Type 2 Diabetes

[[old] grams]

My husband is a type 1 diabetic, so I am pretty educated on what happens. When his blood sugar starts to dip and he can't eat right away he eats 2 or 3 glucose tablets. You can buy them at any drug store or order them in bulk by mail. They are more effective than fruit juice at getting into the bloodstream and going to where muscles need glucose. It takes about 5 minutes for his system to absorb the glucose.<br /><br />I have some by my erg. About 35 minutes into a row (I'm a long slow erger) I have one or 2. I know that at about 40-45 minutes my blood sugar will drop. I've tested with hubby's monitor to confirm this. Eating hte glucose just ahead of the low keeps me from bonking.<br /><br />Then every 10-20 minutes I may need more glucose. It depends on how I feel that day.<br /><br />I suggest you try some glucose tablets and see if they help. Start with 1 or 2. Then after the row have some fruit juice or carbs.<br /><br />grams

[[old] gaffano]

Lisa...I am impressed with your improved lipid profile. I am 33 and have been pro-actively trying to improve my #s since my first elevated blood test at age 23. At first i was confused, i ate a relatively "healthy" diet compared to others. No red meat, not much meat/eggs, lots of processed foods, carbs, no chips/pretzels only, cheeze, sodas/beer/other sugary things. Not perfect but not the "typical" problem diet. For 8 years of following this diet, my numbers barely moved, even when I went on a not fat diet. Doctors would give me the standard you need to stop eating so much saturated fat, red meat, etc. I would say, I don't, and i'don't smoke, and I am at 18% body fat, and I excercise rigorously 3-5 times a week.....<br /><br />I went on 10mg lipitor 3 years ago because i thought i exhausted my lifestyle change options, and figured genetics were the factor. As i stated before it works well, and i do not have any of the side effects, yet. Since i have never experimented with these diets i cannot attest to their effect on me, however, i can definately say that a low fat, high carbs (mostly refined) diet has never improved my Lipid profile....and has increased Triglycerides into the 300s.<br /><br />I was skeptical of these low-carb diets at first, but as i have heard at least 10 similar case profiles as Lisa's, I have to believe it is effective for many with heart disease and diabetes in their family history. i respect the doctor's input, but IMHO, every one is reacts to food differently. I plan on undertaking some form of limited carb diet...mostly getting rid of the refined crap.

[[old] drkcgoh]

<!--QuoteBegin-Lisa+Mar 19 2005, 02:20 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Lisa @ Mar 19 2005, 02:20 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-drkcgoh+Mar 19 2005, 04:47 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(drkcgoh @ Mar 19 2005, 04:47 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />   So my advice is to place more emphasis on low intensity long duration rows, eat a balanced diet, and cut down on the sugar intake. Don't bother about all those fad diets; they just make you too weak & flabby to exercise, and the placebo effect & status symbol of having to pay through your nose is all the satisfaction & justification for you to continue on them.<br />KC63 <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I like your advice to do the low intensity long duration lows.<br /><br />As for the diet, it's not a fad. I'm not doing Atkins which is perhaps a fad. I'm following the advice of my endocrinologist and keeping the carbs low. That's the only way I've found to keep my blood glucose where it needs to be.<br /><br />If I followed a high carb diet, I would have to exercise intensely immediately after every meal and snack to get my blood glucose back down to normal ranges. With a job and home obligations, that is simply not possible. I would have to log over 2 hours of intense exercise a day to do that. Also, it seems like it is more stress on the liver and pancreas to swing the blood glucose from around 100 to up to 300-400 and back down again several times a day. <br /><br />My diet is less expensive than a traditional diet. I still eat the same amount of protein and vegetables and fruits as I did before. I no longer eat the breads, cookies, candy, so I'm not paying for those. Instead I eat low glycemic index carbohydrates. The cost of the diet is actually less than what I paid previously. I see nothing faddish about this diet. I think you are making some assumptions about what I am eating that are not true. What on earth is faddish and unhealthy about protein, vegetables, fruit and legumes???<br /><br />I think your post is well intentioned but you are making some really off the mark assumptions. A diabetic who eats a high carbohydrate diet and is unable to exercise intensely after every meal and snack is going to get in more trouble. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br /> I grew up watching my mother have her food weighed for every meal, and taking insulin injections daily for her Adult Onset Diabetes. Then, as a Sports Medicine Physician, I have watched many athletes and ordinary exercising adults go into hyperglycemic or hypoclycemic comas through inadequate control of their blood sugar levels. I have also followed this "low carbohydrate diet" trend establishing itself as the answer to weight & blood sugar control. <br /> The measurement of "low intensity" exercise" is readily done by monitoring the heart rate during exercise, and I have many downloaded heart rate tracings to show 1 to 4 hour-long rows with a steady heart rate below 105 bpm at 2:40 pace (something that qualifies one to be called a plodder). <br /> I also consult my Endocrinologist who has done C Peptide readings after a glucose load to ascertain the current pancreatic function. But the realm of Sports Medicine is not that of the Endocrinologist, and diabetic control is a favorite topic I bring up at international medical conferences I attend. <br />Once I followed the advice of a high profile New Haven family physician to go on a "Low Carbohydrate Diet" with disatrous consequences, as my weight plumetted to below 140 lbs, and energy dropped. It took many months of a normal balanced diet to recover.<br /> What was posted was one example of how erging can help deal with Adult Onset Diabetes. It is not necessary to recount the recorded data from my Adult Onset Diabetes patients, but mention has to be made of Sir Steve Redgrave who has won gold medals at 5 consecutive Olympics despite discovering Adult Onset Diabetes after his 4th gold medal.<br /> It is always possible to make time to exercise, and I have managed to mix in marathon training both on the road and the erg together with the demands of running a busy practice for almost 40 years. <br /> No assumptions have been made, and this is not a personal medical consultation.<br /> So these observations are not way off the mark, but an example of how a prediabetic can try to delay the full blown diabetic state and lead quality life.<br />KC63<br />

[[old] gaffano]

Doctor...please clarify for me....if you are not engaged in every day long duration aerobic excercise....should you be watching your carb intake, especially refined carbs? thanks for your input.

[[old] Lisa]

<!--QuoteBegin-grams+Mar 19 2005, 01:15 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(grams @ Mar 19 2005, 01:15 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My husband is a type 1 diabetic, so I am pretty educated on what happens. When his blood sugar starts to dip and he can't eat right away he eats 2 or 3 glucose tablets. You can buy them at any drug store or order them in bulk by mail.  They are more effective than fruit juice at getting into the bloodstream and going to where muscles need glucose. It takes about 5 minutes for his system to absorb the glucose.<br /><br />I have some by my erg. About 35 minutes into a row (I'm a long slow erger) I have one or 2.  I know that at about 40-45 minutes my blood sugar will drop. I've tested with hubby's monitor to confirm this. Eating hte glucose just ahead of the low keeps me from bonking.<br /><br />Then every 10-20 minutes I may need more glucose. It depends on how I feel that day.<br /><br />I suggest you try some glucose tablets and see if they help. Start with 1 or 2.  Then after the row have some fruit juice or carbs.<br /><br />grams <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Thanks for the info Grams. I'm going to try a piece of fruit or juice first and if that doesn't work I'll try the glucose tablets. If the fruit or juice works quickly enough at least I'll get some vitamins. If not, I'll try the glucose tablets. I guess it's just a matter of testing my glucose a lot to see where I end up and learning to control it better.<br /><br />Lisa<br />

[[old] Lisa]

<!--QuoteBegin-gaffano+Mar 19 2005, 03:03 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(gaffano @ Mar 19 2005, 03:03 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />I was skeptical of these low-carb diets at first, but as i have heard at least 10 similar case profiles as Lisa's, I have to believe it is effective for many with heart disease and diabetes in their family history.  i respect the doctor's input, but IMHO, every one is reacts to food differently.  I plan on undertaking some form of limited carb diet...mostly getting rid of the refined crap. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Gaffano,<br /><br />I will be very interested to see how you do and I hope you'll keep us posted. The body doesn't need refined foods full of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup which is so much of our diet in the US.<br /><br />Lisa

[[old] sivkoburko]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mel Harbour+Mar 18 2005, 10:56 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Mel Harbour @ Mar 18 2005, 10:56 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I'm hardly qualified to give an answer myself, but an interesting article you might look up is entitled 'Olympic Diabetes' in the journal Clinical Medicine published by the Royal College of Physicians I think.  Article was published in July 2003.<br /><br />It discusses some of the issues associated with training with diabetes in an Olympic rower with diabetes (three guesses which one...).<br /><br />Mel <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />If anyone wants the article but doesn't have access to the journal, drop me an email (cxw@yandex.ru) and I'll send you a pdf version.<br /><br />Good discussion BTW.<br /><br />Claire

[[old] DIESEL]

Hi Claire, <br /><br />Thanks for the prompt reply. It's really cool reading - although I'm going to have to ask my brother about some of the doctor-speak. <br /><br />Here's my thought: Is it possible Sir Steven is a victim of the old training mentality regarding nutrition?? - serious carb intake - over 7k cals per day!! - of mostly high glycemic carbs (you gotta figure they used the old ratio of high carb (65% of total cals- mod to low protein - low fat) - and the insulin mayhem that would create over time could lead to a diabetic condition. <br /><br />Am I totally off base with this hypothesis? I think it would make for some interesting discussion. <br /><br />(hint, hint Dr. Goh if you're still reading this!! )