Re: now for my first question,

October 26, 2006

Hi Kathy,

This is a repost of something I put to the list a few weeks ago. I will paste it

in for you to read. It should answer some of your questions.

Now this is a lengthy post, so be warned, but it will spark a lot of good

and helpful conversation on list so I'd like to encourage you to read it

over a few times prior to replying.

Buckle up... here it comes! *grin*.

While you read my post, keep one word in mind as you read... swings.

My 14 day average for the past three weeks is 82 or 4.5 Canadian. I am

following

bernsteins diet and have normalized my sugars.

A very important concept to understand is that there is a key difference

between running good sugars and normalizing your

sugars.

Following bernsteins diet and advice, my range is 80 at pre meal, 4.5

Canadian, 80 first

hour, 80 second hour, and 80 past that. If I go high it is like 90 to 95

(5.0 to 5.2 Canadian). This is what is meant by normalizing your sugars.

my a1c should be 4.5 but that is not the benefit, I have no swings at all in

my sugars and if so, it is only by a 10 point raze/fall. Previously I was

running an a1c of 5.2 and my sugars would go out of range to 150 and

sometimes 300. I am sure every diabetic here can relate to those *large*

swings even with a good a1c level. Those out of range times are what cause

damage and complications over time even if

your a1c is 5.

What really stuck out to me from doctor bernstein is that there is a *huge*

difference between running good sugars and running *normalized* sugars.

Normalized sugars are where you run 80 to 90 all the time (4.5 to 5.0

Canadian). That is what

mimics the perfect chemistry of a non-diabetic. In order to do that, he has

you eat only slow acting carbos from vegetables such as green beans,

broccoli, etc. The non starchy vegetables. For breakfast he has you eat 6

grams, lunch 12, and dinner 12. So you do eat carbohydrates, it is just from

slow acting carbohydrates that do not cause you to go out of range. So do

not mistake that Dr Bernstein does not have you eat carbos, you do, it is

just from slow acting carbs rather than quick acting like bread, rice,

pasta, etc. Past the slow acting carbos at each meal, he has you eat only

protein to fill up. You keep your carbo and protein levels exact at each

meal to be consistent with your insulin doses. He gave a formulat to figure

out/calculate how much *minimum* protein you need to survive. The formula

is based on your ideal weight:

weight / 2.2 = weight in kilos * 1 = total grams protein / 6

so mine is:

160 pounds divided by 2.2 equals 73 kilos times 1 equals 73 divided by 6

equals 12 ounces of protein minimum a day to survive.

So I eat 4 ounces of protein at each meal and more if I get hungry.

My doses of insulin are extremely low. Each meal I dose 3 to 4 units of

humalog and my long acting is only 8 units total a day. So I am taking 20

units of insulin total a day. Previously I would bolis 20 units of humalog

at a meal to

cover the carbs with humalog, for example pasta. Then at times would spike

out of range having misjudged the carbo content or worse yet, go low from

dosing slightly to much then I would have to over eat. All these swings

running an a1c of 5.2.

Again, the main benefit to this is your sugar runs 80 to 90 all of the time

which fully eleminates any swings. They are *normalized* and not just good.

If you swing out of range it is only by a 10 point margin so 90 for a high

or 70 to 80 for a low. Just to give you an idea... the other day I was at

work at lunch, and did not have a needle to dose my insulin so I did not get

any humalog insulin for my meal. Lunch had 12 grams of slow acting vegetable

carbs from green beans and 4 ounces of meat from tuna and cheese. Two hours

later my sugar, with no insulin, was only 120. Had I ate 12 grams of quick

acting carbs, for example a slice of bread, and did not dose humalog, my

sugar easily would have been 300!

Stick with me... let me hold your interest a little longer... keep reading!

*grin*.

This really works and I'd like to encourage you to start on it. It is not

easy, but I will no longer be eating quick acting carbs at all. Ever.

Bernstein says the day you take a bite of one, especially if you have a

carbo addiction, you will get bac on them and start experiencing the larger

swings in your sugars which cause the damage over time. Certainly eating

like this is not easy but my family is very supportive of this and sees the

benefits. My doctor as well. Bare in mind, Doctor Bernstein has been a type

1 diabetic for 60 years and is a medical doctor. He has 25 years of research

on all his patients that shows this works. While you may find this

information very challanging, I'd like to at least encourage you to be open

to study it for the information even if you do not apply it/use it.

Again, my 14 day average is 82 and my a1c will be around 4.5. However, the

main

benefit is not the a1c, the main benefit is *no more* larger swings at all.

I actually feel like I have a high sugar when my sugar is 115. It actually

feels like I am running a sugar of 300 when I reach 115 now. Without the

large swings there cannot be any damage to the body. A large swing is

anything over 120.

Bernsteins advice is that you should always view insulin like this... it is

a goal to take as little as possible at each meal. Large doses of insulin

cause high blood pressure, drastic lows, weight gain, and many other

negative side effects. By lowering your insulin requirements to the bare

minimum you are helping your body in so many ways.

I feel great! Without all those carbs and refined sugars in me my body feels

so much better!

Trust me all, start on this and in three months go to the doctor and see

the benefits. You will be amazed and feel so much better! I thought I felt

great at an a1c of 5.2 but man now do I ever feel great and packed full of

energy!

As far as protein hurting the kidneys... Bernstein has 25 years worth of

research on his patients that shows they have no kidney damage from it. In

fact, many of the patients kidneys that were showing damage reversed. Why?

Simple, it is the sugar swings and elevated a1c levels that cause the damage

to the kidneys, not protein!

Bare in mind though that you *can* damage your body running an a1c of 5

since most swing up to 170, 280, down to 50, and so on. It is partially

deceptive thinking that an a1c of 5 wil not cause complications over time

since it certainly can. Think of how often you swing out of range either

high or very low miscalculating quick acting carbos. The swings are what

cause the damage even with an a1c of 5. When you *normalize* your sugars,

you never go out of range so the swings cannot damage your body.

I'd like to encourage you to view your diabetes management as controling

swings rather than only viewing your control by an a1c. How often do you

swing out of range? Start to notice this since it is what causes the damage.

I never swing out of range now following dr b's medical advice.

I never go out of range... I am running 80 all the time.

One more thing... I'd like to encourage you to purchase dr bernsteins audio

series on his training. It is a bit pricy, $129 plus shipping, but it

contains 6 hours/all the training he would give you if you were there so

well worth the cost considering you do not have to fly to new york for the

training nor pay him directly for it. Most of the information I knew but the

few nuggets I picked up were worth the cost. They will prolong my life.

I particurally know that you will enjoy his scientific explanations on many

aspects of diabetes on the body. Those segments are clinical in nature but

very easy to understand. Fascinating really.

Here is some information on the audio cds then a link that will take you to

the page where you can order them if you want too. I strongly encourage you

to do it if you can afford it. It will refine you to perfection and you will

no longer swing.

The Most Complete, Step By Step Diabetes Solution Program is now available

on 5 CD's

For Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, Secrets To Normal Blood Sugars is the entire

education program taught by Dr. K. Bernstein to his patients.

A compilation of his two best selling books, Diabetes Solution, and The

Diabetes Diet, the Secrets To Normal Blood Sugars contains new, more

up-to-date

information, and is being made available on 5 Audio CD's, categorized by

subject, and containing 6 hours of education that can be listened to

anywhere,

making this beyond question, the easiest way to educate yourself and your

patients on how to better manage diabetes, and stop forever the

complications

of cronic high blood sugars.

These CDs were recorded during actual visits to Dr. Bernstein's office. He

reviews with you the steps you need to take in order to control your blood

sugars

and prevent the complications from diabetes.

Dr. Bernstein, author of the Diabetes Solution and The Diabetes Diet spends

six hours educating and teaching you all about ways to control your

diabetes.

From diet, exercise, medications, foot care, dental care, blood glucose

monitoring, how insulin works, you will learn the same knowledge that he

gives

to his patients when they come to his office in Mamaroneck, NY.

His insights will provide you the knowledge to understand how your body

works and how you can overcome the problems that are associated with

diabetes.

There is a package for Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

5 CD's Containing The

Personal Diabetes Education Program

taught by Dr. Bernstein to his patients.

You'd have to fly to New York to get this anywhere else.

You can pick up a copy of the audio cds here:

http://www.diabetes911.net/secrets.php

Regards,

now for my first question,

Hi:

I guess I am wondering why we can not get his sugar under control. He is on

one shot of insolent a day and he started this a few months ago. I believe he is

also taking pills to control it, but it is still way to high. The lowest I have

heard it be is about 238, and usually in the 300's or higher. I am trying to get

him to get his doctor to send him to a specialist, but as of yet he is just

trusting his regular family doctor. I am sure as I go along, I will have more

and more questions. Thank you for letting me ask questions and learn.

and Pilot Dog Deena, and Retired guide, Copper, both golden retrievers,

The more you invest in a marriage,

the more valuable it becomes.

- Amy Grant

October 26, 2006

Hi Kathy,

I am not sure when you joined the list or if you have seen my posts today so I

am going to copy/paste and repost this one below and one more. Here it is...

I had posted a message to the list a while back on normalizing blood sugars.

I wanted to post a follow-up to this situation for everyone to have some

food for thought.

Here is why I decided to start following bernsteins approach to normalizing

blood sugars.

1 month ago I went for a doctors appointment and my kidney creatine was up

to 2.0. This was getting to be a high level for my body/weight and my doctor

was concerned. I.E I weigh 165 pounds so a creatinine reading of 2.0 is

pretty serious. It was not to the point of failure, however, 3 years ago it

was at 1.7.

My a1c for the past 3 years ran 5.0 to 5.2. However, in the past 3 years my

kidney function went from 1.7, to 1.8, to 1.9, and eventually 2.0. It was

declining over the past three years even with my a1c between 5.0 to 5.2.

Interesting I thought. How could this be if my a1c was 5.0 to 5.2 for the

past three years? Doesn't a good a1c level mean reduced risk of

complications?

I found out that no, In fact, the a1c level is slightly deceptive. Even

though my a1c average was 5.0 to 5.2 I would still swing out of range quite

a bit due to eating quick acting carbs and miscalculating them.

So what caused the decline in your kidney function?

Simply put, the amount of times I swung out of range of a normal blood

sugar. A normalized blood sugar range, according to doctor bernstein, is 80

to 90 or 4.5 to 5.0 Canadian. There is a huge difference between running

good sugars and *normalized* sugars.

I am sure each person on here can relate to swinging out of range. For

example, you eat some pasta, a few bread sticks, and dose what you think is

enough humalog or novalog to cover the meal and bolis for it. Perhaps your

two hour post is 50, or you miscalculated so your two hour post is 190. You

might think that those levels are not all that bad to hit occasionally but

that thought is not correct. At any point you swing out of the range 80 to

90 it causes damage because it is *not* a normal blood sugar. Let me repeat

that one more time. At any point you swing out of the range 80 to 90 it can

cause damage to your body because it is not a *normalized* sugar range.

Wait! I thought an a1c of 5.0 meant you were safe.

So did I. However, this is not true. Let me encourage you to sit down and

evaluate how often you swing out of the range of 80 to 90. In a days time,

how often are you out of the range of 80 to 90? In a weeks time? How about

in a months time? I think if you actually watched how often you swung out of

the range of 80 to 90 you would be shocked. I know I was. The range of 80 to

90 is a normalized blood sugar. At any point you swing out of that range you

are causing damage to your body. Over time it will damage your internal

organs even ifyou run an a1c of 5.0.

Folks, I have said all of this to say that after following doctor bernsteins

routine for controlling blood sugar for only 1 month, my creatinine went

from 2.0 to 1.6. This was only in 1 months time and was a *substantial* drop

in the level. Thank God! I am sure that over the next few months it will

drop even more.

How could this be possible? I thought that kidney damage was not reversable?

I have normalized my sugars. 98% of the time I am at 80 to 90. If I ever

swing out of range a low for me is 70 and a high is 110. Big difference

there between the past swings of 50 to 190 plus. Secondly the frequency of

swinging out of range might only happen once a week for me now where as

previously, when eating quick acting carbs, I could swing out of range 3

times a day even with my a1c being 5.0 to 5.2!

Benefits of bernsteins approach:

1. the range of a swing is very small such as 70 to 110 as oppose Again,

there is a big difference between running good sugars and *normalized*

sugars. to 40 to 200.

2. swings only happen around once a week, or less, as oppose to swinging out

of range 3 times a day or 15 to 30 times a week etc.

The more you swing out of the range of 80 to 90, the more opportunity

diabetes has to kill you.

I simply wanted to post this to the list to spark your thoughts, get

reactions from you on it, and more than anything let you see my results of

following doctor bernsteins diet.

To repeat, in only one month, my kidney creatine went from 2.0 to 1.6.

Normal is 1.4.

So does bernstein know what he is talking about? Yes, he does. My body is

proof of it.

I eat only slow acting carbs from vegetables and tons of meat. The

meat/protein did not hurt my kidneys at all. In fact it helped them. How? By

giving me the ability to not swing out of the range of 80 to 90.

Bernstein states that Protein does not hurt your kidneys, he states the

sugar swings do and he has 25 years of research on his patients to proove

it. Now I am one of his statistics too! Hurray!

Ok, by this point I probably have a few of you hopping mad *grin*. How could

he post this rubbish of eating protein and saying quick acting carbs are bad

and that an a1c of 5.0 does not mean you will not have complications?

Well... I can post this factual information based on my own lab work and the

25 years worth of patient research that dr bernstein has on his patients.

my lab work proves that bernstein is correct and the ADA is wrong.

I hope you will at least read this over a few times and consider what I am

posting. Even if you do not agree with it, even if it makes you mad, at

least read and understand that my creatinine has improved from 2.0 to 1.6

and kidney damage, according to many, is *not* reversible. Well, mine

reversed following bernsteins diet and his diabetic suggestions for

*normalizing* blood sugars.

Good luck and I hope others decide to follow doctor bernsteins diet and

start to normalize your sugars. It will *prevent* diabetic complications.

For those of you who have elevated creatinine levels, do what I did...

follow bernsteins diet for 1 month then go see if your creatinine has came

down.

I am back on list so if anyone wants to post followup questions to my

results/post, please feel free and I will answer you. I am working 50 to 70

hour weeks but felt it was necessary to be here for at least a few days to

answer some questions.

Thanks and looking forward to questions and meeting some new friends.

Note: if you are new to list I have been around here for about 3 years but

on / off no mail status due to my work schedule.