OT: mom just dx a diabetic...frustrated...

[Holly IN]

Hello

 

I have a pre-diabetic son. What we have been told by his endo is different than what my mom's nurse practitioner told her.

 

My son can have very little carbs but it has to come from mainly veggies and salads. Avoid white flour and white sugar as well as sugar subs. Whole wheat only and natural sugar only is allowed.

 

My mom NP said she can have up tp 45 g of carbs a meal but breading of all types need to be whole wheat. Little meat and lots of veggies.

 

Why is there a descrepency between the two professionals. I told my mom what our dr says. My dh said that perhaps the dr we have is not out to make money on diabetics while with my mom they are wanting to keep many people a diabetic. :glare: Not sure what is up with this. Also my FIL's dr who is NOT an endo but an internal medicine told him he can have whatever he desires, just take your meds.

 

My mom's NP said try diet before meds. My son's endo try to prevent diabetes at all cost.

 

Confused here...Why so many differences? ARe they trying to start my mom slow for a low carb diet or is this something else?

 

I am on Protien Power diet right now. I feel great. Tired but great. I can now survive on 6 hour of sleep (I wake up wide awake after 6 hours of slumber) and get moving about on my day. It is very different than what I am used to. No knee pains and no esophageal spasm/reflux. Wooh!!

 

After being on this diet for awhile, I realized this is sort of the diet that my son's endo wanted him on but more modifed than Protein Power (Eades style)or Atkins style.

 

Anyway still frustrated with my mom's situation and she won''t listen to me!!:glare:

 

Thanks for reading

 

Holly

[gardening momma]

I have no experience with diabetes, but I do have experience with dieting via low carbs. I think 45 carbs per day is still very low. What you described didn't seem that different to me between your mom and your son, unless your son's dr is limiting his actual number of carbs much lower than 45? Because even with lots of veggies he can still go up into that range.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Your son is young and is still forming habits. Forming good eating habits now will be beneficial to him over his life. Older adults have already formed (often poor) eating habits. Yes, they do often try to make the changes a bit slower for adults. And sometimes they just let them eat what they want and let the meds bring the sugar down artificially. I think the advice given your son is the best advice, though.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Your son is young and is still forming habits. Forming good eating habits now will be beneficial to him over his life. Older adults have already formed (often poor) eating habits. Yes, they do often try to make the changes a bit slower for adults. And sometimes they just let them eat what they want and let the meds bring the sugar down artificially. I think the advice given your son is the best advice, though.

:iagree: The diet recs will depend on size, weight, how much they can control via diet. My mom's dr tried and tried to change her eating...not gonna happen, so now he gives here a few good ideas, but keeps advising her to take her meds.

 

Stick with what they told you for your son. Best solution is to eat well and help your body as much as possible.

Sorry to hear about all of this. Diabetes is no fun!

[Mommyof4ks]

I don't really see much difference in the two scenarios. Whole wheat is good for the body because of the fiber it gives (though I realize it raises blood sugar). The lower meat may be for heart and cancer risks. My 4 yr old son is going through chemo now and he will always be on a lower meat diet (gets protein from beans) which is more important the older a person gets.

 

It is a dance to keep the diabetes is check while keeping other diseases from becoming a problem as well. The older a person gets the more critical the balance becomes.

 

Don't forget that medicine is as much of an art as it is a science, so advice differs much more than what you described above in many cases.

Edited August 16, 2009 by dwkilburn1

[Carol in Cal.]

If she really gets determined, she can do better than the doctor's one.

 

She really should read "Reversing Diabetes" by Whitaker, and "Diabetes, the First Year".

 

The thing about veggies is that most of their carbs are not the kind that raise blood sugar. They supply nutrition very efficiently without raising blood sugar, are lo cal, and help fight heart disease. Diabetics are at very high risk for heart disease--as high as those who have already had a heart attack; so they really need to watch out for that as well. Those diabetics who replace carbs with saturated fat are really kidding themselves.

 

My DH, who is has a high family history of diabetes and has poor blood sugar control but is not diabetic, eats HUGE salads once or twice a day. By huge, I mean as big as a salad serving bowl for 3-4 people. He uses low fat salad dressing, and adds lean protein such as broiled or poached skinless chicken breasts, canned beans, or fish filets. He rarely eats any significant amount of food made with flour. He usually has oatmeal for breakfast. This has served him in good stead for a number of years, and he has lost weight this way as well.

 

At least as important as diet is exercise. Whitaker is really good on that, but basically recommends an hour of aerobic level exercise 5-6 days/week, and short little 10 minute walks to rev up your glucose receptors and lower insulin resistance after each meal.

 

Doctors vary a lot in their knowledge of nutrition. Nutritionists tend to be pretty mainstream in their recommendations. People really have to own this themselves.

[OrganicAnn]

Could your mom have other issues that your son doesn't or is taking other medication that could influence her diet? Are either taking insulin or other medicine to regulate the diabetes. That could make a difference. Just a thought.

 

As other noted, the difference in age will make a difference. Also different doctors may have different opinions and/or difference experience/education.

[Jean in Newcastle]

One other point. The longer someone is on insulin (I don't think this applies to the oral hypoglycemics), then the more likely it is for some of the really bad effects of diabetes (kidney failure, blindness, amputations from poor circulation etc.) to develop. If your son becomes a full-blown diabetic at a young age, he would be on insulin longer than your mom, if she got it as an older adult. So, yes, the doctor is going to be more aggressive toward your son (medically speaking:D) to keep him from becoming a full-blown diabetic as long as possible.

[Mothersweets]

Doctors vary a lot in their knowledge of nutrition. Nutritionists tend to be pretty mainstream in their recommendations. People really have to own this themselves.

 

This is so true!

 

Our 4yo has type 1 diabetes and it is no fun.

 

Follow what your son's endo tells you to do for him. Don't worry about your mom. She's an adult and will do what she wants, you can't control her.

[2cents]

We're doing a no-sugar, no-flour diet. The book "Sugar-Shock" does a really good job of explaining the differences between diabetic and sugar-sensitive conditions. This might be what you're describing.

[Night Elf]

My mother and step-father are both diabetic, both diagnosed just over a year ago. Their allowed carbs for each meal is different based on weight and age. My mom cannot have sugar subs because it causes gastro issues, but my step-dad has no problems with them. My mom says that their doctor leaves that part up to them and has never said it was good or not good to have them.

 

Your mom may trust her NP just like you trust your son's doctor. Your son's doctor's recommendations may not apply to your mom. There isn't one strict way for all diabetics to eat. I'm not saying you shouldn't trust your son's doctor, but if you expect your mom to get a second opinion, perhaps you should get one for your son as well. My guess is that you'll simply get two more eating plans. :)