Diabetes

[B-line]

I'm pre-diabetic. The year before last at my annual physical, everything was great. Last year, high sugar, high salt, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm falling apart. The Doc wanted me to go on meds, but I insisted I change my diet, which I've been doing and sticking to so far. Low carbs, low sugar, low salt. I tell people I can eat three things. Oatmeal, salad, and vodka. And the occasional steak.

It's actually not that much of a change. I've always had a sensitive stomach, and the older I get, the fewer foods my body will tolerate. I just have to keep reading the content labels on foods.

Pass the lettuce...

You're not falling apart, like me, you just need to re-group, revise, and stay away from the Turtles!
Hang in there, I can think of lots of stuff that's more fun than dealing with this type of thing, believe me, but-it could always be worse too.

 

[Johnny Crab]

@mapleglo: watch your sodium levels following the "low salt" thing.

I get bloodwork 4x/year with 2 at work(multi-plant petrochem facility) and 2 at my retired Army medic doc(local clinic). Both caught my sodium numbers low about 6 years ago when our band was doing a ton of shows outdoors(sweating a LOT and drinking lots of water) plus outdoor work at home(same sweat & hydrate routine). I was following the "low salt" medical-preach but my Army medic doc, very sharp guy, asked about water consumption and outdoor activities. He said "Water flushes the sodium out along with sweating. Try adding salt to your food and eating thing with extra sodium". Fixed my numbers by 3 months later by ALWAYS adding salt to food and having salted crackers(yeah bad carbs aka turn to sugar when digested) at work to eat in the afternoon. Consistent low sodium is not good for you at all.

 

[B-line]

@mapleglo: watch your sodium levels following the "low salt" thing.

I get bloodwork 4x/year with 2 at work(multi-plant petrochem facility) and 2 at my retired Army medic doc(local clinic). Both caught my sodium numbers low about 6 years ago when our band was doing a ton of shows outdoors(sweating a LOT and drinking lots of water) plus outdoor work at home(same sweat & hydrate routine). I was following the "low salt" medical-preach but my Army medic doc, very sharp guy, asked about water consumption and outdoor activities. He said "Water flushes the sodium out along with sweating. Try adding salt to your food and eating thing with extra sodium". Fixed my numbers by 3 months later by ALWAYS adding salt to food and having salted crackers(yeah bad carbs aka turn to sugar when digested) at work to eat in the afternoon. Consistent low sodium is not good for you at all.

That's one of my (many) problems with this regimen:
It seems that there is contradictory info about:
Don't do this, Do THAT or vice-versa.
My Doc said no/little salt, Vegetables.


IDK. I just do as I'm told!

 

[TrevorR]

That's one of my (many) problems with this regimen:
It seems that there is contradictory info about:
Don't do this, Do THAT or vice-versa.
My Doc said no/little salt, Vegetables.


IDK. I just do as I'm told!

Simple really... most of us have too much salt most of the time. Sometimes we put our body through stresses (like being hotter than usual, sweating more than usual and drinking more than usual...) which send it the other way. Most need to cut down, some need to take more - maybe all the time, maybe only occasionally...

Take less salt/Take more salt... Both are completely right advice but it's the context that matters...!!!

 

[Johnny Crab]

IDK. I just do as I'm told!

Good luck with that, you may be disappointed with the results.

A shorter version of my previous "salt explanation" is:

Listen to your body, monitor your blood work, and do your own research in case what you're being told is not correct or safe.

Further reading:
Oh Effing BeeEss

 

[mapleglo]

@mapleglo: watch your sodium levels following the "low salt" thing.

I get bloodwork 4x/year with 2 at work(multi-plant petrochem facility) and 2 at my retired Army medic doc(local clinic). Both caught my sodium numbers low about 6 years ago when our band was doing a ton of shows outdoors(sweating a LOT and drinking lots of water) plus outdoor work at home(same sweat & hydrate routine). I was following the "low salt" medical-preach but my Army medic doc, very sharp guy, asked about water consumption and outdoor activities. He said "Water flushes the sodium out along with sweating. Try adding salt to your food and eating thing with extra sodium". Fixed my numbers by 3 months later by ALWAYS adding salt to food and having salted crackers(yeah bad carbs aka turn to sugar when digested) at work to eat in the afternoon. Consistent low sodium is not good for you at all.

I live in Phoenix, where, as you likely realize, is very hot, so I do my share of sweating. My blood work was done in the winter though, on three separate days over the course of a month or so - December and January. Neither my doctor or I could believe the results based on the previous years, so we did them a few times. All came back in the same range.

What's odd is that I do not like salt. We don't even have a salt shaker in the house. The only salt I get is from the food I eat. The whole thing is very weird. I don't drink a lot of liquids.

My main concern though, is the high sugar. Diabetes runs in my family on my mother's side. She had the high sugar thing too, and had to self test her sugar levels three times a day. It looks like I may not be too far behind.

 

[B-line]

Simple really... most of us have too much salt most of the time. Sometimes we put our body through stresses (like being hotter than usual, sweating more than usual and drinking more than usual...) which send it the other way. Most need to cut down, some need to take more - maybe all the time, maybe only occasionally...

Take less salt/Take more salt... Both are completely right advice but it's the context that matters...!!!

I believe I'll take everything now with A GRAIN OF SALT!

Woo-hoo
Woo-hoo
(Oh I crack myself up)

 

[Killed_by_Death]

researching for yourself could literally chew up all your free time, if you got obsessive over it
like you say, there's plenty of conflicting information out there

as far as disturbing movies go, check out Eden Lake:

 

[B-line]

Good luck with that, you may be disappointed with the results.

A shorter version of my previous "salt explanation" is:

Listen to your body, monitor your blood work, and do your own research in case what you're being told is not correct or safe.

Further reading:
Oh Effing BeeEss

I may be disappointed, but in my case- I have a very good vibe about the Doc; she knows wassup.
I'll do as I'm told -by her.
And I'm inundated with people right now who are at this moment researching what I need to eat,and do.
Sister, GF, friends.
Luv 'em all, but give me a TURTLE somebody, Please!!!

 

[B-line]

researching for yourself could literally chew up all your free time, if you got obsessive over it
like you say, there's plenty of conflicting information out there

as far as disturbing movies go, check out Eden Lake:

True, I do not want to "Medical Google", all it can lead to is more questions and concerns. Besides,lots of stuff on the 'net has an agenda, I am not apt to trust what I can't vibe out in person like the Doc I'm seeing.
She's cool.

Movies:

Rory Calhoun!!

 

[B-line]

I live in Phoenix, where, as you likely realize, is very hot, so I do my share of sweating. My blood work was done in the winter though, on three separate days over the course of a month or so - December and January. Neither my doctor or I could believe the results based on the previous years, so we did them a few times. All came back in the same range.

What's odd is that I do not like salt. We don't even have a salt shaker in the house. The only salt I get is from the food I eat. The whole thing is very weird. I don't drink a lot of liquids.

My main concern though, is the high sugar. Diabetes runs in my family on my mother's side. She had the high sugar thing too, and had to self test her sugar levels three times a day. It looks like I may not be too far behind.

That's what I'm doing now 3X day; hate it beyond compare. My fingers are sore. But- It's a routine I'm getting used to.
This is going to stop, I know!