OT - Newly diagnosed diabetes - help!

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Sign up for the Livestrong Daily Plate online. It's free. It will help you track your food intake and your exercise and assist you in balancing the two. They have diabetes-specific nutritional calculators and offer great tips IN ADDITION to the nutritional counseling you should get from a local hospital or dietician.

It really is helpful. I am not diabetic but I use the regular nutritional calculator to help me track my caloric intake.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[tweeter]

If your doctor doesn't have you testing your blood glucose, find out about getting a meter. Regular testing will help you to determine what effect various food choices have on your glucose levels. My prescription drug plan covers my test strips, although at a hefty co-pay.

I had the same problem. My doctor gave me a free meter when I was diagnosed 2 years ago. My insurance wouldn't cover that brand, so I was paying full price for the test strips. I talked to my insurance provider and asked what test strips are covered most fully. They gave me an answer, and gave me a code for a brand new, FREE, meter. I shared that with my doctor and he was okay with the new meter.

Lesson learned: Talk to everybody! The more you know, the easier it is to manage your Diabetes.

 

[lattemomof3]

The PP has made some excellent diet suggestions for you to start with. I just wanted to reinforce the idea that this is a serious health problem, and it will exacerbate other health problems you may have.

The PP mentions almost losing his eye and the toenail. My father has Type 2 Diabetes and was diagnosed maybe 20 years ago by now. He has never taken his diet seriously, and while sometimes Type 2 can be controlled or at least improved by diet and exercise. He did not choose to do this.

My father lost one kidney due to complications to his diabetes. Then the other kidney failed due to complications. He was on dialysis for YEARS and had a kidney transplant - then almost lost his eye and his eye sight due to complications to the diabetes. To this day he still sneaks food and has no self control.

I am only sharing this, because as a family member, it has been a nightmare dealing with his medical problems. Now that he is older, it is falling more and more on my DH and myself to deal with his doctors, meds - you name it. Sometimes I swear I should join an Al-Anon group, because he is addicted - to his food and behavior!

Please take care of yourself. Your family will thank you.

OK - I'm off my soapbox now. Good luck.

I so understand where you're coming from. My dad passed away last March after having diabetes for almost 30 years. He never took it seriously, and the last 10 to 15 years of his life were - bad - for all of us. He was on kidney dialysis for 10 years - which is a really long time- most people die before that, had heart surgeries, in and out of nursing homes, etc. I vowed I would not do this to my kids, and that I want more for my life. He always said he cared more about quality of life (to him, eating whatever he wanted) than quantity of life - but he physically had the worst quality of life I could ever imagine. Many a day DH and I would have to run to my parents home to help pick dad up after he had fallen down- his diabetes affected everything- feeling in his feet and legs, eyesight, everything. I guess I am just trying to put the fear of health into anyone reading this. PLEASE take your health seriously, no one can do it perfectly, but educate yourself and TRY your best, for yourself and your loved ones. Diabetes is a terrible disease, I pray someday we can find a cure, but until then, it is a controllable disease if you take it seriously.

 

[lattemomof3]

Oh my gosh. I am THAT diet right now!! Truer words were never spoken. But in all seriousness, I am petrified.

And don't judge me, but I told my husband that Disney, and the meal plan, etc, will never look the same again. I literally got upset (but of course everything is making me cry right now) that I feel like I can never eat any of the Disney sweets ever again! No Mickey Head ice cream?

to you- you really can eat anything you want- like Mickey ice cream- IF you watch your portions and carbs for the rest of the day. Just try to balance out each day - if you spurge a bit for dessert, make sure the meal you eat beforehand is healthy- like proteins and veggies. If bread or potatoes are your love, do without the dessert, have a small portion of bread or potatoes, savor it, enjoy it, with it eat some healthy protein and veggies. My absolute favorite nutrition book is "Naturally Thin" by Bethany Frankel. She really walks through how to eat healthfully without dieting, something you can do for a lifetime. You can do it! Edited to add: my mother in law and brother in law were both diagnosed w/ diabetes this fall. They have both gone off medication because they have learned to control their blood sugar- it really is controllable, and once you get into the habit of it, you will feel so much better!

 

[apnep]

the newly diagnosed diabetic. I am already in shock and need some guiding advice. Where should someone start? I pick up a so-called "healthy" food and it appears loaded with carbs, sugar! How can a busy Mom tackle this? Where is a good place to start?

Relax a little, breathe...you can do this and it is easier than you think. Everyone should be eating "like a diabetic." 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.

You just need to control your portion sizes and eat steadily throughout the day so your body has a level amount of sugar in it. It's the highs and the lows that get you into trouble. Did your doctor give you a blood glucose reader? Start monitoring your blood sugar daily.

Just because you are a diabetic doesn't mean you can't partake of anything, you just have to limit your intake. You need to look at the nutrition labels on the packages and not buy foods with high frutcose corn syrup.

You should go see a nutritionist and take some classes on diabetes and learn more about the glycemic index which tells you what foods make your sugar spike more than others. This will probably be a healthy thing for both you AND your kids.

Good luck and chin up, you'll be fine!

Angela

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I'm not diabetc myself, but my 2 year old is. When he was first diagnosed, we were in shock, and had no idea what we were ever going to feed him. We met with the CDE a few times before leaving the hospital, and they gave us so many good ideas. The first, as others have also said, is that nothing is off limits. Balance it with other things.

We've found that sugar-free does not equal carb-free, and actually has a worse effect on his blood sugar. We try as much as possible to make things from scratch in stead of buying processed foods - it gives us more control over what goes in, and comes out healthier anyways. The only thing we tend to give him that's sugar free is juice every once in a while. If he's playing with all the other kids, and they're having juice, we just make him a Crystal Light drink so he can be part of the group too.

Definitely get the Calorie King book - it's a great resource. I also agree with keeping a log of foods you like, an dthe effect they have on your blood sugars. After time, you'll learn what doesn't work well for you. It really varies person to person. Christopher has huge spikes in blood sugar with pasta, but nothing from rice. I have no idea what potatoes would do as he considers them about as tasty as dirt

Good luck!

 

[Sadie22]

The Calorie King book is great. I like the Calorie King software because I can try out various food combinations and see how they stack up nutrition-wise against the numbers I've preset for my daily amounts.

Being diagnosed has convinced me to cook from scratch more than I used to and to eat more fresh fruits and veggies than I did, but I still like my convenience foods. Jarred spaghetti sauce - some brands have a lot of sugar - you have to read the labels on everything. It's some extra work, but it's worth it.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

You guys are awesome and thanks for the advice!

I got the calorie king book and it is great.

I went to a health food store and was in shock at the price of "healthy" and organic (which I would like to try) foods. It is no wonder that poor people have higher numbers of obesity. It is so much cheaper to eat "bad"!

I am trying to figure out how I can feed my family and myself better foods on the cheap!

 

[Calliaz]

Others have given some good advice, so I am just going to say a couple of things.

1. When I was diagnosed, I cried and thought things would never be the same. While I have made changes, I can say that I still eat lots of things I probably shouldn't. It's all about moderation and planning. One thing I did learn in that first month is that a super-low carb diet will make things worse. You have to eat carbs.

2. I set a goal for myself. It is possibly unachievable, but I am doing well. I wanted to "cure" my diabetes. Basically, I wanted to lose enough weight and exercise enough that I could get off medications. My secondary goal was to get below a 6 a1c and stay there for 10 years. Everything I've read says that having good control for the first 10 years is one of the most important indicators that you will have fewer complications. I've been below 6 for a year now (diagnosed for less than 2).

3. You need to make sure that there are not other things going on with you. I discovered that I was also hypothyroid and it was messing with my blood sugar. There are lots of things like stress and illness that will affect your diabetes and vice versa.

4. Having a good endocrinologist makes a world of difference. My MIL and grandmother both have diabetes and are treated by their family physicians. I am sure family physicians can treat diabetes, but my experience has been much better with the endocrinologist. There is a lot of crap advice out there and much of it is just outdated. I prefer having someone who is constantly studying diabetes and has a bigger body of experience with it.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[Sadie22]

Others have given some good advice, so I am just going to say a couple of things.

1. When I was diagnosed, I cried and thought things would never be the same. While I have made changes, I can say that I still eat lots of things I probably shouldn't. It's all about moderation and planning. One thing I did learn in that first month is that a super-low carb diet will make things worse. You have to eat carbs.

2. I set a goal for myself. It is possibly unachievable, but I am doing well. I wanted to "cure" my diabetes. Basically, I wanted to lose enough weight and exercise enough that I could get off medications. My secondary goal was to get below a 6 a1c and stay there for 10 years. Everything I've read says that having good control for the first 10 years is one of the most important indicators that you will have fewer complications. I've been below 6 for a year now (diagnosed for less than 2).

3. You need to make sure that there are not other things going on with you. I discovered that I was also hypothyroid and it was messing with my blood sugar. There are lots of things like stress and illness that will affect your diabetes and vice versa.

4. Having a good endocrinologist makes a world of difference. My MIL and grandmother both have diabetes and are treated by their family physicians. I am sure family physicians can treat diabetes, but my experience has been much better with the endocrinologist. There is a lot of crap advice out there and much of it is just outdated. I prefer having someone who is constantly studying diabetes and has a bigger body of experience with it.

Good luck on your journey!

Calliaz, you're right on track! Your advice is great. Way to go! I'm with you on the A1c. I just wish I were doing better with exercise and weight loss. One day at a time.

 

[zumbergc]

A lot of the expense for the diabetes is the test strips, compared to the meters, as some of the test strips are like $$. We had a cat with diabetes, so no discount with the insurance.

So, we found that the walmart true track ones were some of the most affordable strips making things more affordable. We went with more convenient test strips because holding the cat down and testing is harder than sticking your own hand and getting the blood on the strip.

hocks.com is where we got test strips and needles. We could get the better needles at an affordable price, thinner were more tolerable by the cat.

Best of luck, please keep your eyes wide open. I've known people who have ignored their diabetes, not a good thing.

 

[wenrob]

You guys are awesome and thanks for the advice!

I got the calorie king book and it is great.

I went to a health food store and was in shock at the price of "healthy" and organic (which I would like to try) foods. It is no wonder that poor people have higher numbers of obesity. It is so much cheaper to eat "bad"!

I am trying to figure out how I can feed my family and myself better foods on the cheap!

You do not have to go organic just more "real" food. I keep my freezer stocked with frozen chicken tenders and those bags of veggies you throw in the microwave to steam. I think the bag of chicken runs about $9 and the veggies are $1.25 a bag. Those combined with a box of whole wheat pasta can feed my family of five for a week for less then $25. I always,always keep this stuff on hand so if I'm at a loss what to make for dinner or I just don't feel like doing the math this is a nice rounded out, healthy meal (in proper portions) that I can get on the table fairly quick.

For those who miss pasta have you all tried Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta or Barilla's version? They are loaded w/fiber and not half bad. My kids love them. I'm a pasta freak and it's not something I'm willing to give up. A little trick I use is to get a cereal bowl, load it a little more then halfway with veggies then add my pasta and sauce over the top. This limits the amount of pasta but makes you feel like you're eating a big bowl of it. A little mind trick but it works beautifully for me.

I'm not a diabetic but I eat like one. I've always been prone to big time blood sugar swings and this really helps me keep it on an even keel. I had gestational diabetes when prego with my twins and was devastated since my mother has Juvenile Diabetes (not sure which that is now) and does not take care of herself. (the stories told by PP remind me of her) I've struggled with my weight the last couple of years but since I've been gone back to eating this way I feel great and have lost 20lbs.

Good luck to you OP, I know you can do this!