Diabetic Diet & Blood Gluecose

I have persistent symptoms that point to diabetes, but my doctor just does a blood test and says I am fine. He doesn’t even make me fast first. This just doesn’t seem accurate to me. I would like to go to my next visit with some specific test to ask for.

As noted, ask for the results of your last tests. Call them up NOW for that.

When you go in, ask them to do a blood sugar test right then. It would be good if you fasted for this, but not all that necessary as you are just looking to see what the level is right now. When it’s taken as for the reading – this takes only seconds, the machine will be in the nurses hand and you should be able to see the results for yourself.

Find out what tests were done previously (ask for a ‘diabetes panel’), ask what they plan to do this time and ask about your insulin level (a high level can indicate insulin resistance), liver enzymes (weird readings indicate issues with blood sugar management) that were provided last time.

Get the results of this newest blood test panel as well.

Beyond that, go for a 2nd opinion. Thsi doc doesn’t want to deal with you.

I am a diabetic and i went to the Dr. today. He told me to go on a 3,3,4 diet. 3 carb exchanges for breakfast and lunch and 4 for dinner. I have NO CLUE!!!! what he is talking about. How many carbs can i have per meal? Can someone help me i am so confused!

That is the mid 20th century diet for diabetes. It does no good at all. Especially if the doctor didn’t give you the chart that describes the choice exchanges.

I have followed the South Beach Living phase 2 food plan for the past 15 years. It is low carb, sufficient protein and fats. The head Endocrinologist at the University of Georgia Hospital recommends this plan for all his patients, his staff and follows it himself. Books available from all bookstores libraries, and online. Public library is least expensive as you can copy any menu and recipe you like.

I followed the exchange diet plan for about 10 years taking care of my mother. It did not help her nor did it help prevent me from getting diabetes either.

ellevated sugar levels. how do they ruin the body?

Specific Conditions
•Bone and Joint Problems Associated with DiabetesBone and Joint Problems Associated with Diabetes http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/diabetes/AN01072/METHOD=print(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
•Diabetes and Alzheimer’s •Diabetes, Heart Disease, and StrokeDiabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/stroke/(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
•Diabetes: How Does It Affect My Liver?Diabetes: How Does It Affect My Liver?
•Diabetic ComaDiabetic Coma http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/diabetic-coma/•Diabetic Heart DiseaseDiabetic Heart Disease •Diabetic Hyperosmolar SyndromeDiabetic Hyperosmolar Syndrome•Diabetic KetoacidosisDiabetic Ketoacidosis http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/diabetic-ketoacidosis/DS00674/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
•Diabetic Vascular DiseaseDiabetic Vascular Disease https://www.vascularweb.org/vascularhealth/Pages/DiabeticVascularDisease.aspx(Society for Vascular Surgery)
•GastroparesisGastroparesis http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gastroparesis/(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
•If You Have Diabetes You Are at High Risk for Heart Attack & StrokeIf You Have Diabetes You Are at High Risk for Heart Attack & Stroke •Recognizing Anemia in People with DiabetesRecognizing Anemia in People with Diabetes http://www.anemia.org/patients/feature-articles/content.php?contentid=000367§ionid=00015(National Anemia Action Council)
•Sexual and Urologic Problems of DiabetesSexual and Urologic Problems of Diabetes http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/sup/(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
•Skin ComplicationsSkin Complications http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/skin-complications.html(American Diabetes Association)
•What People with Diabetes Need to Know about OsteoporosisWhat People with Diabetes Need to Know about Osteoporosis http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/diabetes.asp(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Tin

I’m considering buying this meter to measure my blood glucose: http://www.amazon.com/ACCU-CHEK-Compact-Plus-Meter-Kit/dp/B00005V3D9/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

However, I’m new to all this and am not sure what else I need to buy. I know that I have to buy test strips but what else do I need? Control solution? What does that do? Do I need it? How about lancets? Do I need these? http://www.amazon.com/Accu-Chek-Softclix-Lancets-100-ea/dp/B0000532GY/ref=reg_hu-wl_mrai-recs

Most meters come with a sample of test strips, as well as disposable lancets. You’ll also receive a case and your lancet pen. Some even come with control solution. The control solution allows you to test the accuracy of your meter. I believe the manufacturer recommends that you use control solution every time you change your test strip vial and re-code your meter, but in truth I only pull out my control solution when I have some doubt about my readings.

I change my lancet about once every one to two weeks, depending how often I test, but some people change the lancet more often. You don’t need to change the lancet every time you prick your finger. The lancet does get dull with repeated uses, though, and that makes pricking your finger painful and more difficult. Buy a box of lancets now and you won’t have to buy one for a long time.

You definitely need test strips. Estimate how often you’re going to test (for example: fasting, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner, bedtime = 5 test strips a day x 30 days = 150 test strips for one month). ACCU-CHEK sells really expensive test strips. If you’re on a budget, consider Wal-Mart’s ReliOn meter. It’s just as accurate as the expensive meters, but its test strips are usually more than half the cost.

Also, you can usually get a free meter online. The One Touch Mini has been available for free for over a year. Here’s the link: http://www.onetouchdiabetes.com/offers/ I believe the FreeStyle brand has been giving away meters, too: https://www.myfreestyle.com/fs/promise/join-now.do Companies like to give away the meters to rope you in on the cost of the test strips.

You don’t need anything else to get started. You’re in good shape. Good luck!

(P.S. The softclix is a really nice lancet – you hardly feel it.)

can i exchange the sugar free desserts for the starches/carbs in my regular diet? for example instead of having two pieces of bread, could i have one cup of sugar free pudding with my meal or for a snack? if so, how often am i allowed to do this?

It’s a good idea to have a dietition to talk about your diet and working in SF deserts. there are lots of websites that can help you. I typed in diabetic diets or just diabetes in the search box and get websites also Hope this he[ps some!

A hospital might have one. If your BG was really that high, you wouldn’t be walking around, you’d be in the hospital on an insulin drip.

There are none at this time, at least none that will give anything close to accurate results. But stay tuned to your internet they are making great progress in the treatment of diabetes….Not so much in the cure, contrary to what others may tell you.

Why must our blood glucose levels be controlled?
What hormone is involved in controlling our blood glucose levels?
Where is the hormone made?
Where does this hormone have its affect?
Diabetics can not controlle their blood sugar level properly. How is this treated?

> Why must our blood glucose levels be controlled?
Having blood glucose level too low means things like feelings of weariness. Way too low means coma and death.
Having blood glucose level too high can bring things like nerve damage (including blindness!), decreased healing of wounds, increased susceptibility to injury infections.

> What hormone is involved in controlling our blood glucose levels?
Insulin is the primary one, but also glucagon.

> Where is the hormone made?
The "islet of Langerhans" cells of the Pancreas

> Where does this hormone have its affect?
The cells of the body. It permits them to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cell interiors.

> Diabetics can not controlle their blood sugar level properly. How is this treated?
There are two main forms of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is treated with injections of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is treated with:
Exercise
Diet
Weight loss
Certain prescription drugs (metformin, and a few others)
If those things don’t help enough, then also injections of insulin

whats the minimum and maximum amount of time you are supposed to go without eating before measuring your blood glucose?

it’s usually 8 hours fasting before measuring the blood glucose level & the normal fasting bl. glucose level ranges from 60-90 mg/dl (<100)

What are the effects of simple carbs and complex carbs on blood glucose levels? Any information would help me greatly.
Thanks

Carbohydrates are simply long chains of sugar molecules hooked end-to-end. When a person eats carbohydrates their normal digestive process breaks up these chains into the individual sugar molecules, and they pass right through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, and load up the bloodstream with sugar. Complex carbs supposedly get absorbed more slowly, but they do go into the blood stream.

If this happened every once in a while it would not be a problem. But as diets today are so high in carbohydrates, people have a constant high level of sugar pouring into their bloodstream year after year!

This requires their body to continuously produce high levels of insulin to keep that sugar level down. (Insulin’s job is to push sugar out of the bloodstream into the cells where it is used for energy.)

Eventually the cells in their body becomes insensitive to the effects of the insulin (insulin resistance). To handle this problem of insulin resistance their body begins to produce even higher levels of insulin. This continues until their pancreas reaches the maximum amount of insulin it can produce, and when the insulin resistance increases again, their blood sugar begins to rise out of control.

The result is type 2 diabetes! Type 2 diabetes is actually an extreme case of insulin resistance.