VEGETABLES?

[AngelSprings]

Hi
I can't remember the exact date, but it was approximately two years ago when I was diagnosed as being prediabetic. Firstly, my reading was 45 and with a low carb diet I managed to get it down to 42. Then about five months ago I was hit with pain all over my body and it was painful just to exist. However, after three months or so it lifted, but I found my blood glucose had shot up to 49 and I was diagnosed as being diabetic, and since then I cannot get my blood sugar levels down. Before I had readings of between six and seven, now it's more like seven and eight, or much higher if I were to eat carbs.

The nurse at our local health centre has given me six months to lower my readings but it's not happening.

I mainly eat protein and above the ground vegetables, butter, cream, full fat milk, and perhaps one/two slices of HiLo bread or homemade flaxseed bread per day. Also a small glass of Kefir on rising. But I never measure the vegetables in the belief that I think they are doing me good. Do other folk measure theirs? It's not uncommon for me to have at one sitting a pile of cauliflower mash with butter and mustard, cabbage, broccoli, small helping of green beans, and a gravy made with one tablespoonful of Bisto granules. And two hours after this my blood glucose reading would be in the eights. What else can I do?

So my question is "Would lessening the amount of vegetables I eat at one meal help bring down my numbers?" I don't want to go on medication.

Love to hear your thoughts!

 

[ColinUK]

The only way to figure it out will be to go back to a more frequent testing regime and keeping a food diary I’d think.

 

[AngelSprings]

This is a bit worrying. Just thought I'd test my blood glucose readings. At 6.30am they were 7.3. I've had nothing to eat but have drunk two cups of tea with whole milk, and a mug of bone broth with a blob of double cream and my reading was 8.7. This was at 9 o'clock.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello again @AngelSprings

It certainly sounds like you are working hard, but that your metabolism is still struggling.

Does your nurse understand how little carbohydrate you are eating, and still not seeing your BGs reduce?

The rise between 6.30am and 9am was only slight, and could have simply been a difference between the strips (for all the illusion of decimal point accuracy, home BG meters are a lot more ’ish’ than they appear). Alternatively, it may have been some glucose released by the liver on rising (foot on the floor phenomenon) which is part of the circadian rhythm and a variation on Dawn Phenomenon, where the liver ‘fires up the burners’ in the early hours to get ready for the day.

Do you think it would help, and give you a little more freedom with your menu to introduce some medication to help support your metabolism?

 

[AngelSprings]

Hello everydayupsanddowns

Thank you for your helpful reply. I must say the rise in the BG readings is getting to me, especially when I try so hard.

Yes, I did retest directly after the first test, and the result was exactly the same.

I'm contemplating cutting the carbs even further for a couple of days to see if that makes a difference. Perhaps having a couple of eggs for breakfast, chicken and small salad for lunch, then steak and spinach for the evening meal. Thus cutting out the slice of HiLo bread and Bisto granules. The only problem with cutting even lower is I do get hungry, give in and snack!

No, I bargained with the nurse that I would get the BG levels down by diet, and she gave me six months in which to do it, but had no contact since. However, I have the gut feeling that you are right and that I will probably have to go on medication. I don't know why going on medication bothers me, I think it probably stems from the fact that I've spent a life time eating healthily, and it worked until approximately two years ago, and now it's failing!

I think with aging my pancreas is just wearing out!

But thank you once again, your words always make me feel better.

I

 

[helli]

Regarding whether you should weight/count your veg, I would say it depends on the veg. Whilst you are mainly eating the lower carb ones by selecting those that grow above the ground, as legumes, beans are not low carb and are contributing more to your total carbs than you may think.