new here

[Guest guest]

The nutrition lables should have a listing for 'carbohydrates,' broken down

into sugars and fibers (there is a third factor--starches--which they

generally don't list.) As fiber is generally not absorbed by the body, you

may deduct the fibers from the gross carbs to get the net carbs.

You know to avoid sweets; you should also eliminate potatoes, beets, pasta,

rice, couscous, white bread, and most cereals. If you must eat bread, eat

whole wheat and rye.

Note that with prepared/packaged foods, the 'Light' or 'Lite' versions,

while lower in fat, generally have more sugar than the regular versions.

If you are overweight, try to loose weight, and try to exercise more.

(Exercise will stimulate your pancreas to produce more insulin.)

I'd suggest that you get DIABETES FOR DUMMIES and DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES

SOLUTION; both are excellent references.

New Here

Hi All,

My name is Sandye and I've just been informed by my doctor that

I'm " pre-diabetic " He says I have to go on the diabetic diet but

don't have to take the pills or shots.

I went to the nutritionist today and she gave me

some sheets that said carb this and carb that but I don't really

understand how to plan out my meals or anything. Today I went

shopping and picked up some of the things that were " acceptable "

snacks like sugar free cookies and ginger snaps. Then I got some of

the diabetic type seasonings like splenda and Mrs. Dash, etc.

My nutritionist said that I can have 4 carbs a meal or 12 carbs a

day. Looking at the back of the packages I got confused because it

didn't say carbs, it said grams of fat and then I didn't know which

fat to look at the saturated or the regular. This is totally

confusing me and I hope someone out there could give me a hand.

Another question I have is for the snacks does that mean I eat 3

carbs at a meal so I can snack on the 4-5 ginger snaps which equals

a carb? How do I know how much of something equals a carb. Like

1/2 c of juice or whatever? HELP!!!

Sandye

[Guest guest]

>My nutritionist said that I can have 4 carbs a meal or 12 carbs a

>day.  Looking at the back of the packages I got confused because it

>didn't say carbs,

Hi Sandye,

What this means is 12 carb servings or exchanges per day. 15 grams of

carbohydrate is considered an " exchange. " In the case of foods that contain the

nutrition information labels, you would look at the " Total Carbohydrate " count

per serving (be sure to check the serving size) -- those totals are indicated in

" grams " of carb. For instance, the Food for Life flourless whole grain bread

that I eat is 14 grams of carb per slice; that 14 isn't " servings, " it's

" grams, " and one slice of bread would equal one carbohydrate " serving " or

" exchange. "

Hope this helps make it a bit less confusing. Based on what you were told, this

diet plan you were told to follow would therefore consist of 180 grams of carb

per day (15 x 12). Hope this makes it a easier to understand for you.

[Guest guest]

Beets are very sweet. After all, a lot of our sugar is processed from

beets.

RE: New Here

I've never heard of trying to avoid beets. Does that have to many carbs?

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandye, welcome to the list!

I know you're probably feeling overwhelmed right now and thinking

that you'll never enjoy food again, but believe me it gets easier!

The important thing to do now is educate yourself about diabetes and

how to prevent it. You are fortunate to have caught this before it

became full diabetes, because you do can a lot now to stay off meds

and insulin. Diabetes is a manageable disease, but one that effects

nearly every part of the body. The possible complications are

horrible and lifethreatening. So, it's best to take action now.

You'll find that you'll become a healthier person all the way around

by making some changes to your diet and exercise plans.

Here's a website that might help with the carb confusion:

http://diabetes.about.com/cs/carbcentral/

Different plans work better for different people. Some people count

carbs like the nutritionist told you to do, others keep to a low-carb

diet, like the Atkins diet, or the South Beach Diet. The important

thing is to find a plan that works for you and your lifestyle.

Also, exercise plays a BIG role in managing your blood glucose

levels. If you don't exercise regularly, just adding a simple walking

plan can make significant improvements for you.

One of the most important things I learned when I was first diagnosed

is this: diabetes is a progressive disease, it gets worse and worse

over time. Therefore, it's critical to keep it under control. The

longer you can stay off meds, the better.

This list is a great source of information and support. Ask any

questions you have, you'll get plenty of answers and advice!

I'm glad you joined us!

Jacki

[Guest guest]

I just joined the list. I am 53 and have had fibro off and on for about 10

years. Mine was triggered by silicone breast implants that were done after

a mastectomy. I was very athletic before the implants and afterwards turned

into almost a total invalid. After I had the implants removed I got a bit

better, but like a lot of other people on this list I have some really good

days and then the days from h#%ll.

The past few days I had a rough time with depression until I realized the

connection between the fibro and depression- DUH! I have made an

appointment with my doctor about cylmatta (sp) that has been talked about on

the list.

Right now, I have just given myself permission to be lazy and not push

myself when I am in pain. I am shutting down and cutting back on my must

do for Christmas list.

Does anyone know of any support groups in the Washington D.C. area?

Sharon

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

New, as of today here. I've had wonderful success with my symptoms by using LDN

and I'm ready to go on and see about other things that I can do. Haven't had

any luck with doctors, so I am on my own.

wish me luck, as I do you,