WoW, that's really something! Does she complain about her meals or does she seem happy with them? What is a typical b'fast, lunch, and supper at your house? What does she have for the three snacks?

Yesican, Some people eat to live and some live to eat. She lives to eat so taking that into consideration she's fairly happy with her meals. She actually eats about twice as much as me and really too much for her age and activity level. I need to cut her portions down a wee bit. Her favorite breakfast is cornflakes with a half a banana but sometimes she has a poached egg with grits and bacon bits and buttered toast or oatmeal with fruit. A typical lunch or supper is a meat, potato and a vegetable and usually no bread. Our meats are usually pork chops, chicken, steak, ham or something made from hamburger meat. I don't do a lot of processed meats. Some snacks she can't eat because she can't wear her bottom denture and can't chew real hard stuff. This is a sample of her snacks; 2 cookies, half a cup fruit, a small orange, a microwaved apple with cinnamon and splenda, a 2" square of cake with icing or a 1" wedge of layer cake, a 2" wedge of pie, 3 peanut butter crackers, the fruity lite yogurt (there's so many flavors),sugar free jello with cool whip, a small scoop of ice cream. I buy very little sugar free foods because that usually only means there's no added sugar but there's still sugar and lots of carbs in them. I pay more attention to carbs than sugar because your body doesn't use all the sugar but it uses ALL the carbs. To give you an example; a small scoop of sugar free ice cream has about 19 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar. I don't have any at the moment to check the regular but I remember the sugar free. If you compare labels of sugar free and regular foods you'll see what I mean. Add the carbs and sugar for each one and compare. Don't forget to look for sugar alcohol. There is one food I buy different and that's low carb bread. There's quite a difference there and if I make her a sandwich or toast I use it. If you have any more questions just ask. I don't use diabetic recipes but I do season a lot with spices such as garlic powder or onion instead of salt. I use very little salt because of her blood pressure and swelling.

Thanks for the information. You've done a great job!

There has been a lot of people who find out something like the Atkins diet stops the need for insulin in milder cases of diabetes.

Guvner..

I am constantly amazed at what some diabetics can eat. I can't have rice, potatoes, cereal, bread - nothing at all with flour or sugar. I eat a few nuts, some cheese, a little meat and some vegetables. I can't manage fruit except for the 1/4 cup of bluberries I have in the morning. I hve lost 33 pounds, but it has made no difference. I am considered borderline, which seems like a false designation to me because I would think that someone who was borderline could have more to eat. I am still not understanding some piece of this condition.

Do you happen to know what your mother's A1c is currently?

Devorah,
I think the last A1c test was 5.1. Her Dr. said it was better than his.

Wow rosies, that's amazing

Please excuse me for this, but I need to make sure that you understand that this is a most unusual result. Careful eating is always a good idea for everyone but particularly for diabetics. I think I had a genetic predisposition, but I admit I put myself in this place with lazy habits and a big sweet tooth. It surprised me and might surprise you to know that in my diabetic support group we have as many people who are underweight as we have people who are overweight. I am no longer lazy. I work out just as hard and often as I can. I have lost 33 pounds. I have my diet down to a few nuts, a little cheese and some vegetables and I can't get my Aic below 6. A half cup of brown rice, a half cup of bran cereal and my blood sugar skyrockets. I can't even think about bread, or potatoes. Desserts are out of the question. The only carbs I can tolerate are a half cup of steel cut oats and a quarter cup of blueberries IF followed by vigorous exercise first thing in the morning. I am writing this because I so often hear people say "well, if you would just cut down and eat sensibly you wouldn't have this problem" and it just isn't so. I am glad you had such fantastic results with your mother, but it really is not at all typical.

rosies;
That is terrific! I appalaud you and your mother. I am type 2 myself and am trying to lose weight. I am only on oral medicine (glipizide 5 mg- 2x day). I know exactly where you are coming from with the sugar free labeling. I totally agree that a person has to look at the total numbers of carbs and not just sugar. Lots of things have carbs and they all get broken down and the body reads them all the same, be it sugar or some other carb - even lima beans, corn and peas. I switched my family to all 100% whole wheat bread or bread with the same fiber grams (I like Flax & Grains bread) because it is so much better to eat whole grains when you are diabetic because it takes longer for the body to break the carbs down (no sugar spikes) and of course the fiber is important also. I know I am not perfect and I need to control my portions and exercie more. I commend you on the success you have had.
Karen

HI everyone...
I'm new to this style of eating, and need a lil advice. I have managed my multiple sclerosis (which they told me would take my life in 3-5 years) for 19 years, on the Swank ms diet. Ok...that's a very low saturated fat diet, for those who don't know of it. No drugs at all...19 years this month! One thing I've done however, was to , on my own, go vegetarian as well. Not neccessary, but I figured...more is better, right? NOT.

I became something of a "starchtarian", with complex carbs. NOW, I find~ i'm prediabetic. Hmmmm....so, went a bit overboard with the carbs. Now, Im looking for non animal sources for protien & unsaturated fat's to accomplish the stability I need to get to. Yikes...for YEARS, I've noticed that woozy, off balance, sleepy feeling...thinking it was the ms, I let it go. It wasnt!

Any other's out there managing their blood sugar level with a vegetarian diet? Also...HOW MANY carbs a day are we supposed to eat? I need that kind of info...Thanks mucho! Donna

I care for a senior who is diabetic. In the past 4 months I have been gradually cutting back on his salt and fat intake. I added more unprocessed foods including vegetables. His diabetes (blood sugar was usually around 190 -200 now 105 -115) is totally controlled by diet now and his cholesterol (was 238 now 231) is dropping and his hypertension is improving.