Hmmm

[apjons]

This checking your sugar levels. I have never done it. I was diagnosed a type 2 in 2009.
I mean if a "normal" person ate a couple of tangerines, and then did a check, they would also have out of control sugar levels. Surely its bound to go up and down a bit? As usual i'm confused. I asked the nurse about whether i should closely monitor my levels, and she said No.
Having said all that i'm off the pills anyway..

 

[Northerner]

No, that's not the case. A non-diabetic person has such a finely tuned blood sugar control system that just the right amount of insulin is put out by the pancreas to cope with whatever is eaten, in order to keep blood sugars in a very tight range. In the absence of just the right amount of insulin, or if it's not being used properly then levels will rise above normal.

Testing an hour or two hours after eating something gives you an idea of how different foods affect you - what you can tolerate well and what you should give a wide berth to. 🙂

 

[Robster65]

That's the difference between diabetic and non-diabetic.

A non-diabetic's body produces sufficient insulin to maintain the BG below about 7.2 and their cells aren't insulin resistant, so can remove the glucose from the blood to use as fuel (I realise this is a simplistic view!).

If that system becomes less efficient for any of a number of reasons, then they are classed as diabetic. QED. 🙂

It's only by BG testing that you truly see how amazing the human body is, and how rubbish some of ours are for breaking down ! 😡

Rob

 

[caffeine_demon]

No, that's not the case. A non-diabetic person has such a finely tuned blood sugar control system that just the right amount of insulin is put out by the pancreas to cope with whatever is eaten,

even if it was 6 pizza baguettes, followed by a few kilos of jelly babies, washed down with non diet fizzy drink???

 

[Robster65]

even if it was 6 pizza baguettes, followed by a few kilos of jelly babies, washed down with non diet fizzy drink???

yup !

Rob

 

[grufflybear]

There is a tendancy for the nurse to advise you against testing, if you look at other posts on this site you will see how many T2 diabetics achieve excellent results with the help of information from regular testing, often when they have been advised not to. The testing has been very valuable in helping me and others but it is important to do it at the right times relating to meals, waking up etc, I did it because I wanted the confirmation of the effects of food good or bad so I could do the best for my future health regardless of whether or not I am advised to take any medication.

 

[Andy HB]

This checking your sugar levels. I have never done it. I was diagnosed a type 2 in 2009.
I mean if a "normal" person ate a couple of tangerines, and then did a check, they would also have out of control sugar levels. Surely its bound to go up and down a bit? As usual i'm confused. I asked the nurse about whether i should closely monitor my levels, and she said No.
Having said all that i'm off the pills anyway..

You only need to closely monitor your levels if they are generally out of control (as a diet and exercise controlled type 2).

Testing is a useful tool to inform you about how your diet affects you and once you have that information there is very little need to keep testing except when you're not feeling well or when doing something different.

I test very infrequently now and my pot of 50 test strips will last me over a year. When I do test, I'm rarely over 6mmol/L before or 2hrs after meals so am comfortable that my overall control is fine (my last HbA1c was 5.9%).

Andy 🙂