How many Type 1 Diabetics do we have in our group?

[WillyPete]

I've seen discussions about insulin and the availability of same in other discussion forums I visit. Not too many folks are able to find good information other than a lot of "snake oil" type medicine and even more hearsay.
I have found some decent web pages that deal with insulin and the production of insulin and I offer them for y'alls perusal. They're very informative and quite well written.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Saxl


http://www.discoveryofinsulin.com/Experiments.htm


http://www.discoveryofinsulin.com/FGBLecture.htm

These do not deal with Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependent as this type does not always require insulin for its treatment regimen.

[cowboy38229]

Well in NOV.of 09 i was diagnosed with type 2 and their giving me all the pills they can to control it the next step would have been insulin .but its under control now as long as i keep a good supply of pills. i've got them to write me a scrip to keep me 3 months ahead. got to lose some more weight and maybe this will go away.

[Toepopper]

That is the problem; once you start taking the pills it is EXTREMELY difficult to lose the weight even on a starvation diet. I take Metformin HCL, Glipizide and now am taking insulin two times per day to keep the glucose levels where they should be. All three of these medications cause you to gain weight. I was walking three miles a day, plus all the other physical work involved in the homestead and I still gained weight . Combine that with cutting my meals down to half portions and still no weight loss. There were several times when I was so weak from hunger that I had to whistle to my wife , up the hill at the housesite, to drive down and get me because I did not have the strength to hike up that mountainside. I looked up these drugs in the PDR (Physicians Desk reference) and it stated that these drugs will cause a person to gain weight and when I confronted my doctor he admitted that yes, these drugs will cause wait gain. So here we have a disease that in some cases WILL go away with weight loss and the pharmaceutical corporations develope drugs that prevent weight loss so you will become a lifelong slave to taking these drugs in order to stay alive. I was diagnosed with type 2 about 10 years ago. The VA tells me that it was chemically induced from contact with agent orange and they provide me with all my meds and medical treatment. Still, this disease is a curse.

[cowboy38229]

Well I'm down to taking 1000 mg of Metformin twice a day and my blood sugar runs from 90 to120 most days if i don't eat anything white or corn or sugar ,actually i haven't had any of that since Nov. 9,we used to buy 5 lb. of sugar a week now we have the same we had in Nov.,in case we have company .I think I'm doing pretty good on my weight loss next week will be 4 months and I've lost 23 lbs. and feel better than i have in 5 years.When i started out my blood sugar was about 350 first thing in the morning. About 70 more lbs. and I'll be back to my normal weight before I started driving a truck.But this sugar free and low carb. lifestyle is something I'm probably going to stick with from now own.

[Toepopper]

Thats real good progress cowboy and I encourage you to stick with the program and possibly this curse will go away. There was a patient ( another truck driver) in the VA clinic who went on the Dr Atkins zero carbohydrate diet and lost 120 lbs in 16 months. The no carb diet plus exercise did the trick and his glucose levels came back to normal. They took him off all diabetic medications and all blood pressure meds, so now he is a happy camper. That Atkins diet was designed for people with diabetes to control glucose levels and an unexpected benefit was the weight loss that occured to the first group of test patients. It is extremly hard to go carb free and you must watch everything you eat very carefully.

[Watchman]

Here's my zinger! What does a low-carb or no-carb diet do to your cholesterol?

[side_job]

Watchman,
I have poised this question to my physician. His reply is that the Atkins diet will impact you cholesterol... mainly because it recommends eating a large amount of fat and unlimited portions. His suggestion was if you were going to take this approach, do it in this fashion.

Remove the carbs, as you would think
you meats need to be lean,
you cheese needs to be limited
eggs should be reduced yokes
and you need to fall within a 1000-1500 calorie daily limit.

This WILL drop the weight, but you really need to remain hydrated as ketosis is tough on the kidneys.

I have yet to defeat this enemy (weight control), I am currently in the recon stage, gathering knowledge...

[Toepopper]

In his book The Dr.Atkins Diet Revolution, 1972, the doctor explains that this diet was originally designed for diabetics to keep their sugar glucose levels under control. The weight loss was an unexpected benefit. Most of the test patients cholesterol levels rose at first but then began to drop to normal levels after about 3 weeks. The patients on this diet lost about 3 to 4 pounds per week and stated that they had more energy and never felt hungry. You must test your urine with Keto-Stix test strips which will turn purple when your liver is in a state of ketosis and burning fat. By the third week you may start adding very small amounts of carbs like lettuce or celery. No beer, bread or banannas, ever. This diet is probably the most argued about regimen in the medical industry but the weight loss is proof positive that it works.
One of the posts by fern was of a video of diabetics who went to a clinic in Arizona and changed their dietary intake to whole grains, raw nuts, fruits and vegatables. Zero meat or dairy products for 30 days. The people who managed to last 30 days lost weight and their glucose levels dropped down to normal, allowing them to get off the meds and insulin.

[SS5R]

My wife recently read the book by Dr. Oz , “You On A Diet.” She said one of the things he explains in the book is how sugar affects the body’s organs and what you should eat with sugar to help metabolize it. She thinks it is a gold mine for diabetics to read. Neither she nor I are diabetic.

[cowboy38229]

actually I'm not on Atkins or anything like that ,I've just cut back on my intake of carbs.eat nothing white ,no potatoes,starch turns to sugar,no white bread ,loaded with carbs and easily digestible causes sugar to spike,no corn ,corn bread,lots of carbs. i switched to WHOLE WHEAT bread ,compare the brands to find the one with the lowest carbs. and highest fiber.
I still eat carbs. but limit them to 40 to 50 per meal. I eat alot of fiber,vegetables,lean meat, chicken ,grilled or baked fish and salmon and that helps a lot with cholesterol .And i grill about everything i can.I've stood on the back porch in the snow grilling this winter.I'm off sugar,no sweet tea,no coke,just coke zero and water.

[308gun]

I just was very sick my self , part of problem was that I was type 1 , Diabetics , after i got home from Hospital , I stopped smoking , but what has helped me is supplements, I am using pancreas tonic,coconut oil, and advanced blood sugar solution daily , weekly use Iodine supplement, and lots of oatmeal, and use lots of cinnamon on my oatmeal , have gotten back lots of energy , and weight is no problem , I do lots of work, and on go a lot too. so I eat all the meat I want , and lots more vegies, and have a low salt V-8 for every meal , and have learned that Pizza and brownies are ok for Diabetics and if doing lots of work and get a sugar low I have orange juice and candy bar.. I take no MEDS and my count goes from 160 to 20 day to day still learning about this stuff ...

[WillyPete]

My wife recently read the book by Dr. Oz , “You On A Diet.” She said one of the things he explains in the book is how sugar affects the body’s organs and what you should eat with sugar to help metabolize it. She thinks it is a gold mine for diabetics to read. Neither she nor I are diabetic.

I've paid a bit of attention to "Dr." Oz and I believe he's just another snake oil salesman/BS artist/con man.
My belief comes from some of his pronouncements to people on his show. The main incident was one show where he had a very obese man in for counseling/consultation.
Oz did a finger stick on this man and got a blood glucose level reading of 120. "Dr." Oz told this man that he was "one candy bar away from developing full blown diabetes." I called BS because Oz was, IMHO, telling this man a major lie. I would kill to maintain a 120 BGL.
I've been dealing with diabetes for over 40 years, which I believe may be longer than "Dr." OZ has even been alive so, I'm not believing him at all and I suggest people who want to take care of themselves don't listen to this guy, you'll be healthier by far.

[knobster]

My wife and youngest daughter both have Type-1. If there is one prep item I'm severely lacking should everything go south it is insulin. We typically have 3-5 vials in the fridge at all times but that won't last long should the supply trucks stop. Acquiring more without a prescription and/or breaking the bank is rather difficult.

[Watchman]

What type of insulin do you use?

[308gun]

I have also learned to eat NO sugar and I mean no sugar products , drink my coffee and tea with no sugar or sweet products, if I mess up and get some sugar ,I get leg cramps... this keeps me over the on the natural side . and control your diet ..more greens etc. also check out herbal supplements....

[Watchman]

308: does that mean you are a diabetic as knobster asked?

[308gun]

I was , but not now! the medical people will keep you on stuff, it's very hard but you can get off some times.