Guest guest Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 : I am the one who suggested Alpha Lipoic Acid. Glad it seems to be helping you but I would suggest the 300 mg size next time you buy, I take 300 mg 4 times a day (between meals & before bed), I would also suggest that you get some 500 mg Evening Primrose Oil & take one with each ALA dose. Each separatly act as potent antioxidents but together they potentiate each other & the effect is more than doubled. More about ALA/EPO can be found in Dr. Bernstein's " Diabetes Solution " which is one of the best sources about tight control on the market. He is a bit extreme but he is a type one himself who practices what he preaches. He went to medical school later in life to get the info needed to control his disease. There is access to some of his book on-line & a library shd have it. The other most useful book for those interested in tight control is Gretchen Becker's " The First Year....... " She is a type 2 diabetic herself & a research scientist before also becoming a sheep farmer in Vermont. A very down to earth & useful book for anyone just diagnosed with type 2. Yes I do believe ( & studies have shown this to be true) that every spike is deleterious to some of our organs. However getting good control as soon as possible & keeping it there should, if not negate any damage already done, at least mitigate any future damage. It is a goal worth persuing with everything you have. This does not mean that you can never again enjoy some special treats but that those must be consumed with one's starting bg level in mind & a small enough pottion used which will not spike one to an out-of-control level. As control tightens this is done more easily. Be aware that in addition to Splenda many processed treats contain sugar alcohols which many diabetics cannot tolerate without spiking also in the same way as true sugar. YMMV & testing is the only way to discover how you react. In the USA " total carbohydrate " includes fiber & sugars but NOT sugar alcohols.. The fiber can be subtracted from the total amount but not of course the sugars. Also be aware that any label may say sugar free if it is free of table sugar. It may contain all kinds of other sugar such as fructose or lactose but still be labeled " sugar free " -- this is a sham by the government labeling laws which the manufacturers take full advantage of. BTW it is not only sugar itself which is a problem for diabetics but also starches (flour, grains, cornstarch etc) which turn to sugar the minute one's saliva starts breaking them down for digestion. That is why " sugar free " is not carbohydrate free. Check the carbohydrate values on some of the sugar free baked goods in the market & you will be shocked. Some have as many or more than sugar containing sweets. cappie Greater Boston Area T-2 10/02 6/04 A1c: 4.3 Mod 100 carb diet, walking, Metformin. ALA/EPO, Coq10, B12, C, Cal/mag ALC, full spectrum E fish oil, garlic, flax seed, multi vitamin Lovastatin 20 mg, Enalapril 10 mg 8/04: 25 to go/135 lbs gone / 5' / 66 yrs cappie@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 > Maybe you can figure this out. Yesterday, I ate 20 g of carbs for a > snack, which predictably, raised my BG 40 points. Well, at dinner I had > 12 grams, which should have only made me around 140. Imagine my surprise > when it was reading 185! The only thing I think was different, was some > shintaki mushrooms with my salad. Anyone else have a massive spike after > eating what should be a small dose of carbs? I doubt it was the mushrooms. You're saying you've had the same meal, though, and gotten different results? Did you change the length of time between your snack and dinner? Test just before dinner to make sure you were at the same level as the last time you ate this meal? Did you exercise the same amount, at the same time each day? Exercise decreases insulin resistance, so if you exercised one day and not the other that could affect your readings. > Finally, in one of my vegitarian cookbooks, I found a recipe for > 'Coconut Macaroons' This book is especially good to me, for it has a > nutrition facts on each dish. I got to looking at it, and found it's > total carbs is 7g. However, that 7g, is also listed in the sugars Carbs, unfortunatey, are not *totally* predictable. The carbs in those macaroons (what little is left after replacing the sugar with Splenda) will affect you differently than, say, the carbs from a bowl of slow-cooked (not instant!) oatmeal. This is because coconut is very fatty. Unfortunately, it's also SATURATED fat, so I wouldn't make a daily habit of too many of these, but OK for an occassional treat. Fat slows the absorbtion of carbs, as does fiber, by slowing digestion. Thus meals higher in fats (be sure to use the GOOD fats!) will be less likely to spike you than a low fat meal. Good fats will also lower your cholesterol. Be careful, though! (And I could be getting this backwards, so doublecheck) While monounsaturated fats lower LDL levels, polyunsaturated lowers both the bad LDL and the good HDL levels, so you can have too much of even a good thing! Speaking of cholesterol -- getting your BS in check will almost automatically help lower your cholesterol. Why? Because excess sugar in the blood is transformed into triglcyerides, which I believe eventually forms into LDL! This is a big part , on top of the blood vessel and nerve damage, of why diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand. SulaBlue > Total Carbohydrate 7g > Dietary fiber .5g > Sugars 7g > > What I'm wondering about is: If I substitute the 1 c sugar, with 1 c > Splendra, would that elimate the carbs? This might be the 4th desert I > can safely cure my sweet tooth > > Hmm, just found 'Easy Cinnamon Balls' that seems to suggest that > substituting Splendra for sugar, elimates all the carbs as well. What's > people's opinion? At 7g for the macaroons, and 10 for the balls, I could > safely try them as a snack. But I thought I'd ask you first. > > Thanks for your time! > > -- > C. Reddden > E-mail: kcredden@k... > Web : kevinredden.name > > The stories are woven > and fortunes are told > The truth is measured > by the weight of your gold > > Loreena McKennitt - " Marrakesh Night Market " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 Hi, ...well, first of all, congratulations on getting your A1C down to " around 7 " . I'm sure your doctor is pleased to.. However, do be aware that complications can STILLeventually accrue with an A1C of 7. If you want to have a better chance of avoiding the Bad Stuff, aim for NON-DIABETIC, " normal " numbers. All labs are different, but in my lab that's anything under 6. When you get a copy of your lab work (which you should do) read it carefully. Somewhere on the top it should say what the lab normal is. Then aim for that. Also, please know that " sulfa drugs " and " sulfonylureas " used for diabetic control are NOT the same thing. Which is not to say that I recommend sulfonylurea pills for diabetic control - these tend to tie you to a strict schedule where you need to " feed the pill " to keep from going low, which can cause weight gain. Also, since they work by forcing the pancreas to " push out " beta cells, this may deplete those betas and eventually there are no more left and then you would need to use insulin. Which is not to say insulin is a bad thing - just that it's better to preserve what betas you have. Pills in the sulfonylurea category are the following: Glyburide Glucotrol Glynase Diabenese Diabeta Glipizide Amaryl Glucovance (sulf plus glucophage) Vicki Thanks and questions > > Hi folks: > > Just wanted to update you on my progress with my diabetes. First, let me > thank whomever it was that recommend the Alpha Lipoc Acid for reducing > my BG levels. I made sure my doctor said it was ok to use, and with his > permission, I ran out and got 100 mg version of it. It does seem to > help, for my FBG has been around 105 the last week or so. There's been a > couple of spikes of 120, due to an illness that got me to him in the > first place. But so far, it's been staying far lower than normal. > > I found that diabetic pills are sulfa based, and unfortunately I'm > allergic to sulfa. So I was concerned I was going to go on insuilan. > However, my doctor had other plans. We talked all about my condition. > He's very impressed on how fast I've lost weight, and how my sugars is > coming down. He said, that my A1c may be around a 7 by the time I take > my next test! I also probably won't need insulin, or pills as well. > That's comforting to say the least. I've been in a sort of blue-funk for > weeks because of this. I only wish I knew what my triglis, LDL, and HDL > is now. I've been so focused on my sugars, that tends to get put in the > background. > > Oh, also thanks to you, I asked about being on an ACE inhibitor, and > he's going to give me a protein test on the 12th, just to be sure. Right > now, I'm trying everything to make sure nothing else is lurking in the > shadows. > > However, with this, I do have some questions, that perhapses you can > answer. > > I've heard others speak of their tight control. So am I under risk with > my sugars spiking so much? Right now, I calculate my sugars' ratio is > 2.5. (1 gram carbs raises my glucose levels 2.5 points) Will this get > better? I've started eating whole-wheat bread, but at 10 grams, that > gives me a nasty spike, that doesn't come down quickly. Is the spiking > dangerous, or is the danger in how long it takes to come down? Or how > high it goes? > > Maybe you can figure this out. Yesterday, I ate 20 g of carbs for a > snack, which predictably, raised my BG 40 points. Well, at dinner I had > 12 grams, which should have only made me around 140. Imagine my surprise > when it was reading 185! The only thing I think was different, was some > shintaki mushrooms with my salad. Anyone else have a massive spike after > eating what should be a small dose of carbs? > > Finally, in one of my vegitarian cookbooks, I found a recipe for > 'Coconut Macaroons' This book is especially good to me, for it has a > nutrition facts on each dish. I got to looking at it, and found it's > total carbs is 7g. However, that 7g, is also listed in the sugars > > Total Carbohydrate 7g > Dietary fiber .5g > Sugars 7g > > What I'm wondering about is: If I substitute the 1 c sugar, with 1 c > Splendra, would that elimate the carbs? This might be the 4th desert I > can safely cure my sweet tooth > > Hmm, just found 'Easy Cinnamon Balls' that seems to suggest that > substituting Splendra for sugar, elimates all the carbs as well. What's > people's opinion? At 7g for the macaroons, and 10 for the balls, I could > safely try them as a snack. But I thought I'd ask you first. > > Thanks for your time! > > -- > C. Reddden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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