Food to avoid for pre-diabetic people

[skyline]

Wow, bringing your FBS down to the 80's from being pre-diabetic is quite impressive! What is the biggest thing you have done that made the huge impact (beside combining carbs with meat, etc)? I am all ears.

In general, I've reduced my carb intake across the board. Three easy changes that I think really made a difference for me:

1 - I used to eat a lot of rice, and I substitute it now with boiled barley. At first it was difficult, as barley has a very distinct flavor, but over time I grew to really like it, and now is almost a painless diet and nutrition improvement. For certain dishes, I miss white rice, but overall, I actually prefer the barley. Barley can take a while to prepare, so I make a big batch and freeze in individual portions. A couple minutes in the microwave and it's ready to go.

2 - I also used to eat lots of potatoes, and I substitute that with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are not as GL friendly as barley is, but it is very GI friendly and much more nutritious. The only problem with sweet potatoes is that most people cook it way too long, basically converting the sweet potato into a candy bar (from a blood sugar perspective). I bake them no more than 35mins in the oven, and eat in place of regular potatoes. The more raw you can handle it, the better.

3 - The last major carb change was breakfast, which used to be almost always cereal (talk about a carb bomb). Now I have oatmeal most mornings - unsweetened, almost always with a piece of bacon or sausage. Don't go with the usual instant oatmeal (which has all kinds of added sugar and is too processed to have a good GI effect), go with steel cut or Coaches Oats which is similar but much easier to prepare. Alternatively, I sometimes have low-carb yogurt with a piece of fruit. Most yogurts are actually very high carb, but if you look around, you can find some very low carb (almost always NOT low fat) yogurts.

Other than that, it's the usual stuff, less dessert, less bread, less pasta, more fruits/veg, eating more frequently, etc. Most of this has been more difficult than the barley/sweet potato/breakfast changes (esp. the less dessert part), but I've gotten into a routine that, at least for the time being, seems to be working without too much effort...

 

[skyline]

Oh, one other change, I now drink wine much more than beer. That was an easy change, and I still love me a nice IPA or DIPA now and then, but my go to drink with dinner is a glass of red wine.

 

[Corporateburnout]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 3 years ago with no family history of diabetes. My fasting glucose at diagnoses in October 2013 was 194 and my A1C was 7.4. I was borderline for a few years before but never over 6.0 A1C but I ignored it and did nothing about it. I was overweight and stressed . My doctor put me on the oral medication metformin and suggested to see a nutritionist but I elected to try to reduce my weight on my own through diet and exercise.

I went on a low carb diet by reducing my consumption of bread, pasta, rice and potatoes while increasing my daily allowance of fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken and steak. Completely eliminated fried food and replaced it with baked or grilled. I increased my level of exercise by walking 3 miles a day and playing tennis 3 times a week. I also eliminated stress from my life by retiring and getting away from the job and the commute associated with it.

I stopped taking metformin 6 months later after losing 25 lb. My A1C has not gone over 5.5 since with a low of 5.3. My diet is not as strict as it was and I don't avoid carbs as much as I used to but I'm still diabetes free.

My doctor believes that obesity and stress were the main cause of the spike in my blood glucose level especially with no family history of the disease and that I should be free of diabetes as long as I continue to exercise and keep the weight under control.

 

[NW-Bound]

Wow, that's a good story.

As mentioned ealier, my fasting blood glucose went up to 102, and while it was not really that high I took some precautionary measures. My parents had a history of diabetes, though not to the point of taking insulin. My sister is now monitoring her blood glucose daily, though I do not know her number.

After a few months of paying attention to the carbs that I eat, and switching from white rice to Uncle Ben converted rice, the recent blood test shows my A1C at 5%. I have always eaten a lot of veggie, but now try to get more calories from fat and protein rather than carb. I am a meat eater, and can never be vegetarian anyway.

Yep, I would rather take precautionary measures, and not risk letting the problem get to the point that I have to measure and weight everything I eat. That's no fun.

 

[Amethyst]

Wouldn't this be considered a cure? I am serious. You cannot still be considered pre-diabetic if your sugar levels are normal, can you?

I'm pre-diabetic and had looked into this quite a bit a few years ago. After making some adjustments (some hard, some easy, but most surprisingly easy to get used to), I was able to get my fasting blood sugar down into the 80's.

 

[eytonxav]

Wouldn't this be considered a cure? I am serious. You cannot still be considered pre-diabetic if your sugar levels are normal, can you?

Once your fasting glucose goes above 126, you are considered diabetic. After that you can only control it, but won't be cured. If you go back to bad habits, the diabetes will return.

 

[Amethyst]

It sounds, from what you're saying, that even though the person is still called a diabetic, the diabetic deterioration might be kept at bay without medication. That is pretty fantastic. It also explains why people are so serious about the GI numbers of food.

Both my older siblings are T2 diabetics, who have predicted that I'll get it too. Last year my fasting blood sugar was 88, so who knows. If I do get it, I want to know that I can control it without medication [although the news about metformin's starting to sound very interesting]

Once your fasting glucose goes above 126, you are considered diabetic. After that you can only control it, but won't be cured. If you go back to bad habits, the diabetes will return.

 

[Corporateburnout]

If I do get it, I want to know that I can control it without medication [although the news about metformin's starting to sound very interesting]

You are better to control it with diet and exercise than taking metformin. Most drugs have side effects but in rare cases metformin can negatively effect kidney functions. I was only on it for 6 months but a urine test showed a small amount of protein which indicates a kidney filtration problem but once I was off the drug the amount of protein went down to healthy levels.

 

[braumeister]

Yes, but another possible side effect of metformin is causing you to outlive your savings.

Diabetic drug 'slows aging process and increases lifespan,' study suggests - Medical News Today

 

[ivinsfan]

Metformin can cause horrid digestive issues as well.

 

[aja8888]

Yes, but another possible side effect of metformin is causing you to outlive your savings.

Diabetic drug 'slows aging process and increases lifespan,' study suggests - Medical News Today

To reach their findings, the team conducted a series of experiments in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans - a model they say is ideal for studying the aging process as it only has a 3-week lifespan.

The team found that metformin increased the number of toxic molecules released in the worms' cells, which they were surprised to find boosted their long-term strength and longevity.

Works good in round worms so no doubt it can be good for humans!

 

[tmm99]

Yes, but another possible side effect of metformin is causing you to outlive your savings.

Diabetic drug 'slows aging process and increases lifespan,' study suggests - Medical News Today

And I think Amethyst was talking about this thread from a while back...
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/anti-ageing-drug-could-let-you-live-to-120-in-good-health-79704.html

 

[tmm99]

In general, I've reduced my carb intake across the board. Three easy changes that I think really made a difference for me:

1 - I used to eat a lot of rice, and I substitute it now with boiled barley. At first it was difficult, as barley has a very distinct flavor, but over time I grew to really like it, and now is almost a painless diet and nutrition improvement. For certain dishes, I miss white rice, but overall, I actually prefer the barley. Barley can take a while to prepare, so I make a big batch and freeze in individual portions. A couple minutes in the microwave and it's ready to go.

2 - I also used to eat lots of potatoes, and I substitute that with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are not as GL friendly as barley is, but it is very GI friendly and much more nutritious. The only problem with sweet potatoes is that most people cook it way too long, basically converting the sweet potato into a candy bar (from a blood sugar perspective). I bake them no more than 35mins in the oven, and eat in place of regular potatoes. The more raw you can handle it, the better.

3 - The last major carb change was breakfast, which used to be almost always cereal (talk about a carb bomb). Now I have oatmeal most mornings - unsweetened, almost always with a piece of bacon or sausage. Don't go with the usual instant oatmeal (which has all kinds of added sugar and is too processed to have a good GI effect), go with steel cut or Coaches Oats which is similar but much easier to prepare. Alternatively, I sometimes have low-carb yogurt with a piece of fruit. Most yogurts are actually very high carb, but if you look around, you can find some very low carb (almost always NOT low fat) yogurts.

Other than that, it's the usual stuff, less dessert, less bread, less pasta, more fruits/veg, eating more frequently, etc. Most of this has been more difficult than the barley/sweet potato/breakfast changes (esp. the less dessert part), but I've gotten into a routine that, at least for the time being, seems to be working without too much effort...

Thank you very much for sharing!! I have a couple of questions.

Do you eat the round kind of the flat kind of barley? I like the taste of barley (My family used to cook rice mixed in with rolled barley in rice back in the day.). I cooked the round kind a while back and it turned out so slimy on the outside that I couldn't get past it. How do you cook yours?

I eat yams once in a while. My DH bakes them and eats them along with his protein shakes in the morning. (BTW, *boiling* yams reduces the GL further, but they just don't taste as good...) Why did you settle on sweet potatoes over yams? I am asking only because sweet potatoes seem generally much sweeter to me.

 

[NW-Bound]

And I think Amethyst was talking about this thread from a while back...
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/anti-ageing-drug-could-let-you-live-to-120-in-good-health-79704.html

Yeah. And we also discussed how many of those 120 years would be spent sitting on the toilet.

 

[skyline]

Wouldn't this be considered a cure? I am serious. You cannot still be considered pre-diabetic if your sugar levels are normal, can you?

Well, you kinda have a good point, but I'm not sure I'd be able to maintain my current blood sugar levels if I went back to my old diet, so I wouldn't consider myself 'cured'.

 

[skyline]

Do you eat the round kind of the flat kind of barley? I like the taste of barley (My family used to cook rice mixed in with rolled barley in rice back in the day.). I cooked the round kind a while back and it turned out so slimy on the outside that I couldn't get past it. How do you cook yours?

I eat yams once in a while. My DH bakes them and eats them along with his protein shakes in the morning. (BTW, *boiling* yams reduces the GL further, but they just don't taste as good...) Why did you settle on sweet potatoes over yams? I am asking only because sweet potatoes seem generally much sweeter to me.

I eat pearl barley, which I believe is the round kind you're referring to. I normally soak a few cups worth in the pot overnight, rinse till clear, then boil for about 15mins with lots of water, enough so that the water doesn't all boil off. The shorter you boil it, the better sugar response, so I try to get it just barely cooked. Then I pour into a strainer and rinse well with cold water. Then let it drain well, scoop into individual portions in reused ziplock bags, then freeze until I'm ready to eat them. Reheating is simply putting into a bowl and microwaving for 2mins. I know what you mean about the slime, and cooking and rinsing like this eliminates all the slime. It also eliminates a fair bit of the nutrients that leech into the water, but I'm not worried about that since my goal is to get a low GI/GL food, not vitamins and minerals (anyways, it's still much healthier than white rice)

As for the sweet potato/yam, I believe pretty much all sweet potato or 'yam' sold in North America is actually just sweet potato. You can find actual yam, but it's very uncommon, and would never be just piled up like typical sweet potatoes, it would be a specialty item. I've tried boiled sweet potatoes, but I can't handle it. I know it's worse to bake them, but I have to have them baked, otherwise I'm not going to eat them. The key for me is to bake them at high heat (425degs) until they're just caramelized on the outside but still crunchy on the inside (about 30mins). If they've gone all soft the whole way through, it's cooked too long and you're well on your way to making a candy bar...

 

[skyline]

The comments here remind me again that the majority of people posting here are outside the norm of our society.

I know many people
with blood sugar problems. Yet the comments I hear at large, are my Doc said I might be pre-diabetic, me "What is your fasting blood sugar?". Oh I don't remember, it was kinda high.He said I should try to cut back on sugar and if it's still high in 6 months, I can go on pills.

Someone in their 40's already on the oral pills," My doc said I could lose some weight and focus on what I am eating and that could work for me. I told him just put me on the shots, I don't want to worry about everything I eat."

A Type 2, been on shots for a least 5 years and having terrible sugar spikes and control problems, "I looked on line and found out I could eat cheese because it doesn't bother your sugars number much" This person is single and eats fast food probably twice a day.

Interacting with all you sane people on-line is making me less tolerant of the knobs. It's getting harder and harder to just listen and say Good Luck. What I really want to say is "get a clue why don't you?

Yeah, it's amazing how people act like their health problems might just go away if they ignore it. I have a couple friends that have heart/cholesterol problems, and they just say they'll continue to eat what they want and die happy. They forget to say die 'young' as well, but that's the path they choose. I think getting educated about this stuff, at least for me, has meant that I'm hopefully living healthier, but also able to still enjoy what I like from time to time (like learning to eat some protein with that donut). With a lower blood sugar, my body can absorb some minor shocks, but if I let things go, there will quickly come a time when I can't enjoy anything food wise. I don't see how that could be a good thing...

 

[NW-Bound]

Yeah, it's amazing how people act like their health problems might just go away if they ignore it. I have a couple friends that have heart/cholesterol problems, and they just say they'll continue to eat what they want and die happy. They forget to say die 'young' as well, but that's the path they choose...

It may not be the quick death one minds so much, but the possibility of a lingering illness and misery. For example, diabetes often causes foot problems like ulcer and infection. Amputation of the feet is not uncommon. Not fun at all!

 

[audreyh1]

Wouldn't this be considered a cure? I am serious. You cannot still be considered pre-diabetic if your sugar levels are normal, can you?

It seems to me. He/she was never diabetic. And seems like no longer pre-diabetic.

 

[Amethyst]

I see your point, too. Yet the theme of several threads has been that certain foods may raise almost everyone's blood sugar and perhaps even bring on a pre-diabetic state. So in that sense, many non-diabetics have diabetic potential. I think of you as being in that category FWIW.

Well, you kinda have a good point, but I'm not sure I'd be able to maintain my current blood sugar levels if I went back to my old diet, so I wouldn't consider myself 'cured'.

 

[eytonxav]

Yes, but another possible side effect of metformin is causing you to outlive your savings.

I've also heard that metformin may prevent alzheimers. I've been taking 500Mg, 2x a day. Haven't had any side effects that I've felt, but it or the diabetes might be effecting my GFR levels (kidney function) which are lower than I would like, although that might be due to insufficient water intake which I'm now trying to increase.

 

[MichaelB]

Alzheimer's Disease is neither diagnosed nor treated effectively, so I'm very skeptical about preventive measures or treatments.

 

[eytonxav]

Yet the theme of several threads has been that certain foods may raise almost everyone's blood sugar and perhaps even bring on a pre-diabetic state. So in that sense, many non-diabetics have diabetic potential.

Diabetes certainly has a genetic component, but bad eating habits is also a culprit for bringing on Type 2. I did not have a family history, was pre-diabetic for quite some time and ignored the Dr telling me to eat better and exercise, until I went over the limit at age 59. After that, I lost 35 lbs, ate better, and started to work out in the gym. I shed the initial 35 lbs over a three month period by doing nothing but walking 3 miles per day, and eating healthier. My A1Cs have been consistently in the 5.4 - 5.7 range ever since, and I am 67 now.

 

[eytonxav]

Alzheimer's Disease is neither diagnosed nor treated effectively, so I'm very skeptical about preventive measures or treatments.

This is just what I've read on the internet, but I don't have any particular studies to reference. As for me, I'm on it for diabetes, so if that is a side benefit, proven or not, I am not going question its effectivity.

Edit - here is one such article:http://www.endocrineweb.com/news/di...ction-against-alzheimers-cancer-heart-disease

 

[MichaelB]

This is just what I've read on the internet, but I don't have any particular studies to reference. As for me, I'm on it for diabetes, so if that is a side benefit, proven or not, I am not going question its effectivity.

Edit - here is one such article:Metformin for Protection Against Alzheimer's, Cancer and Heart Disease?

Thanks for the link.