BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Diabetes Need some help and need some support

Hello everyone. I am back again to ask some questions and also to vent a little. I have been so depressed and so tired of things this week. My denial of having diabetes is fading as I have been monitoring my blood sugar for a week now. I feel stuck, I am frustrated, I am depressed, I feel helpless and hopeless. I have really made changes to my diet. I haven't had regular soda since last Monday, I had a piece of hard candy last Thursday because my blood sugar crashed majorly from doing the liquid diet for a colonoscopy. I have had bread twice this week. Yet after dinner tonight my blood sugar was 277!!! I was so tired and so weak. I felt like crying. The doctor gave me metformin to take but I am fighting taking it because I want to lose weight and change my diet, I don't want to be stuck taking a pill for the rest of my life. I feel like giving up right now but I know I can't. I may just start taking the pills already, I don't know what to do.

I do have a question. I have been searching around the internet tonight trying to answer this. I haven't been to a diabetes educator yet because they have to find one that has an open class. Since my sugar spiked to 277 tonight and I went through all of that, I know there are things I can do and eat to help bring it down quickly. Can someone point me in the right direction of finding this information? A link or book or something? Thanks! Pray for me.

Just a quick note, for dinner I had a salad with fat free french dressing to start, then I had a hamburger on 100% whole wheat bread with some onion and pickle, ketchup and a touch of light miracle whip, and I had 5 french fries. This was all made at home, not fast food. I took my blood sugar exactly 2 hours after the start of the meal and it hit 277

*Hugs Jeanette*

I don't know much about Diabetes, but I have heard that the body can get very addicted to sugar. It will fight you if you try to go cold turkey and it can make things worse for you. Maybe take the pills and cut your sugar down more slowly. Look at the glycaemic index (GI) on foods that contain sugar - and try to go for as much as possible that sustains your sugar levels at a more steady rate for longer - ie, candy will shoot you up and crash you down very quickly, whereas wholegrain pasta will keep your sugars more stable. You'll also feel fuller for longer.

If you feel your blood sugar is low, try fruit juices for a quick top up, and then a low GI food so that the sugar is introduced into your system much more slowly and is ready for when you need it again. I'm not sure if there's anything you can eat to bring your sugar levels down or to lift your insulin levels - maybe a herbal supplement? Maybe have a chat with a naturopath if you're still reluctant to go onto medication.

Here are some links and tables on GI:
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I don't have experience in diabetes, but I do believe in the power of prayer. I will pray for you that you find the strength to fight this disease and get your life back on track.

I have hypothyrodism, and it is very hard for me to remember to take a small little pill every morning. so, in a way I can understand your frustration... But, please do as your doctor says; from what I have heard, if you don't it can really be life threatening.

Definitely should try to find a support group just til you get the hang of the treatment, etc.

Don't be hard on yourself being depressed, etc. It is when you have nothing to be depressed about, and you are depressed, you have to worry. Be careful of the internet as there is ALOT of well meaning, WRONG info. out there.

We love you here and hope all works out soon.

Here's what I was looking for when I suggested naturopathic methods of controlling your insulin levels:

"Naturopathic approaches to insulin resistance have been advocated including supplementation of vanadium, bitter melon (momordica), and Gymnema sylvestre." from:BellaOnline ALERT: For anti-spam reasons, we restrict the number of URLs allowed in a given post. You have exceeded our maximum number of URLs.

the Kitchup did it!!! do you speak carbaness? this is where you read and count carbs. not every thing that is sugar free is carb free! carbs is what brings your sugar up up up up!!! also check fiber. Fiber is a carb but it is your friend because you cant aborb the carbs and break them down so if you have 2 fibers and 7carbs you can take the fiber from the carbs and get 5 carbs!!!

also you NEED 11 carbs sevings a day. one seving of carbs is 15mg so one slice of bread even whole wheat bread! a 12 fries, anything that can fit into one slice of bread and have the same weith is one carb. so one small potato, small corn cob,
now for the fruits one half of a banana, 10 grapes, half a apple or orange.... you get the idea.
you can get a book on counting carbs for diebetic and it will list everything you can eat and what the carbs fat and fiber sodiam and all that is even fast food!!!

Think of it as your NEW BIBLE and BEST Enemy!!! lol

as for bringing it down I eat freebies like lemons limes pickles, because i get the munchies also cinommon and chromin suplemnets will help over time.

but sorry there is nothing you can eat to being it down fast.
with that said dring lots of water to flush out your system. when your sugar is high you get thirsty and pee alot so make the best of it and drink up!!!

try eating smaller meals and eat more offen this will keep your matabolisim up and the munchies down.
carb free candy is good for the sweet tooth. also freebies like lemons and pickles. pickles have lots of sodium so they are not really free freebies but....no carbs!!! also watch the fat and carb free stuff because they trade fat for sugar and suagr for fat.

try mustard with your fries and sandwiches. also instead of cerial try oat meal less milk (lots of sugar not matter if it is fat free or whole) oats are great for cholesteral reduction.
yogart for icecream and they make a great carb free icecream at brams! for the chocholic craveings try getting dark coco unsweeted powder and splenda and mix your very own hot coco and you can make other things with it. I like the fat free sugar free cool whip and mix the coco in it just like pudding!!! also you can mix in nuts or some carmal, chocolate chips in it but then its not carb free unless you can find carb free.......

what else?

Elle, I didn't even think about the crash course in no sugar to my body. Duh! I totally forgot about the ketchup being high in sugar, another duh. For a snack at work I have been eating about an ounce of cheese and I have discovered when I want something crunchy, instead of going to the snack machine and getting chips, I have been bringing those flavored mini-rice cakes. I have cut way back on food. WAY back. I have felt hungry the past few days because I have cut back so much. I have lost 5 pounds in a week. The only sugar type craving I have been really having is for a regular sugar loaded Pepsi but I am scared to drink one. Even just a can or one of those mini cans. I am not much of a cereal eater anyways. Although I do like Special K with banana or strawberries. Is 100% whole wheat bread ok to eat? I did make sure it said it is wheat flour not enriched bleached flour. Oh with my IBS, I can't stomach raw peanuts but can eat peanut butter, can' eat pecans or walnuts, i literally get sick from eating these. Almonds never really liked them but I LOVE cashews.

Oh one more thing before I go, what about rice? I love rice but it is a starch....Thanks guys, I am feeling better already! Thanks

Rice, wheat, corn, potato, english peas, all turn to sugar! although it is not so much that you cant eat any of them as it is about how much and when you eat them. this are complexe carbs so they raise your BS slow and last longer because it is harder for your body to break them down into simple sugars like pepsi.

Dont starve your self either if you are hungry eat!! there are what i call freebies like sugar free jello, lemons limes, raw veggies like brocclie and carrots....

you know how your suppost to get like 4 or 5 fruits and veggies a day? well you can over shoot that on the veggies they are healthy and they keep you full! make them you best friend. better if you eat them raw because you can crunch them and make you jaw soar so you feel like you have ate a whole lot but you havent had lots of cals and carbs.
if you hacve a bookstore find the carb bible or carb counter. this will be a BIG help.
these usualy have a freebie chapter that has all the free food you can eat with no carbs, fat, cals, and some of them have taste!!!

You WILL get through this!!!

How are you holding up Jeanette?

Try eating wild rice or brown rice instead of white processed rice. Otherwise, rather than denying yourself, halve the portion of rice you would normally have and increase the veges and lean protein to compensate.

Oh I am doing pretty good. I started taking the metformin yesterday. It gave me a terrible headache most of the day yesterday. But my blood sugar stayed between 150 and 158 all day when i tested it and when I got up this morning it was 84 (other mornings it is about 90). My husband also noticed that I drank nothing but water yesterday. I didn't really notice. I got this water bottle at the morning soccer tournamnets and just kept filling it all day. So that is good too. This is slowly starting to be easier everyday. I am not craving the Pepsi and candy bar so much as I did the few weeks previous. freebubbles has been a great support with advice and I appreciate you showing concern for me as well Elle!