Eating and diabetes

[Peter Parker]

Threads in forums such as this often have a life.

Someone asks a question, there'll be some replies and then it degenerates into trivia or even (on less moderated forums) abuse.

However this thread, on a specialist electronic forum, is different.

It starts with a simple question and ends with a detailed discussion on managing Type II Diabetes that challenges conventional thinking.

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/d...fellow-eevblog-forumer-'amspire'-aka-richard/

It gets onto the topic part way down the first page and it's worth reading all from there.

 

[Nemo30]

Thanks Spiderman

I have had diabetes for several years (on medication 3 times a day). What really annoys me with this particular disease is that everyone is an expert (I'm waiting for all the experts to come along shortly).

Nothing wrong with the thread until he actually gets to the crux of his issue where he says "everyone says diabetics should eat high carb low fat which is wrong".

What a load of rubbish, I have seen many diabetic educators, am a member of many diabetic forums and no where will they tell you to eat high carb. In most cases diabetics are more concerned with carb content than they are sugar content.

 

[westminster]

Yup GI has been the way to go for ages - getting back to unprocessed foods and exercise.

Nemo - I'm not an expert!! But I find a lot of type 2 ers are still on the older style Diabex/metformin which you need to take 3 times a day. There is Metformin XR which you take once a day in the morning and its slow release and produces more even blood sugar levels than the short life version which you take 3 times a day.

 

[Nemo30]

I was on the XR to start with, however I reacted badly to it (trouble breathing). The doctor thought it might have been the special coating which makes it long lasting that I was reacting to. So I went to the 3 times a day dose. I still get some negative side effects from this, but not as bad as the XR.

 

[westminster]

Gotcha scary stuff!

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years now, and manage entirely through diet and exercise.

Many modern foods that are considered mainstream are bad for the diabetic, especially processed grains (like bread ad pasta) and full sugar softdrinks.

Eat lots of salad/veg, plenty of meat/fish, a bit of dairy and the occasional treat, and take regular exercise and the difference is amazing.

 

[The Y-man]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years now, and manage entirely through diet and exercise.

Same here.

The Y-man

 

[weg]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years now, and manage entirely through diet and exercise.

Many modern foods that are considered mainstream are bad for the diabetic, especially processed grains (like bread ad pasta) and full sugar softdrinks.

Eat lots of salad/veg, plenty of meat/fish, a bit of dairy and the occasional treat, and take regular exercise and the difference is amazing.

When type 2 are first diagnosed they can often succeed in controlling it with diet alone.

Continue with a bad diet for too long however and the chances of controlling it with diet diminish.

Severe type 2 on the brink of requiring injections can sometimes avoid those and manage on meds alone too, but once on medication, especially injections, the diet needs to be a decent 'diabetic diet' that includes the right amount of complex carbohydrates like fruit, veg, grains (like wholemeal breads and other non highly refined cereal) and legumes.

Hypos in type 2 on tablets can still be a problem (but no anywhere near as dangerous as any type on injections) so not taking heed of recommeded diets and advice, and listening to 'experts' on the internet is foolish.

 

[Nemo30]

I haven't got mine under control at all, even with medication

I've completely given up bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Pretty much having a meat/fish and veg diet. Not a lot of fruit as that will make it spike sharply.

I've been really trying hard - have been very particular about what I eat and drink and the timings of it. I've had my levels come down from an average of about 15 to about 11. Several times it has gone down to 7 in the afternoon, however next morning it is back to the teens.

I had several cashew nuts and it went to 24!

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Glad I got the weight off because I was heading towards type 2 diabetes the way i was going. it runs in my family.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

When type 2 are first diagnosed they can often succeed in controlling it with diet alone.

Continue with a bad diet for too long however and the chances of controlling it with diet diminish.

Severe type 2 on the brink of requiring injections can sometimes avoid those and manage on meds alone too, but once on medication, especially injections, the diet needs to be a decent 'diabetic diet' that includes the right amount of complex carbohydrates like fruit, veg, grains (like wholemeal breads and other non highly refined cereal) and legumes.

Hypos in type 2 on tablets can still be a problem (but no anywhere near as dangerous as any type on injections) so not taking heed of recommeded diets and advice, and listening to 'experts' on the internet is foolish.

My BGL was 31.8 when first diagnosed, and it took me 4 months to get off the medication. Earlier this year I had a relapse, and saw BGL of 24, but this time it only took 3 weeks to get off the medication.

I've found doing muscle training has helped enormously, but it makes it hard to get shirts that fit.

I'm now off medication again and generally have BGL in the range of 1.8-6.2.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I haven't got mine under control at all, even with medication

I've completely given up bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Pretty much having a meat/fish and veg diet. Not a lot of fruit as that will make it spike sharply.

I've been really trying hard - have been very particular about what I eat and drink and the timings of it. I've had my levels come down from an average of about 15 to about 11. Several times it has gone down to 7 in the afternoon, however next morning it is back to the teens.

I had several cashew nuts and it went to 24!

Don't give up.

It sounds like you may need your med dosage checked but the doctor. Also, how's your body shape?

 

[weg]

I'm now off medication again and generally have BGL in the range of 1.8-6.2.

I was talking generally. Diabetes can respond a differently with different individuals.

It's great however that you can stay that low with a diet that does not eliminate all carbs (eliminating carbs obviously will mean low blood sugar levels but would still mean you're diabetic as evidenced by large spikes when you eat the wrong foods).

Eating your complex carbs with protien as you know would have a very different effect to eating simple sugars on their own too, and if you're eating protien at most meals this would probably be the case with you.

 

[ScottyB]

Wow it seems like there are a huge number of us on the Forum.

My biggest issue is my tri's i take Lipidil to help control it. Great cholest but my HDL/LDL ratio is shocking which runs in the family.

My HBa1C's are excellent better than most non dyabetics.

Recently they found i had a severe Potassium shortage and i was like a lab rat while they tried to get to the bottom of it, they thought at one point it was The Big C related to my adrenal gland but thankfully got the all clear, turns out my reading is "Normal" for me but well below the "Average" range according to the charts.

Don't even get me started on trying to get Critical Illness Insurance when i moved to Oz lol!!!

 

[willair]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years now, and manage entirely through diet and exercise.

Many modern foods that are considered mainstream are bad for the diabetic, especially processed grains (like bread ad pasta) and full sugar softdrinks.

Eat lots of salad/veg, plenty of meat/fish, a bit of dairy and the occasional treat, and take regular exercise and the difference is amazing.

I think that's what it comes down to ,diet and walking for me and drink heaps of water,this link may also help with what to eat and what to stay away from..
http://www.australiandiabetescounci...ng_Healthy_Food_Choices_English_Pictorial.pdf

 

[The Y-man]

I haven't got mine under control at all, even with medication

I've completely given up bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Pretty much having a meat/fish and veg diet. Not a lot of fruit as that will make it spike sharply.

I've been really trying hard - have been very particular about what I eat and drink and the timings of it. I've had my levels come down from an average of about 15 to about 11. Several times it has gone down to 7 in the afternoon, however next morning it is back to the teens.

I had several cashew nuts and it went to 24!

Don't give up.

It sounds like you may need your med dosage checked but the doctor. Also, how's your body shape?

Similar sentiments to VY.

Keep at it Nemo.

You probably already know this, and as VY has pointed out - exercise is crucial - Type II is a "cell" related disease for want of a better term where your cells - particulalrly muscle cells become insulin resistant (i.e. don't respond to insulin). Excercise in simplistic (caution - non-medical layperson info following) terms "creates" fresh new cells that have not yet developed the resistance, and so will 1. store the glucose from your blood into the cell structure 2. burn the fuel. Doing muscle training like VY would also develop more mitochondria which are the "fuel burning" units found in cells.

All the best.

The Y-man

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I was talking generally. Diabetes can respond a differently with different individuals.

It's great however that you can stay that low with a diet that does not eliminate all carbs (eliminating carbs obviously will mean low blood sugar levels but would still mean you're diabetic as evidenced by large spikes when you eat the wrong foods).

Eating your complex carbs with protien as you know would have a very different effect to eating simple sugars on their own too, and if you're eating protien at most meals this would probably be the case with you.

I understand, and agree.

I'm very fortunate in that while my BGL is under control, it seems to stay under control. I periodically 'stress test' myself, by eating a big meal of bread or pasta, or something high in simple sugars, and then test my BGL. Generally my BGL doesn't exceed 6.2 even under heavy sugar load, so I know I'm doing OK. Of course, I don't do this too often, and also don't use the results as an excuse to eat whatever I like.

Although I'm possibly wrong, I firmly believe that my diabetes (or at least the two times in my life when my BGL peaked out) was caused by a combination of poor diet, stress and being too fat. As such, I am now doing what I can to manage each of these. The result has been two instances of very high BGL in the last 10 years (the most recent being 3 months ago). For whatever reason, my diabetes doesn't seem to fit the standard profile, but I'm not taking any chances.

Also, I feel better and am stronger and fitter now at age 37 than at any time since I was about 17. This is a huge positive, and makes watching my health well worth the effort.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

Similar sentiments to VY.

Keep at it Nemo.

You probably already know this, and as VY has pointed out - exercise is crucial - Type II is a "cell" related disease for want of a better term where your cells - particulalrly muscle cells become insulin resistant (i.e. don't respond to insulin). Excercise in simplistic (caution - non-medical layperson info following) terms "creates" fresh new cells that have not yet developed the resistance, and so will 1. store the glucose from your blood into the cell structure 2. burn the fuel. Doing muscle training like VY would also develop more mitochondria which are the "fuel burning" units found in cells.

All the best.

The Y-man

Thanks for that, I didn't know that about mitochondria. Since relapsing 3 months ago I've learnt a whole lot more about the relationships between food, energy, insulin and fat, and this is one more piece of the puzzle.