Coping with high sugars.

[Suzieblue]

I have been told my bloods are high in sugar, predisposing me to diabetes no information or help given to help me. Can you advise me. 

[Activity2004]

Please check out the Diabetes Research and Wellness sites (on HU and their own website).  The website for DRWF is:  drwf.org.uk/diabetes-leaflets  You need to go on this site and you can either download the information or listen to it on the site.  Click on the part for "What is Diabetes?" once you get onto the site.

[patliputra]

Try to assimilate information on diabetes as much as possible from web sites. Write any thing you want to know and google it ,information is there for your taking.

[linlow]

Hiya Suzieblue I came over here from the other post in response to your request for help.  I am not a dietician but I can point you in the right direction. 

First of all don't panic, your situation is not dire, you have simply been issued with a warning.  Of course, if you don't do anything about it, the situation will deteriorate.  What you are possibly looking at is making a total change in lifestyle.  This isn't for a couple of weeks, it is a 'from now on' commitment but if you are prepared to make that then there is no reason, as far as I can see, that you can't reverse your condition permanently.

What sort of foods do you currently eat?  Are you on any type of restrictive diet at the moment?  Describe a typical day including snacks, treats and drinks.  How much exercise do you normally get?  Do you work?  Would you describe yourself as apple or pear shaped?  Do you have any other medical conditions diagnosed or otherwise?

You can PM me if you don't want personal information on show.

[ceejayblue]

As a type 2 diabetic, I was once where you are. I was told I was glucose intolerant, my mum was an insulin dependent type 2  and my sister is also type 2. I ignored the warnings and after a few years tipped into diabetes. Although you cannot "cure" diabetes you can put it into remission by watching what you eat, especially carbohydrates and exercising.

I was diagnosed T2 4.5years ago and have worked hard to get my levels back into the "normal" range. However, I am still diabetic because there is always the chance that through illness or my being too casual about what I eat, that my levels will go up.

Check labels on food for the carb content, ignore the "of which sugars" bit because sugar is a carb and it is already counted in the total carbs. Try limiting your total carb intake per day to around 150g - spread over 3 meals with up to 45g a day for snacks (if needed - you don't have to eat them!). Get some exercise, doesn't have to be excessive and you will find your levels should come down.

I highly recommend the diabetes.org.uk website as there is lots of useful educational information there. If you do slip into diabetes ask to go onto the experthealth.org.uk course to learn about diabetes and how to deal with it. I found it really helpful and have done 2 refresher courses (because things do change).

If you do, dip into diabetes, don't stress, take it and deal with it. Its in your hands to avoid it.

[Nap1 in reply to ceejayblue]

 I have found that I manage this well watchingcarbs. But you also must  Watch stress. Stress affects me more than the carbs do. You sugar  numbers will move with Illness which is stress on your body and mental stress so be careful

[linlow in reply to ceejayblue]

Actually new studies are showing that diabetes (certainly type 2) CAN be cured through diet and exercise. Not with the diabetic or nhs diet though, as far as I can tell.

[ceejayblue in reply to linlow]

Type 1 cannot be cured and neither can Type 2! Type 2's can put it into remission by healthy eating and exercise but there is always the pre-disposition to tip back into the diabetic range! There are no magic potions, food cures or anything to "cure" it!

[linlow in reply to ceejayblue]

I will tell that to my friend who reversed her diabetes and was told by both her GP and hospital specialist that she was no longer diabetic then shall I? She will be devastated to know she has been living under a false delusion for the past 3 years

ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/d...

[ceejayblue in reply to linlow]

She may well be in the normal range now but the general consensus from what I've read on Diabetes UK is that you go into remission and your medical records will still say you are diabetic and you will still have the usual diabetic check ups every year. Your friend has achieved great levels but should never become complacent .

[linlow in reply to ceejayblue]

that is the whole tragedy of it ceejayblue , it really is. My friend was told that too. She could never understand why. How had she become diabetic when she had religiously followed the government's healthy eating guidelines all her adult life. Anyway, long story short, I sent her this second-opinions.co.uk/diabe... along with a couple of other links and she went into over-drive. Within months she first reduced, then came off medications entirely. They (GP and specialist alike) were still telling her that she was and always would be diabetic, at this point. Then, at the two year mark, it finally got to the point where they had to turn around and admit that she was indeed diabetes free and would no longer need check-ups.

As I said, that was three years ago. She hasn't had a check up in all that time but, if push came to shove, would probably say she is at her healthiest ever. Yet within her new food philosophy she eats what she wants and she drinks what she wants and she does it when she wants to do it.

I don't think that it was intentionally designed this way but there is a flaw in the system that maintains this myth. The one that says once a diabetic always a diabetic. And continues to say this despite evidence to the contrary. Condemning so many to a fate from which they do not realise there is an escape.

The internet is full of stories of success (well, perhaps, 'full' might be a bit of an exaggeration but they are out there to be found by people keen enough to look hard). There are books that have been written about it. There are books that tell you how to do it. There are videos on youtube like the (US) tv documentary 'Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days' in which a type 1 diabetic does 'cure' his condition - though he didn't know he was type 1 until he wasn't. Or the Simply Raw follow ups labelled as Raw Food Diet Documentary - part 1 of 2 and part 2 of 2 in which the aforementioned type 1 returns still healthy and clear. (These aren't necessarily the best examples, they just happen to be the ones still in my browser history.)

Now I know it is an unfathomable concept, after years of believing the official stance on diabetes, but it does not have to be the prison you were told it is. There are gates if you can just find the key to unlock them. My friend did not 'go raw', she designed her own regimen after reading the stuff I sent her, which only goes to prove that there is more than one way of skinning a cat.

I don't know if you can find the courage to rebel against official recommendations - and wouldn't blame you if you couldn't, it is frightening to take that first leap of faith. But, whatever you decide, I wish you luck and good health.

[ceejayblue]

LCHF isn't suitable for everyone because it could affect other conditions people may have.

[Activity2004 in reply to ceejayblue]

That's right. Totally agree.