Diabetes help

[Jerry170]

Hi...I have been diagnosed with Type II diabetes . Fasting Blood sugar 2 weeks ago, taken by general doctor, was at 470.  He put me on Metformin 500mg. once a day and told me to change diet.  After eating well for a week, my fasting blood sugar this morning was 255.  I know that I need to eat carbs (whole grains) , proteins and fats.  What is the best way to manage this?  How do I balance foods throughout the day to help control this the right way?  What proportions of each food can I eat?   Any suggestions or any advice to living with diabetes?

[Zoelula]

My understanding of diabetes nutrition is that there are general guidelines, but no one right way. It is not rigid like "eat three servings of this at this time". Within the general guidelines of healthy eating you need to see what works for you. To me, the best way to do that is "test, test, test". When I was first diagnosed I was "required" to test two times: first thing in the morning and two hours after breakfast. But I tested more..much more so I could learn the effect of how, when and what I ate. For me, the diet part wasn't hard because it is fairly similar to how I eat anyway. For me, eating every couple hours would not work for many reasons. I eat three meals a day. But testing enabled me to know when and what to eat. I learned how much "leeway" I have with my eating schedule. (I eat every five hours, I can stretch it to 5 1/2 but if I wait 6 hours I will go "low". ) I learned that by feeling strange and then testing to find that I was, in fact low. We all have different symptoms of hypoglycemia; mine are fairly subtle.

Testing also tells you how different types of food effect your blood sugar. One "surprise": I love eggs but know it isn't good for a 60 year old woman to eat eggs daily, so I had previously switched to eating (non-sugar) cereal with fruit during the week and saving eggs for a weekend treat. Well a good bowl of cereal with fruit really jacks up my blood sugar and we don't even want to talk about what another of my favorites-granola with fruit and yogurt does!

So that is my advice, to try out different food combinations and see how they effect your numbers. There are no absolutes with diabetes. For example before being diagnosed I would sometimes have a very light lunch such as a salad or cheese and fruit. Well guess what, that was not enough carbohydrates and I found myself low long  before dinner! We do need some carbohydrates!

[Dot.Calm]

Thanks for posting back and clarifying who you are. Is Jerry eating "so much, so often" because he's hungry or trying to gain back lost weight in a hurry? If the latter, Jerry needs to know that binge eating does more harm than good and what he eats plays a large part in glucose levels. Glucose spikes -  rapid high then rapid dropping - is hard on the cardio system. That is why I say well proportioned meals, eat until one feels full and then stop. Let the food digest then eat again in a couple of hours only if you feel hungry. The weight gain will soon follow once the body stops combating and trying to compensate for bad habits. Google "diabetic nutrition" for lots of tips on what to eat and what not to eat (bad carbs).
HTH

[Jerry170]

Hi Dot. Calm...no...I am tallgirl...Jerry's wife...I got this all mixed up when I asked a question for him...now he has his own profile and I seem to have lost mine...trying to straighten it out.  Thanks for replying...I will relay the message to him. He eats so much, so often and I am not sure he knows how to balance what he eats.  Learning every day how to deal with this.  He is a thin type and needs to put on a few pounds since he lost quite a bit while his sugars were high.  That will come in time, I imagine, once his sugar is under control.  Thanks again.

[Dot.Calm]

Are you and tallgirl the same? You still need to continue with proper nutrition for the rest of your life until a cure for diabetes is found. Eat small well proportioned meals throughout the day. How you do this is up to you since we don't live in your body.
The three keys to controlling glucose levels are:
1. Proper nutrition
2. Moderate exercise
3. Normal weight