Diabetes

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By the way, my husband DID go to a diabetes counsellor -- a nurse practicioner dietician. I could-have-should-have gone as well, but when he was diagnosed with high cholesterol I went to a dietician for him and she didn't know as much about nutrition as I did, was more overweight than both of us put togehter, and simply dismised any questions I had about new products on the market. So this time I passed on it. I say 'thank you mom & dad" because I was raised with good nutrition. My husband's diabetes has been very easily (at this point) controlled by diet and exercise .... because I was already cooking healthy food. He's just had to control how much of it he eats and when he eats it. Wine and beer have all but disappeared (it counts as carbs) but his beloved scotch is OK. When he wants beer or wine, it counts and he counts it. Also he'll carefuly measure out a bloody mary, and count THAT as his afternoon snack occaisionally. We both realize that diabetes is a snowball going downhill. We're putting off insulin for as long as we possibly can.

I heard on the radio that they are doing tests for athsmetic diabetics for an inhaler that also delivers insulin. Interesting. Anyone know anything about it? (Yes, hubby is also athsmatic).
 
Some more bad news;

Last week I went to the doctor's office for my annual physical exam. The blood test results came in the mail yesterday, and it says that my blood sugar level is high.

The doc wrote on the bottom of the letter saying that I've been diagnosed with early diabetes.

Does anyone know what the treatment is for having too much sugar in the blood? I know that insulin shots or pills is taken for people who don't have enough sugar in the blood system. What is the treatment for those who have too much?

I made an appointment to see him (tomorrow) as he suggests.


~Corey123.
 
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The role of insulin in the body
The main job of insulin is to keep the amount of sugar in the bloodstream within a normal range. Here's what happens during digestion:
- After eating a snack or a meal, sugar and other nutrients enter the bloodstream as the body digests food.
- Carbohydrates, protein and fats are three types of nutrients found in food. Although all three affect the amount of sugar in the bloodstream, carbohydrates affect it the most.
  • Protein is essential for building and maintaining your muscles, bones, organs and other tissues and to keep your body functioning.
  • Fat is important for vital body functions such as making hormones, building cell walls and storing energy.
  • Carbohydrates provide the quickest form of energy--they are converted into glucose, or blood sugar, when they reach your bloodstream.
- During digestion, carbohydrates break down into sugar and enter the bloodstream in the form of glucose, a simple sugar.

- The pancreas responds to this rise in the amount of sugar in the bloodstream by producing insulin.

- Insulin must be present in the bloodstream to allow sugar — the body's main energy supply — into the body's tissues.

Insulin also influences the liver, which plays a key role in maintaining normal blood sugar levels. After eating, when insulin levels are high, the liver accepts and stores extra sugar in the form of glycogen. Between meals, when insulin levels are low, the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of sugar, keeping blood sugar levels within a narrow and normal range.

When your body notices that the sugar level is elevated, it is a sign that you have more sugar than you need right now, your body is not burning it and therefore it is accumulating in your blood. So insulin is released to take that sugar and store it. How does it store it? Glycogen? Your body stores very little glycogen at any one time. All the glycogen stored in your liver and muscles would not last you through 1 active day. Once you have filled up your glycogen stores, that sugar is stored as saturated fat.

So the idea of medical professionals recommending a high complex-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat diet is absolutely a mistake. A high complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing more than a high-glucose diet, or a high-sugar diet. Your body is just going to store it as saturated fat, and the body makes it into saturated fat quite readily. Insulin normally allows body tissues, such as the muscles, to take up the blood sugar glucose, the body's prime energy source. In those with diabetes due to a lack of normal insulin or insulin resistance, blood sugar rises, a condition that can lead to tissue damage.

Your body's principal way of getting rid of sugar, because it is toxic, is to burn it. The sugar which your body can't burn will be rid of by storing it as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat. If you eat sugar your body will burn it and you stop burning fat. Another major effect of insulin on fat is it prevents you from burning it. What happens when you are insulin resistant and you have all this insulin floating around all the time? You wake up in the morning with an insulin level of 90.

Treatment at this stage is to improve your diet to include more fresh fruits and veggies, more whole grains and lean proteins & less sugary foods and highly processed carbohydrates. Exercise daily will help keep your body and muscles active.
 
Thanks for the heads-up.

This ia all new to me. Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, two of my brothers had developed the disease. One of them died and the other is still alive.

So now, I gotta try to set an example for him. I should know a little bit more on this when I see my doctor tomorrow.


~Corey123.
 
Corey, it was my understanding that you need the insulin to help get rid of the sugar in your blood. So you would need to have insulin.

The good news is that if you regulate your diet and exercise, often you can minimize the amount of insulin you need. Some folks can even do without insulin when they are very strict with their diet and exercise.

Forgive me if I am repeating info you already have. I tend to skim very long posts when I am short of time and go back to read them all later. Best of luck.
 
Alix said:
Corey, it was my understanding that you need the insulin to help get rid of the sugar in your blood. So you would need to have insulin.

The good news is that if you regulate your diet and exercise, often you can minimize the amount of insulin you need. Some folks can even do without insulin when they are very strict with their diet and exercise.

Forgive me if I am repeating info you already have. I tend to skim very long posts when I am short of time and go back to read them all later. Best of luck.
Alix,
Corey, might not need insulin if he is still producing his own. What happens is the cells become insulin resistant and don't do their job. We now have drugs that help increase the insulin our cells use. This along with a insulin stimulator such as amaryl which forces the pancreas to produce insulin usually get the job done. If Corey's doc is up on these meds he might suggest them, as time goes on the stimulator somethines can be lowered or dropped, once under tight control some are able to control with diet and exercise alone.
Hang in there Corey, read, read, read,!!! And get a meter and strips and test for all your worth.

kadesma:)
 
BrianMorin said:
I think your link sould be changed. I have changed it in the exaple in your quote. It should work now...
Thanks. How odd. I had copied and pasted that link from an email I had from the group, and it worked when I first posted it. I retyped it in now (exactly the same as what was there), and it works again now. Weird.

:) Barbara
 
Lady C, that was quite informative.

Thing with my daughter is, that she was eating so many sweets and starches, that even a normal insulin level wouldn't have been able to handle it.

But she wasn't normal. Diabetes runs in her dad's family.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not glad she's been diagnosed with this disease. But I have been so worried about her health, because of her size and mental attitude, that I am glad that something has finally happened to call her attention to taking care of herself.



:(
 
Constance said:
Lady C, that was quite informative.

Thing with my daughter is, that she was eating so many sweets and starches, that even a normal insulin level wouldn't have been able to handle it.

But she wasn't normal. Diabetes runs in her dad's family.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not glad she's been diagnosed with this disease. But I have been so worried about her health, because of her size and mental attitude, that I am glad that something has finally happened to call her attention to taking care of herself.
:(

Ignorance may be bliss, but it is not healthy. Before I knew I was diabetic, I used to drink full-sugar soda, especially root beer. When somone near me would opt for a sugar free version, I would look at the foam disapearing on the top and state; "This is my version of diet pop. When the foam is gone, I'll have less to drink than a full glass, and it tastes a lot better than your diet pop."

Just before I was diagnosed, I did something unusual for me. I purchased a quart container of chocolate milk, intending to take it home. But before leaving the store parking lot, I opened the carton and took a sip. It tasted soooo good. And then, before I left the parking lot, there was no chocolate milk left in the carton. I bought another carton and took it home for the family.

I was never one to eat a lot of sweets, or drink a lot of pop. But occasionally, I'd indulge. Coupe those occasional indulgences with starchy potatoes, processed grains, etc., etc... There is no doubt in my mind that my ignorance about sound nutrition had a major role in my becoming a type-2 diabetic at age 40.

That is why I rarely make rich, starchy or sweet foods, though I know how to make them way too well. I have found that I enjoy healthier foods just as much, and now prefer the flavors of whole grains, nuts, and fresh fruits and veggies over the highly porcessed versions that I consumed for forty years of my life. But I still enjoy the flavor of cooked animal fat more than I should. That fat on the outside of a charcoal grilled steak has amazing flavor. But I gridgingly give it to the dog :( .

For anyone reading this thread, remember, teaching children to enjoy wholesome foods starts in the womb. What you eat is tasted by your child, through the flavors secreted in the amniotic fluid. That child develops memories in the womb that is carried into life at birth.

Teaching and giving your kids sound nutrition will help them throughout their lives. And as always, example is the best teacher. If you want your kids to enjoy better health, eat healthy foods yourself. If you don't give them that knowledge , and help them develop a taste for a wide variety of foods, you are cheating them, and actually doing them harm. And I suspect from the caliber of people on this site, that there is not a parent or grandparent in the group that wouldn't give their children and grandchildren every advantage in life that they could.

I wish I'd known what I know now, twenty years ago. I might not be diabetic if I had.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
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Don't we all wish we had known earlier. Diabetes is on my side of the family, but I haven't been diagnosed even though I do have neuropathy in my feet. My dh was diagnosed a few months ago even tho he is not overweight nor does his family have any history of diabetes. We are both doing the carb counting as directed by his educator and exercising a lot. I have lost 14 lbs and my bp was 116/60 which is down but I'm hoping to lose a few more lbs.
 
I am a type 2 diabetic with a weight problem...but I have lost nearly 60 lbs by exercising, and controlling what I eat. I take a medicine called Actos, and keep track of anything I eat.

I exercise 5 times a week using a dvd of "The Biggest Loser" work out. You can use a low impact workout available on there, it has done wonders for me...check it out.

I stay away from carbs if I can.
 
kadesma said:
Alix,
Corey, might not need insulin if he is still producing his own. What happens is the cells become insulin resistant and don't do their job. We now have drugs that help increase the insulin our cells use. This along with a insulin stimulator such as amaryl which forces the pancreas to produce insulin usually get the job done. If Corey's doc is up on these meds he might suggest them, as time goes on the stimulator somethines can be lowered or dropped, once under tight control some are able to control with diet and exercise alone.
Hang in there Corey, read, read, read,!!! And get a meter and strips and test for all your worth.

kadesma:)



Thanks for the help, guys!!

The doctor prescribed some Metformin, if any of you are familiar with that
kind.
Since he said that I'm just borderline (type 2) right now, this medicine should help keep the excess blood sugar under control.

No insulin shots are needed, nor do I need to check my blood sugar level on a daily basis. That will be done during office visits.

He did however, recommend that I make an appointment to visit a Diabetes Center that's located near my hospital to get some curriculum on the disease and to find out about a diet and exercise program to lose weight and keep the sugar level under control. They may recommend a detection device themselves.

I can still drink alcohol he said, but only two drinks a day. Don't indulge too much into that, because alcohol has a very high sugar content - especially vodka, which is my favorite liquor.

I shudder to think about it, but I might have to drink diet soda as an alternative to regular soda. I'll know more as I go along. I DID buy a scale today to help keep track of my weight.


~Corey123.
 
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Corey123 said:
Thanks for the help, guys!!

The doctor prescribed some Metformin, if any of you are familiar with that
kind.
Since he said that I'm just borderline (type 2) right now, this medicine should help keep the excess blood sugar under control.

No insulin shots are needed, nor do I need to check my blood sugar level on a daily basis. That will be done during office visits.

He did however, recommend that I make an appointment to visit a Diabetes Center that's located near my hospital to get some curriculum on the disease and to find out about a diet and exercise program to lose weight and keep the sugar level under control. They may recommend a detection device themselves.

I can still drink alcohol he said, but only two drinks a day. Don't indulge too much into that, because alcohol has a very high sugar content - especially vodka, which is my favorite liquor.

I shudder to think about it, but I might have to drink diet soda as an alternative to regular soda. I'll know more as I go along. I DID buy a scale today to help keep track of my weight.


~Corey123.
Corey,
I use to use metformin/glucophage, it worked really well after I was taken of Rezulin a cell enhancer that caused problems for some. The metformin works by slowing down the secretion of glucose into the blood stream from the liver. It can cause a tummy ache off and on for a week or two but it will cease and things will return to normal. It also can cause gas, but not bad, and it's well worth it as it does a great job. But I have to say this that testing your b/g levels is so important, that is how we learn about our bodies and how they react to meds and carbs, protiens in our diet..Leaving it to doctor visits only is not enough, how can we know where our levels are this way? How do we learn how much bread or rice to eat without testing? I really feel you need to talk to a diabetes educator about it..Course I'm a nut about it, but I've had wonderful HBA1c's the past 15 years and my endocrinologist had to admit it was all the testing that I've done..Sorry to get on the old soap box, but like I said I'm a nut about my blood pressure and testing:LOL: Good luck..I'm happy to help anyway I can.
kadesma:)
 
DH has been testing his blood sugar daily at least and sometimes more. We are both doing the plan the diabetic educator gave us, he with 55 carbs or less a meal, me with 45 or less. I am still doing the water class and have lost 14 pounds since I've been going, but am planning to drop Curves and do the water class 5 days a week. I go early and get more exercise and swim some. I also have been swimming at home since the water got warm. I want to lose 20 pounds more, but it certainly isn't coming off as soon as I wanted. My bp has dropped to 116/60, so I'm hoping to come off the bp medication when I've made a little more progress. Will see.
 
I'm appreciating this thread ... hubby at this time has problems with wine and beer, but not distilled booze (look at the carb counts). I think my biggest problem was addressed by a cousin of mine who I hadn't been in touch with for years. She calls it "the diabetes uglies". Anyone supportive of diabetics but not one themselves want to chime in there?
 
kadesma said:
Corey,
I use to use metformin/glucophage, it worked really well after I was taken of Rezulin a cell enhancer that caused problems for some. The metformin works by slowing down the secretion of glucose into the blood stream from the liver. It can cause a tummy ache off and on for a week or two but it will cease and things will return to normal. It also can cause gas, but not bad, and it's well worth it as it does a great job. But I have to say this that testing your b/g levels is so important, that is how we learn about our bodies and how they react to meds and carbs, protiens in our diet..Leaving it to doctor visits only is not enough, how can we know where our levels are this way? How do we learn how much bread or rice to eat without testing? I really feel you need to talk to a diabetes educator about it..Course I'm a nut about it, but I've had wonderful HBA1c's the past 15 years and my endocrinologist had to admit it was all the testing that I've done..Sorry to get on the old soap box, but like I said I'm a nut about my blood pressure and testing:LOL: Good luck..I'm happy to help anyway I can.
kadesma:)



Thanks, but I DID mentioned that the doc told me to make an appointment to visit the Diabetes Center to try to learn more on what to eat in what amounts, what not to eat, diet and exercise, as well as keeping track of the glucose level in the blood.

The medicine alone is NOT enough, as you said. It's a start toward trying to bring the sugar level back down to mormal or near normal. But other stuff must follow.

Claire, my dear late brother had a similar problem like that, but it was beer & liquor. He had plenty of beer at home, but while he was out during the day, he would buy more beer and a 1/2 pint or pint of vodka or brandy.

He would then leave empty beer cans and small liquor bottles in just about every room in the house. His wife, his two sons, his brothers and sisters had lost him to a sad painful addiction of alcohol!:( The the medicine he was taking to supposed to bring the disease (diabetes) under control.

Also, his widow just told me over the weekend that he had superindulged in eating starchy foods and sweets!!:ohmy:

We went through a lot of pain, sorrow & suffering being forced to lose him so tragically like that.:( We knew deep down that he was never going to stop. We just wanted him to cut back on his drinking, hoping that he would and things would be ok with him.

I don't think anyone cried more than his wife, his two sons from a previous marriage and myself. But at least he's not suffering now. He had a stroke, but I think it was when he went into a cardiac arrest that nailed him. Plus his liver was gone either from the excessive alcohol, the diabetes itself or a combination of the two.

He and our youngest brother were the only two brothers who were real close to me. I took care of them both when they were little. Just like my late broter's two boys. They remembered me for that and they never forgot it and they thanked me for it. I told them that their dad's passing is a lesson for everyone to try to keep themselves in check and to see their physicians on a reguar basis to make sure that everything is alright with them.


~Corey123.
 
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Claire, I don't know what you mean by the "diabetes uglies". I know there are some who are diabetic that think the rest of the world should change because they've been diagnosed. My mother is an example of that. After she was diagnosed she seemed to think the rest of the family should always eat as she was supposed to (but even she didn't). If we had a family dinner and a dessert was taken, she asked if it was made with sugar. She hasn't followed her meal plans but is quite verbal about the fact that she is diabetic to everyone. We've tried to keep our food much the same but eliminating the excess and really watching the carbs. It is probably easier now than in the past since so many others are watching the carbs.
 
Have you decided to cut back on starchy or floury foods like pasta, rice, potatoes, dried beans and bread?

I'm wondering if a low-carb diet is in order now, since those things don't seem to help diabetics win the war in keeping the disease down to a minimum.


~Corey123.
 
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Corey, I'm not sure to whom you were addressing your remarks, BUT, in my opinion the only way to really be serious about counting the carbs is to know what each food contains and make an educated decision on each one. We haven't totally eliminated any of those items, but they are now considered a very small part of our diet. There are too many other things that are better for us and don't add up the carbs as quickly. I make my meal plan much different than in the past. If we do have pasta, rice or potatoes, or even bread, it is only a small part of the meal. Serving sizes are very small in these foods so sometimes it isn't worth the trouble, but if it is something important, I include a small amount. No more big pasta dishes with garlic bread. If we do have any of that it is rarely and certainly very small proportions. I like the way I feel after having eaten a healthier meal also, not that I don't ever miss some of the things, but have only a bit instead of a large portion. It seems to be working!
 
Actually, I was talking to you in the last post.

But I've visited the American Diabetes Association's website and found out some interesting stuff.

Sweetners such as sugar, honey, molasses and such don't have to be completely shunned from one's diet. They can still be enjoyed as long as it's done in moderation and not overindulged.

Low-cal sweeteners such as Sweet & Low, Equal Twin and Splenda whenever possible.

Reduced fat, low-fat or skim milk may be consumed in normal amounts.

Of course, black coffee with nothing in it has zero caleries.

Starchy foods can still be eaten as long as they are eaten in small portions once a day and in moderation - not every day.

Fruits and vegetables are most recommended, but corn, potatoes, peas & beans are considered a starch.

Bread can still be eaten as long as it is whole grain.

Alcohol is limited to 2 drinks a day.

Water is essential to drink. Fruit 2-0 is said to be good.

Medication for the disease is taken with the main meal, but not while drinking
alcohol.

Fatty foods are out, lean meats are good. Fried foods out.

Margerine is not good because it is made with hydrogenated fats and oils, but butter is good in moderation, not every day though.

The same measures have to be taken when eating out as well.

This is like one having to re-invented healthy eating habits all over again. And learning how to curb or drastically reduce the bad stuff. I think I'm learning a lot of things on this disease. I wish my brother had done the same thing.


~Corey123.
 
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