At my six month post heart attack and stent check up I was shocked to be told my blood sugar level has risen to almost needing advice on diet.
Prior to heart attack my diet was pretty much clean maybe 20 units alcohol a week, no sweets or snacks, little fat or red meat. Post HA I was proud of my uncooked chopped salad and vegetable meals, bowls of chopped mixed fruit and maybe 5 units alcohol a week. I am a fit 65 year old, I work out throughout each week, but now struggle to initially find advice on this latest twist to my dietary needs. I have one or two portions of red meat a week and now seem to be advised to also eat less root vegetables and fresh fruit.
What can I eat? My search continues!
SteveyK
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SteveyK
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Look at the Type II diet on the Diabetes UK website for guidelines. You will also find numerous books on the subject in Smith's or on Amazon. Don't beat yourself up about it if you are following the guidelines and you ultimately need something like Metformin as like cholesterol levels it is outside your control without medication.
Are you taking Statins? According to my Consultant there is a risk of Type 11 Diabetes in a slight number of patients taking Statins.
I would be dropping the red meat and alcohol before the fruit & veg.
I eat sugar free, pescatarian (try to be vegan but adore cheese and fish) since my heart attack and have seen my fasting blood sugar drop from 5.7 to 4.8
Thank you, one of the many side effects of statins maybe? My diet seems to follow the Diabetes.uk guidance. Have decided to cut volume of carbs and the more sugary fruit. So much, for an apple a day!
It's very wrong for people to judge by their own standards, but sadly there appears to be a lot of it about. I hope you find a solution to your current dilemma
I have cut alcohol virtually out in lead up to surgery. Before I had 2 - 3 units maybe five days a week and cardiologist had no issue with it. In his view the problem people are those who binge drink, particularly at weekends, and don't admit it as can cause issues getting meds right. As I have got older I have found junk food ever less appealing.
If you can run to it you could buy your own blood glucose meter and check pre and two hours after meals. Porridge can be a good start to the day as it is absorbed slowly and reduces absorption of fats.
Hi Steve, welcome and great news you are on the road to recovery and are doing all the right things. I am 11 weeks post bypass op and had elevated blood sugar levels in hospital which was a huge shock and they even gave me insulin. My levels were fine in January when the were previously checked. I did wonder, as someone has already said, if any medication has caused this change. I am having full bloods done mid June so will see then. I would speak to your GP initially and see if there is anything other than diet that has possibly caused this. Best of luck J
Hi Stevey, I empathise with your frustration, eating according to the mainstream best guidance and finding a key parameter rising to concerning levels. I'll refrain from providing my own suggestions as I think you hit on a possibly key factor - you are cutting your carbs including the amount/type of fruits. Maybe best to see the effect of that first, as it could well push you the right way (some fruits are better than others...). I think you are on the right track. Good luck with working your way through the myriad of apparently contradictory "good advice" out there.
I can see you've already had a great response from the community here which is good to see.
We've got lots of information on the BHF website about healthy eating, including recipes, but Diabetes UK will be able to offer more advice focussing on reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and eating well. They also have a helpline you can contact if you can't find the answers to your questions online:
Asking your GP to refer you to see a registered dietitian is also a good idea - they will be able to go through your diet in more detail and then give you some tailored advice if there are some additional changes that might help, or reassure you if you are already doing all you can. Jimmyq's tip was a good one, taking a three day diary with as much detail as possible (type of food, quantities, how it was cooked) will be a really helpful start to the consultation and this, plus preparing your questions ahead, will help you to get the most out of your appointment.
Hi there SteveyK..do hope you've managed to chat with your Dr and seen a dietician.. we're all unique in how we respond to healing and how our food programme works for us..by the sounds of it you are/were eating healthily and it must have been a bit of a shock to be told otherwise.. try not to beat yourself up over it.. keep positive.
Thank you for the thoughts. Am trying to stay away from doctors as too many appointments in the last six months. Presently examining portion size of carbs and GI index of my foods. If that ends in tears I will give up!
Do check out the very clear info on nutritionfacts.org. by the author of the New York Times bestseller How Not To Die - Michael Gregor.
Also Dr Neal Barnard has a TedX talk on youtube called "a bold new dietary approach".
Animal protein from all sources including dairy causes a situation in the body called insulin resistance. The good news is that this can be reversed though.
I would not personally take advice from nhs dietitians for optimum health. Their advice is outdated ie they still advocate animal and dairy protein! These are both inflammatory and directly contribute to endothelial dysfunction/heart disease. Research whole food plant based diets, best thing you will ever do.
Sounds as though your doing pretty good. Iv got type 2 diabetes and find I can only tolerate minimal carbohydrates or weight piles on. It has taken me years to work out what I can eat regularly with ought weight gain.in your case it could just be age related or hereditary. I'd maybe watch your fruit intake as it's high in sugar. I you that sounds silly as it's supposed to be healthy but it's just a case of moderation. Good luck in your quest shiona
Root veg and fruit have a bit of carbs, best to cut down carbs to 50gramms a day to help your sugar level. You can. Eat loads other veg and some fruit say 2 pieces a day
Just posting to sympathise with you SteveyK! The whole diet thing seems to be a total minefield with various camps with their different approaches and folk like you and me struggling to make sense of it all. What I'm trying to do is go for balance and focus on non-processed. So if a bit of rice wholegrain not white.
I am borderline Type 2. Been a lacto vegetarian for over 25 years, I was shocked when I got my results so did some research myself. Found out that the statin I was on (Rosuvastatin) increases blood sugar levels by up to 25%. Needless to say I have stopped taking. Will see what Cardiologist says at my appointment in November.
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