Diabetes!! Pre/Borderline/Elevated.... WTH!!

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????

When you eat carbs with fiber and protein, the body breaks them down together and it takes longer, causing less glucose spikes. (simplified explanation)

I was in a similar situation; they described it as "one toe over the edge" towards diabetes. I got down to low normal after a couple of months of exercise and losing several pounds. That was before I started on MFP. My last fasting test, after several more months of exercise, MFP and losing more weight, was low normal again.
You can definitely do it. Good luck.

Hey there.

Before you can start jumping to conclusions you really need for your doctor to actually sit down and test you properly.
Did the doctor say what type of test it was. If it was random it is done at anytime of the day, and as you know our glucose level fluctuate throughout different times in the day. Hence the reason why diabetics take different types/stengths of insulin and at different times in the day. So lets say before walking into the consulting room you demolished a mango and and a chocolate bar. Natrually your levels will be high.

A HBA1C is a good test. It gives you an average figure over a period of time, which is a very useful indicator. From what I've learned, the best test is a Random Glucose Tolerance Test. Have you had this done? It might be worth contacting your doctor and seeing what has been done. Is all tests are conclusive then ask for referral to a diabetes nurse/ clinic. I'm not sure how the system works for you, but diabetes is such a common disease of MEDCs that there is bound to be official help readily available.

I don't know if this helps, but basically be sure all the tests have been done. Also there are many official diabetes groups online (try NHS) or even try patient.co.uk (that site is a gem!)

Also I want to STRESS this! Everyone here and myself included can only tell you there experiences and what they MAY know. The Expert is your doctor who will undoubtedly seen many diabetic patients in his/her career. Lay people make mistakes and have different methods of coping, but really you need to consider what the professionals have to say first. I don't intend to offend anyone, but please consult your doctor before consulting us

I really hope everything works out for you and please drop me a message if you need to Diabetes IS scary but diabetics walk among us without us even realising!

I have high fasting blood sugar and my last glucose tolerance test came back as ''JUST within acceptable range". I've just done another one as required by the donor team that is deciding whether or not I'm a good candidate to donate a kidney, so I'm still waiting on the results of that. In the meantime I've done a fair bit of reading up on what foods are best or most appropriate to my situation which sounds kind of similar to you.

When choosing your fruits/veg/carbs, you should look not just at how many grams of sugar in each item but also where they fall on the Glycemic Index...and further to that, what their Glycemic Load is.

Things that come with lots of fibre and take longer to digest will do less of a number on your insulin than something without (like straight sugar). So, an Apple has 11 - 16 (ish) grams of sugar and a Banana has not too much more than that. However, all fruits are not equal. That Apple has a Glycemic index number of 39 which is low whereas a banana has a GI number of 62. Already that apple is looking better for you than the banana. Add to that the fact that the Glycemic Load (which has to do with how much carbohydrate you're getting in the food) for the Apple is a 6 (which is low) but is a 16 for the banana, the better choice is becoming clear.

The importance of taking glycemic load into account as well as the index is apparent when you look at something like watermelon. If you look at a watermelon's grams of sugar (18g) and where it is on the glycemic index (72 - very high), you'd think it was about the worst kind of fruit you could get your hands on as someone with insulin resistance issues. However, because it's essentially water and you're not getting much in the way of carbohydrate in your serving of watermelon, it only has a glycemic load of 4, which is very low.

In any case, don't freak out. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Just look to find some go-to staples that suit your body as far as the index and load go (unfortunately I don't think mango is going to make that list....but once in a while is no biggie.)

Here's a site with a list of all kinds of stuff (not just fruits and vegetables) that you can have a look through to get started. Anything lower than 55 on the Glycemic Index is considered low and anything lower than 10 for Glycemic Load is considered low

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

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????

I've seen an awful lot of debate on the subject of how diabetics/pre-diabetics should eat. Most of the people that have responded appear to be in one camp, so I'm here to share the perspective of the other one.

I've heard all the other advice for diabetics that's been presented here. I've also heard a lot of people say that advice doesn't work. Be sure to check multiple sources of information, don't rely on just one (even if it's your doctor, remember that debate I mentioned? It's always ok to get a second opinion). What I've read is that following the advice about fiber and mixing carbs with protein doesn't seem to reverse the condition. Nor limiting your carbs per meal. Those techniques seem to merely avoid glucose spikes, not reverse the insulin resistance that causes them. By that I mean that instead of getting a whole bunch of glucose at once, you get it drawn out over a longer period of time. This might keep you from losing your sight, but it won't reverse the condition. I suppose using those techniques while simultaneously losing weight might help. I don't know, I'm no expert.

I've also read arguments that you can reverse diabetes by reducing your body's dependence on carbs. This means a low-carb, high-fat diet.
So, in addition to what others have recommended (the books and articles, talking to a nutritionist, etc), I suggest you also read Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes. He promotes a low-carb, high-fat diet. But, more importantly, he clearly explains the science behind it (including how insulin works, what insulin resistance is, etc.). He cites actual research, not just recommendations from agencies (that may or may not have any research to support them).

The bad news is that if you follow Taubes' advice (even loosely) you won't be able to eat oatmeal anymore. Oats and grains are at the top of the restriction list, right up there with refined sugar. The good news is that eggs and bacon are back on the table.

Maybe I'm wrong, but do your research. I expect you'll find two kinds of recommendations: Those that say you can eat bread, and those that say you shouldn't. Pay attention to the reasons and the research behind the conclusions.

One thing remains constant in all forms of diet advice I've ever read: Eat lots of vegetables. Go heavy on the green ones, and light on the starchy ones.

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.

bump

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.

Bumping to read links later

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