Diabetes info?

[Prairie Purrs]

Well, a month ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Not a huge surprise, really--family history, suspicious symptoms.

The good news is that the diagnosis was a big 'ol kick in the rear regarding diet and exercise. I'm counting carbs, I go to the gym just about every day, and I'm using about a half-dozen iPhone apps to track what I eat, how much I exercise, and my blood glucose levels. So far, so good--except that my vision turned pretty blurry once my glucose levels started dropping, and my eye doctor says it may not improve that much.

So my question for any fellow diabetics out there is this: are there books or websites that you've found especially helpful and informative? There's almost too much information available, so I'd like to bookmark some reliable sources for news, research, tasty recipes, etc.

Any help is appreciated!

[Freedom]

My Dad was diagnosed with Type 2 when in his 60's. When he moved in with me 8 years ago, I had no info on how to care for him. I would suggest:

1. Join a Support Group. You may have to try a few before you in one where the folks "click" for you. But do it. They can guide you to local resources: the good and no so good doctors, as an example.

2. Find and take the DOE program: Diabetes Outpatient Education. We went through this 3 times, at 3 different locations. You pay and attend, and any family member(s) can attend with you, no charge. As I recall, it is 2 hours per week for 6 weeks, but it has been a while. Medicare pays for it in full; sorry I can't remember if you are on Medicare or not. But regular insurance picks up some / all of the cost as well.

[Prairie Purrs]

Thanks, Sandie! I'll look into support groups. I live in a tiny little town, but I suspect it's large enough to have a support group. This is the midwest, after all--no shortage of diabetics!

I'll see whether I can find a DOE program anywhere nearby. Not on Medicare, though, and I'm not sure whether my insurance would cover it. I'm irritated that I don't have any coverage for test strips, because those things ain't cheap!

[Freedom]

I'm irritated that I don't have any coverage for test strips, because those things ain't cheap!

Yikes!!!! I know there are funding options for that, as Dad has coverage, I never paid attention.

Check with the nearest senior center, they can direct you to a Support Group, and folks in that can help with the strips issues. Oh, the senior center may as well.

[Grace]

Book recommendation - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The...retchen+becker

Takes you through the first year, step by step.

Strips - if you're not yet on Medicare, your insurance company may cover however many your doctor prescribes. Once on Medicare, coverage sucks.

If you're a non-Insulin type, they will allow you one/day.

My mantra for all newly diagnosed is test-test-test. You cannot know how different foods will affect you until/unless you test. You might be surprised at the results.

As Sandie said, a support group or at least an initial ed class is very good.

Back to strips - Medicare will supply me with 100 every 3 months. I test more often than that so buy extra here - http://www.canadadrugs.com/otc/searc...ultra&x=15&y=6

I can get 200 strips for $99.80 - from Canada. That's just 50¢/strip - half of what Medicare will pay. I pay it myself, but it is worth it - for me and my peace of mind.

[Prairie Purrs]

Grace, thank you for the book recommendation! I just bought the Kindle version and will start reading right away.

My insurance doesn't cover the strips at all, and I've been testing three times a day. I'll cut back on that after the levels start looking more stable. Until then, though, it costs me a bundle to buy from the local pharmacies. Looks like the cost from the Canadian site is about half of what I've been paying, so I think I'll be sending them an order.

Thanks to both of you for the excellent information!

[carole]

My mother, father and sister all have type two diabetes, none of them are extremely overweight at all,they could all loose a few pounds or so, but that is about all, my mother was only recently diagnosed, and she has managed to stay off any medication by watching her diet and walking daily, and she is 76 in november.

I am at high risk so i really watch my weight and diet , bit lacking on exercise, but apparently it really does help to do some,even if it is only walking.

You can get taken off medication if you work hard at it, but you will still be considered a diabetic, prevention is really the answer here, we cannot help our genetics, but we can help ourselves by eating well and exercising,so good luck with that, I am sure you will be able to get rid of your medication if you keep at it.,and CONGRATULATIONS on the weight loss, WELL DONE INDEED.

[momcat]

An excellent resource is the American Diabetes Association website. There's a lot of good and reliable advice and updates. That's how I found my endocrinologist. I'm type 1 and an insulin junkie. Feel free to pm me anytime for support and encouragement.

[Miss Z]

My grandfather developed Type II Diabetes in his later years, and his best advice was staying happy by treating oneself on a regular basis to diabetic chocolate!

If your condition is relatively mild, I knew a diabetic who could eat fairly normally, and could ward off hyperglycaemia simply by taking a daily country walk. Of course, I think daily living advice is best discussed with a doctor.

I wish you the very best.

[Prairie Purrs]

An excellent resource is the American Diabetes Association website. There's a lot of good and reliable advice and updates. That's how I found my endocrinologist. I'm type 1 and an insulin junkie. Feel free to pm me anytime for support and encouragement.

I've got the ADA site on my favorites list--very helpful! And thanks for lending support! I'm sure there'll be days when I need all I can get.

My grandfather developed Type II Diabetes in his later years, and his best advice was staying happy by treating oneself on a regular basis to diabetic chocolate!

If your condition is relatively mild, I knew a diabetic who could eat fairly normally, and could ward off hyperglycaemia simply by taking a daily country walk. Of course, I think daily living advice is best discussed with a doctor.

I wish you the very best.

Thank you! I'll keep the diabetic chocolate in mind.

[Laura's Babies]

Prairie Purrs- Completely get that word "diet" out of your head! This is not a diet you are going to do but a whole new lifestyle change for a healthier YOU! What you are going to be doing is making better choices... What you will be saying instead of "I am on a diet now"... is "I am making better choices now" This is what one of my guys does since he also said he has failed at many diets over the years.

What I did was tell myself, "I can have THIS or I can have THAT, but I can not have both" and I would pick the healthiest.... OR, if I have been strict to my diet, I could have the not so good choice. I sat my goal of what I HAD to eat that day.. I HAD to eat a 12 ounce bowl of beans and a 12 ounce salad at lunch and supper, I HAD to eat my oatmeal and a banana for breakfast and throughout the day, I HAD to have at least 5 pieces of fruit. During the season of fresh fruit, I would eat sometimes 10 pieces of fruit a day while it was so good. I was always eating, never got hungry either. Once a month I treated myself to eating out and could have what I wanted... ANYTHING I wanted... IF I had remained faithful to my eating right.

Both my guys on the boat have a free day where they can eat anything they want, including desert and what surprises me is they don't eat anything they want all day long but just at one meal! Once they get started and start loosing that weight, they get excited and start setting more rules on themselves.

One thing I showed them both last trip that surprised them was to use Picante' sauce instead of salad dressing. It is chocked full of GOOD stuff and it is SOOOo good... not a bit of fat in it either.

Watch out for food or drinks you eat that make you hungry! I found that when I ate carbs or drank a soda, the next day I couldn't get enough to eat. That guy who failed on so many diets before did good on his diet until he got his sugar free soda's on the boat. The next day he was complaining he had been starving ALL DAY LONG and couldn't figure out why. I sweetly said "you got your soda's yesterday, how many did you drink? Didn't I warn you they would make you hungry?"..

So, keep a log of what you eat and if you had been doing good, then suddenly find yourself unable to control your appetite, go look at what you ate the day before!

I ate fish and boneless, skinless chicken once a week and one of my choices was steak day.. I could have a steak or hamburger... the hamburger won out every time.

I also only ate what I cooked. That way, I knew what was in what I ate and I still pretty much stick to cooking my own meals. Batch cook and freeze in single serving size. I still do that since it saves time and $$$$. I completely avoid processed food but since I am a cook, that is easy for me.

[Prairie Purrs]

Laura, that's a whole lot of great advice! Thank you!

One thing that's helped me tremendously has been to impose a regular meal schedule. I don't eat at precisely the same times every day, but I make sure I eat three meals a day. I used to regularly skip either breakfast or lunch, which meant that I was ravenous by dinnertime.

One thing that's difficult for me is staying away from processed food. I do rely on Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine a little too much, especially on days when I'm up against a work deadline. I definitely need to start batch cooking!

[emily_the_spoiled]

The other thing that might help is to graze throughout the day. I always have oranges, apples, strawberries, carrots, etc with me. I grew up with a mother who was a Type I diabetic, so we all kind of learned to eat smaller portions, but eat something in between (as long as it is healthy). You will find it is much easier to eat smaller portions at meal time then.

BTW, there are alot of good cookbooks and cooking websites that have diabetic recipies, so you will never run out of ideas.

[Marigold2]

That is wonderful!!! So so so so happy for you. You are now my inspiration.

Laura, that's a whole lot of great advice! Thank you!

One thing that's helped me tremendously has been to impose a regular meal schedule. I don't eat at precisely the same times every day, but I make sure I eat three meals a day. I used to regularly skip either breakfast or lunch, which meant that I was ravenous by dinnertime.

One thing that's difficult for me is staying away from processed food. I do rely on Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine a little too much, especially on days when I'm up against a work deadline. I definitely need to start batch cooking!