View Full Version : Treating Diabetes with a Low-Carb diet
Paging Dr. Steve! :help:
Just got word that I officially have type 2 diabetes. It may or may not be a result of the medication that I've been taking for the past 4 months (the one from my breakfast thread). One of the possible side effects of this med is diabetes, as well as liver and kidney damage, plus some other equally nasty stuff.
My previous two readings in the past 10 years have been 86 and 90, with 60-99 being the normal range. My glucose reading came back yesterday at 359. I just about fell out of my chair. I'm convinced this is from the medication as it has also made my ALT and AST numbers (liver and kidney) go through the roof. The doctors seem unconvinced and want to put me on medication right away without checking to see if the medication has anything to do with it. I'm going to insist that we do a 2 week trial to see if reducing or temporarily stopping the medication has any effect on my numbers. I'm also going to do a strict low-carb diet.
Anywho, I remember that Steve posted some time ago about successfully treating his diabetes with a low-carb diet and I wanted to learn more about that in the hopes that I can do the same.
A bit of a vent and some feeling sorry for myself-ness:
This diabetes is the latest in a long list of ailments that have come down on me this past 12 months and it's not the last one; my liver, kidneys, and triglycerides are also negatively impacted at this time and I need to do some more blood work to see what's going on there. :sick:
I'm not Dr. Steve, but DH has been in and out of T2D.
I've talked about this before, but one of the astounding "experiments" we undertook (DH and I) was a low carb diet. We cut out bread, pasta, rice, etc. Our motivation was: a) ME: fitting into a size 6 mother-of-the groom dress and b) DH: fitting into his Royal Stewart kilt for the same wedding in October.
We started in July 2015 and DH had a regular doctor's appointment in November 2015 (post-wedding). He had gone from full-blown diabetes in July to an HbA1c of "pre-diabetic" norms in November. All his bloodwork (LDL, triglycerides) was drastically improved.
I went from 135 lbs. to 117 lbs. I fit into my size 6, and people told my daughter that after my DIL, I was ....(well.. I don't want to brag--just saying, I guess the dress looked good on me).
Food is medicine, and I do think avoiding processed carbs is key.
Might I suggest another alternative? Eating - to put a general term on it - a vegan diet could also give the results you are seeking. Be right back, off to Google.
Try this: https://type2diabetes.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-diabetes-management/
Also, Forks over Knives on Netflix.
I wish I could find the link I had that stated IT'S not carbs but fat that influences glucose metabolism.
Teacher Terry
1-25-19, 1:28pm
My husband has type 2 that is not controlled. The doctor told him to double his medication until the numbers go down. Doctor told him to go on low carb diet and he is trying. Geila, I would definitely try to see if quitting the nasty medication works.
Catherine - this is so good to hear! How amazing that your husband saw such results. Of course, looking good in your dress is great too! :) But this does give me hope. Has your DH maintained his prediabetic state? Is he still on medication? My next step is to research the meds as my doc wants to put me on them asap.
lmerullo - I don't think I would do well on a vegan diet. I can't eat nuts so my protein sources would be very limited, and if I had to avoid fat, that would make things even harder. I think most of the research has shown that it is carbs that affect glucose. Even my doctor, the only dietary changes she has mentioned is limiting carbs. I've also been referred to a diabetes clinician.
TT - do you know what medication your husband is on? Re my nasty medication, I do need to try to stay on that med for at least another 6 months, but hopefully I can do so at a much reduced dosage and still gain the benefits with out the side effects.
Teacher Terry
1-25-19, 1:53pm
Medfortin. He had to stop exercising so much because his knee and foot were hurting so bad.
Dr. Steve can see you now... :)
First, my sympathy on the diagnosis. Despite the absolute chemistry of diabetes (insulin in the body doesn't match carb intake) there are numerous risk factors and yet many people with even several of those risk factors don't always become diabetic. Someday we'll know more about that; not today.
I'm T2 but my numbers are those of a non-diabetic without any medication or insulin. A1c well under 6 and cholesterol numbers which are positive relative to where I was even when I was "low-carbing" it. Way before the era of diabetes medications advertised heavily on TV and way before insulin was widely available, diabetics used to be treated with a very-low-carbohydrate diet. It works. (A vegan diet likely will not work because it will be hard to find enough low-carb sources of vegetables to provide enough protein and, honestly, variety to keep you on the diet.)
There are many resources on the Internet which can point you toward eating a low-carb or even a ketogenic diet. One site I think lays things out well is Blood Sugar 101 (https://www.bloodsugar101.com/). I'd recommend taking a look at that site for a good background on the illness and the effects of diet and medication on it as well as pointers on how to start eating ultra-low-carb.
Some other points I would make at the moment:
- If you're going low-carb or even keto, you must bump up your fat intake. Most people consume a high number of their daily calories in carbs; you can't cut them out without replacing them calorically or you will be hungry (or hangry) constantly and you'll fall off the wagon. Increasing protein eventually will result in rising blood glucose levels because, in the absence of ready carbohydrate stores, the body will glycolize protein. So the old Atkins joke about eating as much bacon as you want does not apply. On this kind of eating plan your protein intake is moderate.
- When you start you will want to keep up your fluid and sodium intake as your body adjusts to its new diet. People who don't keep drinking water and salting their food get what's coloquially called "keto flu" for some days when they start; fluid and salt shorten that timeframe considerably.
- At least in the beginning, you'll want to test your blood glucose levels very frequently. Solid endocrinological studies show that organ damage can occur at any level above 140 (the American Diabetes Association, for some reason, is okay with 180). Most diabetics find there is some food that will cause a surprising spike in blood glucose, but it's not the same food for all of us. For instance, I can eat a handful of berries (any kind) without seeing a big rise in my BG levels. Others cannot. Some diabetics are okay eating beans; some of us <raises hand> are not. To know, though, you have to test, ideally just before you eat, an hour after you eat, and two hours after you eat.
Watch out for food labeled "for diabetics". It usually has artificial sweeteners in it or "sugar alcohols" (maltitol, etc.). Products like Dreamfields pasta is another one to watch out for -- I've seen numerous posts on-line from diabetics who noticed either unwanted digestive side effects or that their BG increased even three hours after they ate that particular food. As in most other diets, whole foods are best. Want chocolate? Find yourself some good 80-90% dark chocolate and have a square or two and scratch the itch. Don't buy "chocolate for diabetics".
Your doctor may already have given you a BG meter. You can use that one but check the price of strips; that's what costs the most. I use an inexpensive meter that uses inexpensive strips (about 25 cents apiece mail order) so I can test pretty much all I want without worrying that my Rx doesn't cover all the strips I need. You can petition your doctor for an Rx for more strips or you can just buy them out of pocket like I do. That way no one can tell me what meter to use or how often I can test. If you don't test, you don't know. As you can attest, even a BG of 350 doesn't feel much different from "normal".
- You might think that increasing your fat intake will wreak havoc on your cholesterol numbers. Aside from good studies that indicate a wide fluctuation in blood glucose/insulin levels is more responsible than fats for cholesterol issues, after several months (to maybe a year) on a very-low-carb/keto diet, the cholesterol in your body will change shape from tiny particles to larger cloud-shaped masses that don't get into cells the way the tiny particles do. So don't let your doctor rush you into a statin or such because your cholesterol numbers don't meet their protocol. Insist on a "pattern test" to assess your true risk for cholesterol/arterial issues and make sure your doctor knows how to read the results.
I've already written a book :), but this will get you started. Feel free to ask questions (or PM if you prefer); happy to answer them or point you in the direction of greater assistance.
So glad you can see me today Dr. Steve! :thankyou:
I will check out that website and also reread your comments to make sure everything sinks in. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now because in addition to just taking in what this BG number means (possible organ damage! etc), my doctor sent me a long list of stuff she wants to me do. Lots of tests, appts with diabetes clinician, appts with her, etc...
I guess the biggest thing I need right now is hope.
How long have you been able to maintain your healthy numbers without using medication? Did you ever even try medication or did you just treat it with diet? Could you share a typical eating day?
I suspect that with my astoundingly high number my doctor will put me on meds right away, and I understand. Safety is a big issue right now. But I also want to do everything I can diet-wise to help things along.
p.s. books are welcome! Big books!!! :)
The Magic Pill. available on Netflix and Amazon, does a good jub of explaining the advantages inherent in eating LCHF.
Also, Dr. Stepnen Phinney's YouTube videos.
ETA: Fasting is also helpful to bring surging insulin under control--or at least limit your calorie intake to 2-3 times a day. "Grazing" keeps that insulin/blood glucose roller coaster going.
my doctor sent me a long list of stuff she wants to me do. Lots of tests, appts with diabetes clinician, appts with her, etc...
I guess the biggest thing I need right now is hope.
There is hope! Diabetes may be a progressive illness, but it can be managed and managed well. And doing that can push off the traditional (and well-known) complications for years and years.
You simply have to want to be the master of your diabetes. I know that might seem really hard right now, but I would recommend taking a deep breath and diving in. You'll need to change what you eat (but if what you're eating is making you sick, it's easier to change). You may need to manage time or money a little differently to make sure you have time to exercise or to prepare (or buy) what you eat. You may need to work on changing your view of food (for many people there is a significant social component to eating).
It may not be easy or immediate (I will admit some aspects of changing my attitudes toward food and my health were not a snap for me). But there are many many people living just fine with diabetes. You can be one of them.
One piece of advice: do not let yourself be railroaded into the medical system. Not to sound conspiratorial, but there seems to be a machine into which most healthcare providers feed new diabetics. The battery of tests your doctor mentioned may be warranted in light of other medical concerns of yours. But there seems to me to be a weird emphasis on protocols that treat every diabetic the same, a distinct lack of interest in investigating alternatives to the way things always have been done, and a heavily-marketed world of products made specially for diabetics, many of which are unnecessary ("diabetic candy") and some of which even are injurious in the long run.
Another piece of advice: when you see the "diabetes educator", smile and nod a lot and disregard anything (s)he has to say. Don't waste your time telling that person you're going low-carb or keto; you'll hear all kinds of old information and horror stories about how difficult and dangerous that is. All I have to say, though, is that looking at my next-door neighbor and friends of mine and DW's, all of whom did just as they were told, have (in some cases, had) the traditional complications of diabetes. It's easy to get the impression that there's more money in managing the disease than there is in addressing it sensibly and inexpensively (think of all the insulin and Janumet they haven't sold me).
How long have you been able to maintain your healthy numbers without using medication? Did you ever even try medication or did you just treat it with diet? Could you share a typical eating day?
I'm going on 2-1/2 years of "normal" A1cs with just diet and exercise. I never tried medication; didn't even want to start with it. My doctor offered to put me on Metformin right away but I wanted to try without it first. Success; no Met needed. That may not last forever and there won't be any shame in starting on it if/when I need to, but I figure the fewer meds I'm on, the better off I am.
Typical eating day:
Breakfast: 2 eggs and 2-4 ounces of bacon/sausage/cheese (build up the fat without overdoing the protein)
Lunch: mixed green salad with 4-5 ounces of protein (often fish because it's good for me and DW is not a huge fan but sometimes leftover chicken or pork roast or...). I may put some salad dressing on to bump up the fat level but not if the protein came with enough fat of its own. Sometimes some pork rinds or nuts for crunch. Sometimes I'll have, say, greens (collards, spinach, etc.) with some protein. Or a sandwich wrap with the bread replaced by lettuce leaves or a keto wrap.
Dinner: typically another 3-4 ounces of a protein and a couple of cups of a side vegetable (greens, string beans, etc.). Sometimes a leftovers soup assembled to clean out the fridge. There are Web sites and books with low-carb and keto recipes, too.
I'm not (never was) much on desserts or sweet stuff so I don't miss them much. I can snack on a little piece of cheese or a handful of nuts or some pork rinds. But, as Jane mentioned, you're better off eating well at meals and skipping snacks if you can. The exception may be eating some sort of snack before bedtime as it may help you manage your blood glucose better. But that will come later :)
I suspect that with my astoundingly high number my doctor will put me on meds right away, and I understand. Safety is a big issue right now. But I also want to do everything I can diet-wise to help things along.
If you choose that route (I won't say it's a bad choice), know that:
1) those medications expect you to be eating a certain amount of carbs at every meal. Reducing your carb intake while on these meds (or insulin) may cause hypoglycemic incidents, which can be very serious. You'll have to reduce your doses or stop taking the meds; it will be complicated to do that at the same time your body is getting used to differing insulin production/resistance levels. Both low-carb and exercise levels will change the effect of insulin so don't try to manage too many variables at once.
If it were me, I'd try to get two weeks meds-free while you start with diet and exercise. Even if the doctor insists on giving you the Rx or even the pills themselves, you don't have to take them. It'll be cleaner to try to manage your diabetes without the meds. One thing which could help is to keep a record of your blood glucose readings (after you wake but before you eat food, before each meal, and one and two hours after your first bite of a meal). This will tell you what your blood glucose is with the new steps you're taking and will be a negotiating tool for use with your doctor.
2) once you start taking the meds, there may be a fair amount of resistance from your doctor to discontinuing them. Some doctors won't have the time or interest to help you manage titrating doses down as your body's use of insulin improves. Again, try not to become part of the machine.
Hope that helps!
HappyHiker
1-26-19, 11:06am
I don't have diabetes, but I did want to express my appreciation to Steve for his excellent posts about carbs/low-carbs way of eating.
This seems to keep me healthy (except for my pesky high blood pressure which everyone in my family has) and within a reasonable weight.
Though I enjoy bread and pasta, it's not too difficult to curtail them for me. Protein (whether animal or from beans) plus lots of salads and steamed and stir-fried keeps my hunger at bay. I was always hungry soon after a carb meal...
When I do eat carbs, I try to make sure they are low GI so as not to spike my blood sugar and make me hungry soon after.
Making an effort, too, to add more healthy fats to my diet--when my hair becomes dull and my skin real dry, it tells me to ramp up the fats...
Thanks, Steve, for your great posts...
Teacher Terry
1-26-19, 12:37pm
Very interesting Steve. A friend of mine must have lucked out because when she got referred to a diabetic nutritionist she was told that she could probably control her diabetes with diet and how to do it She never went on medication and now is no longer diabetic. She has always exercised a lot and was not overweight but ended up losing 15lbs. Unfortunately, my husband is not as disciplined as my friend.
Very interesting Steve. A friend of mine must have lucked out because when she got referred to a diabetic nutritionist she was told that she could probably control her diabetes with diet and how to do it She never went on medication and now is no longer diabetic. She has always exercised a lot and was not overweight but ended up losing 15lbs. Unfortunately, my husband is not as disciplined as my friend.
I don't believe that diabetes can be "cured" by any food or exercise or chemical regimen (short of implanting pancreatic T-cells, etc.) because, in the absence of that regimen, the mechanism of the disease and the definitional symptoms return.
Your friend's diabetes seemed to present in a manner similar to "gestational diabetes": a woman with ordinary (perhaps borderline) glucose management in regular life sees it change when "baby is on board". I would guess if your friend gained back those 15 pounds and/or quit exercising as much, she'd be in the same place she was. Non-invasive treatment certainly makes a difference but IMHO cannot eradicate the disease. I think of my diabetes as "in remission" in that some lifestyle or biological change could cause its progression to speed up. Seems to me a fair accurate way to think of it.
This might also be a good place to mention that, at least as we understand (Type 2) diabetes today, being overweight by itself has nothing to do with whether or not you get diabetes. While the incidence of Type 2 diabetes has increased in part due to awareness, more widespread screening, and a little "moving of the goalposts" (reducing the blood glucose levels considered borderline for the illness), no one yet has been able to show a direct correlation between increased incidences of T2 diabetes and increased incidences of obesity in the general population. The diet and exercise habits of an obese person may be enough of a catalyst for T2 to appear, but not every overweight person contracts diabetes -- the rates don't match at all -- and plenty of thin people do contract diabetes. Just throwing that in there because there is a strong tendency among many newly-diagnosed diabetics to kick themselves emotionally for a fondness for dessert or for being sedentary.
I read some research a while back that discussed this idea: perhaps weight gain is caused by type two diabetes, rather than the other way around.
My fasting glucose has always been quite a bit lower than DH, even though he is lean and fairly active and I am not. And my brother in law is underweight and has T2 diabetes so I don't really believe that overweight = diabetes.
I had the first of my low-carb meals that begins my trial phase. For lunch I made a scramble with eggs, sausage, mushrooms and bell peppers. Very tasty! Favorite part was sausage and veggies so next time I will try that or just do one egg or add some cabbage to replace the eggs.
Got result from my latest tests and I will need to get on a couple of antibiotics to treat a stomach bacterial infection (not caused by meds but maybe exacerbated by it); and I might have some liver and kidney damage, I have an appt Monday morning to discuss with dr. My immune system tests came back with good numbers so that is a positive.
Steve - thank you for sharing your knowledge and advice. Very much appreciated. If at any time you prefer to discuss things privately, please let me know. I figure that the info shared here would benefit lots of people that's why I've kept it public, but I don't want you to feel over-exposed.
And thank you for suggesting I not get on medication right away and for alerting me of the dangers of being on the medication and then reducing my carbs on my own. I will do a trial phase before I take any medication. There are two, no three, components that I want to gauge before I introduce the diabetes meds: diet, exercise, and a reduction or temporary elimination of the meds I believe have contributed to the high glucose. Which leads me to...
1. How soon did you notice a change in your glucose numbers once you went on the low-carb diet?
2. What kind of exercise did you introduce?
3. How much of a reduction in glucose did you have with the changes in diet and exercise?
4. How often do you test your glucose? (I just picked up my testing kit.)
I figure that the info shared here would benefit lots of people that's why I've kept it public, but I don't want you to feel over-exposed.
Thank you, Geila. I've felt comfortable sharing this info or I would not have shared it. But I'll let you know if we get to an area that I consider too identifiable or personal.
1. How soon did you notice a change in your glucose numbers once you went on the low-carb diet?
You should start seeing results in a week or so. Keep in mind that A1c is a rolling three-month average, so unless you wait that long plus a couple of weeks for your next A1c, you won't get the most information from that test.
2. What kind of exercise did you introduce?
I've discovered that just moving around is key for me; formal exercise or having to go someplace for exercise just does not work well for me. Walking is good. Housework (moving, bending, climbing stairs, etc.) is good. Mowing the lawn (or shoveling snow or gardening) is good. DW and I have gotten into folk dancing a few nights a week; that's good. I figure I can always just move; whether it's formal exercise or not is beside the point. I'm sure I'd see benefits from more exercise but light exercise I do is better than more vigorous exercise I plan to do. :|(
What I've found is that my blood glucose is lower (not tons, but some) if I eat and then move around. So, for example, I'll wait on morning chores (washing dishes, straightening up, whatever bigger chore awaits that day) until just after I've eaten breakfast. If need be and the timing works right, I leave some tasks for just after lunch.
3. How much of a reduction in glucose did you have with the changes in diet and exercise?
I went from an A1c in the high 6s to the mid-5s. Not a huge reduction but I know of people who've gone from A1cs in the 10s down to the low- to mid-5s.
One other thought to throw in here is that tight control of the blood glucose levels appears to be more beneficial than maintaining the lowest blood glucose levels. I tend to keep my blood glucose in a range of around 30-40 points. I rarely run over 130 but I also rarely run under 100. I know people who vary between, say, 80 and 150. The average of those two sets of numbers is the same but the body can handle the narrow band a little better than the extremes.
4. How often do you test your glucose? (I just picked up my testing kit.)
When I first started low-carb, I tested in the morning (before food and coffee), before the first bite of breakfast, two hours after breakfast, before the first bite of lunch, two hours after lunch, with the first bite of dinner, and two hours after dinner. I kept track of those numbers because those are what told me which foods I could eat "safely" and which I could not (for example, some fruits, beans). When it was time for my next A1c, I did a little number crunching and was dead on with the number that the A1c provided (which also told me my meter was accurate enough).
I also tested before heavy exercise (moving boxes or work in very hot weather) and even during it if it lasted long enough. Since I'm not on medication or insulin, I'm at no risk of "crashing". But sometimes it's helpful to control to, say, eat a piece of cheese during that heavy workout so my body has something for fuel rather than demanding my liver just dump glucose into my bloodstream (which apparently it is too good at doing).
Over time, I've dispensed with some of the testing. On ordinary days, if I'm eating the same meal I did the previous week, I should not expect the numbers to change much. You don't want to obsess over the numbers anyway; what you want is to observe trends (like a steady creep up in your fasting blood glucose).
Now I test in the morning (before food and coffee) and just at other specialized times. If I'm not feeling well, my blood glucose likely will be higher, so I'll watch it and test a little more often. If I eat a carb-containing food that is new to me, I'll test before and an hour or two after I eat it just to see if it's okay for me (or not). In a continuing attempt to tamp down "dawn phenomenon" I've tested just before I go to sleep to see how much of a swing my blood glucose takes overnight, and how it is affected by not eating after dinner, or eating a fatty snack after dinner, or eating some protein in a snack after dinner, or eating just before bed versus, say, no later than two hours before I go to sleep. You will find that diabetes is an individual disease and that what works for one diabetic (say, eating a protein snack before bed) has a different effect on another. If you test, you will know. If you don't, you're guessing.
Since I'm thinking of them, a few more tips:
- If they didn't tell you, use the lancet on the side of your fingers, not your fingertips -- much more comfortable. And you can use all your fingers.
- Get a reading that looks off? Take another one. Blood is not homeogeneous. Meters use such a small blood sample that it doesn't take much dirt/grease/alcohol or deviation in the sample size to throw off the reading. Sometimes you get a bum strip or it got contaminated in handling. A difference of 10-20 points in readings just moments apart is not unusual or concerning. In fact, legally, meters in the U.S. can be off from the actual glucose amount as much as 10-15%. Most meters do much better than that, but it's possible. Again, don't stress every reading -- unless it's really high or low and then you can re-test to verify.
- Stress and illness/infection and dehydration will raise your blood glucose numbers. Vigorous exercise can as well. I can tell when a cold is coming on if my fasting blood glucose reading is significantly higher than normal. And your fasting blood glucose number will go down slower than all the rest of them.
Teacher Terry
1-27-19, 1:38pm
My husband has been eating low carb the last 4 days and his numbers are better every day. I hope he sticks with it.
Last night I started to get scared as more tests came in indicating kidney damage or disease. This morning I've been focusing on reducing my stress and fear and came across this delightful post that had me laughing out loud and I wanted to share it with you guys:
https://ptsdawayout.com/2019/01/27/21-sarcastic-zen-sayings-you-need-in-your-life-by-matt-caron/
FIL was diagnosed with Type 2 in his 40s and was on Metformin for the rest of his life. The only diet change he made was moving to sugar-free products on the advice of his doctor. In the last ten years of his life, he developed a horrible metallic taste in his mouth due to either the Metformin or the sugar-free products altering his taste buds. He basically stopped eating since everything tasted so bad. Did not know about that side effect but apparently it happens.
I've seen several people report an unpleasant aftertaste to some artificial sweeteners; stevia in particular (though I think some of that may be ingredients added to make the sweetener "pour like sugar", etc. and some of it may be genetic, like the individuals who find the herb cilantro tastes like soap to them). There also are recent studies indicating that, in diabetics, even some artificial sweeteners promote the same digestive reaction as sugar.
So I've pretty much sworn off artificial sweeteners myself. If a recipe for a roast calls for, say, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and I think it's important to the taste of the dish, I'll put in the brown sugar; my portion of it will have just a smidge of "real" sugar and I don't need to think about what the artificial sweeteners may be doing to the dish or to me. I don't drink diet pop and my only "sweet" is >80% dark chocolate. But I'll say that's by my choice.
rosarugosa
1-27-19, 6:33pm
Geila: Some of those quotes are pure genius!
Geila: Some of those quotes are pure genius!
I know, right!? I laughed so hard and I really needed that today.
Hi Steve - thanks for answering my questions, it helps a lot. I'm happy to hear that I might see a difference in just one week. My A1c is currently 12.7 so while I'm remaining optimistic I'm starting to accept the fact that I might have to go on meds at least for a while. I will still do a 2 week trial phase, and get my fasting glucose tested but my numbers are just so high that I'm changing my expectations a bit so that I won't be too disappointed if I can't get the numbers down as much as they need to be. If my fasting glucose numbers come way down then I would feel more comfortable pushing the meds out longer. All those test showing I might have kidney damage are scaring me.
I did some low-carb shopping on Friday and I'm officially on day 2 of my low-carb diet. I spent today prepping lots of stuff to have on hand ready to eat or ready to cook. I put some chicken legs in a garlic and olive oil marinade to be grilled in a couple of days, I have a big batch of bone broth bubbling away right now, and I have some seasoned beef patties ready for the grill. Also bought lots of low-carb veggies and some Italian sausage to have in the freezer for later in the week. Oh, and pork rinds! :) Had some of those last night as a snack and they were very satisfying. Today I had grilled steak for lunch with some sauteed mushrooms and I have not had any food cravings at all. Pretty soon I will have some of the grilled patties with romaine lettuce.
I haven't used my tester yet - the doctor's going to show me how to use it tomorrow. I'm hoping for a low number!
Oh wait, you said it's a 3-month average. Well that's going to be anti-climatic!
Hi, Geila. It sounds like you're on your way!
With an A1c in that range, preparing for meds is smart, though I will say that I know of people who've moved their A1c from over 10 to under 6 just on diet and exercise. However, I can't speak to any specific medical challenges they might or might not have in addition to their diabetes; that can complicate things.
Keep in mind that the fasting blood glucose number tends to come down slower than the others so I would recommend keeping track of all your readings to get a more complete picture of how you're doing. Write 'em down, make a spreadsheet, use an app. Whatever works for you.
I will suggest that, if you're not already, you read labels for pretty much any prepared food you buy. Pork rinds are great (someday you may find out how well they can sub for bread crumbs) and most are carb-free but some varieties (like BBQ) have sugar added. Seasoned burgers might have carbs added in the form of potato flakes or bread crumbs used as a binder or even sugar as part of the seasoning blend. It's rather amazing just how many foods out there that have carbs that you'd never suspect had carbs.
Hang in there; you're doing well.
I'm definitely keeping an eye out for ingredients in prepared food. I bought the plain pork rinds and I did my own seasoning of the ground beef - I made a thick sauce of fresh garlic, pepper, salt and olive oil and mixed that into the beef. And it was delicious! Tasted like steak. I did use some prepared salad dressing with my salad and I wanted to ask you about that. Do you worry about the nominal amount of sugar/carbs in salad dressing? I know that plain evoo & vinegar is best, but sometimes having a bit of variety is nice and convenient to just pull out a bottle. I saw that my dressings had 1 or 2 gr of carb for every 2 tbs of dressing. Is that something to eliminate as well?
I didn't know that fasting glucose comes down more slowly. So much new stuff! Lots to learn for sure. And yes, I suspect a spreadsheet is in my near future. :)
Teacher Terry
1-27-19, 11:56pm
Steve you have been so helpful and I shared the information with my husband. Thanks!
I saw that my dressings had 1 or 2 gr of carb for every 2 tbs of dressing. Is that something to eliminate as well?
If you're trying to go ketogenic, I would. Some folks eating keto can take in no more than 20 net carbs (grams of carbs minus grams of fiber) a day to stay in ketosis so you're talking 10% of your carbs in a condiment.
I aim toward ketogenic but I'm fine with not quite getting there (or being there full-time). So I don't worry about that small amount of carbs. This might be a problem if you're pouring out half a cup of dressing to use it as a dip :) but I certainly would not sweat that amount now (or maybe ever).
Another tip:
Eventually, there will be an occasion (funeral luncheon, catered work lunch) or social cue ("Happy birthday, dear Name-here!") which presents a lack of low-carb choices or an opportunity to cheat. I've gotten good at either just taking what I can eat (my plate may be just salad, veggies and dip, and cheese cubes) or taking the smallest piece of birthday cake I can find and eating just a couple of bites before subtly tossing the rest (if DW and I are together we will share a small piece). I've also gotten past needing to be a member of "The Clean Plate Club" if I don't get to choose my serving.
The point I'm taking too long to make is that you don't have to pass on food that you really want to eat. But try to leave it at just a bite or two, a taste. Don't let a couple of bites lead to the whole piece or to thinking you've blown it so why even try? It makes it that much harder to recover from the cravings and from all the glucagon your liver will store.
Steve you have been so helpful and I shared the information with my husband. Thanks!
Thanks, TT! It's good to know that hard-earned experience can be helpful to others.
Well, my plan to avoid meds has gone out the window. I came home with 7 prescriptions yesterday. Yes, 7. 4 of them are to treat a stomach bacterial infection and I will only be on them for 14 days, so at least that is good news. And hopefully I will finally have relief from the gastritis that has been plaguing me these last 5 months. Lots of antibiotics are being used so I will need to address my gut flora afterwards.
I also got blood pressure meds because my BP has gone up dramatically in response to all this health stress. Despite trying my best to relax using breathing exercises my BP remained at 158 yesterday, which is quite high. I have an appt next Monday to retest the BP.
I was put on 2 diabetes meds and I've decided to go ahead and take them. Tests showed that I have kidney damage and that has scared me quite a bit. The meds are a low dose and the doctor said that I can reduce my carbs without any issue so my plan now is to take the meds and continue on my low-carb diet and see where we are in a few months since the glucose levels will not reflect the low-carb diet for that long anyway. Safer to get the blood sugar under control before it causes any further damage to my kidneys and God knows what else.
My triglycerides were quite high but did respond quickly to my stopping the meds I was on and the doctor has agreed to hold off on cholesterol meds until we see how my numbers respond to a reduction in dosage.
My switch to low-carb has been relatively easy because I'm so worried about everything else that this seems like such a minor thing by comparison. The only minor hiccup has been a craving for sweets in the evening (I have a big sweet tooth) and I've been satisfying that with a cup of flaxmilk with a packet of Splenda mixed in. The flaxmilk has a velvety texture and it's enough to feel like a sweet treat.
For lunch today I made a quick soup of bone broth, bok choy, and bean sprouts with grilled sausage and zucchini. It was very tasty and reminded me of pho.
My scare has motivated dh to get himself tested for everything as well, so that's another good thing. His blood sugar, cholesterol, and BP numbers have always been on the high end and he hasn't had them tested in years. His mom and my dad both died at a young age of heart disease. Hopefully we can catch him early before serious damage is done and while it can still be treated with diet.
Teacher Terry
1-29-19, 7:03pm
I bought a BP Machine for home which will be more accurate than when stressed out at the doctors.
I bought a BP Machine for home which will be more accurate than when stressed out at the doctors.
I just saw those at Costco this morning!
Oh, my retinal screening was good so that was a big relief. And I have a gallbladder ultrasound scheduled this week. Hopefully that goes well.
Wow, Geila! A lot going on, but it sounds like it's all moving you in a positive direction. Given the medical need and the ability to get yourself off the diabetes medications, I think it's a good choice to start taking them. I will assume that you told your doctor what your planned carb intake will be so he could tailor the dosage?
If you tire of the flaxmilk but still crave some sweets, use your favorite Web search engine to search for "keto desserts". There are lots of them out there. I would guess there probably is not a dessert that exists that someone hasn't turned into a keto-friendly version (now, wallet-friendly, that's another thing:) but when nothing else will do...).
Wow, Geila! A lot going on, but it sounds like it's all moving you in a positive direction. Given the medical need and the ability to get yourself off the diabetes medications, I think it's a good choice to start taking them. I will assume that you told your doctor what your planned carb intake will be so he could tailor the dosage?
If you tire of the flaxmilk but still crave some sweets, use your favorite Web search engine to search for "keto desserts". There are lots of them out there. I would guess there probably is not a dessert that exists that someone hasn't turned into a keto-friendly version (now, wallet-friendly, that's another thing:) but when nothing else will do...).
You can hardly go wrong with a nice nut-crust cheesecake, a nut milk/cream panna cotta, or a custard. I like pumpkin. Also, I make horchata with nut milk, cream, cinnamon, sweetener...You can add a shot of spirits if you like.
If I haven't mentioned keto cookbooks by Urvashi Pitre, Maria Emmerich, Michelle Tam. Dana Carpender, and Melissa Sevigny, check those out (at your library?). There's a wealth of recipes and cookbooks out there, some better than others. Also Google D Foodie; he has a lot of recipes on line.
Hi Steve - my doctor told me that the dosage she prescribed is the lowest dosage. She didn't ask how low-carb I plan to go but I'm meeting with a diabetes management specialist tomorrow and a dietician next week. Tomorrow I will make sure that my level of low-carb will not cause problems with my meds. The specialist works closely with my doctor so she will be kept in the loop.
I've searched the keto desserts and at first glance they seem to rely heavily on dairy and nuts, which I can't eat. Or coconut milk, which has been problematic. The problem with acids might be resolved in the next couple of months if my bacterial infection was causing it. Then again, given that the infection might have caused some degree of ulcers, I might be better off avoiding acidic foods in general and permanently. I'll have to talk to the dr. about that. Right now chocolate is problematic as well, but maybe in the future it won't be and I can have some of the dark chocolate that is not as sweet.
Sadly, dairy causes me to break out in hives all over my throat and neck. :( And nuts give me stomach cramps and diarrhea. :sick: If I eat too many eggs (or too often), especially if they are not eaten with something else that is substantial, they also give me diarrhea so I have to watch those closely.
Then I guess you can go wrong with cheesecake, etc. My sympathies.
But there is a wealth of information out there--Maria Emmerich has a dairy-free keto cookbook, and there are AIP and Whole 30 guides that might have some good recipes. Can you have frozen berries blended with cashew or almond milk?
Teacher Terry
1-29-19, 10:09pm
Geila, wrong thread but the ointment is called Kynd balm. It lasts forever because you only use a small amount. Never tried it for a headache. I use it for knee pain. I think it cost 40. 6 months later I have only used half of it.
Don’t post here often but read this thread with interest. FWIW I am a nurse practitioner for 40 years, recently retired. Agree 100% with everything Steve said. I myself (59 years old), DH (58);and 17 year old son all had pre diabetic A1c two years ago. Mine was 6.2, son 6.0 For years I had been telling my diabetic patients that carbs are poison to a diabetic and the “controlled carbohydrate diet” espoused by the ADA pretty much insured them that they would get on meds and stay on them as their disease progressed. However I myself didn’t follow my own advice. That 6.2 shocked me. I bought a cheap BG monitor and poked myself every morning and a few hours after eating and saw very quickly which foods spiked my blood sugar and which did not. Rice, for example was essentially mainlining sugar into my system.
I stopped eating sugar, upped my veggies and fats and within year my A1c was 5.2. My teenage son lost 18 pounds and his dropped to 5.3 I personally had many early diabetic patients who reversed their disease with diet and exercise. I encouraged them to use a BG monitor frequently even though most had to,pay out of pocket. I buy my generic strips on Amazon for pennies. Do not take any meds at this point if at all possible. Learn to eat fats, avocado, butter, etc. lots of veggies. I personally think for many people a vegan diet is not healthy in that most vegans I know eat lots of breads, pasta,etc. some can handle it, most can’t. You don’t need a lot of meat/dairy but it provides a lot of protein and satiety. Very minimal fruit. Fruit is sugar and sugar is your enemy. Find out your A1c and check again in a few months.
in closing I want to tell you to have lots of hope. I have seen more than a few people reverse early diabetes completely. Do it now before your pancreas poops out. Good luck! You can do it! Kim
Don’t post here often but read this thread with interest. FWIW I am a nurse practitioner for 40 years, recently retired. Agree 100% with everything Steve said. I myself (59 years old), DH (58);and 17 year old son all had pre diabetic A1c two years ago. Mine was 6.2, son 6.0 For years I had been telling my diabetic patients that carbs are poison to a diabetic and the “controlled carbohydrate diet” espoused by the ADA pretty much insured them that they would get on meds and stay on them as their disease progressed. However I myself didn’t follow my own advice. That 6.2 shocked me. I bought a cheap BG monitor and poked myself every morning and a few hours after eating and saw very quickly which foods spiked my blood sugar and which did not. Rice, for example was essentially mainlining sugar into my system.
I stopped eating sugar, upped my veggies and fats and within year my A1c was 5.2. My teenage son lost 18 pounds and his dropped to 5.3 I personally had many early diabetic patients who reversed their disease with diet and exercise. I encouraged them to use a BG monitor frequently even though most had to,pay out of pocket. I buy my generic strips on Amazon for pennies. Do not take any meds at this point if at all possible. Learn to eat fats, avocado, butter, etc. lots of veggies. I personally think for many people a vegan diet is not healthy in that most vegans I know eat lots of breads, pasta,etc. some can handle it, most can’t. You don’t need a lot of meat/dairy but it provides a lot of protein and satiety. Very minimal fruit. Fruit is sugar and sugar is your enemy. Find out your A1c and check again in a few months.
in closing I want to tell you to have lots of hope. I have seen more than a few people reverse early diabetes completely. Do it now before your pancreas poops out. Good luck! You can do it! Kim
Thanks for your post Kim. Would you still advice not to take meds with a A1c reading of 12.7, positive test for kidney damage, and blood pressure of 158? My doctor said that it would be dangerous to not take medication at this point.
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.
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!
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.
SteveinMN
1-30-19, 10:26pm
It sounds like you're off to a very good start, Geila! That's excellent news.
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!
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.
HappyHiker
1-31-19, 11:47am
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.
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...:cool:
HappyHiker
1-31-19, 1:38pm
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...:cool:
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...
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.
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.
My glucose was down to 173 today! Yay! The safe range is 80-130 according to my medical tracking sheet, so I am on my way. Last week I was at 359. I started my low-carb diet on Saturday and my low-dose meds on Tuesday so I know that a huge part of the drop is due to diet. Having the numbers drop so much and so quickly is giving me a good boost of motivation and energy to keep going.
Teacher Terry
2-1-19, 4:12pm
That’s great!
Good to hear such quick success!
Well, my rapid progress was short lived. Today my glucose was up by 22 points. I tested at 195. :confused: Talk about a letdown.
At first I couldn't figure out why, because I didn't eat lots of carbs yesterday or anything like that. Then I remembered reading that exercise brings down your glucose quite a bit. Yesterday I tested after my morning walk and today it's raining so no walk before testing. It's so weird that even such mild exercise as a slow 30 minute walk would make sure a difference.
So now I'm thinking that I should probably test before my walks? To get a more accurate reading?
This disease is so confusing and has so many moving parts. I've been reading up on it and I still find it all very confusing - low blood sugar, high blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinism, on and on.....
I've also been reading on how adrenaline affects blood sugar and insulin. So much stuff.
This disease is so confusing and has so many moving parts. I've been reading up on it and I still find it all very confusing - low blood sugar, high blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinism, on and on.....
I've also been reading on how adrenaline affects blood sugar and insulin. So much stuff.
There is, indeed, so much stuff -- and it's different for every diabetic. That's why each of us has to learn what works for ourselves. My morning fasting blood glucose often can identify an infection or a cold by increasing, before I notice overt symptoms. I'm still playing with what form of snacking before sleep has the greatest positive impact on my "dawn phenomenon". You'll find that some exercise, like a walk, is beneficial for blood glucose numbers -- but that extended hard workouts can signal the liver to dump glucagon and leave you with higher numbers than before you started the activity. Stress affects insulin levels. So can adrenaline. All the hormones are part of a wonderful, intricate system and one does not change without affecting others.
But it will settle down as your body gets used to you eating low-carb and to the meds you're taking. You'll likely feel better knowing that your meter can be off by as much as 10-15% off "true north" and still be considered accurate. And you'll learn that even taking two readings a minute apart will result in different numbers because blood is not homogeneous and there are many factors to taking a blood sample.
So, Geila, don't let this be much of a setback. It's part of your education and you're still generally moving in the right direction.
Hey Steve - boy are you right! This morning I tested at 183 without any exercise, so I will just be happy that it's a downward trend and not stress about it. Since stress makes things worse! :0!
While poking around the net learning about diabetes I found this TedTalk, and while it just confirms what I've already learned, it was still a good watch: https://www.reddit.com/r/type2diabetes/comments/ah0z2p/reversing_type_2_diabetes_starts_with_ignoring/
Dr. Sarah Hallberg is one of the good guys. I believe she's associated with Dr. Stephen Phinney and his Virta Health program. Phinney is one of my LCHF heroes, along with Dr. Timothy Noakes and others. Excellent video.
Yes, Dr. Hallberg is one of the best. She often uses the verb "cure" in a way with which I do not agree, but other than that she presents a cogent understandable case for not treating Type 2 (or even T1 ftm) the way it's been treated over the last 30-40 years.
Maybe this is a good time for me to reiterate the need to be kind to yourself.
You didn't get diabetes overnight. It was not that second piece of birthday cake last month that put your body over the edge. It wasn't the gym trips you missed because you were sick last week. At this point, we don't even know why two people can have the same risk factors but one (or neither) contracts diabetes.
Those news reports of 102-year-old people who smoke and drink whiskey every day? There's more to longevity than we can control. You may have a history that you cannot change, but your response can always change. Diabetes can be managed very well. But it will take engagement on your part -- and, perhaps, some forgiveness.
Know that:
- you are responsible for managing your diabetes. Medical advice can be useful (and, when Rxes have to be written, necessary ;)). But care providers are not you. Even if they are diabetic, too, their instance of diabetes will differ from yours and what works for them may not work for you. Do not let your diabetes (you) be treated like every other case of diabetes and do not get on the treatment train if you're not comfortable with where it's going.
- there is nothing particularly frugal about diabetes. Quality food costs more than heavily-processed empty calories. I've learned there rarely are discounts when ordering out and asking them to leave things off my plate (in fact, sometimes my requested substitution has an upcharge; c'est la vie). There almost undoubtedly will be some communication snafu sometime which will leave you somewhere with something you cannot eat on your plate. Don't feel compelled to eat it because an error was made. Certainly, if you did not get at all what you ordered, do what you need to do. But if croutons arrive on your salad or they leave off the hash browns but (well-meaningly) put fruit on your plate instead, just eat around it. I've suspended my "Clean Plate Club" rule when I don't get to serve myself.
- in our culture, food plays an big role in many gatherings. At some gatherings (like the movies), it's easy to choose not to eat. At others (birthday parties, funeral luncheons), it's not. Eat what you need to, even if it means taking two dollar-bun sandwiches and eating just the turkey inside and filling your plate with celery sticks, broccoli florets, and dip. I know of people who bring string cheese or such with them to ward off such quandaries. At potlucks, I tend to bring something I know I can eat just to have something there (the gluten-free folks will love you for doing this, too).
- if it's a food you really want, have some and be done with it. Unless you know you're the kind of person who can't eat one potato chip without finishing the bag, if the idea of trying a poutine-flavored chip excites you, have one or two. You've tasted it; you're done. If you really want a piece of birthday cake on your plate like everyone else at the party, get the smallest piece you can and enjoy what you want of it and be done. Obsessing on what you cannot eat is a waste of energy -- if you ate some cake and your blood glucose went up 15-20 points? It could go up for some other reason, too. Don't make dietary restrictions so grave that you eventually break training and go overboard.
For me, paying attention to my diagnosis probably made me healthier than I was before I was diagnosed. Now I knew what I was eating and why and I knew I had to start moving. I'm in better shape now than I've been in 10-15 years. Diabetes may be a chronic progressive disease but it does not have to mean the end of things if it's addressed directly and managed well.
Right now I'm on a bunch of meds for my bacterial infection and they are causing me some nausea so the diet part is really easy right now because I don't have the appetite for anything. I just make sure that I eat three small meals a day and I'm okay. I suspect when that changes it will be more a challenge. But I was wondering if you ever do have the occasional carby food, so thanks for sharing that.
And thank you for the advise to not be hard on myself - and a thank you to Kim as well. I'm not sure if I'm beating myself up about it, I probably am. I've had to take pain meds every night since I found out just to be able to sleep. So that does say something. I will try to be mindful of being compassionate with myself.
I've decided to stop taking the glipizide prescribed by my doctor. I picked up an Atkins book because I remembered there being some stuff about diabetes in there and he makes a very valid point for not taking insuling-producing drugs, which is what this is. In addition to increasing insulin levels, it also causes weight gain, stomach issues and headaches. I know that I gained 2 pounds the day after I started taking it. The dosage is small and the diabetes pharmacist said that if I wanted to stop taking it I could (I think she meant down the road, but her point was that the dosage is small and it would not cause a problem).
Stopping the glipizide will help me see how I do on the Metformin and diet alone and I can take it from there. Dr. Atkins felt that the Metformin was a good drug to address diabetes and it can promote weight loss so I feel more comfortable staying on that. Even though I've been on super low-carb, keto I guess, I have only lost 1 lb in over a week and I think it's the glipizide that's been keeping the weight on. Since weight loss is so beneficial for controlling the disease, I want to give myself the best chances. Plus the glipizide has some other concerning issues like the need to be very careful about when you take it and possible low blood sugar issues down the road.
I admit I'm nervous about stopping this medication. We are so conditioned to trust our doctors completely that it feels scary to stop taking it. Deep breath....
Teacher Terry
2-3-19, 5:43pm
I know a lot of people that have lost huge amounts of weight once they went on metformin. My husband lost 50lbs and a friend 90.
I admit I'm nervous about stopping [glipizide]. We are so conditioned to trust our doctors completely that it feels scary to stop taking it. Deep breath....
I am not a doctor so take my medical advice as you will. Frankly, avoiding drugs like glipizide and Januvia are why I tried low-carb/keto first. Metformin is fairly benign as a drug for diabetes; the others can have concerning side effects and, IMHO, should be used only if nothing else (including insulin alone) will work. That's my plan.
Bacterial infections are notorious for bumping up BG as your body fights the infection. Without the infection you may be doing even better than you're measuring now. Take care of the infection and you'll have a much better idea of what you'll need to manage your diabetes.
I see it this way: the American Diabetes Association is happy with BG readings of 180 two hours after a meal. So if you can stay under 200 on diet and metformin alone even now, I don't believe you're risking serious damage. You're measuring your BG regularly so you'll know fairly soon if things are trending in the wrong direction. If they are, start taking the glipizide again.
ApatheticNoMore
2-3-19, 6:51pm
Metformin is fairly benign as a drug for diabetes; the others can have concerning side effects and, IMHO, should be used only if nothing else (including insulin alone) will work.
I agree. Ok, I don't have diabetes and don't stress about it excessively except try to be healthy, but I do have a family member with diabetes, so I read stuff (and maybe worry a bit more than I would otherwise). Metformin actually extends lifespan (with no diabetes just given to healthy people) so I wouldn't worry too much. Some very ugly things with other diabetes drug including genital eating bacteria (but it is rare, but it was in the news). You don't get that with straight insulin as far as I know.
TT - Wow, that's a lot of weight loss from meds alone!
Steve - I didn't know that about bacterial infections. That's actually good news because my 'normal' might be less than it is right now. Thanks!
ANM - according to my pamphlet, metformin can cause some adverse side effects (heartburn, stomach pain, nausea among them) but I don't know how common they are. I suspect dosage and individual tolerance play a big part.
I've been trying to convince dh to move out of the Bay Area, and the role that stress plays in diabetes might be a big determining factor in helping to move him in that direction. We're smack in the middle of Silicon Valley and it is getting so crowded and so expensive (which means more people per dwelling to cover the cost which = ever more crowding) and it's getting stressful just to get around. We've also gotten a huge influx of homeless population in the last few years. And the negatives are quickly starting to outweigh the positives, for me at least. Dh seems to have a very high tolerance for discomfort. But it might be that the reality of dealing with this (progressive) disease makes moving a higher priority.
Teacher Terry
2-3-19, 9:25pm
Northern Nevada keeps getting bigger mainly with people from California leaving. By the time it’s too big I will be dead:)). Lots of great things about the Bay Area but too crowded and too many homeless to live there for us.
I used to love living here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else, but times change. I do hear a lot of people talking about moving to Nevada. My favorite cycle instructor and his wife left to open their own place there. Does your area have room to spread out? Here, there is no more land so housing is getting more and more dense.
Teacher Terry
2-3-19, 10:25pm
Yes there is room. Reno and sparks is about 300k together and Carson is 30 miles away and is 50k. Housing has been going up in price but Californians think it’s super cheap.
Today's reading: 158! :treadmill:
ANM - according to my pamphlet, metformin can cause some adverse side effects (heartburn, stomach pain, nausea among them) but I don't know how common they are. I suspect dosage and individual tolerance play a big part.
I was on metformin for several years due to polycystic ovaries. Pretty high dose. I found there were quite a few things I couldn't eat while taking it because the diarrhea would be so bad. You might want to chart what you are eating and when so you can discuss that with the nutritionist and your Dr at follow-up visits.
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that.
My blood pressure has stabilized - 128 at the doctor's office this morning. And my glucose seems to be improving by the hour. I tested before lunch today because I thought it might be high due to feeling stressed but it came in at 138 without any exercise.
But, the reason I was stressed (well, the main one) is that I've been experiencing blurred vision and it made driving on the highway in the rain quite stressful. I noticed this blurring right after I started my meds and I checked and a couple of them list that as a possible side effect (including the glipizide). I also read up on it in reddit and it seems that when your blood glucose changes it can trigger these vision changes. Since I did change my bg dramatically and very quickly, I thought that might be it and I've been waiting it out. Luckily I have some reading glasses that now function as all the time glasses, but driving was hard because my eyes are not used to using the glasses and it stressed my eyes a lot and my eyes and head were starting to hurt. So I took them off, and I can see enough to drive, but it's nerve-wracking.
Anywho, on reddit they said that it might take a few/couple of weeks for the eyes to adjust to the glucose level changes. But I'm wondering if anyone here has had the same thing happen and if it resolved itself. I'm debating whether I should check with my doctor as well.
I think it's pretty common; I know my SO experienced it.
You may have to get a new prescription as your eyesight improves.
I'm wondering if anyone here has had the same thing happen and if it resolved itself.
I experienced that. "Resolved itself"? Not sure what that means. My opthalmologist told me that changes in (average) blood glucose will affect vision. However, he said if I kept my BG at its new lower level then I should expect the new eyeglasses Rx to hold. And it has. I waited until my BG was stable for a couple of months before I went and got new glasses. At the price of my specs, I wanted to be sure.
The thing is, I can't drive safely right now. I've only ever needed reading glasses, and a mild prescription at that. And I looked up the reddit post and it says it might take a month for the blurred vision to go away: https://www.reddit.com/r/diabetes/comments/4ncjtt/blurry_vision_question/
I just made an appt at the optometrist for an exam on Thursday morning. I'll need something to wear until things settle down. I get the same thing that the person describes in the post above where if I'm outside and it's sunny I see perfectly well, but if it's overcast like today or if I'm inside the house everything is blurry. I'll get something cheap and just plan on retesting in a month or two.
This afternoon I went for a 20-min walk in the rain to relieve some stress. I just tested my glucose (before dinner) and I'm at 103. I'm glad that I stopped taking the glipizide. And I'm so happy that the numbers are dropping so quickly. I just have to figure out how to deal with the side effects of doing so.
Steve - it sounds like maybe your eyesight got better, not worse?
Steve - it sounds like maybe your eyesight got better, not worse?
Well, I'm almost legally blind without glasses, so it's a relative thing. I just noticed that my eyeglasses Rx before BG improvement required me to move my glasses almost off my nose before computer or printed text became clear. I don't know as I'd call it better; just noticeably different.
Well, I'm almost legally blind without glasses, so it's a relative thing. I just noticed that my eyeglasses Rx before BG improvement required me to move my glasses almost off my nose before computer or printed text became clear. I don't know as I'd call it better; just noticeably different.
Oh, okay. That's interesting.
My morning BG reading today was 133, just 3 points away from the 'safe zone'. But I wonder why the upper limit is listed as 130 if anything at 126 or over is diabetic. Shouldn't the safe limit be more like 120 or 125? I think it might keep folks at too high of a level if you stop trying to get it down once you hit 130, so you're technically high all the time.
Steve - I forgot, how low are you able to keep it with just diet alone?
Just found out that my abdominal ultrasound revealed that I have a fatty liver. Luckily, I also found this article that says clinical studies have found that a low-carb diet can produce "rapid and dramatic reductions of liver fat and other cardiometabolic risk factors": https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(18)30054-8
I've also requested a foot exam to test for nerve damage. I get very hot feet sometimes at night (sometimes painfully hot) that I had attributed to perimenopause but now find out that it's one of the more serious signs of diabetes and might indicate nerve damage. The Atkins book also recommends having vitamin B-12 levels tested so I've requested that as well.
Now, my weight... I finally lost the 2 lbs I'd gained with the glipizide. So hopefully something will finally begin to happen.
I know a lot of people that have lost huge amounts of weight once they went on metformin. My husband lost 50lbs and a friend 90.
TT - do you remember how quickly your husband began to lose weight when he started the meds?
I wonder why the upper limit is listed as 130 if anything at 126 or over is diabetic. Shouldn't the safe limit be more like 120 or 125? I think it might keep folks at too high of a level if you stop trying to get it down once you hit 130, so you're technically high all the time.
Interesting question with an involved answer. Some of the factors involved:
- There are many ways to measure BG level -- fasting, after meals, etc. Different values can be expected at different times. A1c is a three-month average of BG level (and uses a different measure than a fingerstick). Add in the fact that BG meters can be off as much as 10-15% per reading and it's smart to build in some "slip". So different numbers are specified.
-Those ol' moving goalposts. There are several well-conducted and -documented studies that show organ damage occurs whenever BG levels hit 140. For years, the ADA was happy with readings of 180 two hours after meals (which meant BG undoubtedly was higher during and up to two hours after a meal). Moving the limit to 130 captures in the net many more people who might have been called "pre-diabetic".
Charitable Steve believes that these folks, statistically, were likely to present with full-blown diabetes relatively soon unless diet and exercise changed significantly with the "pre-diabetes" diagnosis -- and history show that just does not happen for most people -- so it's wise to catch them early. Salty Steve thinks it's a cynical attempt to get more people onto the diabetes treatment express. I have no problem with health care providers giving patients the heads-up about their BG and where they're heading without changes; I'm less kind about the parade of specialists and medications that every T2 is supposed to get simply because they're diabetic.
- Hypoglycemic reactions are serious. They can lead to disorientation, loss of consciousness, or even death. Some diabetics have hypoglycemic unawareness, so they don't even know they're crashing. The line of thinking among medical providers is that BG running high provides a bigger cushion against going hypo. That is true, especially for the folks with hypoglycemic unawareness, but I think its just one more instance of protocol running amok -- that many more diabetics suffer long-term body damage from unnecessarily-high BG levels than the very few who will go low and not even know it. But, again, that's me talking.
Steve - I forgot, how low are you able to keep it with just diet alone?
I've had fasting BGs under 100 a few times. Most mornings I'm in the 120s (dawn phenomenon) but it's my highest reading all day, so I haven't sweated it much. I do know of far more active people on keto who have BGs as low as 80 routinely.
I'll add my 2 cents: It worked for me. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago. I lost about 20 lbs., my A1C is below "diabetes level," and I don't have to use insulin, just Metformin. An added bonus: I suffered from stomach ailments/chronic indigestion all my life. Between the low-carb diet and vegetarianism, most of my tummy ailments have vanished.
Teacher Terry
2-5-19, 7:10pm
It started within weeks
I'm sad today. I had my fourth day of high glucose readings in a row - in the 140's with each day going higher, today was 148. This is with eating low carb and a low dose of metformin and glipizide. My bedtime readings are good, but my fasting won't go down. My headaches have been horrendous because my eyesight is still blurred and I can't get glasses because the blurriness changes. I had an exam last week and got some off-the shelf glasses that seemed to help for a bit and then the headaches came back with a vengeance. I went back yesterday and my eyesight was completely different from a week ago. So I picked up some new glasses but even with those I get very bad headaches.
I talked to the dr and she said that we might need to increase metformin, basically doubling the dose because that's what will take care of the early morning glucose. The problem is that since I have some signs of liver and kidney damage, that is a concern as metformin affects the liver. I'm really sad that I have not been able to bring my numbers down with diet alone. I feel like a failure. I know that's not the case, and I should not be so hard on myself, but it's hard.
I don't know what is more stressful, worrying about possible organ damage because of my high readings, or worrying about possible organ damage from increasing the meds. It sucks.
rosarugosa
2-14-19, 6:24pm
I'm sorry Gelia. That does suck.
I'm so sorry, Geila. What I tell myself with this kind of situation (which I get into with managing my asthma) is how much worse it might have been if I were NOT working on the diet or other lifestyle changes.
If you stave off the meds for a bit or can get by with lower for a bit, that is a win, and you are a success, not a failure.
SteveinMN
2-14-19, 11:25pm
If you stave off the meds for a bit or can get by with lower for a bit, that is a win, and you are a success, not a failure.
This is key. Even if low-carb hasn't been enough to bring your blood glucose down to acceptable levels, it still is lowering the dosage you need and holding off on the severe complications of the illness. Keep fighting the good fight! It's tough now while you're figuring out what works and what doesn't, but you are winning.
Don't forget that the morning fasting number typically is the last one to come down. Has your research or your doctor talked at all about modifying what you eat before you sleep? It's possible that if you ate a little more (or more protein or more fat) before you slept, your blood glucose might not dip as far and then overcompensate (that's just one mechanism for what may be happening). Don't give up on diet having a substantial effect on managing your diabetes.
Thanks guys. And Steve - I've got to hand it to you for being able to stay low-carb for as long as you have. I've been having a hard time since my appetite came back. And of course the desire to stress eat has been strong as well. Add to that the hormonal fluctuations. Uggh. And it makes me mad that I can't eat so many of the usual low-carb snacks because of my food allergies. Woe is me. >:(:( Oh, Steve - I have tried doing some snacks before bed and it has not made much difference in my morning numbers. I have to admit that right now I'm pretty tired of having to be so darned careful with everything I eat and not seeing much results for it.
We've decided to increase my metformin to 1000 mg per day (which I found out is still a low dose, I'm on 500 mg right now and that is a starting min dose) and drop the glipizide. This will hopefully get my numbers down to a normal range, my vision can decide where it's going to be, and I can get some glasses. The issues with my vision are the most stressful right now. I'm pretty much housebound. Dh has to take time off to take me to dr appointments and even then I come home with a screaming headache. I'm going through tylenol like it's candy (and that's not good for the liver either). Not sure how long it takes for metformin to kick in. Hopefully it's fast. We're going to monitor my liver and kidneys to make sure that the increase in metformin doesn't do some damage there.
Geila, are you taking any other medications (like statins) that may be toxic to your kidneys? Your liver should heal once your carb load goes down--fatty liver usually reverses on LCHF diets.
The only other med I'm taking is for high blood pressure. Lisinopril (Prinivil/Zestril) - 10 mg = once a day
My blood pressure was getting much better but on Weds it was high again, I suspect due to stress.
Geila, metformin works pretty fast; you should start seeing results in less than a week.
As for being able to stay low-carb, I was kind of blessed with not having a sweet tooth from birth. I also had some years between being told I had a high A1c and actually taking the news seriously to start eating lower-carb on my own. If I was eating out with friends, I ordered a side salad with my pizza so I didn't eat so many slices, or I'd eat the burger and just pick at the fries (most of which aren't all that memorable). Kind of became a habit, I guess, so when I decided to go really low-carb, it was easier for me than it is for many. Ever see those systems they use on aircraft carriers to slow down landing planes (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/US_Navy_020312-N-7265D-005_F-14.jpg/1200px-US_Navy_020312-N-7265D-005_F-14.jpg)? For some people, going low-carb is ... well, like that. It's not easy for them.
I know the stress is making low-carb even more difficult than it would normally be. And stress causes an increase in blood sugar. I really want to be on the other side of this but I know that won't happen for a few more weeks. Patience is not one of my virtues either. I have to find a middle ground to relieve some of my stress until things even out. It doesn't seem that the process is this difficult for most people. It could be because I was already highly stressed from treating my bacterial infection for the first two weeks of this (I started all the meds the same day - 7 of them). I just thought that things would be letting up by now and I feel just as stressed if not more.
p.s. I'm glad to hear that metformin works quickly. I don't know if I can keep my carbs low right now though. I'm kind of at the cracking point.
Adaptation is easier for some people than for others.
Your body is probably reeling from the infection, dietary changes, antibiotics, new meds, stress...
Unless you try to keep some kind of rein on your carb intake, the process will only take longer.
Make sure you are eating adequate amounts of naturally-occurring fat; that should help with your hunger.
And watch LCHF videos on YouTube. Dr. Stephen Phinney is good, but there are lots of others. I recommended The Magic Pill in another thread. It's available on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Hang in there, Geila. You are making a number of changes at the same time, and it takes our bodies (and our minds) time to adapt to the new ways.
Maybe your BG numbers are not where you want them to be, but they're much better than some of the numbers you've hit, and that's nothing but good news. Don't stress about hitting 100 every time you check. 140 is not terrible; it puts you in the "zone" for only a little while -- and it's way better than 300-something!
You are on the right track. Success will help beget success. Once you've got a steady/higher level of Metformin in you, your eyesight should stabilize and I'm thinking that will help you a lot right now. Then you can consider what you want to work on next. Look at it this way: you're healthier than you were and you're working on getting healthier. It does take time so don't get on your own case about how long it takes; there's no real timetable and at least you're on your way.
Part of the frustration is that I'm being told that I will be able to hit my numbers if I just keep my carbs to 165 grams per day. And yet here I am, feeling guilty and stressed because I've let mine creep up to 30-45 per day, because I feel I should be at 20 or less. I don't know what is more stressful, trying to stay at super low carb or increasing my meds if I need to. It's pretty sad when eating a few crackers makes you feel scared and ashamed.
Part of the frustration is that I'm being told that I will be able to hit my numbers if I just keep my carbs to 165 grams per day. And yet here I am, feeling guilty and stressed because I've let mine creep up to 30-45 per day, because I feel I should be at 20 or less.
165? :0!:help: A non-Olympic-athlete/-hard laborer only needs 25-30 grams of carbohydrates a day to provide the body's glucose needs -- and bodies in ketosis (n.b., not ketoacidosis) can create glucose from protein to satisfy that need, too. The body still needs more calories and vitamins and minerals, but 165 carbs is a huge amount for someone whose body already has problems managing glucose.
Geila, two things:
First, when you measure your carb intake, you should be measuring net carbs -- that's grams of carbohydrate minus grams of fiber, since fiber is not soluble in the body. If you're already measuring that way, okay; if not, you've got some room to add some carbs. I try to hit 30 net carbs a day and that still gives me room for a big salad at lunch and veggies at dinner plus, sometimes, a square of dark chocolate if I have that itch. A couple of crackers (particularly the whole-grain kind) should not send your numbers up to the roof.
Second, please do not feel guilty or stressed about where you are in managing your T2 right now. Your BG was running how high before it was tested? It's now routinely half of that. That's progress and you did that. The diabetes? Your role in that is indeterminate: we don't know why some folks develop diabetes while others with the same environments and risk factors do not. There is no one thing you did that got you here.
You're making some big changes with medication and diet (that infection helped make things a little crazy, too) and it will take some time to right the ship. Keep track of your numbers but don't sweat a jump of 10-15 points unless it adds up every day -- and don't let stress add to everything that's going on now. Find your happy place and visit it; your body and your mind need that right now.
165? :0!
I know. I just nodded and kept my mouth shut. This is what the 'health educator' recommends for women, men get even more carbs. And yet she (the educator), was riding me because my numbers were still high after 2 weeks. It made me feel like crap. I can't imagine how people would be able to lower their glucose on that many carbs. She's probably making them really feel like crap. >:(
My biggest struggle with carbs is in the morning because I'm not hungry then but I need to eat so I can take my pills. And for the BG stability. So I often have some crackers to start me off. I know it's not a good idea because we are more sensitive to carbs in the morning. I might investigate low-carb tortillas and see how that goes. I've been leery of low-carb substitutes, but breakfast has been tough because of my food allergies and the no-appetite thing. It might be the lesser of two evils at this point. I will also look for some lower-carb crackers to replace the saltines. And I might even try baking with some coconut flour.
I had myself a good cry earlier and feel better now. Thanks for the support and encouragement.
Teacher Terry
2-15-19, 10:32pm
I would have told her how few carbs you are actually eating. It seems like you are trying hard so be good to yourself.
SteveinMN
2-15-19, 10:59pm
I would have told her how few carbs you are actually eating. It seems like you are trying hard so be good to yourself.
Oh, don't do that -- it drops the needle in her "ketogenic is dangerous" groove, which segues into the "you can't sustain that diet" tune. >8) I tangled with my "diabetes educator" in the first hour of class, announcing I was managing my BG with a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet, and was patronized for the entire class. Forget her. She has her job to do; you have yours. It's your diabetes, not hers (though my DE was T2 and probably will wonder in another 10-15 years why she feels so bad all the time).
Yeah, saltines are not a great choice -- highly processed. If you can eat them, you'd do better with whole-grain crackers. Or, better, a recipe for keto crackers (or muffins or whatever). Maybe cauliflower-crust bread sticks (though I don't remember if cheese is off your list). Would it be easier to drink something like a smoothie or maybe some hemp milk or something like that?
Teacher Terry
2-15-19, 11:20pm
Don’t listen to me:))
I’m listening along in this thread finding it quite 1) informative and 2) sad. I’m a nurse so I get the whole thing about the healthcare system being less than helpful at times. I’m married to a diabetic (probably type 2 but we’ve stopped dividing it into two types latedly - he was diagnosed after age 45 and takes Janumet), and I observe his experience second hand. Helping where I can, but letting this be his thing to make choices about. After 40 years of asthma and allergies, I’m not about to micromanage someone else’s challenge - god knows I’ve had my share of ridiculous input from the peanut gallery on why asthma is my fault and/or why it’s all in my imagination etc.
My husband has lowered his A1C down into the 6.5 - 6.8 range over time. He started at about 8. He eats moderat amounts, tries to avoid simple carbs when possible, but does not count them. His key to success has been his job for the past 5 years, which involves walking 7-12 miles a day, 4 days a week. He has been able to lose about 30 pounds and his sugars responded well to that. Prior to this job, he ride pedicab which also helped with things, but the work more sporadic and sometimes overwhelming strenuous for a week and then nothing for several weeks. The walking job as an outdoor downtown Phoenix ambassador is more consistent and a little less hard on his 59 year old joints.
I maintain a mindset of acceptance and no blame toward him. It’s so easy for those with chronic illnesses to blame themselves, and the medical establishment will join right in with their shameful agreement. It pisses me off royally.
I guess my point here is to apologize for the high horse that many in our medical system sit upon. And to reiterate that no illness requires a dose of shame for anyone. Between the two of us I deserve the diabetes as I love sugar. But his genetics tipped him into it while mine continues to protect me from it.
I’m impressed with anyone who knows their own body and does what they can to care for them self.
Tammy, this place needs a Like button... Thank you.
Teacher Terry
2-16-19, 11:31am
Tammy I cannot believe anyone would say those things about asthma. People die every year from it. My son got it at 1 and outgrew it by 12. Mine was diagnosed at 50. I can usually get off of my medications for the winter but not this year. I have been having a bad time as are some of my friends with it. No clue what’s different this winter.
"Would it be easier to drink something like a smoothie or maybe some hemp milk or something like that?" (Steve)
I'm not diabetic--at least my occasional finger stick BG tests have never indicated a problem--but I start every day with a loaded coffee with various add-ins including coconut milk and protein powder, sometimes a raw egg, sometimes MCT oil. A smoothie of some kind (spiced pumpkin puree, maybe?) would be less likely to spike your BG than crackers.
There is lots of judgment for people who have T2 diabetes. I know this and it has kept me from talking about my diagnosis with friends and family. I fear they will think I gave it to myself and that it's my 'fault'.
As for breakfast options - I don't like the idea of smoothies because they are so quickly ingested that I think it would not feel like food to me. Also, I don't know how that would work with med absorption. But I did pick up some lower carb crackers and some lower carb seeded bread as well. Too bad I can't eat eggs everyday, that would be ideal. I need to get a hold of some of that coconut flour everyone's talking about. If I had a better appetite in the a.m., soup would be ideal as well. Oh well. Not the end of the world. Just a challenge to work on.
TAs for breakfast options - I don't like the idea of smoothies because they are so quickly ingested that I think it would not feel like food to me. Also, I don't know how that would work with med absorption.
Interesting observation. Weight Watchers assigns points to a smoothie d/t the breakdown already being complete whereas the fruit in it's whole form is zero points.
Teacher Terry
2-16-19, 11:45pm
Some illnesses are self inflicted and the same ones may not be. A example is HBP. Despite being thin, exercising etc I got it because everyone in my family has it. Once I got it I gained weight despite exercising, etc.
This is a wonderful article explaining how I try to view people as they learn to manage their illnesses - whether physical or mental.
https://medium.com/@devonprice/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01
I've noticed over the years that parents with different body types produce children together, the resulting offspring inherit appetites to match. As my aunt (short and plump, married to a tall, lean man) pointed out "Carol can eat bowls of ice cream and never gain an ounce, while Cathy looks at a carrot and gains weight." I've seen this kind of thing too much to blame people for their size. There's a reason some people are insatiable, and it's usually some kind of inherited hormonal issue, like insulin resistance, which we are finally beginning to understand and treat. People with IR are particularly susceptible to our screwed-up dietary/marketing nexus.
This is a wonderful article explaining how I try to view people as they learn to manage their illnesses - whether physical or mental.
https://medium.com/@devonprice/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01
This is a great article. Thanks for sharing, Tammy.
I bought wheat thins and The Rustic Oven seeded bread yesterday. Boy, those wheat thins are tasty. And surprisingly sweet. They are probably not good for long-term because they are too easy to overeat. The Rustic Oven bread is delicious! And very hearty and filling. This one looks like a keeper. I can have 1/2 a slice (the slices are very large) at 12 gr of carbs and it's very satisfying. I also bought some Dave's Killer bread but find it too sweet and too thin, so I know it would be easy to overeat and it doesn't have the same satisfying taste, plus it costs almost twice as much.
Yikes! I've impugned the character of Dr. Greger! It was Dr. Katz who penned the phony reviews. I get them confused because they have similar views, but I came across a book by Katz today, and it jogged my memory. So apologies to Greger who has probably never written a fake review under a ridiculous nom de plume in his life. My apologies, Doc.
Update:
My diabetes is officially under control. My fasting glucose average for the past 2 weeks has been 115. I was able to eliminate the glipizide and found out the horrible daily headaches I was having was because of it (and it's possible the extended blurred vision might have been a result of it as well). I ended up not increasing my Metformin because I was worried about possible liver damage so that has stayed at 500 mg per day. I started the Atkins diet over 2 weeks ago and it has helped a great deal in stabilizing my blood sugar. During the day and at night my sugar is pretty low, usually in the low 90's and sometimes in the 80's, but the fasting has been more difficult to bring down. I found that an Atkins shake before bed helps to bring it down to the low 100's (106 or so is the average when I have the shake).
I've been pleasantly surprised at how good the Atkins website is. They have lots of cool tools for tracking and a very active and positive online community. I've also been relying pretty heavily on the Atkins bars for breakfast, though now I'm trying to cut back on those just to get a more natural diet. And man, they have some really delicious treats! My favorite are their turtles and mound bars. They're called something else of course, but that's what they taste like. So that has helped since I do have a sweet tooth and it keeps me from feeling deprived.
Sadly, my weight loss has not been of the speedy variety. According to my food tracker, I'm eating too many calories. And according to my research the metformin dosage is too low to produce any weight loss. So, the next goal is to bring my calorie intake down and increase my exercise. Oh, well. No easy fix there.
It has been slightly over a month since all this started but it feels like 5 years! I'm still doing lots of dr. appts and bloodwork, just did a tough one yesterday, but it looks like my liver and kidneys are okay. And my lipid panel, ALT and AST are back to normal. And my vision is finally back to normal. I just got a new prescription that is slightly higher than the one from 6-months ago, but I've been able to use my old reading glasses and I can drive again.
Steve - I really want to thank you for all your help and encouragement through all this. It's been such a scary time for me and you helped me so much. Even when I stopped posting about the daily details, I was still rereading through the post for advice and information. It was a huge help.
Sending you a big virtual hug and many, many thanks! :thankyou:
Thanks, Geila! I'm so glad to hear things are moving in a very positive direction for you! :D
Glad to hear your good news Geila! I am always delighted at the helpful information sharing that goes on here, and I'm glad to be a part of this community.
3-month update:
Just got back some of my lab results and my A1c has gone from 12.7 to 5.9! My fasting glucose was 98. And my liver tests (ALT & AST) are both back in the normal range. I'm still waiting on one more test for my kidneys and the follow-up on the bacterial infection. But for now, I am very happy.
If my kidney test comes out well, I will be able to eliminate the very low dose (2.5 mg per day) of blood pressure med I'm on right now. Apparently lisiniprol treats BP and protects the kidneys and since I had signs of kidney damage, the dr. wants to make sure that's okay before removing it. I hope that's the case because the med is giving me periods of light-headedness every day and my BP is pretty good now.
The only other med I'm on is a low dose of metformin, which I will stay on for now. From all accounts, it offers some good benefits and I don't have any adverse side effects on it - I take the extended release form. My weight loss continues to be quite slow, so I'm anticipating staying on the metformin until I can achieve a healthy weight, which might take upwards of a year at the rate I'm going.
But overall I feel that I'm on a good trajectory and that I can achieve a normal A1c on the next test.
p.s. my lipid panels were back in the normal range a couple of months ago, so they were not tested this time.
Wonderful news!
Low carb plans have crept into mainstream diabetes care protocols lately, probably to the dismay of pharma. You're living proof that they work.
Excellent, Geila! Congratulations for making it work and keeping it going!
Kidney test results came in and my kidneys are healthy again! And, no more BP medicine. :)
Teacher Terry
5-3-19, 12:10pm
Great news!
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