My friend died from a hypo. I get it.
That said, tight control makes sense for those with type 2 diabetes so long as they're not using insulin or a diabetes medication that forces the pancreas to make more insulin. Hypo's aren't a problem for them. This also can be accomplished with diet and exercise alone. So quite rewarding to do so. I know. I'm one of those people.
@fletchweb I'm impressed that you don't have any complications. What's your secret? What's your diet like? Do you take any nutritional supplements? How physically active are you?
I'm very physically active
@Winnie53 and have been all my life - some would say I'm extreme - wilderness canoe expeditions where you push it to the limit, rock climbing, long distance cycling - minimal insulin in those situations unfortunately it's difficult to live that way all the time. When I was in my late teens I'd push myself to near exhaustion but I'm 55 now and still capable although the day will come where my activity levels will drop because of age.
I do those things because I feel absolutely wonderful when I do it. I kind of clued in on the idea studying indigenous populations of North America back in my University days (that was 30 years ago). I have friends and relatives (in-laws) who are Indigenous North Americans who find themselves in trouble because of the high carb over-processed western diet that they have grown up on Their ancestors had low carb - high protein diets - but today a very large portion of their population have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
We tend not to learn much from past cultures and practices and in my opinion, there is much to learn from the past. I site North American Indigenous people as an example but it likely applies to people of several different ethnicitys.
I don't have it figured out - to strip it down to the basics I do what makes me feel good and when I deviate from that I feel rather ******. Fortunately I've been doing that since I was a kid so it wasn't like I had to make any significant changes in my life.
The only time I found myself in trouble health wise was when my kids were toddlers and out of convenience my level of physical activity diminished and my traditional diet was replaced by fast food. That was a 5 year period 20 years ago and fortunately I was able to get back on track.
So I'm a firm believer of low carb high protein diets combined with physical activity. And yes - I do occasionally have chips with gravy, deep fried battered fish - but not everyday - just once in a while and of course my insulin consumption significantly increases to compensate for that.
I tried Vitamin D3 this winter because I live in a northern climate but the stuff I'm taking is made from Flax and that gives me serious gas and I'm not sure if it has been beneficial so I stopped taking it.
I don't know what it's like to be Type 2 but the type 2s that I personally know got in trouble because of their high carb high calorie diets and their conditions radically improved when they went to low carb combined with an increased in cardio vascular activities.
So maybe that has contributed to my success with a lack of complications - I can't say with absolute certainty but I suspect it has played on the positive side of things.
Mental Health is also very important - and I think my optimism and trying to live a simple life has maybe contributed too.
Or it could all be in my head and I could have been dealt some good genes. I've been working on my family tree and have it as far back as 1806 - in spite of the times most of my ancestors lived to be very old, On my dad side of the family they were coal miners in Yorkshire and they all lived in to their 8os - I knew my Great Grandfather, my dad is currently in his 80s - unfortunately my mom died young at 68 but she was an exception.
A lot of this is speculation and theory and probably will remain so.
I hope I haven't cursed myself
