[Cyndy]

I talked with some of you yesterday about my son. I need to know if it is ok to eat fat and salt. The dr. has him counting his carbs and on glimepiride. He weighs 128 now and needs to gain some weight back. He lost 23 lbs. before the hospital stay. His energy level is next to none. He has been out of work almost 2 weeks (without pay I might add). He is still being dizzy. His blood level is still running in the 200 - 300 range. Right now he is trying to get into seeing an endo. no luck yet. His dr. that put him in the hospital is out until 1/2/08 Anyway does the fat and salt matter to him. All of his levels on other tests were normal (ketones etc.) Can anyone shed some light on this?
xMenace what is sandpaper food?

[xMenace]

Sandpaper = non-white. Bran, whole wheat, multi-grain, etc. White flour is about as bad as sugar. Whole grains are digested much more slowly and don't spike our sugars. When mixed with these, proteins, and fats, fast acting foods are absorbed more slowly too.

He does need fat. It is a vital part of our diets. He does not need a lot. Others hare can and will recommend types, but it's more a long term thing.

Salt isn't needed. We eat too much of it. Again, it's a long term thing affecting our cardiovascular systems.

I don't think a short term lack of salt or fat would cause his symptoms. He needs food (energy). Without insulin we starve despite filling ourselves with food. Insulin is what lets our cells use it. He very likely does need insulin to feel better, oth for energy and for getting his BGs down, but that's up to the doctors to determine. His metformin may still be enough.

[Cyborg]

I agree that extra salt is not needed. I don't cook with it and I don't add it to my foods. There is more than enough sodium in the daily foods and sodas that we consume. Personally, I try to eat only healthy fats and avoid the bad fats. Fats have more calories, which I don't need, and I certainly don't want high cholesterol and/or triglycerides. For your son, healthy fats would be a good thing to increase his caloric intake without spiking his bg. Protein can also help increase his caloric intake without big spikes in bg.

[wiseguy]

It sounds like at this point he should be concentrating on a low carb diet and not worrying about fat and salt. In general, the less processed the food is the better. Avoid sugar, rice, pasta (except Dreamfields), most cold cereals (All-Bran is ok), and anything made with white flour. You need to read the nutrition labels on everything to find it's carb content per serving. The Glimepiride should start working right away to help lower the BG levels.

Just as important as the meds and diet is exercise. Any exercise is better than none. Even a short walk after meals should help bring the glucose levels down and increase his energy.

[Cyndy]

Thanks for your insight. He's doing a little better. I think he has realized until the dr. gets back that he has got to lay off carbs. He does fine without them but as sure as he eats anything it shoots up. So he's eating things with as few as possible untill night then he can eat the carbs because of the shot. It always takes it down to normal. He is coming down with a cold. Can he take anykind of cold meds?