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Help with BG!!

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newbie007

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3
Hi!
I was diagonosed with type2 diabetes 4 months ago..I'm 28! Since then, I've never been able to understand how to lower my BG. I'm not over weight and follow a strict diet of 3 meals a day..no salt, no fat, less carbs, and basically fruit and veg and chicken/fish. Inspite of it all and being on Metformin 1500 dose, my sugar levels average at 9-10 at any given time.
Should i not eat breakfast if my BG is 9 when i wake up? coz 2hrs after breakfast it'll only rise to 13mmol coz it was high BEFORE meal. So how do i lower it BEFORE meal, so i know what i'm eating is right?
Its all so confusing...so does anyone out there have any answers coz my docs are useless!
 
Welcome to the forum 007!(not Daniel Craig in disguise are you? 8) )One thing you might try is a small ,light snack before bed to see if your sugars are lower before breakfast.Why?? you ask.Well sometimes your sugars drop in the night and your liver 'dumps' glucose into the system preparing for the day's activity.This dumping continues until you eat something which is the livers cue to stop producing glucose into the bloodstream.So,the theory is,if you eat a protein snack before bed which,because your digestion slows down when you are sleeping,is absorbed slowly,your sugars do not drop way down so the liver has no need to add glucose and you end up with lower BS in the morning.
 
Hi newbie007,

Type 2 isn't my field, but there are lots of people here who may be able to offer you some useful tips.

A bit of backgroud info would be useaful though. Can you describe a typical days diet i.e when you eat, what you eat, and how much. If you could add your blood glucose results and when you tested, we might be able to suugest some ways to improve your numbers.

All the best,

fergus
 
Thanx for ur reply sugarless sue and fergus! And no...im no Daniel Craig!! :wink:
Okie...i'll try snacking before bed tonight to see what happens tomo morning!..fingers crossed!

About my history..I eat my main meals at 11am , 2-3pm and 7pm. And must admit i snack in between these times.
In the morning first thing my BG is 9 or 10 (9.8 this morning). 2 hrs after breakfast (cereal with skimmed milk and wholemeal toast with low fat margarine) my BG is 14-15 (14.3 today). I have lunch 4-5 hours later and before meal BG is 9-10 (9.2 today) and 2 hrs later will be again 14-15. This goes on for dinner as well.
Lunch usually comprises of wholemeal bread, salad, yoghurt, lentil soup (all of dat)
ANd dinner is either steamed gish or grilled chicken with boiled veg or salad. No dressings or fat in either meal.
Snack is a piece of fruit/ rye bread sandwich with ham/low fat cheese which i take if im hungry between any of these meals.

I tell u...diabetes is BEYOND my understanding. Hats off to you guys who've mastered the art of low BG!
 
Hi, newbie007.

Well, if you've looked at some of the other threads on the forum, you probably have a fair idea what I'm going to say about your menu!

Breakfast is almost entirely carbohydrate. This will have a big impact on your blood sugars, as your numbers demonstrate. Lunch is also predominantly carbohydrate. The numbers in the 14's are pretty much what you might expect when your digestion gets to work turning the carbs into sugar.
Thumb's up for dinner, though! The fish, chicken, salads and vegetables are much closer to what I believe is an appropriate diet for diabetics, or anyone else for that matter.

What are yor alternatives at breakfast? Think of what you like to eat that isn't comprised of starch and try eating that first thing. Eggs are my preference, but there are other options too. I bet if you give that a try, your post meal redings will be down into single figures. Similarly at lunch, try replacing the bread with some protein - sliced meat, fish, cheese etc - and you'll see an immediate improvement there too.

Give it a go and the double-digit readings might be history soon enough!

All the best,

fergus
 
Thanks Fergus..I'll def try the low carb diet from now on. Although that won't leave me with many breakfast options. I avoid eggs for breakfast as i had high cholestrol level 6 months back. So cutting out the eggs, cereal, oats etc. Can't help but wonder what i CAN have? :? Is fruit ok?
Can you just point out what foods are a no-no..and wots an ideal low carb low cholestrol breakfast?

I do feel much positive about the whole thing though. Single digits...here i come!!
 
Hi,

You don't need to worry about cholesterol in your food ie eggs and meat. If you eat less dietary cholesterol your liver just makes more of it to compensate.

Sweet fruit is high in sugars and this can still raise your blood sugars. You can usually get away with some fruit particularly if you "bury it" at the end of a meal or add unsweetened double cream or cheese.

Good breakfasts are: vegetable omlettes, bacon and egg, smoked fish and scrambled eggs (you can use double cream and butter in the scrambled eggs), low carb muffins.

You won't want to hear this but since you are already thin and your fasting blood sugars are high, it is entirely possible that you are going to need at least a basal insulin. This is something you will need to see your doctor about. If you give the low carbing thing a really good go you should see a dramatic reduction in your post meal blood sugars. If your 3am blood sugar is consitently high despite the meal changes you pancreas may simply not be making enough insulin.
 
I'll second Katharine's post there. I don't believe there's any truth in eggs raising your serum cholesterol levels. They are far more likely to improve you cholesterol ratio in fact.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive when we're constantly bombarded my media messages telling us to eat less fat and more grain because it's supposedly 'heart healthy'. But most peoples lipid profiles are considerably worse when they eat starches and grains than when they eat eggs or animal foods instead. Why not give it a try and see for yourself?

All the best,

fergus
 
Hi Katherine,

What is a low carb muffin. Do you buy these or make them yourself? If homemade can you please pass on the recipe? These sound like they would be useful for me as I don't breakfast until I get to the office (sad I know) so cooking bacon and eggs is not an option.

Many Thanks
 
If you are thin then you don't need to low-fat your salads. A good dressing will slow the absorbtion of food and stabilise sugar levels. Eggs are definitely good for brekkie and you must stop snacking. Try no-carbing just for a week to see if your readings improve. If they do, you know that diet is the answer and can adjust it accordingly. Most of us Type 2s would never advocate a totally carb-free diet but significant benefits can be achieved by eating foods very low in carbohydrates such as lean meat/fish and plenty of veggies.
 
These are great !

These muffins are based on a Dr Atkins recipe and can be varied on almost endlessly.

Basic Muffins:

heat a fan oven to 160 degrees and a usual one to 180.

Add to a mixing bowl:

one cup soya flour
one cup ground almonds
one cup granular sugar substitute
2 heaped tablespoons whey protein powder
half teaspoon salt
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder

one cup light cooking oil eg macadamia or 4 oz butter
2 large eggs
one cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons water (add more if it looks too stiff)
one teaspoon vanilla essence.

Mix it all up, put in muffin tins or cupcake holders and bake for 12 -20 mins.

They should be dry when pricked with a cocktail stick.

Variations: * higher carbs (these ingredients add carbs but when "smothered" in fat and protein as in this recipe usually have a minimal effect on blood sugars.

apple and cinnamon* - add one grated apple and 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
orange - add zest of two oranges
cherry* - add chopped glace cherries
choc chip*
chocolate - add 4 heaped teaspoons of cocoa powder
carrot and cinnamon* add a medium grated carrot and 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
walnut and coffee -add chopped walnuts and instant coffee which has been dissolved in water.
banana and nut* - add a couple of bananas, chopped pecans or other nuts, cut back on the sugar substitute and use some banana whey protein powder if you have it instead of vanilla or plain.
 
Hi newbee007,

I was originally diagnozed t2. First few weeks, docs tried diet only control, but to no avail. Then diet and metformin. Again, not much success. I asked to be reffered to a specialist, and got to see one straight away. He accessed the situation, and increased the met dossage, and also put me on Amaryl as well as the Metformin. For a few weeks there was a slight improvement, but b/s`s still too high.
So he decided to try something that was a bit experimental at the time and put me onto what they call "Triple Therapy"- Metformin, Amaryl and Glucobay. Eventually he put me on to the maximum dossage of all 3 plus exercise/manual work also helped.
Worked very well for a while, and even put me on Byetta too. It was great for about a year or so, but his suspicions were that i was what he reffered to as a "smoldering Type 1" Diabetic, so now i`m on insulin, and all is working well.
But my point is that other drugs can be used in conjunction with the Metformin you are on at present. I know that Docs. know best, but don`t be afraid to ask to be reffered to a specialist if you want to. The specialist i see is excellent, and my Doc had no problem reffering me. He is kept informed by the specialist, and if i ever i have to see my GP, he`s fully up to date with whats going on with my case.
Hope this info helps about other drugs being used as well as what you`re on at present.
Good luck, thing will work out in the end, and try not to worry too much.
 
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