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sue, I'm not advising everyone to try it by any means - simply pointing out that it's a strategy that CAN work well, and has done for a fair few people. It won't work for everyone (and it won't appeal to everyone) and I didn't say it would; but for people who are curious about it (like...

Fair enough. For what it's worth, I (like I've said three times now) also don't think that ultra low numbers are good. I didn't think my original post came across as saying they were good, and I still don't. But I could be wrong; I know what I meant when I wrote it, but I can't objectively...

Blimey. Can I suggest you check your blood as you seem a bit cranky, you might be going hypo and be unaware. :P Given that the original poster has been diabetic for 30 years and therefore isn't newly diagnosed or looking for advice on hypo awareness; and that they appeared just to be asking...

Hi, Well, 70 mg/dL (which is ~3.88 mmol/L) is most commonly used in the US; 4 is used in the UK. Both are chosen because they're round numbers and therefore convenient; what would be the odds of the exact point of hypoglycemia being exactly 4 (or exactly 70)? When I talked about medical...

Sorry, I ought to have added that it's not actually desirable to have these lows, just that it does sometimes happen. I'd always prefer to have my BG in the 4-6 range, and if I go below that I try to correct upwards. That said, 4 is a fairly arbitrary number (and there's no medical concensus...

Hi, A lot depends on the situation. I often don't feel any hypo symptoms until I'm below 3.4, but I can sometimes feel like I'm hypo quite a bit higher (and sometimes when I'm not actually hypo). I can also occasionally function perfectly well at very low bloods; I've had a reading of 1.1...

Sorry, I just realised you're T1.5 not T2 - my apologies. The overall theme is still the same though - the more normalised you can get your blood glucose, the better, and anything above the normal levels increases risk of complications. With insulin injections you have the added complication...

It's a personal decision that you'll have to make - no one can tell you whether to be stricter or not. People can give you the facts, but like everything in life you need to decide what you do with them. Occasional readings above 7 are still high readings, and still indicate that some damage...

Hi jonesy, can I be cheeky and ask what the Dexcom costs (and the sensors of course), and how you went about getting one? Did you just email the "international" email address at Dexcom, or go through a UK distributor? I only ask because I'm seriously considering trying a CGM and the Dexcom...

Hi tezza, The diabetics with the best control all test their blood. Doctors and diabetic nurses are often reluctant to prescribe test strips to T2 diabetics, but I have a feeling this is due more to cost-saving than anything else. If you can persuade them to prescribe you some strips, get...

Fasting can be a great way of improving insulin sensitivity, helping blood glucose control and kick-starting weight loss. I find it an absolute doddle to control my blood on days where I fast - my last two days of fasting had average BG's of 4.3 and 4.6 with no hypos (i.e.nothing below 3.6 - I...

acron, If you need 6u for 5g carbs in the morning, I'd suggest finding out what you need for 0g carbs - i.e. just eat a couple of slices of cooked meat or something (do still eat something though, as food signals the body to release / stop releasing various hormones). It sounds very much like...

I happily admit I'm a geek when it comes to this stuff, and it probably comes across as being anal sometimes. No offense taken at being told this. However, it's all interesting stuff and it's only by talking about things like this that you ever learn. It's only by reading similar discussions...

I too find it difficult to consider whole grains a better source of fiber or indeed nutrition than vegetables or nuts. Calorie-for-calorie they contain 2 to 7 times less fiber than vegetables, far lower quantities of vitamins and minerals, and contain phytate which inhibits absorption of iron...

As sue says, this is a very personal thing. I'd post my current diet for example, but I'm a 6' 3" bloke who's trying to gain weight at the moment - so probably best you don't eat what I do!! Your general points there are all spot on. Eliminate the high carb foods first and see how you go. My...

Great post fergus (sorry, not trying to turn this into a mutual appreciation society!) But I'd take coconut oil and butter over pasta and white rice any day...

Hi Lucky, Many people on here have achieved their best control by limiting the amount of carbohydrate they eat. Low-carb isn't a specific diet as such, it's just a general term because you eat a low amount of carbohydrate! Take a look at the Low-Carb forum, there's a thread right near the top...

I forgot to add - this article may well be of interest, as it puts the recommendation of a TC of under 5 in a slightly different light: http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/enig_chol.html The article by Taubes that's referred to in that post can be read here; it's long and takes some getting...

Hi Pavlos, Saturated fat's a big topic in and of itself and I'm still learning and reading up myself. A few general comments though: 1. The reason sat fat is vilified is becuase it's thought to raise LDL and total cholesterol (TC). 2. However, there's little real evidence that it does raise...

Good points, you can break the testing down into periods; the link phoenix posted looks like a good explanation of how to do it. I personally found day-long fasts to be more accurate, but plenty of people do it by breaking into chunks so that can obviously work well too. I don't mind long...