July 29, 2015

Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes – Part 2

There are two things that can tell you how well your treatment plan is working. That is your A1c and your daily blood glucose readings. The later is most important and it is sad to say that your doctor has a lot to say about how many test strips your insurance will allow and pay for your use. I strongly urge new patients to get as many as the doctor will support for testing the first three or four months.

This will allow you to test in pairs to help you determine what foods are safe in your meal plan and which foods to eliminate and others to limit. We already know that most whole grains will be strictly reduced or eliminated, as will most potatoes and rice. It is still a good idea to consume a limited quantity to see if you can handle them without the spike in blood glucose. This is one time that “what works for me, may not work for you” becomes a rule that you should know.

In other words, just because a friend can consume whole grains and have little effect on his blood glucose, does not mean that you will have the same results. Remember, you are unique and your body reacts to foods and medications differently than the next person. Yes, there are people that can be very similar to you, but if you met the person, you might wonder how. The bell curve is the example I am talking about.
On the extreme right and left of the curve are people that can consume normal meals and amounts of carbohydrates and on the opposite end are people that can consume very small amounts of carbohydrates.

This is why the medication you are taking can affect your need for testing once you know what your meal plan needs to be. Remember that as you age, your meal plan may require changes. This is the reason for recommending people investigate the meter and test strip offerings at Walmart.

There is no one-size-fits-all diabetes food plan. You'll need to pay attention to carbs, fiber, fat, and salt to manage your blood sugar and avoid complications of diabetes. How much and when you eat are important, too. Talk to a nutritionist if you need help with your food plan, as they can be very informative on balancing nutritional needs.

Part 2 of 4 blogs.

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