Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mr. Peachy on October 26, 2011 at 10:49am

Hi Cathy:

Have you looked into naturally improving insulin sensitivity? What I'm talking about has less to do with limiting carbs and more to do with improving the nutrient to Calorie ratio by limiting or eliminating refined carbs and replacing them with more natural raw fruits and vegetables which give your pancreas a break while nourishing it back to health right along with the rest of your cells. It can make a significant reduction in your insulin needs while improving organ health. I quit taking Metformin several years ago and now rely on regular exercise and a super healthy, natural foods based diet along with a few well chosen supplements to give my body the nutrients that have been slowly removed from our diets by commercialized farming which has depleted the soil of many important nutrients (which is quite an intriguing story in and of itself). I posted a a link to an interesting article here yesterday on this very subject: Benefits Of Eating Almonds

I also posted a thought provoking blog with my thoughts on reducing insulin resistance here: Craig's blog on insulin resistance

Craig

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on October 26, 2011 at 11:47am

I agree. While I don't find fruits contain much in terms of nutrients, meat and seafood are packed with nutrients and have about the highest nutrient to calorie ratio around. Almonds and other nuts are really good as is dairy, particularly cheese. But when it comes to nutrient dense food, particularly ones that don't impact my blood sugar, I go for meat and seafood.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on October 26, 2011 at 11:56am

I find that fruits give me a distinct rise in BG to unacceptable levels, even though I take insulin to cover. The BG response to fruits is more rapid, and finishes quicker than the insulin action, so I peak high, and plunge low. So to me, it isn't worth it. But, as usual, YMMV. If you have enough beta cell function to handle them, there ARE good reasons to eat fruit.

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Permalink Reply by Marcia Skidmore on October 29, 2011 at 10:03am

Greetings. I can tell you my experience. Type 2, gastroparesis. I was put on regular insulin 3x a day with meals and Levimir overnight. I worked hard, lost some weight, stabilized my sugars, got my AiC down and I was just taken off all my insulin. I was switched to metformin and byetta and so far my sugars are a little higher than I would like but I'm still transitioning and getting used to a new schedule. ANYWAYS - yes, you can leave the insulin. Yes, the insulin causes weight gain. As soon as I realized I changed my eating and took care of it. I can't exercise as I would like but insulin doesn't mean you have to gain, it just means that it can cause weight gain if you don't watch.

I so understand what you are saying about good meds and bad. You need to find what is best for YOU! And as my endo says, sometimes that takes a leap of faith. My endo really listens to me and I am very honest with him and we are keeping me healthy as possible. Last visit I was AIC 4.6, all my cholesterol numbers were good, I had lost weight, I felt good. The most important thing is to feel good, friend. Good Luck.

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Permalink Reply by JRod on November 22, 2011 at 8:54am

Pregnancy is why I switched to insulin instead of oral meds. After I had my last baby, I was given symalin to help with weight gain with the insulin. I am ridiculously insulin resistant,, I actually let my sugars suffer last summer and eased off the insulin to take off 40 lbs but now I'm pregnant again and I've gone with a pump this time.

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Permalink Reply by jims on December 13, 2011 at 7:35am

As 64 year old type 2 insulin resistant diabetic, I also hop behind anonymous diabetic and vote with that and add the following:

- weight gain while interesting is dependent upon liver leakage , energy consumed - carbs and the body actual burn.

As one ages, one may need some insulin boost and liquid insulin is the best, most adjustable and can work and fill in behind your pancreas most well complementing the pancreas. The worst solutions are massive insulin injections, glyburide/starlix, actos/avandia et all. Sledge hammer approaches to swatting flies.

Combatting the Insulin resistance for type 2's is the most important factor and requires:

stopping excess liver glucose releases and any other medical condition causing excess blood glucose constantly.
Once medical condition addressed, then carbs control and hearty exercise are critical to keep Insulin resistance turned off.

As one who got to 330 pounds and finally stopped liver ( 2 years before and after on same 1200 calorie diet and 2 miles walking a day); weight dropped to sub 260 and still shedding.

The promoters out there should be ashamed of the buggy whip cures, fairy tales and assorted other blame games they peddle while missing the obvious of getting to a balance of energy consumption versus carbs energy intake which the 10,000 year old hunter gathere gene digestive system never addressed and left to external effects of poor food, scrawby game and fruits of and berries that browned out during the bad seasons.

Today, modern science and agriculture provides a bounty of 24/7 grains, rice, corn and sugars and starch to sugars around the clock and all seasons.

On top of this modern science provide us with astonishing labor saving couch potato tools from lap top computers, video games, cars, machines all dropping human energy burn to the bottom of the barrel.

You do not have to go out expending serious energy to rustle up a meal any more; simply drop down a few steps to your closest vending machines and off you go.

Not to put too finr a point on this: If you are working on the pharaoh's tombs and eddifices moving 2 ton stone blocks by hand, you too can eat every day and in serious quantities of all the best of the high energy carbohydrates out there so you do not starve. Otherwise one better do energy management so you do not take the fast path , low route rotting out to the graveyard on excessive blood glucose in the blood distribution system.

Good Luck Cathy:

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Permalink Reply by Lloyd on January 1, 2012 at 10:40am

Insulin, combined with limiting my carbohydrate to 80 grams a day, has reduced my A1c from 8.5, down to the 4.9 to 5.4 range where I have kept it for 4 1/2 years. The carbohydrate restriction has also helped me lose 48 pounds in the last 5 years.

-Lloyd

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Permalink Reply by jims on January 2, 2012 at 7:52am

all on zero exercise I assume.

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Permalink Reply by Lloyd on January 2, 2012 at 8:15am

Exercise varies from 5 mile walks, to near none at times when snowed in.

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