Testing Times - But When?
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
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Thank you - always positive to hear “regular” people talking about how and why they are taking control of their own health through personal responsibility, diet and lifestyle changes
Many thanks! I was so shocked when I was diagnosed (I had no symptoms) that I was keen to share as much knowledge as possible. I'm glad you liked it.
Thank you for this video. I am over 60 and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week by letter after 2 blood tests 3 weeks apart. I am well over weight and do very little exercise. My A1C on the first test was 6.9% on the second it was 6.4%. My medical practice are still recognising me as Type 2 diabetic. In those 3 weeks between tests I have lost 9lbs in weight and BMI now over weight. My BP is down. I had a meeting with the practice Nurse yesterday. No medication to be prescribed. I showed her my Diet by day over the 3 main meals of the day. No potatoes, no pasta, no rice. Plenty of fruit, fish, chicken and eggs and salad.
she was very complementary over the weight loss, diet and the fact I was weighing my food. I am still recovering from broken ribs after a fall 8 weeks ago. Another 10lbs to lose and I will be able to get back into my cycling gear. That will enable me to increase my exercise and not just walk my limit for now 2 miles every other day because of the pain from the ribs, this will improve I know.. Ironically prior to me becoming a full time carer pre lock downs I was cycling between 10 and 30 miles each cycling session. Thanks again
Thanks for that, Mark. So glad you're getting over it too. It's really hard, though, isn't it? I've always been greedy, and somehow food without carbs, or very low carbs, somehow just doesn't seem to hack it for me. Still, I am getting by with an occasional oatcake, porridge, and (just now) very strong, dark chocolate with minimal sugar.
Good luck with the next few pounds. It can be done! And getting back on the bike will be good for you too. I am hoping to get back on mine now that the elbow is almost fixed. I have to be careful, though, because damaging that would be very painful indeed!
Best wishes.
@@writerlywitterings Thank you for the encouragement. at 5'7'' I was 14st 3lbs my first target 13st. I do really need to get below 12st though. I am researching what food and in particular what quantity of Carbs to eat for those bike rides over 1 hr ie 30 miles if and when I can get to that milage. Those cafe stops of the past, coffee, biscuits and cake will need to be thought through. I am hoping as a reward to buy a Brompton bicycle but only when I get past my first target weight. The Brompton being easier to transport than my road bike, will be ideal for those regular long weekends away for leisurely rides exploring new destinations.
Thank you, Michael. It is surprising what can trigger a blood sugar spike. I remember Dr Gundry (heart surgeon) here on CZcams said how he and his patients swapped out usual desserts for plain popcorn, as a healthy alternative. But he was curious about the effects on blood sugar, so he measured his own blood sugar and was staggered by the impact. Suffice to say, he gave up the popcorn. You also make an excellent point about food and emotion: encouraging our family members to have "one more" slice of cake, to pile food on the plate. In the past, this was simply a sign of love and of ensuring that people were well-fed: but we're generally less active now and modern foods are scientifically designed to contain a dangerous ratio of sugar and fats that are highly addictive. I used to think blaming the food companies was wrong, and that we should blame people's willpower. Today, I realise how many millions are invested in making these foods addictive. As one example, the other day I made a healthy sandwich using tomatoes, salad and some real, non-processed chicken breast from a packet: it was only afterwards I realised, in reading the back of the packet, that this "real" chicken breast had been pumped full of sugars! For preservation or for sweetness, I don't know. These are the hidden dangers of even "real" food: the food industry needs to be held to some account for this. Of course, many also blame the 1980s "low fat" trend, where sugar replaced fats, leading to today's obesity epidemic. People even now don't seem to realise how sugars (carbs) turn to fat unless you burn them off. I get so angry when I see yoghurts emblazoned with a "Low Fat" label but containing 5 teaspoons of sugar!
Thanks for that - and - Ugh!
I hadn't realised how important it was to check the constituents of every packet before getting diabetes. Now I am a real ingredients Gestapo - I check absolutely everything. My wife has been a real support, even though she finds my new diet challenging! She still has her biscuits, bread, beer etc, but I don't mind, and once in a while I will have a beer too. I avoid biscuits, of course, and only have an occasional slice of her home-made sourdough, which seems not to have a terrible effect on me, luckily.
My own pet niggle is that so many people are persuaded to give up "unhealthy" foods which contain fats, in favour of a "healthy" diet including vast amounts of pasta, rice and other carbs that go straight to sugar in the blood. There really is a need for massive re-education of our population.
Thanks for the message, and keep safe!
Thanks for this. Government policies certainly change from country to country, but all will have aspects that make no sense. And saddened that you can't get your testing supplies from the government. A healthy population is the best way to avoid huge costs to the general population.
I have only ever tested myself first thing in the morning, on advice of my doctors. It has worked for me thus far. Stay well!
Cheers, John, and I totally agree. I really need to check my bloods a little more often, I think, but for now I'm running first thing in the morning, and then after a meal every so often. Today my pre-breakfast test was higher (7.3), while later after lunch it was only 5.4. Strange how the body responds!
Measuring glucose levels is the same in the US but percentage of glucose is used here. Due to my age and weight, the guideline is to be under 7.0 %. Mine hovers around that number, beautiful ng as low as 6.5. I have been so consistent that I only need to have blood work done every 6 months. I no longer have to test daily. I hope someday you will be at that point. It is very liberating.
I also have to keep that level for my eyes. In addition to cataracts and glaucoma, I need to keep my eyes from developing retinopathy.
So, here is to you for being determined not to let diabetes get the best of you!
You're saying your doctors are okay with an HBA1C of 7.0%? That's full-blown diabetes and pretty unbelievable.
Hi, Paul, and thanks for that. Our measure is mmol/litre, which is subtly different - which is irritating since it would make life a lot easier if we all used the same measurements!
I think I'm not far off your position. The doctors seem happy that I'm okay now - but I still like to keep a daily track on things, just to make sure I'm not eating things that will detrimentally affect - mostly - my eyes. My bloods look OK generally, but until my eyes are stabilised, I'll carry on testing regularly.
Hi, John - no! In the UK we measure bloods differently.
Our HbA1C is measured in mmol/mol here in the UK and (I think) the EU. That means normal/healthy is below 40; 40 to 48 is pre-diabetic; over 48 is full-blown diabetic. Mine was at 114 when I was diagnosed.
The blood test measure I was talking about was different again. That was the AgaMatrix measurement of blood sample, which is the level of glucose in mmol/litre in the blood. This is not a percentage, like the US tests, I believe. The UK advice is that bloods should be below 8.5 mmol/litre an hour and a half after a meal. In my case my bloods tend to be about 5.5 in the morning before eating, and between 6 and 7 through the day - which is perfectly good and safe, and equates to 38 in my HbA1C tests quarterly. In other words, my blood glucose is safely in the "normal/healthy" range.
Numbers are figured somewhat differently in the US. But I get the idea, as I'm Type 2, myself.
Diabetes is definitely individual. Some things that work for most people might not work for you. You may eat things that the "experts" say are bad, with no issues (ice cream has actually crashed my blood sugar. Weird...) And for me, authentic Mexican food tends to work.
My brother-in-law was diabetic, and never followed anything regarding it. And was an uphill struggle getting my sister from thinking it is all about sugars, and not carbs in general.
Had issues with my insurance (in the US. Medicare because I'm permanently disabled), so after getting my numbers down to pre diabetic, they said I owed them for some reason, and couldn't afford anything (i was on Lantus, because metformin gave me every side effect listed for it, and really did nothing for me.) After a few years, I'm getting back on track.
For metering, I'm currently on the Dexcom G7 continuous glucose meter. Little sensor button on the back of my arm that I change every 10 days. Awful, paid out of pocket, but it's completely covered as "durable medical supplies" by Medicare, right now.
You have to find what works for you. I'm appalled at the recipes from the American Diabetes Association website. They're ALL high carb and not that great for you.
Good on you for getting your numbers under control! Hopefully I can get mine back, soon (almost the lower end of diabetic from quite high in a single checkup. 😉)
Thanks for that, Paul - and I agree with you totally. I know that my body reacts oddly compared to other people with things like rice and pasta. If I eat wholemeal versions, both seem to work fine for me (not in huge quantities, obviously). In the same way, I appear to be able to have a couple of pints of beer (strong, dark UK beer, not lager style or light), and they have no impact whatsoever. On the other hand, a few glasses of red wine actually bring my sugars way down.
I have tested the Abbot system and a couple of Chinese CGM devices, but I have the same problem as you - lack of funds. I cannot afford £50 every two weeks! The stabbing and test strip system is not appealing, but it does mean I can test myself quite regularly, and that's about as good as I can get. And on food advice, the UK is as bad as the ADA website. They tend to advise more greens, and equal amounts of greenery to meat, but they still talk about bread, pasta, and other carb-rich foods. I think the evidence is there that sugars and carbs are not a good idea for diabetics, and I'm sticking to low carb diet.
@writerlywitterings I find it interesting that pre insulin, doctors tended to prescribe virtually a keto diet. Plenty of vegetables and meats, almost no carbs. When followed, people tended to be much healthier and slimmer than diabetics that follow the standard instructions from most doctors today.
It's kind of why I try to eat a mesoamerican diet. (Common diet for the poorest in Mexico today. ) Higher amounts of vegetables to meats, emphasis on the "Four Sisters. " Not three. The original four are corn, generally hard, treated with lime (not the fruit) to allow the human body to absorb more nutrients (plain, it tends to just go through your body unchanged), beans (of all varieties. I tend towards pinto and black, as they're more nutrient dense) squash (generally most of the plant. A usually some variety of zucchini, as it's the most common eaten in Mexico, where many squashes actually originated, though there's support for all varieties) and the forgotten "sister," chillies. And not just spicy varieties, them all. They all were original to the Americas, and all seem to have similar benefits.
Corn for a frankly fairly balanced form of carbs and some bulk, but in moderation. NEVER a whole packet of tortillas or gallons of pozole, for instance. Generally around 5 6" tortillas per meal is enough for me.
Beans for fibre and protein. And other nutrients.
Squash for other nutrients and more fibre.
And the chillies for micronutrients missed in the other foods. Especially minerals not available otherwise. Yes, even a really tame bell pepper works, though ripe seems better (red.) Add the occasional piece of meat, it's actually a very balanced diet, nutritionally. And I can eat white rice when it's in moderation and "red rice" (like Spanish rice, or pilaf, toasted and cooked with pureed tomatoes and onions. ) Toasted or "overcooked," seems to reduce the glycemic impact.
And I agree with darker beers. Not as familiar with wines, but distilled spirits, in moderation, also lower blood sugar for me.