If you have type II diabetes as I do, this post may interest you. Let me start out by saying that this is only anecdotal evidence. It may not apply to your particular body chemistry.
I am on a keto-friendly diet. I keep my blood sugar under control with pills and a low carb diet. I test my blood sugar frequently.
The other day I was using those little yellow packets of Splenda (sucralose + 95% dextrose (D-glucose) and maltodextrin by volume) to sweeten my yogurt and it drove my blood sugar up by 20 points or more AND it stayed up. I don't know if the culprit was the sucralose, or the dextrose & maltodextrin, but several hundred yellow packets of Splenda went into the garbage.
I had pre diabetes before I went on a diet and lost 30 pounds. I drink diet soda and have been able to keep my glucose below 100.
In general a plant based diet is a better choice than a keto diet.
I hope you are well Marty.
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Sucralose is not an issue for most people unless it triggers cravings, because it is not actually a sugar derivative, unlike the prior two ingredients. I'll also hop in on the recommendations for using Stevia or some form of erythritol (won't spike your blood sugar).
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Most type 2 comes from lack of exercise and too much fat. Many times you get your waist to less than 35" around the belly button and your good to go. Especially the younger people.
I prefer the taste of Stevia in the raw to Splenda. I use the packets in my coffee (usually two mugs in the morning, sometimes three), and in my tea (Organic India Tulsi Ashwaganda, one cup at night). I use liquid Stevia if I'm making a pitcher of iced tea (Tetley Black & Green). It's easier to store and less messy than a big bag.
I've never experienced a spike in my blood sugar from using Stevia. For that matter, I never experienced a spike (or any other negative effects) from using Aspartame, but that's not something I consume regularly.
But i do need to use a little less , i put alot in my coffee but only drink it once( huge 24 oz mug). Some on cereal when i eat it a few times a a week
Will Probably go use some truvia and combine. Dont like straight stevia , mix it with splenda
My a1c been hovering around 5.8-5.9 for last 10 yrs. want to keep it under 6 57yrs old. Exercise like crazy. Waist could be better at 5'11 210. Wear 34 pants but waist probably 35. Always trying to keep midsection reasonable
My go to is limit simple sugars. Pretty obvious. Any solid other suggestions
That said, exercise, walking (especially after meals), drinking a lot of water (and pretty much only water) and limiting added sugar and high carb foods is about as best as you can do in terms of what you can control.
My go to is limit simple sugars. Pretty obvious. Any solid other suggestions
When I was in the hospital, October 2016, my A1C was 11.8, blood sugar 400! I joked that Willy Wonka's blood sugar wasn't that high.
Naturally, I was put on Insulin and Metformin. I stopped taking both few years ago (doctor's advice) with no ill effects. Two different eye doctors told me that I couldn't have been diabetic for very long, since there was no damage to my optic nerves, although I still suffer with peripheral neuropathy (and had been for a little while before my heart attack). I get my eyes checked once a year, and I also see a neurologist regularly.
I had lab work done in March, due again in August. My A1C was 6.1, the same as it was six months earlier. My blood sugar was 105. I still check it three times a day, and except for the occasional spike after a cortisone shot (or if I take a couple of Tylenols before bed - Tylenol doesn't affect everyone, but it does affect me), 105 is about average for me.
As I said above, I went full-on low carb. I don't think I've had a grain of rice, a bowl of pasta, a potato, or a slice of bread in the last four or five years (and, man, do I miss bagels...and potato chips...and Cocoa Puffs...and Pop Tarts...and Baskin-Robbins Quarterback Crunch). Needless to say no cookies, cake, or candy. Little or no sugar, especially in things like ketchup or BBQ sauce, which I used to use a lot of. There are companies that make low-carb variants (like Primal Kitchen), but they're very expensive. Easier for me to just do without.
So, the short answer for me is diet. High fat, low carb. As I also said, about 90% carnivore. Except for a little heavy cream in my coffee, almost no dairy. I go through at least a dozen eggs a week, and still my cholesterol/triglyceride levels are fine. Now, I do take a statin, so I'm sure that helps. I also take a beta-blocker and a diuretic, but that's because the damage to my heart was pretty severe. It's working at about 70% capacity according to my last MUGA scan. Aspirin every day (81 mg) after taking Plavix for a year. Multivitamin (for men 50+), additional B-12, additional C, additional Zinc, and B Complex. Collagen Peptides in my coffee.
Also, I limit myself to two meals a day, usually around 12 noon and 6 pm. I might have the occasional snack in between (usually a half-sour pickle or a hard-boiled egg) and I will eat a big salad on occasion, topped with avocado slices, maybe sliced almonds or walnuts...sometimes chia seeds. I try to mix things up from time to time so I don't get bored and then get tempted to cheat. No vegetable oils, only avocado oil and occasionally olive oil. Butter - usually grass-fed ghee (clarified butter) infused with Himalayan Pink Salt - instead of margarine. Luckily, I've always enjoyed foods like liver (beef, calves, or chicken) and sardines, so I eat them as often as possible. I also make by own bone broth.
I didn't mean to write a book, but honestly, I feel better at 61 than I did at 51.
Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, eating low-oxalate foods and eating high calcium/low sodium
Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, eating low-oxalate foods and eating high calcium/low sodium
I have blood/urine tests every six months, sometimes more often than that if additional tests are required by my cardiologist or neurologist (they know me by my first name at Labcorp, lol). Kidney functions are always checked.
I do drink plenty of water, though, and I usually mix in a little ACV two or three times a week. I rarely if ever drink alcohol.
Curiously, my brother-in-law, who never had a weight problem and works out regularly, suffers with gout (and high blood pressure, too). My guess is genetics really does play a part in that. I smoked for 40+ years, was really overweight for a couple of years before my heart attack, yet never had high blood pressure. It used to drive my doctor nuts.
First time i got it checked was 8 yrs ago. Was 5.8. So idk if my baseline has always been around there. I am 57 now
Gonna go back to 16-8 IF and be more consistent. More for general health benefits, including cognitive and insulin sensitivity
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