Diabetic anyone?

[JustJo]

Good to see even more folks joining this thread...

GoofyLuvr I envy your A1c readings...I hover around 6.5. The fructose is interesting. Being fruit sugar I wonder how well it would work for me...I know I spike like mad after fruit juice, but do fine eating whole fruit. For me, the fiber in the whole fruit seems to make the fructose doable.

Butterbean...I've read some of those theories about Native Americans and diabetes. I think refined foods are bad for all of us, but I gather that the theory is that Europeans (and those descended from European stock) have a longer history with refined foods so that our bodies have adapted more. I'm not a doc either...but be careful about letting your sugar get over 200. My doc said that's when organ damage is happening...and is the "tipping point" of sorts. High 90s and low 100s is where they told me to hang out as much as possible.

The tricky part is that food, sleep, exercise...all of it...seems to impact everyone's body chemistry a bit differently...so it's all about finding what works for you. I've done a lot of experimenting with test strips 2 hours after eating various foods...and some makes no real sense.

I was told that focusing on low glycemic index foods helps a lot. Has anyone tried that? I got a book and read about it...but hadn't actively tried it yet.

[DapperButch]

I'm not diabetic, but I use this stuff: www.wheylow.com

[amiyesiam]

Hi
type 2 diabetic for god knows how long. (20 to 23 years now)

Started with pills years ago but they require some semblence of eating 3 meals a day about the same times each day. About 12 years ago went to the 30/70 insulin by choice but that was like the pills. About 9 years ago went to lantis (long acting) 1x a day and novalog insulin (short acting) when I eat. Works much better for me. Don't eat I am ok, when I eat take the insulin (novalog) I need to cover that meal. Shots don't bother me, though sometimes they burn like hell.

Insulin gives you wonderful control, but can lead to more lows. Glucose tabs are in the kitchen, bedroom, purse, and work bag. Most of my lows hit in the middle of the night or at work between 6-9pm.
With insulin you take x amount of insulin for y amount of carbs. For me 1 unit insulin for 5 gram of carb. The problem is you decide how much you are going to eat Before you eat. So if you don't eat enough or what you planned you will crash big time.

My meals tend to be about noon/1, 6/7, and midnight. I adjusted them years ago because I work second shift.

I eat fruit all the time, usually daily, but never drink any type of juice.
Fat, protien, and fiber slow down the rate at which your body absorbs carbs.

sugar (including fructose) and all carbs get turned into glucose in your body. (or fat LOL) Glucose is what your body runs on and your brain uses most of it. Your liver keeps a 24 hour store of glucose.


enough for now

[nycfem]

Subscribing. I found everyone's posts very helpful to read. I am pre-diabetic and have been for quite awhile. Generally I do my best to eat healthy and exercise but when out of town or at a party or over-tired (the usual changes in routine or stress) I sometimes slip. There is diabetes in my family, and I know that I am insulin resistant (I am about 200 lbs). I keep a daily journal of what I am eating and when and what exercise I am getting. I also sometimes jot down feelings. I find it very helpful in that it keeps me more mindful.

[JustJo]

I'm glad you joined us nycfembbw...I'm an emotional eater...and being aware of my feelings can make a big difference in what and how much I eat. It helps.

It's good that you're aware of being pre-diabetic...doing what you can to take care of your health now can really help in the long run!

[ravfem]

hey y'all

When i was pregnant with my son 20 years ago i developed gestational diabetes and the mid-wife told me that it would put me at increased risk for developing diabetes later in life. Well, i assumed she meant "later" as in 30-40 years later, not 12 years later! There is no family history of it at all.

When i was diagnosed, my blood glucose levels were mid 400s. The dr tried pills and diet first, and my levels kept rising. A couple years into it, she said i'd have to go on insulin. It felt like a death sentence to me. i envisioned lost limbs and eye sight, and quickly spiraling towards death. For a short while i did consider saving up all my insulin and then taking it all at once to just get it over with.

Even with insulin & oral meds, my levels are still pretty high. The only time i get near normal is when i drop rapidly, which sends my body into survival mode even though i'm reading at 140-170. 2 years ago, my endocrinologist told me that for all intents & purposes i have morphed into a Type 1, and that for any medical related situations, i needed to make it clear to the people treating me.

Exercise does help bring me down below 300. i am by no means great with my diet (i am and always will be a chocolate lover, and refuse to give it up completely), though i do try to be conscious of what i eat.

Getting diagnosed and starting treatment immediately put an end to the chronic yeast infections i'd suffered since being a pre-teen. i kinda wonder if i wasn't diabetic back then...they didn't test like they do today, and i remember many times my mama giving me pineapple juice to "bring me back around".

Really, my biggest symptom has always been no energy. i can sleep 12-15 hours with no problem. Some days are worse than others.

Thanks for the thread Jo!

rhonda

[JustJo]

(((( ravfem ))))...thanks for joining us. I also had gestational diabetes...although we now believe it was actually just undiagnosed diabetes that we happened to catch when I was pregnant since I had what looked like 20 year old eye damage.

I also had chronic yeast infections...in fact, any little infection would run wild with me as a teenager and young adult. I also had high blood pressure even as young as 18, and always showed blood and protein in any urine test in college. Looking back...either diabetic or close to it, but as you said - they weren't testing then like they do now.

My hug for you is also about the fatigue...which I feel. There are days when I am so exhausted that all I want to do is sit down and cry, even when I feel like I haven't done enough to warrant that level of tiredness. And times when I will sit down on the couch to relax for a minute in the late afternoon or early evening and find myself sound asleep ...or struggling to keep my eyes open.

And, even more, for the feeling of helplessness and depression. When I was first diagnosed and told was the medications were, the blood testing, the diet, the needles...to poke my finger in the beginning and the prospect of injections in my future...it was all pretty overwhelming and depressing. For me, food has been a big part of my comfort, an expression of love, all of that emotional stuff hooked up with it. I remember sitting there and telling myself that all I had to do was get my son grown...and then I could stop taking meds, eat what I wanted and...well...if I died from diabetic complications young then I wouldn't be the first one. My feelings about that have changed (thankfully), but I still feel the depression and frustration more often than I'd like.

Hugs to everyone...feels good to be able to share this stuff.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by ruthie14

Great thread idea! have type 2 as well. Found out when I was trying, unsuccessfully, to get pregnant in my 30's. Take care of it with pills diet and excersise. Numbers are great. I am actually down to 2 pills a day. My triglycerides are off the charts however. No matter what we try. The meds for them make me sick, so we have stopped them. I have Celiac as well, which I think actually has a connection. I am trying to cut out more carbs bc that seems to affect me a lot.

Have a great day folks.
Ruthie

It is going to sound a bit strange, but after I had my heart attack one of my nurse's recommended peanut butter as a way to lower my triglycerides. I eat a half a peanut butter sandwich 5 days a week for breakfast, and my levels are normal, and I no longer take pills. I read something about it later when I did some research, but I don't have a copy anymore. You could probably look it up on-line by googling "triglycerides and peanut butter".

It could help, but remember I'm no Doctor!

[Andrew, Jr.]

Today Barbara Walters announced that she is having open heart surgery to replace one of her heart valves. I just wonder about why this is being done - if she is pre-diabetic or has another healthcare issue that is causing this. Anyone know?

I have heard about the peanut butter and how is lowers the triglycerides. I am going to have to try that. My level is at 150 now. That is high for me. I am usually about 120.

[ruthie14]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

It is going to sound a bit strange, but after I had my heart attack one of my nurse's recommended peanut butter as a way to lower my triglycerides. I eat a half a peanut butter sandwich 5 days a week for breakfast, and my levels are normal, and I no longer take pills. I read something about it later when I did some research, but I don't have a copy anymore. You could probably look it up on-line by googling "triglycerides and peanut butter".

It could help, but remember I'm no Doctor!

I eat a lot of peanuts... I wonder if it has to be peanut butter? I will look it up.. thanks for the tip!

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by ruthie14

I eat a lot of peanuts... I wonder if it has to be peanut butter? I will look it up.. thanks for the tip!

Interesting....I did a little searching and did find several references to studies showing that natural peanut butter did reduce triglycerides. Awesome! Of course, that probably means to stay away from the peanut butter that's loaded with yucky fats and sugars...luckily I head towards the natural, organic version for my son anyway!

I also found this interesting article about triglyceride lowering foods....
http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/...e&clicked=true

specifically, it recommends....
Increase omega-3 fats in your diet. Eat fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines or light tuna at least twice a week. Also include walnuts, flaxseed oil, flax meal and dark leafy greens for vegetarian sources of omega-3. Other healthy fats include avocados, olive and canola oil, olives, nuts, seeds and natural peanut butter.

That sounds sensible to me.

[violaine]

dear jo,

thought i would post to your thread about soe of the properties found in buckwheat, which really is not a wheat.

http://www.e2121.com/food_db/viewherb.php3?viewid=2


going to also place this in the wheat-free/gluten-free thread.

may you find something of use in the article.


Modern Researches:
Buckwheat contains about 60 percent carbohydrates, 11 percent protein, 2 percent fat, 15 percent fibre, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron, small amounts of vitamins B1, B2, nicotine acid, etc.

The leaves and shoots of the flowering plants are acrid, astringent and vasodilator (an agent that induces or initiates vasodilation, the widening of the lumen of blood vessels). They are used internally in the treatment of high blood pressure, gout, varicose veins, chilblains, radiation damage, etc.

They are best used in conjunction with vitamin C since this aids absorption. Often combined with lime flowers (Tilia species), it is a specific treatment for haemorrhage into the retina.

Buckwheat also contains three types of health protection elements. First, buckwheat has all eight essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be consumed; these are Leucine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophen and Valine. In addition, buckwheat contains a very important flavone called Rutin. It is of the same class as Quercetin in onion and celery. The third type is D-Chiro-Inositol (DCI), short for Inositol, which has been shown to lower blood sugar quickly in patients with hyperglycemia. DCI has also been shown for cases of female who have suffered from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome to regain the ability to ovulate (see John E. Nestler, Daniela J. Jakubowicz, Paula Reamer, Ronald D. Gunn and Geoffrey Allan, "Ovulatory and Metabolic Effects of d-Chiro-Inositol in the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome," New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 340, No. 17 (April 29, 1999), pp. 1,314-1,320.)

A blue dye is obtained from the stems.

A brown dye is obtained from the flowers.


take care

belle

[freyja]

Jo - kudos for bringing this topic to a thread.

i am not diabetic but hypoglycemic. i have been told that eventually it could manifest itself in the form of diabetes, so i am very interested in knowledge beforehand, as time permit.

i am definitely interested in reading everyone's stories.

Have a great day all.

cheers
*freyja*

[JustJo]

Hi Belle and Freyja...thanks for joining in.

I've done a little reading about buckwheat and it sounds like a wonderful thing to add to the diet. I do love buckwheat pancakes, but would have to learn a bit more about what to do with it.

Freyja...I was hypoglycemic as a kid, and know of several other diabetics who started out that way. It's good to learn and make as many adjustments as you can now...and no doubt it would help you feel better as well. I can remember feeling sick and nauseous even as a kid when my blood sugar would fall...wish I knew then what that really meant for the long term.

For my friends with a sweet tooth, I wanted to give you a heads up about a treat that I've found my body can handle. I love ice cream, so giving that up is a struggle for me. Breyer's has come out with a line called Smooth & Dreamy. They've got several flavors. I got the strawberry...and found them to be really nice creamy strawberry ice cream with a strawberry swirl, dipped in just enough chocolate to feel like it got dipped.

The good part is that each bar is just 120 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 13 grams of total sugar. I can eat one and not spike. This makes me happy.

[ruthie14]

Originally Posted by JustJo

Interesting....I did a little searching and did find several references to studies showing that natural peanut butter did reduce triglycerides. Awesome! Of course, that probably means to stay away from the peanut butter that's loaded with yucky fats and sugars...luckily I head towards the natural, organic version for my son anyway!

I also found this interesting article about triglyceride lowering foods....
http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/...e&clicked=true

specifically, it recommends....
Increase omega-3 fats in your diet. Eat fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines or light tuna at least twice a week. Also include walnuts, flaxseed oil, flax meal and dark leafy greens for vegetarian sources of omega-3. Other healthy fats include avocados, olive and canola oil, olives, nuts, seeds and natural peanut butter.

That sounds sensible to me.

lol I already eatall those foods and my triglycerides are still awful. But i have a VERY strange system...so don't go by me. lolol Gonna try to up my intake of pb... love natural pb... dip celery in it and I'm a happy camper.

[adorable]

I'm not diabetic but my 8 year old daughter is.....very sad. It was a fluke that we even found out. My grandfather who is a type II likes to test himself and anyone else. lol. So he tested himself one day when we were all over at his house. Everyone came back normal except for my youngest Sonya. The meter just said "high." He tried several times with the same result. He even went and bought a new meter thinking that his was broken. The new meter said the exact same thing so we looked in the booklet that came with the meter. It said that a reading of "high" meant that it was over 700. OMG! Was it possible? No, we thought, it's not. She had no other symptoms. Took her to the doctor who gave her a urine test....he sent her directly to the hospital thinking himself that it must be wrong because HIS test said almost 900!!!
Sure enough, her sugar was running between 700-900 and they couldn't get it down. She was in the hospital for almost two weeks while they worked at it. No luck. She is now on insulin and the little brave soul is diligent about counting carbs and taking her insulin. Type I, they estimate she has had it for over two years without us knowing!!!!!!!!!

It is an awful feeling as a parent to want to fix it and there isn't one. Diabetes is a nasty illness that can cause so many problems. Thank god hers was detected even by fluke before something truly awful happened!!

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by adorable

Sure enough, her sugar was running between 700-900 and they couldn't get it down. She was in the hospital for almost two weeks while they worked at it. No luck. She is now on insulin and the little brave soul is diligent about counting carbs and taking her insulin. Type I, they estimate she has had it for over two years without us knowing!!!!!!!!!

It is an awful feeling as a parent to want to fix it and there isn't one. Diabetes is a nasty illness that can cause so many problems. Thank god hers was detected even by fluke before something truly awful happened!!

((((( adorable )))))...as a parent I can't even imagine how frightening that must have been. And, thank goodness that your grandfather had a penchant for testing everyone. Type 1 is particularly heartbreaking...for children to have to deal with this illness at such a young age is so immense. Good for her on her carb counting and insulin...she is a brave girl. And I am thankful that it was caught early...two years is a long time, but it could have been so much worse. Thankfully she is doing well.

[JustJo]

Hi everyone

I picked up a new cookbook the other day called "Now Eat This" by chef Rocco DiSpirito. The premise of the book is that he's taken 350 of our favorite comfort foods (mac and cheese, fried chicken, brownies, etc.) and reworked the recipes to dramatically reduce calories, sugar and fat.

The reviews have been mixed and I haven't yet cooked anything from it, but I like that he's using greek yogurt instead of cream and ingenious stuff like garlic and onion puree to add flavor and texture without fat. I'll be interested to see how it goes...has anyone else tried any recipes from this book?

[Andrew, Jr.]

NIH and a major drug company are working on a glucose tatoo that will change color in diabetics. It will end the need to take the 3 or 4 needle tests most of us do each day. I know I will be signing up for a tatoo. I am tired of sticking myself all the time. My fingers are calused from it. No amount of lotion or switching lotions change this.

[kassykit]

Lets see, i was diagonosed diabetic (type II ) when i was 16.

Been on metformin pretty much since then!

altohugh having no health insurance right now makes it hard to get my meds but ehh. such is life.

i have to eat differently on days that i work and days i don't work. on days i work i can pretty much eat anything. after all i get a pretty intense 4 hour work out when i'm working

Days i don't work i have to be carefull otherwise my sugars can get up there.

I have also noticed that as i lose weight my sugars get better, i gained back some of what i lost and the sugars are higher now.

My father is also diabetic as well as 4 out of 5 of his sisters. My uncle on my momsside is now diabetic as well.

It runs in the family. I don't understand how it works. My brothers g/f who eats horridly IMHO is not diabetic and i get so jealous cuz she can eat things i miss!! like snickersbars!

A tip if you start getting brown splotches on your skin and have type 2 diabeties these are a indication of insulin levels being high and nor absorbing properly. This happens when your sugars run high for a prolonged period of time (this is what i went to the doctor to have checked when i was a teenager and how we found out i was daibetic ) If you have this, as your sugars get better and stay int he normal range the appearance of the rought usually brownish skin disappears

Also dont' forget to take care of your feet, nails, teeth and eyes.

chromin picolanta is a natural herb thingie, that helps block the absorbson(sp?) of sugars, and if your are battling high blood sugar this may help.

I also recomend that everyone take vitamins, diabetic or not!! and for us diabetics, natures made has a pack that makes it SO easy.... 30 day supply, each day in its own little easy to grab and go pouch!

ok i'm rambling......

have fun