Diabetes: diagnosed 6 months ago

I was diagnosed in may with type 2 diabetes which totally blew me away & also my endocrinologist cannot believe how i am a diabetic,as a transport driver ive had to see him every 3 months to satisfy the rta he says im that healthy just come back in a year.

how was i diagnosed?well i went back to living on my own still doing interstate then i fluked an absolute cream job doing sydney to tarcutta every night only a 9 hour job & for top money.however after coming back from 16/18 hour days to a 9 hour night i still felt like i was doing interstate hours.

went to my doctor took blood test,sent me to pathology for more tests...tb mate you are a diabetic.floored me.so i had to totally restructure my life,eating,sleeping patterns,cut out all high sugar foods.

i dont fit the sterotype of diabetics who from the most ive seen look very sick to me usually as a result of bad eating habits.i am only 44 5 foot 8 & only 70 kgs which is why my specialist is stumped as of the 10 point checklist to determine whether you are a diabetic i did not tick one box.

i still do my 5 nights to tarcutta each week & my boss has type 2 as well & the ops manager is a special to have it in the future,work didnt say anything when i told them,yep cool.my work performance is all that counts.

so just wondering anyone here type 1 or 2?any advice would be much appreciated.cheers...tb

Hey tb, sorry to hear that mate. You know I wasn't going to respond because I know nothing about diabetes. I did a search in google and there are numerous sites that suggest that it is not only preventable, but curable.

My first thought if it were me, would be, to be a little sceptical about the diagnosis. I was once diagnosed with high blood pressure and prescribed a medication and told that I would probably be on it for life. I bought myself a blood pressure monitor and took myself off the medication - only to find that without the meds, my BP was normal.

Make sure you get a second opinion and do the right things with diet and exercise.

Here's a whole heap of reading for you: http://www.mercola.com/article/diabetes/index.htm

roland said:

Here's a whole heap of reading for you: http://www.mercola.com/article/diabetes/index.htm

Click to expand...

Mercola is supposed to be good, but he is a sucky businessman (too much info has to be paid for).

To the OP, just google paleo diets (or primal diets) and go from there. Diabetes is curable but its not easy, mostly because of social stigma and people's ingrained notions that the gov knows best about health.

To be blunt, everything you probably know about nutrition is backwards. The last forty years of gov health advice has caused immeasurable premature deaths. Secondly, most nutrition science is useless. Very few researchers understand statistics and proper research methodology.

Special causes of hyperglycaemia may be curable, but type II DM is not (yet). The best you can do is control the blood sugar level, hence delay/prevent onset of complications.

Whoever finds a cure for DM will probably overtake Bill Gates (or the Mexican guy).

Bat_Ears said:

Mercola is supposed to be good, but he is a sucky businessman (too much info has to be paid for).

To the OP, just google paleo diets (or primal diets) and go from there. Diabetes is curable but its not easy, mostly because of social stigma and people's ingrained notions that the gov knows best about health.

To be blunt, everything you probably know about nutrition is backwards. The last forty years of gov health advice has caused immeasurable premature deaths. Secondly, most nutrition science is useless. Very few researchers understand statistics and proper research methodology.

Click to expand...

Loren Cordain, Ph.D. is a good researcher in this field

Here is his site http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

and here is a video series

At the most recent CrossFit Football Certification in Denver, Colorado Dr. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, spoke on Paleolithic nutrition. The following videos are from his lecture.

Click to expand...

http://www.paleobrands.com/2010/08/cf-football-loren-cordain/


...

To consider

Low Glycemic Load

Good proteins ( not grains legumes dairy )

good fats.... Mono Saturated , long chain Omega 3 ( fish oil supplements )

No trans fats...

Vitamin D status ( related to almost everything )

Watchout for Fructose ( deadly in processed foods ) & Dairy..

but plenty of non starchy veg and eat fruit too ( but maybe have to be a bit careful with too much fruit )

Salt a no no

Seen these diet principles (A lot more to Paleo than just the above ) at work in ill loved ones work wonders including Type 2 D.

As the evolutionary biologist, Theodosius Dobzhansky stated "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." Hence, the basis for optimal human diet lies in the evolutionary history of our species and the consequent selective pressures which shaped our genome, rather than the opinions of individuals or organizations.

Without consideration of these evolutionary and genetic factors humans will surely err in their recommendations for healthful modern diets. Hence, the optimal human diet was shaped by natural selection through eons of evolutionary experience and is not a function of either governmental policy or ever changing human perspectives on diet.

I did not synthesize a new "diet revolution," but rather (with numerous scientists worldwide) uncovered the original diet to which our species is genetically adapted.
By analyzing the dietary characteristics and ranges of the world’s hunter gatherers, we have gained insight into how the current western diet varies from that to which we are genetically adapted.

Loren Cordain

Click to expand...

Motorway
"Nothing .... makes sense except in the light of evolution."

tigerboi said:

I was diagnosed in may with type 2 diabetes which totally blew me away & also my endocrinologist cannot believe how i am a diabetic,as a transport driver ive had to see him every 3 months to satisfy the rta he says im that healthy just come back in a year.

Click to expand...

I'd be interested to know if, amongst your 3 monthly regular appointments, he had a blood test done, or just assumed you were 100% healthy on the basis of no reported symptoms, reasonable blood pressure etc?

Most diabetes will be 'forecast' with altered biochemistry before it becomes the fullblown disease. If this is done, you can make the necessary dietary etc changes at an earlier stage.

Iwent to my doctor took blood test,sent me to pathology for more tests...tb mate you are a diabetic.floored me.so i had to totally restructure my life,eating,sleeping patterns,cut out all high sugar foods.

i dont fit the sterotype of diabetics who from the most ive seen look very sick to me usually as a result of bad eating habits

Click to expand...

Actually there are hundreds of thousands of people walking round with no symptoms, not feeling at all unwell, but who have diabetes. That's why regular biochemistry is a good idea.

.i am only 44 5 foot 8 & only 70 kgs which is why my specialist is stumped as of the 10 point checklist to determine whether you are a diabetic i did not tick one box.

Click to expand...

We're constantly told that people with diabetes have caused this disease by their lifestyle, viz being overweight, not exercising, smoking. Not necessarily at all.
Both my grandfather and mother had type 2, and both were never overweight, ate sensible, healthy food, and exercised. Absolutely not obvious candidates. There is often a hereditary factor. (I get checked every 12 months, so far no problem.)

You might like to ask your doctor to show you the actual laboratory results which will demonstrate the diagnosis. He can easily show you on his computer, or you could ask for a printed copy of all the biochemistry.
(It's not difficult to understand: normal values are shown, and anything outside these are usually printed in red.)

i still do my 5 nights to tarcutta each week & my boss has type 2 as well & the ops manager is a special to have it in the future,work didnt say anything when i told them,yep cool.my work performance is all that counts.

Click to expand...

Sure. No reason why you can't work and do everything else as you always have, unless you need to modify your diet to focus on non-rubbish.

As a truck driver, do you get any exercise? Do you smoke?
I'm sure your doctor will have explained the benefits of exercise (one important reason is to keep your circulation as healthy as possible, as this can be compromised in the later stages of diabetes.)

Smoking can cause peripheral vascular disease, i.e. reduced blood flow to the extremities, notably the feet. Diabetes and PVD together can be a real problem and is why we often hear about amputations in diabetics.

This is not to scare you, Tiger, but just hopefully to allow you to be aware of what you need to prevent. Don't ignore any cut or sore on the feet. Get infections treated. Reduced circulation can make healing difficult, and the extreme result can be gangrene.

Has your doctor suggested a referral to a nutritionist so you have adequate info about what not to eat and what best to eat?

Did he ask if you smoke?

All up, follow good advice, but don't let it dominate your life. No need to imagine that if you look after yourself you'll have anything other than a long and healthy life.

All the best.

motorway said:

Loren Cordain, Ph.D. is a good researcher in this field

Here is his site http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

and here is a video series



http://www.paleobrands.com/2010/08/cf-football-loren-cordain/


...

To consider

Low Glycemic Load

Good proteins ( not grains legumes dairy )

good fats.... Mono Saturated , long chain Omega 3 ( fish oil supplements )

No trans fats...

Vitamin D status ( related to almost everything )

Watchout for Fructose ( deadly in processed foods ) & Dairy..

but plenty of non starchy veg and eat fruit too ( but maybe have to be a bit careful with too much fruit )

Salt a no no

Seen these diet principles (A lot more to Paleo than just the above ) at work in ill loved ones work wonders including Type 2 D.







Motorway
"Nothing .... makes sense except in the light of evolution."

Click to expand...

Actually, though Cordain is good, there are better researchers. Cordain used to believe the nonsense that saturated fat caused heart attacks. If you read his first books then you'll get that impression. However, he is starting to change his mind and realise that saturated fats are very healthy (maybe even protective).

I was thinking more along the lines of people like Robb Wolf, Drs Mike and Mary Dan Eades, Dr Kurt Harris, Mark Sisson and so on. Art DeVany is good, but apparently is a bit of a grump these days.

For a more general discussion of fat and cholesterol see Gary Taubes or the book The Great Cholesterol Con.

For a reformed vegans take (bear in mind it is very sappy) read the Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith.

If you want to see a 24 year old English major use statistics to demolish one of the most respected nutrition researcher's major work go to rawfoodsos.com and click on the China Study.

For a good movie on the subject, look up Tom Naughton's Fat head.

Other blogs on the subject worth reading are:
Chris Masterjohn's @ whole health source
Hyperlipid (Peter is very smart).
Emily Deans @ Evoluntiary Psychiatry.
Freetheanimal.com
Heartscan blog.
Livin La Vida Low Carb (Jimmy here hosts a radio show about paleo and low carb eating).

And there are many others that I can't remember off the top of my head.

And they are all the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

EDIT: There is also an older book (sadly out of print now) called Neanderthin, which I really found easy to read and follow.

fwiw, my wife has had type 2 for the past 25 years.
She is the slimmer one of us two; she exercises, never smoked, drank socially in moderation. About as contrarian to my (old) habits as can be. I don't have diabetes. (Just to complete the record: I gave up smoking 20years ago when my ticker started complaining. Still don't do much more exercise than a weekly round of tenpins - meanwhile I'm partially immobilised by peripheral neuropathy in both legs, but that's another story.)

Back to my wife's diabetes: She does eat sensibly, takes her medication very meticulously, shuns all alcohol and even fruit juices; but she does indulge in a choc addiction (thinks I don't notice ) or an icecream cone after Tea. For 24 years, she initially got by without any mediacation: merely watching her diet and occasionally checking her readings. About ten years after being diagnosed, she had to start taking some m edication, increasing gradually until last year, when she could no longer avoid Insulin; she is now injecting herself once a day before bedtime. When we stay away overnight, she takes her "pen" along in an esky. For longer trips, we'll invest in a more reliable little car fridge - it hasn't become an issue yet, but she has already picked a suitable gadget at BCF.

If you met us socially, you wouldn't notice any difference - other than she won't drink anything alcoholic and maybe push her dessert across to me.

She needs to get a doctor's certificate once a year to have her drivers license renewed - but that's just a formality, brought about by over-zealous officials, who find it easier to hassle ordinary citizens that act responsibly, rather than get serious with hoons and morons that don't give a rat's tutu about any consequences of their actions.

thank you all for your replies it is much appreciated.

unfortunately i still smoke...i know knock it on the head.trying hard.

i get enough exercise at work driving a truck every night,i watch my sugar closely as just something small with sugar can send my level very high,1 jd & coke last night sent my sugar to 9.5.i try to keep it around 4.5-5.5.

i have to keep it all together otherwise the RTA will take my licence from me & if you let yourself go & become insulin dependent then i would have to come off the road.

its not been easy especially since starting all over again 12 months ago & having to do everything for myself along with diabetes but i take it all alot slower now,have to aint got the energy i used to have.thx to you all.tb

tigerboi said:

i get enough exercise at work driving a truck every night,

Click to expand...

Are you serious? What exercise do you get sitting on your bum in a truck for hours on end?

Exercise means vigorous activity, more than an hour a day which increases your heart rate, produces a sweat in most cases. Running, lifting weights, general hard gym work.

Sounds a bit as though you could do with some education about what it takes to be reasonably healthy.

Yes, giving up nicotine is extremely difficult. Maybe just keep visualising the amputation of a lower limb with the combination of diabetes and smoking-related vascular disease. Google it. It's horrifyingly real.

tigerboi said:

I was diagnosed in may with type 2 diabetes which totally blew me away & also my endocrinologist cannot believe how i am a diabetic,as a transport driver ive had to see him every 3 months to satisfy the rta he says im that healthy just come back in a year.

how was i diagnosed?well i went back to living on my own still doing interstate then i fluked an absolute cream job doing sydney to tarcutta every night only a 9 hour job & for top money.however after coming back from 16/18 hour days to a 9 hour night i still felt like i was doing interstate hours.

went to my doctor took blood test,sent me to pathology for more tests...tb mate you are a diabetic.floored me.so i had to totally restructure my life,eating,sleeping patterns,cut out all high sugar foods.

i dont fit the sterotype of diabetics who from the most ive seen look very sick to me usually as a result of bad eating habits.i am only 44 5 foot 8 & only 70 kgs which is why my specialist is stumped as of the 10 point checklist to determine whether you are a diabetic i did not tick one box.

i still do my 5 nights to tarcutta each week & my boss has type 2 as well & the ops manager is a special to have it in the future,work didnt say anything when i told them,yep cool.my work performance is all that counts.

so just wondering anyone here type 1 or 2?any advice would be much appreciated.cheers...tb

Click to expand...

It may be your levels of aluminium & barium & other toxins are what caused this - I have heard of it. If you want to know why you became sick, start researching chemtrails & what toxins can be found in them.

Standby for other posters attacking & namecalling. But you asked the question and you deserve the truth.

tigerboi said:

...

RTA will take my licence from me & if you let yourself go & become insulin dependent then i would have to come off the road.

...

Click to expand...

Are you 100% sure that insuline dependency prevents you from driving a Rig?

I often watched accross the road older Taxi driver making what it looked as isuline shot into side of his stomach area.

Never asked him, but that's what it looked like.

So maybe it is not that bad, but better to take it under control and stay insuline free for as long as possible.

Julia said:

Are you serious? What exercise do you get sitting on your bum in a truck for hours on end?

Click to expand...

very funny & nice sterotype! you forgot the blue singlet & fat gut so rather than inform you of the vigorous activity i do AT work,i extend an invitation for you to come along one friday night.

see for yourself.
depot is at chipping norton,southwest sydney.TB

Happy said:

Are you 100% sure that insuline dependency prevents you from driving a Rig?

I often watched accross the road older Taxi driver making what it looked as isuline shot into side of his stomach area.

Never asked him, but that's what it looked like.

So maybe it is not that bad, but better to take it under control and stay insuline free for as long as possible.

Click to expand...

i didnt say it prevents you however the RTA takes the view that if you let yourself go & become insulin dependent then they will take your licence off you...tb

tigerboi said:

very funny & nice sterotype! you forgot the blue singlet & fat gut so rather than inform you of the vigorous activity i do AT work,i extend an invitation for you to come along one friday night.

see for yourself.
depot is at chipping norton,southwest sydney.TB

Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind invitation, Tiger. Regretfully decline on account of not being anywhere near Sydney.

I apologise if I assumed driving a truck meant sitting for long distances.
Would be genuinely interested to know how you derive so much exercise when covering pretty long distances.

And maybe consider that my concern arises from my mother's diabetes having caused her death when the alternative was amputation of a lower limb.
Up to you entirely, of course, what choices you make. Absolutely acknowledge the difficulty of giving up nicotine.