Diabetes

[jimmyjazz 47123]

My wife was just diagnosed as diabetic.  She is a seemingly healthy individual, eats well, hardly ever drinks, and exercises regularly.  While she doesn't weigh what she did when I met her, she seems in pretty good shape for someone in her early 50's.  Her dad was diabetic.  I suspect this is largely hereditary.

Her doc wants to put her on medication, which I won't dispute.  What I am looking for is solid information on dietary do's and don'ts .  Can any of you advise on legitimate science-based dietary info that would help in this fight?  She's pretty freaked out.

[Dbeasy 15561]

Number 1 diet advice. Stop drinking any drinks forever that have sugar. Except maybe a few alcoholic drinks on occasion. No cokes. No juice. No lemonade. This alone will have greater benefits than anything else she does. 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

Noted.  She doesn't drink soda, she does drink some juice.  Are fruit smoothies out?  Is fruit out?  That would be difficult.

[CooterBrown 18287]

Fruit and smoothies are out. 12 oz of OJ has 28g of sugar vs 39g for Coke. Not much difference.

[Dbeasy 15561]

Fruit smoothies have a lot of sugar. Fruits do have some fiber which helps. Most people don’t completely drop sugary drinks, but the reason I have such a radical viewpoint on it is because a diabetic burns out their beta cells over time. Once that happens you need insulin. Today beta cells can’t be regrown. There is research to do it but it’s a long way off. 

The better you do controlling carbs, the longer your beta cells survive, the longer you go without insulin. The Mediterranean diet is the best diet for a diabetic. Most dietitians recommend Mediterranean as well but I wouldn’t eat quite as much carbs as the diet suggests. Limit breads, tortillas, starchy things like rice, potatoes and pasta. 

I’ve got 25 years not only as a diabetic but also started and ran a software company that provided diet software for diabetics and others  

 

Edited June 17 by Dbeasy

[jimmyjazz 47123]

Wow, thanks.  I'll look into the Mediterranean diet.

[royiv 9772]

 

Obligatory

[South Austin 53220]

Did your wife start noticing any symptoms that led up to the diagnosis? Or did she go in for routine bloodwork and her doc said, “Hey guess what, you’re diabetic.” 

[PRONG HORN 3219]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

My wife was just diagnosed as diabetic.  She is a seemingly healthy individual, eats well, hardly ever drinks, and exercises regularly.  While she doesn't weigh what she did when I met her, she seems in pretty good shape for someone in her early 50's.  Her dad was diabetic.  I suspect this is largely hereditary.

Her doc wants to put her on medication, which I won't dispute.  What I am looking for is solid information on dietary do's and don'ts .  Can any of you advise on legitimate science-based dietary info that would help in this fight?  She's pretty freaked out.

 

 

Type 1 or 2?  Trying to cut every carb is not necessary but can be a healthy choice if done correctly.  Keep the glucose below a certain level is the goal so avoiding spikes is the main tool to do that.  You'll likely be doing this anyway if it's type 1.  

run out tomorrow and get a glucometer if the doc hasn't already prescribed one he might do it over the phone.

Really the only solid information is to educate yourself about carbs, glucose, insulin spikes, etc.  Fruit sugars are so low on the list of things to cut out that you should cross that bridge if you come to it. 

 

try cut out/educate yourself about:

 

ice cream

desert

candy

gum

sugary snacks

white breads

white pasta

white grains etc.

white rice

white flour

 

Basically move the diet toward meats and veggies.  When you enjoy carbs make sure they're the healthy kind.  That's where your personal research comes in. 

 

*** Try very hard to avoid eating delicious carbs in front of her.  You're diet changes now too.  grocery shopping, cooking etc. is for her now.  You're along for the ride.

 

 

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

 
 
Type 1 or 2?  Trying to cut every carb is not necessary but can be a healthy choice if done correctly.  Keep the glucose below a certain level is the goal so avoiding spikes is the main tool to do that.  You'll likely be doing this anyway if it's type 1.  
run out tomorrow and get a glucometer if the doc hasn't already prescribed one he might do it over the phone.
Really the only solid information is to educate yourself about carbs, glucose, insulin spikes, etc.  Fruit sugars are so low on the list of things to cut out that you should cross that bridge if you come to it. 
 
try cut out/educate yourself about:
 
ice cream
desert
candy
gum
sugary snacks
white breads
white pasta
white grains etc.
white rice
white flour
 
Basically move the diet toward meats and veggies.  When you enjoy carbs make sure they're the healthy kind.  That's where your personal research comes in. 
 
*** Try very hard to avoid eating delicious carbs in front of her.  You're diet changes now too.  grocery shopping, cooking etc. is for her now.  You're along for the ride.
 
 

If, based on the information you quoted, you still have to ask if it’s Type 1 or Type 2 then you aren’t qualified to be providing any input on the matter.

[PRONG HORN 3219]

3 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

If, based on the information you quoted, you still have to ask if it’s Type 1 or Type 2 then you aren’t qualified to be providing any input on the matter.

So you can tell by the info whether it’s type 1 or 2, but didn’t offer any dietary basics that op asked for?  

my post boiled down to general low carb diet advice basically telling op to get educated on carbs, insulin spikes, and glucose.  
 

 

 

[TwiceHorn 32071]

12 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Fruit and smoothies are out. 12 oz of OJ has 28g of sugar vs 39g for Coke. Not much difference.

Well, actually, there is a  difference.  The sugar in fruits is fructose, which is a bit easier on your blood sugar than sucrose and glucose.

As a general rule, yes, carbs and especially sugary carbs are out.  But the key items are glycemic index and glycemic load.  Not all carbs are equal.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

Did your wife start noticing any symptoms that led up to the diagnosis? Or did she go in for routine bloodwork and her doc said, “Hey guess what, you’re diabetic.” 

No symptoms that she was correlating to possible diabetes, but she had a respitory infection turn into pneumonia a few weeks ago and the doc she saw said it was time for a checkup, as it had been years and years.

[South Austin 53220]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

No symptoms that she was correlating to possible diabetes, but she had a respitory infection turn into pneumonia a few weeks ago and the doc she saw said it was time for a checkup, as it had been years and years.

So it was diagnosed by a blood test?  I'm just curious.  One of my best friends was diagnosed with diabetes in her early 50s, and sounds similar to your wife -- relatively clean living (though loves the wine and bubbly), good shape, a bit heavier since I met her in her early 30s but way far from obese.  I remember thinking to myself, "You're diabetic???"  It occurred to me in reading your post that I actually never asked her how she got the diagnosis.  

By the way, I don't know her exact diet modifications these days, but she does wear a glucose monitor, and I noticed that while she still enjoys wine, she drinks far less than she used to.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

2 hours ago, PRONG HORN said:

Type 1 or 2? 

Unknown to us at this point.  She had to go in for repeat bloodwork this morning because the last time around she hadn't properly fasted.  (She wasn't instructed to fast at all.)  So, this should be a more accurate test, and she'll make a point of getting the doc to be specific.

Quote

Basically move the diet toward meats and veggies.

Is dairy an issue?   I assume not, but I often get in trouble when I assume things.

 

Quote

*** Try very hard to avoid eating delicious carbs in front of her.  You're diet changes now too.  grocery shopping, cooking etc. is for her now.  You're along for the ride.

I'm very aware of this.  This has sparked a movement towards doc visits and healthier lifestyle choices for me too.

 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

So it was diagnosed by a blood test?  I'm just curious.

Yes, she went in for bloodwork simply because it had been years (more like a decade or more).

[CooterBrown 18287]

My 70 year old dad runs 2 miles a day, goes to the gym, eats mostly salad and is diabetic.  You can't out-exercise bad genetics.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

2 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

My 70 year old dad runs 2 miles a day, goes to the gym, eats mostly salad and is diabetic.  You can't out-exercise bad genetics.

Yes, my coworker is 60 years old and is the absolute picture of perfect health.  He's always worked out religiously, and if I were to guess, I'd say he's probably 5' 9" 145 lb.  Last summer -- wham, diabetic.

[South Austin 53220]

7 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

This has sparked a movement towards doc visits and healthier lifestyle choices for me too.

General PSA since you mentioned this -- everyone should get an annual physical and bloodwork starting in your 30s, certainly by your 40s.  I had neglected this for much of my adult life, and didn't start getting an annual physical until my mid 30s, and then made some serious lifestyle adjustments when I was close to my 40s and noticed (1) I had started putting on a little weight in some areas whereas for my whole life before I had maintained the metabolism of 13-year old South Austin, and (2) my cholesterol numbers started creeping up, and I have heart issues in my family.  So I started eating better and getting back to the gym, and over the past couple years really upped my fiber and cut down on the red meat, and my cholesterol numbers last year were as low as they've been in well over a decade.   

And aside from the annual physical, pay close attention to your body, and if something is off, go see a doctor.  Case in point:  Many months ago I noticed a mark on my cheek that seemed like a small bit of redness from blemish or ingrown hair, and it just stayed there.  Then about two months ago, I noticed in a short amount of time it started growing and getting raised, and even started bleeding after I toweled my face after a shower.  I'd never gone to a dermatologist, but made an appointment ASAP, and I got my first ever biopsy on Friday.  The doctor think's it's okay, the little "c" instead of the big "C," likely basil cell carcinoma.  But she wanted a biopsy to be sure.  And I'll be going back every 6 to 12 months for an overall skin check.

Sorry for the thread derail, but I try to tell people at every opportunity to take their health seriously and book regular physician visits.  

[PRONG HORN 3219]

9 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Unknown to us at this point.  She had to go in for repeat bloodwork this morning because the last time around she hadn't properly fasted.  (She wasn't instructed to fast at all.)  So, this should be a more accurate test, and she'll make a point of getting the doc to be specific.

Is dairy an issue?   I assume not, but I often get in trouble when I assume things.

 

I’ll assume that the test today is A1C and that the doc did a test during the pneumonia to see what glucose levels were which turned up high numbers and that’s why the a1c was ordered.  Just a guess.
Yes they absolutely should have told her to fast before the first one.  
 

dairy has sugars but they’re natural.  Processed and unnatural sugars like white sugar are the big ones to avoid.  
 

You’ll learn more in the next week of casual googling and YouTubing than you’ll get here in a week.  You’ll be the expert really soon.  I think the diabetics on surly will have some “tips and tricks” especially when it comes to potential drug choices or not, other strategies, and latest technologies etc that might come in handy, but for the immediate just start your research.  

[jimmyjazz 47123]

4 minutes ago, PRONG HORN said:

I’ll assume that the test today is A1C and that the doc did a test during the pneumonia to see what glucose levels were which turned up high numbers and that’s why the a1c was ordered.

No, there was no blood work done when she went to a doc in a box for pneumonia.  Besides x-rays that revealed pneumonia, that doc did little more than run a patient history questionnaire, and when my wife admitted it had been years since she'd had a checkup, he advised that she fix that and do so pronto, just as good health practice.  The second doc ran the bloodwork and brought her back for round two today because my wife hadn't fasted the first time around.  The numbers were apparently pretty definitive, though, and we don't expect the diagnosis to change, but maybe we'll get lucky.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

Question:  is it fair to say that the standard nutritional information printed on food packaging won't provide much of a clue as to the goodness or badness of a particular product?  Do I need my own list of foods and their Glycemic Index?

[tx 3 putt 78668]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

General PSA since you mentioned this -- everyone should get an annual physical and bloodwork starting in your 30s, certainly by your 40s.  I had neglected this for much of my adult life, and didn't start getting an annual physical until my mid 30s, and then made some serious lifestyle adjustments when I was close to my 40s and noticed (1) I had started putting on a little weight in some areas whereas for my whole life before I had maintained the metabolism of 13-year old South Austin, and (2) my cholesterol numbers started creeping up, and I have heart issues in my family.  So I started eating better and getting back to the gym, and over the past couple years really upped my fiber and cut down on the red meat, and my cholesterol numbers last year were as low as they've been in well over a decade.   

And aside from the annual physical, pay close attention to your body, and if something is off, go see a doctor.  Case in point:  Many months ago I noticed a mark on my cheek that seemed like a small bit of redness from blemish or ingrown hair, and it just stayed there.  Then about two months ago, I noticed in a short amount of time it started growing and getting raised, and even started bleeding after I toweled my face after a shower.  I'd never gone to a dermatologist, but made an appointment ASAP, and I got my first ever biopsy on Friday.  The doctor think's it's okay, the little "c" instead of the big "C," likely basil cell carcinoma.  But she wanted a biopsy to be sure.  And I'll be going back every 6 to 12 months for an overall skin check.

Sorry for the thread derail, but I try to tell people at every opportunity to take their health seriously and book regular physician visits.  

if you have insurance, see your dr at least yearly with full blood panel. Then when something happens, they can have current blood work to reference. find a dr that you like. 

 

@jimmyjazz your wife needs to meet asap with an endocrinologist, and a very good nutritionist. a good endocrinologist is a difference maker. she needs to double down on the medical stuff asap. she has insurance, use it. she needs guidance from medical specialists. there are classes for new diabetics too

check her sugar as soon as she wakes up. all monitors should have an app to track it. Check it again 2 hrs after her biggest meal. 
 

very good deal on strips - https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/contour-next-blood-glucose-strips-value-pack/ID=prod6387848-product?ext=gooFY23_GOO_RET_RETAILDEMANDGEN_Performance%2BMax%2B-%2BHome%2BHealth%2BCare_REV_SRC_PMAX_PMAX_NA_PMAX_ENG__pla_local&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD7MwhSnnS2SbemQWDE9-KhE-frl6&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyXK-FEaeL1Bj8w24NTpEvRRvvLDE2n7zlO1SWL3CzNYkmQnXmX0X4oaAlANEALw_wcB

 

 

As for diet - if it’s white, don’t eat it - rice, sugar, bread, potatoes, milk. avoid fried food. double up on leafy greens. grilled cold water fish is excellent, barely moves tour sugar levels. avoid all sugary drinks. Find a zero sugar protein shake that she likes. stock up

Crystal light lemonade is a life saver for me. Zero sugar. In general, drink more water. If she drinks coffee, lot of zero sugar creamers 

What’s her a1c ?

[Bevo 13870]

7 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

What’s her a1c ?

[tx 3 putt 78668]

I’m 6.1, really need to focus to get it to 5.9

that being said, about to warm up my left over Chinese 😂😂

[Reagan1k 3042]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

Sorry for the thread derail, but I try to tell people at every opportunity to take their health seriously and book regular physician visits.  

Good for you.  We probably should have a Longevity thread on here somewhere. 

 

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3219]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Question:  is it fair to say that the standard nutritional information printed on food packaging won't provide much of a clue as to the goodness or badness of a particular product?  Do I need my own list of foods and their Glycemic Index?

 

Yes and no.  It will provide information based on your level of understanding.  As you go along over the next few months you’ll begin to make an inventory of what you don’t want to see on packaging.  A quick scan will suffice.  You won’t be reading the whole thing but rather looking for words that stand out.  
 

Lots of info out there and it can get pretty rabbit holey.  I guess the glycemic index is as good as any place to start and looking at the labels in your own kitchen to begin to strategize your next grocery list.  I’m sure there’s an app.  Probably too many to choose from.  I’d get a book or ebook.  

Here’s examples of words you’ll be scanning labels for to decide what to avoid.  Know which ones you don’t want based on her strategy/plan.

 

 

Your glycemic index will only be for reference obvs.  It’s useless without your personal knowledge of what you don’t want to put in your body.  It has commercial sweeteners like above but you’ll also see the differences in actual food items like apple, banana, pear, etc.  

I would avoid going hardcore low/no carb on your next grocery list.  Ease into it as your knowledge grows over the next few weeks and months.  

 

 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

Maybe I wasn't very clear.  Take rice for example.  When I look up the glycemic index for brown rice, one source (healthline.com) says it's ~ 50, whereas for white rice it's ~ 89.  Understand that I have no idea if those numbers are accurate.

If I look at the nutritional labels on a bag of brown rice and a bag of white rice at HEB, I see that one serving of each has total carbs of 34 grams (brown rice) versus 36 grams (white rice).  So, it doesn't appear that carbs tell the whole story, and the labels aren't very helpful in that regard.  Am I on the right track?

[PRONG HORN 3219]

Well

6 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Maybe I wasn't very clear.  Take rice for example.  When I look up the glycemic index for brown rice, one source (healthline.com) says it's ~ 50, whereas for white rice it's ~ 89.  Understand that I have no idea if those numbers are accurate.

If I look at the nutritional labels on a bag of brown rice and a bag of white rice at HEB, I see that one serving of each has total carbs of 34 grams (brown rice) versus 36 grams (white rice).  So, it doesn't appear that carbs tell the whole story, and the labels aren't very helpful in that regard.  Am I on the right track?

That sounds technical but yes I think so.  The labels won’t do all the math for you. 
Twicehorn mentioned glycemic index and also glycemic load.  

[Dbeasy 15561]

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Maybe I wasn't very clear.  Take rice for example.  When I look up the glycemic index for brown rice, one source (healthline.com) says it's ~ 50, whereas for white rice it's ~ 89.  Understand that I have no idea if those numbers are accurate.

If I look at the nutritional labels on a bag of brown rice and a bag of white rice at HEB, I see that one serving of each has total carbs of 34 grams (brown rice) versus 36 grams (white rice).  So, it doesn't appear that carbs tell the whole story, and the labels aren't very helpful in that regard.  Am I on the right track?

Yes glycemic index does complicate things a bit. There are some rices that are better than others. Also, when looking at package labels always look at serving sizes. Sometimes manufacturers play games with that to confuse the consumer. I sometimes quickly calculate carbs/calorie when comparing two similar choices.

And as a follow on to other comments, for sure the desserts and sugary foods are a top priority as compared to juice. I just found that by taking on the mindset of dropping most/all sugary drinks from my diet that over about a year or two I was able to easily drop all sugary drinks from my diet completely. I don’t even want that any more. At all. 

It’s a way to have a massive straightforward impact with less carb counting pressure. I drink water, unsweetened ice tea, and a few alcoholic beverages (a cheat) a week as my drinks.  

 

 

[tx 3 putt 78668]

24 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Maybe I wasn't very clear.  Take rice for example.  When I look up the glycemic index for brown rice, one source (healthline.com) says it's ~ 50, whereas for white rice it's ~ 89.  Understand that I have no idea if those numbers are accurate.

If I look at the nutritional labels on a bag of brown rice and a bag of white rice at HEB, I see that one serving of each has total carbs of 34 grams (brown rice) versus 36 grams (white rice).  So, it doesn't appear that carbs tell the whole story, and the labels aren't very helpful in that regard.  Am I on the right track?

a nutritionist covers all this 

[Reagan1k 3042]

4 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Yes glycemic index does complicate things a bit. There are some rices that are better than others.

Yep - and depending on how you prepare, you can change the glycemic index of a particular rice.

Reheated frozen or refrigerated white rice has a lower impact than fresh cooked. Rice study

Lots of rabbit holes to explore. 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

18 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

I drink water, unsweetened ice tea, and a few alcoholic beverages (a cheat) a week as my drinks.  

Fortunately, this is her routine already, minus the alcohol.  Add in decaf coffee.

I think the sugary foods will be the problem, and to some degree processed breads and pastas.  We'll get through it.

Did I mention she has a degree in Nutrition from UT-Austin?  I want her to start journaling all of this, I think she might be able to offer real perspective to others as she navigates this situation.

[Dbeasy 15561]

21 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Fortunately, this is her routine already, minus the alcohol.  Add in decaf coffee.

I think the sugary foods will be the problem, and to some degree processed breads and pastas.  We'll get through it.

Did I mention she has a degree in Nutrition from UT-Austin?  I want her to start journaling all of this, I think she might be able to offer real perspective to others as she navigates this situation.

Oh then she is well-prepared. The only issue I found with the dietitians that used my software is that they tended to rely on standard usda diet guidelines for diabetics, and the amount of carbs in that diet is pretty high. I found much better success and ability to manage at a bit lower carb levels. 

[luke duke 6449]

Did I mention she has a degree in Nutrition from UT-Austin?

[jimmyjazz 47123]

She's literally never used her degree in any professional capacity.  She kinda doubts herself.  It's been a bit of an issue.

[thunderlounge 8407]

11 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Unknown to us at this point.  She had to go in for repeat bloodwork this morning because the last time around she hadn't properly fasted.  (She wasn't instructed to fast at all.)  So, this should be a more accurate test, and she'll make a point of getting the doc to be specific.

She might not be in as bad of shape as indicated. Proper bloodwork first, then go from there.

There are little things that you can do. For example, do you make coffee? Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the grounds.

The more you can control through lifestyle choices, the better. Less pills n shit. My wife had been doing really well up to about a year or so ago. She’s been pretty lax on it, and her favorite saying about it is, “Well, it’s slushie season.”

She’s done pretty bad in that regard, and more so than usual. She’s probably one of the worst at doing the don’ts. She has a cup of coffee in the morning she takes to work, doctored with splenda and half/half. 

She won’t eat lunch, as she’s “afraid of crashing.”

Then she eats whatever for dinner.

I try to make sensible meals, but it only goes so far without active participation.

She was on a nightly dose of insulin, and 2 pills of the gluburide/metformin combo twice a day. She worked hard to get shit under control, got off the insulin, and was down to 1 pill at night.

Now she’s back to 1 in the morning as well, which isn’t good since she doesn’t eat until supper.

She’s always had more problems with lows (there have been a few times I have no idea how she didn’t code) than with highs. As her doctor keeps telling her, one low can kill you.

But she’ll freak out over a high and she’ll start taking an extra pill. Well, I think we can all see how the cycle progresses.

She had her a1c down to 6.1, but now it’s back up a full point.

It’s a battle, but you can’t do the work for her.

She’s not even close to over weight, and right where her doc wants her. Of course my biggest problem with her doc is she isn’t a very good at the chemistry side of it.

 

Anyway, you can do a lot to help lessen the medical dependency, and that works better in the long run all around. 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

OK, thanks.  What is the benefit of cinnamon?  She drinks decaf because she noticed her sleep was getting disrupted, even 12 hours after the morning caffeine jolt.  (I have no idea if that sleep disruption could be related to the diabetes.)  Whatever the correlation, cutting out caffeinated coffee and tea lets her sleep better.

She's had all kinds of minor issues that I wonder if they're related.  Inflammation, pains, etc.  Nothing life-changing, just annoying, and honestly I'm about as an American man as you can get -- I ignore everything ("I don't have time to be sick") so I tend to downplay her own symptoms.  It's about time for a level reset for both of us.

[thunderlounge 8407]

Cinnamon helps with a1c, and some other benefits. My wife won’t do decaf, at least very often. She should, of course. Her sleep habits are as bad. She’ll eat dinner, and by 9 or so is crashed on the couch or in her chair. Lots of little things like that which add up. 
 

She knows better, but I guess just doesn’t care. Hard to deal with that, and at some point just have to let them travel their path.

 

[Basil 773]

There's some good advice on this thread and I'd add to keep calm and carry on.  Her world is not going to implode overnight.  You don't have to permanently change diet/lifestyle but his weekend.  You don't have to go no-carbs.  A diabetes diagnosis is scary and there's information overload but you have time to get it figured out.  An easy initial option is to move towards foods with a lower glycemic index.  There's comprehensive lists all over the internet. 

[jimmyjazz 47123]

Yeah, I'm trying to just learn some of the basics (daily max grams of sugar, etc.) so I can help her tune her diet.  She already exercises above the level I've seen recommended, so that's good.

[Gil Bang 26229]

On 6/18/2024 at 5:55 AM, jimmyjazz said:

No symptoms that she was correlating to possible diabetes, but she had a respitory infection turn into pneumonia a few weeks ago and the doc she saw said it was time for a checkup, as it had been years and years.

Holy fuck.  I hope she hasn't skipped mammograms for all that time.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

9 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

Holy fuck.  I hope she hasn't skipped mammograms for all that time.

Oh, definitely.  She's going in for one next week.  I'm about as bad as she is when it comes to health maintenance.  We each have a chronic issue that requires regular doctor visits, but they are very specific.

Like I said, it's time for some lifestyle changes.

[Gil Bang 26229]

My doctor (female) tells me that she loves me, because I actually go in for regular checkups, and I have no issues.   

Many years ago, I changed jobs and locales, and got new health insurance.  So, I picked a doctor that was taking new patients, and located close to my home.  (Also a female, but that' just coincidence).  Anyway, I'm called in, the doc introduces herself, and asks what's wrong with me.  I say "nothing, I just thought I should come in and get checked out".  

She says OMG thank you.  Most middle-aged men...the first time I meet them, they're in a hospital bed. 

[harpercollins 394]

I found the diabetes code by Dr Fung really fascinating.

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

Jason Fung is one of the biggest quacks on the face of the earth. Please for the love of god do not promote his fuckery. You’re making the dude upthread that doesn’t know the difference in Type 1 and 2 seem like an intelligent creature (he’s not).

[harpercollins 394]

Jason Fung is one of the biggest quacks on the face of the earth. Please for the love of god do not promote his fuckery. You’re making the dude upthread that doesn’t know the difference in Type 1 and 2 seem like an intelligent creature (he’s not).

My apologies; I am not a physician. What makes you say he’s a quack?

I don’t know about the science behind his advocacy of low carb intermittent fasting, but I think for the majority of patients with type 2 diabetes they would be better off adopting low carb IF than most other diets.

[Herbie Hancock 7489]

My apologies; I am not a physician. What makes you say he’s a quack?

I don’t know about the science behind his advocacy of low carb intermittent fasting, but I think for the majority of patients with type 2 diabetes they would be better off adopting low carb IF than most other diets.

He’s an absolute hack and a charlatan that peddles bullshit to line his pockets. He stands to profit from people buying into his “methods”. He preaches that calories don’t matter, calorie deficit is not what causes weight loss, and that hormones are affected by certain foods and not macronutrients. The idiot literally said, verbatim, that cutting calories will not cause weight loss.

If you want to get sound, sane nutritional advice from someone on the internet he’s not it. Layne Norton, Ben Carpenter, Brad Schoenfeld, Mike Israetel, Chris Tuttle, Alexia Tuttle and Justin Harris are who you need to be digesting nutritional information from.

[jimmyjazz 47123]

I have to admit, my head is swimming.  I started extrapolating from a few givens -- "white bread bad", therefore it seemed pasta would be bad -- not really.  It does appear that whole wheat pasta is probably better than regular pasta, but neither appears to be particularly problematic.  Similarly, most fruits aren't particularly bad (watermelon and pineapple seem to be exceptions, which sucks, because she loves those two).

I just want her to be able to enjoy as much of her old diet as possible.

[harpercollins 394]

He preaches that calories don’t matter, calorie deficit is not what causes weight loss, and that hormones are affected by certain foods and not macronutrients. The idiot literally said, verbatim, that cutting calories will not cause weight loss.

Ah gotcha. I did not remember him saying it that strongly. The main takeaway I had is that he asserts that not all calories are created equal, which I think is common sense.