Diabetes Type 2 Diet

[Phemie]

yes that is part of the system I have been following since diagnosis, but all carbs raise blood sugar wildly within 2 hrs of a meal, there is no difference between something high or low on the list, just the carb grams. there is also no difference in say a hi-fiber cereal or tortilla and a low-fiber. No difference between 1/8 a sweet potato and a piece of chocolate. Same grams, same blood sugar spike. That is why I am asking the question, the standard advice in the diabetes books and the health magazines just does not work for me.

DH has type 2 and was on oral hypoglycemics for about 13 years before progressing to insulin 2 years ago.

DH has been seriously non-compliant with everything: diet, testing, regulating insulin, the works! Yet after reading an article a few years ago he started following a very low carb diet for a month or so – all of a sudden he had more energy, his sugars were normal, if not low, things were looking up.

When I mentioned this to his doctor, who couldn’t understand why a pt wouldn’t comply with his doctor’s orders but do something because of a newspaper article, I questioned the high carb level allowed in DH’s diet. He admitted that diets include a higher than optimum carb level simply because it’s better for a patient to comply with that than not comply with a diet with a lower carb content because normally, non-compliance would result in a much higher carb consumption.

 

[puzzleannie]

it is insanity for a diabetic to attempt to fiddle with diet and meds without his doctor’s guidance and supervision, lows can be as bad as highs and are a real possibility if you change too much too fast or too drastically. As I said before, I have related what works for me, since others have been kind enough to ask, but am finding out this is a very individual disease and no treatment or therapy is one size fits all.

 

[silentstar]

Thanks for the advice. My doctor told me to take a diabetes education class, which I think is free at the local hospital. I’m set up for a nutrition session there next week and then I’ll sign up for the class. I think it may be free, or low-cost, b/c they asked for a copy of my doctor’s request for me to take it, and the lab work for the dx.

My diet has been really bad w/a lot of restaurant food and junk food and desserts, etc. So I’m not doing that, which I think will make a big difference. There are probably ways to eat healthy when going out but I’m just really used to making bad choices so I don’t think I can trust myself yet. In the meantime, it’s not that much effort to cook.

puzzleannie, that is impressive, the way you’ve managed everything. I have started walking on the treadmill also. And I’m trying to make sure this is a long-term effort, rather than just throwing myself into these changes. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

thanks.

 

[puzzleannie]

I will only repeat that medical advice is a banned topic, and anyone should be getting that from their doctor, this was intended more as a diet support thread for diabetics. anyone who does not plan on working closely with their doctor, getting all the diabetes education they can, being compliant with the treatment plan, meds, testing, diet and all the other special care and needs, had better learn all you can about complications of diabetes because they are headed that way in short order. It is no joke, and standared “diet advice” in the media or on the web is nothing short of dangerous, you need to work out your plan with your doctor and stick with it, keep records of what you do and what you eat, and your sugars so she can guide you intelligently.

 

[Phemie]

I will only repeat that medical advice is a banned topic, and anyone should be getting that from their doctor, this was intended more as a diet support thread for diabetics. anyone who does not plan on working closely with their doctor, getting all the diabetes education they can, being compliant with the treatment plan, meds, testing, diet and all the other special care and needs, had better learn all you can about complications of diabetes because they are headed that way in short order. It is no joke, and standared “diet advice” in the media or on the web is nothing short of dangerous, you need to work out your plan with your doctor and stick with it, keep records of what you do and what you eat, and your sugars so she can guide you intelligently.

I only made my previous comment to relate what the doctor had told me, certainly not to promote non-compliance because DH’s actions are causing me to pull out my hair.

He’s only ever known one diabetic, a nurse who, when you knew what to look for, controlled her diabetes very well but because of her happy-go-lucky party animal ways appeared not to take it very seriously. She’s now in her mid 80s and is still fairly active and not victim of complications.

I, OTOH, watched my grandfather and uncle die from the disease, grandpa still pretty much intact but uncle blind and missing both legs. I also watched a couple of patients die from complications so I’m all too aware of how devastating this condition can be when treated casually.

Unfortunately, DH is like a teenager – thinks he’s invincible and that nothing bad can happen to him. He doesn’t seem to realize that it already has: the ministry of transport pulled his air traffic control license because of the sugar levels that resulted from his non-compliance. Fortunately for us, but perhaps not for his health, there was no immediate repercussion since he was working for a company that provided ATC services and was able to just move into another job with that company at the same rate of pay. Of course that provided no incentive to change his self-destructive behaviour.

 

[puzzleannie]

I share your frustration. I was diagnosed the same week as my former next door neighbor. His wife, a nurse, did everything in her power to get him to comply, to stop destructive habits, to eat the meals she prepared (he would get in the car and go out for fast food right after eating her healthy meal). She has given up as his complications, in the same time period, 4 years, have made him nearly crippled and blind, they have moved back closer to their children and he is in a nursing home and not expected to live long (2 amputations, facing 2 more). Granted he was older and had other factors that don’t apply to me, smoking for one, but his stubbornness spoiled what was supposed to be a good time for them together in their retirement years. They are also broke because of his medical care and she will have to live with her kids.

So, fellow diabetics, what are your tricks for tracking your diet, staying on it, dealing with challenges like illness, hot weather, traveling etc.

 

[Phemie]

I share your frustration. I was diagnosed the same week as my former next door neighbor. His wife, a nurse, did everything in her power to get him to comply, to stop destructive habits, to eat the meals she prepared (he would get in the car and go out for fast food right after eating her healthy meal).

Wait a minute, are we neighbours??? DH does the same thing.

 

[gretahope]

Even though I have Type1, and was almost in a coma from Ketoacidosis at age 44, I can tell you that the doctors can only give you so much individualized help. Mine, they say, was brought on by a virus and stress. (The very same week a 13 year old girl came down with Type1, and we both drank goat’s milk from a goat that later I learned had Mastitis!) Who knows , really…but anyway, after lots of trial and error, I have found that even though I HAVE to give myself 4 shots / dy and test like 5 times a day…there are things I have learned that apply to my body and are not necessarily “right”. Carrots make my BS go way up. I have to be on an extremely simple diet…and be very careful to exercise just a certain amount. Any more and in the middle of the night I’m wicked low. I’ve had “near misses” if you know what I mean on the low end!

Don’t know if this helps anyone out there…guess the point being, if you do trial and error with your own body, you may help yourself out immensely. Obviously, cut out/way down on all carbs…but certain vegetables affect people differently. Raw Almonds are awesome for filling me up and no carbs , for example. Raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds are great nutrition. God Bless

 

[silentstar]

I will only repeat that medical advice is a banned topic, and anyone should be getting that from their doctor, this was intended more as a diet support thread for diabetics. anyone who does not plan on working closely with their doctor, getting all the diabetes education they can, being compliant with the treatment plan, meds, testing, diet and all the other special care and needs, had better learn all you can about complications of diabetes because they are headed that way in short order. It is no joke, and standared “diet advice” in the media or on the web is nothing short of dangerous, you need to work out your plan with your doctor and stick with it, keep records of what you do and what you eat, and your sugars so she can guide you intelligently.

I’m seeing my doctor again on July 8th. I’ve been seeing him pretty often, once a month or once every couple of months b/c I have some other issues. He has been tracking my blood results pretty closely for a variety of conditions, since I’m really overweight and on medicine that makes some issues worse. The counseling I’m getting is through our county hospital and requires his approval (he needs to send in a request on a prescription pad) and a copy of the lab results. However, I’ve made the changes that I knew I had to do based on what my doctor’s told me already.

It’s a good idea for me to keep records of what I eat, so I will have something to take to the nutritionist next week. I don’t smoke but I do need to lose a lot of weight. I’ve also been exercising for a while now.

I’m sure there are many more changes to make and improvements I need to do but that is where I will need the specific advice on diet and exercise that they will provide.