# New member Alvin



## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 2, 2017)

I am 67 and retired. I have had diabetes for four years and I take metformin.


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## Kaylz (Mar 2, 2017)

Welcome Alvin  x


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Mar 2, 2017)

Hello and welcome


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## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 2, 2017)

I have lots of questions,re food what you should and shouldn't,which fruit.which bread. How do I obtain a meter to check my blood.
Thank you for your reply.


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## Northerner (Mar 2, 2017)

Alvin Nightingale said:


> I have lots of questions,re food what you should and shouldn't,which fruit.which bread. How do I obtain a meter to check my blood.
> Thank you for your reply.


Hi Alvin, welcome to the forum  Some people are able to get a meter and prescription for test strips from their nurse or GP, so that would be the first place to try. Unfortunately, a lot of them don't see the value of testing unless you are on certain types of medication, like insulin, and think they will save money by not prescribing. If that happens, then it's still worth funding your own for while, whilst you discover how well (or otherwise) you tolerate your various food choices. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how to use test strips efficiently and effectively to tailor your diet to things your body can handle well 

In terms of bread, a forum 'favourite' is Burgen Soya and Linseed, which is lower carb than most other types of bread, due to some of the flour being soya flour, plus the seeds help it to release energy slowly and steadily - also Lidl high protein rolls, which are low carb and very filling. I'd recommend looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet for some good ideas of an
approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels - The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction 

Any more questions, ask away!


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## CraigLucywebb (Mar 2, 2017)

Heyyyyyy Alvin how are you getting on. Im new too and this forum is awesome. I was told today i can eat almost anything within reason as long as novorapid is taken.


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## grovesy (Mar 2, 2017)

WElcome.


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## Kaylz (Mar 2, 2017)

CraigLucywebb said:


> Heyyyyyy Alvin how are you getting on. Im new too and this forum is awesome. I was told today i can eat almost anything within reason as long as novorapid is taken.


That's maybe fine for us Type 1's who take insulin but as Alvin is Type 2 and on tablets it's not possible for him x


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## Kaylz (Mar 2, 2017)

Alvin Nightingale said:


> I have lots of questions,re food what you should and shouldn't,which fruit.which bread. How do I obtain a meter to check my blood.
> Thank you for your reply.


Feel free to post any questions you like, we are all a friendly bunch and will try to help as much as we can  x


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## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 2, 2017)

Thank Northern that's fantastic,and to everybody else for the advice.
I have a friend that has a Nexus Gluco/Rex machine that I can have the use of but no stripes would that be ok.
The doctor said that to many grapes are bad? What about pink grapefruit?
The tape of bread you surjest do have to shop round for it.


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## Ditto (Mar 3, 2017)

Hello Alvin. 

What have you been doing for four years? Have you been in denial like me? I was in denial a year but you beat me.


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## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 3, 2017)

D I have been trying without making to much progress.


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## Ditto (Mar 3, 2017)

Alvin Nightingale said:


> D I have been trying without making to much progress.


Well it's very hard. Just keep going. I've found this forum to be a fount of information. I only started taking D seriously when I joined here!


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## Mark Parrott (Mar 3, 2017)

Hi Alvin. Burgen bread is available in most supermarkets, though some people on here are finding it harder to get.  Grapes are little sugar bombs & should be approached with care.  I don't know about pink grapefruit.  Generally, tropical fruit is high is sugar & can spike very quickly.  Best thing is get a meter & test.  We are all different with the foods we can & can't tolerate.


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## Northerner (Mar 3, 2017)

Alvin Nightingale said:


> Thank Northern that's fantastic,and to everybody else for the advice.
> I have a friend that has a Nexus Gluco/Rex machine that I can have the use of but no stripes would that be ok.
> The doctor said that to many grapes are bad? What about pink grapefruit?
> The tape of bread you surjest do have to shop round for it.


Hi Alvin, what you might find with the Nexus meter is that it's fine to use, but it is the test strips that are the main expense, so that's why we recommend the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 - you might pay at least twice as much for the Nexus strips.

As mentioned, grapes tend to raise your levels very quickly, so any more than a couple is usually not a good idea - but who could stop at just two grapes?  If you want fruit then berries are usually a much better option  As for grapefruit, you would need to check with your doctor as some medications say you shouldn't have grapefruit whilst you are taking them (statins are one example, if you are on them).

I get my Burgen bread from Sainsbury's, but it should be available in most big supermarkets. The Lidl high protein rolls are only available in Lidl, although I think Warburtons also do a high protein bread which you might be able to get elsewhere 

Keep asking questions, and let us know how you get on!


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## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 3, 2017)

Northern thank you again for the info.
What advice can drugs the doctor has put my Atorvastatin up from 10mg to 40mg???????

What about butter.


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## Wirrallass (Mar 4, 2017)

Alvin Nightingale said:


> D I have been trying without making to much progress.


Welcome to the forum Alvin. Well I reckon you'll begin to make progress from now on, there are plenty of friendly kind folks here that are willing to help you do just that. Ask as many questions as you wish & as often as you want. If one of us can't give you an answer then someone else will come along to help you out. Good luck & take care

DX Type2 April 2016
Metformin withdrawn 
Diet & exercise only


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## Ralph-YK (Mar 5, 2017)

Welcome from a fellow T2 who's two years in.


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## Alvin Nightingale (Mar 5, 2017)

How often should you test your blood? I did my blood first thing this morning and it was 10.5 which is too high that was fasting. What about butter I use Flora Original.


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## Wirrallass (Mar 5, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> Hi Alvin. Burgen bread is available in most supermarkets, though some people on here are finding it harder to get.  Grapes are little sugar bombs & should be approached with care.  I don't know about pink grapefruit.  Generally, tropical fruit is high is sugar & can spike very quickly.  Best thing is get a meter & test.  We are all different with the foods we can & can't tolerate.


@Mark Parrott I can't eat grapefruit of any description because I take high blood pressure tablets.


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## Mark Parrott (Mar 5, 2017)

wirralass said:


> @Mark Parrott I can't eat grapefruit of any description because I take high blood pressure tablets.


Quite a few meds are affected by grapefruit apparently.


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## Northerner (Mar 5, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> Quite a few meds are affected by grapefruit apparently.


It's because the particular enzymes in grapefruit can cause the effects of some medications to have a much stronger effect than the dosage is intended to provide, which is potentially dangerous.

I always make sure I read the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) with any new meds I am given


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## Wirrallass (Mar 5, 2017)

Northerner said:


> It's because the particular enzymes in grapefruit can cause the effects of some medications to have a much stronger effect than the dosage is intended to provide, which is potentially dangerous.
> 
> I always make sure I read the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) with any new meds I am given


Thank you Northerner, that's interesting........and I do too.....but of late I find I'm reading the Patients information leaflet more often now in case there should be any updates on my current meds.


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## Wirrallass (Mar 5, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> Hi Alvin. Burgen bread is available in most supermarkets, though some people on here are finding it harder to get.  Grapes are little sugar bombs & should be approached with care.  I don't know about pink grapefruit.  Generally, tropical fruit is high is sugar & can spike very quickly.  Best thing is get a meter & test.  We are all different with the foods we can & can't tolerate.


I think you should be paid for advertising Bergen Bread.........or are you already??!!!


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## Mark Parrott (Mar 5, 2017)

wirralass said:


> I think you should be paid for advertising Bergen Bread.........or are you already??!!!


I get a pound everytime I mention Burgen.


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## Wirrallass (Mar 5, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> I get a pound everytime I mention Burgen.


@mark. A pound of what? Flour soya & linseed to make your own?!!! Edited!


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## Nomad (Mar 5, 2017)

Hi Alvin and welcome to the forum.


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## Ralph-YK (Mar 5, 2017)

I've been on high blood pressure tablets since 2011. Don't remember about grapefruit.  Ugh


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## Wirrallass (Mar 5, 2017)

Ralph-YK said:


> I've been on high blood pressure tablets since 2011. Don't remember about grapefruit.  Ugh


Hi Ralph-YK. My GP informed me about grapefruit v hypertension drugs about the same time that you started taking them.

See @Northerner earlier today, above.

Also you may find the below links helpful - tho I would suggest that you speak with your GP or Pharmacist if you're concerned:-

_webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/grapefruit

EDITED: and:-

nps.org.au/publications/consumer/medicinewise-living/2012/mixing-grapefruit-with-medicines
_
Good luck Ralph & take care.
_
Dx Type2 April 2016
Metformin withdrawn 
Diet and exercise only _


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## Ralph-YK (Mar 6, 2017)

Thames Wirral lass


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## trophywench (Mar 6, 2017)

It's not ALL hypertension drugs according to Web MD - only "Calcium channel blockers (blood pressure drugs): nitrendipine, felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)"


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