Hi sigalit, dr Bernstein recommends 4.5 to 6.0 as being the desirable figures so as not to get secondary complications, you are doing very well, let us know how you get on :My doctor set me these limits:
- don't drop below 4, don't raise above 9. Above 9 is bad, because it means increased risk of complications.
- try to keep BG before meals below 6 and 2 hours after below 8.
- try not to have big 'jumps' between readings - no more than 2.5 between before and after meal readings, or between days. Big differences = big risk of complications.
It took me one month after I was diagnosed to get there - with help of insulin. I now privately try to reach below 5.5 before meals and below 7 2 hours later, but I still have problems with that, especially in the morning.
With 8 before meals, you probably have more than 9 after, so it's necessary to decrease it.
And while most people here will immediately say 'low carb diet', I'm a living proof it can be done with carbs, too. I eat 150 grams of carbs every day, which is three times more than most people here. >.> It also depends on what you eat - what GI and GL it has, how you combine it with veggies, how much you drink during the day (that is in fact the hardest part of the whole diet for me - to drink 2.5-3 litres per day), how much exercise you have, your overall health and stress level... It's not a simple math, and food is just one part of it (though very important).
I eat 40 grams of carbs for three main meals, and 10 grams of carbs for snacks (though I often skip morning snack and 'second dinner'). I also try to strictly follow the drinking regime, and always drink at least 2.5 litres per day. Due to other health issues I can't go to gym, do aerobics or things like that, so for now, I at least take long walks
For example, if I eat my 40 grams of carbs for lunch in potateos (it makes 260 grams of potatoes) l get better readings after the meal if I eat a bowl of salad with it (especially leafy vegetable), drink enough, and have 15 minutes walk after it. The difference can be as much as 1 mmol.
My doctor set me these limits:
- don't drop below 4, don't raise above 9. Above 9 is bad, because it means increased risk of complications.
- try to keep BG before meals below 6 and 2 hours after below 8.
- try not to have big 'jumps' between readings - no more than 2.5 between before and after meal readings, or between days. Big differences = big risk of complications.
It took me one month after I was diagnosed to get there - with help of insulin. I now privately try to reach below 5.5 before meals and below 7 2 hours later, but I still have problems with that, especially in the morning.
With 8 before meals, you probably have more than 9 after, so it's necessary to decrease it.
And while most people here will immediately say 'low carb diet', I'm a living proof it can be done with carbs, too. I eat 150 grams of carbs every day, which is three times more than most people here. >.> It also depends on what you eat - what GI and GL it has, how you combine it with veggies, how much you drink during the day (that is in fact the hardest part of the whole diet for me - to drink 2.5-3 litres per day), how much exercise you have, your overall health and stress level... It's not a simple math, and food is just one part of it (though very important).
I eat 40 grams of carbs for three main meals, and 10 grams of carbs for snacks (though I often skip morning snack and 'second dinner'). I also try to strictly follow the drinking regime, and always drink at least 2.5 litres per day. Due to other health issues I can't go to gym, do aerobics or things like that, so for now, I at least take long walks
For example, if I eat my 40 grams of carbs for lunch in potateos (it makes 260 grams of potatoes) l get better readings after the meal if I eat a bowl of salad with it (especially leafy vegetable), drink enough, and have 15 minutes walk after it. The difference can be as much as 1 mmol.
Hi sigalit, dr Bernstein recommends 4.5 to 6.0 as being the desirable figures so as not to get secondary complications, you are doing very well, let us know how you get on :)
Yeah, I heard about him, though he's not much known or popular around here. He's the guy who says you can reverse diabetes if you eat low-carb diet, no grains, starchy vegetables, most fruit and dairy, right? I'm aware it's heresy to say it at this forum, but I was warned against eating too little carbs, or excluding grains and certain vegetable. My doctor insists on learning to control the BG with eating all types of food, but with sense. And to be honest, that suits me, though there's still big room for improvement.
Thanks Yorksman and Sigalit for your comprehensive posts. Very interesting and useful
After losing trust in doctors' advice I did a large amount of research on type 2 diabetes. My conclusion was that following the current standard medical advice regarding diet was what got me to diabetes (and fat) and continuing to follow it sure wasn't going to get me out of it. I don't think I approached my research with any bias as to what would be the best approach, but where I ended up was LCHF. I was hopeful that this would control my blood glucose levels, result in weight lose, lower my plasma triglycerides, improve my cholesterol numbers, and not result in anything bad. So far that has borne out for me. Due to genetic variation, not everyone does optimally on LCHF, but it is worth trying. My diabetes nurse has told me point blank that my diabetes will continuously get progressively worse and I'll eventually be on lots of pills and insulin eventually. I told her that won't happen. I saw her for a 3 month check yesterday and she was genuinely surprised that I had gone from diabetic blood glucose levels to normal levels - below prediabetic levels - and my kidney function test results were perfectly normal. Like you, I too got the advice to eat carbs and whole grains and low fat. I feel that if I had followed that advice blindly I'b be on a path to insulin. So, what I'm saying is don't listen to advice blindly - not even the advice I've given above. The information is out there on the interwebs. Keep in mind that doctors get virtually no training in diet. Maybe an hour or two. If you really don't have time for much research, then just get the book "Death by Food Pyramid". You can order it from Amazon.Yeah, I heard about him, though he's not much known or popular around here. He's the guy who says you can reverse diabetes if you eat low-carb diet, no grains, starchy vegetables, most fruit and dairy, right? I'm aware it's heresy to say it at this forum, but I was warned against eating too little carbs, or excluding grains and certain vegetable. My doctor insists on learning to control the BG with eating all types of food, but with sense. And to be honest, that suits me, though there's still big room for improvement.
Going by the link Douglas put on you are not that much to high when fasting and before meals exercise I think does put BG levels up a bitMy readings are mostly fasting and before meals , after exercise.
Yeah, I heard about him, though he's not much known or popular around here. He's the guy who says you can reverse diabetes if you eat low-carb diet, no grains, starchy vegetables, most fruit and dairy, right? I'm aware it's heresy to say it at this forum, but I was warned against eating too little carbs, or excluding grains and certain vegetable. My doctor insists on learning to control the BG with eating all types of food, but with sense. And to be honest, that suits me, though there's still big room for improvement.
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