Diabetes

[NorTracNY]

My last a1c was 6.5 but historically it goes from 6.0 to 6.7. Doc was happy with all my labs.

Be aware that the test accuracy is about ±0.5, so really not much change. I had mine vary 0.4 in one week, which demonstrated the accuracy as A1c is a measurement considered a 3 month look back. I'd still encourage you to improve that number. Some doctors "accept" things getting worse as we age, but there's really no reason for it.

 

[ArlyA]

Good, but not 100 accurate.

 

[ArlyA]

How is everyone doing with there Dexcom's? I've had some failure grief with my 7's.

 

[scootr]

A Keto diet works to control my type 2 diabetes. 2 yrs in ...diet fatigue is real.
But the numbers don't lie. I disagree with half of that 1-6 list above.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My wife has been type 2 diabetic over 30 years. She was on 50cc insulin morning and 50cc evening. She ordered this weeks ago now on 15cc morning, 15cc evening.
I believe based on her family all diabetic (and she was adopted), my family no diabetes the difference is her family drank lots of diet soda, mine zero.
Processed food is the problem.
Even with her little bit of insulin she has to either take glucose or drink some cane sugar soda if her Libre 3+ CGM alarm goes off CGM accuracy checked via test strips.
I'm not a physician just observation.

 

[daugen]

when I pick my cukes and tomatoes out of the garden, and slice them up with some
home grown basil and red wine vinegar and olive oil,
I look at all that healthy food and think more of this please.

my AIC dropped to 6.0 recently and I've lost a few pounds as I normally do over the summer.
never drink any kind of soda, stick with unsweetened herbal tea.

went through mcdonalds last week for first time in six months and got half way through the sausage on bagel sandwich
and threw it back in the bag. Yuk. But there aren't many cheeseburgers I'd turn down, love the taste, love to put a big slice of sweet onion
on it, maybe a tomato, but beef just tastes good, for most of us.

my biggest challenge is breakfast, rely on those frozen breakfast sandwiches, and while not a lot
of calories actually, lot of questionable ingredients.
I'm guessing they define processed food.
It's really hard to find a good quality commercial bun. I think better to buy a roll from local bakery that goes stale in three days
but has only simple ingredients in it.
Better if I stick with my yogurt and blueberry breakfast.

bottom line is if I wasn't aware of this, and taking it seriously, my AIC would likely be a lot higher and
I'd be having more health problems. And I'd have to be wearing a monitor too.

what really sucks is when you do everything right (not me...) and you still have high sugar or high cholesterol
or high something.

I have multiple friends getting shots in their eyeballs for macular degen. Have wondered if any
of that was high sugar related, since folks with diabetes apparently have higher rate of macular degeneration.

 

[scootr]

My wife has been type 2 diabetic over 30 years. She was on 50cc insulin morning and 50cc evening. She ordered this weeks ago now on 15cc morning, 15cc evening.
I believe based on her family all diabetic (and she was adopted), my family no diabetes the difference is her family drank lots of diet soda, mine zero.
Processed food is the problem.
Even with her little bit of insulin she has to either take glucose or drink some cane sugar soda if her Libre 3+ CGM alarm goes off CGM accuracy checked via test strips.
I'm not a physician just observation.View attachment 3911527

Ultra processed food is the basis for most of our common health problems across the board today. I stay away from it as much as I can. My mother lived 50 yrs with type 2 diabetes. She passed away at 101 yrs. I'm trying to follow in her footsteps.
I tried that stuff but, in my heart I believe diet and exercise is the real answer, a blocker is just a temporary mask for the problem. GL

 

[scootr]

when I pick my cukes and tomatoes out of the garden, and slice them up with some
home grown basil and red wine vinegar and olive oil,
I look at all that healthy food and think more of this please.

my AIC dropped to 6.0 recently and I've lost a few pounds as I normally do over the summer.
never drink any kind of soda, stick with unsweetened herbal tea.

went through mcdonalds last week for first time in six months and got half way through the sausage on bagel sandwich
and threw it back in the bag. Yuk. But there aren't many cheeseburgers I'd turn down, love the taste, love to put a big slice of sweet onion
on it, maybe a tomato, but beef just tastes good, for most of us.

my biggest challenge is breakfast, rely on those frozen breakfast sandwiches, and while not a lot
of calories actually, lot of questionable ingredients.
I'm guessing they define processed food.
It's really hard to find a good quality commercial bun. I think better to buy a roll from local bakery that goes stale in three days
but has only simple ingredients in it.
Better if I stick with my yogurt and blueberry breakfast.

bottom line is if I wasn't aware of this, and taking it seriously, my AIC would likely be a lot higher and
I'd be having more health problems. And I'd have to be wearing a monitor too.

what really sucks is when you do everything right (not me...) and you still have high sugar or high cholesterol
or high something.

I have multiple friends getting shots in their eyeballs for macular degen. Have wondered if any
of that was high sugar related, since folks with diabetes apparently have higher rate of macular degeneration.

6.0 is commendable
Fasting is another great tool in the fight against diabetes. Try to postpone that breakfast. Drink water to ease the hunger pains. And go straight to that garden salad at noon as the first meal of the day. A short daily fast of 12-16 hrs between dinner and first meal can greatly improve the A1c numbers and your health
If I must have breakfast I eat eggs and meat. Bacon, Ham, leftover Steak, all go well with fried eggs. So do avocado slices.

 

[NorTracNY]

I find it a little easier to eat a real early dinner and then eat nothing until the next morning. Since switching to a ketogenic diet several years ago, I've learned to eat just to maintain weight, but fasting for 16+ hours of the day certainly helps my numbers.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, my wise old Chinese doctor told me it could be controlled with weight loss, diet, and exercise. I followed his advice. It worked.

 

[daugen]

Norvodisk just announced they will sell Ozempic direct for cash at half price, 499 a month instead of 1000.
it worked for me but I did not like the queasy effect it gave me at times.
better less ice cream so easier to avoid taking meds
if my AIC stays at 6.0 and I don't have any other physical indicators my sugar level is doing anything bad
to my body, think I can lower the defcom level here. I worry most about my eyes. One of my friends can hardly see any more
with macular degen.

so if your blood sugar is high, what does AI say you feel:
excessive thirst, hunger, fatigue, and/or an urge to urinate larger amounts than usual.

I do pee a lot but then I drink a lot of coffee. No sugar in it after first cup and then only one teaspoon.

another concern is what does an AIC level of 6 say versus 5, is that doing anything bad to my body long term?
as a cancer survivor, I was taught that cancer loves sugar; guess it gives it the energy to reproduce.
So maybe if you have had cancer you should have even less sugar. I really do keep that in mind.

I see folks gulping down real sweet tea and think about the dozen teaspoons of sugar in a big glass.
oh my what is all that doing to you?...
of course a bowl of ice cream isn't likely any better.
thankfully our body seems to ride out these peaks usually ok.
but what about the long term effect if you live in the yellow zone?

 

[NorTracNY]

Long term the effects are bad. Sugar should be used only in extreme moderation. Don't fool yourself. An A1c of 6.0 is not healthy long term. (Do keep in mind the test is only about +/-0.5 accuracy) Excessive carbohydrates causes inflammation in the body. We get use to it. If you are groaning to bend over and tie your shoes, you have too much body inflammation. It comes on gradually and we just think that it's normal aging. It's not!

I have been feeling great for years since I changed my diet. I've also done a few experiments recently to see how my body reacts to different dietary changes. I slowly added back carbohydrates for about 1month. I did 70-100g/day for a little over a week and didn't notice much change. I then went over 100grams and wow! What a difference. All the aches and pains came back. I felt beat up.

I truly do feel 20 years younger since my dietary changes a few years ago. I just wish I hadn't thought I could exercise my way out of a bad diet for so many years. Everyone is different, and how our body handles food will change over time. But don't accept being tired and achy as just part of the aging process.

 

[ArlyA]

We need to do ourselves a favor and move around some. Find something that's fun and gets the ol heart up some. From Harvard
-------------------
Many studies underscore these and other benefits from exercise. Following are some highlights of those results:

• Exercise lowered HbA1c values by 0.7 percentage point in people of different ethnic groups with diabetes who were taking different medications and following a variety of diets—and this improvement occurred even though they didn't lose any weight.
• All forms of exercise—aerobic, resistance, or doing both (combined training)—were equally good at lowering HbA1c values in people with diabetes.
• Resistance training and aerobic exercise both helped to lower insulin resistance in previously sedentary older adults with abdominal obesity at risk for diabetes. Combining the two types of exercise proved more beneficial than doing either one alone.
• People with diabetes who walked at least two hours a week were less likely to die of heart disease than their sedentary counter- parts, and those who exercised three to four hours a week cut their risk even more.
• Women with diabetes who spent at least four hours a week doing moderate exercise (including walking) or vigorous exercise had a 40% lower risk of developing heart disease than those who didn't exercise. These benefits persisted even after researchers adjusted for confounding factors, including BMI, smoking, and other heart disease risk factors.

 

[ArlyA]

Everyone does understand why moving around is so, so helpful managing diabetes, correct?

 

[WM75Guy]

Everyone does understand why moving around is so, so helpful managing diabetes, correct?

The only parts of the body that do not require insulin to burn sugar are the brain and skeletal muscle. So exercise burns calories regardless of insulin production or insulin resistance. That is why diet and exercise can control borderline diabetes.

 

[NorTracNY]

The only parts of the body that do not require insulin to burn sugar are the brain and skeletal muscle. So exercise burns calories regardless of insulin production or insulin resistance. That is why diet and exercise can control borderline diabetes.

The body runs on ATP. The calories in food are not all the same for converting to ATP. You actually don't need carbohydrates. That is important to remember in terms of diet, especially if you're diabetic or developing insulin resistance.

I don't remember all the processes, but I saw a doctor review our 8 metabolic processes and only 4 could use exercise to help fight against a bad diet.

 

[Torvy]

The dogs get me out for a walk daily, rain or shine.

The full loop is about a mile.

Resistance training helps to build/retain muscle. Muscle burns more calories (but weighs more than equal volume of fat).

I tend to ignore medical advice that focuses on weight rather than body fat.

 

[ArlyA]

Insulin is a crucial hormone that regulates blood glycogen levels and metabolism within the human body. Its primary function is to facilitate the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into cells, providing them with the energy they need. Essentially, insulin acts like a "key" that unlocks cells to allow glucose to enter and be used for energy production. Exercise will increases peoples sensitively to insulin and many can then use less.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My wife was on 50cc insulin (Novalin 70/30) at breakfast and dinner. Now since she takes a dropper of Glycoshield she takes 15cc insulin in morning and that's all. She wears a Libre 3+ CGM and her alarm goes off in evening about 11pm sometimes 3am and her level is below 70...usually 60s sometimes 50s. She has to drink real sugar Pepsi or glucose to bring it up, usually with peanut butter crackers.
This morning 12cc and so far so good.
It's doing something!
Edit: That was yesterday morning Wednesday 20th. Her alarm went off at 11pm Thursday 21st, blood sugar 67. I asked her how much insulin? Zero. None in morning or evening, just a dropper of Glycoshield morning & evening.
We did have a light breakfast, lunch & dinner but still. She had to take glucose packet to bring it up and it's been holding steady around 120 to 125.

 

[ArlyA]

My wife was on 50cc insulin (Novalin 70/30) at breakfast and dinner. Now since she takes a dropper of Glycoshield she takes 15cc insulin in morning and that's all. She wears a Libre 3+ CGM and her alarm goes off in evening about 11pm sometimes 3am and her level is below 70...usually 60s sometimes 50s. She has to drink real sugar Pepsi or glucose to bring it up, usually with peanut butter crackers.
This morning 12cc and so far so good.
It's doing something!
Edit: That was yesterday morning Wednesday 20th. Her alarm went off at 11pm Thursday 21st, blood sugar 67. I asked her how much insulin? Zero. None in morning or evening, just a dropper of Glycoshield morning & evening.
We did have a light breakfast, lunch & dinner but still. She had to take glucose packet to bring it up and it's been holding steady around 120 to 125.

Do you know what her a1c is? I'm kinda surprised she's not on a pump.