diabetes anyone?

[devi (imported)]

Well, the other day I had a fainting spell and got persuaded to be taken to the hospital. My blood pressure was about 120 over 75 (very good) and they said that except for one thing I was actually extremely healthy for being almost 50 yo. But i was possibly a little dehydrated, still fighting a cold, plus my blood sugar level was at 210 (after halfway eating some breakfast). Usually 240 is considered the upper level but given my family history, I have always known that it was only a matter of time before I start feeling the effects of having that diabetic predisposition. I will never be able to party hardy again.

[Paolo]

I have been dealing with Type-2 diabetes since July of 2006.

Contact me privately if you'd like to discuss it.

Very quickly, the ADA suggests a "normal" range of 70-140 mg/dl at any given time, however, it should be no higher than 180 at 1 hour after a meal and 140 at 2 hours after. A fasting reading, or wake-up measurement of 102 indicates the chance of prediabetes. 126 indicates further tests, but probably a diagnosis of Type-2.

Have you had an A1C test yet? If so, what was it?

Glucose tolerance test in the office yet?

If not, then don't panic - yet.

Being ill also raises blood sugars.

If you're running around in the 200-300 range now, there's a good chance that diet and weight loss, combine with exercise, can help avoid the need for medications, or very much reduce the need for a high dose.

Type-2 is the body's inability to process insulin properly - the cell receptors ignore it, basically. More insulin is produced, glucose is not converted to energy, and sometimes the pancreas "burns out" trying to keep up with demand. This is NOT Type-1, often called Juvenile Diabetes, where the pancreas' insulin production cells are destroyed by the body's own immune system and NO insulin is made, or precious little. Meds for Type-2 help move the insulin into the body cells for proper use, thus resulting in glucose use...and lower numbers.

Type-2 can sometimes be controlled by strict diet and exercise alone.

Weight loss is VERY beneficial to glycemic control. Tight control is recommended to avoid complications.

I went from a snug 38" waist to a loose 32", lost about 60 lbs. (30 of it was in one month) and I feel great. My tolerance for foods has also gone up - I can now eat more, and more things than I could before.

Carbohydrates are the key (as obviously is avoiding refined sugar) in diet control to manage Type-2. A low carb or "lowered" carb diet is extremely beneficial, as both Jesus and Krister can attest to my eating habits now! Water intake is also critical. If you like dry red wine, that will knock it down, too...up to 35 points/meal at postprandial (after eating) test time.

Were you given a meter and shown how to use it?

If so, testing is the key to control.

Test when you wake up. Test right before a meal. Test at 2 hours later.

If you're over 140, don't eat that anymore...

And keep a log of everything you ate - EVERYTHING - and log what exercise you got.

Feel free to contact me.

Put "Diabetes" in the subject header, though.

Thanks.

[BudleyBare (imported)]

I, too, am diabetic, type 2, and insulin-dependent. I have been dealing with this "condition" for about 12 years.

The information that Paolo posted is very well stated. Diabetes is NOT something that should be ignored. You won't feel bad or have "symptoms" (like coughing, temperatures, etc.) until after the damage is severe and permanent. In other words, DO NOT IGNORE diabetes.

Initially I had just higher than normal/desired glucose levels, and then when that was consistently the case, I was put on pills. That worked for several years, and ultimately was insufficient to maintain healthy glucose levels. I was then put on insulin. That has worked very well, but the dosage kept increasing. When I finally retired and moved to my permanent home (in Central America) several years ago, I was on approximately 100 units of insulin per day, plus the pills. However, now with diet, moderate exercise, reduced stress levels in my life, clean air, clean water, etc., I have been able to reduce my insulin intake to about 10 units per day (a 90% reduction!). That is a significant improvement, but that is not what I understand is normal for the vast majority of diabetics. If things continue for me as they have been going, there is a chance that I could eliminate the insulin, but I will still need to take the pills.

One reason why I say not to ignore diabetes is that it can affect just about any body organ -- sight, hearing, limbs, kidneys, etc. My neighbor here where I live is a retired surgeon and lost part of his foot last year due to diabetes. In other words, it inflicts damage even on those who know what it all about, as well as those who don't understand the risks. Study everything you can about diabetes, measure your levels regularly and frequently, and find what works for you. For me it was reduced stress and reduced carbs as the primary winners.

[tugon (imported)]

I should ad myself to the list of diabetics. I am currently using pills but would like to lose weight and begin an excercise routine to limit my dependance on the pills. One of the things I hope will help me is a change of jobs. I have had the honor of caring for a gentleman with Alzheimer's disease for three plus years. I stayed with him seven nights a week so he could stay in his home. The downside is my sleep has been in 1-2 hour intervals. Poor sleep habits have been shown to contribute to weight gain, diabetes and lower mental function along with other issues. The first step in improving my health will be a good nights sleep.

[devi (imported)]

There is good news. So far I have gotten my early morning blood sugar down to 130 so far (but 120 is considered the upper limit for normal). I'm working on developing a steady diet of foods that are higher in phytoestrogens but lower in glycemic production. The way I figure it is that folks that have lower hormone levels need to make up for it by eating certain vegetables with a higher estrogen count. (Most estrogens are not the "feminizing estrogens" and are merely good for maintaining a healthy body.) Some people may take testosterone to make up for the lack of hormones but the way I figure that out is that the body turns around and converts the excess testosterone into estrogens anyway which are actually what is good for the body. So that with testosterone there could develop a sort of loop effect with hot flashes in between the initial testosterone phase and the latter feminizing estrogen phases that come later since the body will create feminizing estrogens from testosterone but not from phytoestrogens (plant estogens). So in short I need to lose the potatoes and a few other things from my diet and eat some yams (sweet potatoes) which are high in neutral estrogens instead but without all that butter and brown sugar we tend to put in them. And of course beans never hurt anybody (just the other guy sitting next to you maybe). I am about to embark upon a major study of different foods in a while though.

[Paolo]

Look at this site:

http://www.glycemicindex.com

That will give you a listing of various foods and how they impact blood sugars.

The first thing to remember is that all diabetics are different in what we can tolerate to eat and what we cannot. Such as:

And of course beans never hurt anybody...

Not always true. The only beans I can eat are green beans. One 8 oz. of cup of 15-bean soup mix, beans only, a bit of plain ham, and at 2 hours later, my blood sugar went up to 186 from about 90 - and I ate nothing else with it. Beans are high in fiber, yes, but also high in usable carbs. THAT is what you have to watch out for.

As for the morning readings, it's not unusual for ANYONE to be a touch high in the AM. During the night, as you sleep, you are not eating. Your liver gets excited and dumps glucose. It is called "Dawn Phenomenon". Thus you wake up with a high(er) reading. One way to beat this is if you wake up during the night, have about 5 carbs worth of a snack. I generally sleep from 12-8 or so, and wake up around 4am. MOST of the time. When I sleep all night, I wake up higher than usual. When I eat at 4am, I wake up average to a bit low.

[devi (imported)]

Okay. I have found several sources with glycemic loads and indexes. They differ for some reason on pinto beans (the kind I'm more familiar with). I'm not sure whether it is because of the serving size or the fact that a lot of people refry them (which I don't care for at all). In fact with some Mexican restaurants I have learned to always ask for "frijoles enteros con cebolla". Some sources give an index of 35 while others give 55 which is a huge difference. Maybe it's because of those refried beans that suddenly everybody seems to be eating that is turning folks diabetic at a younger age. That and the mochas they serve nowadays since they always put milk instead of a little rum in them anymore. In fact I have known some anglos say that milk in Spanish is "moca" rather than "la leche". Go figure.