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-   -   Supplements to help (https://www.neurotalk.org/diabetes-insulin-resistance-metabolic-syndrome/46033-supplements-help.html)

Vowel Lady 05-19-2008 09:00 AM

Supplements to help
 
Does anyone know what natural supplements might help with insulin resistence?

Also, what type of exercise might be best? Walking slowly vs running, etc? Interval training????

Thank you.

watsonsh 05-19-2008 10:43 AM

Hi Vowel Lady,

I was dx'd with insulin resistance back in Feb. The doc put me on Metformin but I could not tolerate the full dose so I take a lower dose with my largest meals.

I also introduced a complex suplement called metaglycemx from metagenics. Its for insulin activity and glucose levels. It has several thinsg that they say are good for insulin resistance like chromium (a cofactor in insulin's ability to bind to insulin receptr sites and regulate blood sugar), alpha lipoic acid (antioxidant to help in the production of energy for cells) and cinnamon. I take two of these metaglycemx a day.

Other peple take stand alone supplements like the alpha lipoic acid. They have a newer one called R lipoic acid which you dont need as much of.

Some others take cinnamon capsules to help control sugar. Not the stuff in the baking aisle but in the supplement area. The cinnamon in the baking aisle can have impurities and over time not be good for you. The supplements are more pure.

I am sure some others will be along to offer suggestions.

Can I ask have you been dx'd with insulin resistance? Would you care to share your results? I am happy to share mine.

dorrie 05-19-2008 01:10 PM

Hi Chicks!! Apparantly chromium picolate can help but I have not seen that much of a difference...maybe I was not patient enough.. Cinnamon yes....I think it makes a bit of improvement if only for the fact that it does help with cravings! I think Mrs.D may be able to help with this one!

mrsD 05-19-2008 01:56 PM

Okay...
 
Some links:

Chromium: From Marcia Zimmerman--- a very very good expert:

http://www.thenutritionsolution.com/...ndDiabetes.htm
Quote:

Dr. Anderson says a minimum of 200 mcg of chromium daily is needed for at least three months to have a noticeable effect on insulin response. While noting that lower doses (around the government-recommended daily 80 mcg) might fill the nutritional needs of healthy individuals, his research suggests that this dosage is far too low to have therapeutic effects. No toxicity has been reported with high doses of supplemental chromium. But anyone with diabetes who uses insulin should consult with a healthcare provider about chromium supplements, since the insulin dosage may have to be adjusted.
R-lipoic acid:
This supplement has become affordable recently and is much better than alpha lipoic (which is a mix of racemic lipoic, 1/2 that doesn't work)
http://www.advance-health.com/rlipoicacid.html
Lipoic acid also improves mitochondrial functions...it is a very good insurance for aging people. Lipoic acid reduces blood sugars, so must be used carefully in diabetics already on a treatment protocol. (drugs or drugs + insulin---where doses may need to be lowered.)

Cinnamon: This is persisting as useful. (somethings do not persist)
http://www.rxreview.info/columns/1.html
Cinnamon may prevent post-prandial glucose extremes.

Taurine: This nutrient is often recommended with inositol for weight loss and insulin sensitization:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00003/art00003
Taurine improves heart function, CNS effects, and also improves gall bladder functions. It is not expensive, and not harmful

Diabetics also lose magnesium and inositol in the urine.
This is a little off topic of sensitizing insulin, but it is significant.

I see that this forum's name has changed? That is a big improvement IMO.

Many many people have metabolic syndrome (myself included). I have a serious genetic history of relatives
with diabetes. I am almost 62 and still skating away from this diagnosis. I wonder if I can succeed some days!
My mother became diabetic in her early 40's, and died in her early 50's, and still I am here with PCOS and
metabolic syndrome and no frank diabetes. It is a total uphill battle and money spent on things/diet to
prevent it. I think however, I will lose, this fight. Genetics always win.

Those here should be visiting our PN board too. People without a definite diabetic diagnosis are still prone to
peripheral neuropathy...and that can be attended to.
Benfotiamine... a form of thiamine B1... which is better and fat soluble has shown for many years in many
countries to be helpful for PN.

dorrie 05-19-2008 03:57 PM

Thank you so very much Mrs.D....your help appreciated!! I wonder ifmy magnesium levels are low and causing such severe leg cramps at night!!

mrsD 05-20-2008 08:04 AM

might be!
 
Best to take some magnesium.... start at 1/2 the RDA as listed on my
magnesium thread.

Remember...your heart needs it too. Low levels lead to arrhythmias.

mrsD 05-20-2008 09:28 AM

Some others:
 
I am looking around PubMed for other agents and found this:

Quote:

1: Mol Cell Biochem. 2001 Jul;223(1-2):95-102.Click here to read Links
Long-term effects of chromium, grape seed extract, and zinc on various metabolic parameters of rats.
Preuss HG, Montamarry S, Echard B, Scheckenbach R, Bagchi D.

Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC, USA.

Progressive insulin resistance may contribute to both enhanced glycosylation of proteins and nucleic acids and augmented free radical damage commonly associated with aging. Accordingly, ingestion of chromium and antioxidants which improve insulin sensitivity and/or lessen free radical formation could theoretically ameliorate these basic disorders and lessen signs and symptoms of chronic age-related disorders. However, this supposition is based primarily upon acute rather than chronic data. Therefore, we divided 104 F344/BN rats into 2 groups: a control group receiving a basic diet and a test group receiving the same diet with added chromium polynicotinate (5 ppm), zinc monomethionine (18 ppm elemental zinc), and a grape seed extract high in flavonoids (250 ppm). Initial mean systolic blood pressures (SBP) of both control and test groups were 122 mm Hg. Over the first 7 months, the SBP of the control animals steadily increased to 140 mm Hg and remained at this level for the next 7-8 months. In contrast, the SBP of the test animals initially decreased over the first 4 months to as low as 110-114 mm Hg. The SBP then increased over the following months, essentially reaching the starting value of 120 mm Hg. This was still significantly lower than control (p < 0.001). In 12 control and 12 test rats, hepatic TBARS formation, an estimate of lipid peroxidation/free radical formation, was significantly lower after 1 year ingesting the test diet (p < 0.04); and HbA1C was also statistically significantly lower in the test group (5.4 vs. 4.8%, p < 0.003). Circulating levels of cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides were similar between the two groups. Body, kidney, and liver weights were not different after 1 year ingesting the different diets; but epididymal fat pad weight was less in the group receiving supplements. We conclude that after prolonged supplementation a combination of agents known to sensitize insulin response and act as antioxidants (chromium polynicotinate, grape seed extract, and zinc monomethionine) can markedly lower SBP in normotensive rats, lessen oxidative damage to fats as suggested by decreased TBARS formation, and lower HbA1C without showing signs of toxicity.

PMID: 11681727 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Also another mineral has been looked at-- vanadyl sulfate.

Quote:

1: Arch Med Res. 2007 Apr;38(3):276-83. Epub 2007 Jan 22.Click here to read Links
Vanadyl sulfate, taurine, and combined vanadyl sulfate and taurine treatments in diabetic rats: effects on the oxidative and antioxidative systems.
Tas S, Sarandol E, Ayvalik SZ, Serdar Z, Dirican M.

Department of Biology, Science and Literature Faculty, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey. smeral@uludag.edu.tr

BACKGROUND: Vanadyl sulfate (VS) and taurine are two promising agents in the treatment of diabetes related to their antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and hyperinsulinemic effects. Data about the effects of VS on the oxidant-antioxidant system is limited and controversial. However, taurine is a well-documented antioxidant agent and our aim was to investigate the effects of VS, taurine and VS and taurine combination on the oxidative-antioxidative systems in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) diabetic rats. METHODS: Nicotinamide (230 mg/kg, i.p.) and streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered. VS (0.75 mg/mL) and taurine (1%) were added to drinking water for 5 weeks. Rats were divided as control (C), diabetes (D), diabetes+VS (D+VS), diabetes+taurine (D+T), diabetes+VS and taurine (D+VST). Plasma and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry, respectively. Paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were measured by spectrophotometric methods and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined using commercial kits. RESULTS: VS, taurine and VS and taurine combination treatments reduced the enhanced blood glucose, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride, tissue MDA and plasma MDA (except in the D+VS group) levels and increased the reduced serum insulin level, serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities, GSH-Px activity and SOD activity (except in the D+VS group). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that VS and taurine exert beneficial effects on the blood glucose and lipid levels in STZ-NA diabetic rats. However, VS might exert prooxidative or antioxidative effects in various components of the body and taurine and VS combination might be an alternative for sole VS administration.

PMID: 17350476 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
However, I've been a bit leary of vanadyl sulfate.

Quote:

1: Nutr Health. 1984;3(1-2):79-85.Links
Vanadium and manic depressive psychosis.
Naylor GJ.

The evidence for the involvement of vanadium in the aetiology of manic depressive psychosis is reviewed. Raised levels of vanadium have been reported in plasma in mania and depression and raised hair levels reported in mania. Lithium has been reported to reduce the inhibition of Na-K ATPase by vanadate. Several groups of psychotropic drugs (e.g. phenothiazines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors) have been shown to catalyse the reduction of vanadate to the less active vanadyl ion. Therapies based on decreasing vanadate levels in the body (e.g. ascorbic acid, EDTA, methylene blue) have been reported to be effective in both depression and mania.

PMID: 6443582 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

There is really no concrete information about taking vanadium/vanadyl sulfate and the effects it has on bipolar disorder/mania.

This is what the PDR has to say:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/altme...&contentId=528

The University of Maryland is also guarded about this substance:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vanadium-000330.htm

Vowel Lady 05-23-2008 08:09 AM

Thank you everyone; special thanks to Mrs. D for the research.
Shelly, you asked if I have been dx'd with inulin resistence.
No...but I have been very curious since I gain weight unusually easily, especially after ingesting sugar. I am VERY careful with reference to the amount of calories I eat daily and I exercise regularly. However, I do have a sweet tooth. So, every few days, I might have some sugar. On these days, I might gain a pound. Sometimes, this pound does NOT come off and I am amazed...given that I eat small portions of healthy food the great majority of the time and do a LOT of walking on the treadmill (sometimes I jog). Most of my weight is in my stomach :mad: and I am prone to high blood pressure :mad: although I am taking a small amount of high blood pressure medication and getting good results with that:).

I think I am getting stubborn or frustrated with all the supplements I am taking. Therefore, with certain things I am not consistent. However, lately I have been consistently taking chromium picolate and I think it is helping a little. I have a combo acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement that I take a few times a week. IT's hard to say if this is helping. I also put cinnamon in my tea and/or coffee a couple of times a week (don't drink much of these things). I've gotten some slight improvement.

Will take another look at taurine with inositol. Are these two supplements to be taken at night? If I recall correctly, when I tried them in the past, they made me a little sleepy.

mrsD 05-23-2008 09:12 AM

When one says...
 
I gained a pound... in one day like that... I think that is water weight gain,
not tissue.

I take my taurine in the morning. My husband takes his inositol in the morning too. Neither of us notice any sedation. I can't tolerate high doses every day
of inositol however. So I don't take it as often. It makes me jittery/over reactive.

Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only.
The R-lipoic acid I find, jazzes me up like caffeine, so I can't take that at night. I take my SAMe in the morning. Any B-complex and/or folate take early in the day.

In general when your insulin is working better, you will feel less tired, esp after eating. Anything high carb also creates sedation...because it stimulates serotonin. So save your "treats" for dinner (later in the day).

I find a high protein breakfast is best for me. I then eat a smaller lunch (sometimes much smaller) and a small dinner. I work best on a good solid
meal for breakfast. A high carb breakfast is just a bummer for me..I can go back to bed on one.

As far as cinnamon goes, only the CASSIA form has shown usefulness.
Cinnamon spice may be a mixture of other types.
And you need at least 2 grams a day.
This explains the types:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia
If purchased in capsule form, you can read the label and see what you are getting. Spice from the grocery store may not be what you think.
types:
http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/zimt/zimt.htm

Dr. Jensen-Kittley recommends both inositol and taurine in her book and online.
http://www.obesitysanswer.com/
That is where I found them!

MelodyL 05-23-2008 07:50 PM

Mrs. D.

You said:

"Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only"

I've been taking the Methyl B-12 when I first wake up in the morning (on an empty stomach). I believe I read this on the boards, that this is the way to take it. It gives me a lot of energy.

Now am I nuts, or did I read you correctly?? You say to take Methyl B-12 at night?? I know that tryptophan (the stuff in turkey), makes you sleepy, that's why everybody wants to sleep after Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

But why does Methyl B sedate a person?.

Never happened to me. It gives me energy.

Did I read you correctly?

Also, can you explain about the Cornell thing. I know they stopped the intensive part of the study and moved everybody over to the conservative part, because some people died of heart attacks when their a1c got lowered.

I really don't understand why this is so.

Isn't the a1c supposed to be lower than when one started in the study?? And what does that have to do with the heart??

If you could explain this, when you get a moment, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks much.

Melody

mrsD 05-23-2008 11:12 PM

Mel...
 
1) MethylB12 helps me sleep. It always has. It is the helper agent for the synthesis of melatonin from serotonin, which is the sleep hormone.
The other reason I take at night, is because it has to be on an empty stomach.
And that is when I am most empty. (I take a handful of other things first thing
in the morning, and don't want competition for the B12 absorption, etc.

2) Mel, you have to understand that our bodies are not cars. They do not
all perform according to someone else's plan. The theory to keep A1c at a certain level....is only a theory. Keeping blood sugar low, when the tissues need it as we age may upset some balance that our tissues need. It may put some kind of stress signals out, increase stress hormones which then hurt the heart. Or some other explanation we don't understand yet.

Medicine is a very imperfect discipline. There is little or no proof that lowering cholesterol past a chosen number will do anything. In fact lowering it too far can cause strokes. Now my doctor is pushing for getting my diastolic blood pressure to 70 instead of 80 and I can't function that low...can't do aerobics, or climb stairs. Already I am getting orthostatic hypotension standing up suddenly. We just argued about this on Weds. Just because some new idea came up and says keep that number LOWER.... Well, diabetics are dying on the aggressive ACCORD program, so I am not buying that a diastolic of 70 is good for me and quality of MY life.

Vowel Lady 05-24-2008 09:04 AM

Mrs. D...

I take my B50 and additional B12 in the morning. I might experiment taking the B12 at night. However, so far...I haven't detected a problem with taking them in the morning. I DO really like those B vitamins!

I do think this weight gain is largely water weight. This week I was religious taking the chromium and things were clearly better. I even ate some rice (found a great...more yummy and easy...product) and I normally don't indulge and did not have to pay my normal price. However, I also did not eat much actual sugar. My gut tells me to "watch out" for sugar due to the consistency with problems there.
Do you happen to know what supplements or foods act as diuretics?
I had a veggie smoothie the other day...cucumber, spinach, celery and ginger and actually that seem to help. However, it was NOT the most tasty thing I have ever had in my life. I had this in the morning...a huge drink and it filled me up. Usually, I too have protein in the morning and it is a great choice. Really filling.

RE: CASSIA
I checked at iherb. Saw lots of oils. Can you further elaborate?

Also, is there some sort of "combo" inositol and taurine product out there? I really like my acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement combo and plan on taking it regularly.

Here is one that indicates it is for sleep (which is interesting, because I thought either T or I in the past made me sleepy): http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=1344
I don't know about the other ingredients listed...

All these supplements are making me batty...combo pills make sense to me. Even if they are not "perfect" it reduces the chances that I'm going to forget something or get overly frustrated. :winky:



Thank you.

MelodyL 05-24-2008 09:18 AM

Wow, thanks so much for explaining.

When I go to the Accord program, and my blood pressure was 102/62, they would all hoot and holler. I once said: 'why on earth are you hootin and hollering, I always thought that 120/70 was normal. I was then told: 'well, we now know that lower numbers are better, and especially for diabetics".

so they lowered the expected normal blood glucose level (I believe it used to be if you went over 150 they thought you were a diabetic). Now it seems if you are 105, or 110, they say "Oh you are pre-diabetic".

I'd like to know who to believe.

I know that we need cholesterol (some cholesterol) in our bodies. That's why I eat eggs once in a while (and for the choline for my brain). I want my brain to keep doing it's things.

I got my sugar down to 130 this morning. Believe me I was thrilled because, lately for whatever reason, it was 162, then 144. And all in the space of 30 seconds. I changed the batteries in my meter. Same thing happened.

Then I began taking the chromium picolinate. Started about 5 days ago. And I know it can't work that fast. Supposed to take 2 or 3 months to see any improvements. Well, when I go from 162 to 130, to me, that's a good thing. I don't know if I'll ever get down to 100. (Wouldn't that be something).

I lost about 7 lbs. That also lowers the blood sugar I've been told. A few pounds here and there, well that can amount to a better reading. That's fine by me.

Alan's blood sugar never goes over 85. NEVER. He's had more blood tests than I can remember. His blood pressure never changes either. The visiting nurse says "wow, this guy's pressure is always 100/60. EVERY TIME SHE COMES. It's amazing.

That has always been his pressure, even before he got the stent. He never had any kind of pressure problems.

I am to go to Cornell next week. I'm hoping to move it to the following friday because guess what?? ALAN GOT APPROVED FOR THE C.R.O.W. boot.

He gets it next thursday. So we shall see if he THEN CAN GO OUT OF THE HOUSE AND GO PLACES WITH ME.

For now, he's ordered to stay on the couch and not put any pressure on the foot ulcer. It's not bled for 7 days. But we've been through this before. As soon as he starts walking anywhere, the darn thing bleeds.

So his ortho feels "this taks a long long time to heal". "He needs a C.R.O.W. boot. I had never heard of it. But I have looked it up. It locks the ankle in place so he can't walk as he would like to walk. He has to walk a certain way.

so I guess we wait and watch.

Thanks so much for all the information on the a1c. I really am learning more and more every day from you.

Oh, I have two questions for you about juicing. I have NOT JUICED in 5 days (I was juicing vegetables and a small slice of apple), telling myself "well it's not fruit). Then when my sugar was 162, I said "better stop even this, wait until you find out if you can juice ANYTHING".

So here's question Number 1. Can juicing zucchini, celery, parsley, and any other green thing, along with a bit of apple, well can that raise one's blood sugar (or is everybody different, and there's no way to know except by trial and error???)

And the second question is: "I bought papaya enzymes from GNC". I was told "chew three of these", and whatever you eat, these will aid in digestion, and your body will absorb more nutrients than if you didn't take these enzymes."

These are really cheap at GNC, and they taste fine. But I have no idea if these 3 little chewable pills, well I don't know if they impact one's sugar. I mean, it's a fruit, I know, but it's not juice, and it's not concentrated, right?

Do you ever use these papaya enzymes??

Thanks much for taking the time to set us all straight about vitamins, and nutrition. It's much appreciated, believe me.

I've applied everything you have ever written.

mrsD 05-24-2008 10:15 AM

example...
 
Here is a recent example from Science News which came this week.

It is about diabetes....and why some people with tight control still get
serious other medical consequences, and some diabetics who do NOT have
tight control, have no serious consequences....it is about certain genes in their DNA.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gene..._for_diabetics
Quote:

DNA tweak no good for diabetics
By Tina Hesman Saey
May 5th, 2008

* font_down font_up Text Size

Increased protein production could harm eyes, kidneys

A little tweak to a diabetic’s DNA could tip the balance toward blindness and kidney failure, a new study shows.

Natural variation in just a single base pair — letters of the genetic alphabet – raises levels of erythropoietin, a protein that stimulates red blood cell production and the growth of blood vessels. Bumping up erythropoietin, EPO for short, about doubles the risk that diabetics will develop diabetic retinopathy and end-stage kidney disease, a study published online and in the May 13 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows.

Controlling erythropoietin levels or blocking its activity could help diabetics stave off complications or halt the progression of diseases already attacking eyes and kidneys. The research also sounds a cautionary note for diabetics who undergo kidney dialysis. Erythropoietin is often prescribed to dialysis patients to pump up red blood cell counts, but the new research suggests that EPO should be used with caution to avoid harming the eyes and kidneys....“We all see patients with their blood sugar completely under control, but they have complications right and left,” Zhang says. “Then there are other people whose blood sugar is all out of whack, and yet, they never get into trouble.”
This is a short quote, in case the link does not work, for non-members.

Now concerning the juicing...

The reason you are allowed an apple instead of an orange...is that the pectin/fiber of the apple, slows down the absorption of the natural sugars the apple has. All veggies also have some natural sugars. They lose their diabetic usefulness when juiced as well. (fiber removed by juicing)
I'd use the juicer for a once a day thing. Mix up your greens, etc for their antioxidant value...but do not drink these all day long, as they will affect your blood sugar.

As far as blood pressure goes.... I am not eager to lower mine to a value BELOW what I was when I was young and trim. I have never been below
80 diastolic, even in my middle trimester pregnant.
I am not intending to stumble around dizzy and weak with brain fog to achieve a 70 at this point in my life. Quality of life is important to me. What good is 70 if I can't get around and do things? Living like a slug and sleeping all the time?

mrsD 05-24-2008 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vowel Lady (Post 285886)
Mrs. D...

I take my B50 and additional B12 in the morning. I might experiment taking the B12 at night. However, so far...I haven't detected a problem with taking them in the morning. I DO really like those B vitamins!

I do think this weight gain is largely water weight. This week I was religious taking the chromium and things were clearly better. I even ate some rice (found a great...more yummy and easy...product) and I normally don't indulge and did not have to pay my normal price. However, I also did not eat much actual sugar. My gut tells me to "watch out" for sugar due to the consistency with problems there.
Do you happen to know what supplements or foods act as diuretics?
I had a veggie smoothie the other day...cucumber, spinach, celery and ginger and actually that seem to help. However, it was NOT the most tasty thing I have ever had in my life. I had this in the morning...a huge drink and it filled me up. Usually, I too have protein in the morning and it is a great choice. Really filling.

RE: CASSIA
I checked at iherb. Saw lots of oils. Can you further elaborate?

Also, is there some sort of "combo" inositol and taurine product out there? I really like my acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement combo and plan on taking it regularly.

Here is one that indicates it is for sleep (which is interesting, because I thought either T or I in the past made me sleepy): http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=1344

I don't know about the other ingredients listed...

All these supplements are making me batty...combo pills make sense to me. Even if they are not "perfect" it reduces the chances that I'm going to forget something or get overly frustrated. :winky:



Thank you.

Well, seems you are finding some solutions...
Taurine does not affect me one way or the other, sedation-wise.

The R-lipoic is vastly superior to alpha lipoic... I suggest when your combo is gone you switch to plain acetyl-carnitine and get the r-lipoic instead.
This will really put gas in your tank! It is like 4 cups of coffee for me!
So take it only in the morning.

I only know that the "cassia" version is the one used in the studies.
There are many kinds of cinnamon... I put that up in links.

The best diuretic I have found is the benfotiamine I started several months ago. Before-- I used to use Lasix twice a week, and after taking would go to the bathroom for hours...sometimes 6-8 visits.. I felt like I lost 10 lbs each time. But I hate diuretics since they upset my magnesium balance. Then I get thirsty later the next day.

Since starting the benfotiamine--- the Lasix does not get rid of any fluid anymore! This is very liberating. Even the doctor loved my trim ankles...she was surprised. (they never swelled much anyway --it is my hands that typically swell up).

High dose vit C will also act as a diuretic.

I have seen various foods listed, but I never had personal experience with them as useful. You can Google that.
What WILL help is removing foods that you are REACTING to...
The book Obesity's Answer by Dr. Jensen-Kittley goes into this in detail.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Obe...2479912/?itm=3
She has an elimnation diet that has lost water weight in her friends and patients up to 30lb a month! DRAMATIC... But the diet is VERY restrictive. This is the LAST diet book you will ever need!

I find the elimination diet brutal actually. Each person may react to only certain things...and not others. The trick is finding YOUR triggers. For example, I never realized I was reacting to onions...which I always used heavily. So now I rarely cook with them.

MelodyL 05-24-2008 11:32 AM

Wow, I always believed GENETICS was everything. Now I believe it even more. This doesn't jive with what Dr. Oz said on Oprah. He says "Genetics is 30% and what you do with your life, is the other 70%.

I think he has to say this so people don't go off and shoot themselves.

My mother's mom had 10 children. 7 survived childhood.
Everybody in my mother's family had cancer in one form or another. They also ALL smoked by the way.

My mom got breast cancer at 75.(didn't die from that, she smoked all her life and had emphasema). My aunt had breast cancer at 40 and a stroke at 45 Didn't kill her. She died at 87 after falling in the kitchen, breaking her hip and going to the hospital, getting pneumonia and died in 2 days) I still can't believe THAT STORY!!!. One of my cousins had breast cancer at 45. My uncle had lung cancer at 38 (killed him).No one else died of cancer though. They got mastectomies, and survived.

This is all on my mom's side. The only one left from her side is my 82 year old Aunt Sally who has a seizure disorder that is completely under control and she belongs to the red (or purple hat) society and they go to dinner theatre once a month. She's a great healthy 82 year old who is completely deaf though.

I have another cousin (the son of the one who died of lung cancer at 38), well he is 55 and has an arrhythmia and they've had to shock him 2 times to get his sinus rythm back. He takes pills.

EVERYBODY IS ON PILLS for this for that, for Prostate, or for high blood pressure etc.

All from my mom's side. My former doctor wanted me to go on hormone replacement therapy when I was 50 saying "you're a good candidate", I then said "really, everybody on my mother's side has had cancer". He then immediately changed his mind.

I do hope I might have inherited genes from my dad (which side is more dominant, does anybody know??). No one had cancer. No one.

But... my father became diabetic when he was 80, and my grandmother also when she was 80.

I told this to Cornell and the doctor said "Diabetes is in your genes". I kind of thought if a person was born with type 1, then it's in your genes, but when she said that, well, I was kind of taken aback.

So between the cancer from my mother's side and the so called inherited tendency to diabetes from my dad's side, well, I might die tomorrow, or I might just break all the rules and live to be 100 years old.

No one knows.

My dad had congestive heart failure when he was 76. He had (as his profession), been a landscaping artist when they moved to Florida. So he mowed lawns ALL DAY LONG. I've been told that this might have led to his congestive heart failure. I do not know. I'm thinking, BREATHING IN ALL THAT LAWN and fertilizer.

I would love to sit down with a geneticist and say "hey, what are my odds of not getting cancer, of not getting congestive heart failure, etc. etc.

I think I'm afraid to hear the answers.

Thanks much Mrs. D.

MelodyL 05-24-2008 11:40 AM

"I'd use the juicer for a once a day thing. Mix up your greens, etc for their antioxidant value...but do not drink these all day long, as they will affect your blood sugar."

Mrs. D. Just wanted to clear something up. I have never juiced or drank juice all day long. Never. When I got the juicer, initially I would make a glass of carrot apple pear, in the a.m. (4 oz), and in the afternoon, I'd juice 4 oz of celery, zucchini, (whatever green thing I had in the fridge).

I'd drink it down. About 2 p.m. And that would be it till the next morning. But when my sugar went up the next morning (and I have no idea if this is from the small amount of juice I DID drink, well, I decided NO JUICING TILL I HAVE MORE FACTS.

I have never even thought about drinking juice all day long, (like they do in the informercials. I juice for Alan. He LOVES it. He also does not have diabetes, so he can do this.

Since I stopped the juicing, and I went back to NOT eating after 7 pm (which Cornell says is fine because as they put it, YOU DON'T EAT AFTER 7 P.M, YOU HAVE GOOD SUGAR READINGS THE NEXT DAY, WHY FOOL WITH SUCCESS???), well, my sugar is steadily improving in the morning numbers.

I think as we get older, we get more problems. I can only continue to do what I've been doing, walking every day, no refined carbs, low-fat, and hope that as my weight continues to drop, my glucose will stabilize even better.

And guess what?? Today I bought my first belt.

Never wore a belt in my life.

Wait until Alan sees me in a skirt, tank and a belt. He'll either think I've lost my mind, or he'll smile. I hope he smiles.

lol

watsonsh 05-26-2008 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsd (Post 285284)
In general when your insulin is working better, you will feel less tired, esp after eating. Anything high carb also creates sedation...because it stimulates serotonin. So save your "treats" for dinner (later in the day).

This is exactly what ws happening to me Mrsd....I would immediately want to and need to sleep after a meal. That symptom combined with the two hour glucose insulin test showed insulin resistance. And diabetes runs rampant in my family when women get to their 50's.

Vowel Lady 05-26-2008 01:27 PM

I would like to know how a lay person tests their sugar?
So much of what I'm reading here rings true for me.
For one thing, if I don't eat after let's say 7:30 p.m. two things commonly happen:
1) I tend to lose weight
2) I tend to have more energy in then morning/feel better

Also, when I juice...I "feel better," which in my mind means simply "I have more energy and less bloating" when I drink smoothies with veggies in them as opposed to smoothies with fruits in them.

Much of what I've had to go on involves instinct and lots of observation.

I do know that my body does NOT like a lot of breads/starches/sugar. NOt too crazy about milk products or red meat either...although these things are better than those first items. I do best when I have lots of vegetables, a little lean meat, small amounts of fruit, nuts, beans, etc. Also....walking daily is a thumbs up all the way! Years ago, I did a modified Fit for LIfe diet and I felt really great on this.

Anyway, are the tests available over the counter to test blood sugar? What are normal ratings? What are good books/websites to get some good basic information on this topic? Thank you.

Curious 05-26-2008 01:37 PM

you can buy all the supplies to test your blood sugar at walmart or a pharmacy.

we bought a kit for one of my daughters this spring. she was having all the symptoms of low blood sugar. she is fine. we found out her apartment was old and unlevel. she was having vertigo and felt dizzy. like with low blood sugar. plus the place we suspect had mold. thankfully she has moved.

the supplies aren't cheap, but was less expensive than a dr's visit for a test. if the tests had come back with porblems, then she would have gone to a dr.

the tester came with a dvd and a website for support. i think most of them do.

mrsD 05-26-2008 02:12 PM

veggies....
 
bloating from veggies.... you need BEANO... It really helps. I have to use it now for every meal with vegetables.

The glucometers are fairly easy to get. If you watch the circulars from Walgreens. CVS etc they often have them with a rebate, which makes them
essentially FREE.

It is the testing strips/discs that cost an arm and a leg. Up to $80/mon.

You might get your doctor to write you an RX... some people have this covered on their insurance. Blue Cross for example has coverage with a copay from
medical supply places. (not pharmacies). It is not part of the drug benefit, unless you are on Medicaid or some Medicare.

I can always tell when I am low... I get shakey and sweat. Sometimes I get
teary...overly emotional. Smaller meals and snacks help with gas/bloating too.
I am not always HUNGRY when LOW.... just very unstable. Many times the thought of food is repulsive! So I have a swig of OJ when that happens.
There is a new Gatorade G2, with 1/2 the sugar in it...and a swallow of that often helps. One little bottle lasts me 3-4 days in the frig.

As I have gotten older I have developed a fructose intolerance. So I have to be very careful with some fruits now!
Beano and Lactaid are my friends --daily.

MelodyL 05-26-2008 07:28 PM

Vowel Lady:

Can you give me a GREEN smoothie Recipe??

Much appreciated.

I now make smoothies for my husband.

First I juice some fresh pineapple and oranges. I take the fresh juice and put it in a blender, add some ice cubes, and a 6 oz tub of sugar free/fat free yogurt. I blend it on high (liquify), and pour it into a glass.

He went nuts, that's how good it tastes.

I wouldn't know, I can't eat all that fresh fruit.

God, I wanted to bang him on the head when he said: Oh my god, this is so delicious.

He's either going to be the healthiest guy on the planet, or the fruitiest (no pun intended). lol

Vowel Lady 05-26-2008 08:16 PM

I don't really have a recipe for you.
By accident, I went to my local wild oats (for a smoothie) and I wanted cucumber simply because I heard it might help with bloating. I asked also for celery and ginger because I had heard these things might help with headaches. I asked what else might be good and spinach was suggested. The taste was okay...not great. What was good though, was that after I drank it, I felt really full and was not hungry until lunch time. For me, this usually only happens when I eat a protein for breakfast. Additionally, I was NOT bloated and may have lost a tiny bit of water weight

I have also made for myself (once in awhile) a vanilla smoothie made from a mix with 10 mgs. of protein. I add to this a little fat free milk, some ice cubes, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is very filling. I had some slight bloating with this..but enjoyed the way it made me feel full for a loooong time and really wasn't that many calories. It is really good when trying to avoid over-eating.

MelodyL 05-27-2008 07:35 PM

Oh, I thought you had a newer recipe. I've already done the spinach, cucumber stuff. I'm not juicing at the moment because my sugar is better if I don't juice so I don't juice.

Now Alan is GETTING ALL THE BENEFITS OF MY NEW JUICER.

Oh well.

He loved the Orange Pineapple yogurt smoothie (I mean, who wouldn't)

Thank the lord I don't get any cravings. It's been so long that I think my body adjusted to my way of eating. Alan however, is a different human being altogether. We went shopping today and I had to literally stop him from loading all those 100 calorie packs into the shopping cart

He looked at me and said "what are you? my mother??"

I said 'we don't need this, it's processed".

Thank the lord he listened.

Tonight I'll make him a nice bowl of fresh fruit.

So thank you anyway for your green smoothie suggestion.

When I go to Cornell, I'm going to pick their brain about juicing.

They actually once told me they don't believe in it. They believe in eating a piece of fruit because you get the fiber.

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