Hey Lorein,
It can be a big shock and our doctors are not always very helpful. The first thing you need to know is that the condition can be successfully managed and you will be fine. There is a lot of research being done across the world and with new technology day by day diabetes is becoming easier to manage.
What kind of meds are you on ? Have you got the prescription for your meter and strips ? You will have to do some experiments with your food.
As a short crash course on food - ALL food is made of basically the following four main components (other than minerals, vitamins etc)
1. Carbohydrates (various types)
2. Protein (various types)
3. FAT (various types)
4. Fiber (various types)
CARBOHYDRATES of all types (simple, complex) get converted into Glucose and raise your blood sugar. The biggest source of carbohydrates are grains - wheat, oat, corn, rice etc and products made from grain like breads, pastas, etc. Some fruits and vegetable are also high sources of carbohydrates
PROTEINS come from eggs, meat products and raise your blood sugar by small amounts. Protein is used to build muscles and it is said that through a slow process about 20%-30% of protein gets converted into glucose, which raises blood sugar slowly
FAT has not direct affect on blood sugar
FIBER - the human body cannot digest fiber. Presence of fiber slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and assists in bowel movement
Based on the above you may want to to base your diet across fat, protein and limited carbs. Which means cut off the breads, pastas wraps etc. Focus on meats, veggies, butter, mayonnaise, cheese etc.
Please remember one diet does not fit all. You will have to experiment and find out which food suits you and which doesn't.
Ideally you should aim for fasting numbers and premeal numbers (baseline) below 100 and post meal (2 hours) numbers under 140.
It may be likely that currently your baselines may be a bit higher (they will come down). So anything that gives you a spike of more than 30-40 points should be tested again and then removed from your diet
With time you will gain enough knowledge about which food affects you by how much and it will get easier
How are you doing on other health aspects ? Do you have weight issues ? Are you on a sedentary lifestyle ? Tell us more about you
Tony