Diabetics have a lack of Energy??

It happens just after your 74th birthday.

edited

lindisfel said:

You must tell how you got your HbA1c down, please.#

Click to expand...

Once issued with a meter I experimented to find which foods gave me high sugar readings. Sometimes I deliberately put myself in harms way if the experiment warranted it. I knew what the major carbohydrates were (sugar, flour, rice and potato) and tailored the portions of these so as not to give high readings. In March 2012 I put what I learned into practice and in September got an Hba1c of 42.

It all sounds complicated but as the truth dawned it got simpler. I introduced a couple of stir fry meals into my menu so that on a couple of days a week I didn't have any of the major carbohydrates. Another thing I learned was that I could not go into the same room as anything made of flour without problems.

A very important thing I discovered was that food manufacturers sneak flour and sugar into all sorts of meals. I even learned that a well known gravy is made of starch and caramel. It's never seen a cow.

I now try to choose food that is identifiable e.g.
Chop, fillet, wing, leg etc. = Good
Dipper, nugget, kiev, goujon = Bad

I actually came across a statement on a site called weight loss resources that said that chicken dippers were included in the GI tables due to the amount of flour in them.

The bottom line is that whether you count carbs or eat to your meter you should cut down on the carbs. You don't have to go hungry since there are many other things which are nice and are harmless.

That is a quick trot through the last 16 months. I hope it helps.

It's a long time since I read that statement in weight loss resources so I just went and found it again. I nearly got it right so here is a quote from that site.

"Foods only appear on the GI index if they contain carbohydrate. This explains why you won't find foods like fresh meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese in GI lists. However, you may find some processed foods like sausages or chicken nuggets in a GI list because they contain flour."

During my testing I discovered that one kiev spiked me exactly the same as one Mars bar. When I realised that the kiev was not all chicken it became clear how they were all the same size and shape and how they got the garlic butter inside.

Cutting out high GI foods is one thing and, in general, using low GI foods is a good thing but, low GI foods can in many foodstuffs contain as much carbohydrate as high GI, it's just that it is released more slowly and therefore doesn't peak as high. But, it stays in your blood longer so if you eat more low GI, you are topping up what is already there. Portion control and frequency of eating low GI is also important. You can get lulled into a false sense of security. Having said that, 50 isn't at all that bad. The International Diabetes Federation and American College of Endocrinology recommend HbA1c values below 48 mmol/mol (6.5%), while American Diabetes Association recommends that the HbA1c be below 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) for most patients.

Most type 2 diabetics do have poor energy levels because they carry too much weight and don't do much about it, which is why they got diabetes. Only about 20% set about reducing their weight by diet and exercise and maintain the regime in the long term. Many think their medication will solve the problem for them and many give up once they achieve their targets. Another common reason is that they simply don't have the time. They have long commutes to and from work, no real food preparation facilities at work and they are too tired when they get home because they have been sat in traffic for 90 mins. Just put a pizza in the oven and i'll have some ice cream for pudding. I think about doing it proper tomorrow.