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Thread: Treating Diabetes with a Low-Carb diet

  1. #41
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    You know I didn’t see your A1c was that high. I might be tempted to start a low dose med with the understanding I would retest everything after a short trial of diet and one med. You have had this a long time. You won’t be normal for a good while with those readings but you do not need to go full steam ahead on meds, I imagine you were started on a med for blood pressure and I would agree with that as well to relieve some pressure on kidneys,etc. However do not lost hope! One of my last patients before retiring had an A1c of 14 at diagnosis, and a year later it was down to 7, which although not perfect was fantastic for him. He had given up most carbs and alcohol and was diligently checking his BG. He ended up on Metformin only and when I saw him last he looked great. His kidneys weren’t too bad. Lost weight and had a much healthier lifestyle. I didn’t see how bad your kidneys were hit but if your creatinine isn’t too elevated metformin is a good starting point. If you start really restricting carbs and checking sugar I would expect you to see some improvements really quickly. I would start with one med for diabetes, one for bp diet changes and recheck withIn 3 mos. This is a marathon not a sprint.

  2. #42
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    I will admit I haven’t read all the posts and don’t know much about you and your situation. But there is something I want to share that I told my patients friends and family facing similar situations. Please take from it what might be helpful.

    Right now you are probably reeling from this news. It is easy to blame yourself, and to get into a “stinking thinking” place. You might be telling asking yourself why you didn’t go to the doctor earlier, why you are overweight/out of shape, why you can’t control what you eat,etc. You may get to a scary place where you worry that you’ll end up on dialysis or other complications,etc. STOP!

    You probably did did make some lifestyle choices that didnt help. However, diabetes is rampant in this country, and this whole planet. You are not alone. Stressful life doesn’t help. Government subsidies and stupid food pyramid doesn’t help. The insanely addictive nature of carbs doesn’t help. Big pharm and the whole medical complex doesn’t help. Economics, culture, there are a million reasons.

    This sucks big time. You didn’t see this coming really and now it’s here and it’s scary. BUT it can be the turning point for you and your family to live much healthier lives. But as I said, it is a marathon, not a sprint. It sounds like your doc is being cautious and that’s good. Getting off meds entirely or minimizing them is the goal. Preventing further damage and possibly reversing the damage that has occurred is the goal.\If you are overweight, losing weight, even a little, is a goal. Become educated and proactive. Be a little leeryof, but do not disregard the advice of your doctor and nutritionist. Many nutritionists believe that people ultimately will not make large lifestyle changes that stick. I’ve known many nutritionists who are diabetic and still eat like crap, choosing instead to just take more insulin. My aunt was one of them.

    Lastly, be good to yourself. Make some small steps towards health. Walk more than normally do, get some nice cookbooks from the library on low carb and veggie dishes. If you don’t already meditate, I would highly recommend it. It’s great for stress and blood pressure. If you don’t already have one, get a dog! Just kidding but they are very motivating. One day at a time and good luck!

  3. #43
    Geila
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    Did my first blood glucose reading today using my tester and in four days of low-carb I have brought the number down from 359 to 207!!! I have also been off of the medication that might be contributing to it for about a week.

    The meds I'm now on are:

    for diabetes:
    Metformin (Glucophage) - 500 mg = once a day
    GlipiZide (Glucotrol) - 5 mg = 1/2 in the morning, and 1/2 at night

    for blood pressure and kidneys:
    Lisinopril (Prinivil/Zestril) - 10 mg = once a day

    I just started these meds yesterday.

    The diabetes pharmacist that I saw today assured me that I can go as low-carb as I want since my glipizide dosage is very small. And if I get my numbers low enough and I want to remove the glipizide she said it would be no problem. She said she's seen people go from a A1c of 13 down to a 6 with diet alone.

    Today I got my TDAP, tetanus and my first Hep B shot (Hep B requires 3 shots over a 6-month period). Next week I will get my pneumonia shot as well. I've learned that diabetes makes you more vulnerable for all this stuff. I also did my gallbladder ultrasound today.

    Next week I will meet with a dietician, and it seems that the keto diet is gaining some ground because the diabetes pharmacist mentioned it today as an emerging approach to diabetes maintenance if the person can adhere to it long-term. In a month I will meet with the pharmacist again along with a health educator to assess my progress.

    Yesterday I had my first day of feeling pretty stressed out about everything. I was upset with dh about something and all of a sudden I felt overwhelmed and emotional. I watched the Tina Turner movie as a distraction. I've loved Tina since the 80's and I even saw her in concert in the 90's with Chris Isaak opening for her. Great show!

    Today I was very tired because I was at appointments all morning and had to fast for my afternoon ultrasound and I didn't get to eat anything until after 2 pm. But after I ate and rested a bit I felt pretty good; I played with my dogs and have been in a good mood ever since. And I'm proud of the fact that even with everything going on I've still made it a point to walk my dogs everyday and get some sun and fresh air.

  4. #44
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    It sounds like you're off to a very good start, Geila! That's excellent news.

    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    Next week I will meet with a dietician, and it seems that the keto diet is gaining some ground because the diabetes pharmacist mentioned it today as an emerging approach to diabetes maintenance if the person can adhere to it long-term. In a month I will meet with the pharmacist again along with a health educator to assess my progress.
    Keto is having its moment right now, isn't it? But something like it used to be the standard diabetic diet before whatever powers that be decided there was more money in carbing up and shooting up (with drugs to combat the high and unnecessary amount of carbs). Adhering to keto long-term can be a bit of a challenge, but I am hopeful that keto will be the new gluten-free, with an array of food products and labeling and restaurant choices that make the restriction considerably easier to honor. Hang in there and realize that there will be some side steps (or even steps back) along with all your forward motion!
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  5. #45
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Yeah--the idea that low-carb is all new and shiny is laughable--it was used in ancient times to prolong life in even type 1 diabetes.

    The nutritional field is largely motivated by money and politics, with the result being the ubiquitousness of a high-carb, low fat diet--which creates profit for everyone from food processors to dialysis centers. Read Nina Teicholz Big Fat Surprise. Read about doctors like Timothy Noakes and Gary Fettke whose careers have been threatened by heavy handed bureaucrats hoping to silence them. The tide may be turning, but it's been long hard-fought battle.

  6. #46
    Senior Member HappyHiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    Yeah--the idea that low-carb is all new and shiny is laughable--it was used in ancient times to prolong life in even type 1 diabetes.

    The nutritional field is largely motivated by money and politics, with the result being the ubiquitousness of a high-carb, low fat diet--which creates profit for everyone from food processors to dialysis centers. Read Nina Teicholz Big Fat Surprise. Read about doctors like Timothy Noakes and Gary Fettke whose careers have been threatened by heavy handed bureaucrats hoping to silence them. The tide may be turning, but it's been long hard-fought battle.
    Your book recommendation is timely! I just finished reading Big Fat Surprise! My library had it. Though much of the same ground has been covered by Gary Taubes in his articles and books, I found Ms. Teicholz's book very educational, too. Enlightening.

    The world of food and nutrition is so rife with money and corporate politics--and the medical research "industry" is rather corrupted and study findings tweaked to skew in favor of the funder...except in rare occasions.

    At any rate, I'm no longer mystified as to what to shove down my pie hole. And I always did love my chicken and turkey with the skin on -- love that fat! so I've been exonerated....fat is good! (except for partially-hydrogenated fat)..simplifying here, but no more being frightened by Big Bad Fat...

    I do think, though, that ALL carbs are not evil. Imho, there's a world of difference between carbs -- say Yukon Gold little potatoes roasted in their skins with rosemary and olive oil as opposed to store-bought cakes and cookies and crackers filled with preservatives and partially-hydrogenated fats and a long list of ingredients that one cannot pronounce. Eating a chemical concoction just doesn't appeal...

    I like eating foods with single ingredients--or foods I prepare from scratch and know what's inside.
    peaceful, easy feeling

  7. #47
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    I agree that not all carbs are evil--though if you're diabetic/insulin resistant, you need to limit when/how often you indulge. If I had a staff, I'd eat Indian food with the most complicated spice profile ever, or a 50-ingredient mole. I'm not much for plain food. But alas...

  8. #48
    Senior Member HappyHiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    I agree that not all carbs are evil--though if you're diabetic/insulin resistant, you need to limit when/how often you indulge. If I had a staff, I'd eat Indian food with the most complicated spice profile ever, or a 50-ingredient mole. I'm not much for plain food. But alas...
    hee hee. I hear you. Me, I'd opt for an Asian Fusion chef. Those cuisines really appeal to me...I can make the most simple Asian dishes, but some of the ingredients are hard to find in my part of the world. Keffir lime leaves, for one...
    peaceful, easy feeling

  9. #49
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    One of the virtues, if you will, of this kind of diet is that you know what you're eating has significant nutritional value, so (at least for me) there's a tendency to make the quality of the food count even more. If DW and I can eat only 3-5 ounces of meat in a serving, it's not hard (again, for me) to justify spending a little more and buying, say, a small ribeye rather than a bigger sirloin steak or scallops instead of a larger filet of cod or tilapia, which makes what we can have all that more enjoyable. Ditto for vegetables -- I've quit buying radishes by the pound in a plastic bag because they are so disappointing compared to radishes in a bunch with the greens (edible!) still attached.

    No one wants to find out they have a chronic illness like diabetes. But I have to say that it finally got my attention and my life is significantly better for it as a result.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  10. #50
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HappyHiker View Post
    hee hee. I hear you. Me, I'd opt for an Asian Fusion chef. Those cuisines really appeal to me...I can make the most simple Asian dishes, but some of the ingredients are hard to find in my part of the world. Keffir lime leaves, for one...
    We could split one!
    I make liberal use of Amazon, and any ingredient I could want is probably available in Bellevue, a short, scenic drive away.

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