Help is at hand from my good self!

[Jenny39579]

I feel like I've not given people enough information about myself, so here goes.

I'm 31. I've been a type1 diabetic for nearly 16 years. My dad and my eldest brother both suffer with it too.

Type2 diabetes has been rife on my paternal side, but for some reason, my dad developed type1.

I also suffer with Epilepsy. I've had that since I was 8. As far as I know, Epilepsy is not linked with diabetes, but I thought I would include it in this post as there might be another reader out there that is in a similar boat to me.

I'm also quite overweight and suffer with high blood pressure (not prescribed medication). My gp has asked me to get my cholesterol checked out the next time I'm at the diabetic clinic. I'm actually quite interested in what my cholesterol levels are.

Many years ago, because of my weight, my diabetic consultant thought I might be a type2, so therefore, that's why I take Metformin and Glimeperide alongside my Novorapid and Lantus. Type2 has not been proved as yet.

An eye screening I had a few years back showed that I had mild diabetic retinopathy. But inbetween that eye screening and the following eye screening a year on, I went on a diet and lost just over a stone. My blood sugar readings had improved, and when I got the results of the eye screening after the diet, I was thrilled that the retinopathy had infact been reversed. I never even knew it could be reversed.

I would like to hear from a few more type2's, as I don't know much about it and I'm keen to learn. A type2 lady posted earlier that type2's don't always get given blood testing kits and have to fund them themselves if they want to test their blood sugars between the 3 month period you have to wait to get your readings done by a professional. Is this true? I think the NHS needs to look into that and provide you with the same care that us type1's get.

Anything could happen to you in 3 months. That's a very long time.

Anyway, I hope this extra info about myself has helped you trust me a little more, because I really am here to help people out and seek advice off others.
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[noblehead]

Hi Jenny and a warm welcome to the forum

Sorry about your father's problems and I do wish him the best of luck whilst waiting on the organ donor list. I'm pleased that you've found a diet that works for you, on reading it's very much like the Mediterranean diet which is very healthy IMHO.

It's great news about your retinopathy and weight loss, hope you continue to make good progress and thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Jenny39579]

Thank you, Noblehead.

It's nice to get positive replies like yours.

I'm guessing you're on dialysis until you get a suitable donor?

How have you been coping with it? My dad seems quite positive at present, and I admire him for it.

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[noblehead]

Thank you, Noblehead.

It's nice to get positive replies like yours.

I'm guessing you're on dialysis until you get a suitable donor?

How have you been coping with it? My dad seems quite positive at present, and I admire him for it.

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No, thankfully my kidneys are fine Jenny and I was only saying how sorry I was to read that your father was on dialysis. It's good that he is remaining positive despite everything.

 

[Jenny39579]

Oh, I see what you mean now, I must have read it wrong.

My sister-inlaw has offered a kidney to my dad if he's not seeing results with dialysis, but things are coming along fine for him at present, which is great

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[Jill the tt]

Everything I've mentioned in my thread is genuine, and I can reassure people who think I'm selling something that I'm not.

My thread is something I wanted to share with people, because the information I've provided has helped me, as an individual.

I'm not a nutritionist as I've already stated, but have been testing the glycemic load on myself. I've had a few hypos along the way, but when I was eating a higher carbohydrate diet, my blood sugars were very high.

I don't know much about the glycemic load, and I've also stated this in my first post, but I just wanted to share my experiences after trying a diet, which works for me that might help somebody else.

I guess I should have introduced myself more, but I just felt excited about my first thread on here.

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hi Jenny,
the GL is calculated by multiplying a foods GI by a standard portion of that food, it gives a better idea of the impact of a food on sugar and insulin, how ever they are based on a standard potion, most people don't eat a standard portion.
some high GI food can have a low GL kiwi fruit GI 53 GL6, so by looking at the GL you get a very different picture, it still comes down to portion size, hope this helps.
Jill

 

[Bluetit1802]

hi Jenny,
the GL is calculated by multiplying a foods GI by a standard portion of that food, it gives a better idea of the impact of a food on sugar and insulin, how ever they are based on a standard potion, most people don't eat a standard portion.
some high GI food can have a low GL kiwi fruit GI 53 GL6, so by looking at the GL you get a very different picture, it still comes down to portion size, hope this helps.
Jill

The GL is calculated by multiplying the GI by the number of carbs in the food eaten then divide by 100. The lower the better. Then you add together the total GL for that meal. The total GL for a whole day needs to be about or less than 30 for diabetics, so if evenly spaced that equates to no more than 10 a meal. It is a good method of calculating portion control if you decide to eat a "naughty" food. as it shows how much of that naughty food you might cope with.

 

[Jenny39579]

The GL is calculated by multiplying the GI by the number of carbs in the food eaten then divide by 100. The lower the better. Then you add together the total GL for that meal. The total GL for a whole day needs to be about or less than 30 for diabetics, so if evenly spaced that equates to no more than 10 a meal. It is a good method of calculating portion control if you decide to eat a "naughty" food. as it shows how much of that naughty food you might cope with.

Yes, I understand that, that's why I bought myself a digital food scale. It's brilliant, and everything I eat is weighed. I actually really enjoy enjoy doing it as well. Strange, isn't it? Haha.

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[dawnmc]

Are you aware Jenny that lchf is recommended for people with epilepsy?

 

[Jenny39579]

Are you aware Jenny that lchf is recommended for people with epilepsy?

I have read that somewhere, but I've not heard it from a professional. But I'm giving a low carb diet a go, as you may have gathered already.

A lot of people think that high fat is a bad thing, and although this maybe true, I try and stick to olive oil and foods that contain "good fats". I've heard that avocados are a good source of "good fats", and I've been making my own Guacamole to have with salads.

If this diet can help my diabetes and my epilepsy, then happy days.

I must keep popping the pills though!



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[dawnmc]

If you Google epilepsy and low carb you will get some very good research. It was all the docs could use before medication came along.
You are right about healthy fats. We have been brainwashed to think fat is bad. But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet and really bad carbs at that too. Wheat as we know it now is very very different to what it was in the 60's. A well meaning scientist re-invented wheat in order to feed the masses, look what its done to us, along with plasticisers.

 

[Jenny39579]

If you Google epilepsy and low carb you will get some very good research. It was all the docs could use before medication came along.
You are right about healthy fats. We have been brainwashed to think fat is bad. But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet and really bad carbs at that too. Wheat as we know it now is very very different to what it was in the 60's. A well meaning scientist re-invented wheat in order to feed the masses, look what its done to us, along with plasticisers.

I love learning about nutrition. It makes me want to use new ingredients, learn about their benefits and create new, delicious, healthy recipes. I just wish that scientists and nutritionists would explain more about what they preach. So many people think that we shouldn't have any cholesterol, and that's due to being ill informed. It's only recently after my mum had a stroke that I found out there are 2 types of cholesterol, and that's low density and high density, and the high density being the " good cholesterol", I think?

I feel that if food researchers were to explain their findings more, it would help us all make better food choices, especially for us diabetics, who can have such a bad time finding a diet that works for them.


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[Jenny39579]

If you Google epilepsy and low carb you will get some very good research. It was all the docs could use before medication came along.
You are right about healthy fats. We have been brainwashed to think fat is bad. But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet and really bad carbs at that too. Wheat as we know it now is very very different to what it was in the 60's. A well meaning scientist re-invented wheat in order to feed the masses, look what its done to us, along with plasticisers.

I'm going to Google diets for epilepsy now. It will be great to find an enjoyable diet that'll aid my diabetes and epilepsy.

Thanks for the advice, Dawn.
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[Steve type2prediab]

If you Google epilepsy and low carb you will get some very good research. It was all the docs could use before medication came along.
You are right about healthy fats. We have been brainwashed to think fat is bad. But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet and really bad carbs at that too. Wheat as we know it now is very very different to what it was in the 60's. A well meaning scientist re-invented wheat in order to feed the masses, look what its done to us, along with plasticisers.

You're right about the interference with crops such as wheat in modern times, and nowadays that's becoming more common with a variety of food crops.

At least wheat isn't yet GM, a lot of food crops in America are now genetically modified, although it's spreading to Asia and especially so with rice crops, and in America nowadays most of the corn crop is GM and a lot of other American crops are now, to a greater or lesser degree GM as well, soya, peppers, tomatoes, at least 60 crops, and of course, they want to introduce GM wheat.

Bananas seem to be their next target, and it's creeping into Britain in the form of animal feed, so eggs and dairy products may have been produced from GM fed animals, only Waitrose still bans the use of GM feed in it's poultry and eggs. http://www.genewatch.org/sub-568547

By the time it reaches us even as so called wholewheat bread, it has been even more altered, and is really a mixture of wholewheat flour and added white flour.

" But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet and really bad carbs at that too" Well you've made the point about newness in terms of modern wheat varieties, and I suppose that refined white sugar produced from sugar cane could also be said to be a relative newcomer carb.

" But carbs are a relative new comer to our diet "...what,...cabbage, chickpeas, onions, pulses, legumes, green vegetables,...newcomers. ?

I don't think that I've, (knowingly), tried plasticizers yet, apart from the other day when I forgot to remove the plastic wrap from a piece of cucumber, how are plasticizers cooked, or are they better raw. ?

 

[Steve type2prediab]

I've heard that avocados are a good source of "good fats", and I've been making my own Guacamole to have with salads.

I didn't used to like avocado, but for seem reason I do now seem to like it.

Whenever avocado is considered, everyone automatically thinks of guacamole, which is fine, but there are a whole lot of other dips and salad dressings that can be made with guacamole, and any that aren't diab suitable could be tweaked a bit.
http://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-avocado-dip-52880

As with apples and pears and such like, the soluble fiber in avocados helps to emulsify the ingredients in green smoothies, and there are a number of claimed health and nutritional benefits for avocados.

Oops, mine are in the fridge, oh well.

What this gentleman is saying is particularly interesting and intriguing and worth researching I think.

For making dips and salad dressings, and grinding nuts and seeds, making smoothies and soups, I highly recommend this gadget, the Hinari Genie, available from Asda for £20, small, compact, easy to store, versatile, quick and easy to use and to clean.

One can also make small, (or larger), amounts of nut butters or nut salad dressings with it, just grind some nuts to a powder in the grinder, then attach the container to the blender, then add some oil, or oil and water, or even just water, and the only type of nut butter that is normally available in the supermarkets is peanut butter, and that usually contains one or more of the following, salt, sugar, palm oil, and palm oil definitely isn't a healthy oil, and in my opinion, home made peanut butter has a better and much fresher flavour and a less gunky texture, and also, when you use a jar of shop bought peanut butter the natural tendency is to have a largish dollop, when you make your own that is less likely if you only make enough for immediate use, and it only takes seconds to make.

http://direct.asda.com/Hinari-MB280-Genie-Multi-Attachment-Blender/001567172,default,pd.html

BTW- Before I get pummelled, I'm not recommending nor advocating her particular ingredients.

She's actually using the wrong attachment, she's using the grinder blade instead of the blender blade, and it also comes with a blender jug, but it works O.K. with either blade.

Houmous/hummus is also useful with salads, or as an alternative to butter in a sandwich or wrap, for anyone who does still use bread, especially so if some pesto is added to it, great flavour. ( and before somebody dives in to say that houmous, (chickpeas), contains carbs, yes, it does and they do, but they're complex carbs, and therefore low GI, and the University of Sydney nutritional figures are... http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php and I figure that people are capable of making their own decisions about what they feel is or isn't appropriate for them to eat.

Figures vary, ( would it be diab if they didn't ), and my can of chickpeas says 16g carbs 4g fiber 7g protein per 100g and a 400g tin is 250g drained weight, and of course the figures for the houmous will differ from the chickpeas alone, and 250g makes quite a tubful of houmous, and one could omit the tahini, (sesame seed paste), if one wants to, or substitute a nut butter, it also works if you add spinach, or even tomato, ( well I like it ).