Sooooo Confused.

[TracyA]

I saw the nurse yesterday for the 1st time since being diagnosed in October.Im still struggling to get my blood sugars below 14,even by cutting out carbs.
She said I have protein in my wee,and that Ive lost 17lbs,and shes told me to eat carbs as this could reduce my BS.She said it could take 3 months for my BS to come down aswell.I have to go back in 4 weeks to see her again.Soooooo confused as having carbs or not having carbs is having no effect on my B.S. :evil:

 

[sugarless sue]

Can you give us some idea of what you do eat on a daily basis so we can make some suggestions that may help?
I think your nurse needs a refresher course in carbs. Diabetes is an inability to process carbs properly so eating more carbs would not seem like a good idea! :shock:

The type of carbs you eat can also greatly affect your blood sugars,all carbs convert to glucose, but the starchy carbs like bread ,potatoes, pasta and rice and any flour or oat based products convert 100% to glucose( sugars) in your body, these are the ones that you need to reduce eating to get your blood sugar levels down.
If your test before and, two hours after a meal you can see the effect that the food has on your blood sugar levels.

 

[TracyA]

Hi,Thats what I though which is why i really cut back on my carbs.

Ok a normal day is.

2 slices of wholemeal toast or 2 crumpets,I dont like cereal.
Lunch is always a cuppa soup.
Main meal is chicken with loads of veg,or a small amount of spagghetti with meat balls,i dont have crisps or chips i have semi skimmed milk,no chocolate or cakes or anything sweet.
I test after 2 hours and it just stays the same level,i even brought a 2nd moniter as i thought it was broken.I just seem to stay on 13,or 14.I dont get it. :roll:

The nurse did seem abit whats the word.....Oldschool i guess lol. :lol:

 

[sugarless sue]

My advice is to go back and see the doctor, not the nurse, and explain that, although you are taking the Metformin and watching your diet, the blood sugar levels are not coming down. Running levels this high is not doing you any good at all !

It may be you need further blood tests or maybe a stronger diabetic medicine to help bring your levels down.

 

[veggienft]

........2 slices of wholemeal toast or 2 crumpets ........a small amount of spagghetti...

Lose the breads and pasta. Substitute eggs, plain meat cuts and green veggies. Exchange the skim milk for whole milk.

Disclaimer: I'm not a typical low carber. I agree that all carbs are bad, but concentrating on their sugars neglects their important protein toxicity. Grassy grains like wheat, barley, rye and oats contain proteins which cause insulin resistance among type 2 diabetics. These proteins clog up cell insulin receptors rendering cells incapable of absorbing blood sugar. The digestive vehicle is autoimmune, so even the slightest amount of grassy grain creates a big problem.

Lose the breads and pastas. Abstain from gravies, sauces and ales. Even bangers have wheat. Read labels.
..

 

[TracyA]

Thank you,Im definately going to go back.

Im eating loads of green veg,I dont like eggs,I thought I was doing the right thing from switching from whole milk to semi skimmed. :roll: I dont eat sausages or ale anyway so thats ok lol.

Just wondering what I could have for breakfast instead though as i dont like cereal,apart from Special K. :?

 

[sugarless sue]

I like an apple and cheese for breakfast.

 

[wallycorker]

Grilled bacon and tomatoes for me - sometimes with an egg. Also, mushrooms or occasionally.

 

[veggienft]

.
Cereal is also made from grassy grains, so I suggest abstaining from it.

I would suggest a big slice of fried ham with breakfast. Become a carnivore.
..

 

[TracyA]

Ooooo,now I could do that lol.I like apples,and love ham,bacon and mushrooms.Shopping tomorrow me thinks.Thanks guys.

 

[hanadr]

I'm with everyone else.
check out my posts on what carbs are. I think you are a bit confused. Skimmed or semi skimmed milk has MORE carbs per 100ml than full fat. Fats are not a problem.
Hana

 

[cugila]

I quite often have Cereals for breakfast, Corn Flakes, Honey Nut Shredded Wheat all served with lovely Semi-Skimmed Milk.

I can manage all the carbs with only a slight rise in Bg levels. Delicious. I am happy too that I am consuming only a small amount of fats in the S/S milk, 1.7g fat as compared to 3.9g to 5.2g in Whole Milk. Quite a difference to those of us who want to watch our fat intake for whatever reasons. There is also fat in the cereals too, all taken into account.

Of course I do use a GI/GL diet, works well for me. Portion sizes are everything to me.....

 

[phoenix]

Skimmed or semi skimmed milk has MORE carbs per 100ml than full fat.

about 0,3gm carb per 100ml difference between skimmed, semi skimmed and whole milk, this is negligible.
The sat fat reduction for those of us who like Ken prefer to take more conventional advice is significant

 

[jopar]

If losing carbs isn't making any chances to your BG, or if you test and the before and after readings are very similar with only a +/- 1 or 2 mmol/l then you can assume that the pancrease/insulin is doing what it's supposed to do..

So if you eat a carb meal, your BG is 14mmol/l before, 16mmol/l 1hour after and 14 mmmo/l 2 hours after you have coped with the carbs that you've eaten the pancreas has done it's job, but some how you will have to find a way of lowering the under pining BG reading...

Usually requires medication, hence you might find your nurse it right that he may take time to get your overall underlaying BG dowm.. It does take around a month (and for some a bit longer) for metformin to build up in the system to show it's true effect.. It might also need an change or addition of another type of medication to lower the overall BG..

As I said if you are pretty stable before and after what you've eaten then the food you are actually eating isn't the problem, the problem lays else where...

 

[gbtyke]

I was similar to you and insisted on tests for type 1. I was right - they were wrong. Have you had the tests?

 

[TracyA]

I was similar to you and insisted on tests for type 1. I was right - they were wrong. Have you had the tests?

Thanks for all the advice.

No i dont think so,Ive just had a fasting blood test and the Hba1c.

 

[poole2006]

Try to avoid spaghetti if your having trouble with your blood sugar levels. It is slow acting and will make your blood sugar rise slowly. You may not even notice. I am a t1 diabetic on an insulin pump so I have to count every carb I eat.

 

[FordPrefect]

Also the other thing is if your levels dont come down with the next few months then its probably time to speak to your doc and try and get a refferal to an endocrinologist who hopefully will be able to help you get your sugars lower. If I was you if you dont start seeing an improvement soon its what I would do.

Dont forget that apart from the complications of diabetes I have been informed that the pancreas itself is one of the first organs to take damage from running with high sugar levels meaning the longer this goes on for the more of a problem it will become to shift.