My Two Penny Worth

FergusCrawford said:

Whatever you say! Just don't want to upset your dragon!

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Frodo27 said:

As a n00b to this forum I have decided to share my understanding of some aspects of diabetes, some of which may vary from convention. I am a type 1.5 diabetic (my definition of a type 2 who starts to take insulin) and hopefully will regain type 2 status in the not too distant future.

Apart from those born without pancreatic function (ie those with genetic diabetes) or becoming so due to injury diabetes is a modern disease directly related to sociology. It is both a product of diet and of exercise. Diabetes is a shortening of ‘Diabetes Mellitus’, and interestingly mellitus is Latin and means ‘honey-sweet’ a reference to the urine in diabetics, diabetes itself derives from ‘siphon’ as it was considered a kidney problem that resulted in excess urination. So literally our condition is one of having ‘excessive honey-sweet urine’ J. Despite appalling diets diabetes was not historically the epidemic it is today because of the amount of sugar that was burned in daily activity. This caused the majority of type 2 diabetics to come from the wealthier classes who had far reduced physical activity and more food. The enlightenment period and subsequent advancement of science created changes in society which have reduced activity significantly. Sociology also created an increase in general wealth and the affordability of western societies to abuse diet with refined products, overeating and excess alcohol consumption.

The term ‘fasting’ was used to describe starvation and in the 19th century periodic starvation was used to combat diabetes. Why the term ‘fasting blood sugar level’ is used is a puzzle, because it is not starvation but normal waking level influenced by prior evening glycaemic load, dissipation time and glucose production upon or preceding awakening.

As society is unlikely to allow us to revert to the days of no TV, motor vehicle etc, and given the significant power of the drug companies whose interests lie in their profits rather than our health then we are forced to become deviants if we are to control our man made condition.

So how do we accomplish this? Well, there are five major areas to consider, exercise, diet, alcohol, supplements and water. I’ll take these individually:-

Exercise
I’m not concerned in this article with cardiovascular aspects, only diabetic ones. Exercises such as walking in the fat burning zone are good (60% Max Heart rate) and you will need to do it for at least an hour a day. Go harder if you wish but an enjoyable brisk walk is more sustainable as a daily routine than a gym workout in most cases. The exercise also increases metabolism so you burn more calories after exercising. That makes morning exercise a real winner.

Diet
Avoid dieticians! Yes, they may well be trained with a curriculum manipulated by grain product refiners and others. The way is to learn yourself. Keep a diary with a good online program like ‘myfitnesspal’, I use ‘calorieking’, then you learn exactly what you are eating and can control your diet. The balance is your choice of what is best for you. I go for equal amounts of Carbs, Protein and Fat (12%max saturated) and 40g of fibre a day. Beware of overusing Glycaemic Indexes, they are only a part of the equation. The real factor is Glycaemic Load dissipation, test it yourself using glucose only and get a reading after one hour. Then test with a mix of glucose, psyllium husk and water and see the difference. The ideal eating pattern is six equal meals a day, well not for me. Breakfast like a king, Lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper sets you up for good morning sugar levels, and if the day starts good the rest stands a much better chance.

Alcohol
Just as exercise boosts metabolism Alcohol suppresses it. Alcohol is also full of empty calories and is nothing else but disguised adipose fat. Quit it completely, it is poison.

Supplements
There are some great ones, all natural. Green tea is an excellent antioxidant. Chilli boosts metabolism. Garlic has great health value all round. I do use protein bars to balance my diet at times and I do find them filling.

Water
Over half of our bodies are made of water, top it up. 3 litres a day minimum. Your body will be hydrated, your digestion system flushed, no constipation. I can’t think of any consumable available that outweighs the importance of water.

At the end of the day it’s your choice, abuse yourself and die young or look after yourself.

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