I can understand the logic that a low carb diet must of necessity limit or exclude fruit since these are high in sugars but I still find this hard to accept.
They are after all full of vitamins and other nutrients that scientists are telling us are good for us.
These days I can happily go without bread, rice, pasta or even my old nemesis potatoes, particularly chips.
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In fact it has come as quite a surprise how easy I am finding to ignore these, even when put right in front of me.
But I guess I am not completely convinced that I am not missing out by keeping something like fruit out of my diet.
So I try to include small portions whenever I feel I can safely do so without hurting my glucose levels too much.
This morning I woke up feeling that my sugar level was low and this was confirmed by a reading of 4,6 mmol.
I was about to go on my morning 5km walk and experience has taught me that to do so from this low a starting point would precipitate a liver dump of glucogen which would cause my glucose levels to rise anyway.
I am not saying that there is something wrong with liver dumps, they are a natural phenomenon anyway. But I preferred to exploite the opportunity to help myself to four or five tablespoons of these ruby red pomegranate seeds instead.
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Not only do they look and taste great ( they have a more tart taste than normal pomegranates) but they are packed full of vitamin C and anti-oxidizing agents.
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I tested again an hour later after coming back from my walk: 5 mmol, so happy enough with that!
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Pavlos
Same here .... cutting out pasta / rice / bread is easy ... but fries?
I'd kill for some ..... but then that's the challenge is it not?
Mike D
I am the person who used to order extra fries with just about everything.
These days I usually ask the waiter to leave them behind and bring me extra salad instead, preferring to not put myself in temptation by having them in front of me.
Yesterday, I forgot to do so and the great big serving of the photograph above arrived with the grilled chicken I ordered for lunch.
I decided to not make a fuss and send them back and that I was going to have three or four of them. In the end, I tried one and just decided that they were not worth the bother.
A case of my tastebuds changing or a case of mind over matter? Did I manage to convince myself that something that I knew was not good for me did not taste good?
These days fruit tempt me much more than fries, perhaps I can not convince myself that fruit is actually not good for me. But I still try to be careful.
Pavlos
Hi @PSSPavlos
Absolutely amazing thread and truly inspirational. Keep it up and above all keep posting.
A question for you, do you not worry about going hypo if going for a long walk and your BG is just above 5?
Hi @PSS
Glad you have enjoyed reading this thread. I sure enjoy writing it!
I am only on Metformin, in little risk of hypos. I would really have to try to go hypo.
I managed it once but that was when I was on a higher dosage and I skipped lunch after taking the medication because of a medical emergency involving my father.
Experience has shown me that if I am in the fours before I start my walks then I will probably induce a small liver dump during my exercise, my liver pumping out glycogen to boost my falling glucose levels. If that happens I will typically find myself in the low sixes at the end of the walk.
If I start off in the fives or, rarely these days, higher, the exercise will usually help to decrease my levels by about 1 mmol.
I do find however that on days that I do exercise in the morning, my levels later on in the day are easier to control.
Of course, with home monitor accuracy being what it is, I have no guarantee that a reading of say 5,4 is not really a 4,6 and vice versa but I can usually feel it when I am low on waking up - for me low is anything under 4,5 or so.
I do not know if a liver dump is something to be avoided, it is after all a natural response of our bodies, but I tend to avoid them exploiting days when I wake up in the fours and about to exercise to enjoy some fruit I would not otherwise been able to have. At least with fruit the carbs come in a package with fiber and vitamins etc
Thank you for your kind words
Take care
Pavlos
Following on from last night's conversation with @PSS I was curious how this morning's levels would be affected by my morning walk.
I almost wish there was something more significant to report.
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On waking up I was at 5,2 and this rose by 0,3 to 5,5 following a fifty minute five kilometer walk.
So definitely no hypo and even allowing for the worst case interpret ion of meter error i.e. taking my true waking up level as 15% lower than indicated at 4,4 mmol and my true level after exercise as 15% higher than indicated at 6,3 mmol, that still comes to a liver dump of less than 2 mmol.
But playing around with meter error like that is probably not something we need to concern ourselves with.
I prefer to look at the two readings 5,2 and 5,5 mark them as two perfectly acceptable non diabetic counts and leave it at that.
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No need to over complicate life.
Pavlos
Hi @PSS
Thanks for the link.
I live in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. Most of the pictures are taken when I am out on my morning walks, usually in the area near my house. A lot are taken in the grounds of a nearby monastery, one of my favorite places to walk.
I almost always finish my walks by having a wonder round the garden and provides plenty of subject matter and inspiration.
My pet cat Ginger and Sheelba our black lab also feature prominently.
Some photos are taken at our farm in the village of Kormakitis in the north of Cyprus.
On weekends, weather and social calendar permitting, I like to visit different parts of the island and combine my need for walking with my twin loves of photography and discovering new places. Not forgetting visiting some nice restaurant for lunch. That is why the thread turn into a travelogue at times.
Generally I post whatever happens to attract my lens on that particular day.
Pavlos
Just seen that when the forum does not ban you it names you a legend.your a lucky man indeed Pav
dang those chips looked good
Just seen that when the forum does not ban you it names you a legend.
Go figure! Lol
I don't thing I talked to too many legends before.
Well deserved I am sure. At least for your wit, charm and good spirits!
Take care
Pavlos