Diabetes!! Pre/Borderline/Elevated.... WTH!!
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Time to do your homework and explore the DOC- the Diabetic Online Comunity.
Good links to read through with lots of good info and lots of good people who live it 24/7/365.
http://www.tudiabetes.org/
http://community.diabetes.org/
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com.au/2006/10/d-day.html
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com.au/2006/10/weight-loss-cooking-and-eating-plan.html
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/test-test-test.html
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/11/when-to-test-one-hour-or-two-hour.html
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com.au/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
http://community.diabetes.org/t5/Main-Community/ct-p/Support-Forums0 -
First, a good book to get is "Diabetes for Dummies"...explains things in easy to understand ways.
Second, it's not just about sugar or fried foods, it's about carbs...which can be sugar, fruit, veggies, breads, cereals, etc. Yes, sugars have more carbs than fruits/veggies, but you need to watch all your carbs.
Finally, the American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics get 45% of their calories from carbs, so Custom Set your Food percentages to that, then 20%-25% protein, and 30-35% fats.
Also your doctor should get you an appointment w/a nutritionist, so help you understand diet issues until you feel comfortable doing it on your own. Many people try to just figure it out for themselves, but that's challenging. If your husband has been a diabetic for a while & you still don't understand how to eat w/it, then I'm thinking you could both benefit from seeing someone to really explain things well. But go to a professional that your doctor recommends, usually paid for by insurance. Do not just go to some grocery store health program...the one in our area was completely worthless. I'm not diabetic, but felt I did a better job of answering the attendees questions after the "class," than the lady who taught the class. It takes a little bit to get into good habits & understand things, but eventually it'll be easier & you'll feel better & live longer. If you don't take care of yourself, or just take insulin when your sugar is bad, then they say it's like broken glass in your veins causing damage to your vessels & your body.0 -
Now that you had a wake up call, two of the best things you can do are moderate exercise, at least 30mins 5x per week, and lose weight. It doesn't have to be anything intense, just walking around your neighborhood or the mall for a minimum of 30 minutes 5x/week. These two things are more important than any/every diet recommendation you can get if you are in that pre diabetic category (of course if the blood sugar gets worse, diet becomes very important), but many people have even reversed beginning diabetes with exercise and weight loss. Focus on these two things and reducing blood sugar spikes first (and of course see your doctor), the rest you can try at your leisure, just don't forget progress on those first two, no matter what.0
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bump0
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I come from a family with lots of diabetes. My mother died of heart disease caused by diabetes. I was determined that I won't get diabetes. Mostly I avoid really sweet stuff, I make sure I get protein every day. I wouldn't say I eat the best diet, but eating more protein and more whole grains (I agree -- old-fashioned oatmeal, not instant), and hardly ever having candy except for dark chocolate seems to work. My blood work is always normal.0
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Some of you have mentioned eating carbs with fiber and a protein, can you explain why?? I'm asking because I love to eat oatmeal in the morning for my breakfast... Do I need to add something else to the oatmeal or will I be ok with just oatmeal...
Maple Brown Sugar (High Fiber) is my favorite..... Do I need to eliminate oatmeal from my diet????
The only way to tell is to test before and after a meal with oatmeal. I make steal cut oatmeal and mix it with protein powder. There is no sugar or fat added. Even with all the protein, the oatmeal spikes my blood sugar. It isn't too bad, but about 10-15 points above my usual breakfast. It still doesn't go over 130, so I will occasionally have oatmeal as a treat for breakfast.
Because everybody is different what works for one person might not work for another. Folks here can give you ideas based n what has worked for them, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. There is a lot of trial and error in dealing with this disease. You should work with your dietician to come up with a plan that works for you.0 -
bump...will read later...sounds like some great info.0
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Bumping to read links later0
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Agree with talking to your DR. Agree more strongly that you also do your own research. Research the side effects of the prescription drugs you take, some rather common ones can raise BG levels.
Your flavor of oatmeal is instant and as such is loaded in sugar and carbs, seriously eat it no more, it has nearly all the fiber striped out of it and is so over processed that it digests quickly. The longer it takes to cook the oats the better it is for you. Buy old fashioned, takes just 5 minutes to cook and if you must sweeten with a small amount of real maple syrup, real fruit, or maybe some nuts.
Agree with exercise being the most important thing you can do to avoid getting the disease. Find an exercise that is fun for you and do it daily so as to make it a habit. I have found cycling works for me.
I try to get most of my calories from fats and protein however i still give in to what I like on occasion: beer, potatoes, biscuits and gravy, ice cream, pasta, and other tasty foods. However I log everything and try to be very honest with myself while logging.
Good luck on your journey.0 -
Some of you have mentioned eating carbs with fiber and a protein, can you explain why?? I'm asking because I love to eat oatmeal in the morning for my breakfast... Do I need to add something else to the oatmeal or will I be ok with just oatmeal...
Maple Brown Sugar (High Fiber) is my favorite..... Do I need to eliminate oatmeal from my diet????
The only way to tell is to test before and after a meal with oatmeal. I make steal cut oatmeal and mix it with protein powder. There is no sugar or fat added. Even with all the protein, the oatmeal spikes my blood sugar. It isn't too bad, but about 10-15 points above my usual breakfast. It still doesn't go over 130, so I will occasionally have oatmeal as a treat for breakfast.
Because everybody is different what works for one person might not work for another. Folks here can give you ideas based n what has worked for them, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. There is a lot of trial and error in dealing with this disease. You should work with your dietician to come up with a plan that works for you.
I second this opinion. Work with your doctor/dietitian and TEST TEST TEST. Oatmeal is the one grain that would raise my sugar THE LEAST (I usually have it with peanut butter and milk). There is actually some research that it may actually help with blood sugar control because of the soluble fiber. Note that I said "may". Even if it comes in a scientific paper there is no substitute for testing and working with your doctor to see what works for you personally. Just test and pray you're one of the lucky ones not to get a horrible spike from it
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I had a fasting glucose level of 105 for two years and my doctor said it was not yet in the pre-diabetes range at that time. Now I'm at 120 and officially pre-diabetic. 126 is considered diabetic. I've not seen anything saying 120 is diabetic, as a previous poster stated. Generally 100-125 is prediabetic, and above that is the 'real thing'.
In any case, your doctor should be giving you guidance on your diet so you can get it under control. As several people already mentioned, you can definitely still eat carbs.
If I overdo the carbs I get very sleepy and have no energy. Keeping them in check has given me more energy. I could not live happily if I could never have bread or baked goods, so I have them. Just not all at once.
Good luck!
Hgba1c of 6.4 is Diabetic. We quit using fasting blood sugars as the standard over 11 yrs ago. Unfortunately some practitioners have not caught up. Kind of like blood pressure readings. 120/80 was never normal blood pressure, it was the end of normal. 115/75 has been the new end of normal for 10 yrs+. 120's is treated with lifestyle, 130's with meds. In my opinion, every Person over 30 should check their BP regularly and get a yearly hgba1c.0 -
When you test makes a huge difference as well. If I am not feeling well, did a really hard workout, didn't wash my hands properly (touching fruit/sugar and testing) will all skew my results. My A1C wend from over 7 to just over 5 by following a reasonable nutrition and exercise plan for 15 months. I worked with a diabetic counselor and a nutritionist.
Wow, your AIC level is that of a non-Diabetic now! That's what I hope to get down to. I'm embarrassed to say that my last level (last week) was 11.2 I know--terrible. I was eating completely out of control and totally downing candy and sweets. I finally wised up at that last visit because I had spillover into my urine and that means complications. Now, I'm really eating much better and trying to get exercise in when I'm feeling well.0 -
Some of you have mentioned eating carbs with fiber and a protein, can you explain why?? I'm asking because I love to eat oatmeal in the morning for my breakfast... Do I need to add something else to the oatmeal or will I be ok with just oatmeal...
Maple Brown Sugar (High Fiber) is my favorite..... Do I need to eliminate oatmeal from my diet????
It would be a start. You have a carbohydrate intolerance. Oatmeal is a carbohydrate.0 -
I was told that anything higher than 99 is at the diabetic stage...go figure!0
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Some of you have mentioned eating carbs with fiber and a protein, can you explain why?? I'm asking because I love to eat oatmeal in the morning for my breakfast... Do I need to add something else to the oatmeal or will I be ok with just oatmeal...
Maple Brown Sugar (High Fiber) is my favorite..... Do I need to eliminate oatmeal from my diet????
The only way to tell is to test before and after a meal with oatmeal. I make steal cut oatmeal and mix it with protein powder. There is no sugar or fat added. Even with all the protein, the oatmeal spikes my blood sugar. It isn't too bad, but about 10-15 points above my usual breakfast. It still doesn't go over 130, so I will occasionally have oatmeal as a treat for breakfast.
Because everybody is different what works for one person might not work for another. Folks here can give you ideas based n what has worked for them, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. There is a lot of trial and error in dealing with this disease. You should work with your dietician to come up with a plan that works for you.
I always thought oatmeal was good for you...minus the sugary 1's but I didn't realize that even the good oatmeal had that kind of effect & I wouldn't have thought to add protein powder. Can that be found in any grocery store?
I recently bought some steel cut oats but I haven't done anything with it yet.0 -
Wow... I didn't know what you ate in the earlier day could affect your next day.
I was told 2 weeks ago that anything past 99 is diabetic, #'s can be so daunting!0 -
What a great thread. I'm hoping to continue to read it as a reminder of how I don't want diabetes to be a part of my life.
The one thing that has resonated the most for me, is the very thing I fear I've fallen furthest away from and that is this,
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." --Michael Pollan
And there's a lot behind those few words. Article with that opening salvo can be found here. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?pagewanted=all0 -
Some of you have mentioned eating carbs with fiber and a protein, can you explain why?? I'm asking because I love to eat oatmeal in the morning for my breakfast... Do I need to add something else to the oatmeal or will I be ok with just oatmeal...
Maple Brown Sugar (High Fiber) is my favorite..... Do I need to eliminate oatmeal from my diet????
The only way to tell is to test before and after a meal with oatmeal. I make steal cut oatmeal and mix it with protein powder. There is no sugar or fat added. Even with all the protein, the oatmeal spikes my blood sugar. It isn't too bad, but about 10-15 points above my usual breakfast. It still doesn't go over 130, so I will occasionally have oatmeal as a treat for breakfast.
Because everybody is different what works for one person might not work for another. Folks here can give you ideas based n what has worked for them, but that doesn't mean it will work for you. There is a lot of trial and error in dealing with this disease. You should work with your dietician to come up with a plan that works for you.
I always thought oatmeal was good for you...minus the sugary 1's but I didn't realize that even the good oatmeal had that kind of effect & I wouldn't have thought to add protein powder. Can that be found in any grocery store?
I recently bought some steel cut oats but I haven't done anything with it yet.
Some studies have shown that although it does initially raise your blood sugar, it keeps the curve smoother throughout the day in the long run. It's a carbohydrate, so it will raise your blood sugar. Does that mean it's bad for a diabetic? Not exactly. It's a healthy carb that is good for heart health, which is very important for diabetics. The trick is to learn how much you body tolerates it. It's different for everyone. Some people can only eat tiny portions, others like myself can eat a double portion without a problem (rice however is my worst enemy). It depends how your insulin production/tolerance is. A slight spike above what is normal for you does not warrant cutting a food off, but it does mean you need to have it less often than you thought you could, or decrease the amount to one you can handle.0 -
OP: I am sorry you are having to deal with this. I started checking my blood sugars about three weeks ago and found that I am prediabetic too. My fasting levels are always 100-120. I have a family history also, so diabetes has always been something I have been concerned about.
I have read around a lot since then and have started to check my blood sugars every day; fasting and 1 hr after meals. I use mfp to see the carb contents of meals and how it affects my blood sugar. It helps me to have a sense of control, when I am actually feeling so scared and let down by my malfunctioning body. I mourn having to give up all the foods I used to enjoy on a regular basis in large quantities!
Actually, you have a good doctor, he mentioned your prediabetes and suggested you take action. My doctor was more worried about my vitamin D levels and completely ignored my prediabetic 6.0 A1c. That was a year ago, so I have been prediabetic for at least a year.
I have done a lot of reading, taken much advice from the lovely people here on mfp and I have a plan of action. I don't feel so much despair.
I am planning on losing a little more weight (about 10% of my current weight ), lose visceral fat by interval training most days a week, some strength training to help with insulin sensitivity and a low carb diet to keep my blood sugars down.
If all this doesn't improve things, I am prepared to start medication. I wish you good luck and good health.0 -
Check out; :flowerforyou: dlife.com0
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105 is in the "prediabetes" range. My dr did an A1C and an oral glucose tolerance test on me a couple years ago and i found out my numbers were in the prediabetes range, too. He was zero help but I read up on prediabetes on the ADA website. It was really helpful; I highly recommend checking that out so you can understand it better:
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/
It does sound like you have prediabetes and do need to watch what you eat, exercise and try to lose at least 10% of your body weight. I was able to reverse mine and am back in the normal range now. Now is the time to intervene before it progresses into diabetes so it sounds like you're on the right track by looking to address it now!0 -
exercise and try to lose at least 10% of your body weight.
I heard that is supposed to work...unfortunately it doesn't for everybody
I had normal sugars when I was big, have lost almost 54% of my body weight and now have higher FBS 0 -
eat a bowl of macaroni and cheese 2 servings about a 100carbs and check your sugar an hour after that
less than 120 normal
less than 160 diabetic but barely
less than 200 diabetic
greater than that and youre in trouble0 -
I went to a nutrtionist regarding a pre-diabetic warning. She recommended to never have more than 45 grams of carbohydrates in one meal...to lose weight she recommended staying at the 30 grams level. I continue to struggle with my weight though I am still at a pre-ciabetic level. Good Luck!0
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I encourage you to see a nutritionist/dietician!
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There is a lot of good information on here but also a lot of questionable information being spread around. Regardless of what particular number is used to decide if you have diabetes, you have gotten the message that you need to clean up your eating habits. I am a Type II diabetic, and I encourage you to see a dietitician (not a nutritionist). The first step for you is to keep an accurate food log of not only what you eat, but WHEN you eat it. You see, carbs can affect us in different ways at different times of the day. Personally, I struggle with my liver dumping sugar into my bloodstream overnight and I struggle the most with my after-breakfast numbers. Lunch and dinner are when I see my lowest numbers, even though I'm eating more carbs.
Another important thing is that not all carbs are created equal. Or should I say, what you pair with your carbs really does matter. Try to add protein and fiber with your carbohydrates as they can help to minimize your blood sugar spikes throughout the day. Eat healthy fats and lean protein. Watch your servings of the more sugary fruits and get a lot of nutrition from less starchy sources. You CAN eat bread, but stick to a serving and go for something with whole grains that is high in fiber.
The only way to know how YOUR body will react is to test your blood sugar after meals. It will help you to know which foods your body processes well, and which ones might need to be avoided, cut back, or moved to a different time of the day. Every body is so different. Some diabetics can't be in the same room with rice without their blood sugar rising, while others can handle an appropriate serving of rice. If you do want to have white bread, pizza, pasta, etc, resign yourself to taking a brisk 20-minute walk after dinner to help your body metabolize the glucose better. Last week I had something a bit higher in carbs for dinner (because I wanted it, we can't be good ALL of the time). I tested before walking (157) and after a 20-minute walk (122). HUGE difference in just 20 minutes of physical activity.
My carb totals (as an example) are: 15 grams for breakfast, 15-30 for lunch, and 30-45 at dinner. I keep snacks between 15-20 grams.
After a bit, your body stops craving all of the extra sugar (and believe me, if you eat something sweet, it is almost sickening). Diabetes is a different lifestyle, but fearing it won't help. You can live a very long and healthy life with diabetes by testing and changing your eating habits (and adding in exercise--that is SO important).
Best wishes.0 -
i am by no means an expert or a doctor, but i was diagnosed as pre-diabetic about 6 years ago and once i changed my lifestyle (about 3 years ago) i am no longer pre-diabetic. my doctor ordered bloodwork on this, so I would recommend gettin that test done if you haven't already, this way you know for sure.
i eat fruit, i eat sugar. but i avoid fried foods, i keep serving sizes in mind (always, but ESPECIALLY for candy and other treats) and i work out at least 3 times a week. i think the biggest change was giving up soda. that, i'm sure, cut my sugar intake by about 80%. diabetic or not, we can all benefit from reducing the amount of sugar we have. good luck on regulating those sugar levels! if i can do it, you definitely can!0 -
I was told that I was borderline diabetic, I went vegan, now my blood glucose levels are spot on. I hope you find a solution :flowerforyou:0
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I want to thank all of you guys for the information. (I truly appreciate it)... I'm following up with my doctor so I can get a handle on this now... (I've been warned).. However, I've been exercising 4x/week and watching my intake.... Whats great about MFP is once you log in your foods, you're able to see all your carbs and sugar intake which gives you a better picture of what you're actually eating throughout the day.... Again, THANKS!!!
MsTrueBlue!0
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