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Diabetes with other medical conditions

K

Ketchie

Member
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Hello. I’m 46, female with no family link to diabetes. I have 2 autoimmune conditions, Hashimotos thyroid and Pernicious anaemia. No direct family link to this either, possibility of a grandmother.

I also have hypoparathyroidism (controls calcium) and have Bilateral Vocal Cord Palsy (so can’t exercise as breathing difficult).

Oh and high cholesterol. Which could be related to hypothyroid but it’s been medicated for 20 years.
And kidney stones with lower kidney function due to hypoparathyroidism medication.

I am now prediabetes. Only just, Spanish tested A1c hovers at 5.6/ 5.7 (range 4 - 5.6) with BG at 120 (range 74-106). Been this level for a couple of years apparently. My own BG machine shows that levels rise from 5.6 first thing to 6.3 at 3pm, I don’t have breakfast/ lunch until about then. I’ve only just started taking BG and will start taking it 2 hours after eating.

I’m really hoping that with dieting I can get it under control but my goodness I have to overhaul my whole way of eating! I’m a week into stopping the junk food (no crisps, cola, chocolate) but the major problem is the vegetables!

Is it really better to eat little and often?
Is there a chance it’s T1?

Glad to meet you!
 
I did my BG 2 1/2 hours after eating and it was 6.5. That’s good, right? Maybe I’m overly worrying about this.

By the way I have a cat with diet controlled diabetes. It was 20 BG before changing her food. First symptom was she was walking funny.
 
Welcome.

Better to eat lots and infrequently actually. It allows the insulin levels to fall between feeds and high insulin is the problem behind type 2 and prediabetes. And not sure what sort of overhaul you’re planning but I can not recommend strongly enough to try the low carb higher fat option. There’s links to loads of info in my signature below.

what is the issue with veg?

well about 10% of diabetes is type 1. More common with other autoimmune conditions. So possible but not statistically the most likely. A fair proportion of those that are diagnosed in adulthood are initially thought or assumed to be type 2 til it’s shown otherwise. Usually when numbers continue to rise despite low carb eating and t2 medications not control things. It can be quick or take years. A c peptide test or insulin test usually identify these cases (occasionally not conclusive, especially early on).
 
Ah, so you caught the T2 from the cat! (Nah... We had a T3c/insulin-dependent cat for years, borrowing his meter is what got me diagnosed. Diabetic kitties are a special brand eh. Miss our little Night still.). Seriously though, you've found that diet affects blood sugars, so you're one step ahead of most people already. With T2, you have hyperinsulemia, meaning you put out a lot of insulin but are insensitive to it because there's always so much of it floating around. That in turn does cause a whole lot of problems, from high blood sugars to weight gain to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and what have you. And every time you eat, there is an insulin response.... So no, eating frequently is actually counterproductive, as every time you eat, more insulin is released and your sensitivity to it doesn't get any better. I eat once or twice a day, these days, and feel perfectly alright doing that.

https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help a little. Also includes the good news that extra dark chocolate (85% and up) is still on the menu. Oh, and as for Hashi's, keep an eye on your levels and get checked a little more regularly. Your hormone dosage might need to change. I used to take 175 micrograms, and now down to 125.

Good luck!
Jo

PS: I don't know most of the conditions you deal with, I just know most of mine improved in some way, shape or form with a low carb, and later, ketogenic diet. Less inflammations everywhere.
 
Thanks Hsss and Jo.

I found my high BG through borrowing the meter I got for my cat! No reason, was just curious. Then went back through old blood tests, it’s been high normal for 3 years.

I am glad to hear that eating once or twice is better, not sure how I got that wrong. I have always eaten that way though, so unfortunately that won’t be an improvement. My diet is very poor though, mostly starchy carby stuff. Potatoes and bread with some meat. No veg at all. I hate most food, including dark choc.

Just got a reading of 5.7 . It’s 20 hours since I ate.
 
Veg is not essential, some choose to only have a few items others are totally carnivore. Do a search as there’s a long running thread on here for that way of eating too. Though it is important to find sources of micronutrients if you go down this route so do some investigating first. tagging a few carni’s for some direction @bulkbiker @Jim Lahey @Brunneria @Goonergal
 
I’ve been having a read through your links, thanks. I’m puzzled by my BG not going up/ down much. Am hoping it’s the Vimto squash, I hadn’t realised how many carbs were in it. As a direct replacement for cola I thought it was ideal. Ho hum. Water only for a few days as I don’t like the sugar free versions, so chemically tasting.
 
After dinner yesterday it went from 6.0 to 8.4 (mash, minced beef, gravy and Yorkshire pudding). Tonight 5.3 to 9.4 (2 sausages, bacon, chips, tomato ketchup and small bit of french bread). Drat and double drat. I would have thought mash = chips, bread = Yorkshire pud, ketchup = gravy? The cheap sausages are probably full of carbs.

Assuming that 9.4 is fairly normal for me after eating...could that cause facial tingling? It’s constant though. I was sure it was either B12 or calcium or kidney but since I’ve been treating the B12 deficiency the feet tingling was cured but not my face. I have to live with some tingling in my hands but my face annoys me.
 
A post prandial reading of 9.4 is too high and rises of more than 2mmol are too much. It is said that reading over 7.8mmol are enough to cause damage. Now obviously there isn’t a switch that flips on and off and time spent at these levels is relevant. But in your shoes I would be having no (or at the very least less) potato in any form, Yorkshire puds, and bread. Check the carb levels on all your food so you know what you are ok with and what you aren’t and get no surprises. Yes cheap sausages can be really carby whilst good ones hardly any. Combinations can effect the speed at which carbs are absorbed too. Fats tend to slow it down as can fibre a bit. Food whilst the biggest driver of levels isn’t the only one. Sleep or lack of, stress, exercise , illness, hormones all can have an effect.
 
Nooooo. Not spuds and bread! Seriously though I do understand that they’re terrible carbs. I’ll try more meat and less potato tomorrow to see what happens. May be that I have to go carni as I just can’t work out how to exchange potatoes/ bread with something else.
 
Are there any veg/salads you do like? Tastes can change a lot once carbs are ditched and different cooking methods can make things taste astoundingly different

I tend to wrap cheese, a pickle and meat together and not bother with any bread type thing nowadays.
Loads of food ideas in the links I put up. Did you find the carnivore corner thread?
 
Thanks.

This is going to sound really stupid/ pathetic/ weak/ crazy to most people. I have an unusual eating disorder (ARFID), bit like food phobia. The photos of food are enough to terrify me! I am working on it, but it’s a lifelong thing. I’ve only just managed to eat pizza and now I can’t. I talked to my mum and she suggested I think about soup. It is something I’ve thought about before, I like gravy so maybe. So anyway currently no veg, fruit, salad! I have been cooking more, for my parents not me, so I’m improving my ability to handle/ smell foods.

A small bit of good news is that after stopping drinking the Vimto squash I now have some ketones in my urine. That’s never happened before in 4 years, even longer than 24 hours fasting...I assume because of the carbs.

Also, more excitingly, no blood in urine. Interesting. Could just be my kidneys appreciate plain water.

In the last 2 weeks I have made changes (quit crisps, cola, cake), that have been really hard for me. I will keep at it, it will just take me longer.

I really do appreciate the help.

Reading 7.6 now, 5 hours after dinner. That was not a good meal.
 
You can have pizza if you’re prepared to make it. Look up fathead pizza. I use ditchthecarbs.com version. Even one of my teenagers prefers it to the real thing. There’s lots of low carb/keto versions of regular food. I’ll be honest they don’t always taste the same but they fill the gap and sometimes taste better. It’s about being creative and a bit weird in a way with food. Allowing yourself to try what seems odd combinations or just different to what you (and most people) are used to seeing.
Keep going. With your positive attitude and perseverance anything and everything is possible.
 
Sorry, didn't see this sooner. (When you reply to someone, put an @ in front of their name, and they'll get a notification). Your eating disorder is one of many, so you're certainly not the only one who'll have to eat around both mental/physical needs and T2. We have bingers, we have diaboulemics, people on the autistic spectrum who can't abide certain textures or flavors, and then there's the folks who, like me, have to deal with other conditions as well which flare up with food triggers. So no-one here's going to laugh at you or whatever.

If we can help though, we will. What specific issues do you have with food? Texture, colour, fear? Like @HSSS said, if the carnivore way of eating might be a solution, that's just about as hard-core low carb as a person can go. (Even lower than regular old keto dieting). You're already doing two meals a day, but if they've always been carby, then yeah, you'll notice the difference when you switch to low carb. There's lists online with low carb/keto foods, but the bulk of them are illustated with food pictures. The Nutritional Thingy doesn't have illustrations, so maybe the list in there'll help some, but.... Let us know what wriggle room you have and we'll go from there? (As I don't think a liquid diet/soup would be sustainable in the long run.)
 
Thanks @HSSS I will get some flour next week. My first pizza was in a cafe and had chips on it! On mount Sicily! There’s definitely a pattern. I’m excited now, thanks.

Thanks @JoKalsbeek (did that work?). I was nervous about admitting that. I think my problem is mainly texture, though smell and flavour too. The things I eat are usually 1 texture. So something like garden peas, which have a skin and then are wet inside are so, so strange. Like toenails. Carrots are wet/ crunchy and sweet. Wrong. Some veg, sprouts, smell disgusting. I have had 1 in my mouth but couldn’t chew it. I could swallow a green bean, so will keep trying those. I’ve been doing 1 meal a day, only 5th day today.

My BG was 5.4 this morning, a little better.
 
Yeah, @Ketchie , that worked.
Most of what you mention is high in carbs anyway, so no big loss when it comes to underground veggies and (most) legumes. I eat a lot of cauliflower rice, which doesn't stink up the place as the cauliflower my mom used to boil. (The house would still reek the next day). Same with broccoli rice by the way. I put mine in a frying pan, though the cheese and bacon I add, as well as herbs or spices, may not be your cup of tea. Too much going on in one meal, possibly? Just guessing. How are you with eggs, meat, poultry, cheese, fish? Olives (an acquired taste for a lot of people anyway), avocado (likewise), walnuts or pecans? Salad is out, I gather. I keep wanting to direct you to the dietdoctor website, but there's pictures on there. If there's some recipe you want us to look up (like low carb alternatives to what you would usually eat) and copy/paste without pics here though, give a shout.
 
Ketchie said:
Thanks @HSSS I will get some flour next week. My first pizza was in a cafe and had chips on it! On mount Sicily! There’s definitely a pattern. I’m excited now, thanks.
Click to expand...
Not normal flour! Ground almonds or coconut flour (different amounts though) did you find a recipe ok?
 
@JoKalsbeek I discovered olive oil last year. On french bread unfortunately. Also bad with herbs/ spices but I do like garlic salt and onion powder. No nuts or avocado or seeds. Cheese I can tolerate a little cheddar on a burger. Eggs in cake! Though I had it scrambled on toast 4 months ago and it was edible. I like bacon, chicken, beef mince, sausages and cod in batter. I couldn’t eat a pork chop or mackerel for example. Cauliflower rice is completely new to me, I’ll look that up later. You’re right I couldn’t cope with too many new things in a meal, I’d prefer them not to touch really.

@HSSS yes sorry should have said almond flour. Hoping they sell it here. We do have a lot of almond trees round here (southern Spain). Found a recipe with almond flour and cheese. Sounds odd to me but if it works I’ll love it.
 
It does work. It does sound odd. Different cheeses give it a slightly different taste as does coconut flour. It might be labelled ground almonds not flour but that’s ok too. Amazon could be your friend if you can’t find it locally.
 
If you can tolerate cauliflower try it as rice or mash. I roast the grated cauli then stir fry it with meat or have it microwaved with curries etc. It smells a little odd while cooking but the finished cooked rice is fairly neutral as long as you don't include the leaves or thick stalk. Mashed, again I leave out the stalk and remove even the tiny leaves (I actually like them but not in the mash) add black pepper and butter or cream.
It also makes a good pizza base mixed with a mild cheese.

I got used to swapping to full fat milk with either a little cream or coconut milk in coffees. If you drink tea/coffee avoid skimmed milk.
 
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