Stopping sugar, grains, and high glycemics to avoid DM and l

Shreela
Shreela Posts: 9 Member
edited September 18 in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I'm a middle aged female that might be a borderline diabetic, and would like to lose at least 50lbs -- that depends on what I look like at that weight, since I'm a bit over 5'9". My fasting blood sugar was ok at 93, but my H1ac was 6.3 when the OB/Gyn did bloodwork.

I'd been drinking quite a bit of sugared koolaid, and eating lots of starches and processed grains (pasta, white rice, and bread) before the blood test, so I changed my beverage to tea with stevia (and 1 tsp regular sugar for 2 quarts of tea because I couldn't tolerate the taste of just stevia by itself at first, but I've recently been able to use just stevia finally).

I cut down on my starches and processed grains, but didn't cut them out completely. After a post on a cardiologist's blog about a man that reduced his coronary plague by fasting, I commented that I wasn't able to fast because I get the shakes and light-headedness. The doctor and another commenter told me it was because of how much sugars, starches, and grains I was eating, that if I cut them out I'd most likely be able to stop having hypoglycemic episodes.

Well I want to stop my hypoglycemic episodes, prevent diabetes and heart disease, and lose weight, so I thought a food journal would be a great way to keep track of my food intake, while also seeing how long it took before signs of hypoglycemia kicked in. So I searched and found this site.

I like how it has the exercise journal too, especially since it calculates gardening:flowerforyou: With the costs of fresh produce going higher and higher, I've been slowly learning to garden and have had enough successes that we've been able to eat some home grown vegetables. But now that I'm going for the low glycemic veggies, I'll need to get my hands dirty again with some cold tolerant veggies (I usually have fairly mild winters, so I'll probably get plenty of lettuce and greens before we get what we consider to be a cold snap). Then after our one cold month, I should have the garden in good enough shape to grow spring veggies.

My other exercise will be bike riding, since I can't walk long distances. Plus bike riding strengthens my weak knee, so with a stronger knee from biking, plus weight loss, I'll be able to walk longer before the pain/swelling kicks in:happy:

Oh, can we make our journal public so others can see it? Thanks!

Replies

  • Shreela
    Shreela Posts: 9 Member
    Hi, I'm a middle aged female that might be a borderline diabetic, and would like to lose at least 50lbs -- that depends on what I look like at that weight, since I'm a bit over 5'9". My fasting blood sugar was ok at 93, but my H1ac was 6.3 when the OB/Gyn did bloodwork.

    I'd been drinking quite a bit of sugared koolaid, and eating lots of starches and processed grains (pasta, white rice, and bread) before the blood test, so I changed my beverage to tea with stevia (and 1 tsp regular sugar for 2 quarts of tea because I couldn't tolerate the taste of just stevia by itself at first, but I've recently been able to use just stevia finally).

    I cut down on my starches and processed grains, but didn't cut them out completely. After a post on a cardiologist's blog about a man that reduced his coronary plague by fasting, I commented that I wasn't able to fast because I get the shakes and light-headedness. The doctor and another commenter told me it was because of how much sugars, starches, and grains I was eating, that if I cut them out I'd most likely be able to stop having hypoglycemic episodes.

    Well I want to stop my hypoglycemic episodes, prevent diabetes and heart disease, and lose weight, so I thought a food journal would be a great way to keep track of my food intake, while also seeing how long it took before signs of hypoglycemia kicked in. So I searched and found this site.

    I like how it has the exercise journal too, especially since it calculates gardening:flowerforyou: With the costs of fresh produce going higher and higher, I've been slowly learning to garden and have had enough successes that we've been able to eat some home grown vegetables. But now that I'm going for the low glycemic veggies, I'll need to get my hands dirty again with some cold tolerant veggies (I usually have fairly mild winters, so I'll probably get plenty of lettuce and greens before we get what we consider to be a cold snap). Then after our one cold month, I should have the garden in good enough shape to grow spring veggies.

    My other exercise will be bike riding, since I can't walk long distances. Plus bike riding strengthens my weak knee, so with a stronger knee from biking, plus weight loss, I'll be able to walk longer before the pain/swelling kicks in:happy:

    Oh, can we make our journal public so others can see it? Thanks!
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
    Your post was very interesting to me, I am not over weight and I am not diabetic but I have few pounds I want to lose to fit into my "pre midnight shifts wardrobe", anyway....I have had hypoglycemic episodes on and off for many years my fasting BS is often under 3.5 and random is usually no more than 6 (canadian values but you get it) I do four days cardio a week usually, harder cardio. If I don't eat often I get the shakes bad! and now that I am calorie restricting I am finding that I am low more often...(I say low but that is how I feel, I don't test more than once a month) My doctor says he is not concerned, eat healthy and frequently he says...thanks. I have not always paid attention to the type of carbs I eat and when I get the shakes....I am going to be more aware now due to your post and try to monitor the types of carbs I eat....thanks, you're the first person who ever talked about "the shakes" now I have an idea.
  • kjllose
    kjllose Posts: 948 Member
    Hi Shreela, what is considered a cold snap where you live? I live in Vermont, we've had our cold snap and then some but boy I do miss the veggies from the garden. I always put a good garden in but had never thought of gardening in an exercising way. How many calories can you use up gardening? Nothing but white stuff for the next 4 /12 months, I like snow it has it's uses but I will be drooling over my gardening catalogs all winter.
  • Shreela
    Shreela Posts: 9 Member
    @Deanea:
    Here's the post I referred to:
    http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/instant-reversal-with-fasting.html
    I'm the 5th commenter (anonymous, but signed as: S). The doctor replied in an interesting way, as did Jpatti and her remark: "it sounds like you have reactive hypoglycemia. This means you have a slow phase 1 insulin response, so when you eat, your bg goes really high, then your pancreas overreacts and splurts out too much insulin and you go low. Most people with reactive hypoglycemia progress to diabetes if they don't get it under control because it's a disorder of insulin production."

    And another interesting post from one of Dr. D's other followers:
    http://www.heartcipher.com/archives/112
    He tried the fasting like Dr. D recommended, but it was the post's very last paragraph that interested me most. To paraphrase: He wouldn't advise people to try fasting unless they've already done the low carb (cutting out sugars, starches, grains, but still eating low glycemic veggies a lot) because they wouldn't be able to fast. Which tells me pretty much what the others have been saying: it's likely that my lifelong hypoglycemia is probably because I've always eaten sugary foods, breads, pasta, potatoes, and rice daily.

    In my lunch entry, I included the time I ate in my food notes. I'm going to try to eat just when I feel hypoglycemia kick in, so I can track the times to see if stopping fast carbs makes a difference in how long I can go without food. I'll report in either way since it seems you're interested :bigsmile:

    Here's another article you might be interested in, especially since you're trying to drop a few. Nutshell version: Higher levels of insulin suppresses a fat-burning enzyme.
    http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/17226/eat-fat-grow-thin/pf/

    @ kjllose
    I grew up and still live 20 miles from the Gulf, in the south part of Houston. It's pretty common for the north part of Houston to freeze, while the south side doesn't, because Houston's so spread out, and also because the south side gets more buffering from the Gulf. Because of this, I am not accustomed to the cold, and bundle up like crazy if it gets less than 45F.

    We got a white Christmas (my only one) two years ago, and last year it supposedly froze all the way down to Galveston, but it must have been for a very short time, because I hardly lost any plants that weren't covered. I've had tomato plants survive some winters when they've been mild, and put out tomatoes very early the next spring (not many though); I pulled them because they were pretty spindly by then.

    My husband thought I was nuts one year when I sewed parts of my seeds at the end of January, but I told him if we didn't get a snap like we sometimes don't, then we'd get early veggies, and to his amazement we didn't get a snap, and got early veggies. But it didn't work last year LOL, that's why I only sew partial packs, since it's a gamble.

    Have you seen the bubble greenhouses (they garden in Canada during the winter)?
    http://www.tdc.ca/bubblegreenhouse.htm
    I'd be more interested in them for when we're too hot for veggies to grow, but they'd also be good for when we do get occasional cold snaps.
    Here's a UK site that has pics of all his steps in building a bubble greenhouse. http://www.solarbubblebuild.com/

    PS: the exercise journal credited me with 181 calories for 30 min of gardening
  • kdhh
    kdhh Posts: 5
    I am hypoglycemic and have been for a very long time. It is caused by many things be uneven..sugar, protein, carbs etc. The key to keeping it under control is to keep your protein levels even. Usually when someone is experiencing a 'episode' they have something sugary and this gives it a quick fix but then the body crashs and needs more. Protein will keep your blood sugar levels even. I eat more protein than this site allows but some people need more than others! Make sure you have protein for breakfast (I always have an egg, peanut butter, turkey bacon or something like that) have protein as a snack (yogurt is really good or cheese strings) Basically make sure you have protein with every meal and as snacks, your sugar will level out and you will no longer have the dizzy spells, I guarantee it! Also drink plenty of water :smile:
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
    Thanks !
  • pmethot
    pmethot Posts: 1
    I have reactive hypoglycemia, so I have not been eating the allowed carbs and going higher on the jprotein. What should those daily goals be set to for someone like me.
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    I bought the Kathy You Type 2 program for someone (workout plus nutrition plan for Type 2 Diabetes) ... and the main part of the diet was pairing all carbs with a serving of protein and eating every 2-3 hours. So there are two things you might try also.

    Lots of luck in your journey!
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    Oh, to make your food journal public, go to the Food tab and click the Settings link. Then on the bottom you can set to whether you want it public, friends only, etc.
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