tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post5672232752572090311..comments2024-03-28T11:29:46.845-07:00Comments on Whole Health Source: A New ToyStephan Guyenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-65563037097465129352009-09-20T10:00:38.101-07:002009-09-20T10:00:38.101-07:00"I used the formula and it says my average BG..."I used the formula and it says my average BG is 118 mg/dL. Considering I haven't gotten a reading over 116 mg/dL yet (and my fasting is in the low 80s), I have a hard time believing my average is that high. I'm still testing just to be sure, but I think there's something else going on."<br /><br />Not uncommon.<br /><br />Over time I've met several people who can predict their A1c quite accurately from spot BG readings. Others are consistently and reproducibly high, or low.<br /><br />My BG used to bang about several times a day mostly between 180 and 70 (seldom "genuine" diabetic numbers but well high enough to do the same damage): my A1c was 5.3<br /><br />After nailing my BG so it seldom exceeds 120 and seldom drops to 60, my A1c went UP to 5.6. So yeah, other factors probably are involved. Theoretically blood cells are only reversibly glycated initially so don't react to brief BG spikes (other tissues aren't so fortunate) but other factors make some people high or low glycators. What these factors are and whether they can be changed I'm not sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-87935955249892068662008-10-04T17:57:00.000-07:002008-10-04T17:57:00.000-07:00Hi Jonty,Thanks for the information. I probably w...Hi Jonty,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the information. I probably won't get re-tested because I just did it out of curiosity. Plus I haven't gotten the bill yet! But you're right, it would be interesting to try all sorts of things and re-test. <BR/><BR/>Regarding the high HDL, the RN told me it's the highest he's seen in 22 years. So it's not just that the lab consistently gives high readings. <BR/><BR/>That's amazing that the diabetics in Lindeberg's study were all under 5%! I hope he had a control group for that one!!Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-35352096812027880512008-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:002008-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00Wow, I just found your Sept 11 post with your test...Wow, I just found your Sept 11 post with your tests - they say: re-test! So many SDs away from the mean just screams "Error."<BR/><BR/>(i) I've had back-to-back chol tests which differed by nearly 100 in TC in my doc's lab - which is unregulated(!) http://tinyurl.com/3j9apn - and commercial labs tested with errors of + or - 18%. (ii) My ex-wife always tested 100 points higher TC when under stress. (ii) Lindeberg emailed me that HbA1c tests aren't standardized - all the diabetics in his 2007 paper had HbA1c under 5%(!) - so it might be worth looking at averages for the lab to find out where you stand. <BR/><BR/>It'd also be <I> really </I> interesting to retest after 90 days of lowcarb ...Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-49081698720388094692008-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00Yes I'm Type I, I think normal bg's are within the...Yes I'm Type I, I think normal bg's are within the reach of any diabetic who avoids starches. <BR/><BR/>I react to carbs more or less according to their GI but porridge oats were out of control, grape nuts were #2. <BR/><BR/>2.3 is good, if you are hypersecreting it'll likely rise eventually, I started putting on weight at 30. Easy to fix by cutting carbs. Good luck!Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-21570898798020748322008-10-03T10:13:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:13:00.000-07:00Jonty,My fasting insulin is 2.3. I take it you ar...Jonty,<BR/><BR/>My fasting insulin is 2.3. <BR/><BR/>I take it you are a type 1 diabetic? 5.5% is a fabulous HbA1c. So you get that reaction with oats specifically, and not other carbohydrates?Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-66516566756486108512008-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:00Why not test your fasting insulin and find out if ...Why not test your fasting insulin and find out if you're insulin-resistant: 2-3, not to worry, 10+, you're "carbohydrate intolerant." Easy to fix at your age.<BR/><BR/>I'll leave it to others to experimenting with oats - hyperglycemia happens too fast to control with insulin, causes insulin resistance, takes me 4 days to get back on track. Nothing could say "carbohydrate intolerant" more clearly. The medical surprise is that I'm insulin-dependent and my HbA1c is 5.5%: diabetic complications are iatrogenic!Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-84996990223723971932008-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:002008-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00I saw Diana's first posting, so it was up for at l...I saw Diana's first posting, so it was up for at least a while. I chuckled over Stephan and Diana describing 133 as a big spike. I guess it's all relative. <BR/><BR/>Just curious, Diana, how come you are still using a fairly moderate (relatively) amount of carbs in your meal to test? Why not really give yourself a challenge and see how high? You'll only go really high (or stay high) if you have impaired glucose tolerance; wouldn't that be a good thing to know?<BR/><BR/>I've had BG readings all the up to the 250s when I've consumed *really* challenging high carb foods (I tried out my BG meter right after buying it at Costco with one of their food court blended iced mocha drinks - ok, food-like substance, and saw a reading in the 250s - yikes). At that point, I'm not so concerned about a potential 10 mg meter error margin, for obvious reasons. <BR/><BR/>A large piece of Costco pizza will push me up to around 200, give or take 10-15 mg. I don't eat those things typically, of course, just when I was really challenging my BG to see how bad it was and gathering data before I brought this up with my doctor and asked for a GTT. But others eat these things or worse on a regular basis without a thought.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033443643442246531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-12767918256157337262008-10-01T19:11:00.000-07:002008-10-01T19:11:00.000-07:00Jonty,Very interesting observation about the oatme...Jonty,<BR/><BR/>Very interesting observation about the oatmeal. I wonder if the same would happen if you bought raw whole oat groats (they're typically toasted) and soaked them 12 hrs before cooking. That would get rid of many of the lectins and anti-nutrients. If that improved your response to it, that would implicate them in the problem. <BR/><BR/>I've been reading about the exorphins in gluten lately, and their ability to increase insulin secretion. I wonder if that plays a role. I did eat a large slice of white bread with my makeshift OGTT, which is rare for me. I should repeat the test with just potatoes.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-87126868529449369652008-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:002008-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:00The Inuits also ate raw fish often. Brian Peskin&#...The Inuits also ate raw fish often. Brian Peskin's point is that people are eating damaged, cooked, refined omega-6 and that's the problem, not the lack of omega-3 or a high ratio of omega-6. Just because primitives ate certain amounts of omega-3 does not prove that this was optimal. It is only anecdotal. Also, they lived in a different world.<BR/><BR/>IIRC, the Nutri-Spec articles said that Eskimos ate 10% PUFAs, not 10% omega-3 by calories. They got some omega-6 from land animals and fowl, they didn't just eat fish. They had known problems resulting from their diet, like pathological bleeding & hemorrhage. Stefansson believed the Inuits aged faster than Westerners of his time, who were eating a low PUFA diet relative to now.<BR/><BR/>I like the fact that Ray Peat is so far away from the mainstream. It is like he's talking another language, his ideas are so revolutionary. But he's not the only one making a case against dietary PUFAs. There's lots of research showing that omega-3 is pathological. The studies saying it is beneficial are short-term (weeks or months), and they look at people eating the typical diet filled with PUFAs, trans fat, wheat, and sugar. They need to try removing variables instead of adding them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-59465224057763147132008-10-01T14:50:00.000-07:002008-10-01T14:50:00.000-07:00Hi Bruce, Thanks for the links. I am highly skep...Hi Bruce,<BR/><BR/> Thanks for the links. I am highly skeptical of the Brian Peskin article because it sounds like he's trying to sell something, and his advice does not seem to square with the diets of healthy non-industrial people.<BR/><BR/>The Nutri-Spec newsletters make some good points. The biggest challenge to the idea that PUFAs need to be kept low is the traditional Inuit culture. I'm glad to see he addressed that. <BR/><BR/>He says that the average Inuit diet was about 10% n-3, which I can believe. Seal oil, one of their big staples, is between 15 and 30% n-3. Fish fat has a similar amount of n-3, and land mammal fat (which they also ate) has much less. None of those sources ate much n-6. He says that the Inuit were healthy despite their 10% n-3 intake, rather than because of it, which may be true. That kind of n-3 intake is certainly not required for good health.<BR/><BR/>I skimmed over Ray Peat's article as well. As usual, he is so far away from the mainstream that it's difficult for me to even evaluate his points. Sometimes I feel he gets a bit too disconnected from reality by reading cell culture experiments and other in vitro data. But I can't really evaluate the article at this point. I'd have to spend a while thinking about it.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-49213589860482701072008-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:002008-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00Stephan, omega-3 supplements raise hba1c, accordin...Stephan, omega-3 supplements raise hba1c, according to many studies. I read about this from Brian Peskin's EFA Analysis and Dr. Guy Schenker's Nutri-Spec Newsletter. Ray Peat has also blamed diabetes on eating high PUFA oils of nuts, seeds, and fish. <BR/><BR/>Here's an excerpt of Brian Peskin's article. He discourages fish oil in even small amounts (1-2 g/d) and he says the problem is that people are eating too much damaged omega-6 fat and not that they don't have enough omega-3 in their diets. He believes that a high omega-6 ratio is better for health and has many testimonies from athletes and other people.<BR/>http://www.brianpeskin.com/efa-analysis.pdf<BR/><BR/>"The glycemic [blood sugar] control of the four insulin dependent diabetic patients worsened during the fish oil administration.<BR/>"[T]he insulin dose of the subjects had to be increased throughout the six-month period of fish oil administration to maintain constant<BR/>blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations (HbA1c ~ average blood sugar level).<BR/>"Despite the stable body weight by patients on the basal diet, glycosylated hemoglobin levels after six months of fish oil administration increased 16% from 4.9% to 5.7%. Note: This is an awful effect for a diabetic.<BR/>"Another important finding of our investigation was that consumption of a fish oil-enriched diet worsens glycemic tolerance."<BR/><BR/>Here's the Nutri-Spec newsletter on the "Omega-3 Propaganda Machine." I also recommend the six newsletters prior to this (2005-11 to 2006-04). They form a series that completely demolishes the idea of eating high PUFA oils and foods for health.<BR/>http://www.nutri-spec.net/nl/2006-05.html<BR/><BR/>Of course, Ray Peat has written a lot about these topics. Here's his article on diabetes and the truth about what causes it.<BR/><BR/>http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/diabetes.shtmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-13350070968319045242008-10-01T10:22:00.000-07:002008-10-01T10:22:00.000-07:00A "normal" curve in a carbohydrate-adapt...A "normal" curve in a carbohydrate-adapted person is like the peaky curve - see http:SurviveDiabetes.com/hypt2.htm - search for "uncommon" - for normal curves from Hawkins and Pauling's Orthomolecular Psychiatry. The blacked-out portion is the normal area.<BR/><BR/>But let's say for the purposes of argument that the fat kids are insulin-resistant; this causes the hypersecretion of insulin and overshoot of bg correction. Let's call this subclinical hypoglycemia, since hypoglycemia is so narrowly defined as simultaneous low bg & symptoms. Let's further say that fructose feeding causes insulin resistance. Kids eat 25%+ of cals as sugar or HFCS; and one in every 3 of these kids is overweight or obese, destined to become an obese adult - an epidemic according to the WHO. If these things are causally connected, it's grounds to think as I do that there's oversecretion of insulin going on even tho there's no overt hypoglycemia, and that this is the precursor of metabolic syndrome, the greatest man-made nutritional catastrophe in the history of the galaxy.<BR/><BR/>I think you're spot on with the food sensitivity thing, but I think it's additive and not the whole story. Oatmeal is the most inflammatory food for my bg I've ever tested in spite of its mild GI, and it must work thru provoking insulin resistance since I don't make insulin.Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-71637127749600845092008-09-30T18:59:00.000-07:002008-09-30T18:59:00.000-07:00Jonty, I see the resemblance between my glucose c...Jonty,<BR/><BR/> I see the resemblance between my glucose curve and the overweight adolescents' curve. What I'd like to see is the curve of a non-overweight, carbohydrate-adapted person. The person whose glucose shot up to 130 could be considered glucose intolerant. Of course I wouldn't call them that if they were eating low carb prior. <BR/><BR/>I agree with you that insulin oversecretion can be an early sign of insulin dysfunction, but I don't see how it counts as oversecretion if there's no hypoglycemia going on. <BR/><BR/>On a related note, I've been sitting on a study that showed wheat bran to induce insulin resistance and insulin oversecretion in a controlled trial. I'd be inclined to think it's an effect of specific foods rather than carbohydrate in general.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-70437881684718548102008-09-30T17:28:00.000-07:002008-09-30T17:28:00.000-07:00The kids who had curves like yours had been overin...The kids who had curves like yours had been overindulging refined carbs and had gained weight: see graph from Life without Bread at http://www.SurviveDiabetes.com/GTT.jpg , the curve is strikingly similar to yours (you're right, could be an artifact).<BR/>His remedy for “carbohydrate disease” was to restrict carbs to 72g per day which changed the kids curve to the one labeled Normal in the figure and they lost weight. Of course you’re right, restricting carbs elevates insulin resistance, but who cares, my HbA1c stays below 5.5% so long as carb intake stay below 15% of calories. My doc's Rx is go for the insulin sensitivity and die of complications, he's a regular Albert Schweitzter. For all I know you eat nothing but lard but the similarity of the curves is striking. I think it likely that insulin hypersecretion is widespread, the precursor of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome - the problem is one eats refined carbs, then one secretes more insulin than is necessary (reason unknown, it's an observation). There can be overshoot and hypoglycemia, which is why the mainstream Rx for hypoglycemia is to cut out sugar (refs at http://www.survivediabetes.com/hypt2.htm)Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-51139372749898123782008-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:002008-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:00Hi Jonty, I'm not sure I understand the argument....Hi Jonty,<BR/><BR/> I'm not sure I understand the argument. People who low-carb undersecrete insulin in response to a carb challenge because the body adapts to having to deal with less glucose. That doesn't mean peaking at 130 is normal. If those same people ate more carbohydrate, their pancreas would adjust over several days and the peak would be lower after a challenge. <BR/><BR/>The other thing to keep in mind is my meter is not super accurate. It's within about 10% of my actual glucose level, so any single point could be off by that much. I'm not sure you can read much into the shape of the curve. If I did it again and got the same result, then I might believe it.<BR/><BR/>I don't understand the argument of "hypersecretion in response to excess carbs". You secrete more insulin because you have more glucose to deal with, how is that a problem? I suspect there is more to the argument that I haven't captured. <BR/><BR/>I don't know how to post jpg files here, sorry. I'm a bit computer-challenged.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-7784111566487218692008-09-30T10:39:00.000-07:002008-09-30T10:39:00.000-07:00I think you're hypersecreting insulin because ...I think you're hypersecreting insulin because Wolfgzng Lutz found the same truncated pyramid response peaking under 100mg% in overweight teenagers. After some time on less carbs, their responses changed to a pyramid peaking at about 130mg%, same as his normal-weight pts - they secreted less insulin when challenged. <BR/><BR/>He says you hypersecrete in response to excess carbs, his book Life Without Bread is about his 40 years of positive experiences prescribing <72g carbs per day for CHD, IBS, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, hypertension, hypoglycemia, overweight etc. <BR/><BR/>BTW I'm an insulin-dependent diabetic on a very low-carb diet for 10 years whose HbA1c is 5.5% - normal. My story's at http://www.SurviveDiabetes.com <BR/><BR/>Tell me how to post a jpg file and I'll put Lutz's graph up along with his commentary. Best, JJontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-78666200033006477312008-09-29T21:44:00.000-07:002008-09-29T21:44:00.000-07:00Hi Jonty, Why do you think I'm hypersecreting ins...Hi Jonty,<BR/><BR/> Why do you think I'm hypersecreting insulin? <BR/><BR/>Hi Diana,<BR/><BR/>Sorry your comment didn't show up. I'm not sure why that would have happened. I have only deleted comments that contain spam or are inappropriate so far. What you said sounds right. You definitely want to stay below 140, and below 120 is better. <BR/><BR/>Judging by your numbers, you are clearly not diabetic, so that's good. 133 is on the high side though, so it might be good to keep an eye on that. Make sure to wash your hands before testing. I often get high readings if my hands aren't perfectly clean.<BR/><BR/>I read your posts; it sounds like you are making some great progress! It's amazing what real food will do for a person. Keep us up to date.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-17160656651082760252008-09-29T21:27:00.000-07:002008-09-29T21:27:00.000-07:00Anna,Thanks for the info and advice! I've continu...Anna,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the info and advice! I've continued to test various meals since running my initial test. It's slow going, however, as the five measurements interrupt my work, so I can only manage to do one or two tests per week. (I'm writing my dissertation for my philosophy Ph.D, so it's just too easy to slip into procrastination mode when interrupted!) I'm sure that I will do the kind of improved oral glucose tolerance test that Stephan did; that would be interesting.<BR/><BR/>Most of my results have been very good, but I did get a pretty serious spike after a lunch of a small chicken breast, a cup of raw milk, and a large ear of corn:<BR/><BR/>Just before eating: 72<BR/>30 minutes after eating: 120<BR/>1 hour after eating: 133<BR/>1 hour 30 minutes after eating: 101<BR/>2 hours after eating: 85<BR/><BR/>The combination of the corn and milk was clearly more than I want to subject my body to on a regular basis. So that's really good to know. Notably, with a glass of raw milk alone, my peak was 106.<BR/><BR/>In contrast to that lunch, I had bacon, eggs, and some leftover sauteed vegetables (zucchini, onions, tomatoes) for lunch today, and my blood sugar never got above 90. Yeah!LOG ME INhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238302513816129464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-82130122768562002942008-09-29T19:04:00.000-07:002008-09-29T19:04:00.000-07:00Diana,In my not-so-humble-opinion, you've got grea...Diana,<BR/><BR/>In my not-so-humble-opinion, you've got great numbers, though the carb load in your test meal wasn't terrible high by most standards, and the fat, protein, and fiber of those foods will slow the glucose absorption quite a bit. Try testing/challenging again a few times with a more easily absorbed, high carb food to see how your system handles a big dumping of glucose into the bloodstream. Think of it like a glucose stress test.<BR/><BR/>Data from your BG during/after normal eating patterns is useful, too. <BR/><BR/>Jenny's Diabetes 101 numbers are pretty good numbers to go by for your testing. She provides a lot of references to demonstrate that 140 mg is on the upper end of the BG limit (or try to reserve foods that get you in that range for rare occasions, like monumental celebrations). <BR/><BR/>Trying to eat so that your BG remains below 120 mg at all times seems more prudent than 140 in teh long run, though, so if you can, do that. If your glucose regulation is still normal, I'll bet you can. <BR/><BR/>Some people with robust glucose metabolisms can still stay below those numbers for a long time with a pretty big amount of dose of glucose, but even then, there's likely a long-term price to pay for the constant insulin production generated by lots of glucose.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033443643442246531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-25257847858367555142008-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:002008-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00(I thought I posted this comment last week, but th...(I thought I posted this comment last week, but then I couldn't find it. I hope it didn't get deleted for any reason, as I'm nothing but a fan of this blog.)<BR/><BR/>Thanks much for this post! I've been looking for some decent recommendation of what my blood sugar ought to be after meals at various intervals. I bought a glucose meter a few weeks ago, but I had trouble digging up that information. The web site for <A HREF="http://www.bloodsugar101.com/" REL="nofollow">Blood Sugar 101</A> seems helpful though. From what it says, I gather that I never want to go over 140, as that's the point of damage. I should stay under 120. And, by two hours after a meal, I should have returned to under 100, at least.<BR/><BR/>Does that sound right? Or should I shoot for less than 120 (or even less) as my peak?<BR/><BR/>I've been wanting to run a series of tests with my glucose meter, to find out what foods raise my blood glucose significantly. So I recently tested my standard breakfast of:<BR/><BR/>1/2 c homemade raw milk greek yogurt<BR/>1 medium peach<BR/>2 tbsp raw walnuts<BR/><BR/>Before eating (fasting): 82<BR/>30 minutes after eating: 94<BR/>60 minutes after eating: 95<BR/>90 minutes after eating: 85<BR/>120 minutes after eating: 75<BR/><BR/>That seems pretty damn good, I think. (I'm definitely going to have some fun with these tests. I love playing guinea pig with myself.)<BR/><BR/>On a more general note, thanks for all the great blogging. I'm yet another person who radically changed her diet in recent months -- in part guided by your blogging -- and I'm feeling way, way better than I ever have.<BR/><BR/>Also, I've added you to my blogroll. I've been blogging for over six years, but mostly cultural and political commentary. I've just started blogging on nutrition and exercise, albeit only on occasion; I'm going to make it a regular feature on Saturdays. My first two posts are here:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog/2008/09/new-diet.shtml" REL="nofollow">The New Diet</A> -- on the changes that I've made to my diet over the past few months.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog/2008/09/experiments-in-eating.shtml" REL="nofollow">Experiments in Eating</A> -- on the process of finding out what foods work well for one's body.<BR/><BR/>Based on the volume of comments on those posts -- over 150 so far -- my readers do seem interested to hear more. Of course, I'll be liberally linking to all the good stuff on your blog, but please do feel free to chime in if you like. I've been reading voraciously, but I'm still very much a novice.<BR/><BR/>-- Diana Hsieh<BR/><A HREF="http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog" REL="nofollow">NoodleFood</A> (it's a metaphor!)LOG ME INhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238302513816129464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-86255392273935623982008-09-29T16:26:00.000-07:002008-09-29T16:26:00.000-07:00According to Lutz' Life Without Bread (highly reco...According to Lutz' Life Without Bread (highly recommended), you are hypersecreting insulin like fat kids do. If you weren't eating too much sugar-equivalent food, you'd have a peak. I have a graphic from his book showing a curve just like yours which I'm just itching to post, but I can't figure out how to do it!Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-91487550424071369452008-09-29T16:24:00.000-07:002008-09-29T16:24:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jontyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359486435643820872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-53085616438617965042008-09-24T11:01:00.000-07:002008-09-24T11:01:00.000-07:00Brian,One of the main differences in meters is the...Brian,<BR/><BR/>One of the main differences in meters is the amount of data they hold and ability to analyze the data. I have two One Touch meters, complex and one small and very simple; both are made by the same manufacturer and use the same test strips.<BR/><BR/>The "big" meter that I use most often is a One Touch Ultra Smart, which will allow for a fair amount of additional data and customization to be added, such as comments for each reading: Food (I think you add gm of CHO for this one); Health 1 (stress, feel hypo,illness, menses); Health 2 (same options as Health 1); Exercise (I think this one you can put in minutes). Medication data can also be entered; I don't use any diabetes meds so I haven't explored that one. The data entry isn't perfect, and not as useful as some of the PDA programs out there, but it is in one device, so that is useful. More details would have to be hand entered into another log, either written or electronic. <BR/><BR/>The UltraSmart also allows you to customize your target BG range and will prompt you if you are lower (do you need a snack?) or higher (add a comment?) than your range.<BR/><BR/>The data analysis is the feature I like most. I know there are non-meter ways to do this, but keeping the data in one place is convenient. I like scrolling back in time and viewing in graph form to see how my BG readings fall in relation to my target BG range. You can also compare by meals or exercise, as well as time of day. <BR/><BR/>There is a way to use a PC to back up data or print reports or for data transfer at the doc's office, but I use a Mac. As far as I can tell there are few meter/Mac options available currently, or for the foreseeable future (arrrgh!).<BR/><BR/>The case for the UltraSmart is made of zipped semi-rigid neoprene and holds the meter, a vial of strips (or two), a lancet device, and a zippered mesh pocket for control solution, extra lancet tips, Quick Reference guide card, tissues, etc. It's about the size of an medium sized aim-n-shoot camera case or a woman's large wallet.<BR/><BR/>I bought this meter kit at Costco for perhaps about $65 (memory is murky), which at the time, was the best out of pocket price I could find for a meter with this data capability. I think manufacturer's mail-in rebates covering much or all of the cost of a new meter is common, so be sure to check if you buy one.<BR/><BR/>I have another compact meter, the One Touch Ultra Mini, which retails for about $20. I think I bought it on sale for about $15. The meter itself is small, the size of a very thick pen or marker, and the lancet device is half the size of the pen-sized regular version (but the mini one makes a more painful jab than the standard size - perhaps the spring load is different). There is also room for one vial of test strips, and a small zippered mesh pocket. This case is soft fabric, slightly longer, but narrower than the other one, with a belt loop and gusseted pocket on the outside. This case really is only about 25% smaller in bulk than the other one, but the smaller contents (without the case) would fit easier into a small purse or pocket than the standard sized kit. The big advertising feature seems to be the range of colors this model comes in. Big woo! But that might appeal to teenagers.<BR/><BR/>The UltraMini only has a memory for BG readings and date/time, with scroll buttons to scroll through. More data or data analysis would have to be done some other way.<BR/><BR/>I had a free Bayer Contour that I received for signing up for an online diabetes newsletter (I never used it and gave it to a friend so I can't comment on its use), but I think that offer is expired now. Many diabetes supply companies offer free meters, but they usually require a doctor's Rx. And you don't get to choose the meter features yourself. When I was pregnant, I was given a meter kit by the Diabetes Nurse Educator. As an aside, 10 years ago TODAY was one of the best days of my life - I gave birth to my son - at this point in the day I was still knitting between contractions. :-) Seems like yesterday. <BR/><BR/>Until I got a Rx for test strips, I paid out of pocket for my strips for about a year. I bought boxes of 100 (4 vials of 25) at Costco, which was the best price I could find. Now my copay is the same no matter where I buy them so I get them from a local independent pharmacy (the line is shorter, too). The strips dont' have an indefinite shelf life, so check the expiration dates. And use up an open vial within 3 months or you may not get accurate results. Keep test strips tightly capped in the vial at times. If your climate is humid, I would estimate test strip life span might be less than three months after opening.<BR/><BR/>I used my meter while I was having a lab 3 hr GTT, so I have a good sense that my meter is very accurate and closely calibrated to the lab tests (samples taken within 2-5 minutes of each other). I've also tested with both meters at the same time and with two test strips from different vials to check accuracy. So I don't really worry about meter inaccuracy, as long as the test strips are pretty fresh and stored appropriately and I don't' drop the meter.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033443643442246531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-84183325061424646062008-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:002008-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:00Hi Brian,I went through something similar this yea...Hi Brian,<BR/><BR/>I went through something similar this year. I discovered that I'm stronger, I put on muscle better, and I feel better overall if I'm eating carbohydrate.<BR/><BR/>Reading more about human archaeology and the Kitavans turned me around. We've probably been eating starchy tubers/roots for 1-2 million years.<BR/><BR/>I bought the TrueTrack meter from Bartell's (available at other common drug stores as well). It was the cheapest available. $20 for the meter, $55 for 100 test strips. It's been giving me some strange readings these past few days though, so I'm not sure I can recommend it. It may just be a bad batch of strips. <BR/><BR/>Your best resource in my opinion is Jenny Ruhl's "Blood Sugar 101" webpage. Go to the "diagnosing diabetes" link at the top of the page and click on the "Am I diabetic?" link. She gives instructions for buying a meter and doing a makeshift OGTT.<BR/><BR/>Keep in mind you have to get your body used to carb again before you do the OGTT. Good luck and keep us filled in on your progress!Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-84882412258833020702008-09-23T21:59:00.000-07:002008-09-23T21:59:00.000-07:00Thanks for posting on this. I am working through a...Thanks for posting on this. I am working through a personal paradigm shift. I had been a very dedicated low carber for years, even down to zero carbs. But I never did obtain the loss of body fat that I wanted and at the same time I eventually had to give up working out at almost any level...it would just destroy me. I couldn't figure it out.<BR/><BR/>My problem was that the low-carb books are really written for the general population, not those who actively pursue fitness. Eventually, I began to learn about muscle and liver glycogen, etc. <BR/><BR/>Adding carbs back into my diet, particularly during/post-workout, made an amazing difference. Suddenly, I could lift weights again.<BR/><BR/>I followed your articles on the Kitavans with great interest. It seems that many of the paleo gurus hold an image of a temperate forest dweller as their diet model. What of the tropical cultures, where people thrived as well? Even for Savannah dwellers, meat was a fairly rare event, shared widely and individually limited. I read a very interesting book about pre-contact bushmen, and was interested to find that they relied extensively on carb sources, including many roots and tubers. <BR/><BR/>I do agree on the problems with grains, but that is not really an issues as there are many other starch sources.<BR/><BR/>Now I am working through finding proper carb levels to support the amount of training that I want to do be be functionally fit. But I must admit that I have lingering fears, driven by years of believing that carbs are pure evil, of ruining my pancreas and metabolism in general. So, to bring this long ramble to an end, I was quite interested to hear of your experiment in measuring response to glucose, which I plan to replicate for myself.<BR/><BR/>So...my question after all of this...how did you choose the blood glucose meter you used? There seems to be a ton of them. What brand are you using?<BR/><BR/>Thanks so much for your work in this blog. I check it every day.Scott Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10687098328064801055noreply@blogger.com