Hi Terry,
I viewed the link and listened to the video on Dr. Anne Peters. It's difficult to tell, but maybe I fall into the "Asian Lean Type 2s" which she talks about as being more prevalent, but will still check my other antibodies this week. I'm back and forth regarding if I should go on medication. Initially was thinking about going on Metformin, but I'm working hard on Diet and Exercise right now. I guess it really depends on if I have Type 1 or Type 2 to some degree. On another note, I will recheck a fasting C-Peptide level. I had one checked (non-fasting after lunch) 3 months ago when I was diagnosed and it was 2.6 (Normal Range 0.8-3.9) and I'm thinking if I was a type 2, shouldn't my C-peptide levels be much higher after eating, but who knows? When it's square in the middle like that, it can be either Type 1 or Type 2 I gather?
Thanks Jay! It's comforting to hear other people managing this.
I am trying to let the overwhelming amount of journal articles and information control me too much, I feel like I haven't lived much in the last 3 months and hope that I can get over the emotional turmoil so that I can feel mentally somewhat back to where I was before the diagnosis.
haha, i hear ya! i started medschool this fall, and while i was a kid, the docs and my mom kinda held me away from the terrifying stories, and only one semester in i am already questioning wheter i am gonna make it past 40, LOL!
seriously, all those articles are written for physicians, NOT patients.
while i encourage you to get educated (if you still need it), i would direct you more towards the patient-oriented literature. way more helpful and way less scary!!
not sure whether anyone has already made book suggestions, but once you have determined your diagnose i might suggest you reading:
"Think like a pancreas" by Gary Scheiner
"Using insulin" by John Walsh
“A Type 1 Diabetes Guide to the Universe" by Joe Solowiejczyk
All the best
SC
You're smart to keep searching for an accurate diagnosis. It makes no sense drawing a medical conclusion without first doing all the necessary medical discovery. Good luck.
I'm going into medicine aware of what diabetes can do to my body and I still freak out when I hear the lists in class--and that's after years of reading journal articles and shadowing endocrinologists! The information is overwhelming and it is a lot to handle. I think it will just take time until the information settles enough that you can go back to feeling somewhat at ease. I don't know that you'll ever be truly comfortable with it, but I suspect it'll integrate itself into your general idea of how things work and you'll be able to move on.
The range given for the C-peptide is only for fasting because if you've eaten anything your C-peptide will most likely be higher. There isn't a real range for non-fasting (though my endo uses the criterion of over 4 as high if taken non-fasting). Also, that 2.6 may be normal, high, or low depending on what your BG was at the time and, to some extent, what it was doing for a half hour before (C-peptide stays in the blood stream for about a half hour after insulin is released). 2.6 would be high if your BG was 50, but low if it was, say, 300. That's also why it's taken fasting--your body has had a chance to work out its BG issues overnight and the C-peptide and fasting BG combined give a better picture of how well your body handles its own sugar.
High rt3 could be from low carb starvation diet. When doing low carb it is critical that you get enough calories (these must come from protein and to a much greater degree fat.
I don’t know your weight, but from your profile picture you may even be underweight.
Assuming your ideal weight is 70 kg, you need about 25 calories / kg bodyweight for basal requirements = 1750 calories add 500 + for activity. given you are a young man I would estimate you need somewhere between 2500 - 3000 call / day. Protein est 100g @ 4 cal / g. Est 100g carb @ 4 cal / g - them you still need to eat about 200g of fat @ 9 calories/g.
I'm pretty underweight, which makes a low carb diet somewhat frustrating.
Do you think my initial low carb venture failed because I didn't have enough fat. I did low carb, but I didn't consciously increase my fat intake though, I did eat more bacon and read meats. 200g of fat is quite a bit though. Just got the "Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by Dr. Volek and Dr. Phinney and I don't know they advocate for a high fat, low carb diet. The physician in me is really afraid to follow through. We've been taught all our careers to tell patients to avoid trans and saturated fats and now to go full blown fats is really scary. It makes me skeptical, but then again they might be right if their references are accurate. It's hard to make that type of commitment.
How on earth though, do people here get that much fat intake? Lots of Olive Oil and Whipped Cream??? and Bacon?? The book doesn't give a lot of sample of sources of fat.
Thanks for you advice, I appreciate it! :)
Of course, immune-mediated destruction of the beta cells is happening with Type 1s. Frankly, I just think it's another case of (1) Type 1s being ignored (pretending we don't exist), and (2) people pretending that somehow studies done on Type 2s apply to a different disease, Type 1.
Thanks Terry!
I hope so. Right now, it's time consuming, mentally draining and depressing. I almost wished I didn't know and see on a daily basis all the complications of diabetes.. the retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy and envisioning myself with all these complications down the road if I don't get it under control. But I hope with time I will be able to accept and move on with my life and this will be just a part of my life and not consume my entire life as it is doing right now.
hi sey, i know youve got a lot on board right now, but want to suggest a book by gary taubes that deals with diet and carbs called "good calories, bad calories".
http://garytaubes.com/works/books/good-calories-bad-calories/
re getting fat in the diet, i eat lots of eggs-almost 20 a week, lucky i like them, avocados, fatty meats, olive oil, loads of nuts.
i dont envy you being there at the beginning of your d journey, as it can be very scary and overwhelming at first. i was so relieved to have found tud so early on. things get better and easier.
I use heavy cream in my coffee and over berries for dessert. I fry eggs in butter. Avocados are a great source of fat. Meats, bacon, and sausage are good sources of fat. I use coconut oil for cooking. Salmon is a fish with a higher fat content. Full fat yogurt is delicious. Full fat ice-cream is wonderful. Olive oil is also a great oil for salad dressing mixed with vinegar.
I love eggs for post meal blood glucose numbers. I love scrambled eggs made with heavy cream. Cheese also adds fat.
Hi Sey,
here is a link in support of low carb/ moderate protein / high fat diet:-
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/diabetes-news/16701-low-c....
I think you could well have failed with your low carb diet due to insufficient calories (resulting from not enough fat). To start with you will need to make an effort and change your way of thinking about how and what you eat.
Fat is not the enemy. It is only transfats that are bad and should be avoided. High fructose corn syrup is also very bad and should be avoided like the plague.
Saturated fats can be good for you. The key is to use 'traditional' and 'unprocessed fats'. This means fat from meat, butter, eggs, cheese, nuts, avocado, cold pressed oils (nuts, coconut, olive - but not the vegetable oils which are actually highly processed). coconut cream is a great way to cook vegetables. Home made ice-cream, or even really good commercial ones may work in moderation. Good quality chocolate (the dark, high cacao % ones are also on the menu).
I love bacon, but try not to eat too much due to the preservatives (and often sugar) that is added. Better to get unprocessed meats. From now on you get to eat the chicken skin and the fat on the ham. :) It is not all bad.... lots of high fat foods taste great and the excellent control that happens as a result speaks for itself.
I have always had very low overall cholesterol and particularly HDL. My hdl improved on such a high fat diet.
Almond flour is a good way to still enjoy pancakes with very little carbs. I make my almond pancakes with a 1/2 cup of almond flour, an egg or two, and either cream or coconut oil to get the right texture. Fry and turn when browned (don't turn too early as it will break up). Serve with cheese (if savory, or cream and a few berries if you want sweet). Almond flour can also make decent muffins.... though I have found they don't keep so well (no usually a problem though, as my kids eat them pretty quickly).
Get fatty cuts of meat and eat the fat (as well as the meat)! :) Be very generous with the butter or oil on vegetables and salads. Cream or a mixture of butter and coconut oil in coffee. Cream and / or butter in soups....
Avocado as a basis for salad...
Cheese and nuts as snacks. Plenty of non-starchy veges, and when combined with fats, the carbs eaten are digested more slowly and have less impact on blood sugar.
If you feel ready, you may also experiment with a glass of wine with dinner. Some of us find that alcohol can help blunt the blood sugar rise that comes with eating.
Also, be aware that impact of carbs eaten may be different at different times of the day. Perhaps what you can eat at lunch with a minimal rise in blood sugar will cause a big rise if eaten at breakfast... (this is also why those of us who use insulin may have different carb:insulin ratios for our fast acting insulin at different times of the day.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152194/
http://www.idf.org/sites/default/files/attachments/DV59-1_Chan_EN_0.pdf
Hi Sey,
I'm so sorry you had to join the club, but it is what it is. All you can do now is make the best of it.
I will tell you what my dietician told me when it comes to cholesterol. There is a difference. Carbs give you small dense profiles, while fat gives you the fluffy not bad for you profile. Science is slowly catching up with this. So in the meantime don't worry about it.
Your anger, frustration and fear are normal. I remember a week after my diagnosis, I was making my "ADA approved" (according to the first dietician I had) meal, and I just lost it. I screamed some expletives, threw my insulin pen across the room, and said I don't want to deal anymore.
Thankfully I have an amazing support system that talked sense into me. Find your support system and use them! They will be your rock when you feel like you're drowning. And of course, you always have us here!
Thanks Amanda. It has been a frustrating time for me. I think for me, it is just a little hard to accept that saturated fats are not bad for you and give you large fluffy LDL because it's so ingrained that it's bad for you. And as far as I know, none of the Cardiologists I work with have adopted that stance yet, but maybe times are changing and most people here are ahead of the curve?
Hello Sey, and welcome to TuDiabetes! I take a slightly different view on diet, one which works for me. (I have Celiac Disease, so gluten is out. But nevermind, I'm not recommending that you cut out gluten.) I cut out the obviously high carb dessert foods, eat a lot of healthy vegetables, eat a salad most days, and pay attention to the glycemic index. I do indulge in Fingerling potatoes and an occasional holiday treat--I'm not Bernstein-strict with carbs. In addition, I eat a moderate- not high-fat diet, but only healthy fats and ones that I like, such as avocados, olive oil, eggs, etc. I think I eat carefully and moderately, and I suspect I'm not the only one on TuD who eats this "moderate" way, although clearly a low carb-high fat diet works for many. Good luck, and please don't beat yourself up if you make any missteps--we all do!