Question:
Apparently not, although I guess the jury is out on this one. When he was diagnosed, he (foolishly in my opinion) rushed out to tell his car insurers he was diabteic.
Why would it make any difference to a car insurer? — Jonathan Grobe Jonathan Grobe Books. Used & out-of-print books: Search or browse subject catalogs: <http://www.netins.net/showcase/grobe For millions of used/out-of-print books try <http://www.abebooks.com <http://www.bibliofind.com <http://www.bookavenue.com
Response:
Angellfish Why is the doctor stupid. Because he told you something you didnt want tohear. Well my told me three aspects of Yoga. Awareness Acceptance Adjustment As soon as the anger starts to disaapate use these three things to get you on track. You are not aware that you have diabetes. Now you have toacce[t that and make the adjustments to your life style. Did anyone say life is easy. But guess what if you change your weigh of eating, you will be healthier with diabetes than you are without it. Loretta Say what you mean and mean what you say
Response:
Apparently not, although I guess the jury is out on this one. When he was diagnosed, he (foolishly in my opinion) rushed out to tell his car insurers he was diabteic. Why would it make any difference to a car insurer?
Oh dear, have you not told yours? They get a bit pissed off with you if you withhold medical information which could affect your ability to drive -- Ron O'Brien
Response:
Why would it make any difference to a car insurer? Oh dear, have you not told yours? They get a bit pissed off with you if you withhold medical information which could affect your ability to drive
How can diabetes affect your ability to drive? -- Jonathan Grobe Jonathan Grobe Books. Used & out-of-print books: Search or browse subject catalogs: <http://www.netins.net/showcase/grobe For millions of used/out-of-print books try <http://www.abebooks.com <http://www.bibliofind.com <http://www.bookavenue.com
Response:
Mine has not asked and I'm sure not going to volunteer that info. I don't think that diabetes is a condition that affects your ability to drive anyway. Apparently not, although I guess the jury is out on this one. When he was diagnosed, he (foolishly in my opinion) rushed out to tell his car insurers he was diabteic. Why would it make any difference to a car insurer? Oh dear, have you not told yours? They get a bit pissed off with you if you withhold medical information which could affect your ability to drive
Just another DeadHead Computer Nerd
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I know what you are going through. I was just diagnosed last week. I am 30 and been very healthy till now. Diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I feel over the hill. Still can not believe it but trying to deal with it. I think the key is to get it under control NOW. Just keep learning about it and keep coming back here. This group has been very good for me. Take care and good luck.
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- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text - bummed-out. I've always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I've always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it's the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don't know very much about it except for the fact I can't eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out. Also, I'm not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff. I'm not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don't know what I'm doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don't need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it's not allowed. I'm like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn't there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat? Also, what's with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Angelfish Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
I would just like to say that I know exactly how you feel as I was only diagnosed on the 4th of July and Iam just coming to terms with the fact that I have diabetes. I have asked question here and have found some great support and information. To my relief you can drink diet soft drinks, so the coke is in. 
) ) ) Jenni from Oz.
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I really don't think there is a thing they could do about it here in the US but I decided long ago that if anyone every sued me and won I would totally trash anything I had of value, quite my job, go on welfare, laugh and tell them to come and see what they could get. - Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text - I don't take insulin and I have never had a hypo.And I really don't have any intention of paying my insurance company one red cent more than they are already ripping me off for. Besides that I got the insurance before I was diagnosed and they renew it every year and don't ask any questions just send a bill. You think maybe I should call them and beg to be over charged even more than I already am. I think not and I don't really give a rat's ass about defending anything in court. Well, I can only speak for UK insurance companies who insist in the small print that it is your responsibility to inform them of any changes which might affect your ability to drive or the premiums they charge(!) Two things. If you are involved in an accident that kills the US President and Bill Gates - your insurance company ain't gunna want to pay out on that one, so "not giving a rats ass about going to court" may prove expensive. Secondly, in the UK at least, if it were ever discovered that you had withheld information, the insurers have a right to reclaim all revised premiums owed since you first signed with them or since you were diagnosed. Now, I do not know if this applies to non insulin dependant diabetics. And having said all that, because of a long service record with my insurers I haven't actually paid any extra premium because of diabetes for fifteen years.
Just another DeadHead Computer Nerd
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? Oh dear, have you not told yours? They get a bit pissed off with you if you withhold medical information which could affect your ability to drive How can diabetes affect your ability to drive?
Oh come on? Read the threads in this group - some people can barely get through a day without hypo's. You and I might be able to keep ourselves on the right side of that little test strip - but not everyone. Insurers want to blame anything they can on anything they can and withholding the fact that you are diabetic will certainly invalidate your insurance. Indeed, most application forms I've seen actually ask if you suffer from diabetes. -- Ron O'Brien
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Mine has not asked and I'm sure not going to volunteer that info. I don't think that diabetes is a condition that affects your ability to drive anyway.
They may not ask specifically but you can bet that there is a section which asks if you have any known medical condition which 'might' affect your ability to drive. I certainly would not like to try and defend that one in court! -- Ron O'Brien
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I don't take insulin and I have never had a hypo.And I really don't have any intention of paying my insurance company one red cent more than they are already ripping me off for. Besides that I got the insurance before I was diagnosed and they renew it every year and don't ask any questions just send a bill. You think maybe I should call them and beg to be over charged even more than I already am. I think not and I don't really give a rat's ass about defending anything in court. Mine has not asked and I'm sure not going to volunteer that info. I don't think that diabetes is a condition that affects your ability to drive anyway. They may not ask specifically but you can bet that there is a section which asks if you have any known medical condition which 'might' affect your ability to drive. I certainly would not like to try and defend that one in court!
Just another DeadHead Computer Nerd
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I don't take insulin and I have never had a hypo.And I really don't have any intention of paying my insurance company one red cent more than they are already ripping me off for. Besides that I got the insurance before I was diagnosed and they renew it every year and don't ask any questions just send a bill. You think maybe I should call them and beg to be over charged even more than I already am. I think not and I don't really give a rat's ass about defending anything in court.
Well, I can only speak for UK insurance companies who insist in the small print that it is your responsibility to inform them of any changes which might affect your ability to drive or the premiums they charge(!) Two things. If you are involved in an accident that kills the US President and Bill Gates - your insurance company ain't gunna want to pay out on that one, so "not giving a rats ass about going to court" may prove expensive. Secondly, in the UK at least, if it were ever discovered that you had withheld information, the insurers have a right to reclaim all revised premiums owed since you first signed with them or since you were diagnosed. Now, I do not know if this applies to non insulin dependant diabetics. And having said all that, because of a long service record with my insurers I haven't actually paid any extra premium because of diabetes for fifteen years. -- Ron O'Brien
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bummed-out. Well, I guess we were all 'bummed-out' when we discovered this fact too. I was certain well and truly bummed-out 30 years ago at the ripe old age of 16 - could it happen at a worse age?
Whoa, that stinks big time! The fact is that from your current life-style and eating habits you will probably end up being pleased you are diabetic! Sounds like you really need something to pull your eating habits into order before you die of a whole host of other - far worse - diseases that diabetes.
Hey, I liked my eating habits, however, my son thinks they're disgusting. If anything, the dang diabetic eating plan will stop his preaching and lecturing. The one good thing about diabetes is that if you see me walking down the street, swimming, dancing, playing football etc you would never know I had anything wrong with me. Compare that to people with asthma
Hey, hold on just a sec, I have asthma and I look just like anyone else. I take this stuff called singulair and this other stuff called flovent and don't hardly have it at all. Asthma is really no big deal, I just avoid aisles of scented candles and poutouris and perfumes in stores. haemophilia, - Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -cancer, physical and mental disabilities - if you've got to have something wrong with you, you can do a lot worse than diabetes, you just need to adjust to it. Adjusting to it is a mental thing and depends on whether you want to master it or be a martyr to it. You need to find out as much as you can about *your* condition - no two diabetic conditions are alike. Ask questions, no matter how stupid they may appear - no question is stupid if it requires and answer! If you still don't understand - ask again! Learn the effects of over and under-eating, for you will need to recognise these two 'feelings'. Learning to live without 15 doughnuts - ;-) - a day is not as hard as it may at first seem, and you will end up living a happier and healthier life for it. I don't want to sound like some crank healthy living guru (I'm certainly not!) but based on you likes for junk food, I think you will see benefits
I'm not totally on junk food, because when I go to work, if I don't have a healthy-type frozen meal before going to work and then I'm busy walking from one end of the store to the other, I start to feel a little faint after about 3 or 4 hours.. Incidentally, I see you are type 2, non-insulin. I don't want to build hopes here, but are you over-weight?
I'm about 10-20 lbs overweight. I've been working in a store and do a lot of walking at that job and have been on my feet a lot. I know a guy who's kitchen was MacDonald's and KFC(!) he was also 70lbs over-weight and diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. On his diabetic diet he lost 50lbs and ceased to be diabetic. That was five years ago, he is now down to a near normal weight and is officially no longer diabetic - all weight induced
Coooool!! Thanks for the words of encouragement! Angelfish Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
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Thank you, it's good to meet someone who feels like I do!! - Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text - bummed-out. I've always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I've DITTODITTODITTODITTODITTO!!!!! And I despised exercise. Still do. This has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. same here! My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it's the type 2 variety Yes, that's high. According to the DCCT (Diabetes Complications & Control Trial, the largest study ever done on the effects of diabetes and tightly controlling your blood sugars), an *average* of 211 would mean approximately a 9% on your HbA1c test would put you at what looks like a 20% increased risk of retinopathy in 9 years. Here's the chart I'm looking at: http://www.amarillomed.com/Retinopathy_files/slide0002_image002.gif The more you can keep it between 80 and 110, the more you reduce your risk of side-effects. and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don't know very much about it except for the fact I can't eat food that tastes good anymore. I wouldn't say that you can't eat it "anymore". But you probably do need to drastically reduce the frequency and portions. Of course, exercise can help a lot too. I find that weight lifting gives me the most benefit. The anaerobic exercise makes my muscles need a lot of glucose and so they pull it from my blood for 2-3 days afterwards. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation. I was intensely angry for about 7-8 months. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out. HERE HERE. Also, I'm not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff. I hear that! I've gotten used to it though. At first, my fingers would be sore for days. Then I switched to a better monitor (FastTake) that doesn't require as much blood so I don't have to poke as deeply and that helps a LOT. I'm not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don't know what I'm doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don't need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do. yup yup yup. I totally hear ya. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? Yes, nutra-sweet is allowed. Athough, I THINK powdered sweeteners include another ingredient (dextrose, I think) that does have some carbs. That's why I use saccharin *pills* in my coffee (no dextrose needed to bulk it up). I also use Splenda in my cheesecake. I bought the Splenda here: www.splenda.com I've also used Stevia extract in my coffee, but it's not my favorite. My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it's not allowed. I'm like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn't there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat? Oh yes. Lotsa stuff. Also, what's with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? That has to do with controlling your carbohydrates. The diabetes class you go to will probably give you some guidelines on how many carbs you can eat. I chose to go the extremely low-carb route, even though that's a very controversial topic. Now that I'm on insulin, I have increased my carbs, but not a lot. I "save" my carbs for things I really really really like (such as potatoes now and then) and go for the sugar-free items for day-to-day stuff. For example, I use "light" yogurt which is sweetened with aspartame and pick the most "decadent" flavors, such as boston cream pie. What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. You have a LOT to learn. It's quite overwhelming. So don't feel crazy. My head spun for months. FORTUNATELY, you don't have to change *everything* right this minute. You can do it gradually.
Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
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Thank you so much for your kind words, Jude. Is 211 high? Yes, but not particularly high. Some people have a reading of 600 or 800 when they are diagnosed. But this is *much* to your advantage-- it may mean that you haven't had much damage done to your body. You should be thanking that doctor for and early diagnosis. BTW, 211 is a "snapshot" of your blood glucose (bG) at one particular moment in time. It is likely that the reading would be higher or lower at other times. Many GPs have only casual knowledge of diabetes, enough to get you to the specialists you need, such as an endocronologist, diabetes educator, dietitian, others. Because they are experts in diabetic issues and therapy, they have the "luxury" of knowing the latest medical trends in treatment.
He didn't recommend an endocronologist, but he did recommend diabetic education which I really need. - Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -On to the nutrition part. I won't address how you can into the habit of eating all those sweets, but I do know why you feel addicted to them, especially now that you have diabetes. When your blood glucose (bG) is not in control, it means that either you don't make enough insulin or you are resistant to using the insulin you make. We need insulin to process the glucose (sugar) so that our bodies cells can use the glucose. When the body doesn't get enough glucose, it asks for more, craving for glucose. The body can't tell it has enough. Meantime, the unprocessed glucose gets discharged from the body in our urine -- the classic symptom of a diabetic. So to reduce the cravings, appropriate therapy has to be provided to control the bGs: nutritional changes, exercise, perhaps oral medication or insulin. When your body becomes more in balance with itself, it doesn't have to shout out for sugar.]
Oh my gosh that makes a lot of sense! That explains my craving the stuff. As a person who has traditionally eaten a lot of sweets before you became diabetic, it is going to be more difficult for you to adjust your nutrition than someone who has always eaten a more balanced diet.
Oh yeah, you’re not kidding, you said it!!! Is pizza okay? Certainly you aren’t going to be able to eat sweets in – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -unlimited quantities. Hopefully you have enough foods (non-sweet) that you *do* like as it will be easier to make the transition to a healthy diabetic and a healthy person. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out. Sometimes we use that as our primary motivation, and it really can help us to decide to do what we must to avoid the complications. It is the primary reason this newsgroup exists — all of us face these possibilities and more — and we want to reduce the odds of getting them. Also, I’m not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff. You will get used to it rather quickly, I suspect. The concept is really worse than the process. We have some recommendations to minimize the discomfort — ask when you’re ready to absorb them.
Thanks. I’m not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don’t need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do. You might need some new tools to help you, for example a cooking timer or a watch with an alarm to remind you. Like Pavlov’s dogs, you’ll train yourself over time. Keep your asthma spray in the same place as your meter and you’ll find that too.
I have to learn how to use my watch timer. I also have an alarm on my computer. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Here’s the best I can think of: All of us have been thru this, most of us have been able to take steps that brings our bG in significant control. All of us have needed to make adjustments to our WayOfEating and our WayOfLife. For the participants of alt.support.diabetes, we find that regular participation helps us keep "on track". When we have a problem we can get near-instantaneous feedback. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed. I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat? Some artificial sweeteners are fine, Splenda appears to cause few difficulties, NutraSweet (aspertame) causes some people problems. Neither of these will negatively impact your bG. You may find that they won’t necessarily reduce your cravings because they are only giving you taste and your body may be craving SUGAR.
I hadn’t thought of that. Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom. Don’t you hate those "canned" diets from the doctor?
Oh yeah!! They recommend that crap for us, then probably go home and enjoy a bacon double-cheeseburger, a ‘biggie-size’ fries and an extra-large Snickers bar for dessert!! They are a stop-gap measure until you go to see a dietitian. See above about specialists.
Just so long as the healthy food they recommend doesn’t take much preparation, I hate to cook & have no time for it. I’ve seen a number of healthy frozen meals and my mom’s diabetic and lives on frozen meals. She hates cooking too. Most fresh fruit is good for us. Especially good for us is cantaloupe, strawberries and other berries. It is better to have fruit rather than fruit-juice.
Oh, okay, I didn’t know that. Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt often has added sugar. Plain yogurt can be flavored with artificial sweetener, a drop of vanilla flavoring, and a generous helping of fresh fruit (above), whole or crushed. Healthier overall, better for your bG control. In a pinch, have the fruit-on-the bottom yogurt.
Hey, that’s brilliant!! I never even thought of that! Thanks! We talk about nutrition regularly on alt.support.diabetes , so be sure to look for those posts. We do *not* all agree with each other on specifics, but we have some processes to help you find out what changes are most necessary for you to make in your own WayOfEating.
This is great! this is just what I needed. One thing that would help so we can advise you better is if you would tell us a bit about how you eat, what foods besides sweets you enjoy and which you do not. We may be able to help you get a headstart so that your visit with the dietitian will be more productive. Welcome to the group no one wants to join. We’re here for the duration, so I hope you’ll take advantage of us.
Thank you so much. You’ve been a tremedous help. Angelfish Jude
Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
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In article <0313C535DDDB7028.E32153002FE603C0.016F81E5B6C747FC Ron, As I understand it, your friend is still diabetic. Losing weight has helped him gain control, but it didn’t make the diabetes go away. Once you have diabetes, you’ve got it for life. At least that is how I understand it. If I’m incorrect, I hope someone drops by and explains to me how I’m wrong.
Apparently not, although I guess the jury is out on this one. When he was diagnosed, he (foolishly in my opinion) rushed out to tell his car insurers he was diabteic. Now, having lost the weight, there is no evidence of high sugar levels whatsoever, he b/g level is ‘normal’ and has been over a period of time. So he contacted the insurers again who said sod-off there is no cure so stop trying it on! Eventually, after several medicals and learned opinions, he found and insurer who accepted the advice of several consultants that as his b/g level was, and had been constant for a period of months, he was no longer diabetic in medical diagnosis terms. I guess it’s like some women who become diabetic during pregnancy, then perfectly normal afterwards — Ron O’Brien
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Having diabetes stinks, but it’s not the end of the world. My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. My father had colon cancer. My grandfather died of a blood clot that traveled from his leg to his heart/lungs. Our friend died of bone cancer. Another friend died of muscular dystrophy. My cousin’s husband lost his arm in a farm accident. Me? I have diabetes and so have to eat less sugar. (Which
means that so far I am the luckiest person in this list.)
Pretty true words for a lot of us. My mother died having lost the last ten years of her life to Alzheimers. My father had a stroke and 5 months later died of liver cancer. All his brothers died of cancers of the digestive system. Young brother in law died of muscular dystrophy. Friend died of breast cancer. Male friend in late 30’s died of motor neurone disease. My heart breaks for some young children I know : young boy 7 years old – Down syndome inoperable heart condition, not expected to live til 10 years old. 9 year old boy in my son’s class – muscular dystrophy way more advanced than my BIL’s who died at age 17. Two little friends of Jasmine – one died of heart complications and the other from brain damage from seizures – both these children were twins but not to each other. Diabetes for a lot of people isn’t really all that bad but my heart goes out to those diabetics who are suffering complications.
Response:
bummed-out.
Well, I guess we were all ‘bummed-out’ when we discovered this fact too. I was certain well and truly bummed-out 30 years ago at the ripe old age of 16 – could it happen at a worse age? The fact is that from your current life-style and eating habits you will probably end up being pleased you are diabetic! Sounds like you really need something to pull your eating habits into order before you die of a whole host of other – far worse – diseases that diabetes. The one good thing about diabetes is that if you see me walking down the street, swimming, dancing, playing football etc you would never know I had anything wrong with me. Compare that to people with asthma, haemophilia, cancer, physical and mental disabilities – if you’ve got to have something wrong with you, you can do a lot worse than diabetes, you just need to adjust to it. Adjusting to it is a mental thing and depends on whether you want to master it or be a martyr to it. You need to find out as much as you can about *your* condition – no two diabetic conditions are alike. Ask questions, no matter how stupid they may appear – no question is stupid if it requires and answer! If you still don’t understand – ask again! Learn the effects of over and under-eating, for you will need to recognise these two ‘feelings’. Learning to live without 15 doughnuts – ;-) - a day is not as hard as it may at first seem, and you will end up living a happier and healthier life for it. I don’t want to sound like some crank healthy living guru (I’m certainly not!) but based on you likes for junk food, I think you will see benefits. Incidentally, I see you are type 2, non-insulin. I don’t want to build hopes here, but are you over-weight? I know a guy who’s kitchen was MacDonald’s and KFC(!) he was also 70lbs over-weight and diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. On his diabetic diet he lost 50lbs and ceased to be diabetic. That was five years ago, he is now down to a near normal weight and is officially no longer diabetic – all weight induced — Ron O’Brien
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bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation.
I still eat lots of food that taste good. I just do it in small quantities. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed. I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat?
Nutra sweet is allowed, but then so is sugar. I eat deserts with sugar, honey all that stuff all the time. Its the quantity that you need to watch. The only thing that I have had to give up is sodas that contain sugar, have replaced those with diet sodas. Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom.
Every morning I have yogurt on my cereal and it is never plain yogurt. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
The deal is you can eat what you want, even if some people will tell you you must cut carbs that’s not totally true. The ADA diet allows you to eat anything you want. Its portion size that must be controlled. You can use medication to control your blood sugars also. Exercise is very important also. Just another DeadHead Computer Nerd
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This is a keeper! Thanks. Jude Having diabetes stinks, but it’s not the end of the world. My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. My father had colon cancer. My grandfather died of a blood clot that traveled from his leg to his heart/lungs. Our friend died of bone cancer. Another friend died of muscular dystrophy. My cousin’s husband lost his arm in a farm accident. Me? I have diabetes and so have to eat less sugar. (Which means that so far I am the luckiest person in this list.) – moshe
– - Coming Soon – BestOrgs.NET Oak Park, IL 708-848-0134 URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch
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First off, welcome to the club no one wants to join. Second, encouragement… Ok, my Blood Glucose (BG) at diagnosis was 650+ and I was hospitalized for 4 days… My latest long range BG test (called an HbA1c) was 6.0 on a scale of 5.5 to 6.5 for the normal range. Its taken my about 2 years to get it down from that high, but with yours it should be easier. Meds, exercise, and a new Way Of Eating(permanent, not a short term diet) will help you greatly! You can still eat most everything you did before but you’ll have to learn when and how much you can eat… do you have a meter yet? If not, call your doctor and ask for one! He can at least prescribe one so your insurance will cover it. Test often to find out where your BG’s are and what each food you eat does to them! And read this newsgroup often… We offer lots of help and support! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out. Also, I’m not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff. I’m not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don’t need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed. I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat? Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Angelfish Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
– T2 – Glucophage, diet, and exercise – March ‘98 Born ‘47 Another Soggy Seattle Sysop!
Response:
bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation.
Is 211 high? Yes, but not particularly high. Some people have a reading of 600 or 800 when they are diagnosed. But this is *much* to your advantage– it may mean that you haven’t had much damage done to your body. You should be thanking that doctor for and early diagnosis. BTW, 211 is a "snapshot" of your blood glucose (bG) at one particular moment in time. It is likely that the reading would be higher or lower at other times. Many GPs have only casual knowledge of diabetes, enough to get you to the specialists you need, such as an endocronologist, diabetes educator, dietitian, others. Because they are experts in diabetic issues and therapy, they have the "luxury" of knowing the latest medical trends in treatment. On to the nutrition part. I won’t address how you can into the habit of eating all those sweets, but I do know why you feel addicted to them, especially now that you have diabetes. When your blood glucose (bG) is not in control, it means that either you don’t make enough insulin or you are resistant to using the insulin you make. We need insulin to process the glucose (sugar) so that our bodies cells can use the glucose. When the body doesn’t get enough glucose, it asks for more, craving for glucose. The body can’t tell it has enough. Meantime, the unprocessed glucose gets discharged from the body in our urine — the classic symptom of a diabetic. So to reduce the cravings, appropriate therapy has to be provided to control the bGs: nutritional changes, exercise, perhaps oral medication or insulin. When your body becomes more in balance with itself, it doesn’t have to shout out for sugar. As a person who has traditionally eaten a lot of sweets before you became diabetic, it is going to be more difficult for you to adjust your nutrition than someone who has always eaten a more balanced diet. Certainly you aren’t going to be able to eat sweets in unlimited quantities. Hopefully you have enough foods (non-sweet) that you *do* like as it will be easier to make the transition to a healthy diabetic and a healthy person. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out.
Sometimes we use that as our primary motivation, and it really can help us to decide to do what we must to avoid the complications. It is the primary reason this newsgroup exists — all of us face these possibilities and more — and we want to reduce the odds of getting them. Also, I’m not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff.
You will get used to it rather quickly, I suspect. The concept is really worse than the process. We have some recommendations to minimize the discomfort — ask when you’re ready to absorb them. I’m not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don’t need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do.
You might need some new tools to help you, for example a cooking timer or a watch with an alarm to remind you. Like Pavlov’s dogs, you’ll train yourself over time. Keep your asthma spray in the same place as your meter and you’ll find that too. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that.
Here’s the best I can think of: All of us have been thru this, most of us have been able to take steps that brings our bG in significant control. All of us have needed to make adjustments to our WayOfEating and our WayOfLife. For the participants of alt.support.diabetes, we find that regular participation helps us keep "on track". When we have a problem we can get near-instantaneous feedback. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed. I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat?
Some artificial sweeteners are fine, Splenda appears to cause few difficulties, NutraSweet (aspertame) causes some people problems. Neither of these will negatively impact your bG. You may find that they won’t necessarily reduce your cravings because they are only giving you taste and your body may be craving SUGAR. Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom.
Don’t you hate those "canned" diets from the doctor? They are a stop-gap measure until you go to see a dietitian. See above about specialists. Most fresh fruit is good for us. Especially good for us is cantaloupe, strawberries and other berries. It is better to have fruit rather than fruit-juice. Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt often has added sugar. Plain yogurt can be flavored with artificial sweetener, a drop of vanilla flavoring, and a generous helping of fresh fruit (above), whole or crushed. Healthier overall, better for your bG control. In a pinch, have the fruit-on-the bottom yogurt. We talk about nutrition regularly on alt.support.diabetes , so be sure to look for those posts. We do *not* all agree with each other on specifics, but we have some processes to help you find out what changes are most necessary for you to make in your own WayOfEating. One thing that would help so we can advise you better is if you would tell us a bit about how you eat, what foods besides sweets you enjoy and which you do not. We may be able to help you get a headstart so that your visit with the dietitian will be more productive. Welcome to the group no one wants to join. We’re here for the duration, so I hope you’ll take advantage of us. Jude — - Coming Soon – BestOrgs.NET Oak Park, IL 708-848-0134 URL: http://www.pobox.com/~jcrouch
Response:
bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation.
Angelfish, I understand exactly what you are going through. I went through the same thing several months ago. Diabetes IS NOT the end of the world. It CAN be controlled with some relatively easy changes to your lifestyle. You CAN eat nearly everything you ate before, but you must eat them in moderation. That means no longer can you pig out on a dozen doughnuts, however, you can still have one with a small glass of milk once in a while. They should become treats, not entire meals. You must get yourself a glucose meter and accept the fact that you have to prick your finger to check how you are doing. It is a pain at first, but you do get used to it eventually. It is the only way to track how you are doing. You must learn how different foods react to your body. Each of us are different and food affects us in very different ways. Some of us cannot eat very much fruit because of it’s reaction to our glucose, others find that fresh fruit has a minimal impact on our levels. You have to learn about your own reactions. Complications, such as blindness and amputation, usually only happen to those who choose to ignore their diabetes and allow their glucose to run out of control. If you gain control and keep it, you will most likely have nothing to worry about. I don’t know who your doctor is, but you need to make sure he knows what he is talking about when it comes to diabetes. There are a lot of doctors who do not keep up with the latest information about the disease. I would recommend that you see a diabetes specialist and a dietician just as soon as you can get to them. Anyone who tells you that you simply cannot have something ever again, is flat out wrong. Everything is allowed as long as you use common sense, moderation, and test frequently. You can gain control. It isn’t hopeless. If you want to see how I’ve done, please drop by my website. It can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/smith444/diabetes/ Believe me when I say that if I can gain control, you certainly can do the same. This group has provided with with so much support. I urge you to visit often and not to be afraid to post any questions or concerns you might have. Take care. — Mike Smith Diagnosed T2 5/00 Amaryl 2 mg Daily + Exercise & Diet -You are invited to visit any of my personal websites- My Diabetes Success Story: http://www.geocities.com/smith444/diabetes/ Diabetes Humor: http://www.geocities.com/smith444/diabetes/humor.html Breast Cancer Research FDCs: http://www.in.net/~smith/BreastFDC.htm Crusade Against Cancer FDCs: http://www.geocities.com/smith444/ CMS Cachets: http://www.geocities.com/smith444/cms/
Response:
bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out. Also, I’m not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff. I’m not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don’t need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that. Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed? My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed. I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat? Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Angelfish Visit Millennium Lite at: http://www.geocities.com/angelfish07/millenniumlite.htm
Response:
bummed-out. I’ve always liked junk food & fast food and hate to cook. I’ve always enjoyed lots and lots of sweet things like cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, ice cream and stuff like that and am like addicted to sugar and sweet stuff. My stupid doctor says that my blood sugar is 211 or something like that? Is that like really high or something? I guess it’s the type 2 variety and I have to go to some sort of diabetes school he recommended and I don’t know very much about it except for the fact I can’t eat food that tastes good anymore. As you can imagine, I feel quite a bit of anger about the whole situation.
You CAN still eat those foods. You’ll just have to learn to eat them in more moderate (smaller) amounts. Also, the thought that I might lose my sight and my feet really bums me out.
If you get the diabetes under control and keep it under control your eyesight and your feet will probably do just fine. People who develop those problems are usually the people who don’t bother to keep their diabetes under control. Also, I’m not to thrilled with the fact that I might have to stick myself with a pin to monitor the dang stuff.
I agree 100%. I’m not very good at keeping track of anything, like I need some kind of locating beacon for my asthma spray and sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I am very busy and disorganized and don’t need a health problem to have to monitor with all of the zillions of other things I have to do.
I’m the same way. I actually have to keep a little written log because otherwise I will forget whether I have have my evening insulin yet. I just can’t remember. And I had to buy one of those 7-day pill holders so I would know whether I had taken my daily pills yet. Otherwise I can’t remember. Does anyone have any kind of encouragement here? I mean like I need something or some ray of hope or something like that.
People who keep their diabetes under control can do anything that non-diabetics can do. Some diabetics even run in marathons. (Heck, I couldn’t even do that before I was diabetic, so obviously the diabetes is not the problem.) Can anyone give me any advice? Is nutra-sweet allowed?
Non-sugar sweeteners like Nutrasweet are actually encouraged because they won’t raise your blood sugar. Unfortunately, some of us are allergic to Nutrasweet. Another sweetener called "Splenda" is available. Many people rave about it, but I hate the taste. My husband said that the body treats it like sugar so it’s not allowed.
He’s wrong wrong, wrong, wrong. (Don’t wive’s get a kick out of saying that to their husbands? Here’s your chance.) By the way, until I saw that line about your HUSBAND I identified with your post so much that I thought you were a grumpy old MAN like me :^) I’m like going through sugar withdrawl here, isn’t there ANYTHING good we diabetics are allowed to eat?
You CAN have sugar if you want, but in more moderate (smaller) amounts. Also, what’s with us diabetics not being allowed to have yogurt with fruit? What about low fat yogurt? The paper I got from my idiot doctor said that I can have plain yogurt! PLAIN YOGURT!!??? What kind of a dufus in their right mind would eat that !!!!??? <G I love yogurt with fruit at the bottom.
I will resist the urge to disagree with your doctor on this one… I will not publicly disagree with your doctor…. I will not interfere in your doctor/patient relationship. The hell I won’t! You CAN have fruit, but in moderate amounts because it contains sugar. SOME some fruit in your diet is helpful, because fruit contains important nutrition. As long as you eat fruit in moderation. If your doctor says that one tablespoon of fruit at the bottom of your yogurt would be a terrible sin, I would find another doctor. Is he your family doctor or is he your diabetes specialist? You should see a diabetes specialist, an endocrinologist. Eating right and controlling your diabetes does not mean that you are never again allowed to enjoy food. You can still eat sweets that you love, just in much smaller amounts. Anyway, any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Not everything you hear about diabetes is necessarily true, just as not everything you read in the National Enquirer is true. You need RELIABLE information, such as from the American Diabetes Association and from your endocrinologist (diabetes specialist), Anyone who says that you are NEVER again allowed to have ANYTHING with sugar or fruit in it is being unreasonable. Being that strict with you will present you with such an unreasonable goal that you will become discouraged and say, "The hell with it. I won’t even try to keep this blasted diabetes under control." But if someone presents you with a more reasonable goal, such as still eating SOME sugar and fruit, but replacing 90% of that sugar and fruit with Nutrasweet or Splenda, then you will be more likely to say "Oh, well, I can do THAT. So I guess keeping my diabetes under control is possible after all. I’ll give it a try." Go to a dibetes education class at a hospital or clinic and learn more about diabetes. Having diabetes stinks, but it’s not the end of the world. My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. My father had colon cancer. My grandfather died of a blood clot that traveled from his leg to his heart/lungs. Our friend died of bone cancer. Another friend died of muscular dystrophy. My cousin’s husband lost his arm in a farm accident. Me? I have diabetes and so have to eat less sugar. (Which means that so far I am the luckiest person in this list.) – moshe
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