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Any diabetics out there?
Started
by Paints4fun
on November 18, 2009
Medication observations, concerns and questions. I'm an insulin dependent (type 1) diabetic and I've been watching my numbers in the few short days I've gone mostly vegan (little milk I'm using up in coffee and yogurt in smoothies, but otherwise...)and they are DOWN! Yay! Anyone else experiencing this? I'm cautious about going Superhero, but may do that in the end if I can kick some of this insulin in the butt (aka, not need as much)! Thanks for any comments. :)
I"M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, congratulations!! Hi! I'm a type 2 and managing my numbers - which have totally gone down, too since I started The Kind Life (to near-or-at normal!), and I'm not superhero yet, either. It's a total blessing, isn't it? :) I was saying in another post that I fully intend on doing the work to kick my Metformin for good!
Hey Paints
My son is 9 and has been Type 1 since he was 4. He doesnt know that he has been eating vegan for the last 3 weeks (He thought there were eggs in the eggless egg salad and the taco meat was ground beef.. I'm a sneaky mom, but he has really enjoyed my cookinb lately).
This is what I can tell you from the knowledge I have about nutrition and type one diabetes. Its not about "how much" insulin you take. A carb isnt bad for you unless it makes your bloodsugar spike in-between the time you eat the carb and the time it takes for the insulin to take effect. When you cut out the refined carbs, the bad sugars (high frutose corn syrup, white sugar, evaporated cane sugar) and you start eating things that have brown rice syrup and agave syrup and the other sweetners that have a lower glycemic indexes your blood sugars will stablize and instead of having peaks and valleys (highs and lows) you will have a more controlled constant blood sugar. Also the more fiber you add the better your body will beable to process your injectible insulin. Its AWESOME! My son has less headaches since being on this diet and its easier to control his highs.
For people that have type 2 blood sugar using less insulin means that their body is more able to utilize the insulin that their own body produces. Since Type One people dont produce any insulin they are not subject to the same rules as the type two. Type two is diet and health related. I just dont want you to think that it is your fault that you use a certain amount of insulin.
Talfryn takes about 5 injections a day (he eats three meals a day and has one snack =4 and then his long lasting shot at night=5). His A1C is 6.5 which for children is low.
Good luck and I'd love to know how it goes for you.
Julia
Karen that is soooo wonderful! I totally think when you go superhero it will be awesome.
Great Posts! I advocate for the dietary treatment of diabetes in my practice. The approach is similar for both type 1 and type 2. Dr. Neil Barnard's book " reversing diabetes with diet" is a great resource. The recipes in the superhero section are excellent choices with the possible exception of some of the deserts.
One of the best ways to prevent blood sugar spiking is concentrating on vegetables. Minimizing your exposure to grains and fruits prevents the tendency for them to flood the body with glucose, taxing the ability of insulin to transport that glucose quickly enough. Starting off in the morning with a breakfast of vegetables will have a very powerful influence on your medication needs. When attempting this change, use caution when dosing your medications, test often to prevent your glucose from growing too low.
Having a large breakfast that looks more like dinner and then follow that with a short walk or bit of exertion and then repeating the same thing for lunch did you most of your calories early in the day while you're active and moving about. Minimizing or eliminating dinner and completely avoiding any sort of food before bed allows your blood sugar to naturally drop throughout the night. This change alone can move A1C numbers significantly in a month or two.
Great news here on this thread, I'm ecstatic that this forum is so vibrant.
Thanks so much for your excitement and validation and advice, Justin!
And you too, Julia, I so appreciate it - and I totally agree, I am sooo gearing up for superhero - it's all a mental game now, ya know? And you know what, it's only that darn breakfast issue - I'm balking at the idea of veggies for b'fast and that's just stoopid! :D I want somethin' sweet I could do a goma-ae (that's Japanese - spinach with yummy sesame paste for ye who may not know) and Alicia's recipes...what the hey is my problem - LOL!
OH! And WELL said, Julia - yes I totally meant to still draw a difference between my Type 2 and Paints' Type 1 and ABSOLUTELY, your body needs what it needs, Paints', you go girl! The main thing is that our results are both improvement, THAT's what counts.
If you think of food as fuel for your body rather than a thing to give you a bit of temporary pleasure, it is easier to conceive of eating less palatable choices. Plain steamed veggies are what I do and it keeps my sugar perfect without meds, but I'm a guy. I cook for myself and am not fancy. If you are going to make changes you must test more frequently to minimize risk and truly understand your body.
Amen, Justin, true that. I will truly try to adopt more of that fabulous outlook you have. But you know what, why can't you have both (the fuel AND the pleasure), see what I'm saying? I'm SO unfancy and a single, too, but I needs da flava! :) Besides - I'm railing against a few...ooooh...DECADES of living my life differently, mind you!
Oh, and I test twice a day which works for me and my docs. Type ones might have a far different story there.
As I said I'm a guy. I wear the same clothes eat the same foods etc. every day. Your food shouldn't have to be something terrible that you hate. I just find that when considering something to eat if I ask myself what would taste good right now? I might think of something that will spike my blood sugar. If I ask myself what should I eat to not spike my sugar? I'm more likely to think of a better choice.
Testing before and after each meal gives you more information about how each choice affects you in particular. Testing before and after exercise and sleeping is also helpful. Once you know how you react you can lay off the testing.
Absolutely nooo argument with that logic, not at all. UGH, but testing at least six times a day - even temporarily...my FINGERS say OW - LOL!! :D
I am in acupuncturists and stick needles in people all day. I used to use the lancet and poke the side of my finger to draw blood. Now I use the little automatic lancet. You can set it to just the depth that you need so it is only minimally uncomfortable. Use the side of your finger near the tip and switch fingers and sides. It's only temporary and you get so much important information that it's worth it.
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