• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

What does diabetic managed by diet mean please anyone?

It means by maintaining a low carb healthy diet you prevent your blood glucose levels rising and ideally keep them within your own target zone. Ideally, between 4 and 7. Some can do this very well, others struggle a little. Eventually this may lead to diet and meds ( tablet form initially ). Some will eventually end up on insulin. Exercise also plays an important part in maintaining good blood glucose levels.
 
It means that you are diabetic - can't properly control your blood glucose levels when eating certain foods - but you avoid the worst effects by maintaining a diet which keeps your BG under control i.e. managed.

Simple very generalised example - eating a Mars Bar.

If you are diabetic and just eat a Mars Bar your BG will rise higher than it should and not come down as quickly as it should.

An insulin using diabetic can compensate for this by taking extra insulin.

A diet managed diabetic can compensate for this by not eating the Mars Bar.

Cheers

LGC
 
LittleGreyCat said:
Simple very generalised example - eating a Mars Bar.

If you are diabetic and just eat a Mars Bar your BG will rise higher than it should and not come down as quickly as it should.

An insulin using diabetic can compensate for this by taking extra insulin.

A diet managed diabetic can compensate for this by not eating the Mars Bar.

LGC
Click to expand...

this had me in stitches at work, but im not sure why...
 
Thanks. That's nice and clear and very helpful.

I have a follow-up question...

About 10 years ago in the run up to my kidney transplant they did two fasting glucose tests for me in two weeks which came out at 8.1 and 8.4 but they didnt say anything about diabetes at the time, presumably as there were bigger things to worry about.

I was given remarkably careful and thorough advice on diet and exercise etc and, not wishing to lose my transplant, have stuck to it like my life depended on it ( I suspect it does!). They still test my fasting glucose every 6 months and it is always in the 5s or low 6s. I have an accu chek myself and I'm mostly 5.8-6.3 for fasting.

So, my question ....

Am I diabetic managed by diet & exercise? .. And.... Does it really matter whether this 'label' is attached to me given that I'm doing what I should anyway.

My concern is that if my doctor doesn't think I'm diabetic and it's not in my medical notes might that be a problem if I ever get hospitalised etc or have problems when abroad?

Thanks or any further facts/thoughts/opinions






Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I think that you should discuss with your doctor whether you were in fact really diabetic or whether the higher fasting glucose levels were caused by your defective kidneys.
There are certainly many things that can lead to high glucose levels including some drugs. Some of these are temporary. I don't know anything about renal disease/problems but a quick google finds a host of papers describing blood glucose levels in kidney disease and for people on dialysis, its something that you need to talk about with a specialist.

edit just seen your other post. The drugs that you are on now are known to raise glucose levels and can unfortunately induce diabetes. Yet your morning levels are still not those of a person with diabetes; even after 10 years
 
Thanks Phoenix....I guess. Either I mange it really well or I simply not diabetic. My docs say there's no evidence to say I'm diabetic but it's unusual if I'm not...which kinda doesn't really say anything...but then no hba1c and no formal ogtt testing or insulin checks...just fasting glucose. Anyway, pragmatically I guess I keep going as I am until I need tablets and/ or insulin.

The odd thing is the neuropathy, thirst, mild leg ulcers, slow feet helping and yellow big toenails....but hey, could be worse!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Ok ...so one more question.... I think this is just me not getting me poor old brain around this properly.... I got the following finger prick blood test results from an accu chek glucose meter :

Thurs 23/5 11pm 5.4
Fri 24/5 5am 5.1
Fri 24/5 7.30am 6.2

This seems bizarre to me but obviously my body has decided to start producing glucose between 5am and 7.30am

Any idea what this means, is it normal, is it bad?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Transplantee said:
Ok ...so one more question....

Thurs 23/5 11pm 5.4
Fri 24/5 5am 5.1
Fri 24/5 7.30am 6.2

This seems bizarre to me but obviously my body has decided to start producing glucose between 5am and 7.30am

Any idea what this means, is it normal, is it bad?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Keep asking those questions, It helps you get answers :lol: :thumbup:

It looks like your body is saying "Wow, it's nearly morning, Need to go hunt a mammoth for Brekkies, so I'll need energy!"
So the liver is stimulated to release glucose to give you that wake up boost.
Known as the Dawn Phenomenon (DP) :thumbup:
It is normal but for us Dbs it is a PITA as it raises BGs :shock:
 
Hmmm..interesting ..I gonna go look up dawn phenomenon then.... So the reason I wake up with a start at 5am looks like it may be my body having a system kick in with a big thump..... Does this mean I am diabetic then?....blimey ... I don't know much...lol


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi Transpalantee,

There are several diagnostic criteria for diagnosing DM. A fasting BG of over 7.2 in two separate tests is one such criteria, so at that time, according to WHO guidelines, you had diabetes.

It may be that, since your transplant, and possibly due to weight loss since the BG tests, you now have impaired glucose tolerance rather than DM. The only way to assess that would be an OGTT. What really matters is that your BG levels are as close to normal and that is best measured by HbA1c. Interpreting an instantaneous BG level is difficult at best. You have the dawn phenomenon as mentioned earlier. Physical activity stimulates your liver to release glucose so that can raise your instantaneous BG.

I suggest that you discuss this properly with your GP. Ask them what the interpretation of your 8.1 and 8.4 readings was at the time and what their thoughts are about your current BG control.

I was diagnosed with T2 DM last October, but with a combination of careful diet control and weight loss, my HbA1c and Cholesterol are both good enough for my GP to leave me on Diet & Lifestyle control only. That means I am still in the DM monitoring system, with regular blood tests, an annual retinal screening and diabetes clinic.

Stress is a contributor to DM, so, with your history, the last thing you want is Diabetic Nephropathy, so your GP should be more than happy to put you at ease.
 
Back
Top