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new low carber confusion!

T

the_anticarb

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Hi everyone

I'm new to this site, had MODY for seventeen years and never really looked after it very well, got away with it until quite recently but now got retinopathy and told if I don't sort it out I will go blind in 10 years, which I am determined will not happen to me, so I am sorting it out big time!

When I've tried to tighten up my control in the past had massive problems with going hypo on a daily basis, so decided to do the low carb thing. Makes perfect sense to me, if my body cannot handle carbohydrates, then that is what I need to reduce!

Anyway I'm injecting a lower dose of my lantus and cut right back on the novorapid, as I've always been told to balance that to my carbs, now I'm having around 10-20 g carbs per meal. Thought that was the right thing but the diabetes specialist nurse told me yesterday that it's not just carbs that make your blood sugar rise after meals but fats and protein too! Ie anything you can eat!

She made a funny face when I told her I was going low carb, saying I'd need carbs for energy, but after reading the testimonials of people on here i think i am doing the right thing. Already been feeling a lot less hungry, and when I do feel hungry it's a real hunger not a carbohydrate withdrawal hunger, and getting near textbook bg's in the mornings. Also saw the eye doc and he said my retinopathy is already improving.

So, anyone shed any light on what she said re fats and proteins causing blood sugars to rise too?

Thanks for any help
PS do you low carbers increase your carbs when you are doing physical activity? I'm going camping in wales this weekend, will be doing a lot of walking, should I increase my carb intake if I am gonna be burning it off straight away??

Thanks

Gina
 
Hi Gina.
Welcome.
As a newbie and you wanting to know about low carbing take a look here.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7215&start=15

This information was put together to answer many questions you might have. Have a read first then if you still need answers come back here and ask away.
The information was put together by one of our moderators, Fergus. Excellent reading.

Another couple of links here regarding 'Free Foods' and lists Proteins & Fats which have a minimal effect on Bg levels.

http://www.mendosa.com/freefoods.htm

http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowConte ... index.html
Hope this helps.

Ken. :D
 
Hi Gina,

Your body generates energy from lots of sources and doesn't need carbohydrates to do it.

Also protein can raise blood sugar, but to a far smaller extent than carbs. In the absence of carbs, 30-50% of the amino acids in protein can be converted to glucose in the digestion!

fergus
 
Thanks everyone for replying, I can see this forum is a really friendly place and it really helps to connect with other people in the same boat as part of the problem for me in terms of engaging with my illness in the past is that I didn't know anyone else with diabetes and always felt like the only one coping with it.

I'm neither type one or two, having one of the rarer genetic form of the illness (I've struggled for seventeen years to even get a diagnosis!) - but it has affected my retinas and I'm still relatively young so I obviously need to get it under control, just like everybody else does.

Don't reckon I can take my glucometer up a mountain with me, ok well I can but I'm not going to, so maybe I'll have to stop being the anticarb for my mountain walk, but then I guess this low carb thing is not about what you do on the odd day it's about what you do the majority of the time. At first I must admit I thought 'what the hell am I going to eat' but I'm kind of up for the challenge now!

Gina
 
Hi Gina, my 2 gluco meters have tabs on thte caes, which make them hold on to a belt. Very easy to carry. I don't increase my carbs for exercise. although it's not mountain climbing, I went to the gym and did 2 classes this morning with a fasting bg of 4.8 and on 2 scrambled aggs for breakk fast. I'm absolutely fine. I stopped off at my friend's house to deliver a birthday gift and got home around 1. Have had a slice of Frergus bread and a bowl of soup for lunch and still fine.
 
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