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I would suggest researching online ways to prevent yourself from becoming diabetic. I'm a type 11 diabetic and between all the meds and the miserable feelings I wish I'd known before I became a full blown diabetic. Plus the cost of meds and insulin. Please research....it can be simply changing your diet......less carbs....I wish you luck! link https://funnel.klinio.com/startnow?c...SAAEgLhVvD_BwE
My A1C levels were climbing too high [I don't recall the numbers, so don't ask]. My doctor had me getting tested quarterly and began talking about what meds to put me on. I did a deep dive into studying carbs and fiber [what a freaking nightmare].
I gave up wheat, potatoes, and rice. At first, that was difficult. But after a month it seemed to be much easier.
My A1C level came down. My doctor now thinks that my previous high blood tests were just 'wild points', she does not think that any patient can truly alter their A1C through diet alone. Apparently she tells lots of patients to change their diet, but none of them will actually do it.
Now a year later it is no longer a concern [and I am still avoiding potatoes, wheat, and rice].
The biggest concern I have now is whether it is safe to reintroduce those foods into my diet. And if so, how much per day?
You could research. But as an early guideline I was told no more than 45 carbs per meal. And less is better.
I hope this thread is a good place to put this information. I recently learned more about an ingredient often used in pre-packaged foods. All foods, not just dessert type or what some might consider "bad" for you.
Maltodextrin. I know most of you who read labels on cans and packages know about this so you can disregard this information. But this is for those who, maybe, aren't aware of the effect this ingredient has on your blood glucose. Maltodextrin (glycemix index of 95) raises blood glucose faster than plain old white sugar (glycemix index 65). And it's in just about everything you eat, except fresh food.
Quote:
Maltodextrin is a type of carbohydrate, but it undergoes intense processing. It comes in the form of a white powder from rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch. Its makers first cook it, then add acids or enzymes to break it down some more. The final product is a water-soluble white powder with a neutral taste. The powder is used as an additive in the foods above to replace sugar and improve their texture, shelf life, and taste.
Here are a few of the foods that contain maltodextrin.
Quote:
Food makers add it to a wide variety of foods, like:
If you're going to eat anything (even chewing a stick of sugar-free gum that I discovered was causing a problem for me), check to see if it contains maltodextrin. You don't want all your hard work going down the drain. (Personally, I don't understand these food manufacturers. They know some of their ingredients are bad for our health and yet they add it anyway.) Read those labels, be your own health advocate because it appears you're the only one that is.
All carbs have about 4 cal/gm...maltodextrin is just like glucose in this respect.
They put very little of that chemical into a serving of the prepared food (used mainly for texture) compared to the carb count of the food itself, and the cal count listed on the package takes it into account anyway.
The only problem with "processed foods" is that they often contain more salt & sugar than you would add if you were cooking with fresh produce.
If you need to critically account for calories intake, read the labels and weigh & measure accurately. Many people just don't have the time or skills to cook everything from scatch. Not to worry-- just compensate by measuring properly.
Many people are conscientious about measuring when they are first diagnosed with DM, but soon get comfortable with the routine. They stop measuring and start just estimating. The problem is, over the course of time, a pinch of this morphs insidiously into a fistful without you realizing it.
Maybe for you, it's much ado about nothing but for someone struggling to keep their glucose numbers lower, it's a big factor. It's worse than white sugar as far as the glycemic index goes. and when a product has it listed as the first ingredient on the label, it means that it's the most predominant. Before you poo poo me, please do a little research on it. It's not something to dismiss as insignificant. Not for someone who is currently or on the verge of becoming diabetic.
I managed hundreds of diabetics over the course of a 40+ year career....Re-read my third line above and let it sink in. It's the total gm of carb in a serving that counts, not what type if carb it is, and that additive is part of the total carb count, so its presence is already taken into account in the label info. It's not "extra" carbs above and beyond what the label says.
The concept of glycemic index is academcially intereting, but has very little practical apllication. It's a measure of how fast the carbs in a given food make it into the circulation...but it's the total carb count that makes the difference in the long run--- What difference does it make if you are shot by 10 bullet from an assualt rifle @ 1 bullet per second or by a muzzle loader @ 1 bullet per minute? !0 bullets is 10 bullets.-->
Type II non-insulin dependent diabetics have little control over their post prandial BSs (that's the main pathophysiology in T2). Paying attention to glycemic index may alter the shape of the curve of BSs during the four to six hrs after a meal, but not the total area under the curve.
A prime directive in good medical practice is to treat the patient, not the blood test value.
I work a lot and barely have time for doctor appointments.
I also live in a region with a lack of doctors so getting an appointment in the first place can be tough.
Any comments welcome.
Sounds as if you're making excuses. Healthcare is available everywhere, and diabetes is so common that just about any physician or even nurse practitioner can point you in the right direction.
Diabetes is nothing to fool around with. I'm type II, and am under the close watch of an endocrinologist.
You should make your healthcare a priority item. If you wait and have to go on insulin, you're going to be spending big money to maintain the status quo.
FYI. Maltodextrin is a common filler in many artificial sweeteners.
Take Splenda (Sucralose) or Nutrasweet (Aspartame) for example. Sucralose is 600x, Aspartame is 200x sweeter than sugar. The packets you use to sweeten your coffee or tea are made to match the sweetness of one teaspoon of sugar. One can do the math as to how much of this filler is in the packet. Even if you buy these sweeteners in bulk, first ingredient will be either Maltodextrin or Dextrose, a very similar substance. So in this case at least, it's not just a small amount. Who knows how much Maltodextrin is in your salad dressing. The substance is junk and a filler, period. It serves no other purpose. A little spike in blood sugar here and there is unavoidable. It's best to avoid junk food, doesn't matter what it is. Calories are irrelevant.
I've seen different numbers for the actual GI for maltodextrin, some as high as 110. GI does have an application, that is why it exists. It is used to get an idea for how fast it rises based on 50g of a certain food. It is useful and will give you a quick way of finding out how a food will spike. It doesn't provide the full picture. Glycemic Load (GL) will give you a better idea. GI is part of the equation when calculating GL.
GL = (GI x the amount of carbohydrate) divided by 100.
Here's a quick example using watermelon which I do enjoy. I've used a meter to test it. I don't go overboard but I did notice a quick rise to 125 but it didn't seem to go any higher.
Watermelon has a GI value of 76, which is high, 1 cup has 11g of carbs which is low. 76 x 11 grams / 100 equals 8 making it a low-GL food. Eating a serving of watermelon isn’t actually going to have a big effect on your glucose levels.
You can do the same calculation on wheat bread which has a GI of 70 and 14g of carbs per slice. You would get 9.8 which isn't that high is it? That's only for one slice though, not many people eat just one. Two slices, it goes up to 19.6. 100 grams of wheat bread and it goes up to 34. The AMOUNT matters.
FYI. Maltodextrin is a common filler in many artificial sweeteners.
Take Splenda (Sucralose) or Nutrasweet (Aspartame) for example. Sucralose is 600x, Aspartame is 200x sweeter than sugar. The packets you use to sweeten your coffee or tea are made to match the sweetness of one teaspoon of sugar. One can do the math as to how much of this filler is in the packet. Even if you buy these sweeteners in bulk, first ingredient will be either Maltodextrin or Dextrose, a very similar substance. So in this case at least, it's not just a small amount. Who knows how much Maltodextrin is in your salad dressing. The substance is junk and a filler, period. It serves no other purpose. A little spike in blood sugar here and there is unavoidable. It's best to avoid junk food, doesn't matter what it is. Calories are irrelevant.
I've seen different numbers for the actual GI for maltodextrin, some as high as 110. GI does have an application, that is why it exists. It is used to get an idea for how fast it rises based on 50g of a certain food. It is useful and will give you a quick way of finding out how a food will spike. It doesn't provide the full picture. Glycemic Load (GL) will give you a better idea. GI is part of the equation when calculating GL.
GL = (GI x the amount of carbohydrate) divided by 100.
Here's a quick example using watermelon which I do enjoy. I've used a meter to test it. I don't go overboard but I did notice a quick rise to 125 but it didn't seem to go any higher.
Watermelon has a GI value of 76, which is high, 1 cup has 11g of carbs which is low. 76 x 11 grams / 100 equals 8 making it a low-GL food. Eating a serving of watermelon isn’t actually going to have a big effect on your glucose levels.
You can do the same calculation on wheat bread which has a GI of 70 and 14g of carbs per slice. You would get 9.8 which isn't that high is it? That's only for one slice though, not many people eat just one. Two slices, it goes up to 19.6. 100 grams of wheat bread and it goes up to 34. The AMOUNT matters.
Hmm, does the same thing apply for using Stevia? And its marketed products?
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