So, I have Diabetes,....and about 10% of you do too.

My father died 14 years ago due to complications from diabetes. He had lived with it for nearly 30 years and it took a real toll on his body. He suffered from a pancreas that worked very well at times and then didn't work at all at times, thus he had big swings in controlling his blood sugar. Many times I would see him low, shaking, barely walking--staggering really. I felt sorry for him and he taught me to continually monitor my body and especially my blood sugar. So far so good for me at 54--certainly nothing to mess around with.

For those who are into reading, may I suggest two books: "Eat to Live" and "The End of Diabetes" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. I have started following the diet recommendations in "Eat to Live" somewhat and have lost a few pounds and have lowered my blood glucose and A1C levels a few points. I am not diabetic and am eating so I won't become one.

Good health to all.

grouch said:

Good job George. I wished I could make the adjustment you did. You deserve a round of applause. I just found out I am prediabetic but I don't really know what that means. If I don't make adjustments, do I have three months, nine or more before I am diabetic? All I know is that I am suppose to make diet and exercise changes but don't really know where to start with that. I have been trying to reduce sodas and was doing good for a while but slipped and went right back to my old ways. I eat too many carbs and not enough of the green crap. Personally I am going to use this thread as a reminder of what I need to do to be around long enough to grow old with my wife. Thanks for posting. Btw, I could care less how you got your help. Just glad you got it.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

Well, I'm not a medical expert. I suggest you google and check out places such as the American Diabetic Association and forums where people talk about diabetes and questions such as these.

Actually, since you do not know, your doctor should have explained it better, or perhaps best of all pointed you to a good source for information.

But FWIW, my take on pre-diabetes is pretty much you are on your way to diabetes if you keep going the way you have been.

You've been handed a GIFT of EARLY WARNING. It's up to you to make good use of that warning or not.

Medication may help, but if you eat the same way and make no other changes, it may still develop into full diabetes. I know of someone who is pre-diabetic, is on Metformin, apparently eating the same and not losing weight, so I think that unfortunately they are only slowing it down, not stopping the progression and certainly not moving back the other way.

So, you need to take it seriously and make changes though its not fun to do so (Well, I know you must be taking this seriously so I am not trying to be flippant). But better in the long run to do it now than to let it go and for it to develop into true Diabetes later. I wish I could have known a few years ago whenever I must have been pre-diabetic, but as I said.... no medical care. But it would have taken a lot to get me to make changes at the time..... without that "Fire is inspirational" shock when my toe got infected and I found out about the diabetes too late.

Anyway, you need to learn a lot about nutrition, foods that have a lot of carbs, foods that have a lot less, read labels, and begin to work up a "ration" allotment of how many carbs to eat. In the diabetic class, they taught a simplification of the carb intake as every 15 grams of carbs was "one choice".

https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/diet-restrictions#1

The recommendaiton is for about 130 carbs a day, at least that but not much over. So, that would be almost or about 9 "carb choices" a day. I usually do not eat breakfast, so 15 carbs or less from a piece of fruit or a piece of bread-toast after getting up, and usually about 35-40 for lunch, often soup, Chicken Pot Pie, or a couple of turkey sandwiches on single pieces of Lite bread. Which is partly why the dietician said recently to increase my carbs a bit, which was quite a nice "order" to get. And my doctor had said in November when I was between 185-190 I could stop losing weight, but I wanted to go lower if I could and see how things went. So now I'm thinking around 180 pounds is probably about right as long as the A1C does not go up too much.

The "Choices" thing works better for some people to keep in mind than adding up a total of 60-75 calories, since some things like a regular piece of bread is 14-15 grams (and a hamburger bun.. a regular bun is at least 30 grams for the top and bottom half together, even more for larger buns. But there are "Lite" versions of hamburger and hot dog buns.). A can of the soup type I like to have Campbell's Chunky, is 18 grams of carbs... .but that is "per serving". And there are almost two servings in the can, so one can has about 34-36 carbs. Which rounds to a bit over two "choices" if you eat the whole can like most people do. There's a lot more examples but that's the basic premise. And REALLY have to check and understand the labels for the "Per serving" thing.

And of course there are some things that you can't easily determine the carb count due to the various things used for making the food, if it is homemade and not out of a can or package. You can look up some typical values on the internet which could give you some idea but no accuracy for the actual food you'd eat. I have checked for some food and meal types. But sometimes it's too complex to try to look up. So I try to be reasonable with a new food, then when I check the blood sugar later, I see if that was about the right amount to eat or if the reading is a bit too high or a bit low and learn for the future. Lots of diabetics do that, the glucose meter is so helpful.

So, anyway, google searching should help you to find more about what kind of foods are high in carbs. Sweet ones are obvious. "Starchy" foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta are high in carbs, they break down into sugars when digested. "Round" beans are high in carbs (Green beans are not). Fruits can have a lot of sugar content, it varies due to type, so google a list that compares them. My go-to choice are Blueberries and Raspberries. Sometimes pineapple chunks though those are a bit higher in sugar, as a treat. Sometimes for breakfast, if I do not have a real meal, I have a banana or an orange. A banana is pretty high in carbs compared to other fruits, so it is not a good choice for a snack, there are better fruits to have like an apple or orange or such. But a banana works well for me at times for a quick "breakfast" by itself when I know it will be longer than usual before lunch.

As I learned from the classes, as you sleep, before you wake up the liver can start to produce glucose from within the body. When you wake up, you need to eat SOMETHING soon to stop the liver from producing that glucose. But it does not need to be much, so that is why an orange, banana, one piece of bread, or other small amount of simple quick to grab suitable food (or 8 ounce fruit juice like OJ) is enough for that, if you do not have a real breakfast. So to some extent, some of the carbs I have not had for breakfast are shifted to later meals, and then to another extent not used at all which helps keep the glucose readings a bit lower and helped with losing weight.

Sodas..... as I said I had to give up on real Cokes, and do not find the taste of diet be worth drinking. I used to drink regular Coke so much, that I know that must have been a very significant factor in my developing diabetes. So from my personal example I really do stress the need to change that (Switch to diet, one or zero calorie, or no sodas) and stick to it. I always liked Iced tea, so thanks to Splenda/Sucralose, I am enjoying that as my primary go-to drink i place of Coke. And I mentioned Mio, many flavors (Target sometimes has a good deal, buy 3 or 4 Mio's and get a $5 gift card, I stock up when they do and sometimes Target's receipt after I buy Mio has a coupon for $2 off on Mio the next time). You really need to find something that can replace the sodas, unless you can find a sugar-free soda that you can like. If you like Fanta, as I said, Orange Mio in carbonated water tastes to me a LOT like Fanta (close enough, though I was never big into Fanta or similar orange soft drinks).

Ironically, good old healthy orange juice is not a good choice unless you only have small amounts and account for it in your carb count. It has too much sugar content. IIRC a small 8 ounce glass of OJ is "one choice", so if you drank 24 ounces of orange juice you'd have used up your whole Carb allotment for a meal. And a lot of fruit juices like apple juice are the same way. Does not mean you can NOT have any, but you need to be aware and trade off the carb value of whatever amount of fruit juice (or any liquid) you drink with less amounts of carbs in the foods you eat at that meal. Definitely try to avoid juices that have any sugar added to them, go natural.

Milk, in moderation and 2% not whole milk as whole milk breaks down into sugar more than 2% does.

It's why you can eat almost anything, still, BUT, you have to be careful and trade off the amounts and portion sizes. And the glucose meter helps to show you by trial and error what foods and amounts of foods have which effect, so you can learn what works best, what works poorly, and what you can end up swapping around for variety.

Heck I COULD drink real cokes again.... if I wanted that badly to have a real coke and not have much of anything to eat with it. I'd rather have my Splenda-ed Ice Tea and eat some nice food.....

What might help you the most, is to see if your doctor can recommend you for some diabetes/nutrition classes, or at least some classes on nutrition which will help you learn more. If not, then try to find a good Diabetes forum, go on, and just plain ask where you can get the best info about this if you are unable to find good info by your own searching.

I did a lot of searching last July, but do not have the links. And I knew I'd be having the diabetes classes in September, so once I got some basic information I was able to get along OK for a few weeks till taking the classes. Indeed I got a pretty decent introduction to what I needed to know before I even left the hospital, then added to it from googling around.

I will also add that the glucose meter is a huge help. The blood sugar readings are important to seeing how you are responding to what you are eating, and I do it twice a day before eating. Otherwise you are "flying blind". But from what little I have heard of regarding pre-diabetes, it does not seem like checking blood sugar daily is done very much. If your insurance covers the cost of the meter and supplies, DO IT!!! Get your doctor to prescribe a meter and test strips ASAP.

Edit - I did a quick google search on Carb Choices, here is the link with many hits.

https://www.google.com/search?q=car...57.8682j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8

And one of the top hits, https://www.diabeticlivingonline.com, is one of the sites that was VERY useful for my research last July. What to eat, Carb counting, lots of good stuff.

I HIGHLY recommend you go there and learn your tail off.

Carbohydrate guide from Lilly:
https://www.lillydiabetes.com/documents/pdf/LD90766_carbGuide.pdf

I will add though there are some fancy foods that are sometimes recommended on various sites that…… just seems to be too out there, at least for me. I stuck with more basic stuff that was listed, but then YMMV. Some foods that have small amounts of a beneficial supplement in them….. I'd rather take the supplements daily than only get them once in a great while in a particular food. I checked with my doctor (ah, yes, having a doctor is so nice...) and he verified the ones I am taking as being helpful (Beware medical quackery on the internetz).

One of the things I found recommended for a diabetic snack was popcorn. Now, corn is starchy. But the popped corn is somewhat less starchy, does not increase glucose levels as much as unpopped corn. But buttered is not good, and salt is not good either. So, I settled on Pop Secret "Homestyle" , plain popcorn in 100 calorie sized bags, and seems to be around 15 grams of carbs, or one "choice" per bag. Packaged in a box of 10 for about $4.00 at Wal-Mart (I have not found it in the grocery stores I go to). So that is in the mix as a snack food at times, along with various fruits and salad.

2016 update: I got a hot-air popper for popcorn for Christmas. A LOT cheaper way to eat popcorn, and healthier (The bags were 40 cents each, same volume of air-popped about 8 cents). Also, I realized there's some chemical crap in microwave bags of popcorn that I don't think is very good to eat. I found that out when I opened an unpopped microwave bag to measure out how much popcorn a 100 calorie bag had in it. There were some clumps of greasy "stuff" inside the bag, and that supposed to be normal popcorn, not butter.

- George Gassaway

grouch said:

Good job George. I wished I could make the adjustment you did. You deserve a round of applause. I just found out I am prediabetic but I don't really know what that means. If I don't make adjustments, do I have three months, nine or more before I am diabetic? All I know is that I am suppose to make diet and exercise changes but don't really know where to start with that. I have been trying to reduce sodas and was doing good for a while but slipped and went right back to my old ways. I eat too many carbs and not enough of the green crap. Personally I am going to use this thread as a reminder of what I need to do to be around long enough to grow old with my wife. Thanks for posting. Btw, I could care less how you got your help. Just glad you got it.

Click to expand...

If you do not understand your diagnosis or what to do about it, you should have another appointment with your doctor to explain it. Bring a list of questions and maybe have someone else like your wife come to the appointment with you. Your doctor should be able to explain your diagnosis to you so that you understand your current status, where it's headed and what you should do.

Unfortunately, when a doctor tells you what to do, they usually don't tell you HOW to do it, especially if it involves lifestyle changes. So a doctor might tell you you need to lose 15 pounds and avoid carbs. But they don't tell you how to lose weight or switch to a healthy diet. There are other kinds of professionals and programs to help with that, not your doctor. You can ask your doctor if he or she knows about programs to help with his recommendations and if you can get a referral. If not, you could ask your insurance company if they have programs for prediabetics. Your insurance company does not want you to get diabetes, and if you get your insurance through your employer, then your employer does not want you to get diabetes either. Often employers and/or insurance companies will pay for programs that will help you make lifestyle changes to avoid a chronic illness.

If all else fails, you could enroll yourself in such a program and pay for it yourself.

The fact is, there are three things that are the key preventive steps you can take for almost ALL chronic illnesses --- eat a healthy diet, get exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. If you can do that, then you cut you risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc., etc., etc. Of course, it's easier said than done. but if you've been given a wake up call like a diagnosis of prediabetes, it's time to take it seriously.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

If you do not understand your diagnosis or what to do about it, you should have another appointment with your doctor to explain it. Bring a list of questions and maybe have someone else like your wife come to the appointment with you. Your doctor should be able to explain your diagnosis to you so that you understand your current status, where it's headed and what you should do.

Unfortunately, when a doctor tells you what to do, they usually don't tell you HOW to do it, especially if it involves lifestyle changes. So a doctor might tell you you need to lose 15 pounds and avoid carbs. But they don't tell you how to lose weight or switch to a healthy diet. There are other kinds of professionals and programs to help with that, not your doctor. You can ask your doctor if he or she knows about programs to help with his recommendations and if you can get a referral. If not, you could ask your insurance company if they have programs for prediabetics. Your insurance company does not want you to get diabetes, and if you get your insurance through your employer, then your employer does not want you to get diabetes either. Often employers and/or insurance companies will pay for programs that will help you make lifestyle changes to avoid a chronic illness.

If all else fails, you could enroll yourself in such a program and pay for it yourself.

The fact is, there are three things that are the key preventive steps you can take for almost ALL chronic illnesses --- eat a healthy diet, get exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. If you can do that, then you cut you risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc., etc., etc. Of course, it's easier said than done. but if you've been given a wake up call like a diagnosis of prediabetes, it's time to take it seriously.

Click to expand...

When I was diagnosed and hospitalized, I was offered a diabetic course given in-hospital to new diabetics. It was incredibly informative and full of little tips for your overall health such as wearing wool socks all year round for keeping your feet dry and promoting good blood circulation.....I've worn wool socks every day ever since. Of course, the biggest part of the course was about diet and improving one's eating habits.

For those of you who have been diagnosed with any type of diabetes, I cannot recommend strongly enough, that you purchase a subscription to Diabetes Forecast magazine. I read it monthly for years and the education, and continuing education, that I received was nothing short of amazing. You will learn diet tips, get useful recipes, 'meet' the doctors and scientists that are on the cutting edge of diabetes research, and just generally keep up with the latest knowledge of what is being done and how you can take better care of yourself. This knowledge may also help you to better advocate for yourself with your doctor because not all doctors can keep up with everything. While my wife had diabetes, this magazine helped me to feel more like a participant on her care team, and less like a bystander.

And honestly, the cost of a yearly subscription is less than a tank of gas, probably less than you will spend in gasoline just driving to your next doctors appointment.

If you, or a family member, are diabetic, you owe it to yourself to read this magazine every month.

Peartree said:

For those of you who have been diagnosed with any type of diabetes, I cannot recommend strongly enough, that you purchase a subscription to Diabetes Forecast magazine. .....
If you, or a family member, are diabetic, you owe it to yourself to read this magazine every month.

Click to expand...

I considered subscribing to that magazine last summer, maybe I will now.

Grouch, I hope you've learned enough to help get you on your way, and searching on the internet for more. Also let your doctor know you need more info on pre-diabetes and how to learn more on how you can get it under control (if you can get any classes). If it is practical for you to get a prescription for a glucose meter and test strips, that will help you a lot in monitoring your progress and getting a better idea on what you are eating, and the portion sizes, is doing with your glucose levels.

I forgot to add that drinking a lot of fluids helps. Makes the blood a bit thinner, which helps the body too. And it helps to get rid of sugar more quickly via urination (think of the fluids going in and out as "flushing your system" so to speak). Helps with dieting too (to get consistency in weighing myself, I go by the weight after I wake up in the morning and take care of business. Because the weight thru the rest of the day varies a lot. And day to day varies too so it takes a few days or a week to confirm a real trend).

Last night before dinner I had a way high reading that made no sense, 166. I had eaten a pretty low carb lunch many hours before, so it should not have been anything like that. But I had an idea what it might have been, and it was correct. I washed my hands, repeated the test, and it was 97, more like I had expected. I had been warned in the diabetes classes about having anything on your hands that might react with the blood when you do the glucose tests. I had squeezed a lemon for my tea not long before that test, so it was apparently the lemon juice that interacted with the blood when I got that 166 reading.

Oh, you mentioned the "green crap". I hope you do not mean salads. I've never had a lot of salads before but I have had them a lot more since the diagnosis. I used to have regular Thousand Island dressing. Now I use Newman's Own Balsamic Lite in the salad. I mostly just use lettuce, but cut up a small tomato at times. Also sometimes cut up a boiled egg or two (no carbs) if there are any already cooked. On a very few occasions when the Glucose readings have been a bit high for a few days, I have simply had a dinner of just a salad, as a "reset button", and that has always worked.

ballistic_trep said:

When I was diagnosed and hospitalized, I was offered a diabetic course given in-hospital to new diabetics. It was incredibly informative and full of little tips for your overall health such as wearing wool socks all year round for keeping your feet dry and promoting good blood circulation.....I've worn wool socks every day ever since. Of course, the biggest part of the course was about diet and improving one's eating habits.

Click to expand...

Ah, the socks. I wear size 14 shoes and with thick ankles I've always had trouble with socks, finding big ones that sort of fit. For socks with say 2" tall sort of elastic at the top, I have had to use scissors to cut all but the top 1/2" or so, so they would not pinch so much (only kept the 1/2" to keep them from falling down).

Anyway, when I was shopping for new clothes, I came across Dr. Scholl's Diabetic and Circulatory crew socks. They are not wool, but they have a weave so they are more open and "breathable'. Most importantly, the area from the beginning of the ankle and up, is a much wider stretcher weave, that does not pinch. Also, they have a Big and Tall size, 13-15! Best socks I have EVER had! A bit pricey but worth it. Indeed I think they were about $10 for two pair at Wal-mart, and now on the Walmart site they are out of stock… I hope they did not drop them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YR5SZC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

- George Gassaway

georgegassaway said:

I considered subscribing to that magazine last summer, maybe I will now.

- George Gassaway

Click to expand...

If you are a little uncertain, many libraries have a subscription. I would also bet that your doctor might be willing to let you go home with a couple back issues from his/her waiting room.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

If you do not understand your diagnosis or what to do about it, you should have another appointment with your doctor to explain it.

Click to expand...

When I got my diagnosis about 5 years ago, my doctor put me on metformin and immediately made an appointment for me with a nutritionist that specializes in diabetes. Even though my diagnosis was just barely into the diabetes range, he wanted to make sure I got the right information. I had (I think) eight sessions with the nutritionist. The first few were a month apart and then follow ups every 3 months for a year. All were full covered by my health insurance so if you have been diagnosed, ask your doctor about it. I didn't know it was available but he was pro-active in getting me set up. At the end of sessions, my A1c was down to 6.2 which is considered pre-diabetes but once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, they consider you to be diabetic even if you get your numbers down.

Since that time, my A1c has stayed pretty consistent although between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years it has spiked to 6.4 before returning back down the rest of the year.

George, you and I have corresponded in PM on this. Congratulations on your progress. I just upped my Metformin to 1000 mg twice a day and now my sugars are finally getting under control. Diet is always my enemy. I applaud you my friend!

Way to go!

Mike

Hey guy's ,,,
I try to completely stay away from pasta...
But when I do have it I use
"Dreamfields" pasta..
It's in a black box next to all the other pastas in the supermarket...
I haven't read the box in a while I've been using it exclusively for so long,,,,
but I remember the numbers where outstanding...
Far better then any other pasta...
And I know I'll get beat up for this,,, but I think it tastes really great...lol...

But then I've been using it for so long that I don't remember what Ronzoni tastes like....

Teddy

I did a google search, intended to see where to find Dreamfields. But ran across some troubling top hits about a lawsuit settlement about false claims and so forth.

Leaving out the hits about the lawsuit, here's two that focus more on whether to eat it or not:

https://diabetes.about.com/od/nutrition/fl/Dreamfields-Pasta-A-Haux.htm

https://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/a/Dreamfields-Pasta.htm

No matter what, the last link above later has a very useful link to a page describing why it is important to not overcook any pasta, overcooking increases the carbs. I had no idea, so that link (below) was an important find well worth reading for anyone eating pasta that cares about carb count:

https://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/tips/qt/What-Is-Al-Dente-Pasta.htm

Anyway, the first link stresses treating Dreamfields pasta like any other, not to eat more than other pasta because many people do not have lower blood sugar when eating the sam amount of Dreamfields compared to regular. BUT it notes that SOME people do have lower blood sugar results. Because people's bodies react differently. just like I have noticed my glucose spikes so high to white rice, that I would need to eat so little rice that it is not worth it, I eat more of something else.

So I do believe that it works better for Onebadhawk than other pasta. But, people need to beware that for most people it is NOT better, and Dreamfields settled a lawsuit over false labeling.

As for myself, I will not go out of my way to order any, now that I have read more. But if I do find it on a grocery store shelf, I may well get a box and try it out. Because maybe I'll be as fortunate as Onebadhawk. But I won't trust it to, I'll eat a normal amount and see if the glucose is lower the next morning than I would expect from eating it, or about the same, or possibly even higher.

I should add that my favorite food, ever, is homemade spaghetti. I learned how to make it the way my mother did. After the diagnosis, I stopped making it, it was my 2nd most missed food item after Coke. But I had someone else's spaghetti a few times, a careful amount, and was OK with it. So I have made my own a few times since, as a special occasional treat, and the readings have been OK. I use the same pasta they used: Ronzoni "Healthy Harvest" Whole Grain. So, that works for me. But I have to avoid the temptation to eat too much of it. I also have changed to using turkey meat for the sauce….I am not trying to avoid beef entirely but am having more turkey so at times I can enjoy beef when it counts more for other certain foods. Like the occasional real hamburger

So I'm not eating as healthy as possible but I'm trying to walk a fine line between eating less, and being careful about the carbs, but enjoying it enough to stick to the diet , versus eating so super-healthy that I get tired of it and risk jumping off the wagon big-time.

Anyway, it is great to see other suggestions. But people have to be careful to check things out. And since people react differently, letting the glucose readings be the ultimate indicator of whether what is supposed to work for you actually is, or not.

Mike (USAFmissileer ), thanks for the comments. Good to see the new dosage is working better for you. I too am on 1000 mg of Metformin twice a day. I had been told by someone months ago if my A1C got lower, the dose could be cut back to 500 mg. Well, I am concerned then my levels would go higher. When I saw the dietician a few weeks ago, and the A1C was indeed lower, I asked her if there was any really good reason to go down from 1000 mg to 500. She said no, that usually the lower dose is either for people who have such a low A1C they do not need that much in order to avoid getting too low, or for people who have a bit of stomach upset from Metformin so the lower dosage is less of a problem for them. I never had that problem. And I think my numbers are not low enough to be a good idea to cut it back any (particularly now that i've stopped losing weight and am holding at the 175-180 range, carefully adding some dairy I'd had little of that she said I should add back). My concern had been whether the higher dosage a person has, the less effective it might be later, or that over time it might cause complications that a lower dosage could avoid. But she said that's not the case. and agreed I ought to stick with 1000 since I'm not having any issues with that dosage.

Now I would love to have my levels get so low that indeed I could go to 500 mg, with the potential to not need any someday. But I do not expect that to happen.

- George Gassaway

George,,
One thing I forgot to mention that you just brought up....

Dreamfields goes from aldente to overcooked much quicker then other pastas...
You've really got to stay on top of it...

I have noticed for sure that my sugar doesn't go up as high from Dreamfields as from other pastas...

Give it a try..

Teddy

The key with diabetes and pasta is portion control and mixing in vegetables to slow down absorption.

We get our glucose levels checked at least once a year and have so dar been lucky. Glad you have healed and have been able to adapt your lifestyle for a longer life. We have lost too many great rocketeers over the years.

If you like pasta because you truly love the flavor of the pasta noodles, then it's hard to find a good substitute. But if you mostly like pasta as a vehicle for sauce, then there a a few things you could try.

One is Shirataki noodles. It's a traditional Japanese noodle made from some kind of yam, or an alternative kind made from tofu. They are a very neutral tasting white noodle, with almost no flavor on their own, so they work well with sauces. The yam version has zero net carbs and the tofu has minimal net carbs. Nutritionally, it's mostly counted as fiber.

I've only had the kind packed in water, and find it in the supermarket in a refrigerated section where you find tofu and related soy products. When you first cut open the package, the liquid has a slightly funny almost fishy odor and you think, "Oh, man! There is no way this can be good! Has it really come to this?" Don't worry, it'll be fine. You just need to rinse them and heat them up. I usually just dump them in a strainer, run some hot water over them to rinse off the funky water, then dump them in a sauce pan that already has some water boiling. You don't really need to cook them, so after just a minute you can dump them back in the strainer and serve them with whatever sauce you like. Apparently there is a way to dry roast them too, which I have never tried.

Another option is quinoa. It's a small seed, not a grain, and has lower carbs than grains. You can use it like couscous or rice. I buy it at Costco and I also get the chicken Better Than Bullion at Costco. One part quinoa, two parts water, one spoonful Better Than Bullion, and you have a nice savory "starch" that is not starchy. This is also another good vehicle for sauce.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

If you like pasta because you truly love the flavor of the pasta noodles, then it's hard to find a good substitute. But if you mostly like pasta as a vehicle for sauce, then there a a few things you could try.

One is Shirataki noodles. It's a traditional Japanese noodle made from some kind of yam, or an alternative kind made from tofu. They are a very neutral tasting white noodle, with almost no flavor on their own, so they work well with sauces. The yam version has zero net carbs and the tofu has minimal net carbs. Nutritionally, it's mostly counted as fiber.

I've only had the kind packed in water, and find it in the supermarket in a refrigerated section where you find tofu and related soy products. When you first cut open the package, the liquid has a slightly funny almost fishy odor and you think, "Oh, man! There is no way this can be good! Has it really come to this?" Don't worry, it'll be fine. You just need to rinse them and heat them up. I usually just dump them in a strainer, run some hot water over them to rinse off the funky water, then dump them in a sauce pan that already has some water boiling. You don't really need to cook them, so after just a minute you can dump them back in the strainer and serve them with whatever sauce you like. Apparently there is a way to dry roast them too, which I have never tried.

Another option is quinoa. It's a small seed, not a grain, and has lower carbs than grains. You can use it like couscous or rice. I buy it at Costco and I also get the chicken Better Than Bullion at Costco. One part quinoa, two parts water, one spoonful Better Than Bullion, and you have a nice savory "starch" that is not starchy. This is also another good vehicle for sauce.

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Super cool Eric,,
I bought a box of Quinoa at the supermarket to try because it's Gluton Free,, I have it home,,
then I noticed it still has a lot of carbs per serving,, so I've been hesitant...
I've been super strict with my intake for the past year,, extremely healthy, extreme low carb ( only very complex carbs, like from green vegetables ) and most importantly, Gluton Free....
I just figured I'd try it in a couple of months when I relax a bit and allow myself something like that..

Teddy

onebadhawk said:

Super cool Eric,,
I bought a box of Quinoa at the supermarket to try because it's Gluton Free,, I have it home,,
then I noticed it still has a lot of carbs per serving,, so I've been hesitant...
I've been super strict with my intake for the past year,, extremely healthy, extreme low carb ( only very complex carbs, like from green vegetables ) and most importantly, Gluton Free....
I just figured I'd try it in a couple of months when I relax a bit and allow myself something like that..

Teddy

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Sounds good. I don't have a specific health issue like diabetes that I need to monitor my carbs very strictly. I got the quinoa because for awhile I was on a low carb diet, sort of like Atkins, and this was one of the lower carb options with lots of fiber and other good stuff. If you have to really closely watch your carbs, then you'll be a better judge than I am if it is right for you.

Some kinds of quinoa are better if you rinse it first before you cook it. The seeds can have a protective coating that tastes better if it is removed. All you have to do is put it in the pan you want to cook it in, add some water, maybe let it soak a minute, swirl it around a few times, then pour off the excess. Then just add back some clean water and cook it. Some brands already have the coating washed off and you don't need to rinse it. I'm pretty sure the one from Costco is already rinsed, but I'm just in the habit, so I still do it.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Sounds good. I don't have a specific health issue like diabetes that I need to monitor my carbs very strictly. I got the quinoa because for awhile I was on a low carb diet, sort of like Atkins, and this was one of the lower carb options with lots of fiber and other good stuff. If you have to really closely watch your carbs, then you'll be a better judge than I am if it is right for you.

Some kinds of quinoa are better if you rinse it first before you cook it. The seeds can have a protective coating that tastes better if it is removed. All you have to do is put it in the pan you want to cook it in, add some water, maybe let it soak a minute, swirl it around a few times, then pour off the excess. Then just add back some clean water and cook it. Some brands already have the coating washed off and you don't need to rinse it. I'm pretty sure the one from Costco is already rinsed, but I'm just in the habit, so I still do it.

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I really don't have to watch my carb intake THAT strictly..
I do because I find better success loosing weight when take in less simple carbs...

Teddy

ThirstyBarbarian said:

If you like pasta because you truly love the flavor of the pasta noodles, then it's hard to find a good substitute. But if you mostly like pasta as a vehicle for sauce, then there a a few things you could try.

One is Shirataki noodles. It's a traditional Japanese noodle made from some kind of yam, or an alternative kind made from tofu. They are a very neutral tasting white noodle, with almost no flavor on their own, so they work well with sauces. The yam version has zero net carbs and the tofu has minimal net carbs. Nutritionally, it's mostly counted as fiber.

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Good suggestion.

Last night, I was googling for other options for pasta, and ran across that. The preparation suggestions were along the lines of what you listed, except after washing to lay them out and let them dry. Anyway, I'll put that into the "take a shot" category and try it out once at least & see how it tastes.

I'm willing to experiment. The other day I tried to extend a small amount of oatmeal (which is not low carb) and blueberries, which is nice, with a couple of eggs, which are nice by themselves and no carbs. What I ended up with was.....blecch. Two bites and done. Back to the drawing board.

- George Gasaway

Been a long time since I gave an update.

Got some SERIOUS health news today from my Doctor.

It's about the Type 2 Diabetes I was diagnosed with in July 2014.

It's…… changed.

He says I now have "Pre-diabetes"!!!



Yeah…. I know that sounds odd, but that's what he said. My latest A1C readings (3 month blood glucose average) are right down the middle now, at 5.0. This is even more significant due to the fact that as my doctor directed, I tapered off and stopped taking Metformin in early June. So I have been controlling it with diet and exercise alone, after the weight loss. No medications at all. And while it did go up a little bit from 4.7 when I stopped Metformin, my doctor expected it to go up a bit. But 5.0 is right there, he's happy with it, so I'm happy with it.

Now this does not mean I can go back to the regular Cokes and the bags of Chips and candy bars and all that (Well, technically I could have them, but only a very small amount in place of "real food", to stay within my daily carb intake and calorie limits). Because my body still does not create insulin in the high amount that it used to, to combat eating too many carbohydrates, that condition won't change. So I still have to be careful about my diet to keep the carb totals low. And to watch my weight, as that is a big part of it too, less body mass to share the limited amount of insulin that my body does produce (loosing 33% of my weight meant 33% more insulin for my body to share, actually more since Bones do not use insulin). The Metformin had simply allowed my cells to absorb that limited insulin more effectively.

So, it's a big day. Not "cured", there's no cure (maybe some day). But it's "officially" under control without medication, and in MY hands to keep it that way. And, the chances of complications are greatly reduced. Now, with age, it will become harder to do so without medication. So I'm not kidding myself, I probably will need to use medications again. But not now, and hopefully not for a good while.

FWIW - my A1C milestones below.

- George Gassaway

July 2014 = 9.5 (Began small amount of insulin, taking Metformin pills twice a day.)

October 2014 = 6.0 (ended the Insulin, Metformin had taken effect. Completed diabetes/nutrition classes, weight loss well underway).

February 2015 = 5.1 (hit weight goal of 175 pounds, into maintenance mode of 175-180)

April 2015 = 5.0 (went to Metformin once a day)

June 2015 = 4.7 (Ended taking Metformin)

September 2015 = 5.0 (doctor very pleased, says I have "Pre-diabetes")

Excellent news, George.

Man it just doesn't get any better than that George...
Good for you...
That's no freebie either..
This you should be awfully proud of...
It took a lot of work...
You are now a shining example,,,,
It IS possible...

Teddy

Congrats George! As a diabetic myself, I hope I hear that news some day!

Mike

Good for you George! Thanks for taking the time to share your story...it may very well get a few to finally see a doc or make lifestyle changes.

I consider rocketeers a very smart bunch; however all too often we're stupid and stubborn when it comes to our own vessel. The secret to a longer and better life is simple and most of us know what we should do, but all too often we don't and end up too set in our ways so that by the time we find out the damage we've done, it is very, very hard to change.

BTW - My family has a history of diabetes (I saw my grandmother get her toe removed), so I'm careful about what and how much I eat and I try to exercise whenever I can.

Hi George.
Like you I had an interesting incident that alerted me to being Type 2. I was getting short of breath, so some friends suggested I see a doctor. At first, I thought they were kidding. But, after some prodding, a few months later I see a doctor. He does an EKG, and says "Doesn't look so bad, but let's schedule you for a stress test". A few weeks later, I'm on a treadmill and they are looking with a ultrasound. This doctor says "Doesn't look so bad, but let's schedule you for a cardiac catheter". A few weeks later, I'm at a hospital for that test. They ask if I want to be awake or asleep. I'm like "dude, knock me out, I don't want to see or feel a thing"...

When I wake up there's a bunch of people around my bed like a movie scene, and someone tells me "You need to have an operation RIGHT NOW, or you're going to die".

Turns out I needed a quintuple bypass. And the cause of this heart disease wasn't my weight (I was 180 at the time, and I'm 6ft tall -- I'm skinny!) it was my blood sugar.

I've never met a piece of chocolate I didn't like. We're coming up on my only religious holiday -- Halloween, where I pray to the god of candy. I've never refused a piece of cake, or pie. But I did have to change my diet. I'm 170 now, but I still snack too much, especially when I'm in front of the TV. But I'm working on it. My doctor will tell me my sugar's still high, but it's considerably lower than it was.

It's not like I want to live forever. I have no intention of being 90, in a nursing home, drooling into a cup. Once I stop being able to take care of myself, I intend to stop -- entirely. But in the time I've got left, I want to be active, ride my scooter, be a good parent to my wonderful kitty-cats, climb on my roof to put up radio antennas, and build and launch as many rockets as is possible. So, I'm trying to take care of myself - mostly.

Good on you George for doing what you needed to do. No time to back off. Your discipline around diet and exercise should be an inspiration for everyone. Kudos to you!!

tmacklin said:

Trolling is when you drag a fishing lure behind a boat to cover a lot of water in hopes of locating a school of fish. Any idiot can do that. Casting on the other hand is when you make specific casts when targeting a specific quarry, like a Largemouth Bass. It takes a master angler to entice an old Hawg Bass out from under a log. I'm a catch and release angler myself.

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Thanks for releasing your fish. I'm President of the Catch & Eat Foundation.

Recent relevant discussion.

https://www.honestlypod.com/podcast/episode/d0186220/eating-ourselves-to-death
Not to take this thread in a political direction; this episode is not particularly political.

George likely has no idea his 7-year-old thread has been resurrected