[bugs]

I have been lurking and reading but now need to know a few things.
First some stuff about me.
68 yo F with type 2. FBS was 16.0 when diagnosed. No meds and am following a strict low GI diet regime. Have recently had first A1C - 5.3 (FBS on same day was 5.3) Eyes, feet, kidneys and BP are all fine.

I have slowly become aware that some people are keeping their BS at 1 hour below 8.0 PP - rather that below 8.0 at 2 hours PP to try to get BS to be at more non-diabetic readings. This 'seems' to be a good thing to be able to do - but is it really? Am I hitting my head against the proverbial wall and now going to achieve anything? My aim is to stay within non diabetic guidelines so when (not if!) a cure is finally available I will be in the best possible condition to make the most of it.

I actually haven't seen very many posts anywhere from people who are achieving the same thing and staying healthy for the long term. I've read through most of the info on the blog (notmedicatedyet) that someone posted and found that incredibly interesting. But he (Tom?) seems to be an isolated example.

I have a few diabetic friends who seem quite philosophical about the big D being progressive and that it can't be helped - and just go with the flow etc.
So I would really like to hear about any others out there who have long term success.

 

[Shanny]

Welcome to our forum, bugs. I am one of the ones who tries to keep my BG under 8 (144) at all times. Actually, my target range is tighter than that - 70-130 (3.8 - 7.2) is what I aim for. I don't have a lot of trouble accomplishing this - I do take metformin and while I don't consult the glycemic index, I just don't eat many carbs. And while I accept that diabetes is a progressive disorder, I do not "go with the flow" and I intend to do everything in my power to avoid complications.

What I DO eat is a very complete & varied diet of protein, fats & high fiber vegetables. No cereal, very little grain, and the only fruits I eat are avocado & tomato, but I use lots of nuts, seeds & olives. I use beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese. I do not limit fats in my diet, meaning that I use dairy butter on my cooked veggies and heavy cream in my coffee, I cook foods in butter, olive oil or coconut oil. I also use full fat mayonnaise and sour cream in sensible servings. If I need a sweet treat, I use saccharine, liquid sucralose or eyrithritol. I avoid anything containing high fructose corn syrup or any other corn products.

Congratulations on your progress in controlling your diabetes. Thank you for joining us and do hurry back!

 

[diabetes86]

I mostly keep it under 140 once a week I might go over.
WHY... glad you asked

I was keeping it under 180 Then I got neropathy in my feet. I have gone to under 140 always try under 110. So far the neropathy is getting better very slowly.

 

[bugs]

Gee whiz Shanny - and I thought MY diet was restricted!! That's amazing that you can keep such low numbers. I don't think I could follow such a strict regime as that - though if my life depended on it........................??? It's only early days for me I know so I'll see how I go on current numbers for a while.

I forgot to mention that I walk twice a day for 20-30 minutes and also go to a gym twice a week and do resistance training and weights etc. Present BMI is only 20 so don't need to lose any weight.

Diabetes88 - I'm so gald to see that your neuropathy can be reversed. I wasn't sure if that was possible!

 

[Shanny]

The weird thing is, it doesn't seem all that spartan anymore. It took me awhile to find acceptable substitutes for some of the things I really enjoy, but now I drink unsweetened almond milk if I need a swig of "milk", and I found some high-fiber tortillas that don't spike me, so I can still enjoy my all my wraps - burritos/quesadillas/soft tacos (in moderation, of course - one or two at a time and once or twice a week). I use Dreamfields pasta too, but I use it carefully now - Breezeonby helped me recognize that it can and does spike many hours after the meal - sometimes as much as 12 hours. But if I don't make a pig of myself, I can have a little pasta too.

Tonight I made a big batch of hot wings to have on hand for quick snacks or small meals. Chicken wings are cheap & I just bake 'em for about an hour until the skins get nice & crisp, then douse 'em with hot sauce. I usually just eat them that way, but if I wanna dress 'em up a little, I dip 'em in bleu cheese dressing. None of this has any carbs, so it's essential all-you-can-eat!

No need to ever go hungry on a low-carb regimen - using a little fat in the diet gives a nice sense of satiety, and my bod can make all the glucose it needs from the protein - it doesn't need carbs for that.

So honestly - it doesn't seem as austere as it sounds!

 

[bugs]

I'm still having trouble with the fat part! I've been on a low fat eating plan like forever and even the thought of nuts with good fats has me getting out the food scales and measuring. It's amost a complete reversal of what I've been eating and I'm still having to relearn things. Like I'd always considered beans (dried ones) as a source of protein - which they are - but not thought 2 hoots about the carbs in them! Even serves of meat I've kept fairly low because of the saturated fat:-(

 

[Shanny]

And you don't need to go overboard now, either, but for diabetics, fat is not the enemy. I had always used low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat sour cream, etc., until I discovered that when they remove the fat, they often replace it with CARBS! So yeah - that was that - I began to see the writing on the wall. High blood sugar can rob me of my eyesight, my kidney function, even my fingers and toes, so it is what must be controlled at all costs. I started buying regular full fat mayo, sour cream, and I threw out the non-dairy creamer (which is loaded with high fructose corn syrup & corn syrup solids!) and started using real heavy cream in my coffee. You don't have any weight to lose, but in my case, I can testify that I'm still losing weight, despite moderate use of fats. But I'm careful to use safe fats like olive oil & coconut oil. Not using lard, although I do still enjoy eating bacon sometimes.

I do miss beans, but I can get by with a few black beans now & again . . . and I love edamame!

 

[bugs]

Hmmmmmm Bacon!! Haven't had any for years!! Might remedy that shortly!
Edamame isn't widely available here (AU) as far as I know - and I live in a rural area so it may never hit my town. I'll keep a look out for it though - it sounds good from the sites I've seen. Looks like they may be available frozen from Asian specialty food shops.

I have already pruned my pantry of quite a few favourites like simmer sauces that are absolutely LOADED!! Am going back to actually combing my own spices again!

 

[Shanny]

Yeah - my edamame comes frozen & I just microwave it right in the bag for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I can eat the whole bag by myself, but my meter likes it as much as I! heheh!

 

[bugs]

Yeah - my edamame comes frozen & I just microwave it right in the bag for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I can eat the whole bag by myself, but my meter likes it as much as I! heheh!

Better and better! That's my kind of cooking too!

 

[onaughmae]

I have been lurking and reading but now need to know a few things.
First some stuff about me.
68 yo F with type 2. FBS was 16.0 when diagnosed. No meds and am following a strict low GI diet regime. Have recently had first A1C - 5.3 (FBS on same day was 5.3) Eyes, feet, kidneys and BP are all fine.

I have slowly become aware that some people are keeping their BS at 1 hour below 8.0 PP - rather that below 8.0 at 2 hours PP to try to get BS to be at more non-diabetic readings. This 'seems' to be a good thing to be able to do - but is it really? Am I hitting my head against the proverbial wall and now going to achieve anything? My aim is to stay within non diabetic guidelines so when (not if!) a cure is finally available I will be in the best possible condition to make the most of it.

I actually haven't seen very many posts anywhere from people who are achieving the same thing and staying healthy for the long term. I've read through most of the info on the blog (notmedicatedyet) that someone posted and found that incredibly interesting. But he (Tom?) seems to be an isolated example.

I have a few diabetic friends who seem quite philosophical about the big D being progressive and that it can't be helped - and just go with the flow etc.
So I would really like to hear about any others out there who have long term success.

Welcome bugs!

Congrats on your interest in keeping your blood sugar as close to non-diabetic as you can. I think the closer to that goal you can get, the better your long-term outcomes are. I have been diabetic for many years and have had times of good control...and times of very bad control. All we can do is tha best we can, right?

The ADA does recommend below 180 2 hours after a meal. Personally I do my best to be back down to normal by then. I dont always get there...but almost always am at least under 140 by then. Its a bit easier for me I think since I am an insulin user and its easier to correct highs. Its a bit more challenging to make sure you dont get high in the first place! Shanny is a whiz at managing a lo-carb diet and I know she is giving you great advice! DOnt forget to check out our recipe section as there are many great lo-carb recipe ideas posted there.

Look forward to getting to know you more, and welcome again!

 

[bugs]

Thanks for the support Pam! I hope to keep the motivation going - by hook!!!!

 

[wallycorker]

...........Hmmmmmm Bacon!! Haven't had any for years!! Might remedy that shortly!.............

Hi Bugs - It's good to meet you!

Grilled bacon and tomatoes is my most regular breakfast these days - sometimes with mushrooms, egg or omlette. When I don't eat that I tend to have yoghurt with berry fruits and a sprinkling of a couple of teaspoons of granola.

I seem to eat fairly similarly to Shanny - and many of my diabetic friends on another UK-based forum tend to eat a high-fat diet exactly like her and are in full control of their diabetic conditions - but like you I'm still a little averse to eating high-fat stuff and I generally buy low-fat items wherever I can. However, I'm less frightened of saturated fat than I was previously.

Unlike Shanny, my testing has shown me that I don't have any problems eating fruit of any kind. In fact, I eat loads of it in small portions and at well spaced out intervals - apples, pears, oranges, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis, peaches, nectarines - dried fruit also cranberries, prunes, apricots etc. You name it - I eat it! I use fruit as a snack usually - our fridge is always full of the stuff.

Best wishes from England - John

 

[bugs]

I'm having trouble mostly now with breakfst - and I can't get it out of my head that breakfast and cereal are synonomous! I just have to cut down serving size now and I think I will have it sorted. I've definitely swung to having much more fats - unsaturated mostly. I persuaded my GP to let me try without statins for 3 months and see how I make out -so I don't want to change anything too drastically and upset the trial.
And bacon will be out. Have thought again why I hadn't had any for so long - and it's because the nitrates in processing it are supposed to be no good. I must admit I haven't looked to see if there was any nitrate-free bacon around locally.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Cereal is all carbs, yuk!

 

[Shanny]

And nitrates/nitrites are present naturally in many fruits/vegetables . . . this from PubMed: Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiol... [Am J Clin Nutr. 2009] - PubMed result

Whole Foods and Trader Joe's both offer nitrate-free bacon.

 

[wallycorker]

..............And bacon will be out. Have thought again why I hadn't had any for so long - and it's because the nitrates in processing it are supposed to be no good..................

Hi bugs,

As a diabetic, I'd rather take a chance with the nitrates than with the starchy carbohydrate! I don't know what nitrates will do to me but I do know what starchy carbohydrate does to my blood glucose levels. Also, I know the massive damage that running high blood glucose levels does to our bodies.

Personally, I'm anxious to keep well clear of the very nasty complications that can come a diabetics way.

Best wishes - John

 

[bugs]

Cereal is all carbs, yuk!

I do know that - but we are allowed 'some' carbs. It's just the amount that has to be sorted out and balanced with fats and proteins to get it right.

 

[bugs]

And nitrates/nitrites are present naturally in many fruits/vegetables . . . this from PubMed: Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiol... [Am J Clin Nutr. 2009] - PubMed result

Whole Foods and Trader Joe's both offer nitrate-free bacon.

Thanks for the link Shanny - it's very interesting. But I believe (personal belief) that the natural sources have other natural safeguards to counteract and balance those nitrates. Not so with the nitrates added to meats like bacon, ham and corned beef which is a very unnatural and unbalance use of them.
It's a bit like vitamins. We get a natural balance in fresh foods but taking a (single) vitamin 'pill' put's everything out of whack

I'm in Australia - so your source of nitrate free meats isn't much good to me - but I'll check on local sources. I really miss those things - specially corned beef and cabbage!

 

[bugs]

Personally, I'm anxious to keep well clear of the very nasty complications that can come a diabetics way.

Best wishes - John

My sentiments exactly but I don't want to exchange one set of nasties for others