catherinecherub said:
Hi Evie,
Welcome to the forum.
You do not say what your blood sugars are like. Most well managed diabetics do not suffer with endless virus complaints and colds. There will be the occasional one but nothing too drastic. Most of us are eating a very healthy diet and feel better than we have done for a long time.
You do not say what your control is like?
Here is an article that may help,
http://www.health.harvard.edu/flu-resource-center/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.htm
That article looks like it was published by the anti natural health people or a real sceptic at best.
I have been a type 1 diabetic for 35 years and have had friends who have had the flu for a week coughing over me while sitting right next to me. On my way home my muscles were aching and my throat was uncomfortable so it seemed like he had shared his illness with me. When I got home I went to bed thinking that I would probably have the flu by the morning. When I woke up, there was no flu.
I don't get infections and haven't for close to 20 years. I eat some natural yoghurt and FOS (fructoligosacharides) with my breakfast and the yoghurt I now make myself. I also take some psyllium husks mixed in lots of water as often as I can. I also take a good multi vitamin and mineral, currently by Biocare and some ester-c vitamin C. Out of those I believe the yoghurt with the friendly bacteria it contains and the FOS & fibre in the psyllium husks are what makes my immune system so effective at preventing infections.
I will add that before doing this I used to get every cold and flu that was going around and had constant infections while at college. It has nothing to do with my diabetic control, because it is no better now than it was then. Research and understanding how important fibre is to the body was the important thing. Fibre, apart from it's many beneficial effects on digestion and waste product elimination, is used by bacteria and they help to stimulate the immune function which that article briefly mentions. Taking friendly bacteria in the form of the yoghurt with the psyllium husks allows them to break down the fibre and stimulate my immune system. The FOS is also used by bacteria and also provides a pleasant sweetener with no carbohydrates for my breakfast.
[EDIT]
After thinking about it, I think that it is important that I add something, a word of caution. Fibre supplements such as psyllium
could affect blood sugar because it will slow down the absorption of food. Therefore if low blood sugars are possible on certain type 2 medications, which I don't know whether it is, not being a type 2, it's imperative that caution be used. Loose psyllium does allow a very gradual build up of dosage from a fraction of a teaspoon to a moderately heaped teaspoon of whole psyllium husks. Starting with a small amount would mean monitoring can be done on any affect on blood glucose over a few days. It will also give more appreciation as to how much water is needed to prevent it becoming a hard lump which should never be done! It can be obstructing in extreme cases, it should always be fairly runny after about 20 minutes soak time in water.
It does indicate the benefit of a good diet and how important high fibre foods are, which are far too few in a normal British diet. It is a more concentrated form of fibre which is more readily broken down by the bacteria in the digestive system, especially when taken with natural yoghurt.
The only downside that I have experienced is wind....some burping on occasions when the fibre starts to be broken down in the stomach.
