excellent blood sugar level with no particular diet

[RosaHaddad]

Hi all,
i just joined your community. i've been diabetic for almost 18 years now, and am 22 years old. i've read some of your discussions, and i thought i have to say this, because it felt really ockward when it comes to me.
i actually don't follow any particular diet; i eat a lot of junk food, chocolate, sweets and everything that might comes to your mind. and yet, my blood sugar levels are always normal, worse yet, i have hypoglycemias quite often. this kind of food doesn't seem to affect me at all, and also i'm quite thin and tall, with very low fats in my body.
but it got me wondering if it'll have any bad consequences on my bod and life when i grow older.
so if you have any feedback, please care to share it with me

 

[daisy1]

Hi Rosa - welcome to the forum I think you need to look at your diet a bit even though your levels are good as you might have problems later on. You need to cut out the junk food, with chocolate you can eat dark chocolate in very small quantities. Sorry - no sweets (except for hypo treatment). It's worth the effort in the long run and there are plenty of good things you can eat. See the Food Forum for ideas. Here is a paper the Forum Monitors wrote for newly diagnosed members - although I know you are an experienced member - which gives some information on diet which might help you. Then have a good read around as there is a lot of information that will be useful to you. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like - someone will always be there to help.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17088

 

[cugila]

Hi Rosa.
Welcome to the Forum. Glad to hear that you are doing well despite the junk.....

What are your blood glucose levels through the day ?

How much Insulin do you inject each day ?

 

[donnellysdogs]

Hi Rosa

What do you count as really good levels?

What is your hba1c?

I'm concerned with you saying you got really good bloods but you are having hypo's to be quite honest.

Perhaps you could give us some info as to what your levels and insulin regime is?

Your diet and foods that you describe to be quite honest, don't exactly give the mixed quantity of fat, carbs, vitamins and minerals that I thought all humans (not just diabetics) needed and I hope that this will not lead you to longer term complications.

 

[jopar]

I'm afriad even if you weren't diabetic an unhealthy junk fueled lifestyle is very likely to bite you on the bum later on in life!

Very few will get beyond 30 eating junk laidened foods and remain skinny, tend to start putting weight on around mid 20's and for females once they've hit the first baby, then it's a case of a moment on the lips a life time on the hips!

There's nothing wrong with Junk food persa, if it's eaten in moderation as treats rather than a main diet source.. And yes you can have milk chocolate but again you've got to put some thought into it, such as you'll know you are going to do some exercise so know you able to burn it off, or have a small piece with a meal etc.. Sweets really give the sugar levels a spike, so are better reserved for treating hypo's

I eat all sorts of things, but in moderation wouldn't dream of having a kitkat unless I was going to be able to burn it off.. So tends to be a snack before gardening etc...

You say that you have a lot of hypo's this sounds as though you've probably haven't got your carb to insulin ratio's right so you injecting enough insulin to cover what you are eating, with consideration of any exercise/activities you have or are going to be doing!

You do need to be monitoring, checking your BG's etc so that you can work out how to manage your diabetes without having high bg's or low bg's.. Doing this now will help to avoid problems later on, far better to avoid problems than trying to sort them out if they hit..

 

[RosaHaddad]

wow, thank you all for your feedback.
and to answer your questions:
my blood sugar levels vary between 60 and 150, rarely do they go beyond the 150. and my hba1c level is usually between 5 and 6. it never even passed 7! i take 2 types of insuline, the Actrapid and the Levemir. 8 units of Actrapid, 3 times a day, and 26 units of levemir once a day.
i know my diet is not a healthy diet at all, but in a way i just got used to it. i mean it became a habit, and to be honest, sometimes i have just chocolate for dinner, not even dark chocolate. i do practice some physical exercises, but not all the time, and as i said i am really thin. i mean i weight 53 kgs with a height of 172 cm, so medically i need to gain 8 kilos to reach my perfect balance.. so i don't know what you'll have to say about this, i already know it's weird

 

[janabelle]

Hi Rosa,
Your diet maybe a bit unconventional, especially for a type-1 diabetic!! None of us are perfect, we all do things we know we shouldn't, mine is enjoying wine too much. You know you can't continue on this diet forever, even for a "normal" non-diabetic person it's not great, although no-one, not even the "experts" can say for definate how that will affect every person.
I was skinny till i was diagnosed, I have struggled with my weight(though not obsessed) since diagnosis at 19, 22 yrs ago. Your experience shows how very different we all are, and you are luckier than most, that your diabetes is not ruling your life. However when you feel you need to change things, and i'm sure you're body will give you a nudge- then i have no doubt you will.
You're obviously doing something right, so give us some tips, cause I'm soooo jealous!
Jus x

 

[RosaHaddad]

well to be honest, i've deprived myself from this kind of food from the age of 5(when i was first diagnosed) till almost the age of 13. that's when i decided to go crazy and do whatever i want and eat whatever i want, and luckily for me it didn't affect me negatively at all. i learned how to enjoy life more. i mean let's face it, you really enjoy life once you start enjoying what you're eating, in a way.. and even though i practiced a regular physical activity ever since the age of 5, except that i've broken this routine when i hit my 17 years of age. but still i remained skinny and healthy, with excellent blood sugar level. and now it's still going.
well i have to tell you that i'm going to my regular doctor's visit on the 24th of january and i'll be doing my hba1c test. let's see how much it will be, i'll post it for you here in the eve

 

[Celtic.Piskie]

My my, haven't we met the moaning minnies!

Your blood sugar is good, that's very important. You're enjoying life too, that's also very important.

Eat some more fruits and veg, and cut down ont he cr*p,,, it's just not good for you. But you already know that lol. So, i'm glad to see you're got it working.

Personally, i love the chocolate too, especially homemade fruit dipped things. Yum.

 

[sugar2]

Hi Rose,

You know that your diet isn't healthy....for all the reasons that it isn't healthy for anyone else....but your blood sugar seem to be fantastic...so you must be doing something right.

My opinion only...but you are yound, you know that what you are doing is unhealthy, but you are managing your diabetes really well.....You obviously realise that you can not continue to eat "junk" for ever....so I assume that youa re going to improve this when you get a bit older. ...so I agree with Celtic Pixie...keep an eye on your health, but enjoy being young....we are old for far too long!

 

[jameshallam]

I am similar, I still eat what I want but usually have BG levels within the guidelines.
You should keep an eye on all the 'other' things that are measured along with you hba1c - such as trigs, chlolesterol etc.

 

[noblehead]

Eating junk food now might not be a problem for you at 22 years old, but believe me you are storing up problems for future. Junk found has high levels of salt, saturated/trans fats and artificial additives, this in turn can lead to diseases of the bowel, high blood pressure and arterial heart disease, so the sooner you adopt a healthier approach to eating the less likely you are at developing further complications later in life.

Nigel

 

[RosaHaddad]

well, i trully believe that all of you are saying is right, i should change my diet, i should cut on the junk food and sweets, and the worst part is that i know that, but each time i decide to start eating healthy, i just do it for s short period of time and then slip right back to the junk.
i do eat a lot of fruits and veggies, in every meal actually.
but i should start cutting on the junk.
on and did i also mention that i smoke? been a smoker for almost 5 years now, tried to stop a couple of times, and in fact made it, but then i decided as usual that life is for living..
excuse me, i seem to be very careless with my life, and i know it..unfortunatly.