Hi everyone. My husband (33) was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I am a feeling a broad mix of emotions. We got married this year, I'm a deeply anxious person, and it just made me jump straight to worst case scenarios. So it's been a hard couple of days and I don't think I'm making it an
First, diabetes management is 100% the responsibility of the person.
It is not only about diet.
Yes cgm a good start
Not a dr Imo metformin and insulin are the meds used for diabetes
Lots of great information and resources already shared by other posters…. My approach to managing diabetes was focused on food choices, it was an adjustment but after a few weeks it became easier. I eliminated all sugar, all grains, no rice, breads, cereal, oats, flour, limited nuts. I stopped eating any vegetables grown underground (potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips). I read all nutritional labels on foods and eliminated foods with sugar. Everyday condiments such as ketchup and salad dressings have sugar in them. I ate all meats, fish and fowl, eggs, cheese, full fat milk/cream. Get a glucose meter, test 1st thing when waking up (fasting), test before a meal, test 2 hours after a meal…. this will help identify foods that cause glucose spikes.
His disease, not yours. He will Have to manage it and hopefully you support whatever decisions he makes.
Get a cgm. Use it to build a list of foods that do or do not negatively impact blood sugar. If you want to be on the journey with him, get a cgm for you too. Itll show you how 2 bodies operate differently.
Get started with medication. metformin, imeglimin, jardiance, januiva, semaglutide, whatever. Get medication in place and dialed in. Imeglimin and jardiance are good options.
Drop carbs. Oatmeal, cereal, bread, rice, etc etc etc are not not great for t2. Eat carbs, blood sugar goes up, simple.
Find a good team of doctors. Most of them suck and will give you poor advice and under manage the disease.
Read the Diabetes Code by jason fung. Then become ok with unbrainwashin
We are both avid cooks so i would say we eat 90% of our meals at home/home-cooked. We're strict with meal planning, we rarely eat red meat or fried foods or fast foods, and he doesn't drink alcohol.
Yeah, that's not particularly relevant to diabetes. Diabetes is more about carb management.
Do you use any apps to track your meals or apps that can help identify what foods are low-GI and diabetic-safe/friendly? Thinking about something that can help with packaged things like bread for example. I've been researching and haven't come across an app that catalogs such information.
No. I use GoogleDocs to keep track of my glucose readings, but that's about it.
Until he's got his blood sugar stabilized, and he's got a coherent carb budget going forwards, you can pretty safely assume packaged
Breathe. Assemble his health team through the GP: diabetes dietitian or educator, optometrist, dentist, podiatrist, exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. Try to connect with a diabetes association in your area/country.
Instead of an app to track GI of foods, just go straight to a CGM. Then he can “eat to his meter.” Everyone is so individual about what we react to, it’s the quickest and most efficient way of finding out what foods work or don’t work for any given person. It’s the best tool for both education and accountability.
Yes, there IS such a thing as being too anxious. Yes, diabetes can kill, but it’s a long term death. That means this is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important that he gets it under control, but he has time to do that. It’s ok if he doesn’t get it all sorted out on the first try, if he has to try a few different prescriptions or doses before he gets the one that works best for him, or if there are some days that are hard. The important thing is long-term practices, habits, and t
He can definitely lower his a1c enough to get his diabetes into remission. I was able to lower my a1c from 8.7 to 5.5 with diet and exercise. A low carb Mediterranean diet is a great option.
Get a finger stick glucometer and an otc cgm. Make sure he tests his blood sugar after he wakes up in a fasting state. A cgm could help figure out wich foods he needs to cut from his diet and which ones to keep. He needs to keep his blood sugar levels between 70-180 (ideally <140-160) to prevent any damage to his organs.
First, take a deep breath. This is manageable situation and you have the benefit of making it a team effort!
When I track food, I use Cronometer, ChatGP, and my smartwatch app to sanity-check nutrients of meals. I don't obsess. I stay mindful and verify when needed. I find that mindset matters.
A glucose is a non-negotiable in my book. A CGM was really helpful early on, and I'm a data junky so still enjoy knowing how my body is responding. Insurance will often cover more than folks expect. Also consider checking your blood glucose together so it's not a solo journey.
With regard to meds, easing into Metformin worked for me. I'm on 2000mg/day with no issues. Mounjaro gave me nausea and vomiting. Everyone's results will vary.
One can become overanxious if fear stands int the place of inf
Hi! I do not use an app for tracking purpose but simply use ChatGPT to get the proteins, carbs and log them in a booklet with the BS results. I can determine what spikes my BS and put it on the « no » list.
I also research many keto products because they have many products with low carbs. For eg: Carbonaut bread 2g per slice, Granola, and other items. I find that having these in the house I don’t feel penalized.
Being diabetic is different from one person to another. Some things that may spike me will not spike another person.
The glucometer is an important tool or a CGM, you need to measure either before a meal or 2 hours after but be constant. Do not focus on one result but look at it globally.
Metformin has many side effects mostly in regards to diarrhea