Researchers took 100 adults with type II diabetes and made them live with Australian aboriginals. They ate what they ate, slept when they slept, did the same activities their hosts did. Within six months they were all no longer diabetic.
The internet is loaded with information on diabetes(I am assuming you have type two, if you are in fact diabetic). Do a search on diabetes, treatment, diet and so forth and you will find everything you need to know.
1. Start a serious regimen of regular excercise. Break a sweat 3 times a week. Speak with a dietician and get your food intake straight. Then get off the meds. The meds do not fix anything. They keep things in check and without proper diet and excercise, it WILL escalate into more meds and more meds as time goes on. Belive me. Been there...done that.
2. Find a new doctor. One who specializes in diabetes. The first word out of a doctor's mouth to someone who almost has Type 2 diabetes should not have been metformin.
Good luck.
If you start controlling your sugar now, it'll help keep from getting full blown diabetes or at least put it off for awhile.
1. Get your doc to prescribe a Diabetes Test Kit and strips. Check with your insurer, they’ll generally GIVE you one of their preferred models for free. Test every few days before breakfast. SHOULD consistently be under 120.
2. As mentioned, high-protein lo-carb diet.
3. If your urinary output suddenly spikes, combined with an increase in thirst, see a doctor NOW (and test daily: in such case, you’ve likely crossed the line and joined the rest of us wearers of the “Scarlet D”. . .
Definitely get a second opinion from an endocrinologist My gf was diagnosed “definitely, no questions” by her internist and a prescription was written based solely on ONE A1C result. Everything I had read said two definitive testings were required, regardless of whether fasting, sugary, or A1C testing.
She went and the endocrinologist agreed. She has also lost weight, a bit more careful about foods, yet gets little exercise . . . and worries alot less about diabetes. Without the second opinion, a much more qualified one, she would have been on meds and “diabetic for life”
The Type 2 Diabetes Breakthrough. Go here to see Dr. Frank Shallenberger’s website with a discussion of this and other books he wrote.
http://www.realcuresletter.com/products.aspx
Take control of your diet, exercise, and rest. Now.
If you eat low carbohydrates (aboriginal diet or Atkins-type diet) as discussed by many posters you can maintain your A1c in the proper range without medicine.
Get away from the meds. Take charge of your own health — the doctors will kneejerk to metformin and an increasing array of drugs. If you can control your blood sugar without the meds, you will live a better life.
Walnuts, cinnamon, niacin, Vitamin D!!!
ping for later
What my husband finally did was to cut out most carbs and exercise at least three times a week. When he was diagnosed, his doctor had him consult a nutritionist who put him on a low calorie, high carb diet. His sugar stayed the same and he gained 20 pounds in a year. Then he went on Atkins. His blood sugar returned to normal within a very short time.
You don’t say how old you are, or if you’re overweight. The most valuable I’ve seen above is that you can get over this. I didn’t know that until my internist told me I was no longer diabetic.
When I first learned that I had it, my first thought was, “I’ve sure blown some good genes.” A close friend and mentor on diabetes told me the day he learned he was diabetic, his second wife had just divorced him and he was so low he could dangle his legs off a cigarette paper.
I started exercising more regularly—exercise bike works well for burning sugar in your largest muscle groups.
I ate less beef - turkey sausage and ground turkey has worked well for me. Don ‘t even feel like I’m suffering, but losing weight steadily—Have lost 94 pounds in the last six years.
I took metphormin for four years. Haven’t taken a diabetes med for two years.
ONE CAVEAT: I lucked out that my blood sugar levels were extremely stable. I started out testing once a day, then once a week, and now I only get the A1C level twice a year.
Good luck to you.
Concur with the comment that exercise is as important as metformin. Take the classes that will inform you of diet requirements and provide you with guidance of how to change parts of your lifestyle.
Do the tests (blood sugar tests) when directed. Get a ‘feeling’ of how certain foods affect your tests and your sense of alertness and strength. Things get better and you won’t miss sugar. You will have to watch what you eat. There are foods that produce too much sugar as part of your body’s metabolism. Eat ‘junk’ and you will get negative results immediately.
Self discipline (food you eat, things you do, taking medicine as directed) has immediate and long term effects that you will easily see / feel. Your medical support (Doctor et. al.) will congratulate you as you progress.
Enjoy life! You can and will do it.
There’s a doctor who offers a ton of information and natural treatments at www.stayhealthymd.com
I had this exact diagnosis about five years ago. The dr put me on metformin. Since I was always active, exercise was not a problem but I did three things and was off the drug in six months.
1. Stopped eating anything white. Sugar, potatoes, and rice in particular.
2. Not a fan of alcohol anyway, but stopped altogether.
3. Ate mostly salads for awhile and dropped 25 pounds. 180 to 155. Final weight turned out to be 160.
I check my blood sugar every once or twice a day to monitor the situation.
bttt
bttt
It’s likely that at some point your blood sugar will get
TOO LOW, and you need to recognize this situation. I notice mine when it gets to about 70 or below. I start to get a little light headed or dizzy and my hearing starts to diminish. If this happens, check your blood sugar and if it’s too low drink some orange juice or eat a piece of candy and then eat some carbs.
Exercise is good, of course, but beware that too much exercise on too little food can cause your blood sugar to get too low.
Good luck.
While you may not have “full blown” type II diabetes, it is very possible that you have insulin resistance. Glucaphage can help with that, but the advice you have gotten from other Freepers to immediately gain control over your lifestyle with proper diet and exercise is exactly what is needed, imho. You will like yourself very well if you do.
I got a similar diagnosis as yours several years ago and subsequently have lost (after a couple of tries) and kept off 90 pounds for 2 years.
I recommend you look into the Take Off Pounds Sensibly(R) group. They are a non-profit lifestyle support group. Dues are quite nominal when compared to for-profit weight loss organizations. They do not tell you what to eat, nor sell anything like some weight loss groups do. They emphasize getting your doctor on board for your weight loss program, and the TOPS members support each other with encouragement and incentives and education about lifestyle. I credit them for helping me stay focused while pursuing my new lifestyle.
I have a friend who has said, “if you are not overweight, you should probably consider gaining a few pounds so you can join! This is a WONDERFUL group people!” LOL! I concur!
I have my life back, and I’m so very grateful.
http://www.tops.org/default.aspx