Basic Cell Function Blocked by Statin Drugs!

Amazing!  Isn't it amazing how we are led to believe that cholesterol is soooo harmful and that we've got to bring down those numbers at all costs!  Even if it cost you your memory, your muscles, your life.

Cholesterol is all important building block of life.  The brain accounts for 2% of your body but it uses 25% of all cholesterol.

Statins block the cholesterol making enzyme of the body - HMG-CoA Reductase.  Look at the definition of statins from the Mayo Clinic web site:  "Statins are drugs that can lower your cholesterol.  They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol."  Let's look at that last line again:  "They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol."

That "substance" is HMG-CoA Reductase Enzyme. Yikes!  What they don't say is all the other vital enzymes and substances are cut off because of the statin there is little to no HMG-CoA Reductase Enzyme being created.  Little things...like CoQ10 a naturally produced antioxidant.

Let's check again with the Mayo Clinic's web site regarding CoQ10:  "Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is made in the human body.  CoQ10 is needed for basic cell function.  CoQ10 levels decrease with age and may be low in people with cancer, certain genetic disorders, diabetes, heart conditions, HIV/AIDS, muscular dystrophies and Parkinson's disease.  Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels."  The "prescription drugs" are statin drugs!   They just don't mention the "statin" word.

If you have never had a heart attack and are not in danger of having a heart attack, you should check with your doctor especially if you are on statin drugs.  According to Dr. Bowden's book, "The Great Cholesterol Myth"  you should not be on a statin.  No woman should be on statins.  No children should be on statins.

Note: For you Dr. Oz fans The Great Cholesterol Myth was reviewed on Dr. Oz's show with both authors on the show of TGCM.  Dr. Oz changed his mind about cholesterol lowering drugs and agreed with Drs. Bowden and Sinatra.

Be an Empowered Patient!  Know what you're taking and why!  Statins make a ton of money for Big Pharma but they could mean a ton of trouble for you.

The information on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice or services.  Mary is not a physician, dietitian nor does she hold any medical degree or license.  The information we are sharing on this blog is based on our experience with type 2 diabetes.  This blog is intended as a wake up call.  It should be used only for education and information and as a basis for discussion with a doctor.  The information here is for patients to read and become more informed.  The information here is not intended nor should it be construed or used to diagnose or treat any illness or condition.  We strongly urge you to consult with your physician regarding any medical questions or concerns.  Always consult with a doctor before making any changes to  medication or lifestyle.

Let's Talk Statins...Ugh!

I am opposed to the arbitrary prescribing of statins by physicians who follow the American Diabetes Association (ADA) protocol that all diabetics should be on statins.  If you have ever taken the time to read the disclaimer/warning that comes with these medications, you have some sense of why I am opposed to them.  

Let me give you a recent personal story.  

A little background first:  My husband has been a T2D for over 30 years.  In 2002 he went on insulin.  He started at 5 units and  18 months later he was on 43 units of insulin.  His weight ballooned up to 280 pounds, he could not walk over 75 feet because of the severe painful neuropathy in his feet, he was always tired and irritable, had severe sleep apnea and profuse night sweats (he had to put a bath towel on his pillow every night).  Medication use kept going up and quality of life kept going down.  His life and our relationship was in going down hill on the fast track. 

One of the medications that he was on and had been on for a long time was a statin drug - Lipitor.  Expensive but necessary we were told.  

In 2003, through much study and research, I created a program that would enable him to lose weight and feel better.  On our program he came off of insulin within 3 months, lost 80 pounds within the first 9 months (and lost another 20 pounds last Fall for a total weight loss of 100 pounds).  Sleep apnea was gone.  Snoring was gone.  Night sweats were gone!  Neuropathy was gone!  Within a year he walked in 2 5K races and finished!  HA1c lowered from a high of 11 to 6.5%

He came off of pain medication.  He came off of diuretics.  He came off of insulin.  He did not come off of the statin medication.

In 2011, LIpitor went generic.  We thought we'd get a break on the price.  Not so fast.  Lipitor had a 6 month grace period where they could charge us nearly the same for the generic brand as for name brand.

Dick's doctor switched him from Lipitor to Crestor.  Within a matter of a few weeks on the Crestor, I noticed that Dick's fasting blood sugars (FBS) were rising.  i couldn't figure it out.  What in the heck was going on?  He was eating the same diet we have been on for ten years.  I haven't seen him cheating on the diet.  I was scratching my head to find an answer.

Not only were his FBS going up but he was complaining of constipation.  Something he NEVER suffered.  I began to worry because his mom died from colon cancer and Dick had been postponing his now overdue colonoscopy.  

Finally, it dawned on me!  The doctor changed his medication from Liptor to Crestor.  I went to work researching that statin.  There is not enough room on this blog to list all the side affects of Crestor. 

 My research revealed that Crestor can raise your blood sugars.  I discovered that especially for women aged 50 to 79, if you don't have diabetes, there is 48% chance you will develop diabetes when taking not only this drug, Crestor, but any statin drug!  Yikes!  (Reference: Study done by University of Massachusetts and released in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine" as part of the U.S. government's Women's Health Initiative).

If you do have diabetes, Crestor in particular and statins in general can raise your blood sugars by up to 9%!  

When I told Dick he wanted to come off of the Crestor immediately.  I told him that you can not just stop taking this medication without your doctor's approval.  If you stop the medication suddenly, you are at risk for a heart attack.  So, he decided that he would cut the medication in half. (PLEASE NOTE:  I do not advise anyone to tamper with any of  their medications unless they have their doctor's approval.) 

In early December he began taking half the Crestor.  By Christmas his blood sugars came down to a more normal range for him of 95 to 100 in the morning.  

We saw his doctor 3 months later.  We waited until he read us the lab results for Dick's blood test.  He was pleased that all was going very well.  Then Dick told him about his Crestor issue.  The doctor asked Dick when he started taking half of the pill because according to our doctor, it would take a couple of weeks to show any changes in his blood work.  We quietly smiled to ourselves as we told the doctor that it was December (a little over 3 months ago) when we made this change.

We wanted the doctor to put Dick on a lower dose of statin or come off statin altogether.  The doctor balked at coming off the statin and he was not pleased about putting Dick on something other than a Crestor or Lipitor.  He felt that Dick's blood work would show a definite increase in LDL's if he were not on a more powerful statin medication.  

I offered a suggestion of putting Dick on the lower dose statin for two months.  At the end of those two months, we would return for another blood test to see if there were any untoward changes.  The doctor thought that would certainly work.

After 2 months on the pravastatin, Dick went for his blood work.  The blood lipid profile was right on target.  No issues whatsoever - or so we all thought.

What the doctor and I didn't know was that within 2 weeks of taking this new statin, Dick started to get achy muscles.  Within 4 weeks the muscles aches when from slightly annoying to nearly debilitating pain.

It all came to a head when we went to the gym which he had been avoiding for few weeks.  He typically walked our track (which is 1/12 of a mile) for 24 laps in like 0:1:30 per lap.  On this particular visit to the gym,  I passed him a few times and noticed how slow he was going.   Then I stopped to walk with him and he said that this was his 4th and last lap!  That it had taken him 0:2:40 to complete the third lap!

I called the doctor when we got home.  My concern was rhabdomyolyisis.  A condition where the muscle breaks down breaks down and the protein from the muscle fiber contents are released into the blood stream. The myoglobin (muscle fiber) is harmful to the kidneys and can result in major kidney issues including kidney failure!  He could wind up on dialysis!

The doctor didn't think it was a problem but he switched Dick to the now available generic Lipitor statin.  

Within a few days, I could see that he was not getting any better.  He looked like a flower that hadn't had any water for days and was drooping horribly.  The call to the doctor didn't bring any satisfaction.  He didn't believe the issue warranted a blood test.  

We were scheduled to go on vacation the following week to one of our state parks cabins which was about an hour and half drive from home.  We reluctantly decided to go with the hopes that Dick would soon feel better.  I got busy preparing for the vacation and let the issue of Dick's failing energy levels and achy muscles go for another couple of days.

After a few days at the cabin, I watched as he turned down the offer of golf from the other guys with our group.  He was walking haltingly.   I could tell he was hurting but the doctor said he didn't believe it warranted a blood test and I thought maybe I was just being overly cautious.

I woke up one morning in the middle of the week and Dick was in the room standing near the base of our bed.  He didn't look good...at all.  I asked him what was going on.  He was near tears as he explained to me that he got up during the night because he was in so much muscle pain that he couldn't sleep.  He said that he thought that he would go into the living room and watch some TV and that maybe he would fall asleep there.  However,  he said that when he came to bed last night, he was feeling so poorly that he dropped his clothes on the floor and crawled into bed.  When he couldn't sleep and wanted to go into the living room, he tried to pick up his clothes from the floor but could not do it.  The muscle pain was so intense that he could not bend down to get his clothes!  He told me that he tried twice but simply could not do it.

That was literally the last straw!!  I knew I would be calling the doctor as soon as their office opened.

This time I insisted that I talked to the doctor personally.  I didn't ask him to order the CPK blood test, I told him to order the test.  I told him that we were on vacation and that we would come home just for this test.  He should order it so that when we arrived the lab would be waiting.

Our doctor finally agreed that we need to get that blood test done if nothing else to reassure us that everything was alright and that Dick would recover from this statin reaction.

The blood results were negative.  Dick and I were relieved.  When I spoke to the doctor to get the results, he said that he was concerned because Dick should have been feeling better right after he switched from the provastatin he was on to the generic Lipitor.  Because Dick did not feel any improvement, the doctor told us to eliminate the statins completely. 

Dick suffered the effects of statins for another 6 months!  Within a week of coming off all the statins, Dick's vitality and energy reappeared but his muscles still ached but he assumed that would clear up quickly...it took 6 months!  

His fasting blood sugars actually went down even lower than when he was on the statins.  His constipation issues are gone!

I wonder how many people are on a statin, have muscle aches in their thighs and buttocks and just think they either pulled a muscle or that they are getting older.  I wonder how many never even mention it to their doctor.  Dick never mentioned it to me until I could actually see what was happening with him.  

Muscle aches and especially muscle pain is a serious side affect of statins.  These kinds of reactions should not - must not be ignored by either the patient or the doctor.

According to many reports that I've read, long ago the ADA decreed that all diabetics should be on statins.  Hmmm, do you know the profits Pfizer made from JUST Lipitor in the past few years?  In May, 2010 according to  Reuters online  "Sales of its Lipitor cholesterol fighter edged 1 percent higher to $2.76 billion, above the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion of eight analysts." (http://reut.rs/LEQfgW)  BILLION with a "B".

Dr. Richard Bernstein, "Diabetes Solution" recently said on his webinar that he has only 2 of his diabetic patients on a statin.  Of those 2 patients, according to Dr. Bernstein, one had a previous heart attack before coming to Dr. B and the other patient had high calcium scores which he felt warranted a statin intervention.

Bottom line of this blog:  If you are on a statin, question, question, question your doctor as to WHY?  Pay attention to your body - it is your best guide!  If you're not feeling well, if your health or daily experiences change - suspect your medications first!  Go online and do your research on quality and reliable web sites.  

Then question your doctor and your pharmacist.  Make sure they give you answers that you can understand and that make sense to you.  If you don't feel better within a short period of time, question them again until changes are made and you have optimum wellness.

As you may have guessed by now, I am personally against an across the board protocol that dictates that ALL diabetics taking statin drugs just because they are diabetics!  That is my opinion after all the research I have done on that class of medication.  You must ask your doctor what is right for you.  Gather information and go into your doctor appointment as an empowered patient.

Your doctor will respect you for it.

You can check out our web site at http://www.marythediabeteslady.com

The information on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice or services.  Mary is not a physician, dietitian nor does she hold any medical degree or license.  The information we are sharing on this blog is based on our experience with type 2 diabetes.  This blog is intended as a wake up call.  It should be used only for education and information and as a basis for discussion with a doctor.  The information here is for patients to read and become more informed.  The information here is not intended nor should it be construed or used to diagnose or treat any illness or condition.  We strongly urge you to consult with your physician regarding any medical questions or concerns.  Always consult with a doctor before making any changes to  medication or lifestyle.

How To "Buy" Your Doctor's Services!

One of the best things I learned during my brief stay in nursing school was that medicine is no different than any other service or commodity that you buy.  When you go to a doctor you must realize that it's the same thing as going to the grocery or department store.  If you don't like what they are selling, you go somewhere else.  

If your doctor is not giving you the answers you need and/or understand or is not paying proper attention to your diabetes (i.e, checking your feet at every visit) that you should be receiving and/or passing off your concerns as unimportant or trivial...then it is time for you to change doctors.  

Before you  make any change however, you owe it to yourself and to other patients who may come to this doctor,  to approach him/her with a calm but confident attitude.   Your doctor should know that you are not pleased with his/her lack of communication, attention and quality of care you feel you need.  Make it clear that in order for you to stay with him/her as your healthcare provider, you need to know that things will change.  

One of the things that is a top priority in our program on How We Beat Diabetes is to get diabetics to understand that they need to take responsibility for their disease.  They need to become an empowered patient.  They need to become a proactive partner and work with their physician in their own healthcare.  You do that by becoming an educated diabetic.  You do that by learning what questions to ask and what answers you should expect to hear.

When your doctor prescribes a new medication; know why, know what, if any, alternatives there are to that medication, what issue that medication will solve or ameliorate, know the side effects of that medication, know what you need to do to come off that medication -- and if coming off of that medication at some point is even feasible.

Understand and realize that far too many doctors don't really know how to manage diabetes.  It is a chronic disease that truly requires good management over the long term on the part of the doctor and the patient.  But it is a disease that can be controlled if the patient and the doctor actively engage in good management practices.  

It is YOUR life for goodness sake!  Take your healthcare seriously.   You absolutely should NEVER walk out of your doctors office without all the answers you need on how you can make improvements in your health.  

As Dr. Phil says, "You teach people how to treat you."  That is true of family, friends and physicians.  

Read Dr. Richard Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solution" and/or get our 2 set DVDs on How We Beat Diabetes.  These two items are filled with information.  They will give you a great start on how to become an empowered patient.  

Write your questions for the doctor down on a note pad. And during your next visit to the doctor, pull out your notes and ask your questions.   Your doctor should give you answers you can fully understand.  If you don't it's time to change doctors.

Love and Peace

Mary, The Diabetes Lady

How Much Insulin Is Too Much?

I want to help diabetics understand that the problem with their bodies is that they can not use carbohydrates like a non-diabetic.  Also, to understand that in most cases it is not a lack of insulin that is causing them problems, rather it is excessive insulin.  Hyperinsulinemia is a fancy $50 word for more insulin than the body needs or can ever use. 

Before:  Mary and Dick 2002 

After reading Dr. Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solution" and Gary Taubes books, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat" and learning from a number of other low carb doctors that excessive insulin is the root cause of so many of the debilitating affects of diabetes, I cringe every time I see an article that encourages diabetics to simply use more insulin to cover the carbs they are eating.  UGH!

Insulin is one of,  if not thee, strongest hormones in the body.  Insulin reacts to and only to carbohydrates.  Insulin does have a minor reaction to protein however, the insulin response is significantly less making protein's impact nominal.

Insulin's main job is to rid the body of glucose primarily by getting it into the cells to be used for energy.  Failing that, it must find a place to store the glucose somewhere outside of the bloodstream. The other glucose storage areas will be discussed in a coming blog.

Blood cells have what could best be described as "doors."  These doors called receptors lay flat against the cells exterior walls.  These receptors are the gatekeepers for the cells.  

Insulin takes it's job very seriously.  The moment you eat carbohydrates, insulin goes into action.  It initially knocks on the doors/receptors of the cells to prod and activate those receptors to open.  Ideally, when insulin comes knocking,  the receptor doors open and allow the much needed glucose to enter.   Glucose brings vital energy to the cells enabling them to function properly.

However, the cells only require a tiny amount of glucose.  As in life, cells can get too much of a good thing.  When you consistently eat more carbohydrates than your body requires, you continue to flood those cells and their receptors with insulin.  This rampant flow of insulin is constantly "knocking" on the receptors of your cells trying to get them to open.

Cells need the glucose that insulin brings.  They are in many cases starved for glucose.   But, because of the continuous "flood" of insulin they have become...wait for it...insulin resistant.   Insulin resistant is a term most type 2 diabetics hear from their doctors but haven't a clue as to what it means.  Now you know.

The end result of this dance between excessive carbohydrates and insulin is that you are an insulin resistant type 2 diabetic.

Simply put, excessive insulin is like the boy who cried wolf -- the receptors on the cells, is like the people in the boy's village.  The receptors/villagers just stop believing that there is a glucose / wolf at the door.  They refuse to open.  

You "love carbs" because you have become addicted to them.  The same center in the brain that causes addiction to cocaine and other drugs, reacts to carbohydrates in the same manner.  The exception here is that the addiction to carbs is actually stronger than the addiction to narcotic drugs.

After:  Mary and Dick 2004

Carbohydrates act like a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI's). Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good, very, very good.  Carbs give you that good feeling, that high that you are looking for, that high that you crave in that moment.  Often within a short time after eating those carbs, your high diminishes and you are left with the urge to find more of that "stuff" that will make you feel good again.  You are addicted to carbs!

In 2002, my husband, (who, at that time, had been suffering with type 2 diabetes for over 20 years) was on 43 units of insulin, had severe, painful neuropathy in both his feet that limited his ability to walk more than 75 feet at one time because of the pain.  He was on Neurotin for over 15 years for the pain from the neuropathy.  His weight ballooned to 280 pounds (he's 5' 9").  And this is the short version of his story.  He was miserable.  

9:15 A.M. at Disney World 2012

Through much research and study including Dr. Bernstein's and Gary Taubes books,  we developed a program for him that we call "How We Beat Diabetes."  Within 3 months on our program, he came off the insulin completely and has never gone back.  He lost 80 pounds within the first 9 months and has since lost another 20 making the total weight loss 100 pounds.  Neuropathy is gone. He's walked in 2 5K races and finished.

We were in Disney World this summer and he walked the park from 8:30 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. with only a 2 hour break in the afternoon to refresh.

His energy levels which were near zero are now seemingly unlimited.  He's like the energizer bunny!  And we are now going on over 10 years of the low carb way of life.

While everyone is different in many respects, human physiology is the same. Physiologically, beta cells job is to produce insulin.  

11:45 P.M Dick and Mary Ann (cousin) getting off Monorail

The beta cells of the pancreas respond to carbohydrates and ONLY to carbohydrates.  Excess carbohydrates in, excess insulin out. 

Excess insulin results in inflammation, weight gain, insulin resistance and more.  Balance your carbohydrate intake with your insulin output and watch the amazing results.

I am no doctor, I am not a nutritionist, nor do I hold any medical license.  I am sharing what I have learned from reading and the study of how I could help my husband.  I am sharing with you what we've learned and experienced in these past 10 years. 

 You ALWAYS need to check with your physician before making any changes to your diet or exercise.  Your physician is the only person who is qualified to guide you in the management of your diabetes.  

That said, however, you need to take responsibility for your own health.  You need to become an empowered patient.  An empowered patient is one who is fully knowledgable about their health condition and becomes a proactive partner with their physician in their own healthcare.

Question everything your doctor tells you.  Why do I need this medication?  What are the side affects that I should know about?  When and how can I come off of this medication?  If I have not had a heart attack and I don't have a heart condition, then why am I on statin medication?  

Then go home and check the "magic box" AKA your computer.  Find out about your meds from reliable sources.  Call your pharmacist and question her about the medication you are taking.  It's your health for goodness sake!  Why wouldn't you exercise a proactive attitude about protecting it?

Our program How We Beat Diabetes has helped so many people because we share with them what happened to us.  It is almost always directly the opposite of what they are currently doing.  It is so gratifying to see lightbulbs go off as people begin to really understand diabetes and embrace the fact that they are responsible for their healthcare.

And for those who might ask; my husband is 73 years old.  We will be celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary in October, 2012.  Whooo Hooo!

Oh yes, and he's out of the house right now, playing golf!  :D

CNN crawl: Obesity worldwide has double in the last 30 years!

Obesity has doubled in the last 30 years.  That according to a crawl I just saw on CNN.  Then they reported that a new study suggests that if you feed your baby solid foods early in life, your child will be more likely to be obese as toddlers. 

Now if you think about this logically - that news can't be happening.  It can't happen because for over 30 years we've been told that fat makes us fat.  For over 30 years, we have had low fat products of every type and description.  For over 30 years, we've been told to not eat eggs, meat, cheese, or butter -- too much fat in those foods.

Why then should we have, at all, an obesity problem in this country and in the world?  Do you really want the answer to that question or do you want to be "fed" more hype and traditional cultural thinking?  If you answered that you really want to know why we have an obesity problem then either get on Amazon.com or go to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of the New York Times bestseller:  Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It.  Written by the award winning scientific writer, Gary Taubes, this book spells it out for you in clear and understandable language. 

Good lord, when will all this hype and ridiculous false low fat information stop!  What is making the world fat is the SUGAR!  Call it carbs, carbohydrates, starch, whole grain, grain, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, lactose; whatever name you give it all turns to glucose AKA SUGAR in the body...it all requires a response of insulin from the pancreas.  

Insulin is the strongest, most important hormone in the body.  Insulin is responsible for storage of glucose.  Insulin takes it's job very seriously.  The moment "sugar" enters a person's mouth and contacts with saliva, the beta cells of the pancreas go to work.  They respond immediately sending corresponding amounts of insulin to disperse and cleanse the blood of glucose.  The body hates glucose.  It needs it but it reacts to use or rid itself of it as soon as it is detected.

Insulin bathes every one of the billions of cells in our bodies.  This powerful hormone bombards our cells urging cell receptors to open and accept the glucose they need for energy. 

In a non-diabetic, the cell receptors easily respond to the insulin.  Those receptors open, the proper amount of glucose is accepted into the cells.  The blood is cleansed of the glucose and the cells have fuel required for energy.  The insulin levels subside.

In a type 2 diabetic, insulin responds and bathes the cells but the receptors do not open.  Even though they absolutely need the glucose that is being provided, the receptors refuse to open.  This is commonly called "insulin resistance." 

Insulin MUST take the glucose somewhere.  As we said,  the body hates glucose, so insulin moves the glucose to the fat cells.  Typically the glucose is deposited in the fat cells located in the abdominal region of the body. 

The fat cells like the well known little "Mikey" of the old cereal commercials will eat anything!  They will never turn away the glucose.  They accept it and they hold onto it and grow...fatter and fatter.

Exploring Diabetes Myths - How Many Carbs Should You Eat Daily?

There are so many myths about diabetes it's almost difficult to know where to begin.  Let's start with the number of carbohydrates you "need" to eat in a day.  Keep in mind that 15 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 carb.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), you should eat 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal!  Given the formula that 15 grams of carbohdrates equals 1 carb and looking at the recommendation of the ADA, they want you to eat 3 or 4 carbs at EVERY meal!  Ah, 3 meals a day at 3 to 4 carbs per meal means that you would be eating approximately 12 carbs per day!  And that is just for meals.  The ADA also suggests you have carbs for snacks.

The ADA's reason for suggesting that you eat that many (and more) carbs per day?  It's so that you can cover the amount of insulin you're taking.  They create a vicious circle and you are caught right in the middle of it.  It keeps you tied to insulin.  It keeps you from becoming healthy.  It keeps you a diabetic.  It continues to degrade your body.

Taking insulin or oral medication keeps your body alive.  You must follow your doctor's orders and take your medication including insulin.

Taking medication including insulin does not keep your body from deteriorating.  It does not keep your body from suffering the horrible effects of diabetes.  It does not enable you to have any control over what is happening with your body.  The pharmaceutical companies and the ADA now own you!

Debunking that myth is very important. 

The number of carbohydrates you need in any given day depends on your lifestyle.   If you are a laborer who performs physically demanding work 8 hours a day, your carbohydrate needs will be completely different from a person who sits behind a desk for 8 hours a day.  You need to find out what level of carbohydrates work for your body.

A laborer may need to eat upwards of 15 or more carbs a day.  An office worker may need to eat only 3 or 4 carbs a day.

The only way to determine how many carbs you need per day is by following the 4 step plan:
1.  Count the number of carbs (15 grams of carbohydrates equal 1 carb) you are currently eating daily.
2.  Test your blood sugar  each morning before breakfast and an hour after each meal
3.  Check your weight each morning (in the nude - after the bathroom)
4.  Adjust your carb intake according to your blood glucose levels and your weight.

If your fasting blood glucose levels are stable at normal or near normal levels of 85 to 90 you're eating the right number of carbs.  If you are losing weight, you are eating the right number of carbs for weight loss -- this number would be adjusted up once you reach your goal/healthy weight.

Eating a controlled number of carbohydrates each day will significantly reduce the need for insulin and other medication.  

When my husband reduced his carb intake down to 4 to 6 carbs a day, he was, with his doctor's permission, able to gradually reduce his insulin.  He was on 43 units of insulin a night!  Within 2 months he was completely off of insulin.  That was 7 years ago!  He has not had insulin in all that time.  His fasting blood glucose levels went from 300, 270, 185, etc. to 90, 95, 102, etc. 

He also lost 80 pounds within 9 months!  This is a man who could not lose weight, who's physicians told him they had no choice but to put him on insulin injections, who had neuropathy in both his feet for over 10 years and had pain levels of 10.  After controlling his carbs, he not only went off of insulin and other meds but the neuropathy in his feet went from a pain level of 10 to a pain level of <1.


IMPORTANT

REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CARBS YOU EAT DAILY WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF INSULIN YOU ARE TAKING.  IF YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF INSULIN WHILE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CARBS, YOU CAN CREATE A CONDITION OF HYPOGLYCEMIA OR LOW BLOOD SUGAR.  THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS CONDITION.  YOU NEED TO CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE REDUCING YOUR CARB INTAKE OR MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR LIFESTYLE.

The information on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice or services. It is based on our experience of over 25 years of type 2 diabetes.  This blog is intended as a wake up call.  It should be used only for education and information and as a basis for discussion with a doctor.  The information here is for patients to read and become more informed about type 2 diabetes.  Always consult with a doctor before making any changes to  medication or lifestyle.

Read more on our web site:  http://www.liveabetterlife.org