Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sun_Addict wrote: »

Re the above from redo - could it be genetic? Anyone else in your family diabetic?

Only my aunt who is prediabetic (and DH who I'm not related to).

beanielou wrote: »

I think it might be the diet coke

It doesn't have any sugar in but I could mention it to the doctor.

redofromstart

It does run in families, but the sibling who is self confessed the least controlled in eating is not diabetic. The stick thin veggie is :eek: I am mostly sensible and am borderline. If i eat a packet of polos before the test I am, Don't ask how I know this :rotfl:

Its manageable, and it would explain the tiredness and should be treatable. Your veg eating focus should help.

Rather than worry about the maybes, have a look what the diabetes society say here: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/sugar-sweeteners-and-diabetes

HairyHandofDartmoor

redofromstart wrote: »

It does run in families, but the sibling who is self confessed the least controlled in eating is not diabetic. The stick thin veggie is :eek: I am mostly sensible and am borderline. If i eat a packet of polos before the test I am, Don't ask how I know this :rotfl:

Its manageable, and it would explain the tiredness and should be treatable. Your veg eating focus should help.

Thank you Redo . How strange it all is.

Sun_Addict

It's bizarre. I have a friend who has diabetes and ticks all the boxes which you can understand. My grandma and great aunt died of diabetes related complications so it runs in my family but in contrast I have low blood sugar. I used to eat sugar free mints which gave me terrible stomach pains so now try to avoid artificial sweeteners if I can.

Sometimes it feels like whatever you do is wrong

Hopefully you'll get sorted and can nip it in the bud before it escalates into anything worse.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sun_Addict wrote: »

It's bizarre. I have a friend who has diabetes and ticks all the boxes which you can understand. My grandma and great aunt died of diabetes related complications so it runs in my family but in contrast I have low blood sugar. I used to eat sugar free mints which gave me terrible stomach pains so now try to avoid artificial sweeteners if I can.

Sometimes it feels like whatever you do is wrong

Hopefully you'll get sorted and can nip it in the bud before it escalates into anything worse.

Thanks you SA . I know why DH has diabetes as he is overweight, sedentary and it runs in his family. It's more puzzling that I have high blood sugar but I suppose there are exceptions to many rules.

in_need_of_direction

Try to get hold of dr Michael Moseley blood sugar diet. Well worth a read and a try.

Willowtree222

It can be a combination of things including genetics (like everyone has said).

The doctor will hopefully clear it all up for you next week. x

doingitanyway

I'm sorry this has happened.
If you had not had the blood tests you would not have known, but now you do you can take action.
Whatever the cause there are things you can do and I have complete confidence in your ability to do what you need to.
I hope the appointment with the GP to explore this goes well.
I hope you can enjoy your Saturday..

[Deleted User]

Sorry about the pre-diabetes diagnosis but please try not to worry about it at this stage. Easy to say I know but I have a hunch that diabetes is the latest 'big thing' and GPs are being somewhat over-zealous in preventing diabetes. Better to spot the signs at the very early stages as probably even small tweaks to your diet could have great results.


I seem to recall that you use shop-bought cooking sauces, eat a lot of baked beans and possibly other processed food items. Don't forget they all contain sugars and over the course of a day all add up. There are 'lo' versions of most things these days that contain a lot less hidden sugar and although some may not be palatable for you I'm sure you won't notice the difference with others. May cost a few pennies more but health is priceless!


Also, I'd strongly recommend you and DH making your own pasta/curry sauces etc from scratch. Taste so much nicer, don't cost any more and you know exactly what goes into them. Tins of chopped tomatoes are a staple in this house, the basis for many a tasty and healthy sauce:j. They don't take too much time either and it was a very rare event for us to have a bought cooking sauce even when I was working full-time (very full-time:eek:) and being out of the house every weekday from 7.15 a.m. to 6.15 in the evening. That included long commutes driving to work and home. I also had DH and 4 children to cook for. DH is an absolutely useless cook (although he did grow lots of lovely veg:j) so I did it all but I like cooking anyway and after a long stressful day found it therapeutic being on my own in the kitchen and preparing a lovely meal for my family. Every fortnight I'd spend pretty much the whole of Saturday bulk-cooking for the freezer. I'd have done a monthly bulk-cook if I'd had the freezer space but meals for 6 took up a lot of space:rotfl:. Then, each evening all I had to do was add the fresh veg, pasta/rice/potatoes.


I can undestand how sad you felt yesterday when your lovely Mum was at the forefront of your mind. You got through it though. Try to forget the health issues for now and have a good and relaxing weekend. Sending hugs xxx

DrSpendLittle

A couple of my family members are pre diabetic. I've done lots of research into this topic to try and help them make changes to their diet / lifestyle. However, their local NHS group are fantastic and have really supported them in changing to a healthier lifestyle.

Sugar is hidden in all sorts of foods - ketchup, baked beans, tinned soups, healthy breakfast cereals etc. It's worth looking at the labels of everything you regularly eat to see how otherwise benign foods can contain secret levels of sugar. High sugar is classed as food having over 15g of sugars per 100g.

Fibre slows down the body's processing of sugar and can regulate insulin production - all fruit contains fibre, which is why eating a piece of fruit rather than juicing it or having smoothies (which break down the fibre) is much better for you.

Carbs are also essentially sugar and elicit an insulin response in the body when eaten. If you eat a heavily carb diet (veggies, fruit, bread, rice, pasta etc), this could be a secret cause. Also, recent research suggests that artificial sweeteners trick the body into thinking its ingesting sugar and so elicits an insulin response. The Diet Cokes might be another hidden culprit. Funnily enough, my body is really sensitive to carbs and I can't eat porridge for breakfast, even though it has lots of fibre, as it causes an insulin spike and I feel shaky and clammy mid morning. I only eat protein for breakfast now (plain yoghurt or eggs) and feel much much better.

The biggest myth peddled about diabetes is that obesity / being overweight is a cause. Recent research shows that it's simply not true. The broader health problem that both 'illnesses' are linked to is metabolic syndrome. So, you can be overweight and 100% healthy or thin and sick (TOFI - thin on the outside, fat on the inside). In most cases, someone with metabolic syndrome will have more than one associated illness (diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, lipid problems, obesity, heart disease, stroke etc), but as Redo says, its all about genetics and the sensitivity to each individuals body to these factors.

It's really good that its been caught early - its 100% reversible at this stage and I'm sure you'll do a fab job of adjusting your diet / lifestyle to beat it! Good luck!