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Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

diabetic.fyi

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Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#41

Post by GiorgioG »

ScottFree wrote: post #35
akshaykarthik wrote: post #29

This is interesting, what tools are available to measure one's blood sugar and chart it throughout the day? I find it's pretty inconvenient to measure and report it accurately enough to get these trend lines with my regular meter.

You need a continuous glucose monitor, like Freestyle Libre or Dexcom. Here's a writeup of somebody that goes into detail about what's involved: https://medium.com/@justin_d_lawler/continuous-glucose-monit... The sensors aren't cheap. Last time I looked, you wore them for 1 week at a time and they were $80 a pop.

The Freestyle Libre is good for 14 days at a time, and as far as I know costs $110-120 for a 2-pack. No it's not cheap, but it's not as expensive as the Dexcom. My son wears a Dexcom (type 1 diabetic) and my dad wears a Libre (type 2 diabetic.) The Dexcom is far more expensive, but it's the only one that will integrate with my son's insulin pump.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#42

Post by pimeys »

ScottFree wrote: post #35
akshaykarthik wrote: post #29

This is interesting, what tools are available to measure one's blood sugar and chart it throughout the day? I find it's pretty inconvenient to measure and report it accurately enough to get these trend lines with my regular meter.

You need a continuous glucose monitor, like Freestyle Libre or Dexcom. Here's a writeup of somebody that goes into detail about what's involved: https://medium.com/@justin_d_lawler/continuous-glucose-monit... The sensors aren't cheap. Last time I looked, you wore them for 1 week at a time and they were $80 a pop.

And about 450€ per transmitter that lasts for three months. Using open source tools you can extend the sensor lifetime to 2-3 weeks and transmitter to 6-9 months and I advice to read on that and try tools like xDrip.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#43

Post by will_brown »

trevyn wrote: post #15

I’ve heard that cutting out nearly all carbohydrates from the diet basically causes permanent remission of type 2 diabetes. Is this true?

More accurately diet can prevent 100% of type 2 diabetes cases, while it can be used to reverse some cases it can not reverse 100% of cases. And yes the focus on these kinds of diets is managing blood sugar levels/insulin spikes which includes sugars, carbs, starches, and alcohol.

So when you say “nearly all” that’s right...but cutting out nearly all carbs doesn’t have to be the same as low carb, or paleo/Keto, carbs can still be the main source of daily calories such as spinach, kale, romaine, Broccoli, cabbage, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc... and even higher carb foods like nuts and seeds. Those foods “are carbs” but won’t typically spike insulin and in fact many of those “carbs” will actually improve blood sugar stability/management.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#44

Post by brian_cunnie »

jdietrich wrote: post #28
qwsxyh wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it changes your relationship into a disordered one. HN, the website where willingly starving yourself for days on end is not an eating disorder

I'm no fan of fad diets, but a lot of Westerners have a real problem with simply not knowing what hunger feels like . A lot of people are so habituated to large portions and frequent snacking that they're never meaningfully hungry, just somewhere on the spectrum between "reasonably sated" and "physically incapable of ingesting another morsel". Their eating habits have fundamentally broken the connection between food…

> not knowing what hunger feels like

True. I found that when I switched to a low-carb diet, my relationship with hunger changed.

For one thing, I was always hungry: nothing makes you feel full like a good batch of carbs. But the hunger was similar to a low-grade background noise; it was fundamentally different than the I-gotta-eat-right-now hunger of the carbolicious diet.

The other thing I noticed is that since I switched diets (7 years ago), I have never "bonked" (run into a wall because I was so hungry). I simply get more hungry, but again, it's more like the background noise gets louder.

That begs the question, "Why not eat more if you're hungry?" The truth is that eating gets tiresome after a while. I remember spending over and hour shoving salad into my mouth and finally saying, "I need to get stuff done; I can't sit here all day eating salad."

Yes, meat can fill me up if I eat enough of it (20 oz. prime rib), but I tire of meat after a while.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#45

Post by brian_cunnie »

will_brown wrote: post #43
trevyn wrote: post #15

I’ve heard that cutting out nearly all carbohydrates from the diet basically causes permanent remission of type 2 diabetes. Is this true?

More accurately diet can prevent 100% of type 2 diabetes cases, while it can be used to reverse some cases it can not reverse 100% of cases. And yes the focus on these kinds of diets is managing blood sugar levels/insulin spikes which includes sugars, carbs, starches, and alcohol. So when you say “nearly all” that’s right...but cutting out nearly all carbs doesn’t have to be the same as low carb, or paleo/Keto, carbs…

Agreed. And I'd like to expand on the term "reverse 100% of cases."

Other than gestational diabetes, there is no cure for type II diabetes: once your insulin response is broken, it stays broken.

In the medical literature, when they use terms such as "improved", they often mean that "the subject no longer needs to take medication to control their type II diabetes." But it's understood that the subject must maintain a very strict diet regimen.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#46

Post by brian_cunnie »

iserlohnmage wrote: post #11
chewz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For example eating sugar with fat will spike blood sugar less than simply eating sugar. You mean chocolate bar or any dessert.

I've read one that most food that make one addicted is a good combination of sugar and fat, which is decided by our genes.

> make one addicted ...

I think you're on to something. I think the large portion of people have an addiction to certain foods.

My first inkling was when my friend, Dr. Ross, said to me, "None of my type II diabetic patients are able to control it with diet. They all need medication." (His patients are all upper-middle class, well-adjusted for the most part).

I've seen it with my dad (type II), an ex-marine (type II), a marketing executive (type II). In all cases they were eating french toast with maple syrup (the crack cocaine of type II diabetics). It was something they knew they should not be eating, and yet they were.

These are people with discipline and strength, and yet they are unable to stick to a diet. What gives? Rather than blaming them, we should ask, "Why is this so hard for them? Why can these people who can do so many things, not eat properly?"

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#47

Post by newvoiceoldphne »

brian_cunnie wrote: post #44
jdietrich wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm no fan of fad diets, but a lot of Westerners have a real problem with simply not knowing what hunger feels like . A lot of people are so habituated to large portions and frequent snacking that they're never meaningfully hungry, just somewhere on the spectrum between "reasonably sated" and "physically incapable of ingesting another morsel". Their eating habits have fundamentally broken the connection between food…

> not knowing what hunger feels like True. I found that when I switched to a low-carb diet, my relationship with hunger changed. For one thing, I was always hungry: nothing makes you feel full like a good batch of carbs. But the hunger was similar to a low-grade background noise; it was fundamentally different than the I-gotta-eat-right-now hunger of the carbolicious diet. The other thing I noticed is that since I sw…

Eating more fats will cure the hunger.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#48

Post by chasil »

elil17 wrote: post #32
theNJR wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More Western people should do multi day fasts. It really changes your relationship with food. Plus a million other positive things.

You do realize that, compared to eating too little, eating too much is really not that bad? Yes, starving yourself does change your relationship with food (in that it makes you hungry and miserable). And, for many people it can start a cycle of food related anxiety (an eating disorder). Perhaps some benefits do exist, but it’s wrong to advocate for fasting without fully addressing the serious health risks.

My parents both have type 2, and I fast every Sunday night until Tuesday morning.

I don't think this makes me at all miserable, although it is easier if I stay busy. I also work a two mile walk into this.

I'm thinking about asking my physician for metformin. I don't need it now, but in cryonics circles it is recognized for life extension properties.

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#49

Post by chasil »

brian_cunnie wrote: post #40
iserlohnmage wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read it once and the part of what causing Type 2 Diabetes seems reasonable to me, however his advocate for extended fasting (namely, 36h+) sounds too aggressive.

Type II diabetic here. I can personally attest that fasting is not necessary to control type II diabetes without medication. I'm strict about my diet, but I never fast. My numbers? My A1c was 8.7 when I was diagnosed, and now, seven years later, it hovers around 5.8 - 6.0 (high normal). I find fasting difficult, and I suspect that fasting comes more easy to some than to others. If it works for you, great, but if it d…

You may want to rethink that. There are possible benefits.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39070183

Re: Blood sugar patterns to master as a type 2 diabetic

#50

Post by [deleted] »

chasil wrote: post #49
brian_cunnie wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Type II diabetic here. I can personally attest that fasting is not necessary to control type II diabetes without medication. I'm strict about my diet, but I never fast. My numbers? My A1c was 8.7 when I was diagnosed, and now, seven years later, it hovers around 5.8 - 6.0 (high normal). I find fasting difficult, and I suspect that fasting comes more easy to some than to others. If it works for you, great, but if it d…

You may want to rethink that. There are possible benefits. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39070183

[deleted]
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