I'm very new to trying to get my blood suger under control and it's clear to me that I need to eat fewer carbs. Even low glycemic index foods send my blood sugar up. If anyone has any advice or experience with this I'd appreciate some advice.

The glycemic index can be confusing and misleading. Just count carbs. I stay under 60 a day (total, not net) and saved myself from high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. I lost 40 pounds over the course of 1 year without being hungry or miserable. My blood pressure was 149/95 and now it is 101/62.

If you can, pick up a copy of Natural Health and Weight Loss by Barry Groves OR Protein Power Life Plan by Drs Eades. Another good book to help you understand the whole process involved with your body, insulin, hormones, etc.... is Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.

I see you have modified South Beach listed as your plan. I am not a South Beach fan. The carbs are too high and the fat levels are too low. I have had several friends try the SB plan and fail miserably. Now they are convinced that low carb doesn't work even though SB isn't really low carb.

Thanks for the tips. I will look into the books you mention.

Knowledge is power

Hello again....What you will need to start to learn about is the kinds of carbs that your body will do well with. Any processing at all, could be an issue for your BS.

Whole Grains are a culprit for many who are diabetic. Processed grains are even worse. Some an eat certain fruits, high sugar fruits can be an issue.
Do you understand the difference?

Reading books is a great way to begin to educate yourself so that you will be better able to manage your BS. We do have a diabetic section of this forum and I know that those who frequent it wll be happy to help you.

Oh! Forgot to mention Dr. Bernstein. Look him up.

There's a whole forum here on diabetes and low carb. You'd find a lot of support there!

Glycemic load is more useful than glycemic index, IMO.

The Glycemic Index is very helpful to type 1s because there are foods we cannot eat in any amounts, whereas a normal person or a type 2 may be able to eat them. If low glycemic food is spiking glucose, then the glycemic load is probably not going to help much. Some of the ADA information is applicable to type 1 instead of type 2, but most of the ADA information should be ignored.

Bernstein is a good plan for diabetics. Too much protein can also spike BG levels in diabetics.

I know where you are comming from, I was told by my doc to start eating right or I would one day have diabetes, over the past year I have lost weight and my blood sugar is usually about 80 to 120 when I check it, my doc is thrilled. I follow sugar busters and have found if I eat whole grains in moderation my blood sugar does not spike up. I have read Protein Power, excellent book, worth picking up. Good luck.

I don't usually check this thread but here I am today...I was diagnosed type 2 in June and I have to keep my carbs around 20-30 a day in order to control my bg without meds. You have to learn to eat to your meter meaning if a food seems to raise your bg it is off limits. Starchy carbs are the most likely culprit followed by fruit and dairy, everyone is different though. You are lucky you already have experience with low carbing. You may have to step it up a notch if you wish to stay off meds. It is entirely possible.

There is nothing better for diabetes than controlling through diet and exercise. Many, many diabetics never even give it a try and sometimes, if one is still producing small amounts of insulin the meds can be like a bandaid that sorta covers the problems and makes them appear to go away. But the reason for the complications is high blood sugar. Medication that forces it down doesn't really solve all the problems like just controlling it through diet and exercise would. Now don't flame me people. I know that there are some that truly need the meds but there are many who could be free of the meds and do not want to make the effort.

I highly recommend Atkins Diabetes Revolution. It is really helpful with the science of it all and really shows the chemistry of what happens when we low carb.

I'd recommend Dr. Atkins too. I also recommend that you read as much as possible on this site, because you will learn so much.

Avoid rubbish, empty carbs like coffee, sweeteners, alcohol and products like "low-carb" pasta and "low-carb" bread, which are as bad as the real thing on blood sugar. Instead, use whole natural, colourful veggies with plenty of fibre.

I wrote to someone else on the same type of topic earlier, so if you read that, you'll see other points I made. Note what I said about egg white, as that derails me.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost...279&postcount=2

Best of luck.

I am on Atkins, and if I stay at 20-30 carbs a day, I'm OK. I don't do net carbs because it messes me up. I like Dr. Bernstein's books, but he is type I. However the same principle applies. My FBS this am was 110....but mid afternoon yesterday was 87. Bedtime was 92. I absolutely can't follow the ADA diet. No way, no how!! Neither do I do the low carb products, even the Atkins line.
I don't visit the diabetic forum often, but I have been diabetic for several years, and usually need more support to stick to LC then anything else. BTW, my doctor told me "We have decided that LC is the way to go!" Meaning for diabetes as well as weight loss.
Good luck, Ruth

PS: I would use one of Dr. Atkins books that he actually wrote! The new one was written after his death, and allows too many carbs for me!!! I like the '72 version, but his later one is more up to date, and uses more of the ingredients found today. JMHO.

This thread is 3 yrs old.....just sayin'!

Never too late, huh?