Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

February 7, 2004

I would think that snacks at bedtime is a bad idea for most people. It

would also depend on your bedtime glucose level. If it is border line low,

then some nuts would probably not be so bad.

If you are insulin dependent as I am, then checking your bedtime glucose

level is a good idea, but leave off any snacks of carbs before going to bed.

For example my late night glucose level last night was 109, but I got the

munchies. So I ate a few nuts around two handsful. This morning my fasting

glucose level was 148, not good at all.

I keep trying to do bedtime snacks, and about the only one that does not

cause a rise in my glucose levels over night are pork rinds or sugar free

jello, which I keep plenty of them on hand.

My advice would be this:

If your glucose level is within your target range before going to bed, then

avoid nighttime snacks unless it is a snack with very few carbs or none at

all.

I keep testing this recommendation over the past few months, and every time

I eat five or mor carbs at night time, the next morning my glucose level is

high above my target range.

If my numerous failures with bedtime snacks is an indicator, one would think

by now I have learned my lesson, but no!, I keep testing the limits and most

times I fail.

I keep trying to act like I did before I became insulin dependent or acting

like I am not a diabetic, but the truth is, I am a diabetic.

Nuts Before Bedtime

> I've heard that we can eat nuts before bedtime which would help us with

our sugar levels overnight but I've never really bought nuts and don't

really know what would be a good kind to get. Any recommendations?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Bill

>

February 8, 2004

walnuts have the good cholesterol in them, peanuts have the bad cholesterol

in them, and about 6 whole wallnuts have about 7 or 8 grams of slow actign

carbs in them.

Regards,

Nuts Before Bedtime

> I've heard that we can eat nuts before bedtime which would help us with

our sugar levels overnight but I've never really bought nuts and don't

really know what would be a good kind to get. Any recommendations?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Bill

>

February 8, 2004

well, that is not true for all Harry. You are on lantus and it has no peek

action. I am on ultrelente for my long acting and it peeks just like humalog

does. After injecting UL, 5 to 6 hours later the peek hits so I have to eat

a snack prior to bed. Why do I stay on UL? Simple, if it aint broke don't

fix it. My morning sugars are always under 100 useing UL and humalog for

quick acting. But, like harry states, if yoru blood sugar is in range or

slightly high, don't eat. For example, if my bed itme sugar is 115, I

probably wouldn't eat anything. If it was 63 to 80 I'd eat something. I know

from Canada is on a different type of long acting that peeks 10 times

stronger than mine does so she *has to* eat a snack before bed. Either that,

or cut the long acting back some, meaning her evening dose, if she didn't

want to eat a snack. , what was your long acting called again?

Regards,

Nuts Before Bedtime

>

> > I've heard that we can eat nuts before bedtime which would help us with

> our sugar levels overnight but I've never really bought nuts and don't

> really know what would be a good kind to get. Any recommendations?

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Bill

> >

February 8, 2004

ah screw it Bill, eat 9 twinkies and go to bed, you'll be fine, right?

Moohahahaha!

I'm kidding around folks, he'd about die.

Regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> Harry,

>

> You make a very good point about watching the glucose level to be sure

it's not at or very near target range before bedtime. My problem is no

matter where I'm at glucose-wise I get the before-bedtime munchies and

therefore would like something that would satisfy yet not take my sugars out

of the round. I would think sugar-free jello would then probably be the best

idea but I have to get industrious and make some up so it's on hand. I just

_love_ jello, but hate the work of making it (never have been much for being

in the kitchen.)

>

> Yes it would be nice if both of us could be as if we didn't have diabetes

but then we hit reality, you are type 1 and I am type 2 and unfortunately

that's not going to heal. It's hard sometimes to keep behaving, isn't it?

But we'll give each other support and keep trying!

>

> Bill

>

February 8, 2004

Hi Devon.

As you probably have read, if you can keep your blood sugar 80 pre meal, 5.0

Canadian, and your 2 hour post meal test 120 or less, 6.0 Canadian, then you

are good. If you can not get those ranges, then it is from eating to many

carbs at the meal. Just back off the carbs for each meal until you get those

numbers, it is that simple. Try it, let us know your results.

Regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

>

> > Harry,

> >

> > You make a very good point about watching the glucose level to be sure

> it's not at or very near target range before bedtime. My problem is no

> matter where I'm at glucose-wise I get the before-bedtime munchies and

> therefore would like something that would satisfy yet not take my sugars

out

> of the round. I would think sugar-free jello would then probably be the

best

> idea but I have to get industrious and make some up so it's on hand. I

just

> _love_ jello, but hate the work of making it (never have been much for

being

> in the kitchen.)

> >

> > Yes it would be nice if both of us could be as if we didn't have

diabetes

> but then we hit reality, you are type 1 and I am type 2 and unfortunately

> that's not going to heal. It's hard sometimes to keep behaving, isn't it?

> But we'll give each other support and keep trying!

> >

> > Bill

> >

February 8, 2004

good for you Bill. I know many diabetics who had glucoma from diabetes, not

certain if that is what yors is from, adn by getting bgs under control, it

went away/reversed since it was a result of high sugars.

Regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> Harry,

>

> Boy you made some excellent points in your post! Actually, it was thanks

to this board that I learned about checking my glucose not only

preprandially (before meals) but two hours afterwards, something my doctor

and dietician failed to mention. You are right, this is KEY to evening out

our sugar levels, not just to have the sugars be good in the morning and at

bedtime. So I freaked out my doctor the last time I had a visit with him

when I was in Baltimore because I brought in my own log showing how often I

was taking my readings and what they were and how I was trying to get a

handle on the times where the sugars did spike. I told him that as far as I

was concerned, it wasn't my goal just to have a good fasting sugar but I

wanted to keep it good throughout the whole 24 hours. He had to agree with

me on that and commended me for my aggressive stance. Hopefully I educated

_him_ a bit so he could pass that on to other patients.

>

> I hadn't given any thought to what you mentioned about bread but will have

to look on the ingredients of the loaves I do buy (Home Pride split top

wheat) and it'll probably be hydrogenated product. I don't eat much bread. I

buy one loaf a week and when I eat it usually try to shave off the crust of

it, but it would be better, as you point out, to buy bread from a bakery or

gourmet bread, though unfortunately that also is a lot more costly. But I'm

more concerned about quality than I am in trying to save a buck, since that

buck won't buy back my health.

>

> I've mostly settled in to being in California now but I'm having a helluva

time trying to find a doc that takes just Medicare. Unfortunately, I don't

have other insurance yet, and am not sure if Medil-CAL is ever going to kick

in either. My wife is even worse off since her SSDI has not started and it

will be 2 years before she even gets Medicare so she has NO insurance.

>

> We sent off for information on coverage from AARP but haven't gotten that

info yet and don't know if it will even be cost effective for our coverage

needs. One of my major concerns is wondering if AARP will cover enough of my

Actos to make it cost effective. Since the bottles of Actos are $186 per 30,

Medicare pays about $30 of it so that leaves me paying $153, the most

expensive of my meds! If having coverage from AARP doesn't pay much on it

and then I still pay out say $100-200 a month for coverage, that's no good,

and I'd be back at square one.

>

> In the meantime, I'm still getting and taking my Actos and have enough

number of refills on the prescription for awhile, as I continue searching

for not only a doctor to continue my diabetic treatment, but also an

ophthalmologist who can treat my " glaucoma " and keep me from losing my

sight.

>

> BTW, there are a bunch of programs from the big pharmacy companies for

people who need but can't afford medicines, but guess what? I don't have a

doctor so I don't qualify for a single one of those programs. A lot of good

they are right now.

>

> Hopefully, I'll find the coverage and the doctors I need, but in any case

I'll find some way to keep my treatment going because I am determined NOT to

become type 1 diabetic, and I am determined to stay healthy.

>

> Sorry for the rant. I guess my cup of coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Or

maybe it kicked in too much!

>

> Thanks for some good food for thought Harry!

>

> Bill Powers

>

February 8, 2004

actually, it is over 120 or higher think you meant to type that harry.

Regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

>

> > Harry,

> >

> > Boy you made some excellent points in your post! Actually, it was thanks

> to this board that I learned about checking my glucose not only

> preprandially (before meals) but two hours afterwards, something my doctor

> and dietician failed to mention. You are right, this is KEY to evening out

> our sugar levels, not just to have the sugars be good in the morning and

at

> bedtime. So I freaked out my doctor the last time I had a visit with him

> when I was in Baltimore because I brought in my own log showing how often

I

> was taking my readings and what they were and how I was trying to get a

> handle on the times where the sugars did spike. I told him that as far as

I

> was concerned, it wasn't my goal just to have a good fasting sugar but I

> wanted to keep it good throughout the whole 24 hours. He had to agree with

> me on that and commended me for my aggressive stance. Hopefully I educated

> _him_ a bit so he could pass that on to other patients.

> >

> > I hadn't given any thought to what you mentioned about bread but will

have

> to look on the ingredients of the loaves I do buy (Home Pride split top

> wheat) and it'll probably be hydrogenated product. I don't eat much bread.

I

> buy one loaf a week and when I eat it usually try to shave off the crust

of

> it, but it would be better, as you point out, to buy bread from a bakery

or

> gourmet bread, though unfortunately that also is a lot more costly. But

I'm

> more concerned about quality than I am in trying to save a buck, since

that

> buck won't buy back my health.

> >

> > I've mostly settled in to being in California now but I'm having a

helluva

> time trying to find a doc that takes just Medicare. Unfortunately, I don't

> have other insurance yet, and am not sure if Medil-CAL is ever going to

kick

> in either. My wife is even worse off since her SSDI has not started and it

> will be 2 years before she even gets Medicare so she has NO insurance.

> >

> > We sent off for information on coverage from AARP but haven't gotten

that

> info yet and don't know if it will even be cost effective for our coverage

> needs. One of my major concerns is wondering if AARP will cover enough of

my

> Actos to make it cost effective. Since the bottles of Actos are $186 per

30,

> Medicare pays about $30 of it so that leaves me paying $153, the most

> expensive of my meds! If having coverage from AARP doesn't pay much on it

> and then I still pay out say $100-200 a month for coverage, that's no

good,

> and I'd be back at square one.

> >

> > In the meantime, I'm still getting and taking my Actos and have enough

> number of refills on the prescription for awhile, as I continue searching

> for not only a doctor to continue my diabetic treatment, but also an

> ophthalmologist who can treat my " glaucoma " and keep me from losing my

> sight.

> >

> > BTW, there are a bunch of programs from the big pharmacy companies for

> people who need but can't afford medicines, but guess what? I don't have a

> doctor so I don't qualify for a single one of those programs. A lot of

good

> they are right now.

> >

> > Hopefully, I'll find the coverage and the doctors I need, but in any

case

> I'll find some way to keep my treatment going because I am determined NOT

to

> become type 1 diabetic, and I am determined to stay healthy.

> >

> > Sorry for the rant. I guess my cup of coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Or

> maybe it kicked in too much!

> >

> > Thanks for some good food for thought Harry!

> >

> > Bill Powers

> >

February 8, 2004

it might be one of those foods that just dont' agree with you prior to bed.

we all have a food or two like that. Do all nuts do it or just a certain

type?

Regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> i too have a question about nuts before bedtime. are they not hard to

> didgest? and are they not hard on the bowel? i know i pay dearly if i do

> this? thanks, karen

>

February 8, 2004

Ah, then walnuts it is that I'll try. I love the taste of peanuts but I always

find them too salty.

Bill

February 8, 2004

Geez , if I wanted to die at least I'd eat a boatload of Peeps or at least

Hostess Snow Balls or something equally sugar-laden. Forget Twinkies, they don't

do much for me.....

BTW, you have an evil laugh......hehehehe.

Bill

February 8, 2004

Hang in there Bill!

I like your attitude.

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> ,

>

> Actually, I was diagnosed about 12 years ago with " glaucoma " though there

has never been any evident damage from it. No one at the time of that

diagnosis even mentioned anything about diabetes so never associated the

two. I was lucky that the docs caught the slightly elevated ocular pressure

when they did and set out to control it with a combination of eye meds and

also eye surgery. Yes, they had me at first on Diamox to get the initial

pressure down, then set me up on Betagan and Trusopt which for me seemed to

work the best, while at the same time I was taking Dyazide for BP control

but later put on a combination of Plendil and Triamterene (generic for

Dyazide) and this keeps me in very good BP control. Besides the eye meds, I

had a lens implant inserted while the docs did something called an

endocryophotocoagulation (say that 10 times!), trabeculectomy, vitrectomy,

and then later on after a slight setback they had to do a retinal repair

with a cold-gas exchange using C3-F8 gas to freeze the retina to fix tearing

and prevent it from further tearing. Whew! And I survived it!

>

> Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing overkill with all these meds along with

the Actos, but I can't argue with success either. It works for me even

though technically the Betagan probably shouldn't since I believe it's a

beta-blocker and I've had Wolff-Parkinson-White in the past, but this was

abated about 7 years ago with cardiac catheterization ablation. A marvel of

" it probably shouldn't work " technology, I'm still here....

>

> Gee, where are them walnuts? Oh rats, I gotta get some from the store,

that's where they are......

>

> Bill

>

February 8, 2004

Well, I have read or heard a couple of conflicting statements, and I don't

know what is the correct reading. I know that nondiabetics eating normally

rarely push their glucose levels above 170 and usually no more than 160, but

I can say I have only read or heard this some where. Maybe some body out

there can provide the relavant information about this matter. What does Dr.

Bernstein say about this?

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> >

> > > Harry,

> > >

> > > Boy you made some excellent points in your post! Actually, it was

thanks

> > to this board that I learned about checking my glucose not only

> > preprandially (before meals) but two hours afterwards, something my

doctor

> > and dietician failed to mention. You are right, this is KEY to evening

out

> > our sugar levels, not just to have the sugars be good in the morning and

> at

> > bedtime. So I freaked out my doctor the last time I had a visit with him

> > when I was in Baltimore because I brought in my own log showing how

often

> I

> > was taking my readings and what they were and how I was trying to get a

> > handle on the times where the sugars did spike. I told him that as far

as

> I

> > was concerned, it wasn't my goal just to have a good fasting sugar but I

> > wanted to keep it good throughout the whole 24 hours. He had to agree

with

> > me on that and commended me for my aggressive stance. Hopefully I

educated

> > _him_ a bit so he could pass that on to other patients.

> > >

> > > I hadn't given any thought to what you mentioned about bread but will

> have

> > to look on the ingredients of the loaves I do buy (Home Pride split top

> > wheat) and it'll probably be hydrogenated product. I don't eat much

bread.

> I

> > buy one loaf a week and when I eat it usually try to shave off the crust

> of

> > it, but it would be better, as you point out, to buy bread from a bakery

> or

> > gourmet bread, though unfortunately that also is a lot more costly. But

> I'm

> > more concerned about quality than I am in trying to save a buck, since

> that

> > buck won't buy back my health.

> > >

> > > I've mostly settled in to being in California now but I'm having a

> helluva

> > time trying to find a doc that takes just Medicare. Unfortunately, I

don't

> > have other insurance yet, and am not sure if Medil-CAL is ever going to

> kick

> > in either. My wife is even worse off since her SSDI has not started and

it

> > will be 2 years before she even gets Medicare so she has NO insurance.

> > >

> > > We sent off for information on coverage from AARP but haven't gotten

> that

> > info yet and don't know if it will even be cost effective for our

coverage

> > needs. One of my major concerns is wondering if AARP will cover enough

of

> my

> > Actos to make it cost effective. Since the bottles of Actos are $186 per

> 30,

> > Medicare pays about $30 of it so that leaves me paying $153, the most

> > expensive of my meds! If having coverage from AARP doesn't pay much on

it

> > and then I still pay out say $100-200 a month for coverage, that's no

> good,

> > and I'd be back at square one.

> > >

> > > In the meantime, I'm still getting and taking my Actos and have enough

> > number of refills on the prescription for awhile, as I continue

searching

> > for not only a doctor to continue my diabetic treatment, but also an

> > ophthalmologist who can treat my " glaucoma " and keep me from losing my

> > sight.

> > >

> > > BTW, there are a bunch of programs from the big pharmacy companies for

> > people who need but can't afford medicines, but guess what? I don't have

a

> > doctor so I don't qualify for a single one of those programs. A lot of

> good

> > they are right now.

> > >

> > > Hopefully, I'll find the coverage and the doctors I need, but in any

> case

> > I'll find some way to keep my treatment going because I am determined

NOT

> to

> > become type 1 diabetic, and I am determined to stay healthy.

> > >

> > > Sorry for the rant. I guess my cup of coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Or

> > maybe it kicked in too much!

> > >

> > > Thanks for some good food for thought Harry!

> > >

> > > Bill Powers

> > >

February 8, 2004

hi justin, yes i have been paying attention. my long acting insulin is

called humalin n.

but latly, i have noticed that by cutting the evening snack i will have a

better blood sugar the next morning. that is is with no short acing insulin

taken at night time. i have tried the pork rinds because i seem to want that

evening snack. i have been trying to be good and trust me it is hard. i

would like a carb to snack on. old habits die hard smile. i have tried the

celery and cheese too. this low carb thing is the best. thanks, karen

February 9, 2004

I have it buried somewhere can't recall. If you keep a 2 hour post test 120

or less, your a1c will be between 5.0 and 5.5 think it was. If you keep it

higher than that, your a1c will be a lot higher... you will see this is true

just based off your a1c readings. I.E use your a1c readings to proove it.

Well, dont' go high just to show it is correct *smile* but you get my point.

regards,

Re: Nuts Before Bedtime

> > >

> > > > Harry,

> > > >

> > > > Boy you made some excellent points in your post! Actually, it was

> thanks

> > > to this board that I learned about checking my glucose not only

> > > preprandially (before meals) but two hours afterwards, something my

> doctor

> > > and dietician failed to mention. You are right, this is KEY to evening

> out

> > > our sugar levels, not just to have the sugars be good in the morning

and

> > at

> > > bedtime. So I freaked out my doctor the last time I had a visit with

him

> > > when I was in Baltimore because I brought in my own log showing how

> often

> > I

> > > was taking my readings and what they were and how I was trying to get

a

> > > handle on the times where the sugars did spike. I told him that as far

> as

> > I

> > > was concerned, it wasn't my goal just to have a good fasting sugar but

I

> > > wanted to keep it good throughout the whole 24 hours. He had to agree

> with

> > > me on that and commended me for my aggressive stance. Hopefully I

> educated

> > > _him_ a bit so he could pass that on to other patients.

> > > >

> > > > I hadn't given any thought to what you mentioned about bread but

will

> > have

> > > to look on the ingredients of the loaves I do buy (Home Pride split

top

> > > wheat) and it'll probably be hydrogenated product. I don't eat much

> bread.

> > I

> > > buy one loaf a week and when I eat it usually try to shave off the

crust

> > of

> > > it, but it would be better, as you point out, to buy bread from a

bakery

> > or

> > > gourmet bread, though unfortunately that also is a lot more costly.

But

> > I'm

> > > more concerned about quality than I am in trying to save a buck, since

> > that

> > > buck won't buy back my health.

> > > >

> > > > I've mostly settled in to being in California now but I'm having a

> > helluva

> > > time trying to find a doc that takes just Medicare. Unfortunately, I

> don't

> > > have other insurance yet, and am not sure if Medil-CAL is ever going

to

> > kick

> > > in either. My wife is even worse off since her SSDI has not started

and

> it

> > > will be 2 years before she even gets Medicare so she has NO insurance.

> > > >

> > > > We sent off for information on coverage from AARP but haven't gotten

> > that

> > > info yet and don't know if it will even be cost effective for our

> coverage

> > > needs. One of my major concerns is wondering if AARP will cover enough

> of

> > my

> > > Actos to make it cost effective. Since the bottles of Actos are $186

per

> > 30,

> > > Medicare pays about $30 of it so that leaves me paying $153, the most

> > > expensive of my meds! If having coverage from AARP doesn't pay much on

> it

> > > and then I still pay out say $100-200 a month for coverage, that's no

> > good,

> > > and I'd be back at square one.

> > > >

> > > > In the meantime, I'm still getting and taking my Actos and have

enough

> > > number of refills on the prescription for awhile, as I continue

> searching

> > > for not only a doctor to continue my diabetic treatment, but also an

> > > ophthalmologist who can treat my " glaucoma " and keep me from losing my

> > > sight.

> > > >

> > > > BTW, there are a bunch of programs from the big pharmacy companies

for

> > > people who need but can't afford medicines, but guess what? I don't

have

> a

> > > doctor so I don't qualify for a single one of those programs. A lot of

> > good

> > > they are right now.

> > > >

> > > > Hopefully, I'll find the coverage and the doctors I need, but in any

> > case

> > > I'll find some way to keep my treatment going because I am determined

> NOT

> > to

> > > become type 1 diabetic, and I am determined to stay healthy.

> > > >

> > > > Sorry for the rant. I guess my cup of coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

Or

> > > maybe it kicked in too much!

> > > >

> > > > Thanks for some good food for thought Harry!

> > > >

> > > > Bill Powers

> > > >

February 9, 2004

ya, I had glaucoma from laser surgery from diabetic retinopathy. Heard

glaucoma can be a symptom of starting diabetic retinopathy. I had the

retinal repair with a cold-gas exchange as well and was hell. My eye

surgeries were done mid 80's and laser surgery was barbaric then and so was

glaucoma treatment. But, I made it through like you did Bill.