Diabetes and diet with a Chinese spouse.

[NewDay2006]

Bitter Melon works to bring your sugar down. It's documented, I'll eat if my wife makes it, but I don't like it. Like the vinegar I mentioned in a earlier post, using Bitter melon and Vinegar would probably work best for you if you are eating the carbs and sweets sometimes... but just the same ask your doctor. I haven't, but I'm not that smart.

 

Bitter Melon

Edited February 15, 2011 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[knloregon]

Good Info, New Day ---- and here's an easy recipe for bitter mellon:

 

Very lean ground beef spiced as you like (mild five spice is good) chopped onions, fresh chopped parsley, mixed in a bowl. Cut the end off the bitter mellon, clean out the seeds with a long spoon, stuff it with the ground beef, and bake for 45 minutes. This takes away a lot of the bitterness, and some small amount is transfered to the meat. Very nice combination, served with plain rice, but not sure if the baking also takes some of the positive aspects of the mellon. ---because its baked, its really not that authentic Chinese.

 

But I have had a steamed version (where the stuffed mellon was cut into about 1 inch sections) in a particular GZ street kitchen (chose five lunch dishes for 12 RMB) ---that could not be replicated ! (I always go back there if I can....)

[Sam and Fen]

Hi Carl Hope you are doing better now.

 

I wanted to share my experience with you and others and I hope this helps you all.

 

My Blood Sugar has been high for the last few years but my A1C was normal.

 

When I checked it the last time my A1C was border line normal and my Blood Sugar was around 250 making me a prime candidate for Diabetes.

 

So my Nag Bag has had enough of my ignoring it and took matters in her own hands and I am happy to report that in the last month my Blood Sugar levels have dropped to around 200 in the mornings and around 170 in the afternoons.

 

Here is what she did and boy it has worked:

 

1. Cut out all sugar from my diet, no cookies,cakes,ice cream (dammmmmmmm I love sweets)

2. Very minimal Potatoes or Rice.

3. NO BEER so I switched to Scotch (it is the only liquor that does not have sugar)

4. Guava Leaf Tea. If you go to any Chinese medicine store in China town you can buy these leaves. Boil these leaves in water for about 2 hours and drink it. I have been drinking 3/4 cups of this stuff every day. I have found for best results drink the tea an hour after a meal.

 

I Googled this and there is more then enough evidence that this thing works. The fruit itself is very effective also, just avoid the skin which tends to increase Blood Sugar.

 

Bitter Lemon is also good as it has natural plant Insulin but I can not stand that stuff.

 

One other thing that I learn' t tough I have not tried it yet is Cinnamon is very good to control Blood Sugar, Triglycerides and also helps Cholesterol.

Boil Cinnamon in its powder form in water and drink it, even sprinkling some on your cereal in the mornings will help.

Cinnamon in excess of a tea spoon full in a day can be harmful.

 

If any of your wife needs to talk to my wife about how to make this tea drop me an email at scubegroup@xxxxx.com.

Good Luck.

[warpedbored]

Thanks for the tips. I'm already doing some of those things. Bitter melon tea is also good. I edited out your email address because of bots and spammers. I've got it though in case I decide to take you up on your offer.

 

In my case my A1c was through the roof and my blood sugar was anywhere from 280-380. They started me off on metformin but the side effects were too much for me. Now I'm on Glyburide which is much better but I have to monitor my blood sugar more closely in case it drops too low. For the most part my blood sugar is around 120-150 now. Still a little high but acceptable.

[NewDay2006]

Thanks for the tips. I'm already doing some of those things. Bitter melon tea is also good. I edited out your email address because of bots and spammers. I've got it though in case I decide to take you up on your offer.

 

In my case my A1c was through the roof and my blood sugar was anywhere from 280-380. They started me off on metformin but the side effects were too much for me. Now I'm on Glyburide which is much better but I have to monitor my blood sugar more closely in case it drops too low. For the most part my blood sugar is around 120-150 now. Still a little high but acceptable.

 

I've been lucky with my numbers... never ever higher than 160's, but still too high, who know what they will be when I get older, I'm 53... mostly they are about 117 in the morning... I need to get more serious about my weight. I don't eat much sweets anymore... my wife made her "awesome" carrot cake... I can't resist.. she doesn't make it much though since I need to lose weight and it is not good for me... she said it will be a long time before she makes it again.

 

 

I don't have a problem with the Medforin... I take it only after I eat... my sister had probles with it... she take insulin also... many problems low blood sugar. I tell her to keep glucolos pills near her bed.

 

Hang in there.

[Jeikun]

Despite what the doctor may tell you, if you want to avoid all organ and nerve damage, and progression of the disease, your blood sugar should NEVER be over 140 if you can help it at all. That goes for anyone with type 2, or supposedly "pre-diabetic". Sam, many doctors would not call that being a "prime candidate", they would say you already have it. The real way to be sure is not an A1C test, but a glucose tolerance test. It will measure the immediate effect of sugar on your system, and how quickly (or if) your levels return to normal. But regular results of 170 in the afternoon and 200 in the morning does not seem PRE-diabetic. Neuropathy and kidney damage of some sort could already be going on. If your doctor says 150-180 is "good enough" you might consider shopping around a bit. There seems to be some tendancy in the medical community to not address diabetes until it is already advanced or causing complications. I have had it for almost 2 years now. I had lost feeling in 3 fingers, had pins and needles in my arm, vision began blurring. Blood sugar was over 550 when I first found out. I keep mine between 90 and 120 (no meds, low-carb diet only)generally now and I recovered all my vision and feeling in my hand, and I do not consider losing toes, eyesight or going on dialysis "good enough".

Edited May 23, 2011 by Jeikun (see edit history)

[Jeikun]

A great artificial sweetener (for me anyway) is Splenda. It can tolerate high heat and doesn't break down like aspartame will, so you can use it in cooking, and it tastes much more "real" than saccharine.

[NewDay2006]

A great artificial sweetener (for me anyway) is Splenda. It can tolerate high heat and doesn't break down like aspartame will, so you can use it in cooking, and it tastes much more "real" than saccharine.

 

I use it for my cereal in the morning... it's ok... I didn't like diet soda much in the past, but I don't mind them now. Still I don't drink them often...maybe once a week or so.

[markndannie]

I have been living with type 1 diabetes for the last 12 years and my wife Dannie was just diagnosed with type 2. Exercise and watching your carb intake is the most important. Eating good carbs with a low glyclemic value will help. You might read "Enter the Zone" by Dr Barry Sears. I follow a lot of what he writes. My endicrinologist recommends canola and peanut oil. I just had a new heart valve and quad bypass done and besides diabetic diet I now have to watch salt and follow a heart healthy diet. Dannie makes a bean porridge for me and lots of green veggies...no more bad american food for me, hahahha. wish you the best Carl.

Mark

[b.c]

Not to hijack the thread or anything....but wow...I thought I just saw a Subway shop owner. Welcome back Sam. You got a contest you want us to vote on too?

[pkfops]

I'm Type II.

 

Go easy on the rice and noodles.

 

One thing I do is drink guava leaf tea from china.

Maybe I'll take a photo and you can order it.

 

I had to go in for a test one day and I was at 135. After about 20 minutes of having a cup I was down to 92. The wife brought home a year's supply on her last visit.

 

On a side note, when I was first being treated the dr doubled my dose of metphormin and I had the runs for two weeks. I thought it was from bad sushi.

[NewDay2006]

NO BEER so I switched to Scotch (it is the only liquor that does not have sugar)

 

 

I would disagree I beleive Liquors, such as rum are made with sugars, but the yeast ferments the sugar and changes it to alcholol...it doesn't have carbs(sugar), but does have calories.

[chilton747]

You guys might want to check out eating black rice. Seems it has less carbs than white rice and has a lot of nutrients. I know when I eat it, it relaxes me instead of giving me the burst of energy that white rice gives.

[NewDay2006]

You guys might want to check out eating black rice. Seems it has less carbs than white rice and has a lot of nutrients. I know when I eat it, it relaxes me instead of giving me the burst of energy that white rice gives.

 

Worth looking into... I don't eat much white rice, sometimes brown rice. We'll see.

[chilton747]

You guys might want to check out eating black rice. Seems it has less carbs than white rice and has a lot of nutrients. I know when I eat it, it relaxes me instead of giving me the burst of energy that white rice gives.

 

Worth looking into... I don't eat much white rice, sometimes brown rice. We'll see.

 

 

 

The wife had made some black rice awhile back. She mixed it with black beans and lotus seed (similar to peanuts).

 

It was very tasty and about 10 minutes later I was snoozin in the chair. Good for a late night snack and sleep. I don't think it is in the standard grocery stores but can be found at Asian supermarkets and Whole Food stores.