Baking tip for the forum cooks/chef's

[Uncle Al]

(Actually, these are the 'rings' that hold the cap onto the glass jar.)

I'm ready for these to come out of the oven. Chomp-Chomp

Uncle Al

[Fred in Skirts]

A really neat idea to try!
I really enjoy baking so when the oven gets fixed (thermostat is wonky) I will try this with some strawberry muffins and chocolate cupcakes. yummm yummm

[Big and Bashful]

This year I was going to get serious about baking, bought a stand mixer, baking trays and cake tins, cooling racks, icing spatulas. I made one batch of rather flat scones, oh and a Christmas pud, then found out that I am diabetic so it was all a waste of money, can't eat anything nice so pointless baking.

[Fred in Skirts]

This year I was going to get serious about baking, bought a stand mixer, baking trays and cake tins, cooling racks, icing spatulas. I made one batch of rather flat scones, oh and a Christmas pud, then found out that I am diabetic so it was all a waste of money, can't eat anything nice so pointless baking.

Unless you are a brittle diabetic or a type one, you can have a little bit of the sweet goodies, but don't over do it. I too am diabetic and I have learned to control the blood sugar and still have a treat every day. check with your doctor to learn more on controlling your blood sugar and still be able to have a sweet now and then.

[Big and Bashful]

This year I was going to get serious about baking, bought a stand mixer, baking trays and cake tins, cooling racks, icing spatulas. I made one batch of rather flat scones, oh and a Christmas pud, then found out that I am diabetic so it was all a waste of money, can't eat anything nice so pointless baking.

Unless you are a brittle diabetic or a type one, you can have a little bit of the sweet goodies, but don't over do it. I too am diabetic and I have learned to control the blood sugar and still have a treat every day. check with your doctor to learn more on controlling your blood sugar and still be able to have a sweet now and then.

Hi Fred,
I do allow myself the occasional treat, however for me that is occasional oven chips or less than healthy but mostly savoury food, calzone being one recently. I have never been one for a lot of sweet stuff and since being diagnosed at the end of April I haven't eaten anything sweet at all. As baking tends to produce enough food for a family or more, it isn't worth me baking unless I stick to stuff that will freeze and I haven't given any thought to that yet.
The next treat I am saving myself for isn't sweet, it's a full roast dinner, roast potatoes, yorkshire pud, the works, ooh, the thought of a good pork roast with all the trimmings! even better than a chocolate fudgecake or Mississippi mud pie! Oops! I am drooling now! tonights turkey salad doesn't compare!
The biggest change I have found is that I mostly hate shopping for food, just walking past all the stuff that is not good for me, it's depressing! Still it could be worse and I must be doing something right, at the end of April my HBA1C was 10.7 and a few weeks back it was down to 6.1, so at a pre-diabetic level. I don't check my BS for every meal because I am T2 and have to buy my own test strips, but check the occasional meal and am learning a lot, portion control was a major weakness and what I thought was healthy such as multi-seeded bread, oven chips, shredded wheat as a cereal, a lot of bad ideas there. By the way, what do you mean by a "brittle diabetic"?
Right, off for my daily hobble.

[Fred in Skirts]

By the way, what do you mean by a "brittle diabetic"?
Right, off for my daily hobble.

Here is the medical definition:
What is brittle diabetes?

Brittle diabetes is diabetes that’s especially difficult to manage and often disrupts everyday life. People with brittle diabetes have severe swings in blood glucose (blood sugar). The swings can cause frequent episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Brittle diabetes is sometimes called labile diabetes or unstable diabetes.
What’s the difference between diabetes and unstable diabetes?

With treatment and lifestyle changes, most people with diabetes can live healthy lives. But people with brittle diabetes have frequent problems managing the disease that can:

Affect their ability to live life normally.
Cause anxiety and depression.
Lead to hospitalization or even death.

How common is brittle diabetes?

Brittle diabetes is rare. It affects only about 3 of every 1,000 people with insulin-dependent diabetes.
Who might get brittle diabetes?

Brittle diabetes occurs most often in people with Type 1 diabetes (in Type 1, the body does not produce insulin). For reasons not fully understood, it’s most common in women in their 20s and 30s.

Also you can save a lot of money by buying test strips from E-Bay. I have been for many years, and I always make sure the use by date is at least good for 1 year from when I purchase it.

I have never had any problems with bad test strips. When I bid I know just how much I am willing to pay for them and make 1 bid for that amount and if it goes over then I don't rebid. I usually get 4 or 5 boxes of 50 strips at a time and that lasts me for about 6 months. It can still be expensive but no where near as expensive as buying over the counter.

Hope this helps.
Fred

[Big and Bashful]

Very interesting, I hadn't heard of that. I am type 2 and so far I only need metformin, got my HBA1c down to 6.1 so hopefully I can keep on top of it, I seem to have conquered the problem I was having with diabetic blisters, my hands still blister but the blisters don't go huge like they were early in the year. So I think I have got the glucose level to behave itself.

[Sinned]

B&B, I am a type 2 diabetic and all my prescribed medications, whether related to my diabetes or not, are free and have been for the past 20odd years. That includes glucose meters, test strips, metformin and insulin. Under 65's require a medical exemption certificate which all diabetics are entitled to and now that I am over 65 I don't need it. The organisation www.diabetes.org.uk says, "If you use insulin or medicine to manage your diabetes, you're entitled to free prescriptions, but if you're under 60 and living in England, you must have a medical exemption certificate before you can claim them. Prescriptions are free for everybody in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." I test before a meal and 2 hours after a meal and use between 150 and 200 test strips a month along with corresponding needles for finger pricking. I use a meter supplied by Abbot and if it malfunctions I contact them and they send me a replacement free. I return the faulty one to them. I find it difficult to believe you actually PAY for your tests strips, Come on man, you are Scottish!

[Big and Bashful]

B&B, I am a type 2 diabetic and all my prescribed medications, whether related to my diabetes or not, are free and have been for the past 20odd years. That includes glucose meters, test strips, metformin and insulin. Under 65's require a medical exemption certificate which all diabetics are entitled to and now that I am over 65 I don't need it. The organisation www.diabetes.org.uk says, "If you use insulin or medicine to manage your diabetes, you're entitled to free prescriptions, but if you're under 60 and living in England, you must have a medical exemption certificate before you can claim them. Prescriptions are free for everybody in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." I test before a meal and 2 hours after a meal and use between 150 and 200 test strips a month along with corresponding needles for finger pricking. I use a meter supplied by Abbot and if it malfunctions I contact them and they send me a replacement free. I return the faulty one to them. I find it difficult to believe you actually PAY for your tests strips, Come on man, you are Scottish!

In Scotland we get prescriptions free anyway, if we didn't as a diabetic I would still get them free, don't know if that would be across the board or just diabetes related items. I did ask and was told that as a type 2 who is only on metformin, not insulin and therefore not at risk of a hypo, I do not need to test my levels between the HBA1c tests and therefore do not qualify for a glucometer or strips on prescription. So I buy them, the meter is a Contour Next One that a friend gave me because she had it spare, I buy the strips, lancets and control solution. I would much prefer to have the stuff free on prescription but that ain't happening right now. I am just glad I don't need to test and am just testing to see how my eating strategy is working. Since I got my A1c down from 10.7 at the end of April to 6.1 at the last test I think so far I am doing okay, which is what matters!

[john62]

Having had type 1 for about 47 years, the government funds the NDSS (National Diabetes Supply Scheme) because I work full time, a box of test strips are $15 per 100, supplies for the Pump $25/month and 1st July all people with type 1 can have Continuous Glucose Mentoring for about $35/month, Insulin $40/script lasts about 6 months.
As for finger prick things, they get changed about once per year. This in Australia.
John

[Big and Bashful]

In the UK all diabetics get free prescriptions, insulin dependant & type 1 will get meters etc. on prescription, okay as I am not on insulin or scary drugs they won't prescribe me a meter, I can live with that. Since April I have had a CT scan, an ultrasound, an X-ray, many blood tests and urine tests, oh and a diabetic eye test. All completely free as are my collection of drugs (I was startled at the size of my last prescription, only metformin, 8 boxes! which is I think about 2 months worth.) Seeing the scary stories from US diabetics and problems with their insurance, I am so glad I live here in our wet little island!

[Sinned]

B&B, my daughter is preggers and she has gestational diabetes. She is on Metformin and she has a meter. I have Metformin 800mg, one tablet twice a day. The practice nurse, before she retired, told me that I can within reason have anything diabetes-related that I want. Only type 1 diabetics qualify for Continuous Monitoring guff and insulin pumps. I have spare meters so if you ever need one please let me know. You'll only need test strips and batteries. I suppose they have a point that you aren't on insulin so are not in danger of hypos. I change finger prick needles whenever it occurs to me and one insulin pen needle lasts a cartridge.

[Big and Bashful]

B&B, my daughter is preggers and she has gestational diabetes. She is on Metformin and she has a meter. I have Metformin 800mg, one tablet twice a day. The practice nurse, before she retired, told me that I can within reason have anything diabetes-related that I want. Only type 1 diabetics qualify for Continuous Monitoring guff and insulin pumps. I have spare meters so if you ever need one please let me know. You'll only need test strips and batteries. I suppose they have a point that you aren't on insulin so are not in danger of hypos. I change finger prick needles whenever it occurs to me and one insulin pen needle lasts a cartridge.

Many thanks Sinned, I really appreciate that! A friend in the village had a spare meter, a Contour Next One, she passed it to me so I am sorted, as you say, just buying lancets, strips and I ordered some control solution to make sure it is working correctly. Looking at the Diabetes UK group I was surprised to see that several metformin using type 2 diabetics had ended up in hospital after having hypos, so it is possible, rare but possible. I know heavy drinking and metformin can also lead to a hypo, so being diagnosed has changed my lifestyle a bit, no more heavy sessions!

[Sinned]

Alcohol is depresses glucose levels in the blood which accounts for one of the symptoms in a hangover. Growing up, I remember that the heavy metal workers in the steel mills used to drink Lucozade after a heavy night out on the beer.

[Faldaguy]

My spouse has been pre & controlled type 2 for many a year; and probably the most useful tidbit we have picked up is that a few minutes of light exercise after a meal does wonders for keeping the glucose levels in check. (More troublesome though, beware is you start to develop more loose stools -- Metformin is notorious and it can occur early on, after long use, or not at all, but not all the Docs check that before implementing all kinds of other 'tests'.)