[PELE70]

Hello,
I was recently diagnosed pre-diabetic.
I was wondering if there are any tutorials or posts dedicated to getting an individual up to speed on diabetes.
Specifically, establishing a blood checking routine, when to check and what to look for.
What to eat, when to eat and how to eat.

I've already learned a great deal after browsing a few threads.
For example, I did not know that your liver could do a glucose dump while you sleep. Alarming!!
I am also learning that a person's disease can be unique and singular to that individual. Also a little alarming!

After only a day this site has been a God send.
I am currently experiencing a storm of floaters in one of my eyes and I have learned that this has nothing to do with any blood sugar issues and is possibly age related. I am 50 yo.
This knowledge relieved a LOT of stress.

Are there individuals here who live carb free?
Is this possible or healthy?
I have bowl of oatmeal at breakfast? Is this bad?

I thank God that there is an internet that I may come in contact with and interact with the obviously compassionate and loving people I am seeing that frequent this site.

[princesslinda]

Welcome Pele! Glad you found the forums. Lots of good information and friendly folks here.

I think the best advice I was given when I first found this site was to test...a lot. Testing 2 hrs after your first bite of food allows you to see how different foods affect your blood sugar and lets you make smarter food choices. We're all different in our tolerances, so what works for me may not work for you, but you'll never know unless you test. When first diagnosed, I kept a food journal listing every bite I put in my mouth and the corresponding blood sugar. Before too long, I had quite a long list of foods that were blood sugar friendly, and eating wasn't nearly as stressful for me.

I was given the goals of 110 or less fasting blood sugar #s, and 140 or less 2 hrs after first bite of food.

Exercise is also very important, as it helps with insulin resistance, thereby keeping blood sugar more stable.

I'd encourage you to eat as a type 2 would eat, as many pre-D's at some point may go on to develop full-blow T2. Watch your carbs, esp "white" foods like rice, pasta, potatoes and breads.

A great book (even for Pre-D) is "The First Year, Type 2 Diabetes," by Gretchen Becker. It explains a lot about diabetes and various treatments. Its a great resource.

As for your oatmeal, test your blood sugar 2 hrs after your first bite and see if it works for you. Personally, I have problems with higher morning numbers, so a lower carb breakfast (like eggs or a protein shake) works well for me.

Hope you post often.

[Mich]

Hi Pele,

Welcome to the forums. I have also learned a lot by reading here, what a wonderful resource for all of us.

I am living very low carb right now because I put on weight from a medication. After stopping the medication (with my doctor's approval) I went from eating just low carb to eating very low carb--less than 30 a day. My goal is to lose aboout 20 pounds and after a full month of this, I am finally beginning to budge downward a bit.

I prefer to include low-glycemic vegetables in my diet, even though they do slow things down just a bit at the beginning of a weight loss program. This is more like the way I eat most of the time, just eating less and keeping an eye on calorie totals.

So yes, some of us do it nearly full-time. My lipid panel is very good and I am a generally healthy person. This style of eating suits me.

Again, welcome. We're glad you found us.

Mich

[shutterbug]

Hi Pele,

First off welcome to DF.

Originally Posted by PELE70

I was wondering if there are any tutorials or posts dedicated to getting an individual up to speed on diabetes.
Specifically, establishing a blood checking routine, when to check and what to look for.
What to eat, when to eat and how to eat.

If you are looking for a crash course on diabetes, you probably don't have too many options. Just go through all the threads here.

Also, Diabetes differes from person to person. There is no "one size fits all" with D. You need to understand how you body works and your D. Especially "What to eat, when to eat and how to eat" depends on your body and how it handles food. Your body could tollerate some food that others can't and vice versa. In general low-carb diet helps.

Good luck.

[PELE70]

Thanks PrincessLinda.
I will get that book.

[PELE70]

Originally Posted by Mich

...I went from eating just low carb to eating very low carb--less than 30 a day. ...

Mich,

Thanks for the encouraging words.
I do not know what the above statement means.
What does 30 carb a day look like?
Is this grams?

[notme]

Welcome to Diabetes Forums. I am glad you came in and took a look around. Very smart!

Floaters are common in us older folks. I would go ahead and make an appointment with an opthamologist so they can look at your eyes and possibly do a retinal scan. This gives you a baseline in later years if changes do occur.

Liver dumping generally happens when your blood sugar is running low and your body recognizes the problem. You can avoid going low at night by eating a small protein snack that keeps your blood sugar level throughout the night.

There really is no such thing as "carb free". Everything you eat will turn to carbohydrate. Some foods (like oatmeal) will raise your blood sugar quickly and keep it high for awhile. Other foods, like protein or leafy greens, will be easier on your blood sugar spikes. Linda is so right about the book.

I just wanted to welcome you and tell you that I am inspired by your quick action into learning.

Welcome

[kgm0612]

Welcome to the forum.

Karen