Curious about the liver

[Looking4someone2help]

So I've had some throat pain and I haven't been eating enough because it hurts. I'm gunna need to eat more smoothies. I got sick a few weeks ago and I was told my stomach acids made rips in my throat and it will take awhile to heal. It's inflamed and irritated my lower part of my throat and even makes my throat hurt to the touch my neck. When I eat, I try to make it nutritious and very cold smoothies. I talked to my diabetic educator who told me to eat pudding and yogurt and soft foods as I can. I think my best option is smoothies until it heals to get my vitamins and minerals. The yogurt and milk is gross and pudding or ice pops are gross. But I've noticed if my blood sugar goes under about 4.2mmol/l than I get sleepy and wake up about 5 mmol/l. It's not that I don't want to eat... I tried and I felt full after 3 bites then threw it back up so I'm scared to keep forcing food to make my throat worse. The smoothies seem to feel best. The diabetic educator said that's normal when your sick and only a concern when your too high. She says I should eat something before I go to bed tho cus she want me to stay a little higher. Then she asked why I didn't eat and I said my throat hurts real bad. So she said to eat soft foods like icecream, yogurt, pudding, or even frozen ice pops (basically frozen sugar water). She says at 75 you can have 4 or 5 carbs per meal. She said right now my body is dumbing sugar cus I need more carbs. But where does the sugar in my liver get its sugar that it dumbs when I am sick and can't eat? I don't eat a ton of carbs. She didn't really answer. How does it know how much sugar to dump? Can you get too much or not enough? It just amazes me that your body produces its own sugars and I couldn't find anything on Google search that explained it well. I also heard your body produces its own cholesterol. This stuff fascinates me. Anyway, does anyone know? Thanks

 

[Indy51]

If you want to research more, the process the liver uses to produce glucose is called gluconeogenesis.

 

[Lamont D]

So I've had some throat pain and I haven't been eating enough because it hurts. I'm gunna need to eat more smoothies. I got sick a few weeks ago and I was told my stomach acids made rips in my throat and it will take awhile to heal. It's inflamed and irritated my lower part of my throat and even makes my throat hurt to the touch my neck. When I eat, I try to make it nutritious and very cold smoothies. I talked to my diabetic educator who told me to eat pudding and yogurt and soft foods as I can. I think my best option is smoothies until it heals to get my vitamins and minerals. The yogurt and milk is gross and pudding or ice pops are gross. But I've noticed if my blood sugar goes under about 4.2mmol/l than I get sleepy and wake up about 5 mmol/l. It's not that I don't want to eat... I tried and I felt full after 3 bites then threw it back up so I'm scared to keep forcing food to make my throat worse. The smoothies seem to feel best. The diabetic educator said that's normal when your sick and only a concern when your too high. She says I should eat something before I go to bed tho cus she want me to stay a little higher. Then she asked why I didn't eat and I said my throat hurts real bad. So she said to eat soft foods like icecream, yogurt, pudding, or even frozen ice pops (basically frozen sugar water). She says at 75 you can have 4 or 5 carbs per meal. She said right now my body is dumbing sugar cus I need more carbs. But where does the sugar in my liver get its sugar that it dumbs when I am sick and can't eat? I don't eat a ton of carbs. She didn't really answer. How does it know how much sugar to dump? Can you get too much or not enough? It just amazes me that your body produces its own sugars and I couldn't find anything on Google search that explained it well. I also heard your body produces its own cholesterol. This stuff fascinates me. Anyway, does anyone know? Thanks

Small steps is your answer. Because your throat is sore, you can only swallow soft foods. Have you tried full fat Greek yoghurt. It is a different taste and will help you with your diabetes. There is low carb smoothie, that you can have and I've tagged @Brunneria as she knows about this.
About glucogenesis, you liver will provide the glycogen (sugar, glucose) to give you what your body needs. Dawn phenomenon is an example of this natural process.
The body usually has triggers for your hormones and eating starts the digestion process which releases the insulin required for that meal but if you have insulin resistance you need more and an imbalance of insulin and glucose in your blood is too high.
The reason why low carb works is that through the same process you don't need the amount of insulin to counter the excess insulin and glucose.
Insulin is the hormone that initiates visceral fat. Therefore weight gain and obesity.
Despite all the propaganda, low carb will help with cholesterol, it has nothing to do with eating full fats or saturated fats.
If you keep reading the threads, the amount of really good advice is incredible.
Get your throat problems sorted, then try going low carb for a while, get control and your overall health will improve. Small steps.
Best wishes.

 

[Freema]

the liver when working well can always turn proteins over to glucose.. thats part of a livers function...
if you do not eat enough proteins your body can take proteins from your muscles which is not good...

but now you mention you like smooties... you could put some protein powder in and it is very gentle to your throath too and gets you the needed daily proteins you need ..
you need about 1 gram of protein pro kg bodyweight as an average person, almost only body-builders need more..
But I guess that when being ill and diabetic it can be good to go just a little bit over like 1.2 grams pro kg body weight a day.. as you can not eat much and it helps preventing the body from breaking down too much muscle

good luck with getting well, hope you soon can get an eating patttern that prevents you from all this reflux-acid

by the way bananaes in more than a half a day is not recomende for diabetics... but in your situation they might help you more also with your stomack problems ... as a half mature banana in every smoothie creates a protective layer in the stomack also but it must be the mature banana , because they are known to have this ability to protect the stomack if totally smashed ... the you could try to quit all other carbs and have half a banana 3 times a day in your smoothies

 

[Looking4someone2help]

Thanks guys. Someone else recommended some protein in my shakes a weeks ago,so I started that instead of waiting. It was a little chalky and sweet, but I'll keep trying. I tried vega, so anyone have recommendations. Later I will try garden of life. I try to eat 50-75% veggies of fruits with every meal. Ironically that's what's recommended when I read the paperwork but not what's being told to me. But I'm thinking I can do the smoothies with protein til I feel better. I bought some samples. My throat feels a little better today... Not my voice.

 

[Looking4someone2help]

Just in case this helps someone else

 

[Fox1001]

Hi, you mention your liver, if it isn't functioning well, it can cause varicose veins in your oesophagus, and your neck, check with your doc, have a liver function test, this will tell you how your bilirubin levels are, you may need an endoscopy or barium swallow to rule them out, Lanzoprazole is great for reflux acid, but only on prescription, good luck.
Regards Jeff

 

[Shar67]

Just in case this helps someone else

That looks like the eat well plate which lots of diabetics have found not to give good advice, basically the part that has starchy foods is not really required. Cut that out add more protien and green veg

 

[Lamont D]

Just in case this helps someone else

Don't mean to be critical, but that plate, would definitely make me so ill!

A lot of diabetics have an intolerance to a lot of carby, starchy foods and they invariably spike your blood glucose levels, which most diabetics should rather avoid!