Hi Barbadosgal.
Learning you have diabetes can seem devastating at first, but it can be controlled and you will feel better. There's a lot to learn...coming to DF can really help.
Your food adjustments need not make you feel deprived...you can eat tons of fresh veggies (greens, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes, snap beans, spinach, and on and on), berries are great, and you can still eat small quanities of whole grains. Try to avoid things like pasta and potatoes. You can still eat protein, nuts and seeds, cheese - you can make the changes a culinary adventure! I thinks I'm a much more adventurous cook as a result of trying to put together great meals without things like rice or pasta. Try to find low carbohydrate versions of whole grain bread. Get a book on low carb, low glycemic index cooking. Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller has a number of them in publication.
There are many books available that will help you understand when to test and what to do with the informataion you glean from the testing. Several participants here have recommended "Your First Year With Diabetes" for Type 2's. FYI, testing prior to your meal, then 2 hours after your first bite will start to give you a good picture of how you react to the carbohydrate in the meal. If your BG rises more than about 40 points, you'll need to adjust the portion size of the carb you just ate, or eliminate it from your diet.
FYI, you
can have a biscuit or a
small slice of garlic bread now and then. You just need to account for it in your meal plan. Figure out a couple of foods that you absolutely can't live without, then plan to include them sometime during your day. I do this by using Calorie King software (available for download from their website). You will learn to reduce the quantities of these foods, but enjoying small bits of them will help you adjust to your new normal.
Well, I've gone on and on so I'll sign off now. Just know that you are not alone, and that you'll adjust to all this. EGBOK
Jen
