You can eat your normal diet

[achyut1939]

If they are following the high carb diet advice handed out to people who are basically carb intolerant and they already have a high insulin level and are injecting insulin on top of that... then the reason is most likely insulin resistance.

If there is high insulin resistance, there are other medicines available presently to control diabetes, which can be used on doctor's prescription.

 

[Mbaker]

I've just spent two days with a newly widowed friend who is younger than me but a poorly controlled T2. She has been T2 for much longer than me, so from the 'bad old days' when most doctors had been told T2 was a progressive disease for many of us.
I dressed the open ulcers on her foot, which has already had one toe amputated, after helping her shower because apart from neuropathy she can't see well enough to risk it on her own.

The OP here is actually low carb, as low carb is usually defined for T2 as below 130g of carbs a day - this is not a 'normal' western diet by most standards - but still they are (according to their own posts) experiencing lows and highs, and it is often the swings that do some of the damage.

Just making the point that some of us define low carb as below 100 grams or below. The 130 grams comes from the mainstream view about the amount of glucose to fuel the brain I believe.

 

[bulkbiker]

If there is high insulin resistance, there are other medicines available presently to control diabetes, which can be used on doctor's prescription.

Or people can simply change what they eat...remain medication free and thrive?

 

[Mr_Pot]

Just making the point that some of us define low carb as below 100 grams or below. The 130 grams comes from the mainstream view about the amount of glucose to fuel the brain I believe.

The definition of low carb in this reference is below 130g per day.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html
Ironically the American Diabetes Association does not recommend reducing carbs below 130g per day probably for the brain requirement you mention..

 

[Walking Girl]

How is it that many are getting complications inspite of control of diet, and taking insulin/medicines. Their bg values must have been very high for long periods of time due to not controlling their diabetes properly.

Even non-diabetics get all of the same complications, just at lower rates. High BG is a clearly defined risk factor, but there are clearly other “causes” science just do know about yet. (Take the latest study result from Kentucky University showing it may be fat metabolism defects to blame). So I think it’s not correct to jump to an assumption that a person must have had uncontrolled BG.

 

[zand]

It's just as likely to be high insulin levels for many years before T2 diagnosis that causes complications later on even if BGs are well controlled now.

And as for drugs to combat IR...I can't get metformin anymore as my HbA1c is less than 48. The only way I can help myself is through diet and exercise.

 

[JohnEGreen]

And as for drugs to combat IR...I can't get metformin anymore as my HbA1c is less than 48. The only way I can help myself is through diet and exercise.

My last two HbA1c tests were low as well but I am still prescribed metformin as I put the argument of it helping with weight control to my GP and he agreed.

 

[zand]

My last two HbA1c tests were low as well but I am still prescribed metformin as I put the argument of it helping with weight control to my GP and he agreed.

Mine doesn't agree. Weight is all about CICO...grrrr.

 

[loiphamp]

So... a vegetarian/vegan diet?

yes

 

[Bluetit1802]

 

[Mbaker]

The definition of low carb in this reference is below 130g per day.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html
Ironically the American Diabetes Association does not recommend reducing carbs below 130g per day probably for the brain requirement you mention..

I go by what LCHF / Keto kings and queens say who have been in this space for ages and have clinical practices, I.e. the Dr's I respect and am guided by.

 

[Listlad]

I guesstimate that I eat no more than 100 to 130 grams of carbs per day. What I do know is that is considerably lower than I used to eat before February. By that standard my diet is a low carb diet. I dont actually know what level of carbs I was eating before but I was eating rice, pasta, potato’s, sweets, cakes, a fair number of pieces of fruit a day (practically the 7), dried fruit, porridge, plenty of fruit juice and / or fruit smoothies etc etc so it may well have been 300 to 500 grams of carbs per day.

 

[Walking Girl]

Mine doesn't agree. Weight is all about CICO...grrrr.

They don’t really know why Metformin helps with weight loss, but the prevailing theory is it’s by reducing your appetite. It worked that way for me. Lower appetite = fewer calories consumed. That’s not inconsistent with your doctors belief, so that’s weird.

 

[zand]

They don’t really know why Metformin helps with weight loss, but the prevailing theory is it’s by reducing your appetite. It worked that way for me. Lower appetite = fewer calories consumed. That’s not inconsistent with your doctors belief, so that’s weird.

It helps with IR too. Not sure how, but it does.

 

[Guzzler]

Objectives to achieve defines the paths to be selected.
On this forum we have seen that to manage DT2 there have been various paths that people have selected and many have been successful in meeting there objectives.

In your case you are satisfied with medication with normal diet so if that keeps you happy thats fine, but not for many who want to go back to medication free, self controlled life.

As we know two important component to control the excess of Glucose in body is, either to two cut down the intakes or if your body is capable of burning out the Glucose then workout to burn it out.
Later being slightly high hill task with not practical for many, in such cases Low Carb atleast opens up the path on intakes channel to meet the objectives. Hence there are plenty of success stories of meeting objectives on LCHF diets and thus people recommending here.

Having said that I believe everyone has to select his path based on objectives and it should have some short of balance between intakes as well as burning out the excess. Rather than relying on only single channel method.

You can't outrun a bad diet.... forever.

 

[Guzzler]

How is it that many are getting complications inspite of control of diet, and taking insulin/medicines. Their bg values must have been very high for long periods of time due to not controlling their diabetes properly.

It depends very much on what stage one is diagnosed. I must have been T2 for quite some time but I presented with no symptoms and was diagnosed after a routine blood test. There are others like me and there are those who are so afraid of the condition that they hide their hands in the sand. Then there are those who are very unlucky and never hear of different approaches to tackling their condition.

 

[karen8967]

Hi @achyut1939

i edited that for accuracy..hth's

T2 no insulin, Diet & Met..doing ok..cheers.

Q for any Type 1's

IF you COULD drop insulin by simply making dietary changes.....would you ?
Just curious.

Yes in an ideal world but even at very low carb type 1s still need insulin but again yes yes yes

 

[kokhongw]

If there is high insulin resistance, there are other medicines available presently to control diabetes, which can be used on doctor's prescription.

There is actually no effective pharmacological options for insulin resistance...if there is, it would have been a blockbluster first line drug... metformin is the current first line T2D drug... but only marginally effective.

The effective intervention is resistance exercise to build up muscles to help soak up the excess glucose and an insulin sparing diet/lifestyle to return some insulin sensitivity.

But the latest fad in the pharma arsenal is SGLT2 inhibitors... so that we can have our cakes and pee it. And still get CVD, CKD and mortality benefits. Win for big pharma, Win for big food, Win for Doctors prescribing it. What's not to like? Only some inconvenient and sometimes deadly side effect...

 

[JohnEGreen]

View attachment 35292

You could have a little salt and pepper with that maybe.

In fact I don't think I would be able to eat that as it may have fluoride in it and fluoride raises blood sugar.

 

[kokhongw]

It is reported that the fbg should be 4 mmol/L to 6 mmol /L, and ppbg 8 mmol/L to 10 mmol/L, for proper diabetes control.

You would find that Dr are more than happy with higher glucose levels for the elderly because of the risks of accidental injuries or death due to hypoglycemia.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3889320/



https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180309acpdiabetes.html


I am afraid the odds have been stacked against many T2D...