Cellular mechanism and correct diet

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Ron AKA replied on Mon, Sep 14 2009 7:57 PM

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My thoughts are that you need to eat a heart healthy diet first. Most diabetics die of heart disease or stroke. In my view heart healthy means keeping saturated fat and trans fats as low as possible, and total fats low. At the same time fiber, and especially soluble fiber needs to be high. Dr. Mirkin is a good source of information on that type of diet.

However since you are diabetic, some carbohydrates in particular can make your BG go much higher than others. This effect is measured by the glycemic index of the carbs. This Glycemic Index site is a good source of information, and in particular their books.

So my conclusion is that one needs to eat a high fiber, low fat diet where the carbohydrates are of the low glycemic index type.

Hope that helps some,

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Madman replied on Tue, Sep 15 2009 9:07 AM

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I'm a proponent of a balanced diet, moderate in carbs, moderate in protein (although, probably a bit higher then what some here would recommend), and low in saturated fats.  I'm also a proponent of Omega 3's as a diet supplement if you have not had a heart attack.  My usual diet falls out around 40-50% carbs, 30-40% protein, and the remainder being fat (hopefully non saturated fat).

By getting as much variety as possible, I hopefully get all the vitamins and minerals that my body needs.  In addition, having a lot of fruits and vegetables provides lots of other nutrients such as phytochemicals and plant sterols that can help lower cholesterol levels and boost metabolism and immune systems.

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Joe replied on Tue, Sep 15 2009 2:19 PM

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My objective is to pursue a meal plan that is heart healthy(see: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/NU00196), maintainable, and helps me manage my blood sugars in concert with my meds and regular exercise. 

 I’ve settled on a combination of what I hope are the best parts of the classic Mediterranean diet(see: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011 and http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_diet.html) with input from the DASH diet(See: http://www.dashdiet.org/), a higher-protein diet called the OmniHeart diet(See: http://www.cardiologyonline.net/7c9d0b1f96aebd7b5eca8c3edaa19ebb.html), and lessons learned from the cholesterol-lowering "portfolio" diet(See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001188.html) created by University of Toronto researchers.  In short it’s more of a high fiber, low salt, zero trans-fats, very low saturated fats, low-GI, low processed whole foods, low red meat, lots of fresh fatty fish that are high in omega-3’s, and a heavy variety of fresh/frozen vegetables & fruits.  I average about 4 or 5 glasses of dark red dry wine per week.  I’ve kept my A1C between 4.8 and 5.6 for the last 11 years and most recently my Total Cholesterol was 82, so I think this works for me.

My advice: test all the time and learn what works for you that is MAINTAINABLE over the long haul.

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Tor replied on Wed, Sep 16 2009 11:10 AM

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Sometimes the debate about the best policies for managing diabetes reminds me a bit of the old story about the three blind men holding on to different parts of an elephant and discussing what the elephant looks like.

Focusing on a diet which emphasizes low GI carbs and lots of fiber is wonderfully effective if someone has a certain amount of natural insulin and just needs to give the body time to metabolize blood sugars through activity. However, this diet can throw some major loops for someone that relies on insulin injections and the careful calculations that go with that. One person's great exercise regime might lead to muscular damage and anguish and suffering for someone else. Someone with a history of heart disease would require a different regime than another person who is certifiably heart healthy. Medications that work great for one person might have unpleasant side affects for someone else. And we coulf go on listing these differences.

The key is that effective diabetes management needs to be customized and, in my opinion, relies on four pillars that are equally important:

- General in-depth knowledge about diabetes, causes and effects, remedies and options. This can be gained from books, the internet, diabetes training classes and your medical support team.

- Specific knowledge about yourself. Important tools here are your blood sugar meter, your logs and results from bloodworks, your medical chart and weight scale, and your general feeling of well being

- Choosing the right tools from your diabetes tool box, based on the knowledge above. These tools include but are not limitied to activity (sometimes called exercise), weight control, a good mealplan, prescription medications, insulin and over the counter supplements.

- Stress management. This is so important to anyone dealing with diabetes that it deserves it's own section rather than being included in the optional toolbox. Stress management is about time management (giving ourselves time to care for ourselves by not overextending what we do) and reducing the actual physical stress that is known to raise blood sugars and blood pressure and make us less efficient in everything we do.

Tor

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Ron AKA replied on Wed, Sep 16 2009 1:30 PM

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Joe:

 I’ve settled on a combination of what I hope are the best parts of the classic Mediterranean diet(see: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011 and http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_diet.html) with input from the DASH diet(See: http://www.dashdiet.org/), a higher-protein diet called the OmniHeart diet(See: http://www.cardiologyonline.net/7c9d0b1f96aebd7b5eca8c3edaa19ebb.html), and lessons learned from the cholesterol-lowering "portfolio" diet(See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001188.html) created by University of Toronto researchers. 

Joe you may be interested in a recent article reporting that the Canadian Diet (no Poutine though), may be better than the Mediterranean Diet.

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whalen replied on Wed, Sep 16 2009 1:46 PM

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Dear Tor,

I agree with you absolutely.  I have also found that, rather than take a hard and fast line on what my diet should be, my needs change over the years.  Mileage may vary indeed.  I think that low carb, high carb-low fat, and any other variation can all work provided the diets themselves are based around healthy, non-processed food.

Hope you're doing well,

Gale

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Joe replied on Fri, Sep 18 2009 6:51 PM

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Ron AKA:

Joe:

 I’ve settled on a combination of what I hope are the best parts of the classic Mediterranean diet(see: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011 and http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_diet.html) with input from the DASH diet(See: http://www.dashdiet.org/), a higher-protein diet called the OmniHeart diet(See: http://www.cardiologyonline.net/7c9d0b1f96aebd7b5eca8c3edaa19ebb.html), and lessons learned from the cholesterol-lowering "portfolio" diet(See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001188.html) created by University of Toronto researchers. 

Joe you may be interested in a recent article reporting that the Canadian Diet (no Poutine though), may be better than the Mediterranean Diet.

Funny you should mention that.... I do include a variety of berries, including blueberries, as well as unsweetened cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, ground flax and even canola oil in my meal plan but I never considered it a part of a "Canadian Diet".  They pretty well fit in with my broad parameters outlined earlier and my berries and flax are American grown.

In particular I like unsweetend cranberry juice [4-8oz] and found it very useful in fighting the munchies in the evening. 

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Tor replied on Fri, Sep 18 2009 7:24 PM

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I remember having a run-in with the Canadian diabetes association some time back, over a brand of 'unsweetened cranberry juice' that carried their logo. I had two glasses of it with my dinner and blood sugars soared. I later found that a 1 cup serving of Ocean Spray 'unsweetened' cranberry juice had over 30 grams of carbs - so two cups on top of the regular carbs in my dinner packed quite the wallop. I did some research and found that it is virtually impossible to get real, unsweetened cranberry juice - it is so concentrated and sour that few people would drink it. Instead, unsweetened is taken to mean that no sugar has been added (it may say 100% juice on the label) - meaning it has been sweetened with fruit fructose rather than regular sugar. The end result is the same though as far as blood sugars go, though sweetener made from fruit might arguably be somewhat more nutritious than corn syrup or white sugar which is added to regular cranberry juice.

Once again, it goes to show that it is important to read the label, no matter how healthy, natural, recommended or 'unsweetened' a product appears to be.

Tor 

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Joe replied on Fri, Sep 18 2009 10:12 PM

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Tor:

... I did some research and found that it is virtually impossible to get real, unsweetened cranberry juice - it is so concentrated and sour that few people would drink it. ... 

There are two brands that I burchase at my local County Market and at the local Meijer's store depending mostly which is on sale.  Mountain Sun Pure Cranberry http://www.mountainsun.com/products/details/pure-cranberry-juice.php at only 15g Carbs & 60 calories per 8oz (1 cup) serving; and Wild Harvest Natural Cranberry 100% Juice http://www.wildharvestorganic.com/servlets/productDetails?productId=67&categoryId=8 at 18g Carbs and 70 calories per 8oz (1 Cup) serving.

Real cranberry juice is sour and I rarely drink more than 4oz at a time and find it a good way to kill the evening munchies.

It is important to read the labels to make sure you're only getting only pure 100% cranberry juice.

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doomed replied on Wed, Oct 21 2009 10:25 PM

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I recently discovered that Ocean Spray has "diet" juices.These are not the same as the "low sugar" juices and have 2 carbs/5cals/cup. I like the cranberry pomagranite. It's the first juice I've had since diagnosed with diabetes a year ago.

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lebrecht replied on Fri, Oct 23 2009 12:14 PM

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The best to remember is   "If it tastes good, spit it out."

Beyond that advice, Healthy low fat, good carbs, unprocecced foods. Do not eat huge portions.  EXERCISE.

Of course I do not DO what I say.

Good Luck,

Anne

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jen1229 replied on Sat, Oct 24 2009 12:39 PM

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The best to remember is   "If it tastes good, spit it out."

Anne:

Not true at all.  I have found that since I've been on Weight Watchers, I can eat anything within reason (including a caramel apple) and still have good numbers (granted, I am on insulin) and still lose weight. 

Weight Watchers gives us Good Health Guidelines to follow daily.  They are a certain number of servings of water, dairy, vegetables/fruit, multivitamin, heart healthy oils, lean protein, and whole grains.  They are listed on the tracker and you check thm off each time you eat one.  I really try to adhere to these daily.  I love dairy and use low fat dairy because I hate fat-free, except for skim milk.  I spend hours cutting up vegetables, and eat veggies at every meal (including breakfast).  I agree with those who say that you need a balance, but it doesn't mean that you have to exclude any foods from your diet.

Last night I went to a Murder Mystery Dinner.  It was a lot of fun and for dinner I had a salad with no dressing, baked haddock, two roasted red potatoes, butternut squash and for dessert they had an ice cream ball, with hot fudge, which was hardened by the ice cream so it was easy to remove, coffee and a glass of wine. Great meal and BS after dinner was 109.  Yesterday was a swimming day and I've found that my numbers are better for a long while following 90 minutes in the pool.