Welcome to the Diabetic Thread...

[Bigga]

I can't remember if there's been an actual thread for diabetics and if there is, job's a good'un, turf this one.

Now this thread is not about body kings offering their opinions on weight loss, that can be found elsewhere.

I have been on those other threads about exercise and noticed other diabetics on there, but nothing specifically for diabetics. So, here were are!

For me, exercise has been great (still doing it), but the last time I saw a diabetic nurse, she told me that despite the weight loss, my long time sugars were still huge. I knew I was doing calorie deficit exercise along with intermittent fasting but this has proved to be fruitless for my long term bloods.

On average, my morning bloods have been around 18 mmol/L and I was taking around 40-42 units of NR insulin.

On Monday I started something called Bitter Gourd (or Melon)/ Karela juice as an experiment.

This is the plant

It looks so 'yum', doesn't it...?

This plant is used in Indian and chinese cuisine, apparently, and can be found in those specific fresh fruit shops, not in supermarkets.

This is roughly what I drink every morning...

Items needed:

Bitter Gourd plant
Ginger plant
Lemon (optional for your own taste)
A pinch of salt (optional for your own taste)
Black pepper (optional for your own taste)
*You can also experiment with green apple and/ or cucumber which I will be trying over the coming days*
Half a glass of water (or more depending on your consistency preferences)

Now there are slightly different methods for making this juice, but washing it and keeping the outer skin for the fibre properties works for me, so far. Have a blender ready! Slice the gourd and scoop the seeds out (I have been keeping them in, but will try without it), dice to blender friendly sizes, cut up a good handful of ginger and add both to the blender with water.

Now, here comes the rub; when finished I have been sieving the main fibres from the end product and it's been working just fine for me as I, literally, don't feel like eating all day, but that's just me!

I have seen the usage of keeping the whole fibres in to produce the same effect, but I think this may cause unnecessary toiletry issues as the plant is designed to 'clean you out' and detox your body with just the juice extract.

Take a glass of bitter gourd juice in the morning on an empty stomach! Important!!

So, again I started this on Monday. Despite my having a small binge after working out, late last night, I took insulin of 36 units but feel I could have taken 30ish units.

12.4 mmol/L as of this morning, which is extremely good for me!

I have used bitter gourd once in the evening half an hour before a meal and suffered as a result at 6AM the following day. I don't recommend drinking it more than once in the morning. It's enough!

I intend to play around with the ingredients over the next 3 weeks and then stop for a while, as it's meant to help the body restore itself around then. I will let you know!!

Do we have anybody that has resolved their issues (if exercise hasn't) by other useful methods or are seeing progress at the moment?

Please post in the thread for others to try, if so.

Sorry for the long thread!

 

[ganganvince]

I can't remember if there's been an actual thread for diabetics and if there is, job's a good'un, turf this one.

Now this thread is not about body kings offering their opinions on weight loss, that can be found elsewhere.

I have been on those other threads about exercise and noticed other diabetics on there, but nothing specifically for diabetics. So, here were are!

For me, exercise has been great (still doing it), but the last time I saw a diabetic nurse, she told me that despite the weight loss, my long time sugars were still huge. I knew I was doing calorie deficit exercise along with intermittent fasting but this has proved to be fruitless for my long term bloods.

On average, my morning bloods have been around 18 mmol/L and I was taking around 40-42 units of NR insulin.

On Monday I started something called Bitter Gourd (or Melon)/ Karela juice as an experiment.

This is the plant

It looks so 'yum', doesn't it...?

This plant is used in Indian and chinese cuisine, apparently, and can be found in those specific fresh fruit shops, not in supermarkets.

This is roughly what I drink every morning...

Items needed:

Bitter Gourd plant
Ginger plant
Lemon (optional for your own taste)
A pinch of salt (optional for your own taste)
Black pepper (optional for your own taste)
*You can also experiment with green apple and/ or cucumber which I will be trying over the coming days*
Half a glass of water (or more depending on your consistency preferences)

Now there are slightly different methods for making this juice, but washing it and keeping the outer skin for the fibre properties works for me, so far. Have a blender ready! Slice the gourd and scoop the seeds out (I have been keeping them in, but will try without it), dice to blender friendly sizes, cut up a good handful of ginger and add both to the blender with water.

Now, here comes the rub; when finished I have been sieving the main fibres from the end product and it's been working just fine for me as I, literally, don't feel like eating all day, but that's just me!

I have seen the usage of keeping the whole fibres in to produce the same effect, but I think this may cause unnecessary toiletry issues as the plant is designed to 'clean you out' and detox your body with just the juice extract.

Take a glass of bitter gourd juice in the morning on an empty stomach! Important!!

So, again I started this on Monday. Despite my having a small binge after working out, late last night, I took insulin of 36 units but feel I could have taken 30ish units.

12.4 mmol/L as of this morning, which is extremely good for me!

I have used bitter gourd once in the evening half an hour before a meal and suffered as a result at 6AM the following day. I don't recommend drinking it more than once in the morning. It's enough!

I intend to play around with the ingredients over the next 3 weeks and then stop for a while, as it's meant to help the body restore itself around then. I will let you know!!

Do we have anybody that has resolved their issues (if exercise hasn't) by other useful methods or are seeing progress at the moment?

Please post in the thread for others to try, if so.

Sorry for the long thread!

Had a lot of Health issues over the last 18 months finally diagnosed type 2 diabetics 2 weeks ago all seems to fit tbh had a chat with nurse on phone and meds sent direct to chemist unfortunately can't see Dr, or nurse in person as they are still in hiding and the education course is on hold due to covid so very much in the dark any info would be good.

 

[drthingy]

Had a lot of Health issues over the last 18 months finally diagnosed type 2 diabetics 2 weeks ago all seems to fit tbh had a chat with nurse on phone and meds sent direct to chemist unfortunately can't see Dr, or nurse in person as they are still in hiding and the education course is on hold due to covid so very much in the dark any info would be good.

It can be a little scary when they start you on meds and not ideal that you can’t see a doctor yet. But the best results happen when a patient has self educated sensibly

I usually send patients to https://www.diabetes.co.uk/

and get them to look particularly at the low carb advice. It’s one of the quickest way of reversing diabetes Or certainly controlling your sugars which is what does the long term damage.

 

[Kennedy_probably_has]

It can be a little scary when they start you on meds and not ideal that you can’t see a doctor yet. But the best results happen when a patient has self educated sensibly

I usually send patients to https://www.diabetes.co.uk/

and get them to look particularly at the low carb advice. It’s one of the quickest way of reversing diabetes Or certainly controlling your sugars which is what does the long term damage.

I assume this is the same for pre-diabetes? I have been told I'm pre-diabetic (runs in the family) so I've cut out white bread, white rice and pasta etc. I don't have mango or anything like that. I dont think I eat that bad to be honest but I think I could definitely do more. Drinking is probably the biggest thing for me to cut out, but I'm struggling to do that.

 

[Bigga]

Had a lot of Health issues over the last 18 months finally diagnosed type 2 diabetics 2 weeks ago all seems to fit tbh had a chat with nurse on phone and meds sent direct to chemist unfortunately can't see Dr, or nurse in person as they are still in hiding and the education course is on hold due to covid so very much in the dark any info would be good.

There have been quite a few official and unofficial studies on the properties of bitter gourd, with positives and negatives (like with everything!). I intend to ditch the insulin as I think it helps bounce my sugars up and down. I will only do this once I get a handle on what I'm doing.

Anyway, have a read of things and see what you think...

https://vitagene.com/blog/bitter-melon-for-diabetes/

https://www.researchgate.net/post/is_bitter_gourd_effective_in_controlling_diabetes

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/bitter-melon-help-diabetes

https://www.beatoapp.com/blog/karela-juice/

http://diabetessymptomstype2steve.com/treating-diabetes-naturally-with-bitter-gourd/

http://www.lifeberrys.com/healthy-l...juice-to-keep-diabetes-in-control-114457.html

 

[drthingy]

I assume this is the same for pre-diabetes? I have been told I'm pre-diabetic (runs in the family) so I've cut out white bread, white rice and pasta etc. I don't have mango or anything like that. I dont think I eat that bad to be honest but I think I could definitely do more. Drinking is probably the biggest thing for me to cut out, but I'm struggling to do that.

Yeah pre diabetes as well. If you use twitter follow dr unwin a GP in Southport. Think his handle is lowcarbgp the results from low carb are fascinating and the patient stories are inspiring.

I am a Doc but it’s not right to take random advice off a this type of forum as you sometimes get random wacky cures suggested!

Medication Certainly has a role but it is possible to get off them. Which I think we don’t promote enough.

It’s always a bad sign when you need insulin for type2 to control your sugars and an important chance to reassess if you could make any lifestyle changes that are proven to work.

 

[Kennedy_probably_has]

Yeah pre diabetes as well. If you use twitter follow dr unwin a GP in Southport. Think his handle is lowcarbgp the results from low carb are fascinating and the patient stories are inspiring.

I am a Doc but it’s not right to take random advice off a this type of forum as you sometimes get random wacky cures suggested!

Medication Certainly has a role but it is possible to get off them. Which I think we don’t promote enough.

It’s always a bad sign when you need insulin for type2 to control your sugars and an important chance to reassess if you could make any lifestyle changes that are proven to work.

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. I'm not on Twitter but I'll search the doctor you've talked about

 

[Bigga]

Yeah pre diabetes as well. If you use twitter follow dr unwin a GP in Southport. Think his handle is lowcarbgp the results from low carb are fascinating and the patient stories are inspiring.

I am a Doc but it’s not right to take random advice off a this type of forum as you sometimes get random wacky cures suggested!

Medication Certainly has a role but it is possible to get off them. Which I think we don’t promote enough.

It’s always a bad sign when you need insulin for type2 to control your sugars and an important chance to reassess if you could make any lifestyle changes that are proven to work.

Well, let's be fair here.

As a Doc, have you done studies and tests into specifics like diabetes or are you just regurgitating what you've been told?

I ask as it was only 18 months ago a medical study came into the hospital to target employees with diabetic problems citing the benefits of intermittent fasting. This had been something I was doing a year before, but they'd only just caught on!

So, for me, instead of proclaiming things like fruits/ vegetables/ or whatever with proven medical properties to be 'wacky' it's also noted that our bodies are not designed exist on man made chemicals upon which we become dependant.

Cheers.

 

[drthingy]

Well, let's be fair here.

As a Doc, have you done studies and tests into specifics like diabetes or are you just regurgitating what you've been told?

I ask as it was only 18 months ago a medical study came into the hospital to target employees with diabetic problems citing the benefits of intermittent fasting. This had been something I was doing a year before, but they'd only just caught on!

So, for me, instead of proclaiming things like fruits/ vegetables/ or whatever with proven medical properties to be 'wacky' it's also noted that our bodies are not designed exist on man made chemicals upon which we become dependant.

Cheers.

Yes I split my time between GP and clinical research I am currently overseeing two diabetic studies for complications due to poor long term sugar control. These conditions being Gastroparesis and neuropathy.

So hardly regurgitating What I have been told and you do have to be careful when selecting research studies as it doesn’t take long to find research promoting the benefits of smoking which i think we can all agree isn’t appropriate.

I am always happy when a patient takes an interest in managing their condition And applaud you for putting such a post on here as it starts off a conversation and hopefully can be used to motivate and for a patient and doctor to work together to find the best solution for a patient.
All the best.

 

[Bigga]

Yes I split my time between GP and clinical research I am currently overseeing two diabetic studies for complications due to poor long term sugar control. These conditions being Gastroparesis and neuropathy.

So hardly regurgitating What I have been told and you do have to be careful when selecting research studies as it doesn’t take long to find research promoting the benefits of smoking which i think we can all agree isn’t appropriate.

I am always happy when a patient takes an interest in managing their condition And applaud you for putting such a post on here as it starts off a conversation and hopefully can be used to motivate and for a patient and doctor to work together to find the best solution for a patient.
All the best.

And just for clarification, Doc, I wasn't having a pop, although it sounded so. I have come across a few that have had to open books to read more about stuff in front of me about my questions! So, forgive the reply, in that instance!

I've read into everything I'm doing and I'm taking thing cautiously, thus trialing slight combos, levels and frequency. As I've said the need to eat has dissipated somewhat, which is either the ginger or the gourd properties (maybe both?).

As you've seen I have posted a number of studies just to glance at and maybe you could examine them, giving your opinion on whether these are genuine or horseshit!

Perhaps you could incorporate this study yourself? Doesn't ginger have properties to decrease swelling in the body?

Thanks for the response!