy diabetic food I was told its not worth it & can be expensive .A lot of food contains sugar !! Good luck .its a new way of eating not a diet .Take care Barbra x

Hi Ann,

the Q&A webpage is here

http://www.canderel.co.uk/questions-and-answers

All the best to your daughter for Tuesday, and the coming year - glad to hear that she has a support team looking out for her. My father went onto a specialist heart/diabetes ward last year - not sure if they do the same with oncology?

Edit - apologies, had promised OH would log out by now!

a low fat diet is usually all you need to keep type 2 at bay.plus a tiny bit of what you fancy once in a while.x

Ivy, good question, does the Canderela site have a help section?

Mummo She has been given tablets but it is early days yet and she is rather concentrating on her appointment with the oncologist next Tuesday to see if she need chemo, Radio Therapy or both for the breast cancer, the diabetes has taken a back seat although she is watchinh her diet closely.

Hi Ann, we don't do much baking for the diabetic in our family (parent) but it is a very useful question, since they have recently moved onto insulin and told to gain weight.

The canderel site
http://www.canderel.co.uk/our-range/original/cooking
says "spoon for spoon" but divide the sugar weight in a recipe by ten when baking because canderel is so light - does that mean you replace 4 oz sugar with 0.4 ounce of canderel? And does that result in a similar volume of canderel as you would end up with of sugar? I'm not a regular cook, but I thought that sugar was needed not only for taste but also for structure?

Hi Ann, not sure if your daughter is diet controlled or diet controlled and tablets, if the latter she will get free prescriptions as all diabetics are intitled to them.
( Hope that makes sense, lol )

Actually Chris I don't think he adds salt at all when cooking so i wrote that incorrectly. I never cook with salt, haven't for years and none of us add salt to our food. If I use any at all it is lo salt. Thanks anyway.

Ann - notice your sil probably cooks with a little salt - no need. Have not cooked with salt since Feb 1958 - how do I know? I was diagnosed with toxaemia - dau b. in April. All salt was forbidden and although I got back to salt on my food (not a lot) have never ever cooked with salt since.

Circa 1980 Lo-salt came on market - at that time only place I could buy it was Boots. Again never used any other sort since. Word of warning - friend extols
the virtues of sea salt - a few weeks ago I was able to inform her after reading an article on salt - that there is virtually no difference in sea salt or table salt - just price!!

It was strange that daughter was diagnosed when she was as she has lost quite a bit of weight in the past 6 months. She was overweight but has now reduced it. She does follow a low fat/low card diet so hopefully will be able to control it. She is on medication, but I don't know what.