Tenaj Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I am so frustrated. I just got a call from dh's doctor's office with his blood test results which indicate an elevated sugar level and the nurse made the statement that "he's almost diabetic", "needs to watch what he eats" and "we'll see him next year for his check-up". That's it. I guess I was expecting some sort of follow-up with that diagnosis. I've been trying to do some research on the web, but am probably overly-skeptical about which programs/suggestions are legitimate and which are. . . well. . . not. Any suggestions as to books I/we can read to educate ourselves in this area and reverse this sugar level trend? He's known it was a problem for at least a year and basically he's ignored it so now I feel like it's more my responsibility as chief cook around here. The really ironic thing is that I'm the one who has a sweet tooth! He really eats very little sugar but I think it's the carbs that are getting him. He grew up in Japan and loves his white rice despite my attempts to switch over to brown. I already make most of our bread from whole wheat grain (though I do mix white flour in because the kids like it better so I guess I need to cut that out). Any suggestions of where to go next would be greatly appreciated. He's also got relatively low high blood pressure which he is on daily meds for if that makes any difference. He's beginning to be more consistent in exercise which I'm sure will help but I think we really need to make some changes to make the weight come off easier for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Carbs will do it :( If he's over weight, addressing that issue first could do a world of good. http://www.diabetes.org/ good site hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmgirlinwv Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Lose weight, lower carbs, eat clean, exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 My husband has pre-diabetes and he was basically told to follow a diabetic diet, which means lower carbs, measuring his food and eating at the right times. He is also supposed to lose weight and increase the amount he exercise. You might want to make an appointment with a nutritionist to get started. It is a little overwhelming at first. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Eating white rice isn't the problem, it's portion size--little and occasionally. Only make enough rice for him everyone to have their portion. DON'T make enough for leftovers, at least now while you retraining their palate. If they're still hungry -- smile and offer them another serving of veggies & meat. Maybe it's time to introduce some new dishes. Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way would be a quick and easy way for you to make begin to make this change permanent. It's got menus, grocery lists, and tips. It's a hard transition. Emotional. Your body image changes. Your fav. foods are forbidden. Maybe by next year he will have been able to do the impossible and he blood work won't be significatly worse, perhaps better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 When dh got his pre-diabetic diagnosis he drastically changed his habits so as not to have to go on medication. (Taking certain meds affects his job.) He completely cut out all simple carbs. Not just sugar and white flour--he stopped eating potatoes, corn, starchy foods. He was already exercising but had not been as consistent as he wanted, so regular exercise became a priority. He also got a glucose meter to see how his blood sugar was at different times. Different foods affect people differently. Dh found caffeine didn't affect his blood sugar but beans do. He's still not sure about whole grains so he keeps that to a minimum. It took about 3 months to see much difference. He also lost about 20 lbs during that time. It took about 6 months for his blood sugar to consistently be at good levels. HTH Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 It's not sugar causing him to be diabetic. It's carb-loading. Do low carb dieting, mainly eating protein, veggies and fruit but limit the fruit. Stay off of pasta, rice, potatoes and breads. If he just needs potatoes once in a while cook sweet potatoes as they are more diabetic-friendly. Get a blood glucose meter and have him to a fasting morning check soon as his feet hit the floor in the morning, with a goal of achieving readings in the 90-110 range. Exercise 5-6 days a week for at least 20-30 minutes or longer. It will be a lifestyle change. He can't do this for a season and then go back to old ways or else diabetes will continue to visit him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflower Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I learned the hard way there is no such thing as pre-diabetic. You are or you're not & if you weren't they wouldn't have called. I am happy to share my experience/ what I am doing to keep my diabetes under control by strictly diet by PM.... Has he had an A1C done? Here's a link that might help, it's for the american diabetes association- http://www.diabetes.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I am at risk as well and I am a nurse. I second the following: 1. Low carb diet, higher protein diet. Try to limit bread, rice, potatoes, sweets, sugar. My doctor's recommended Atkin's and South Beach diets both of which have lots of good ideas for lower carb diets. I would also check the website referenced in previous posts. WebMD.com is also supposed to be a reliable resource as well. 2. Ask physician for prescription for glucose monitoring machine-my doctor did this and recommended times to test the same. 3. At least 30 minutes of exercise a day. 4. Low glycemic index foods are better choices. For example, blueberries are better than bananas. 5. Lose any excess weight. Of course, check with physician re:above. Consider fish oil daily. Has he had a lipid profile done recently? Ask if he is a candidate for statins. Consider a seeing a nutritionist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I am so frustrated. I just got a call from dh's doctor's office with his blood test results which indicate an elevated sugar level and the nurse made the statement that "he's almost diabetic", "needs to watch what he eats" and "we'll see him next year for his check-up". That's it. I guess I was expecting some sort of follow-up with that diagnosis. I've been trying to do some research on the web, but am probably overly-skeptical about which programs/suggestions are legitimate and which are. . . well. . . not. Any suggestions as to books I/we can read to educate ourselves in this area and reverse this sugar level trend? He's known it was a problem for at least a year and basically he's ignored it so now I feel like it's more my responsibility as chief cook around here. The really ironic thing is that I'm the one who has a sweet tooth! He really eats very little sugar but I think it's the carbs that are getting him. He grew up in Japan and loves his white rice despite my attempts to switch over to brown. I already make most of our bread from whole wheat grain (though I do mix white flour in because the kids like it better so I guess I need to cut that out). Any suggestions of where to go next would be greatly appreciated. He's also got relatively low high blood pressure which he is on daily meds for if that makes any difference. He's beginning to be more consistent in exercise which I'm sure will help but I think we really need to make some changes to make the weight come off easier for him. Cut all grains out as much as possible. My blood sugar was high enough that my dr wanted me to go on med. I refused and told him that I would try to loose weight and exercise more. Well, neither happened but what did happen was we went on the specific carb diet for my ds and the next time I had blood work done my dr's statement was, "Well, one thing is for sure, you are NOT diabetic!" Grains turn to sugar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I'm hypoglycemic and I found this book to be very helpful, The New Glucose Revolution Complete Guide to Glycemic Index Values Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I'm hypoglycemic and I found this book to be very helpful, The New Glucose Revolution Complete Guide to Glycemic Index Values These look good, but where do you start? There are so many of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Consider lowering intake of animal products too. I first read about this in the "China Study" by T. Campbell and have seen the info in a few other places since. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Thanks so much for all the suggestions - I'm looking into all of them. It seems a bit overwhelming right now but I'm sure it will become a new normal which will improve the health of the whole family - I can see where we have become a very carb-heavy family. I grew up on a farm where meat and potatoes where served almost every meal and that has influenced my cooking abilities and my meal planning a LOT! :glare: Keep the suggestions coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Does he drink coffee? If not, is he ready to start? Look up on the internet the strong positive effect of coffee for preventing diabetes. I wondered why my slightly overweight, and with the weight in the wrong place dh didn't get type 2 diabetes when lots of others around him were getting it, or pre=diabetes. They are all military so all do tons of exercise. The one big difference was that he was a coffee drinker and they drank sodas, often diet sodas. That happened a few years ago and then last year came study after study. I just wish I could get middle dd to like coffee. Her older and younger siblings already do. Coffee also protects against a number of other diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Does he drink coffee? If not, is he ready to start? Look up on the internet the strong positive effect of coffee for preventing diabetes. I wondered why my slightly overweight, and with the weight in the wrong place dh didn't get type 2 diabetes when lots of others around him were getting it, or pre=diabetes. They are all military so all do tons of exercise. The one big difference was that he was a coffee drinker and they drank sodas, often diet sodas. That happened a few years ago and then last year came study after study. I just wish I could get middle dd to like coffee. Her older and younger siblings already do. Coffee also protects against a number of other diseases. That's very interesting! We were talking about drinks yesterday, because he likes o.j. at breakfast and we were talking about whether it would be better to forego that since it's so high in sugars. He was talking about switching over to tea. I do know he drinks one cup of coffee at work every morning but I think he limits it to that. I'll have to look into that - along with everything else. He doesn't drink soda very much so I don't think that's throwing him over the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 That's very interesting! We were talking about drinks yesterday, because he likes o.j. at breakfast and we were talking about whether it would be better to forego that since it's so high in sugars. He was talking about switching over to tea. I do know he drinks one cup of coffee at work every morning but I think he limits it to that. I'll have to look into that - along with everything else. He doesn't drink soda very much so I don't think that's throwing him over the edge. I would definitely lose the juices since they are low in fiber and high in sugar. Higher fiber in the diet should also be considered. 1-2 tablespoons/day of Metamucil may be a way to increase fiber and also help with blood sugars if it is ok with your doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jld Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 You may want to take a look at the McDougall diet. Not only does it work great for type 2 diabetes, but my sister is nearly pain-free from rheumatoid arthritis after following this diet for only two weeks. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Does he drink coffee? If not, is he ready to start? Look up on the internet the strong positive effect of coffee for preventing diabetes. You just made my day!!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 After my dh's heart attack (he was 46) we made some MAJOR changes in diet and food choices, and his cookbooks and writings helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 The American Diabetes Association doesn't seem to put much stock in the whole Glycemic Index thing, at least not as the main aspect of controlling diabetes: http://www.diabetes.org/glycemic-index.jsp "Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Here are a few reasons why. -The GI of a food varies substantially depending on the kind of food, its ripeness, the length of time it was stored, how it was cooked, its variety (potatoes from Australia, for example, have a much higher GI than potatoes from the United States), and how it was processed. -The GI of a food varies from person to person and even in a single individual from day to day, depending on blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, and other factors. -The GI of a food might be one value when it is eaten alone and another when it is eaten with other foods as part of a complete meal. -The GI value is based on a portion that contains 50 grams of carbohydrate, which is rarely the amount typically eaten. -Most GI values reflect the blood glucose response to food for only 2 hours, whereas glucose levels after eating some foods remain elevated for up to 4 hours or longer in people with diabetes." There are many factors involved in getting one's blood glucose levels under control. Just cutting out all the foods with supposedly high GI is not going to be the most effective way to go, IMO. "Research shows that both the amount and the type of carbohydrate in food affect blood glucose levels. Studies also show that the total amount of carbohydrate in food, in general, is a stronger predictor of blood glucose response than the GI." http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/nutrition/meal-planning/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.jsp The ADA is a great resource! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominbc Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 I had gestational diabetes for 3 pregnancies and was able to stay off insulin by diet. But wasn't easy. I would assume the diet would be similiar. This is the diet the hospital dietitian gave me. Breakfast was the big one for little carbs. I was allowed a large portion of protein with 1 piece of toast and NO fruit. Snacks were 1 carb exchange with 1 protein or 1 portion of yogurt with a fruit or cottage cheese and a fruit that kind of thing. Lunch was 2 carb exchanges and protein, vegies and 1 fruit. Dinner was 2 carb exchanges and protein and vegies. Basically no sweets at all, only fruits at certain times in combination, low carb, high fiber was a big one that really slows down the sugar spike, and high protein. I was able to gain a very healthy weight during pregnancy and felt fantastic, if only I could stick to it after but the sugar calls me:drool5: I don't know if that helps at all but I know putting things into plain terms always helps me process things easier. But thats just me :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouseacademy Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 What I am going to say flies in the face of most "common knowledge" assumptions and recommendations about diabetes. Carbs are not the enemy here. The thing is that EVERYTHING you eat gets converted to glucose to be used by the body for fuel. If you cut all carbs, your body will STILL covert fat to glucose. A major problem with most diabetic diets is you cut the carbs and increase animal products (and thus increase dietary FAT)... This just perpetuates the problem because now you have too much fat that hasn't been coverted to glucose in the bloodstream. This fat surrounds the cells and prevents insulin from gaining ready access to the cells in need of glucose. This in turn results in elevated blood sugar levels. This is not to say that refined carbs (sugar, flour, etc.) are healthy. They are absolutely not. However, some sprouted grains or fresh raw fruit is not public enemy number one either. Dr. Fuhrman has had great success with turning diabetes around with diet. His is a diet of low to no animal products, whole grains, and lots of veggies and some fruit. Doug Graham has an interesting book called 80/10/10 out which goes in depth about the carb/fat/glucose issue. While he touts a raw food lifestyle with an emphasis on tropical fruits, the book is not entirely worth throwing out because he does have some well researched information about how carbs/fat/ etc effect the bloodstream. Anecdotally, my dad called me up a few months back and asked about pre-diabetes. He is a heavy meat and white rice and little veggies guy as well as a bit of a gourmet with a HIGH dietary fat intake. I told him to go read Dr. Furhman's book Eat to Live (and he also read Disease Proof your Child and another one by Dr. F). He began to eat more vegetarian meals with lower fat but left the carb levels alone and his symptoms changed and he felt more energetic and healthy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 What I am going to say flies in the face of most "common knowledge" assumptions and recommendations about diabetes. Carbs are not the enemy here. The thing is that EVERYTHING you eat gets converted to glucose to be used by the body for fuel. If you cut all carbs, your body will STILL covert fat to glucose. A major problem with most diabetic diets is you cut the carbs and increase animal products (and thus increase dietary FAT)... This just perpetuates the problem because now you have too much fat that hasn't been coverted to glucose in the bloodstream. This fat surrounds the cells and prevents insulin from gaining ready access to the cells in need of glucose. This in turn results in elevated blood sugar levels. This is not to say that refined carbs (sugar, flour, etc.) are healthy. They are absolutely not. However, some sprouted grains or fresh raw fruit is not public enemy number one either. Dr. Fuhrman has had great success with turning diabetes around with diet. His is a diet of low to no animal products, whole grains, and lots of veggies and some fruit. Doug Graham has an interesting book called 80/10/10 out which goes in depth about the carb/fat/glucose issue. While he touts a raw food lifestyle with an emphasis on tropical fruits, the book is not entirely worth throwing out because he does have some well researched information about how carbs/fat/ etc effect the bloodstream. Anecdotally, my dad called me up a few months back and asked about pre-diabetes. He is a heavy meat and white rice and little veggies guy as well as a bit of a gourmet with a HIGH dietary fat intake. I told him to go read Dr. Furhman's book Eat to Live (and he also read Disease Proof your Child and another one by Dr. F). He began to eat more vegetarian meals with lower fat but left the carb levels alone and his symptoms changed and he felt more energetic and healthy... :iagree: 100%!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 (edited) Raw food for a month. http://www.rawfor30days.com/themovie.html I watched it and it shocked me. Preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzdhBo4pbgE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawfor30days.com%2Ftrailer.html&feature=player_embedded#t=98 Edited August 31, 2009 by iwka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Raw food for a month.http://www.rawfor30days.com/themovie.html I watched it and it shocked me. Preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzdhBo4pbgE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawfor30days.com%2Ftrailer.html&feature=player_embedded#t=98 This looks very much like the Hallelujah Diet. There have been a LOT of illnesses beside diabetes, even cancer, healed from this diet. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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