# Baked (Jacket) Potatoes



## Lairyfairy

Hi, I'm very newly diagnosed T2 (in December) and am still trying to get my head round what is and isn't good for blood sugar reduction.

Am very confused about baked potatoes - should I be eating them or not?  They seem to be very high GI so I suppose they aren't too good as the energy gets used up quickly (?)  I had one the other day and felt a bit sleepy afterwards (I often get like this after eating carbs - is this normal?).  Haven't seen a dietician yet but hope you guys can give me the lowdown in the meantime.  I've been started off on 500mg Metformin once a day with breakfast.

L


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## Steff

Hi welcome to the forum, i used to be confused about potatoes to until i went to X-PERT which is a course for type 2s, apparently the best way if you want potatoes baked is sweet potato i took that advice and ever since i have been ok with jacket potatoes.Before then they would cause my blood sugar to increse and often caused a hyper(high blood sugar).


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## Sheilagh1958

Welcome Ladyfairy.

I can get away with a medium jacket potatoe. Think its just a case of trial and error when you are first diagnosed. There are many foods that I can eat now that my levels are in a better place that would of sent my BG levels high when I was first diagnosed.


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## Northerner

Hi Lairyfairy, welcome to the forum  There has been a recent discussion about potatoes which you may find useful at http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=13907

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have!


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## Lairyfairy

Thank you for the info, guys ... and thanks for the link to the other potato thread Northerner.

I am a real novice at this and as yet haven't had any proper dietary advice (waiting for my invitation to a support group via the doctors to come through) and so am relying on forum advice and avid crash-course reading of books and internet.

Please can you explain something to me about tiredness after meals.  Is it likely that I am tired because of low sugar levels or can you be tired because of high sugar levels too.

I'm pleased to say that my blood pressure has come down from the 150s to the 130s over the last month, so I'm really happy with that.  

Also, with regard to exercising ... as a type 2 should I have carbohydrate in the form of a granary roll, for example, or fruit juice after an hour's fitness class (low-ish level)?  I'm just not sure whether I am feeling tired in the afternoon because of low/high sugar levels (I've been told not to test my sugar at the moment), because I've been eating food after exercising, or whether its just plain boredom watching horseracing on the TV when 'him indoors' is at home !  Thank God for a laptop is what I say (lol)

Sorry about garbled questions - I seem to have so many at the moment ... dohhhhh


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## Steff

Hey great news on the BP drop well done fairy, regarding tiredness generally either highs or lows can make you feel tired, i find if im high which is alot lately i am very lathargic ive never suffered a hypo so cant really say im up with those symptoms...


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## Northerner

It's more likely that you will be feeling tired because of higher levels after eating, but I'm afraid the only way you are really going to know is if you obtain a meter and do some testing. It is possible to have a low BG level after exercise, but it is unlikely (but not impossible!) that you would need some fast acting sugar like fruit juice, so the granary roll would probably be a better bet.

You should be able to get a free meter using this link, with 10 strips to start you off: http://www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/free-meter-signup

Great news about the BP - wish mine would drop like that!


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## Lairyfairy

Northerner said:


> It's more likely that you will be feeling tired because of higher levels after eating, but I'm afraid the only way you are really going to know is if you obtain a meter and do some testing. It is possible to have a low BG level after exercise, but it is unlikely (but not impossible!) that you would need some fast acting sugar like fruit juice, so the granary roll would probably be a better bet.
> 
> You should be able to get a free meter using this link, with 10 strips to start you off: http://www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/free-meter-signup
> 
> Great news about the BP - wish mine would drop like that!



Thanks for the link Northerner - I'm applying now.


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## Northerner

I've got the Optium Xceed which I quite like, but I think other people have had good things to say about the others too  I think the Xceed is the larger one of the ones on offer.


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## Steff

Northerner said:


> I've got the Optium Xceed which I quite like, but I think other people have had good things to say about the others too  I think the Xceed is the larger one of the ones on offer.



Sorry to go off topic, did you ever get your abbotts meter alan i remember we applied at the same time and mine came within the week


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## macast

hi Lairyfairy..... welcome to the forum.... I've also got the free Optium Xceed which I only ordered this week and it arrived today!  it seems easy to use... but then I haven't used any others lol


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## Northerner

Steffie said:


> Sorry to go off topic, did you ever get your abbotts meter alan i remember we applied at the same time and mine came within the week



Yes I did Steffie. I've got two now because my DSN sent me one too!


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