AM I DOING RIGHT?

[ramana42]

I am doing this post just to get some valuable feedback and advice from learned members of the forum.I am a 77 year old male, diabetic since more than 25 years.I am reasonably active and all my blood and urine reports are very satisfactory.Eye sight,liver,kidney,heart etc are well within range.So is the case with my lipid profile and electrolytes.My HbA1C is around 7 and my doctor says it is quite good for my age.I walk regularly for about 35 minutes every day and lead a secluded life without any entanglements.My only interests are music,you tube videos concerning politics,nature,wildlife and such other non stressful subjects.

I am in insulin NOVAMIX 50, 8+16units,Metformin 500 mg and Vidagliptin 50 mg.

Following is my diet pattern,almost all days.

Morning one cup of herbal decoction freshly prepared using commonly available herbs like corionder leaves,curry leaves,drumstick leaves or fenugreek leaves on a weekly rotation basis.

Breakfast consists of one scrambled egg,about 45 gr of steel cut oats made into porridge and 7 almonds microwawed for 75 seconds.

Around 11.30 am and 5.30 pm I eat two digestive biscuits and some roasted chick peas.

I eat fruits like orange, papaya or musk melon,rather often.

Lunch consists of little millete(G I of around 30 to 35) two vegetables,lentils and yogurt (curd).

Restaurant or catered food once in a blue moon on occasions.

You will observe that all the foods I eat are of low glycemic value.By nature,I am a light eater and so glycemic load factor is also taken care of.

[sandybrown]

This is a very difficult question to answer. Do you know your total cholesterol and lipid profile?

AS you are on medication you are controlling your HbA1C.

How often do you do your HbA1C?

Fruits, green leaf veg, OK. Biscuit, I am not sure but you need enjoy one life!

Walking is the only exercise?

Try lifting some weight, like 2 or 3 kg for 30 minutes!

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to sandybrown]

My lipid profile was done in Sept.2018 and the numbers were within range.I cannot give you the figures because I lost that folder. Hb1Ac is done on quarterly intervals since about a decade.Biscuits are not sweet and contain more fiber.Walking is the only exercise since my old age permits me nothing more than that.I will certainly think of weight exercises.

[Praveen55 Moderator]

ramana42

I would say you are leading an excellent lifestyle - well balanced diet and well managed diabetes. Congratulations!

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to Praveen55]

Thank you.

[kapilbho]

Thanks sir for ur valuable advice

[ramana42 Volunteer]

I am giving up mid morning biscuits.Thanks for the concern shown and the advise.

[BudhaS]

You are doing excellent. It can be seen from your narratives that you are sincere and take adequate interest on your health. You maintain a good life style trying to remain happy with your environment.

I should feel that you should not press much to be within rigid parameters like controlling diabetes to non diabetic range with all diet, medicine and excercise. Try to maintain the level without adding any more medicines.

Walking is the best excercise for people at your genre, I am 72. If you can add Pranayam and Yoga a bit it should help.

Please keep a check on your peripheral issues - cardiac, neurological and age related issues for male (like Prostatities) and take medical intervention for these.

Wish you a healthy life. God bless you,

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to BudhaS]

I learnt a while ago that once you are on diabetic medication,aiming to achieve non diabetic range is not advisable.Regarding Yoga and Pranayama ,I value them immensely,but somehow I got attracted to the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurthy and cope with life issues according to his sayings.

[sandybrown in reply to ramana42]

Why do you say this?

"I learnt a while ago that once you are on diabetic medication,aiming to achieve non diabetic range is not advisable"

In UK, people with type 2 go for life style change and once they have achieved the blood test to a normal level the the medication is slowly reduced to ZERO!

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to sandybrown]

My understanding is as follows.

Once you are on medication,you have to be extra careful about going into hypoglycemia.Medicines are prescribed taking into account several considerations so as to balance an equation.Suppose you face a situation when your food consumption is delayed and you get involved in unplanned extra physical activity.You have every chance of getting hypo.I have faced several such situations when I was younger and more active.Suppose you are aiming at HbA1c of 6 which means about 120.If the average is 120,it means sugar level will fluctuate within a range of 80 to 160.If you go below 70 due to some unforeseen circumstances as mentioned above,you will slip into hypo,which is dangerous.On the other hand,if you aim HbA1c of 7,the sugar level will be in the range of 100 to 180 and the risk of hypo is minimized. These numbers are approximate,but well within acceptable range. This is the reason why I felt it is not advisable to aim for non diabetic range.

[sandybrown in reply to ramana42]

I am afraid, we need medically qualified people to answer the original question!!!

HbA1c is every 90 days.

The prick test is when you want it.

There is a lot of difference between the two blood tests. This is what i have learned over the last 7 years.

There is type 2 complications, eye problems, foot problems. Every one have to monitor all their issues.

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to sandybrown]

My thinking is in agreement with my doctor's views.

[Durham24]

My sincere suggestion>

I am nearing 70 and have been a diabetic for about 30 years now.

If I may point out:

You may stop seeing UTUBE on politics.

When I stopped this UTUBE (politics), my sugar numbers marginally went down.

Politicians are there to make money and its a business.

There are barely countable number of politicians who are sincere, honest and good.

And we are not going to make any difference either way (by being part of it or staying away from it).

Also, we just have to take whatever we get from the scenerio.

(having done enough).

So, Enough is enough.

Again, these are my humble suggestions.

[ramana42 Volunteer in reply to Durham24]

I totally agree with you,Sir. But I am a strong believer in democracy.and if we want democracy,we have to suffer these politicians.Anyway,I am not committed to any political ideology,so I do not get disturbed.I see them more as dramatic performances,but sometimes one feels the pain when interests of the people at large are sabotaged.We are lucky to see people like Dr.Kalam,President Obama etc comes into picture once in a while.

[rnpath]

excellent management.a role model. personally I felt that you don't need egg and you can be better off.watch then the quality of your life.

[shyraj]

Very good to see how you are keeping fit.