New Person Questions???

[mkayhunt]

Hi, I have been just diagnosed as Insulin resistant. I am trying to educate myself with information on the internet. My doctor has not given me much information. I have been taking Glucophage for about a week.

My Questions:

1. I need to find a good source/book for rating foods for carb. content.

2. How long until the Glucophage kicks in? Should I feel less tired when it does?

3. Does fruit count as a "high" carb food. For example, grapes, plums, or pears?

[LCer in NW]

welcome to the forum.

while I don't have direct experience with Glucophage, I would say that using it is only half the remedy, and it may be necessary for short or long term.

Has your doctor recommended reduction or elimination of "high carb" foods? Did he give you any examples?

Generally, foods can be classified on the basis of what effects are to blood chemistry (specifically glucose, insulin, and cholesterol). Foods that rather quickly increase your available glucose are called highly glycemic, and there is a glycemic index which rates these. Only some carbs are of this type. These are generally those that would tend to break down in the upper small intestine.

most of grains, flour, nuts, sugar are highly glycemic. all fruit contain carbs that are high glycemic, and some vegetables do too.

various low carb plans target at least the highest or quickest acting of these carb foods. Some, like Sugerbusters, only target the most refined of foods, such as white flour and sugar.

have a look at the various links, including "Which low-carb plan is right for me".

good luck.

[Karen]

You are doing the right thing by educating yourself!

1. I need to find a good source/book for rating foods for carb. content.

Corrinne T. Netzer's Complete Book of Food Counts is the "bible" for carb counting. THere is an excellent carb counter on this site under low-carb tools at the top of the page, and for keeping track of what you are eating there is a website called fitday.com. It's free.

3. Does fruit count as a "high" carb food. For example, grapes, plums, or pears?

THe three you have given as an example would count as high. Low-carb fruits are berries and melons - but not watermelon.

An excellent book on controlling blood sugar through eating is Dr. Bernstein's Diabetic Solution, and as supplemental reading, Protein Power.

I can't answer your glucophage question, but low-carbing will give you tons of energy. It's a great way to eat and live!

Karen

[billw]

I am Type II and was started out on 1000mg glucophage and it took about a week for my bg to come down to between 120 and 130. After about a month my glucophage was increased to 2000mg and I saw only a minor reduction in bg to around 115.

When I started he Atkins diet my bg dropped to mid 90's within 2 days. I was able to lower mu glucophage back down to 1000mg per day a few weeks ago and I have seen no change in my bg. If my bg's are good for the next month my doc said I could stop glucophage all together.

Once my bg's were lowered I felt much better and had more energy. I did get sleepy in the afternoons anymore. The LC way of eating had the biggest impact on my overall health and energy levels.

Good luck,

Bill

[billw]

ps. another good book on diabetes is "Reversing diabetes" by Dr. Julien Whitaker. It also promotes a low carb lifestyle.

Bill

[destro]

Hi there,
Sorry that you have joined the Glucophage users. I was diagnosed in Sept. of 1999 and put on 500 mg/day of Glucophage. I was SO STUPID that I figured that since I was on medication, I could just continue my self-destructive eating habits.

Over the past three years I have been on a slow journey to discovering that medication may slow the progress of the disease, but it does not cure it. Now is a superb opportunity for you to learn as much as you can.

Although everyone is different, my fatigue went away in large part (another reason why I was not motivated to repair my eating). I think that when I was diagnosed my "presenting problem" was fatigue: all those afternoon naps!

I think that if you read as many books as you can and if you read and do research on the internet, you will learn a lot more than I allowed myself to do. I urge you not to be, like me, the proverbial ostrich hiding its head in the sand.

My blood sugars are now excellent: they stay in the 80s and 90s since I started low-carb eating. I make my carb choices with care: I have chosen fruit for my carbs and am careful to see which ones work better for me. Bye Bye bananas; but strawberries, 1/2 a peach, some grapes eaten with my meals have not affected my blood sugar adversely.

Of course my body is probably still in shock and withdrawal from all the junk food.

I have a 30 pound weight loss just over the past few months that came about from just cutting out the junk food.

I think also that sugar and carb cravings do diminish rapidly. The first couple of days I felt a little uneasy and anxious: impossible to say if that was physiological or psychological (maybe a little of both). But that sense is gone.

Good luck to you!
Natalie

[billw]

Originally posted by billw
I did get sleepy in the afternoons anymore.

:o There should have beeen a not in there.

I do not get sleepy anymore in the afternoons. :D