Bedtime Snacking

[Elkenn]

Hi,
I'm new on here, and relatively newly diagnosed as type 2.

I would love some advise on the snacking issue. I've been told a bedtime snack is important, but not really any guidance as to what that snack should be. I've been told/read everything from a yogurt, to a whole sandwhich, toast with peanut butter, 2 dinner rolls, just protein.. I'm really confused!

Would anyone be able to advise what the right kind of bedtime snack is, or how many grams of carbs and protein are recommended?

[The_QUIET_one]

Im type 1 so rules could be different but I think it should be a proteiny but still car-containing food. as for how many carbs taht would depend on the individual I think. See if you can find out how much a certain amount of carbs raises your blood sugar. I think some doctors have some fancy method of fuiguring it out. how low is your "free food" do a little more hten your free food limit, perhaps twice as much? just my idea I cannot at all claim to know for sure particularly not about you. And Im rather new myself but theres my take on it.

[fgummett]

Hi Elkenn and Welcome to DF... so glad you found us! Ask questions.. tell us more about yourself :)
You may have heard of Dawn Phenomenon (DP) where you go to bed with a good Blood Sugar but wake up with an higher one and wonder what the heck just happened..?! You may also know that this is because the Liver can pump out a form of sugar and for many folks it does this in the small wee hours of the morning just before waking... a possible reason for this is that our sugar reserves from what we ate the previous day are running low and we will need energy to start the day ...fetch fire wood, run after our food, run away from predators, the usual stuff ;) Some people find that having a late snack combats DP by providing that energy when we need it; in perhaps a way we can control and which can often result in lower fasting BS numbers.
As our Quiet friend suggests :) you want a mix of mainly protein with some carbs. as this slow to digest and slow to release energy: for example peanut butter (unsweetened, just crushed nuts) on celery sticks, or maybe a handful of walnuts, or my favourite is some tasty mature cheddar with an apple :D

[Elkenn]

Thank you both for your advice and welcome, really appreciate it.

I'm 40, female, fairly active and in decent-ish shape although I could stand to lose approx 25-30 lbs. I don't take any medications for the diabetes. I've always been a really healthy eater - low fat, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leans meats, etc. I rarely eat fried foods, white flours or any forms of sugars. I don't eat much pasta or breads in genegal. I don't smoke and rarely drink. I have a huge family history of type 1. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with type 2, but my doc says my symptoms date back to my early 20's, which she says is apparently unusual for type 2.

My readings in the morning are typically 12-15, which I'm told is really high. In the evenings after I've eaten my snack they're around 10, so you'd think it would be lower than that in the morning, but it's not. It's just the morning readings that are always high seemingly reglardless of what I do.

My doctor said it was because I wasn't doing the right kind of snacking, but the advice ended there even though I asked for more clarification. I've tried all kinds of healthy snacks with not much changing with the high morning reading. But then all my snacks included bread of some kind along with protein because that's what I thought I needed to do. I'll try to PB (my PB is already the natural kind) and celery or an apple! I don't know what "free food" is.

And the DP really sounds like what could be going on! I'll research that some more.

Wow.... a little bit of light, thanks so much!

[slipperyelm]

In the evenings after your snack you are at 10. How long your snack is that? How high are you before the snack?

If you run up to 10 during the day time how long does it take to come back down to, say, 7.5 or 6.0?

And when you do have those morning time highs of 12-15, what levels do you get it back down to and how do you do it?

By the way, not everyone will be able to get a lower morning BG by snacking, no matter what it is you snack on. I do not eat anything to try and prevent a rise in BG overnight, because I do not have a rise overnight. If I ate, I'm pretty sure I would have a rise. But I would start by trying a non-cab food if I did have that problem.

Have you heard of wine or other alcohol at bedtime to lower morning BGs? That pretty commonly works.

What is your A1C?

[xMenace]

Welcome.

Has your doctor not started you on any meds? I'd definately ask why not. 12-15 is way too high. 10 is too high.

Many believe bedtime snacks help with morning numbers. I think all they do is add weight. These numbers are under control of our basal patterns IDP included) and I've found there's not much if anything you can do to change them. I use an insulin pump which allows me to match my patterns. If food made a difference, I'd wake up dead quite often :eek:

[fgummett]

I have to agree with John... fasting BS at 12-15 is too high not to be on medication. Your doctor needs to treat your D more aggressively or refer you to someone (an Endocrinologist) who will :(

The 2003 Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines... (http://www.diabetes.ca/cpg2003/) recommend an A1c (a 90 day average BS blood test) target of <= 7.0%, a Fasting and Pre-Prandial (before meals) BS of 4.0 - 7.0 mmol/l, and a 2 hour Post-Prandial BS of 5.0 - 10.0 mmol/l

[slipperyelm]

Many believe bedtime snacks help with morning numbers. I think all they do is add weight.

Of course if you are going to try the bedtime snack, you have to eat that many fewer calories in your regular meals! The idea is not for something as big as a whole sandwich or two dinner rolls! We are talking about just enough protein food to slowly contribute a little glucose to your system through the night. Maybe one bite or two bites is all it takes, is my understanding.

I, too, share the concern about whether you should be on medication, but since you have not mentioned how your BG is the rest of the day or what efforts you are making, I'm not assuming that your numbers are so high....even if I am suspecting so.

[jacobsam622]

Thank you both for your advice and welcome, really appreciate it.

I'm 40, female, fairly active and in decent-ish shape although I could stand to lose approx 25-30 lbs. I don't take any medications for the diabetes. I've always been a really healthy eater - low fat, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leans meats, etc. I rarely eat fried foods, white flours or any forms of sugars. I don't eat much pasta or breads in genegal. I don't smoke and rarely drink. I have a huge family history of type 1. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with type 2, but my doc says my symptoms date back to my early 20's, which she says is apparently unusual for type 2.

My readings in the morning are typically 12-15, which I'm told is really high. In the evenings after I've eaten my snack they're around 10, so you'd think it would be lower than that in the morning, but it's not. It's just the morning readings that are always high seemingly reglardless of what I do.

My doctor said it was because I wasn't doing the right kind of snacking, but the advice ended there even though I asked for more clarification. I've tried all kinds of healthy snacks with not much changing with the high morning reading. But then all my snacks included bread of some kind along with protein because that's what I thought I needed to do. I'll try to PB (my PB is already the natural kind) and celery or an apple! I don't know what "free food" is.

And the DP really sounds like what could be going on! I'll research that some more.

Wow.... a little bit of light, thanks so much! Here is my advice do with as you will.;)
* If you eat something that makes your bg go up high exercise as long as the bg reading is
below 275. If your bg goes above 275 either drink a glass of red wine, shot of spirit’s or lots
of water.

* Test 2 hours after meal.

Your bg goals
Morning below 130 -----------------------ideal around 95 - 110
2 hours after meals below 140 ---------ideal below 120
Before bed below 140--------------------ideal 120 to 130
Never go to bed with bg below a 100 when you wake up your bg will be =>130.
As gain more control the number should get tighter.

* To determine carbs subtract fiber from the total carbs. You can also subtract artificial
sweeteners.

* Traditional wisdom says = Portion control is a must and do not get seconds. I like my way
better get smaller portions that way you can get seconds it is an old Jedi Mind trick

* Some Fats are good we need them for healthy cholesterol. Mono and poly are good.
Trans fat and saturated fat are bad.

* Low fat foods are not good for diabetes because they replace fat with sugars

*Foods you can eat;

Meat = Beef well trimmed, chicken, fish broiled or baked, eggs, hotdogs without bun.

* Nuts - most nuts are low in carbs, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds any that have total carbs of less then 10g. cashews are great for eating at bed time

* spreads buy no sugar added jelly or try one of several reduced sugar brands , no sugar added Peanut butter – good for cholesterol

* vegetables = Small kernel corn on the cob. Eat lots of Green beans it raises good cholesterol. Broccoli, cauliflower, squash, celery,

*Sugar free ice cream or no sugar added.

* Free foods sugar free jell-o, Diet soda

* Chocolate that has a cocoa % >= 60% or low carb chocolate

* Breads = whole grain or low carb whole grain. I try to find bread that have less then 7 grams of carbs per slice. Pepperidge farms have several brands in the 5g per slice range.

* Pasta = whole grain: “Dreamfields”, Another good brand is “Barilla Plus” whole grain pasta the penne pasta is pretty good.

* Rice = brown rice, wild rice

* sodas = diet only

* Avoid high carb food any anything with a lot of refined sugar or white flour

* Fruit = try different ones to see how they effect your BS. Remember a sugar is sugar no matter how big or how small. Avoid fruit high in fructose. Limit the amount of fruit you eat they all have a lot of sugar

* if you have acid reflux avoid eating fruit at meal time.


* Never go to sleep with a low Blood glucose level when you wake up your bg will be
really high. You have choice eat a small snack like a hand full of peanuts or drink a
glass of red wine or a low carb beer. The trick is to convince your liver not to dump a
load of glucose into your system. I recommend you read the sugar busters book.


HbA1c Avg. Blood Sugar
(%) (mmol/L) (mg/dL)
4----- 3.3------ 60
5----- 5.0------ 90
6 -----6.7------ 120
7----- 8.3------ 150
8----- 10.0----- 180
9 -----11.7----- 210
10---- 13.3---- 240
11 ----15.0---- 270
12----- 16.7--- 300
13----- 18.3--- 330
14------ 20.0-- 360
__________________

[matingara]

I've always been a really healthy eater - low fat, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leans meats, etc. I rarely eat fried foods, white flours or any forms of sugars. I don't eat much pasta or breads in genegal. I don't smoke and rarely drink.

There are many that will be of the opinion that you are not a "healthy eater" at all...

There are many that will argue that most fruits are not good for a diabetic and that vegetables need to be chosen with care. i.e. just because it is a vegetable doesn't make it good for you.

Also, there are many that will argue that "low fat" is a fad and a myth and that you can improve your health markedly by ignoring the popular myths "pushed" by today's media and para-medical community.

I agree that 12-15 is way too high and so is 10 mmol/l. you should be aiming for numbers between 4 and 6 before breakfast.

and your comment about "not consuming any form of sugar" is not true. every carbohydrate you eat is essentially pure sugar as soon as it hits your digestive system.

-- Joel.

[Elkenn]

Hmmm, ok, lots of info that shows what I might be doing wrong. Thank you very much.

By sugar I meant I don't eat candy or chocolate or deserts etc, but you're right, I do eat a lot of fruit, so perhaps my eating is not quite as healthy as I thought! Although I do carefully monitor my calories and portion sizes, weight and measure everything, so I think I'm ok there. The low fat I eat is basically dairy products. I check labels for sugar content so if it's high even though it says low fat, I don't eat that. I didn't know about subtracting fibres from carbs, thanks. I do count the calories from my bedtime snack in my daily calorie limit.

My typical day's food is something like this:

Breakfast:
1 pouch plain oatmeal with a spoonful of splenda and an oz of skim milk, a fat free yogurt, a boiled egg, 1/2 a grapefruit.

Morning snack: an apple and a f.f. yogurt

Lunch:
4 oz raw cauliflour
4 oz raw tomato
4 oz strawberries, or an apple.
1 1/2 cups of a lentil chicken stew that I make without extra fat, just chicken, lentils, spices and vegetables.

Afternoon snack:
low fat cheese and 1/2 a banana.

Dinner:
4 oz lean beef
a cup of steamed broccoli, or a salad.

Bedtime snack:
was a slice of whole wheat bread with no sugar/salt peanut butter and a glass of skim milk. Yesterday I had an orange with some low fat cheese, so seeing from today's posts, I'll tweak that to reduce the fruit.

My exersize is 30-60 min fast walk, or an 45-60 minutes on the elliptical at the gym.

When my sugar is high, I can't seem to get it down. For instance, I've gone to the gym with a reading of 15 or 16, 30 mins after breakfast, and worked out at a hard pace on the elliptical machine for 60 minutes, sweating like a dog, and at the end of it, it might be down to 13.5. Exercise seems to do nothing.

Here's an example: Last night for supper I had a pork chop and some steamed green beans. 2 hours after my meal, my reading was 10.4. An hour later, it went up to 11.2. I had a bedtime snack - an orange and 2 oz low fat cheese. 10 minutes after my snack, my reading was 13.0 At 3:00am this morning, I woke and took a reading, it was 13.8. And when I got up this morning, it was 14.1. I just don't get it. I really do try to eat well, I monitor my portions, I'm active and exercise.

Someone told me that the meds for diabetes ruin your kidneys and can take years of your life. Is that true? But I know having high blood sugar isn't much better. So I'm really worried on both ends of that equation. I've been hoping I could bring my sugar down myself so I don't have to take these meds that scare me, but despite working really hard at it, I haven't been successful on my own. My doc isn't much help - basically if I figure out and tell her what I think I need, she'll do it, but isn't proactive in suggesting anything on her own - wish I could change doctors, but there aren't any available, I suppose I'm lucky to have her at all.

My last A1c was "fine" according to my doctor, but she didn't specify the number. I'm due for one again. It's been more than 3 months since my last one, it's been closer to a year - it takes a long time to get in to see my doctor, but I do have an appointment this coming Friday.

I'll cut down on the fruit, and talk to my doc about referring me to an Endocrinologist.

Thanks for your help everyone.

[fgummett]

My last A1c was "fine" according to my doctor, but she didn't specify the number.You have to take ownership of your D. For many conditions it is maybe OK to just allow the Doctors to play god and tell us what to do... "take this antibiotic for 10 days"... but not with D... YOU need to be in charge of YOUR D. You need to get the actual values for your tests and keep your own records. There are too many well-meaning Doctors who still consider D to be "just a touch of sugar" and "nothing to worry about". Not really their fault... how can a family doctor or general practitioner possibly keep up to date with the latest thinking on every possible illness? That is why you need to arm yourself with knowledge and include a specialist in your health care team. You might even point your doctor towards the CDA Guidelines I posted above. Some health care providers are resistant to having you take charge but I have found that if I am discussing from a position of superior knowledge (on the care of my D) they are more receptive, and if not, maybe you need a new doctor :)

[Hammer]

Hi Elkenn! First, no taking meds won't ruin your kidneys.....not controlling your diabetes will ruin your kidneys, your eyes, possibly cause you to lose your feet and legs, and damage nerves all over your body. With readings as high as yours, I'd get to a doctor and make sure he puts you on meds. It's obvious that your BG levels are way out of control and you need to start some meds to get them back in line again.

The diet you described is a very healthy diet....for a non diabetic. When you're a diabetic, the word diet has an entirely different meaning. Something you can try, just for your own information, is to take your fasting BG and see what it is. Now eat only protein, like a few pieces of lean chicken or fish, and wait two hours and see what the numbers are then. They will rise, but they shouldn't rise a lot. If they rise a lot, then you may need to go on insulin since a large rise would indicate that you're producing little or no insulin on your own.

What makes me think this is that even with vigorous exercise your numbers are still fairly high. Exercising lowers your body's resistance to insulin, so the numbers should drop. Add to that the fact that they are high to begin with, and that points to low insulin production.

If the doctor prescribes metformin, that will let you know if your insulin production is okay or low, since metformin lowers your resistance to insulin. If you are producing enough insulin, but your body is resistant to it, the metformin will lower your resistance to insulin and your BG numbers will drop.

The thing is, your numbers are too high all day and you need to lower them, so seeing a doctor to get meds is what you need to do soon.

[slipperyelm]

Jacobsam has said a number of things that I would caution you not to take as universally accepted guidelines. The one that I want to address, though, is the one related to your inital question about bedtime snacking

He emphasized, "Never go to sleep with a low Blood glucose level when you wake up your bg will be really high." That is an oversimplification, one that does not apply to all diabetics. The bedtime levels he recommends are awfully high, too, if you ask me. First, we do not know if you really are exhibiting dawn phenomenon or not. It is hard to tell if you do when your blood glucose numbers run high all day long and then you are eating at bedtime. A better clue would be if your numbers were higher in the morning when you woke up despite not having eaten any foods.

But whether to eat a bedtime snack, and if so what to eat, is but a small issue right now, I think. You need to get those numbers down all day long. Metformin as been the first medication for most type 2 diabetics for many years now. Its effects are pretty well known, and kidney damage is not among them. As someone else said, though, kidney damage can certainly be result of diabetes over time-if you do not keep those blood glucose levels down. It is such a common problem in diabetes, that you are probably being screened for kidney function at least once a year, probably twice. In the urinalysis (pee in the cup test :) ) your urine is probably being tested for levels of albumin and micro albumin. Elevated levels of those proteins can tell us that your kidneys have had damage. Also in a metabolic panel (a series of tests on your blood sample), there is a test that can roughly reflect kidney function. But they would be testing you not because of your being on medications but because of your being diabetic. So please do not be afraid of medicines for that particular reason.

Elkenn, it kinda sounds like you have had some people talking to you about diabetes who really did not know what they were talking about, and yeah who have given you conflicting info. Hanging out and reading as much as you can in these forums will help a lot, but I think it also would be a good idea to read a book on diabetes, one that addresses Type 2 in particular. Once you understand some of the basics, you will be able to more easily learn more and evaluate the things you hear other people say.

I've seen a lot of people here recommend a book by Gretchen Becker. I think it is called something like "The First Year Living with Diabetes," but someone can definitely straighten me out on that. I haven't read it, but it sounds like a lot of people find it a good place to start.

I think that book will give you the confidence to ask questions of your doctor and to really want to have the info from your medical tests. Right now, it doesn't sound like you are getting the best tool --information-- to take care of yourself and to advocate for yourself. Gosh, this is so hard for me to imagine my doctor being like that. He mails me complete results. He mails a few comments on the results. He gives me a second copy of it when I come into the office along with the results on the last tests before that one, so that I can compare. He asks if I have questions and he answers when I do. Sometimes he brings up things when I do not, and reminds me to make yearly appointments with certain other doctors who he knows have an important part in making sure that I am the healthiest diabetic I can be. For example, did you know it is recommended for every diabetic to have a dilated eye opthalmologic (eye) exam every year? My doctor reminds me, and when he gets a report back from that doctor he will comment on that report, even though the ophthalmologist is responsible enough to also fill me in on what he sees and what I should be doing or watching for with my eye health....I feel like my doctors really want me to know what's what with diabetes.

If I were you, I would start the communication to let the doctor know you care and want to understand more by calling to ask for your A1c test results. I think you should be able to get that over the phone.

[xMenace]

* Fruit = try different ones to see how they effect your BS. Remember a sugar is sugar no matter how big or how small. Avoid fruit high in fructose. Limit the amount of fruit you eat they all have a lot of sugar


Fruit is a very long and sharp two-edged weapon. Eating a variety of fruits is very good for humans. That is unquestioned. However, they are not so good for diabetics as they can really spike our blood sugars.

I eat lots of fruit, but I don't eat lots at once. I also try to mix them with other complex foods.

I'd encourage everyone to eat some fruit daily.

[Elkenn]

You guys are so awesome, thank you! I feel so relieved I could cry. I've been going crazy and running in circles since my diagnosis trying to figure this out. The information you've given me is really helpful and I think will help get me started on the right track. I hadn't even though about the possibility of not producing enough insulin. I'll talk to my doctor about that too.

Slipperyelm, your doctor sounds wonderful. I did ask my doctor a lot of questions initially, but her responses were always so vague and I always ended up feeling like a paranoid pain-in-the-butt, so I stopped asking. But I'll look into that book, talk to her again about my desire for more open communication and sharing of results, and get myself on some meds to lower the sugar levels.

Thanks again!

[Scrabblechick]

Elkenn, when you get bloodwork again, make sure you ask your doctor for an insulin level and a C-peptide. The insulin level will tell you if you're producing enough of your own insulin. The C-peptide helps determine your level of insulin resistance. If you are insulin resistant, Metformin is a good drug to use. It takes between 3-6 weeks to build up in your system, though, so you don't see immediate results.

Eat to your meter. The BG values I'm quoting are in the American measurements. Divide by 18 for your meter values. My doc recommends a fasting level of under 100. At 2 hours PP, he recommends under 140.

Also, learn to count carbs. There are numerous online resources that list carb counts for just about any food you can imagine. I try to keep my carb count at or below 100 grams per day. That's doable FOR ME. You have to find what works for you. I kind of blew that today. Family get-together. I was still pretty good though. Only ONE cookie! Woo-hoo! Back on the straight and narrow in the a.m. LOL.

Let us know how you're getting along. We do care! :)

[jacobsam622]

Jacobsam has said a number of things that I would caution you not to take as universally accepted guidelines. The one that I want to address, though, is the one related to your inital question about bedtime snacking

First By using the steps I outlined I have lowered my bg from over 200 weekly average to 100 weekly average. By universally accepted guidelines do you not endorsed by The ADA of course they are not But you would be hard pressed to fine anyone in the ADA who has diabetes and who has worked their butt off to get their numbers down. Second Do you know what one of the jobs of the liver is its jobs is to release glucose while we sleep that is what causes the Dawn effect. Third I have read about fifteen books on diabetes and Everything I have written was in one of those books. I use commone sense and experience weed out the bull.:mad:

[jacobsam622]

Fruit is a very long and sharp two-edged weapon. Eating a variety of fruits is very good for humans. That is unquestioned. However, they are not so good for diabetics as they can really spike our blood sugars.

I eat lots of fruit, but I don't eat lots at once. I also try to mix them with other complex foods.

I'd encourage everyone to eat some fruit daily.I think it is totally out of line for a type 1 to tell a type 2 to eat something that can be harmful to them. Most type 2s do not use insulin and many of us have been told that avoiding insulin is the end game for type 2's becuase once you start down that path it will forever dominate our lives. The path for type 2 lies in diet and exercise not Insulin. :eek:

[matingara]

Never go to bed with bg below a 100 when you wake up your bg will be =>130.

This is not true for me.

my BGL upon waking is almost always the same as when i go to bed.

it does not matter what my pre-bed number is.

for example last Saturday i went to bed at 95 (5.3) and awoke at 90 (5.0). this is quite a common occurrence for me. i have plenty of numbers like this in my record book.

-- Joel.

[The_QUIET_one]

I think it is totally out of line for a type 1 to tell a type 2 to eat something that can be harmful to them. Most type 2s do not use insulin and many of us have been told that avoiding insulin is the end game for type 2's becuase once you start down that path it will forever dominate our lives. The path for type 2 lies in diet and exercise not Insulin.


Fruits have fiber in them and lots of vitamins, fruit is not somethign to be avoided I dont think, simply make room for it, so you dont want many carbs? So will say 15 carbs worth of fruit (thats generally how much is in a typical serving of fruit I find) ruin it for you? just eat a bit less starches or something. and eat it with protein to slow absorbtion. Thats my take on it

[matingara]

Fruits have fiber in them and lots of vitamins, fruit is not somethign to be avoided I dont think, simply make room for it, so you dont want many carbs? So will say 15 carbs worth of fruit (thats generally how much is in a typical serving of fruit I find) ruin it for you? just eat a bit less starches or something. and eat it with protein to slow absorbtion. Thats my take on it

well - if you are following the Bernstein diet, then you are trying to set the following carb limits:

breakfast: 6g
lunch: 12g
dinner: 12g

so a piece of fruit most DEFINITELY blows the Bernstein carb allowance. unless, of course, you have the serve of fruit and no other carbs!

the Bernstein book is written with Type 1s and Type 2s in mind. He believes in the "law of small numbers". i.e. if you overeat carbs and try to cover it with insulin then you will invariably fail to achieve tight control.

so, he recommends the above carb limits to retain the tight control.

-- Joel.

[jacobsam622]

This is not true for me.

my BGL upon waking is almost always the same as when i go to bed.

it does not matter what my pre-bed number is.

for example last Saturday i went to bed at 95 (5.3) and awoke at 90 (5.0). this is quite a common occurrence for me. i have plenty of numbers like this in my record book.

-- Joel. If you eat carbs at the level you eat them then your bg should always stay the same:eek: I need more energy then that. This works for me and if it works for me it may work for others. I never said it would help everybody. Everyone has to start somewhere and thats a good starting point.

[fgummett]

I am trying for about 100 -120g CHO daily and I definitely feel that fruit has a useful and healthy role in my eating. The concentration on Carbs is fine if you are just talking BS control, but I (as many others do) have to also be aware of salt, fats, calories, cholesterol, overall nutritional value etc... :)

[fgummett]

The path for type 2 lies in diet and exercise not Insulin I agree, but only up to a point... I would rather say the path for type 2 lies in good control. Speaking for myself I started insulin within a year of Dx and achieved excellent control quickly... but I don't see Insulin as my last resort and I am still working on multiple fronts to lower my weight and get my blood pressure down. Recently I started CPAP for OSA and I have great hopes this will increase my energy levels and help with all the above... who knows, maybe I will be able to reduce or even stop the insulin altogether... it is just a tool, not a death sentence. Many people view insulin negatively because it has traditionally been used as the last resort... often after the damage is already too far gone :)

[JoanW]

I have to agree with Frank here, that insulin is a tool, and an excellent one for both Type 1's and Type 2's. It's a necessity for Type 1's, but for Type 2's it enables one to attain good control of BG's. It has been given a bad rap by magazine articles and by doctor's 'threatening' Type 2's that if they can't control their BG's they will have to go on insulin, almost as a punishment. Since insulin is a hormone produced by the body, it offers a way to control blood sugar without any of the side effects of oral medications. I only wish I had been prescribed insulin many years before I actually began using it. I went for 9 years on oral medications, and when I look back at my log books I can see that my numbers were not that good at all. In the last 10 years of using insulin my A1C has been in the range of 5.9 - 5.5. The complications which I have of some neuropathy in my feet, mild retinopathy are, I am sure, the result of those previous years of running higher numbers, and I wish i could have avoided them, but in those days I had not had the benefit of the internet and this type of forum to read and absorb all the information about keeping BG's at certain levels. I don't think it should ever be regarded as a last resort as a treatment for Type 2's.
- Joan

[Elkenn]

Hi guys,
You were right, I was eating WAY too much fruit = way too many carbs. I've created an eating plan where I'm eating 100 carbs a day split evenly between meals, and already my readings are much lower. I'm still including a little bit of fruit but calculating it so it's balanced with my carb amounts and protein etc. With my doc's help this week I'll hopefully be able to figure out why exercise doesn't have an effect on my sugar levels and why my readings go up during the night, and what meds I should be on.
Thanks about the comments re: insulin, it's reassuring if that's what I end up needing to do.

I'm really glad I found this forum!

[fgummett]

...hopefully be able to figure out why exercise doesn't have an effect on my sugar levels... You are just getting under control so this may change with time. I also understand that exercise can still have an affect (as in lower sugars) some hours after you do it... not always straight away :)

I too am really glad and grateful for the help, suggestions and support on this site :D

[jacobsam622]

Hi guys,
You were right, I was eating WAY too much fruit = way too many carbs. I've created an eating plan where I'm eating 100 carbs a day split evenly between meals, and already my readings are much lower. I'm still including a little bit of fruit but calculating it so it's balanced with my carb amounts and protein etc. With my doc's help this week I'll hopefully be able to figure out why exercise doesn't have an effect on my sugar levels and why my readings go up during the night, and what meds I should be on.
Thanks about the comments re: insulin, it's reassuring if that's what I end up needing to do.

I'm really glad I found this forum!
If you bg is over 275 exercise will not help and in some cases make you sick. You also could have other issue like thyroid problem.

[Janlaton]

My doc says I should have a 15 carb snack at bedtime if my bg is less than 150. I usually am not home to eat dinner until about 7pm so it is late eating supper. Most nites I do not eat the snack but if I do it is a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter or 6 crackers and cheese. Something very simple. As above it depends on the individual.

Have you seen a nutrition specialist? They can give very good guide lines and are good to follow. Just did a pre lunch finger stick and am 209. I do not know when I have been that high and don't know what I ate different, Some days I think it is a guessing game. Best wishes and welcome.