Insulin Resistant diets

HealthyChanges2010

I have insulin resistance and have upped my protein just a bit from MFP default levels (I'm doing 45% carb/25% protein instead of the 55/15 defaults). You are welcome to look at my food diary... but I will be honest and say that I have a hard time getting in protein most days! I have found tuna, chicken, cottage cheese (but watch out for sodium) and soy milk to be my best options so far. Oh, and nuts... but watch out for fat on those even if it is the good fat. Hoping others have some more helpful hints!

this is a good visual example of a protein plan, however you should tweak it to your protein requirements. For example, a 180 pound person should aim to consume 180 g protein. If you are looking to lose weight, your protein requirements should reflect your weight goals, by decreasing your protein gradually.

Seriously? You are really going to tell me that I need 230 g of protein A DAY? Out of my 1600 calorie allowance that comes out to over half of my daily intake of calories. If I were looking to lose more than 1 lb a week my calorie allowance would be at 1200 and by your recommendations I'd be consuming over 75% of my calories from protein. That is absolutely insane, not to mention expensive! I haven't seen anyone hit much over 100 yet without doing some kind of protein shake supplementation... and I can't think that we were meant to use protein supplements to be able to get an adequate amount of protein in our diet to be healthy.

Actually Protein and Fats (natural occurring fats) work very fast to control and stabilize blood sugar.............

That is why Low Carb Lifestyles such as Primal Blue Print, Atkins, South Beach, Protein Power, etc work so well with people that are Insulin Resistant or Full blown Diabetic............

Right now I get about 60% of my calories from Fat, 30% from Protein and 10% from Carbs...........

I now have Fasting Glucose numbers in the mid 90's, which is Insulin Resistance and No longer Diabetic. I am working to now reverse Insulin Resistance. It will take about 6 months to a year to successfully reverse it.

I am shooting for Fasting Glucose #'s in the Mid 80's and an A1C of less than 5.2%.............

So if my A1C has been 5.0 for quite awhile now, it means I"m no longer diabetic? I had thought once diagnoised you were always one. Which I wasn't crazy about I must say. I didn't realize you could reverse it or that if your numbers (A1C and such) were in the normal range you were no longer considered diabetic. Always lots to learn here:happy:

Type 2 Diabetes CAN be reversed.................In the 7 years that I had been diagnosed as Diabetic, I found that the Dr's that tell you that one you have Diabetes you always have it are the ones that push the higher carb meals to go along with your medications...............

The BEST doctors I have had are the one's that say you need to strictly lower your carbs, get out and exercise, be active and get your numbers down to reverse this and they tend to want to get you off meds also.............

The problem is, most people don't want to make the level of committment it takes to Reverse Diabetes, that is why most doctors say to just "control" it...............

Me, I want to be as healthy as I can be, so I am going to completely reverse it!!!! I have made one baby step toward that and will continue to do so..........

Here are some reading materials on Reversing Diabetes:

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diabetes-dr-fuhrman-low-carb-vs-eat-to-live-in-diabetes-reversal-print.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Can-You-Possibly-Reverse-Diabetes-Naturally?&id=512548

To help reverse Diabetes naturally you must eliminate or reduce sugar, fructose, corn syrup, white bread, and maple sugar. People who regularly drink sugar-sweetened beverages are at a high risk for both Diabetes and Obesity.

If you have Fasting Glucose Numbers in the Mid 80's to very mid 90's (like 85-98) and an A1C of 5.2% or less, you are considered to be NON-Diabetic and NON-Insulin Resistant............

Fasting Glucose Numbers in the 90's to low 100's is Insulin Resistant (99-125) and an A1C of 5.3 - 5.9%.

Full Blown Diabetic is considered to be Fasting Glucose #'s 126 or greater and A1C of 6.0% or higher...........

Thanks Cora, I'll take a look at those articles, I appreciate you taking time to respond:flowerforyou:
Becca

lilmissy2

It might be true that the numbers you present for A1c and fasting glucose (can't say I know that it is true because we work in different measurement units) mean that you are likely to be (or not be) diabetic but neither one is a diagnostic test. The only way to be shown as 'not being diabetic' is to have a within normal range response to an oral glucose tolerance test.

Edited to add: this is because being diabetic does not refer to what your blood sugars are - you can absolutely have well controlled diabetes and therefore always have within range blood sugars - but rather reflects damage to your cells that means your body's response to lower your blood sugar once it is raised is impaired.

July24Lioness

It might be true that the numbers you present for A1c and fasting glucose (can't say I know that it is true because we work in different measurement units) mean that you are likely to be (or not be) diabetic but neither one is a diagnostic test. The only way to be shown as 'not being diabetic' is to have a within normal range response to an oral glucose tolerance test.

Edited to add: this is because being diabetic does not refer to what your blood sugars are - you can absolutely have well controlled diabetes and therefore always have within range blood sugars - but rather reflects damage to your cells that means your body's response to lower your blood sugar once it is raised is impaired.

You can reverse cell damage and reverse Diabetes, most Type 2 Diabetes is "man made" due to diet and lack of exercise........

Here is a good book to consider reading................

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Diabetes-Control-Reversal-Version/dp/0977360741

I have previously ordered it and have read it. It is remarkable.

And here in the United States, Doctors use the Oral Glucose Test less and less. I haven't had an Oral Glucose Test done in years...............

I had a A1C, Fasting Glucose Test and I had the 2 hour Glucose (did not drink that syrupy orange crap) (just had to eat a meal containing food from all 5 food groups) and then have blood drawn at the 2 hour mark.........

I have reversed the Type 2 Diabetes back to Insulin Resistance............

claw0416

I also upped my protein and lowered my carbs. My doctor wants me eating low carb. You can change the settings.

How do I change my setting for that? I have looked on there but I haven't seen anywhere to change the higher protein settings..I am sitting in the red for it..My weightloss doc wants me taking in 164 g of carbs, 54g of protein, and 20 of fat.. But she has said that the more protien the better..

HealthyChanges2010

I also upped my protein and lowered my carbs. My doctor wants me eating low carb. You can change the settings.

How do I change my setting for that? I have looked on there but I haven't seen anywhere to change the higher protein settings..I am sitting in the red for it..My weightloss doc wants me taking in 164 g of carbs, 54g of protein, and 20 of fat.. But she has said that the more protien the better..

Click on the following:
My Home
Goals
Change goals
check Custom
then click Continue

I can never remember myself, so I finally just wrote it down. :blushing: I don't use it often enough to remember I guess. lol

hth:flowerforyou:
Becca

lilmissy2

I never said you could not reverse it (although I do believe that to be true)

To be fair, the 'meal containing 5 food groups then 2hrly blood glucose' is not even close to the same as having an OGTT! That's exactly the kind of meal I would advise to patients to have them in the normal ranges after 2 hours. The whole point of the OGTT is that it's a crap-load of glucose... and say for me, who doesn't have diabetes, my body would get that sugar level back down to low very quickly but for a diabetic, it is not as fast hence the elevated readings. The reason doctors don't use it much anymore is because it's a pain to have to do and takes a lot of time and most diabetics have plenty high enough blood sugars for you to be fairly confident that they have diabetes.

On a side note, the reason we don't use things like A1c to decide someone has 'reversed their diabetes' is because your A1c is not an accurate measure. Ie it's essentially an average, which means if your blood sugar has been very high half of the time and very low half of them time then your A1c will be stable but are you healthy if this is the case? The reason that we say to eat a controlled-portion carbohydrate diet for diabetes is not because we want people to keep on taking medication (come on, half the people I see haven't even started meds yet and we are hoping to delay that as long as possible) it is because done correctly, this will keep your blood sugars within normal range for most of the time. Now, if you eliminate carbohydrates (which as you know, we advise against) your brain still needs glucose to survive which means your liver has to make glucose and since this is essentially a starvation mechanism it often makes too much and can send your blood sugar sky high several times a day. Of course, your blood sugar would be likely to be very low the rest of the time. It is better for your body and your diabetes if your blood sugar stays within normal ranges as often as possible, hence the carbohydrate recommendations.

HealthyChanges2010

bump

July24Lioness

I never said you could not reverse it (although I do believe that to be true)

To be fair, the 'meal containing 5 food groups then 2hrly blood glucose' is not even close to the same as having an OGTT! That's exactly the kind of meal I would advise to patients to have them in the normal ranges after 2 hours. The whole point of the OGTT is that it's a crap-load of glucose... and say for me, who doesn't have diabetes, my body would get that sugar level back down to low very quickly but for a diabetic, it is not as fast hence the elevated readings. The reason doctors don't use it much anymore is because it's a pain to have to do and takes a lot of time and most diabetics have plenty high enough blood sugars for you to be fairly confident that they have diabetes.

On a side note, the reason we don't use things like A1c to decide someone has 'reversed their diabetes' is because your A1c is not an accurate measure. Ie it's essentially an average, which means if your blood sugar has been very high half of the time and very low half of them time then your A1c will be stable but are you healthy if this is the case? The reason that we say to eat a controlled-portion carbohydrate diet for diabetes is not because we want people to keep on taking medication (come on, half the people I see haven't even started meds yet and we are hoping to delay that as long as possible) it is because done correctly, this will keep your blood sugars within normal range for most of the time. Now, if you eliminate carbohydrates (which as you know, we advise against) your brain still needs glucose to survive which means your liver has to make glucose and since this is essentially a starvation mechanism it often makes too much and can send your blood sugar sky high several times a day. Of course, your blood sugar would be likely to be very low the rest of the time. It is better for your body and your diabetes if your blood sugar stays within normal ranges as often as possible, hence the carbohydrate recommendations.

Actually if you totally eliminate carbs, then protein is converted over to glucose through gluconeogenesis and that process is not unhealthy either............

I know several people that do a 0 carb plan (eat meat, fat and water only) and are way healthy.

lilmissy2

Did you read what I wrote? That's what I said would happen. I didn't say it wasn't a healthy process, I did say it has the potential to send your blood sugars much higher than a controlled portion of carbs.

lilmissy2

I didn't call it gluconeogenesis because I didn't know if people would know what that is, that is the process of the liver making glucose - and yes, it's from protein.

claw0416

I also upped my protein and lowered my carbs. My doctor wants me eating low carb. You can change the settings.

How do I change my setting for that? I have looked on there but I haven't seen anywhere to change the higher protein settings..I am sitting in the red for it..My weightloss doc wants me taking in 164 g of carbs, 54g of protein, and 20 of fat.. But she has said that the more protien the better..

Click on the following:
My Home
Goals
Change goals
check Custom
then click Continue

I can never remember myself, so I finally just wrote it down. :blushing: I don't use it often enough to remember I guess. lol

hth:flowerforyou:
Becca

Thank you for your help..

claw0416

ok..One of the other things I was meaning to get to when I made this post was, What are some good name brands of foods that are insulin resistant friendly, foods that are the better choice, things like that..i am very new to all this, and it is all very overwhelming still..I am slowwing getting adjusted to this new lifestyle and I am not doing a very good job on my food choices and erges. I did not do too well over the weekend on my eating..I watched how much I ate, but I did give in a few times to a scoop of ice cream and a few other things that I am pretty sure I am not suppose to eat..And the worse part about it was that it made me crave more sugar and more salty things..I have not done that in over a month.. I am very ashamed of myself over it..

July24Lioness

Did you read what I wrote? That's what I said would happen. I didn't say it wasn't a healthy process, I did say it has the potential to send your blood sugars much higher than a controlled portion of carbs.

Yes, I read what you wrote....


Actually it doesn't send your blood sugars higher, It stablizes the blood sugars making the blood sugars normal. My doctor in virginia actually wanted me to do a 0 carb plan for a while, but I couldn't sustain it because I have to at least have veggies in my eating plan.

July24Lioness

ok..One of the other things I was meaning to get to when I made this post was, What are some good name brands of foods that are insulin resistant friendly, foods that are the better choice, things like that..i am very new to all this, and it is all very overwhelming still..I am slowwing getting adjusted to this new lifestyle and I am not doing a very good job on my food choices and erges. I did not do too well over the weekend on my eating..I watched how much I ate, but I did give in a few times to a scoop of ice cream and a few other things that I am pretty sure I am not suppose to eat..And the worse part about it was that it made me crave more sugar and more salty things..I have not done that in over a month.. I am very ashamed of myself over it..

You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself because of it.................it is a learning experience.

The additional cravings and such is why I have always recommended a structured plan such as South Beach or Atkins because those plans basically take away all of the sugar and then add back in the veggies and fruit, grain carbs in a controlled manner to see what triggers cravings..............

Most cravings are due to allergenic reactions...............

LoriT129

As one who has watched my father struggle with diabetes for 31 years, I can tell you that there is no easy, foolproof way to control your insulin levels. He has been on Adkins, Sugar Busters, variations of both and various other diets over the years to control his levels and the ONLY diet that has worked for him (the one that got him OFF of insulin shots) was healthy eating and portion control. With that said, another lesson I have learned from him and other family members with various stages of diabetes is that everyone is different. Just like my fingerprint is different than yours, my reaction to certain foods will be different from yours as well. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes 2 weeks ago (A1C 6.4% and a fasting sugar of 95) and as important as it is for me to control my carbs, carbs are a healthy part of your diet but must be controlled on a daily basis. My cholesterol levels are high and I was put on medication to control it so eating lots of meat on a diet like Adkins is not an option for me. Although it is important to balance the carbs with protein, eating a lot of meat, albeit healthy lean meat, would not bring the cholesterol numbers down like I need too. My best friend is a registered dietician and after speaking with her we decided the best diet for me would be the American Diabetes Association Diet. It is a healthy diet with lots of choices and gives you guidelines on what is best for you to eat. Based on their recommendations a woman should consume between 45-60 carbs with each meal and 15 carbs for each snack. 15 carbs is ONE serving of carbs. The reason there is a variance between what you should consume for each meal is based on the amount of exercise you do in a day. Exercise more and you burn more carbs, therefore, you need a few extra. The important thing that was stressed by my friend and my doctor is that you try to eat the same amount of carbs for each meal at the same time, each day. I have been testing my sugar for the past 2 weeks and I see spikes in my sugar level when I don't follow that simple rule.

Here is a good article to read: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/glycemic-index-diet

Here is the American Diabetes Association website that lists good things to eat: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/

The important thing is to find what works for YOU and don't beat yourself up and feel guilty if you have a sweet treat every now and again. I encourage you to read the article Sweeteners and Desserts on the page I sent from the ADA. You CAN enjoy those things in moderation.

Good luck to you! There is lots to learn and don't feel alone because I am still learning too!

melodyg

ok..One of the other things I was meaning to get to when I made this post was, What are some good name brands of foods that are insulin resistant friendly, foods that are the better choice, things like that..i am very new to all this, and it is all very overwhelming still..I am slowwing getting adjusted to this new lifestyle and I am not doing a very good job on my food choices and erges. I did not do too well over the weekend on my eating..I watched how much I ate, but I did give in a few times to a scoop of ice cream and a few other things that I am pretty sure I am not suppose to eat..And the worse part about it was that it made me crave more sugar and more salty things..I have not done that in over a month.. I am very ashamed of myself over it..

I am trying to stay away from most processed foods... so name brand doesn't even factor in there. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, whole wheat bread or brown rice, lowfat cheese and other dairy, lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish). About the only thing I buy that I am picky on name brand is I buy Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta.... it is not whole wheat but enriched and lower calorie than some other pastas (I'm the only one in my family who would eat whole wheat pasta, so it's not worth the battle!). Feel free to check out my food diary if you want to, but that is the only "brand name" I can think of off hand.

July24Lioness

As one who has watched my father struggle with diabetes for 31 years, I can tell you that there is no easy, foolproof way to control your insulin levels. He has been on Adkins, Sugar Busters, variations of both and various other diets over the years to control his levels and the ONLY diet that has worked for him (the one that got him OFF of insulin shots) was healthy eating and portion control. With that said, another lesson I have learned from him and other family members with various stages of diabetes is that everyone is different. Just like my fingerprint is different than yours, my reaction to certain foods will be different from yours as well. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes 2 weeks ago (A1C 6.4% and a fasting sugar of 95) and as important as it is for me to control my carbs, carbs are a healthy part of your diet but must be controlled on a daily basis. My cholesterol levels are high and I was put on medication to control it so eating lots of meat on a diet like Adkins is not an option for me. Although it is important to balance the carbs with protein, eating a lot of meat, albeit healthy lean meat, would not bring the cholesterol numbers down like I need too. My best friend is a registered dietician and after speaking with her we decided the best diet for me would be the American Diabetes Association Diet. It is a healthy diet with lots of choices and gives you guidelines on what is best for you to eat. Based on their recommendations a woman should consume between 45-60 carbs with each meal and 15 carbs for each snack. 15 carbs is ONE serving of carbs. The reason there is a variance between what you should consume for each meal is based on the amount of exercise you do in a day. Exercise more and you burn more carbs, therefore, you need a few extra. The important thing that was stressed by my friend and my doctor is that you try to eat the same amount of carbs for each meal at the same time, each day. I have been testing my sugar for the past 2 weeks and I see spikes in my sugar level when I don't follow that simple rule.

Here is a good article to read: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/glycemic-index-diet

Here is the American Diabetes Association website that lists good things to eat: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/

The important thing is to find what works for YOU and don't beat yourself up and feel guilty if you have a sweet treat every now and again. I encourage you to read the article Sweeteners and Desserts on the page I sent from the ADA. You CAN enjoy those things in moderation.

Good luck to you! There is lots to learn and don't feel alone because I am still learning too!

In regards to Atkins raising your cholesterol, that is simply not true. I had been on Atkins since 2003 and my cholesterol has went from 288 down to 183.

And I know a website full of people that have lowered their cholesterol through using Atkins. There is nothing unhealthy or unbalanced about it. There is nothing wrong with being on a structured plan and they work for the people that do the plan by the book.

I have now taken my eating plan to a deeper level with the Primal Blue Print. I have given up all legumes, beans, lentils and grains. I am almost to the point now where my joints no longer hurt and ache and I am getting rid of the muscle stiffness.

LoriT129

I think it is WONDERFUL that you have found something that works for you!! The point I was trying to make is that one particular diet isn't a "one size fits all" and that everyone should find what works for them based on their own health issues. I've tried Adkins and it didn't work for me. I was gestational diabetic with my youngest son so was put on the diabetic diet (with more calories since I was pg) and it worked for me then and after I gave birth to him. I just think it is more healthy to find a diet that works for each person individually. I'm not knocking the Adkins diet but I also have hemachromatosis (high iron in my blood that makes it thicker) and since meats are high iron, I'm not able to eat as much protein/meat as is prescribed for Adkins. I have also found that keeping my carbs the same every day, keeps my blood sugar from fluctuating. Flucutations in blood sugar is very important when conducting the A1C test. And I want accurate info when I am tested again. I think it is great that you have found something that works for you! Good luck with your goals!

Ge0rgiana

I think it is WONDERFUL that you have found something that works for you!! The point I was trying to make is that one particular diet isn't a "one size fits all" and that everyone should find what works for them based on their own health issues. I've tried Adkins and it didn't work for me. I was gestational diabetic with my youngest son so was put on the diabetic diet (with more calories since I was pg) and it worked for me then and after I gave birth to him. I just think it is more healthy to find a diet that works for each person individually. I'm not knocking the Adkins diet but I also have hemachromatosis (high iron in my blood that makes it thicker) and since meats are high iron, I'm not able to eat as much protein/meat as is prescribed for Adkins. I have also found that keeping my carbs the same every day, keeps my blood sugar from fluctuating. Flucutations in blood sugar is very important when conducting the A1C test. And I want accurate info when I am tested again. I think it is great that you have found something that works for you! Good luck with your goals!

I saw something on the Discovery Channel or something about hemachromatosis. If I remember correctly, the recommended treatment is giving blood! It doesn't matter which disease it is, having chronic illness is hard and it sucks. You really do have to figure out how to manage your life, including your diet, in a way that suits you and best controls your disease.

LoriT129

You are absolutely right! I am considered a super donor because I give blood twice a month. Sometimes more based on my iron level. Having high cholesterol and having thick blood because of hemachromatosis is not a good combination and that is why the extra meat on the Atkins won't work for me. It is also important that I get the heart healthy fats and not animal fats. I am following the diabetic diet that is slightly modified so that it is more like a Mediteranian diet. It's working! I have lost 3lbs in one week!