[daragh]

Just joined, hope u don't mind if i jump in wit a question strait off.

My doctor told me to test 2 times a day then i read on another site like this that i should test way more than that and not eat carbohydrates. i've been doing ok with testing 2 times and don't eat any chocolate or sugar at all. Doc say my test numbers could be lower, they are about 7-8 most days but i feel ok. wat do u think? test more, why not eat carbohydrates?

 

[Shanny]

You're more than welcome to ask all the questions you want . . . we're all learning about this and others' experiences are some of the best teaching tools!

Diabetes is a killer because so often we DO feel okay at first, but all the while the high blood sugar is compromising our internal organs (kidneys, retinas, vascular system) and can cause irreparable damage. One VERY good resource is Bloodsugar101 . . . the author Jenny Ruhl, is one of the wisest voices on the net, and if you haven't already visited there, I hope you'll take a look - she explains things so simply and so thoroughly.

If you've surfed around our boards, you may have already read many recommendations about restricting our carb intake. The reason is that it is the carbs that raise our blood sugar, some more than others. Protein and fats are not likely to raise blood sugar, unless consumed in huge quantities. It isn't only chocolate & sweets that cause trouble; "white" foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread & anything else made with white flour and/or white sugar, will hit our bloodstream hard and fast, and cause dangerous spikes in our blood sugar; milk, fruit juice and many fruits are also common offenders. More complex carbs - the vegetables with higher fiber content like leafy greens, artichokes, cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., are much less likely to cause elevation in blood sugars. Avocados are also high fiber, although not biologically a vegetable.

If you are able to test more often, it is good because you can find out which foods actually do raise your BG, and which ones are relatively safe to eat. There may be some which cause a rise, but can be eaten safely in small portions.

You've been running a little high, and it might be good to see if you can lower those numbers a bit . . . make your doctor happy! You might shoot for staying under 7.5 for awhile, and see what happens. That wouldn't be too strict a program, would it?

 

[daragh]

tanks for that. will have to look at that site you said but i'm getting more confused now since my doctor said stay away from fats you know bad for the heart and all that. i did look at the lo carb thing since i saw it on another place - didn't join there too many science stuff all the time and way over my head - but doc told me low fat not low carb he said i need carbs. i will take a look at that place you said, feel like i am strating all over again. i can test lots coz i have tons of stripes coz i stopped testing for a while but kept getting strips anyhow. thanks.

does it get busier here later on, seems a bit quiet right now?

 

[jer.lawrence]

I found that when I first started out, I was testing 4-6 times a day, and that worked well for me. I'd test when I woke up, test before meals, and test about 1.5 - 2h after the meals. This way, I could see how the different meals affected my sugar, and I could figure out which foods I wanted to eat.

I found that for me, eating a lower-carb and higher-fat diet worked out well. I lost about 35 pounds, my sugars dropped drastically, and I felt fantastic! It's really just all about finding what works well for you.

Most of the research lately has shown that dietary fats are not as bad for us as people seem to make it out to be -- that's not to say that you should over-indulge. Too much of anything can't be good, right? It's just to say that you shouldn't be as afraid of fat in foods as people want you to be.

One thing that I enjoyed about doing Atkins when I first started was that I was allowed to eat more fats. I found that things with more fat made me feel full more quickly, and stuck with me for much longer than a lot of the carbs would have. It made it much easier to lose the weight. In addition to that, eating fewer carbs kept the blood sugars doing really well.

The key, during the whole thing though, was testing! Once you figure out how different foods affect you, you'll find yourself testing less frequently, as you'll have a good idea of what your sugars are doing. I think before you get that second-nature type of feeling, though, it's a good thing to test frequently.

Good luck to you. As to the traffic here, I have no idea. I'm new to this site, but know a lot of the members from other site(s).

 

[daragh]

tanks for that jer i'm going to take a look at that bloodsugar place too. 35 pounds thats really cool wish i could do that maybe i can.

what other site(s) do people here hang out on maybe i will take a look there too

 

[Shanny]

We go by fits & starts - some days are really busy but right now people in the States may be preparing for a holiday weekend & not going online for a few days. Can't speak for anywhere else on the planet.

Many studies in the last few years have refuted the notion that low-fat diets prevent heart disease. Yet the myth lingers. If you'd like to see citations for these studies, we'll try to locate them, but suffice to say, lowfat diets are not only not helpful in preventing heart disease, they are downright unhealthy for diabetics, because in removing the fats from many processed foods, the manufacturers replace it with carbs.

 

[diabetes86]

As said above it is carbs not just sugar

in fact eating a bowl of mashed potato's is worse on blood sugar than eating a bowl of table sugar

 

[jer.lawrence]

As said above it is carbs not just sugar

in fact eating a bowl of mashed potato's is worse on blood sugar than eating a bowl of table sugar

Thankfully, I don't have much trouble with mashed potatoes, but I know that a lot of D's do.

I don't know if it's acceptable here to post links to other sites, but a google search for my username will produce results. I'm also on facebook with the same username.

 

[daragh]

well thnaks for the replies im going to try reduce carbs a bit but still not convinced about eat fats. each to their own.

to be honest, not sure if i'll be around here much it seems really quiet and right now i think i need to be on a more active place but tanks for the replies i might call back

 

[Shanny]

well thnaks for the replies im going to try reduce carbs a bit but still not convinced about eat fats. each to their own.

to be honest, not sure if i'll be around here much it seems really quiet and right now i think i need to be on a more active place but tanks for the replies i might call back

Well, the holiday weekend has ended over in the States, so there'll be an upswing in the activity on this forum. We'd be happy to have you stay with us, Daragh, but more than anything, we want you to be where you get the best support and understanding for YOU.

Take care and be happy