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Anyone feel that they are healthier, fitter and likely live longer because of diabetes.

Ian DP

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Suffolk
Type of diabetes
LADA
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I ask the question because I believe Dr Bernstein is 80 years old today, diagnosed T1 aged 12, mentioned in his book that at a school reunion he felt he was the 2nd healthiest person in attendance and that he probably owes his good health to his LcHf diet, which had he not been diabetic he probably would not be on and therefore in worse Heath.

I also ask the question because I have found the 'Has anyone been a diabetic for more than 40 years' such a fascinating thread.


Diagnosed T2 in sept 2013, BS levels 20+. BMI 22, age 58. Requested a GAD test in November, came back very high 2,000+, doc said I would be T1 very soon, but presently LADA, and managing to keep 99% of my BS readings one hour after meals under 7.8 without insulin or any medication.
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I had hypoglycaemia for years before it transitioned into type 2. And I definitely feel better as type 2 than I ever did before. The endless, grinding low blood glucose was like missing out on half my life. At least now that my BG is steadier (on LCHF), I have the energy to get off the sofa.

Which is really what I meant to say - so long as I keep my BG within the 5 to 7.5 range, I feel the best I have ever felt as an adult.
Lower, and I can feel the hypo symptoms looming.
Higher and I lose that precious joie de vie.

(I realise that 5 isn't very low at all, but I spent 20+ years honing my sensitivity to low BG, and start to get wary and insecure when it hits around 5...)
 
The 40 year thread was a good one Ian, I wasn't aware we had so many members who had lived with this condition for so long and many without complications.

It's difficult to answer your qusetion as I've had diabetes for the last 32 years and have no idea what I'd be like now health & fitness wise, but I'd like to think that I am a little fitter and healthier than I might have been if not for diabetes....who knows. As for living longer, ask again in 30-40 years time
 
As a relatively new T2 eating LCHF and exercising more than I have for decades, all I can say is

Healthier - yes
Fitter - yes
Likely to live longer - who can say, but hopefully yes compared with going on uncontrolled without diagnosis
 
Since retiring in 07, my health has hit the rocks. If I would have continued working at the pace I was, I believe I would be either seriously Ill or dead.(very demanding work for a man in his late fifties)
Since diagnosis, my health has improved.

Healthier No
Fitter. Yes
Likely to live longer. Yes
 
We are both healthier, fitter and, therefore likelier to live longer. We are also much, much happier, depression is a thing of the past. Two for the price of one diagnosis - can't be bad. Almost a "bogof"!
Sally
 
I hope so, now that I have some sort of control ......
But sometimes if it is not one thing it is another ....not all health is linked to db....but other conditions don't help ...
But it is great that so many people have managed for so long ....coping with db is not easy for anyone ...
And it is not so good that others have had to manage for many years without knowing what the cause was....then discovered db was the cause..

It is all a bit mixed I feel, but yes I do feel fitter than before ..... I must in increase my levels of walking this week ...
 
Obviously compared to some people who use this forum I am relatively a new diabetic diagnosed T2 November 2011. But I decided then I was going to try to control my diabetes not let my diabetes control me I think at the moment I have succeeded with BG levels in the mid 5s I exercise regularly watch what I eat and have reduced my metformin to 1x250 from 4x250 a day. If I wasn't diabetic I wouldn't exercise as much and still eat what I want .

So I am fitter over 60 lengths in the pool 3 times a week
I am healthier not eating so much ****
will live longer, I think so, now I know how to try to avoid complications
 
I certainly am, but I believe diabetes is what has been making me feel ill for years. Too late for parts of me, but the rest is better than I have been for years.
 
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After 36 years of Type 1 hhmmm............

Healthier - maybe bits of me are, pretty sure more bits of me aren't.
Fitter - probably
Likely to live longer - on the plus side I won't cause a car crash since losing my driving licence and most of my sight from retinopathy , on the negative side I may get run over as i can't see very well to cross the road.

Very hard to judge , I would imagine having Type 1 for many years and some nasty complications will unfortunately work against me.
 
That's a good question! Had it not been for being diabetic I would not have been prescribed metformin which actually made me ill, physically (absolute diarrhea) and mentally (fear of going out), so then I wouldn't have been prescribed Rosiglitazone, I wouldn't have gained so much weight which basically means I wouldn't have spent so long trying so hard to find out what the hell is going on. So that in turn means I wouldn't have taken the decision to lower my carb intake and taken control of my life, I wouldn't have been able to ditch three different medications especially statins which I really don't need (wouldn't take them now if they said I did).
So, I'm no expert, but I know more about how to be healthy (don't follow the guidelines) and I might live longer.
 
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