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[Binsk]

Re: New to this forum

Bren, I'm so glad that your husband is improving. If you get a chance, visit the Berstein site. They have the best recipe forum. Don't limit your goal to 6.5, getting below 6.0 is possible, and will help your husband. The best way to use your monitor effectively, is to use it as a tool to find out what to eat, how exercise will drop your sugars and how a new food choice will effect your sugars. If your drug plan covers the test strips, test often in the beginning until you get the hang of what works for your husband. It's important to keep a log. In Canada, if your doctor writes a Rx, most plans cover the cost of the meter and the strip.

[Beverle]

Re: New to this forum

"They have the best recipe forum. "

Could you direct me to the forum location? I can't seem to find it.
Thanks,
Beverle

[Desertthorn]

Re: New to this forum


http://www.diabetes-book.com/ Here Beverly, Binsk posted it earlier in this tread.

[Bren]

Re: New to this forum

Binsk,

Thank heavens for Health Ins. All scripts and the machine were covered! PHEW!
I have been to 5 places looking for the books and no one has them. Will have to order them online. So much to learn!
ok, with the testing, I am under the assumption it is best to wait 2 hours after eating to test?

[Beverle]

Re: New to this forum

"Here Beverly, Binsk posted it earlier in this tread"

Thank you so much. I don't know how I missed it.
Bev

[2big4mysize]

Re: New to this forum

Bren read Canuk's stickie's she has step by step tips ofr when to test before and after eating with the timing too and why so yo know what you are looking for.

Will be praying for y'all with that surgery tomorrow. SInce he is on maintenance why don't you back him down to OWL so he can lower his carbs and get his blood sugars down.

If your doc diodn't explain it high blood sugar increases blood pressure so if the blood sugar comes down the blood popresure should too and then there is the diurwtic effect of th Atkins 30% proteins too

looks like CLiff is very lucky you did Atkins so now your rock can be chisles a little with the tools you learned to make him one heck of a great rock.

[Bren]

Re: New to this forum

I am guessing we are in OWL. Need to tighten up on him and make him start writing down things. We have nixed the flour, sugar, rice, potatos, pasta (all the higher vegies etc.) and the OJ and higher fruits are gone! He was drinking more of that then I knew. At least a gallon of OJ a week. One of my concerns 2big is to not go to Induction with the cholesterol being so high. So, do you think I am on the right path? Changed his bread to whole grain, highest fiber I could find. I would venture to say right now he is at about 40-50 carbs at the most. But, again need to get him to write down everything. Also, making him eat every few hours.

[Binsk]

Re: New to this forum

Bren, it goes against the conventional wisdom about testing (test only 2 hours after eating), but I believe testing often gives you a tool to better decide what to eat or if exercise is needed soon. For example, if I test before a meal, and my sugar is a little higher than I would like, that meal may have a different percentage of carb than if my sugars were lower. Sometimes I like a decaf coffee flavoured with DaVinci for a treat, I won't have that coffee in the morning because that's when my sugars are usually the highest, but I may have it in the afternoon as that is usually when my sugars are lower. If I can't get that morning high sugar reading down in a few hours, I will exercise until I see it go down significantly before I would have a full meal, that way I'm not compounding the problem. It's really a big science experiment, that I don't let stress me, but rather challenge me to be adaptable and reactive to what my readings are. After a few months, it becomes old hat, and you needn't test as often unless you are introducing a new food (its surprising how we tend to eat our favourites most of the time and not try new things).

[2big4mysize]

Re: New to this forum

looks like that old addage about if you don't log it it didn't happen was going on for him. Since the eye thing happened to him he has actually experieinced what docs warn can happen and will be taking better care of himself because of it. OLWing is fine if he has pounds to lose too. but if you took away the fruits then why ishe getting rung 9 grains? Remember ther rungs are arranged based oin the blood sugasr effects those type of foods have on a person. NAtureMade makes a low carb bread as does SaraLee. and the naturemade double fiber is lower carb then the WW version.

You can fix NulloMondo's flax rolls which look like real rolls or Megs revolution rolls and get away with even lower carb lower Glycemic index foods.

Any dietary change that results in weight loss will cause his cholesterol to go up but that is the nature of the human body and why Dr Atkins tells us to wait to get retested.

His triglycerides will come way down on Atkins as will his total cholesteol. his HDL the good stuff will go up some from the foods and the exercise. LDL comes in 2 forms the VLDL are the bad stuff so you might want to see what the entire break out was. I know back in 2004 my total was too high by the standard 200 number but my HDL was over 100 and my rati9on was in the 2 which is below the 3-5 range docs want us in and my doc knew it so he told me not to be concerned at all about the total being over 200 when he left the message about mine.

FLax is full of Omega 3s and Almonds and walnuts actually have the heart association backing as cholesterol improving foods. So don't fear the healthy fats of rung 3 foods.
Oh and you might want to look at the grapefruit studies about lowering LDL and helping diabetics control blood sugars. nothing on oranges though.

[Desertthorn]

Re: New to this forum

Dr Schwartzbein , in her book eliminates flour and all starches and sugars for the first month, but her patients can have corn meals, tortillas and all that. I agree with 2big, cut out the grains at least until he gets undercontrol.

[Bren]

Re: New to this forum

I will move him over to my low carb bread. He is way too skinny right now as it is. And....lost another 7 pounds between last week and Wednesday.
He is still having the low glycermic fruits........blueberries, strawberries, melons etc. Grapefruit is out as that is a no no with his blood pressure meds. How wierd is that? Written right on the label. I was reading and the amount of sugar he was consuming through so much orange juice was mind boggling. So fruits are still in. I have him snacking on almonds now (INSTEAD OF THE BRIDGE MIX HE WAS MASS CONSUMING).
Now, the surgury today did not happen as they had him all prepped and the doctor felt the left eye was far too swollen and could not proceed. So...... they are taking a different route and started with Steroid injections in the eye itself. eeeeeeewwwwwww. And trust me he was not a happy camper, but I cannot say as I blame him at all. Very uncomfortable right now.
AND.......the good news is the bleeding eye had cleared enough for him to do the steroids in first (as this eye is acually his better sight eye).
so, on ward and up ward.
Binsk, 2big, Coop and Lynne............ THANK YOU SO MUCH for listening and responding.

[Bren]

Re: New to this forum

ok, we are having a heck of a problem getting him to BLEED for the tests. Cliff's skin on his hands is THICK? Any suggestions? I set the lancet thingie to 4 today...... mornings are easier then nights.

[Binsk]

Re: New to this forum

They do say to vary the places where you test as not to form calluses and do nerve damage. If his hand is warm, you may get the blood flowing better. Tell him to wash his hands for a bit under warm water. That will get the circulation going. I tend to test by pricking the side of my thumb ( on my left hand ) beside the nail. The other thing that I find useful, after you use the lancet to prick for testing, wait and do not try to milk the finger. After about 20 seconds, then try to milk the finger. I find if I do this, I can get two tests out of the same prick if I get an error with the first test. I think you end up splitting the coagulated blood in the prick and the blood flows more easily.

Because your husbands sugars are high, the blood is flowing more slowly, once he gets his numbers down, it will be easier. By the way my blood is flowing, I can usually tell if I am going to get a high reading.

[Bren]

Re: New to this forum

Thanks Binsk! This is all so new and I feel so lame! Tonight went real easy. And.....it was 114. Which leads me to think we are doing something right? We had been in the 140-160 the first few days.

[2big4mysize]

Re: New to this forum

Bren what kind of meter do y'all have? the newer ones that let you stick the forearm are really good, but if you don't have one of those the back of the fingers is much easier just not on a knucle, also the sides of the fingers and remember it is how hard his finger is pressing on the tip that determines how deep the lancet will go.
Also if your docs didn't tell you make sure he washes his hands but for testing casue any microscopic particle of food on his finger can effect the test too.

You are only giving one reading he should be testing all day long so you have an idea of what is going on.

Remember a serving of almonds is 1 ounce which is about a female hand full which will be about 1/4 cup. And make sure you are not letting him snack on salted ones you can roast raw ones and spice them up with any spice combination he likes just like or pork rind lovers here do. I love buffaloed nuts too much to keep any already done on hand