Diabetes

[Alastair]

Taking Control of Your Diabetes: Healthy Diet

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

Diabetes Overview

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

[laney]

Re: Diabetes

Interesting Alastair!!
Anyone else have diabetes?

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

Well I have just moved from Type 2 to Type 1 so now having to live with needles <sigh>

[Maryt]

Re: Diabetes

Sorry to hear that you have gone to type 1 Allistair. I have been type 2 for almost 10 years now and I know when I was diagnosed, I thought it was the end of eating normally but I eat well and enjoy eating out. I have a test this week but think the doc will be pleased with me as have kept under control most of time.

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

It's no big deal really apart from when you are travelling and that needs some good organisation. I can pretty well eat anything I want and can adjust the insulin to compensate. Mind you I do have a healthy diet most of the time :-)

[Glesgalass]

Re: Diabetes

Oh my Alastair! I didn't know you could go from type II to type I. I've always thought that type II was the acquired (or genetically inherited) one brought on by lifestyle and that type I was the one you were born with.

Elda

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

Well I was told that diabetes does get worse over time Elda but with all the drugs etc. they can delay the changes much longer. I've been a diabetic for some 10 years and only moved to insulin in the last 6 months. My mother had diabetes so guess that was inherited. I've certainly learned a lot since moving to insulin and have had to adjust my eating habits a bit. I love bread but that's a problem on insulin so have moved from white to stone ground wheat. I also ate a lot of eggs but have had to cut down (but not out) and so instead of scrambled eggs I use the cholestrial free eggs which come in a carton. Then you need to eat lean meats. The other thing I found out was that fruit can be an issue so I now eat more vegetables and less fruit. It's really the fat and sugar that counts against you.

I use two insulins... one is for overnight and is usually a specific regular amount. The other one is short acting and is taken before each meal. That one can be adjusted depending on what you eat but again is usually about the same unless you decide to treat yourself in which case you can take an extra couple of units. At the end of the day you just make sure you don't go low on your sugar as that can have a nasty effect but you can usually tell if something is wrong as you start sweating and get a bit shaky. I've only had two of these and I now know what to watch for. Like one night I wasn't that hungry so just had lettuce, tomato and some prawns with a wee bit of dressing and nothing else. That meant there was almost no carbohydrates and so I went low on my sugar. Now I know about that I'd either take less insulin or include a slice of bread and butter with the meal.

This regime is the best one for me as I don't really have regular hours for my meals and usually just eat when I feel like it. In fact I usually only have 2 meals a day although when I can't sleep I'd often make myself a sandwich or a bit of toast and that's perhaps not the best way to do things. With that I'm usually a bit higher than I should be in the morning.

That's actually why I started this thread as I hoped folk might share there experiences. Like while in Vancouver Ron and his wife took me out for the morning and I took them for lunch by way of thanks. His wife takes insulin but uses a more traditional syringe and vial. I showed her my pen syringe which in my view is a lot easier than her method.

Alastair

[Glesgalass]

Re: Diabetes

As a matter of fact Alastair, I went out for lunch today with some friends....a late birthday lunch. One of my friends is diabetic and she was saying that her excess weight plays a huge part in her health problems but she just can't seem to lose it. I must say that the lunch was a buffet and she didn't seen to eat anymore than I did, yet she's a lot bigger than me. I don't eat as much as when I was younger otherwise I'd be enormous. That's not deliberate, I think as you get less active when you get older, you eat less.
My friend was saying that she has to eat at regular intervals to keep her blood sugar up. For example if she doesn't have something to eat between dinner and going to bed, she wakes up having to get something to eat or drink very quickly in the morning. Plus she has to have mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. Beats me how she's supposed to lose weight eating that much.

Elda

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

That's a bit weird as that's not my experience Elda. When I come down in the morning I have a cup of coffee and take my pills. It can be an hour or even two or three hours until I have my breakfast. Only when I have my breakfast do I take my blood sugar reading and then take the short acting insuline. Then it will be around 6 - 7 before I have my main meal of the day and again take my blood sugar reading and again the short acting insulin. The around 11 - midnights I'll do one more blood sugar test and then take my long acting insulin which takes me overnight. The one thing that is certainly an issue with me is that sometimes I just can't get to sleep so may go down and have a single sandwich or a slice of toast and cup of tea. That does mean my sugar might be a bit higher in the morning than it should be.

I don't take any snacks during the day or at least very rarely.

I can only think if she needs to keep her blood sugar up she is taking too much insulin. Here is Canada they like to see you between 5 and 7. Anything less than 4 is not good and means you are going to have problems unless you eat something which is why it sounds like she is taking too much insulin.

Alastair

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Diabetes

This is a post not directed at any one person, but anyone with diabetes. It is very important that you take flu shots every year, as you are particularly susceptible to complications with flu, due to the diabetes. I would also suggest that those over 65 should also get a pneumonia injection. That lasts for a long time, if not life. I had one several years ago. Reason I am taking this stance, is that I am an "old" nurse, & try to keep all I like & care about in good health & condition. Take care, to all, Joan

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

I am doing a bit of research into meters and got an interesting phone call from Bayer. In fact they have a very interesting web site at http://www.bayerdiabetes.ca

What I was trying to find out was how accurate meters are and what options are available.

I use an Accu chek meter that uses wee cylinders of 15 strips so they come out automatically. I figured that was a better way to go as there would be no risk of contamination.

Well Bayer do a Breeze 2 meter that uses a 10-test disk. My problem with the Accu chek is that the test strip only comes out a wee way making it a bit difficult to get the blood sample. In fact 10% of my attempts end up with an invalid test.

Well Bayer sent me their Comfort meter to try out for free with 10 test strips. I found it was much easier to take the blood test as the test strip came out much further and in took in the blood sample almost immediately whereas the Accu Chek meter could take as long as 5 seconds to take in enough blood to start the rest.

In the phone call I had with them today they told me about the Breeze 2 meter using the disc model for strips. On their site they have a series of videos showing you the various features of the meter. I'm told that if you purchase the test strips you can get a free meter. This seems to apply here in Canada but also USA, Australia & New Zealand and also in the UK. I'm not sure about other countries.

Anyway... just thought that if any of you use these meters you might find this of interest. While the site I give above is for Canada they do have their own web sites in the various countries they supply.

You can also order a free USB cable and the Breeze 2 will record up to 420 tests. This makes it ideal as if you need to take your reading to your diabetic specialist you can just print out the results. The software is a free download but you need to register first. They will also send you the USB cable free of charge.

As I find out more about these meter I will message in here to let you know anything else I discover.

Alastair

[Alastair]

Re: Diabetes

Contour USB meter from Bayer

This is another interesting meter. It's like a USB memory stick but is also a blood test meter. It can hold up to 20,000 tests.

The first blood glucose meter with plug & play diabetes management software. Just insert a test strip and plug into a whole new diabetes management experience.

Bayer's CONTOUR® USB plugs into the USB port on your computer and helps you transform results into meaningful insights that you and your healthcare professional can use to modify your routine and better manage your diabetes.

You can learn more about this model at http://www.bayerdiabetes.ca/en/products/contourUSB/

Alastair

[Diane]

Re: Diabetes

Hey Everyone,
Just heard this morning on an early show about a women that had Type I diabetes and was overweight. She had a gastric bypass and within hours her diabetes was completely gone. There are many similar results. They said that this is probably a result of how your body works to stabilize your blood sugar and more after they take out a whole bunch of your stomach. Interesting!! And Alastair, my brother was also told that his Type II diabetes was now Type I. He was told that when he went on shots.