Blood Sugar Alert

[swissie]

Yesterday annual Doctors appointement. Verdict: Blood Sugar borderline. No more sugar in my cup of Coffee (no artificial sweeteners either). No more Beer, as it will be converted to sugar. So far so good, relatively speaking.
- Today, at the Supermarket I started to read the labels. Hard to believe, but most things contain (added) sugar. Even fruit juices that contain natural "Fruit-Sugar" have added sugar!?!?.

How in the h*ll is one to live "Sugar-Free" under these circumstances? As our food seems to be awash with added Sugar, I am starting to believe that my 2 spoons of Sugar in my morning Coffee are not going to make much of a difference. Same goes for my 2 to 3 afternoon Beer's. Right/Wrong?

[tutsiwarrior]

a sweetener in yer morning coffee ain't gonna kill ye...and fergit about the sugar, think about starches that can be converted quickly to glucose like rice, noodles, potatoes, and etc...those are the killers, not the occasional snickers chocolate bar...

 

if you haven't already check yer blood glucose regularly to see how yer body reacts to different foods and then with that knowledge try to control yer diet accordingly...if you are a recently diagnosed diabetic it is imperative to control your blood glucose now to avoid the shit that comes later like erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, strokes and etc...take it from me who was cavalier about my BG when first diagnosed and then suffered for it later....

 

 

 

 

 

[kkerry]

You don't have to live "sugar free"

Simply cut out some things, reduce others, exercise more and for someone who is borderline, that should get things back into line after a few months if you are serious about it.

 

Easiest way I found was to cut out soft drinks and all alcohol completely and get to love water again. Even unsweetened fruit juice is fairly high in sugar so start off by cutting it with some water. After a while 20% juice 80% water will taste okay with breakfast. Add a dash of lemon to water sometimes if it gets boring. Same with sugar in your coffee. Either go cold turkey or gradually reduce it. You get used to it. Rely less on processed and fast food and make your own meals where you have control over the ingredients. Some other obvious things to try to avoid are chocolate, ice-cream, snack foods, cakes, bread, microwave meals, many sauces & condiments, biscuits and white rice.

 

Do a Google to see which foods contain the most sugar and decide what you can live without, then reduce the rest. Reading labels is a good start to making an informed choice between different brands. In Thailand it's not unusual to find local products with very little nutrition information or imported products with stickers with a microscopic Thai translation super glued on top of the English language version. If you can't find out via Google then avoid such items completely e.g. Thai dried fruit can be horrendously high in sugar with no indication on the packet. 

 

I was pre-diabetic at one point and the above worked for me. Got back to normal levels and for the most part have stayed that way. I do tests twice a year and if i see my sugar level rising I review my current eating habits. Lots of things I used to really love I no longer eat, but still, it's better than getting diabetes like many people I know.

[swissie]

2 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

a sweetener in yer morning coffee ain't gonna kill ye...and fergit about the sugar, think about starches that can be converted quickly to glucose like rice, noodles, potatoes, and etc...those are the killers, not the occasional snickers chocolate bar...

 

if you haven't already check yer blood glucose regularly to see how yer body reacts to different foods and then with that knowledge try to control yer diet accordingly...if you are a recently diagnosed diabetic it is imperative to control your blood glucose now to avoid the shit that comes later like erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, strokes and etc...take it from me who was cavalier about my BG when first diagnosed and then suffered for it later....

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks tutsi. Strange, my Glucose reading is high, but not "over the top", as opposed to other "Sugar-Readings".  I may have to educate myself concerning the different "Sugar-Indicators". If rice, noodles, potatoes  are "no go", what would I be eating? Meat only? That would be fine with me.

 

 

[UKresonant]

I just have brandy with coke zero now, no beer and absolutely no cider ????, can drink, can't get drunk anymore, as to much at once can divert your body from sugar control.

 

Good things, fish, chicken, egg white, mushrooms, peas, broccolli, lentils, Almond milk /Yoghurt, meiji yogurt 0 fat is quite low sugar. 90% coco dark choc. High fibre cereal (fiber moderates the sugar somewhat), some milk needs checking the label. 

 

Not so good, French Fries, potatoes, white rice, make them minor proportion of your meal. Orange/ fruit juice (unless drunk with a meal in moderation). Carbohydrate = sugar with a conversion.

 

Dodgy, most chocolate, almost the whole confectionery and biscuit section. spray whipped cream, soft drinks that are not sugar free, some drinking yoghurt....

 

 

[swissie]

2 hours ago, kkerry said:

You don't have to live "sugar free"

Simply cut out some things, reduce others, exercise more and for someone who is borderline, that should get things back into line after a few months if you are serious about it.

 

Easiest way I found was to cut out soft drinks and all alcohol completely and get to love water again. Even unsweetened fruit juice is fairly high in sugar so start off by cutting it with some water. After a while 20% juice 80% water will taste okay with breakfast. Add a dash of lemon to water sometimes if it gets boring. Same with sugar in your coffee. Either go cold turkey or gradually reduce it. You get used to it. Rely less on processed and fast food and make your own meals where you have control over the ingredients. Some other obvious things to try to avoid are chocolate, ice-cream, snack foods, cakes, bread, microwave meals, many sauces & condiments, biscuits and white rice.

 

Do a Google to see which foods contain the most sugar and decide what you can live without, then reduce the rest. Reading labels is a good start to making an informed choice between different brands. In Thailand it's not unusual to find local products with very little nutrition information or imported products with stickers with a microscopic Thai translation super glued on top of the English language version. If you can't find out via Google then avoid such items completely e.g. Thai dried fruit can be horrendously high in sugar with no indication on the packet. 

 

I was pre-diabetic at one point and the above worked for me. Got back to normal levels and for the most part have stayed that way. I do tests twice a year and if i see my sugar level rising I review my current eating habits. Lots of things I used to really love I no longer eat, but still, it's better than getting diabetes like many people I know.

In other words: Abandon all the little pleasures of life. The only thing missing: "Stop having Sex altogether"! In order to prolong the life of an old man for 2 years?

I realise that this is boiling down to "quality of life" versus "quantity of life" when everything is said and done.

I personally have always favored "quality of live" over "Quantity of live". To me (and people that are near me), it is of no relevance if I die at the age of 69 or at the age of 72 1/2.) I have stood at too many death-beds of people that have prolonged their live span by adhering to a spartanic (so called "healthy") life style. (Adding more milage to a boring life as the ultimate "Goal"?) Surprise: In the end they all ended up death. Rats!

But thanks to the well meaning input folks! I shall now head for the Fridge and grab a can of Beer. After that, I will enjoy some Swiss Chocolate. Fully realising that this is likely to shorten my life by 3 1/2 days.

 

 

[Aforek]

Real coffee lovers never put sugar in coffee; 2 spoons are very much and it means that you drink a syrup coffee; at beginning, it will be strange, but try it, black coffee without sugar is delicious

for rice, of course, brown rice, delicious, too; for the rest, two fruits a day is enough

we need sugar, but just don't take "added sugar "; pasta " al dente " , sport etc...

Edited April 19, 2019 by Aforek

[Saddic]

I do Keto...  yes, even in Thailand...  (which is tougher, but doable)...

 

That basically means, no sugar (includes fruit, and most dairy (but cheese ok)), (<20gm) carbs, no processed foods... no beer..  (hard stuff vodka, whisky ok... thai whisky (aka rum) no no)... 

 

90% of what is in western markets is crap...  but I think it's just as bad in Thailand...  probably most of Thai dishes contain sugar too...

 

I also do intermittent fasting... aka dont eat from 6p-12noon...

 

My objective was not weight loss (although it's a nice side benefit)...  Trying to let the body repair the damage from too much insulin spikes...   So far it's working... 

 

Look it up on youtube (plenty of vids for both keto and intermittent fasting)...

 

Good luck...

[mokwit]

What do you do if you have been doing all these things (diet and exercise) for the last 15 years and you are still showing signs of Insulin resistance - like wise high blood pressure - been doing all the things they recommend for this for the last 15 years.

[tutsiwarrior]

4 hours ago, swissie said:

Thanks tutsi. Strange, my Glucose reading is high, but not "over the top", as opposed to other "Sugar-Readings".  I may have to educate myself concerning the different "Sugar-Indicators". If rice, noodles, potatoes  are "no go", what would I be eating? Meat only? That would be fine with me.

 

 

 

 

nah...you can eat most anything but you must know what yer body can tolerate that you can measure with yer BG testing device...I eat spuds, noodles and a bit of the local jasmine rice but in quantities that I know are not dangerous...after a lot of BG monitoring things become instinctual...also good to consult the glycemic index tables available on google to get a handle on the foods yer eating...

 

as a diabetic on medication (metformin and insulin) you can always alter the dose if you are 'naughty' but then things can slide outta control very easily...

 

the issue here is blood glucose control and what you can do to protect yerself with monitoring, diet, medication, etc...exercise can be very effective as well but that may require a lifestyle change that may not appeal to some folks...

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by tutsiwarrior

[scubascuba3]

Exercise more, not too many sugary drinks, I stopped fruit juice years ago, I used to drink daily. Get more clued up at what contains high sugar

[cooked]

I got 126 blood sugar result, which is judged borderline pre-diabetic. I had been taking a blood pressure med. for one year, and now he was prescribing me statins, which is an expensive, lifelong hobby, potentially causing serious side effects and not leading to an improvement in mortality. 

Went home, researched on Internet and started keto almost immediately (you can google that).

Stopped my BP meds, didn't even open the statins I was sold.

one year later, BP a healthy 109 / 67, glucose down to 83.

Keto: eat non-processed whole foods, don't use any seed oils like soya etc,  I use mostly lard, but butter and coconut oil are also recommended, NO sugar, bread, flour, rice, noodles, potatoes. BUT plenty of meat, fish, cheese and BACON.

Despite what one poster writes above, once you are underway on your keto way of life, cravings for these things disappears and you feel healthier. I do drink a beer occasionally. Up to you, no good waking up after having your legs amputated and wondering if you couldn't have changed things.

I am 71 and run 12 Km a week.

[Sheryl]

Yesterday annual Doctors appointement. Verdict: Blood Sugar borderline. No more sugar in my cup of Coffee (no artificial sweeteners either). No more Beer, as it will be converted to sugar. So far so good, relatively speaking.

- Today, at the Supermarket I started to read the labels. Hard to believe, but most things contain (added) sugar. Even fruit juices that contain natural "Fruit-Sugar" have added sugar!?!?.

 

How in the h*ll is one to live "Sugar-Free" under these circumstances? As our food seems to be awash with added Sugar, I am starting to believe that my 2 spoons of Sugar in my morning Coffee are not going to make much of a difference. Same goes for my 2 to 3 afternoon Beer's. Right/Wrong?

Wrong.

 

2-3 beers is quite a lot of sugar.

 

As for your morning coffe try sucralose sweetener (Trusalen) or Stevia.

 

It is quite podsible to find fruit juices without added sugar or (afded) fructose. But you do eed to read the labels and not rely on "no added sugar" claims. Try the Doi Kam brand. That said, many fruit juices are naturally high in gructose and it is better to stick to fresh fruit. If you must have fruit juice, apple, tomato and guava without added sugar aten't too had.

 

Generally just avoid processed foods. These wll have added sugar as well as a lit of other unhealrhy things. Stick to fresh foods.

 

Need to he wary of food prepated by market venders as they also usually have huge amounts of sugar (and unhealthy oils).

.

 

 

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

Thanks tutsi. Strange, my Glucose reading is high, but not "over the top", as opposed to other "Sugar-Readings".  I may have to educate myself concerning the different "Sugar-Indicators". If rice, noodles, potatoes  are "no go", what would I be eating? Meat only? That would be fine with me.
 
 

Plenty to eat:

Vegetables
Fresh fruit
Whole grains (brown rice, brown bread, wholewheat pasta).
Meat
Fish
Dairy products milk, chhese, unsweetened yogurt)
Eggs
Beans
Bean curd

Just avoid all the processed foods and alcohol and foods prepared with added sugar.

It is quite easy if you cook at home. Much harder if eating out.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[OneMoreFarang]

There is an easy solution: Just enjoy your life and don't care about some number which some doctor found somewhere.

I have been diagnosed with diabetes. After that I didn't drink coke and similar sugar drinks anymore. I also don't drink orange juice anymore for the same reason - even if it is fresh.

 

I take medication and I guess I will take them until the end of my life. But I still enjoy life. If I knew I would life a year longer if I wouldn't eat any sugar anymore I would continue with that sugar.

 

Enjoy life!

[Liverpudlian]

Oh <deleted> i'm a dead man but a happy one.

[CGW]

12 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Just avoid all the processed foods and alcohol and foods prepared with added sugar.

& theres a lot of them! When I was young my father "banned" white sugar in the house, obviously not great for a kid, that was sixty years ago, glad he did - I have spent a lifetime watching people eat utter crap, educate yourself, get to know your body, its not as hard as people make out, you don'y have to go to your "doctor" who knows nothing about diet.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, mokwit said:

What do you do if you have been doing all these things (diet and exercise) for the last 15 years and you are still showing signs of Insulin resistance - like wise high blood pressure - been doing all the things they recommend for this for the last 15 years.

Carry on your life the way you have been and enjoy it while you can.

 

I will be 75 next month and have had high blood pressure since 2006 (perhaps before that too). I was diagnosed as borderline diabetic about 3 years ago and was recommended to change my diet, do more exercise etc.

 

Exercise is not that easy for me as I have a bad back and shot to sh1t kneecaps.

 

I changed my diet a bit but mostly I simply eat less and since last September I have lost close to 9 kg.

 

Every month I go to the hospital for a FBS, PT and INR test. (Please Google the initials).

The FBS is a snapshot of your blood sugar at that point in time only and the FBS changes quite often during the day.

 

Last October my mate suggested that I have an HbA1c test which is an average of the blood sugar over a 3 month period. Using that date I had another HbA1c test in January and the readings were lower and better. A third last week shows mare improvement.

 

I have told my doctor that I want a HbA1c every month probably for the rest of this year and I can plot them on a graph.

 

There is a lot of very useful information out there on the internet and I have learned enough to discuss and argue with my doctor and I try to explain to him that I am not necessarily a patient but a paying customer who can walk away and find another doctor/hospital.

 

I explained last week that I wanted the HbA1c test every month so that I can monitor my progress and he reluctantly agreed with me.

[J Town]

I've found exercise is the key. I've been eating breakfast at Burger King once a day and ride a push bike for at least 3 hours after. Glucose level stays between 80-100. It really is about diet and exercise.

[Bonobojt]

Stop buying processed foods and stick to whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, beans, nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes etc.. high in fiber and contains natural sugars. We evolved running around naked in África eating whole plant foods, not processed added sugar junk. 

[madmen]

Go Keto. No sugar and carbs only from veges ,artificial sweetener especially stevia aint gonna kill ya!

[kkerry]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

I have told my doctor that I want a HbA1c every month probably for the rest of this year and I can plot them on a graph.

Twice a year is suggested by doctors for people most at risk of diabetes. Four times a year if your levels are high and/or if lifestyle changes and other factors mean you want to monitor things more closely, but any more than that is overkill... unless of course you are pregnant...

[simon43]

...but you must know what yer body can tolerate that you can measure with yer BG testing device

 

You have a Bar-Girl testing device?  I'm intrigued as to how that works... ????

[FracturedRabbit]

9 hours ago, swissie said:

In other words: Abandon all the little pleasures of life. The only thing missing: "Stop having Sex altogether"! In order to prolong the life of an old man for 2 years?

I realise that this is boiling down to "quality of life" versus "quantity of life" when everything is said and done.

I personally have always favored "quality of live" over "Quantity of live". To me (and people that are near me), it is of no relevance if I die at the age of 69 or at the age of 72 1/2.) I have stood at too many death-beds of people that have prolonged their live span by adhering to a spartanic (so called "healthy") life style. (Adding more milage to a boring life as the ultimate "Goal"?) Surprise: In the end they all ended up death. Rats!

But thanks to the well meaning input folks! I shall now head for the Fridge and grab a can of Beer. After that, I will enjoy some Swiss Chocolate. Fully realising that this is likely to shorten my life by 3 1/2 days.

 

 

I have never understood the "quality of life" argument, where the quality is defined as being able to continue to consume things that are bad for your health. If you become ill due to your lifestyle, both the quality and quantity of life will degrade. Example: I have an acquaintance who was told fifteen years ago that his overindulgence in beer and crap food was making him obese and would be bad for his health long term. "But I want to enjoy my life".

 

Fifteen years on he has been diabetic for years, almost had to have a foot amputated as a result and has osteoporosis.  Can't move much so is getting bigger and less healthy whilst throwing down daily pills and waiting for whatever diabetes, or some other chronic disease, hits him next. Quality of life....

For me, the "little pleasures of life" include waking every morning feeling fresh and healthy, being able to do all the things I want to do. That's my quality of life, which I enjoy because I decided to change my lifestyle and give up some things I previously enjoyed. 
 

I would suggest that abandoning some of your little pleasures to avoid diabetes might be a good trade off. The impact of the  disease can be horrific and it opens you  up to other delights such as Alzheimer's.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, kkerry said:

Twice a year is suggested by doctors for people most at risk of diabetes. Four times a year if your levels are high and/or if lifestyle changes and other factors mean you want to monitor things more closely, but any more than that is overkill... unless of course you are pregnant...

That is true but what I am trying to do is to get to a reasonable level and then I can go back to 3 monthly. over the last 6 months the level has been falling and I want to know when it settles to an average level and then I can cut back.

 

The cost of my FSB, PT+INR, HbA1c, lab tests, doctors fees etc are 1,300 baht a month. A price I am willing to pay until I can get to a level that both I and my doctor are happy with.

 

He tells me that he is happy if it stays in the 5 to 7 range for Hemoglobin alc and that has dropped from 6.7 to 5.4.

Estimated average glucose has dropped from 146 down to 108.

 

Date	Test name	Unit	Result	Result Range
	Hemoglobin Alc	%		(5 to 7)
25 October 2018			6.7 H
	Estimated Average Glucose	mg/dL	146
	Test name	Unit	Result	Result Range
24 January 2019	Hemoglobin Alc	%	5.8	(5 to 7)
	Estimated Average Glucose	mg/dL	120
	Test name	Unit	Result	Result Range
18 April 2019	Hemoglobin Alc	%	5.4	(5 to 7)
	Estimated Average Glucose	mg/dL	108

 

[JAS21]

12 hours ago, swissie said:

In other words: Abandon all the little pleasures of life. The only thing missing: "Stop having Sex altogether"! In order to prolong the life of an old man for 2 years?

I realise that this is boiling down to "quality of life" versus "quantity of life" when everything is said and done.

I personally have always favored "quality of live" over "Quantity of live". To me (and people that are near me), it is of no relevance if I die at the age of 69 or at the age of 72 1/2.) I have stood at too many death-beds of people that have prolonged their live span by adhering to a spartanic (so called "healthy") life style. (Adding more milage to a boring life as the ultimate "Goal"?) Surprise: In the end they all ended up death. Rats!

But thanks to the well meaning input folks! I shall now head for the Fridge and grab a can of Beer. After that, I will enjoy some Swiss Chocolate. Fully realising that this is likely to shorten my life by 3 1/2 days.

 

 

Anyway who wants to live to be 100...ask the guy who is 99!

[GarryP]

Interesting topic. My FBS readings have been borderline for the past 5 or so years, perhaps longer than that. Between 99 to 104. I exercise regularly, 30 minutes to 1 hour of intense exercise 5 days a week and have been doing this for the past 2 years. Unfortunately, no improvement in FBS. Also, improved my diet, greatly cut down on carbs such as white rice, white bread, snacks, etc. But again, no improvement. I am 56 years old, 181 cm and my weight varies between 79 to 80.5 kgs. At a loss as to how to bring down my FBS.  

[scubascuba3]

Anyway who wants to live to be 100...ask the guy who is 99!

There's a good chance he wanted to be dead at 80

[tutsiwarrior]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

You have a Bar-Girl testing device?  I'm intrigued as to how that works... ????

 

hey man...I've never needed a device to test the bar girls, it's simply how quickly they respond to my command 'get down on it and quit yer whingin' about how big it is...' BG in our present context is blood glucose! blood glucose!! BLOOD GLUCOSE!!!

 

 

[JAS21]

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

15 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

Anyway who wants to live to be 100...ask the guy who is 99!

There's a good chance he wanted to be dead at 80

Not if he was 79 ...