Diabetes

[Buppies]

You are correct sir

 

[txdon]

This is what I have learned. Your experience will probably be different. But most important, OWN IT. I had a friend who was feeling sorry

Good advice!! I know everything I eat will either nurture my body or build up plaque in my heart. I own it!
Of the three choices I drew heart disease but I have learned it is a food born disease and I can control what goes in my mouth.

 

[txdon]

Don, thank you. I need real food. That stuff was tea and gruel. Maybe that's what it takes.

You asked about fasting not one of my delicious plant based recipes. This package mimics a 5 day fast with minimal selected beverages and food in 3 daily servings. You will loose 10 lbs. easy without hurting your body. This is like a cheating fast with the same results but easy on your body. Mostly a tea, soup, crackers, desert. The Tea has a liquid additive that keeps you blood sugar stable. You don't want to pass out when you are fasting. You may not be eligible you have to talk to a On-line DR. that interviews you.

 

[MossyDell]

what is the current thinking on sugar substitutes? I drink Diet 5 cran mango or cran something and I wonder if the artificial sweetener is just as bad for me as the sugar.
plain water is so boring...
what else to drink that is refreshing and not glycemic? Iced tea? Fizzy water?

Don, thanks for info on fat. Well.....maybe after planting tulips today I'll go for a long walk. With my arthritis and plantar fasciites, walking is no longer fun for me, but
being sick or really unhealthy is even less fun for sure.

saw three docs in last week. Two thought fasting was good. Appears morning food very important.
any suggestions here for a newbie faster?

I drink herbal iced tea! Raspberry Zinger for me, and I love it.

 

[daugen]

decaf herbal iced tea sounds like a winner and not hard to make from tea bags versus per bottle price.
Just need a nice container for fridge. And if I wanted to sweeten it at all, is Truvia a healthy enough alternative?

I just worry that anything sweet is tricking some sweet sensor in my system that starts some unwanted hormonal increases.

all that cereal I've been eating. The good stuff, Kashi, whole grain, nuts, cheerios, etc.
but now I know it just runs to sugar.
If I wasn't prediabetic, I honestly wouldn't care and would gobble down every roll in sight. Not any more.
But I do love getting my required dose of blueberries on cereal. I eat cereal for roughage, though maybe subconsciously due to the sugar...,
thinking it was good for me.

I'm guessing a rice cereal would be better. Breakfast is a problem. Other than eggs and meat, what else to eat?
Doc told me he'd rather see me eat leftovers from night before than cereal, muffins and heavy carbs.
What sticks to you? Oatmeal?

I can't eat eggs every morning.

Oatmeal. Broccoli. Blueberries. All good for me.
Weren't oats supposed to be good for your heart? Or did they have to retract that too?
Health claims for food are pretty restricted now.

reminds me I have a variety of oatmeals in cupboard. Looks like it's time to try them out.

 

[m7040]

Over the years living with Type 2, I have learned certain facts:
1. Diabetes is not curable, but can be tolerable.
2. Every person with diabetes reacts different to certain foods and meds or treatments.
3. A dietition is good for education and learning about nutrition.
4. It is good to talk with your doctor. That also is education and learning about diabetes and possible treatments.
5. If you MUST eat foods you do not like, learn about spices and make it to your liking. I hated broccoli. Learned a better way to cook it with some spice. Love it now.
6. Your doctor, your dietition, and your wife can tell you what to do. BUT, only you knows what you can do and are willing to do. For that reason alone, take charge of your own treatment and rules.
8. If you are not successful maintaining diabetes, it is not your doctors fault. LEARN how it works and do the best you can. Own it.
9. If diabetes is the wagon, we ALL fall off and then try to get back on. Never give up. It is not so hard to do well. It is very difficult to continue to do well as the years pass. Some foods are just so good they deserve to be served. Maybe not eaten.
10. For me, Insulin is NOT THE answer, only the last answer. It must be used responsibly. Too much insulin is the road to weight gain. Weight is the circle that increases insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can mean more insulin is needed.

This is what I have learned. Your experience will probably be different. But most important, OWN IT. I had a friend who was feeling sorry for himself because he found he was diabetic. I asked him - which would you choose - diabetes - heart attack - cancer? Of course he responded Diabetes. Then we are lucky, be grateful and do the best you can. Take care.

And about sweeteners. Like Splendia and Stevia. They are great tools to help remove sugar from the things you like. Stevia is good if used in drinks. Splenda can be substituted for a certain amount of sugar and will bake.

Thank you for posting this. I have learned this as well over the years. The only thing I may add is to be tested for A1C and cholesterol on a regular basis to monitor levels and make corrections as needed

 

[ArlyA]

All those artificial sweeteners have hormonal side effects which are bad. That doesn't mean we can't consume them, but large amounts are BAD for us. Like many things, moderation is the key.

 

[Bocephous]

Interesting information on cholesterol, for those interested.

 

[ljjhouser]

decaf herbal iced tea sounds like a winner and not hard to make from tea bags versus per bottle price.
Just need a nice container for fridge. And if I wanted to sweeten it at all, is Truvia a healthy enough alternative?

I just worry that anything sweet is tricking some sweet sensor in my system that starts some unwanted hormonal increases.

all that cereal I've been eating. The good stuff, Kashi, whole grain, nuts, cheerios, etc.
but now I know it just runs to sugar.
If I wasn't prediabetic, I honestly wouldn't care and would gobble down every roll in sight. Not any more.
But I do love getting my required dose of blueberries on cereal. I eat cereal for roughage, though maybe subconsciously due to the sugar...,
thinking it was good for me.

I'm guessing a rice cereal would be better. Breakfast is a problem. Other than eggs and meat, what else to eat?
Doc told me he'd rather see me eat leftovers from night before than cereal, muffins and heavy carbs.
What sticks to you? Oatmeal?

I can't eat eggs every morning.

Oatmeal. Broccoli. Blueberries. All good for me.
Weren't oats supposed to be good for your heart? Or did they have to retract that too?
Health claims for food are pretty restricted now.

reminds me I have a variety of oatmeals in cupboard. Looks like it's time to try them out.

Looks like you need some ideas.
Breakfast - You don't need to end what you like. But start by moderating it. Some cereal may not affect you much. Add different things on different days. Find a bread which has less carbs and more fiber (insoluable fiber). Put peanut butter and sugar free jelly on it. Peanut butter adds a little protein. Or a slice of bread and one or two slices of cheese - then heat - cheese toast - more fiber.
Or eat 4 oz of almond nuts.
Just moderate what you eat the best you can. Eat protein EVERY meal.
Also, some candy bars are "sugar free." HOWEVER most have a healthy serving of SUGAR ACLOHOLS - and they usually almost have the same effect as sugar.
You will most likely find something that is better for you than cereal and chose it most mornings.
I found cereal to be very expensive and not all that good for me anyway.

It is NOT about being perfect. That may lead to failure altogether. It is more about changing for the better and being SAFE.

Perfect may be found to be insurmountable.

The average A1C in the U.S. of Type 2 diabetics is 8.4. That is not safe. I suspect that many with diabetes try to solve it in a day.. ... won't work. And give up becoming "non-compliant".

Let's think of it like this.

Below is a list of foods that will not affect you in a bad way if you abuse them.

...???...

Now the choice is yours. Choose better, leave worst.
Sorry, didn't mean to write so much. Best Wishes. It's a great life, EVERY day.

 

[ArlyA]

Looks like you need some ideas.
Breakfast - You don't need to end what you like. But start by moderating it. Some cereal may not affect you much. Add different things on different days. Find a bread which has less carbs and more fiber (insoluable fiber). Put peanut butter and sugar free jelly on it. Peanut butter adds a little protein. Or a slice of bread and one or two slices of cheese - then heat - cheese toast - more fiber.
Or eat 4 oz of almond nuts.
Just moderate what you eat the best you can. Eat protein EVERY meal.
Also, some candy bars are "sugar free." HOWEVER most have a healthy serving of SUGAR ACLOHOLS - and they usually almost have the same effect as sugar.
You will most likely find something that is better for you than cereal and chose it most mornings.
I found cereal to be very expensive and not all that good for me anyway.

It is NOT about being perfect. That may lead to failure altogether. It is more about changing for the better and being SAFE.

Perfect may be found to be insurmountable.

The average A1C in the U.S. of Type 2 diabetics is 8.4. That is not safe. I suspect that many with diabetes try to solve it in a day.. ... won't work. And give up becoming "non-compliant".

Let's think of it like this.

Below is a list of foods that will not affect you in a bad way if you abuse them.

...???...

Now the choice is yours. Choose better, leave worst.
Sorry, didn't mean to write so much. Best Wishes. It's a great life, EVERY day.

You got that right, a A1C at 8.4 is not good and will give you complications which will kill. Someone stated earlier that "all fruits are good" which is not the case. For example, banana's are caloric intense and I can't only consume 1/3 at a time or my BG will go through the roof. Things are like apples are the apposite and do nothing to raise my blood glucagon. When i got a CGM*, it changed my eating habits, reduced my A1C and improved my life very much.. But if you like to eat like I do, then exercise is your freind. That is the more you move around, then the more you can eat care free.

* What is continuous glucose monitoring? Continuous glucose monitoring automatically tracks blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar, throughout the day and night. You can see your glucose level anytime at a glance. You can also review how your glucose changes over a few hours or days to see trends.

 

[ljjhouser]

You got that right, a A1C at 8.4 is not good and will give you complications which will kill. Someone stated earlier that "all fruits are good" which is not the case. For example, banana's are caloric intense and I can't only consume 1/3 at a time or my BG will go through the roof. Things are like apples are the apposite and do nothing to raise my blood glucagon. When i got a CGM*, it changed my eating habits, reduced my A1C and improved my life very much.. But if you like to eat like I do, then exercise is your freind. That is the more you move around, then the more you can eat care free.

* What is continuous glucose monitoring? Continuous glucose monitoring automatically tracks blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar, throughout the day and night. You can see your glucose level anytime at a glance. You can also review how your glucose changes over a few hours or days to see trends.

When I first found I was diabetic, I used a lot of test strips. I profiled all the foods I liked a lot. (tested before eating the food, tested again just after eating it, and tested again 2 hours later to see if the number came down or remained up). I used to love orange segments and my wife would keep a bowl in the frig. for me. I found 3 orange segments would raise my number by 200 and stay there for most of the day. I haven't eaten an orange since.

You are right about certain foods, and the need to modify their use.
And all fruits are good, but not all fruits are good for a diabetic. It depends on the effect a fruit has on the each person's blood sugar.

On days I don't have time to eat before leaving the house, I cut up and apple in thin slices. It doesn't raise my numbers and keeps me from (at times) feeling sick.

I am glad you mentioned the use of apples. Glad you can use them. They have been a great "safety net" for me.

 

[daugen]

I am blessed to live in between two apple orchards, and every night my dessert is a local apple.
Now I have to try to wean myself off bread and cereal.

lot to learn here, appreciate everyone sharing their experiences

 

[Bocephous]

An apple with about a quarter cup of Smucker's natural peanut butter (chunky) is my version of dessert everyday. I cut the apple in thin slices and use them to scoop the pb. The fat in the pb probably slows the absorbtion of glycogen into my bloodstream, and I need the calories, so it is a win/win.

 

[ljjhouser]

To the OP - Interesting - it is easy to see that something a person knows nothing about and never thought of it, Then you find it is something that you must tend to along with so many other friends. How clear that none of us are in this alone. Looks like the day we found diabetes, we join a pretty large group of learning and changing people. I think that is a good thing. Illness would be so much difficult if it was something the you were only one of a very few.

 

[daugen]

sometimes we are like old boat bottoms, we seem to collect barnacles and junk along the way
finally have to scrape them off, somehow, some way

and sometimes neglect has done too much damage and there are consequences.

got myself a couple of new fridge containers, and brewed myself first batch of peppermint tea.
Going to finish off the last of the Diet 5 fake juice stuff and try the decaf herbal tea instead.
Also ordered a digital BP cuff. Too many 145's to ignore.

hard to keep it between the reds and the greens at times

 

[D2Cat]

I reversed diabetes. Has any certified dietitian done the same?

I'll say it again: I. Reversed. Diabetes.

It is gone.

Find that dietitian who has done so.

If not: then stop killing people and listen to science and experience.

I reversed diabetes as have tens of thousands of people.

Though you mean well, your dietitian has never reverse diabetes.

People with diabetes already face a medical community that treats them as though they have an incurable disease, a disease they brought upon themselves. Your dietitian/master degree MD/whatever was taught that diabetes is an incurable, progressive disease that at best is managed.

This isn't a political thing, this is a life thing and people with type 2 have unwittingly eaten their way into type 2 and they can knowingly eat their way out of type 2 diabetes though diet alone.

Although you mean well, your skepticism leads people to their deaths.

I understand this post is 6 years old, but I am responding because the poster seems to think all diabetics can self cure. He did, and wants to find a dietitian who has done so with their advise and has an outspoken rebellion against their education.

Folks with type 2 diabetes have a pancreas that produces "some" insulin. They can control their BS levels with various foods and exercise, and sometime need meds to help that control.

My guess the poster I am responding to fits this category. He likely changed his eating habit, eating volumes, increased exercise and got off of med and achieved a lower BS reading.

There are many diabetics who are type 1. Their body produces virtually no insulin. They require insulin for their body to use the food they eat. This condition is confirmed with a C-Peptide test. This tells exactly how much insulin the body produces.

Type 1 diabetics do not get cured by changing diet, food volumes, or exercise. Their body still needs insulin. The change in diet, food volumes, and exercise will impact the efficiency of the use of the insulin. They will need insulin as long as they are alive, and at this point there is no know way to get the human body to start producing insulin again.

This is why type 1 diabetics often use an insulin pump. It can be set to provide a per-planned insulin amount to be injected moment by moment to somewhat replicate the pancreas. Then larger amounts of insulin can be injected when needed for meals. Somewhat of an artificial pancreas.

Just a heads up to let folks know there are some that will never be cured. Don't let the uninformed belittle you because of their ignorance.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I understand this post is 6 years old, but I am responding because the poster seems to think all diabetics can self cure. He did, and wants to find a dietitian who has done so with their advise and has an outspoken rebellion against their education.

Folks with type 2 diabetes have a pancreas that produces "some" insulin. They can control their BS levels with various foods and exercise, and sometime need meds to help that control.

My guess the poster I am responding to fits this category. He likely changed his eating habit, eating volumes, increased exercise and got off of med and achieved a lower BS reading.

There are many diabetics who are type 1. Their body produces virtually no insulin. They require insulin for their body to use the food they eat. This condition is confirmed with a C-Peptide test. This tells exactly how much insulin the body produces.

Type 1 diabetics do not get cured by changing diet, food volumes, or exercise. Their body still needs insulin. The change in diet, food volumes, and exercise will impact the efficiency of the use of the insulin. They will need insulin as long as they are alive, and at this point there is no know way to get the human body to start producing insulin again.

This is why type 1 diabetics often use an insulin pump. It can be set to provide a per-planned insulin amount to be injected moment by moment to somewhat replicate the pancreas. Then larger amounts of insulin can be injected when needed for meals. Somewhat of an artificial pancreas.

Just a heads up to let folks know there are some that will never be cured. Don't let the uninformed belittle you because of their ignorance.

It was obvious in the context of the thread that I was speaking about type 2 diabetes because we were not discussing Type 1 diabetes. Type 1s are born that way and your remark, "Don't let the uninformed belittle you because of their ignorance" against my person is both unwarranted and unappreciated.

 

[ArlyA]

Type 1 is not necessarily born with. Both you guys got things wrong.. Still won't hate you for that.

 

[D2Cat]

It was obvious in the context of the thread that I was speaking about type 2 diabetes because we were not discussing Type 1 diabetes. Type 1s are born that way and your remark, "Don't let the uninformed belittle you because of their ignorance" against my person is both unwarranted and unappreciated.

Here's what you said that indicates you are uninformed.

"People with diabetes already face a medical community that treats them as though they have an incurable disease, a disease they brought upon themselves. Your dietitian/master degree MD/whatever was taught that diabetes is an incurable, progressive disease that at best is managed."

 

[D2Cat]

Type 1 is not necessarily born with. Both you guys got things wrong.. Still won't hate you for that.

Who/where is it said someone with type 1 is born with it?