pondering...

[LisaLQ]

...I was having a conversation with my folks while I was away visiting this weekend, and wondered if you could answer something (I couldnt lol).

If someone is diabetic, they either dont have insulin or their insulin doesn't work. Insulin converts sugar into energy, hence one of the symptoms being tiredness. When you start medication your body can convert that again, tiredness ends. But when you're treating with diet alone, you're just reducing your sugar intake to control how much is in your blood - so presumably you still cant convert the sugar into energy...? So you're not solving that problem, you're just controlling the symptom?

Or is my brain completely useless and have I missed some really important info? Just I'm still just as knackered as I was pre-diet so presumably my body still cant get energy from its food..?

 

[Dizzydi]

I'm knackard all the time to

& I have been on metformin with diet since diagnosis, I am also injecting as well now (Day 14). I can sleep for Britain.

Might be worth a visit to the GP and tell them how tired you are all the time x

 

[Northerner]

Hi Lisa, with Type 2 the problem is insulin resistance. Reducing your weight can help improve your body's response to insulin and exercise improves things even more by increasing the insulin receptors in your cells. When a Type 1 exercises we have to be careful to take less insulin as sensitivity increases.

 

[Caroline]

As explained to me: the body has become insulin resistent so watching weight and keeping active increases the up take of insulin. If this doesn't work you need to take some lind of medication but also watch your weight and be more active.

Not sure the advice will work for everyone thoe.

 

[LisaLQ]

I get you now 😱

But what about those who dont need to lose weight? How will diet help them, other than controlling how much sugar is in the blood?

I was just wondering - what with the low carb being popular, where people are meant to get their energy from, if they cannot a. put fuel in or b. convert that fuel into energy.

Presumably until the insulin resistance is cured, they're going to feel like crud pretty much permanently...?

 

[PhilT]

Hi Lisa, with Type 2 the problem is insulin resistance. Reducing your weight can help improve your body's response to insulin and exercise improves things even more by increasing the insulin receptors in your cells. When a Type 1 exercises we have to be careful to take less insulin as sensitivity increases.

As far as exercise is concerned, if you are type 2 and on insulin you have to be careful as the more energy you use the more chance you have of having a hypo due to using up more glucose. So you need to make sure you have something to eat and a sugary drink to hand if you are going to do something energetic.

 

[Peter C]

Correct,
there is no treatment for diabetes only more or less hamfisted management of the symptoms. Hopefully our management is less hamfisted.

BTW insulin doesn't "convert sugar into energy". Insulin takes glucose to the cell wall and signals the cell to take it through the cell wall and use it. In Insulin Resistance, either the insulin doesn't signal its arrival ( by failing to tether itself in the insulin receptor port because of defects in its structure) or the GLUT transporters inside the cell don't do the honours and pop up to collect the glucose.
In the case of Type 2 diabetics injected ( exogenous) insulin always works because it is perfectly formed unlike their own (endogenous).

 

[Peter C]

I get you now 😱

I was just wondering - what with the low carb being popular, where people are meant to get their energy from, if they cannot a. put fuel in or b. convert that fuel into energy.

Low carb diets are called Ketotic diets - the body being short if glucose from carbs, converts ("burns") fatty acids to ketones which can be used as a second class fuel ( although the brain prefers glucose it will use ketones - low carb diets can lead to short memory problems).

If you just lay on a bed all day the body would need 1200 calories just to tick over. The brain is said to need the amount of fuel equivalent to the glucose produced by 130 grams of carbohydrate. The easiest way of ensuring that is of course to eat a minimum of 130 grams of carbs per day( which is a figure you often see quoted). But failing that the brain/body will use ketones.

The fat stores on the body are not inert storage layers they are very active participants in the biochemical merry-go-round. Reducing fat layers lowers IR in itself and exercise soaks up big quantities of glucose

 

[AlisonM]

...low carb diets can lead to short memory problems).

So that's why I have a head like a sieve?