Diabetes

kamkazmoto

kamkazmoto

Joined
Sep 14, 2002
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I have just been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic and an looking for tips on sugar free foods. Anyone got any that they think is good? Thanks,.
 
Most grocery stores these days have at least a small selection of sugar free or reduced sugar items. However, you may lose sugar (sugar reduced) but you gain something else about as bad. The only thing I have routinely that is sugar free is a diet soft drink.

A diabetic (I'm type II) should really eat just the same healthy foods everyone should be eating: not so much meat and good selections of vegetables and fruits and take it easy on the starches. You want to stay away or eat very little of the processed or high sugar foods (simple carbohydrates) that are converted almost directly into glucose and cause a spike in your blood glucose (BG). Vegetables and most fruits are complex carbohydrates.

You need a BG meter. You need to learn which foods will drive your BG up too fast - it's not the same for every diabetic. I like bananas, they are a good food, but they also drive up my BG.

Start reading the dietary (or whatever it's called) labels on foods in the grocery store. This is a good way to educate yourself.

A little sugar is not a bad thing - you just have to be moderate. I like a little sugar (or sugar substitute) in my Maltomeal. That's not going to blow my diet.

I hope this helps.
Paul
 
Also . . .

Diabetics need to lose weight (if necessary) and exercise like everyone else. But, since you are diabetic you are going to have to learn to eat a little more (if your BG control is good) when you are going to be burning a lot more calories that usual or your BG will get too low. If you don't properly prepare and your BG gets too low you are going to want to eat a candy bar or something real fast when it's not the best choice.

One of the reasons a person becomes a type II is insulin resistance. The cells get so bathed in insulin over the years due to a bad diet and probably weight gain they become resistant. Exercise will reduce insulin resistance.

Your body is no longer on automatic when it comes to managing the BG level. It may be helping out some, but you are basically on manual control! You want to avoid excessive highs and keep your BG from getting too low. Unless it gets real high, you probably won't feel a high BG but you sure will a low one!! When my BG gets low I can be very irritable and weak.

Paul
 
hi
you must learn a whole new way of looking at foods. Educate yourself.

Not only sugar is your enemy.

The old way of looking at carbs as (simple and complex) is over simplified and misleading.

You must learn The GI of food. What is the Glycemic Index?

http://www.glycemicindex.com/


Good luck. By the way, Diabetes could be your key to living a long healthy life. I know its an unusual statement.
 
a week after i found out i was diebetic i had lost my eyesight for 6 months , because the army docs paniced and dropped my sugar too fast.. my body was used to being so high for so long I went into shock and i was in alot of pain for a long time .

most important... is dont go too low .this will kill you fast , your brain needs glucose ..keep small SUGAR snacks at arms reach ..

long term effects happen from being too high, like bad eyesight ,nerve damage ,loss of blood circulation to your feet and hands .. heart problems ..

but in reality the diet we should be eating , is what everyone should be eating , low sugar , better carb diets and less intake . eat smaller meals but, eat more frequently .
this keeps you from bindging , because your not half starved and keeps your sugar from spiking real hard ..

but remember most forget , when your sick it will also spike hard ,even if you didnt eat .
same goes for stress . wich can be a killer with diebetics .

at 1st i tried the all food with taste ...was a bad diet ... then slowly learned i can eat what i still love , just not as much .
 
thedawg said:
hi
you must learn a whole new way of looking at foods. Educate yourself.

Not only sugar is your enemy.

The old way of looking at carbs as (simple and complex) is over simplified and misleading.

You must learn The GI of food. What is the Glycemic Index?

http://www.glycemicindex.com/


Good luck. By the way, Diabetes could be your key to living a long healthy life. I know its an unusual statement.
Click to expand...


imho no chronic illness (ie diabetes) is going to be a key to a long healthy life, i understand what ya are trying to say but that statement simply isnt correct & borders on absurd to anyone who has a loved one with diabetes, my wife was diabetic and died at 46 from one of the many many complications caused by diabetes, my mother is in the late stages of diabetic retinopathy and is almost blind, organ problems, neuropathy, the list is almost endless, so no, having diabetes is in no way a key to good health, lol.

i very strongly suggest that anyone who has it see a good endocrinoligist, be religous about checking sugar levels/insulin if needed (dont let the level stay high thats very bad), watch your weight and what ya eat very very closely, it can be controlled but its difficult for some.

hope ya are one of the ones who handles it well, do take care of yourself..........
 
SIFU1A said:
imho no chronic illness (ie diabetes) is going to be a key to a long healthy life, i understand what ya are trying to say but that statement simply isnt correct & borders on absurd to anyone who has a loved one with diabetes, my wife was diabetic and died at 46 from one of the many many complications caused by diabetes, my mother is in the late stages of diabetic retinopathy and is almost blind, organ problems, neuropathy, the list is almost endless, so no, having diabetes is in no way a key to good health, lol.

i very strongly suggest that anyone who has it see a good endocrinoligist, be religous about checking sugar levels/insulin if needed (dont let the level stay high thats very bad), watch your weight and what ya eat very very closely, it can be controlled but its difficult for some.

hope ya are one of the ones who handles it well, do take care of yourself..........
Click to expand...



My grandfather has it. He has been living with it for 30+ years. He is fitter and healthier than most people his age. 85+ years...

Since he got it, he started walking for at least an hour , religiously, everyday.

He eats healthy. He himself said( I wouldn't have lived as long if I hadn't had diabetes.....

Also my mother has it for the last 5 years.....I might as well have it because because of that.


Not saying its good. Just that u can live with it.
 
no one said ya cant live with it, i said its not a positive thing.

no doctor would ever tell ya its a good thing i'll guarantee ya.

dont take care of yourself and ya can die with it too.

and also it affects some folks diff than others, some just cant control the levels no matter how hard they try, while others seem to just cruise along fine with it,
 
I think I am going to be a future diabetic (Type 2) because my father currently has it, and my grandfather had it. I think I am pretty healthy, but I can not gain weight. I am fairly skinny and eat a good amount, but can not gain a single pound. My medical friends say I have a high metabolism, and diabetes is likely in the future.

If you guys don't mind me asking, how fat/skinny are you, and did you have problems gaining/losing weight?
 
donn said:
Have a look at this.
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1028412007

Its pretty recent research but when I googled it this article is the only one I found.
I've nursed quite a few elderly people with diabetes so you can expect to live a good life. If you want advice and ideas re: diet you could take a look at these sites to.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/

D.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the links.

dvsdev - I am 5"8" and 155 but my diabetes is a result of chemo therapy for prostate cancer.
 
kamkazmoto said:
Thank you for the links.

dvsdev - I am 5"8" and 155 but my diabetes is a result of chemo therapy for prostate cancer.
Click to expand...

Boy, that really sucks, kam. Is there any chance this negative effect of the chemo could reverse itself over time?
 
dvsdev said:
I think I am going to be a future diabetic (Type 2) because my father currently has it, and my grandfather had it. I think I am pretty healthy, but I can not gain weight. I am fairly skinny and eat a good amount, but can not gain a single pound. My medical friends say I have a high metabolism, and diabetes is likely in the future.

If you guys don't mind me asking, how fat/skinny are you, and did you have problems gaining/losing weight?
Click to expand...

From what I heard and read, it only comes from the mother's side.
 
Bronco said:
Boy, that really sucks, kam. Is there any chance this negative effect of the chemo could reverse itself over time?
Click to expand...

Nope, the chemo therapy also caused pancreatitus so I only have about 20% of my pancreas left. The only advantage I have is that the cancer will be terminal so I don't have to worry about the long term effects of the diabetes
 
thedawg said:
From what I heard and read, it only comes from the mother's side.
Click to expand...

Nope. Type 2 diabetes is not strictly inherited. There are a number of genes that are suspected in the heritability of the disease, but it's not directly linked to the X-chromosome (The only chromosome that only comes from mom in men...). There have been links to Type 2 diabetes from exposure to Agent Orange and other substances. A lot like cancer in that regard.

Heredity is a big part of your predisposition to Type-2, but it's not the only cause.

J-
 
Kamkazmoto, if you get a chance, read this book, it has helped me a great deal with my Type 2 Diabetes.

"Reversing Diabetes" by Dr. Julian Whittaker

And as for Type 2 only coming from the mothers side, there is no history of Diabetes in my Mothers family, but my Dad was, and several members of his family are.
 
Be careful with your diabetes. It is very easy to let it go out of control. I started forgetting to take my pills or insulin...and now I have to wear an eyepatch for my retinopathy in my left eye. Nice huh? Granted I have worked 65-80 hours a week for the past two years and it is hard to remember to take my pills and eat right. I now am quitting one of my jobs and doing my damnedest to keep up with my exercise, diet and pills.
 
So far the hardest thing for me has ben controlling my complex carbs. Potatoes and rice call to me. I also have to work on an exercise program, I need to start walking again. I have a physical therapist (medicare is wonderful) come by twice a week and give me exercises to do That helps a lot but I need to work on a cardio program too.
 
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes one year ago. I went to diet pop. cut out all sweets, watched the bread and started reasonably counting carbs. I walk 2-3 miles a day with my dog and ended but loosing 25 pounds and getting my A1C down below 7 (6.6). This was done without becoming a carb fanatic, be reasonable, exercise and portion out your carbs and you will be fine.
 
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