Banshee

My hubby had to get a blood test done the other day. He has been having some anxiety issues and the doc wanted to run some tests to see if his thyroid was working properly etc.. He got his results back yesterday and everything was good except his blood sugar level was a tad bit higher than it should be. So I am assuming mine would be as well, since we eat the same things.

Do any of you folks know how we can get his blood sugar levels down? The nurse only told him to cut out white things. Great! Thats just about everything we eat!!! I tried to google it but just got results for people with diabetes and that doesn't fit the bill. He hates veggies and I know fruits have a lot of sugars in them as well, i'm sure everyone will tell me he needs to eat more of those, but he won't coz he hates them except green beans and corn.

I was jut told that you should fast before any blood tests are done, is this true? If so, hubby didn't fast, wasn't told to fast and had coffee and a donut before he went in. Could that have made his results a little higher?

Any advice would be great!!!

jewels

"White things" are usually the least nutritious foods. Empty carbs. Although your husband may hate veggies, try to find a way that he'll enjoy them. There are tons of ways to steam and cook them, or they can all be eaten raw (even better). Green beans are fine, but corn is considered another starch.

Another great alternative is sweet potatoes or yams. Oven baked, boiled, grilled, steamed, oven fried -- much higher in fiber than white potatoes, low sugar and good nutritional content.

Fruits do have natural sugar, so choose wisely. Grapes, for example, are very high in sugars, but most green apple varieties are not. Plus, they're high in fibre.

Make a few changes and hopefully, his levels will drop within a few weeks. And your levels may not be the same as his. We've all got different metabolisms that handle the sugars differently. SOunds as though his metabolism may be reactive.

Baraka_Guru

Yes, first check and see if he invalidated the test by not following the guidelines. They are there for a purpose.

Next, if it is an issue, there are many ways of cutting sugars out of your diet; most tactics involve cutting out refined and prepared foods.

There are also foods that help stabilize blood sugar. Have a look at sites such as whfoods.com. There is a ton of information there.

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Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
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Banshee

thanks y'all!! No one told him to fast so I have a feeling that might be why it was a little high.. it should be at the highest .99 but his was 1.1

JustJess

The easiest way to cut down on random sugar in your diet? Skip the juices and sodas, and pretty much any drink with high fructose corn syrup. Other than that, I suggest that he get a real blood test for blood sugar so he knows if it's something he really needs to manage.

Of course the donut didn't help. That fried sugary goodness can kill you 8 different ways.

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Fotzlid

1.1 you say.
thats not even a tad. whats smaller than a tad?

suprised it wasnt a lot higher. like closer to 2.

i wouldnt worry about it.
fasting glucose is a more reliable method.
glucose tolerance test is the best but with numbers that low, i'd bet the insurance company wouldnt even pay fot it.

your levels would probably be different. your hereditary factors as well as your metabolism will be different.

snowy

Regardless of the test results, the nurse was right. If your diet is primarily made up of white, refined foods (white sugar, potatoes, white bread/white flour), you're on the road to diabetes, as is your husband.

You need to eat more whole grains, more fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins, including legumes. You both should be getting at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. All processed sugars should be cut out--no soda, no cookies, and look out for sugars hidden in bread, cereal, and other places. You can still drink fruit juice, provided it's 100% juice, and you're only drinking 1 glass a day. 100% fruit juice is great with some club soda, and a 8 oz. glass of orange juice (preferably not from concentrate) counts as a serving of fruit.

Choose breads that are whole wheat, with at least 3-4gs of fiber per slice. If you eat cereal, it should be high in fiber. Ideally, you want a fiber intake of at least 25-30g a day. It sounds impossible, but if you eat a high fiber cereal for breakfast, then have a sandwich later in the day made with high fiber bread, that along with your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables will certainly put you in that bracket of fiber consumption. We also eat high fiber flatbreads and use those to make wraps, or high fiber tortillas for when we have burrito night.

Too many people don't eat enough legumes. Add more legumes to your diet, and you'll be adding more protein and more fiber as well as necessary micronutrients in one fell swoop.

I have a list of what I call "power foods"--foods that pack extra nutritional punch:

Bananas
Apples (or pears)
Spinach/Greens (NOT iceberg lettuce)
Almonds
Tuna fish
whole wheat bread with flax seeds
olives
avocados
natural peanut butter
beans (red beans, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans [hummus], etc)
lentils
oatmeal
yogurt (plain or flavored, no sugar added)

Notice that some of the foods on that list are fatty, like the avocado. But avocado is high in fiber. An avocado has more fiber than an entire cantaloupe! It makes a great substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches. Eating natural peanut butter instead of Jif or Skippy is also a great way to get of additional sugars. But not all sugars are created equal--which is why you should still get at least 2 servings of fruit daily, hence the bananas and apples (great snacks).

Furthermore, read labels! The sugar content of any processed food is clearly printed on the nutrition information, as is the fiber content. If a food that is made from flour does not have fiber in it, PUT IT BACK.

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ratbastid

This is a faulty assumption. Any number of things (including a pre-checkup donut) could have caused his test result. He might have some sort of imbalance or deficiency that you don't have.

Now: if you're an American, you could probably stand to eat better. But don't go down the path of trying to fix a health problem you assume you have. Better to either eat better because you're eating better, or actually KNOW your health situation.

Baraka_Guru

What onesnowyowl said.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Martian

Random glucose tests and fasting tests are two completely different animals. 110 mg/dL (I'm assuming that's what '1.1' refers to, since 1.1 mmol/L would be dangerously hypoglycemic) on a random test is well within acceptable limits. Even still, a change in diet probably wouldn't hurt; onesnowyowl has some excellent advice in that regard.

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analog

Get the test done again, and this time follow the directions. They're very specific for pretty much exactly this reason. Until you get the test redone, consider getting your diets on a more healthy track.

little_tippler

I've had blood tests several times during my life and I' surprised you didn't know that you should always fast before the test is done.

I'd take the test again, minus the donut.

As for diet...what onesnowyowl said...plus don't add sugar to anything, such as drinks, like coffee, tea, etc.

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Our hearts are incommunicable still.
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Banshee

He actually went in for anxiety issues and they decided to do a blood test to see if his thyroid was working properly. He didn't really know he was going to have one done, hence no one told him to fast.. I asked him the other night if he knew he needed to fast before the test and he said no, he has never had a blood test in his life. Neither have I honestly.

I didn't tell him about the test possibly being a false reading because it is time for both of us to eat better etc.. I just don't know how I will do with no sugar in coffee, tea etc.. I can't just drink water all the time, i do get bored. And adding fruit to it? tried it, it sucked. It was water with a pretty decoration in it... What about splenda or sweet n low, could those be used like say in my iced tea? I am in Texas, we love our sweet tea

onesnowyowl, thank you so much for the detailed info! I love just about everything on the list of 'power foods' except bananas, i am allergic to them. Getting hubby to eat those things and eat better will be a challenge. This whole week has been a challenge trying to figure out what to eat etc.. I have switched him over to wheat bread when we started dating like 9 years ago and that was an amazing feat. I've always liked it better than white anyways.

So a more organic / low carb sugar free( )diet might be a better way to go then.

Wish me luck coz this will be like the ultimate task of a life time..

ays

I was watching this episode of Oprah and they were talking about this revolutionary new weight loss breakthrough. They had several overweight test subjects begin a diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, grains and plenty water combined with daily exercise and you would not believe the results! The test subjects actually lost weight and improved their health!

I'm just going to be straight up with you. Our bodies are supposed to be eating fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water. Meat wouldn't be AS bad if all the mass-production practices weren't so rough. You know how they say emotional health affects physical well being? Well, you have these terrified animals living in horrible conditions and it affects their meat. Then you have the farmers grinding up old animal parts and feeding it back to the livestock. And you're eating that!

Then you add all the refined foods out there, the junk food, and the massive amounts of preservatives and your body is taking quite a beating

And to make matters even worse you throw all of that into a Radiation-blaster microwave, take all these supplements, vitamins, and medications and drink coca-cola and jack daniels.

And maybe exercise once a week.

I know I've gone a bit to the extreme, but I don't think there is any short-cut to living a healthy life.

You have to make healthy choices on a daily basis. There are no substitutes to eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

And I'm not saying I don't eat meat, enjoy ice cream, eat a whole bag of cheetos, or love a jack and coke. The key is moderation.

Eat when you're hungry. It's best to eat smaller meals throughout the day.

Nuts, seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, oatmeal, anything natural.

When foods have been processed, it loses it's nutritional value. Fresh is the best.

Avoid refined salt, sugar, white bread, anything with preservatives. Try to avoid plastic as much as possible.

Drink A BUNCH OF WATER

EXERCISE. Get out there and run around, do some pushups, stretch, climb trees, jump and bounce, and roll on the ground. Be ACTIVE

AND BREATHE. take deep breaths, breath slow. BREATH IN THAT LIFE! Shallow breathing can cause an abundance of problems.

And just some other FYIs - Avoid chemicals as much as possible, shampoos and conditioners, lotions, soaps, hairspray, cosmetics, whatever.

These are all just recommendations. It's obvious that you can't keep all the toxic and harmful stuff out. But I think above all else, just enjoy your life and have a good time.

Much Love

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Banshee

I am the one with no problems eating veggies and fruits. I do drink a lot of water @ work at least 10 glasses a day, but like i said it gets boring and i just want something with flavor. I am ready to live a healthy lifestyle, but its hard to do when the other half of the equation isn't willing to participate.

I just moved into a new neighborhood with a fitness center and have began working out on a nightly basis, as well as taking the dogs for walks every other night so I am well on my way to starting over.. I figure cut the carbs etc.. and i'll be at my goal in no time

Avoid shampoos and conditioners, lotions, soaps, hairspray, cosmetics?!?!?? Ya want me to stink and have funky hair?! LOL The make up i hardly wear so thats no biggie.. I just like to smell good

ays

haha, I understand the stinkyness issue, but it's interesting to me how less I stink since I've cut certain things out of my diet. I've probably worn deoderant twice in the past few weeks.

I've been using natural soap instead of liquid soaps and shampoos, and that seems to work well.

I decided to start improving my health a couple years ago. It's been a gradual process. The more you want to be healthy, the easier it is to give certain things up, especially when you start to see results.

And I can understand about your partner, and how that would make things more difficult. Just start introducing healthier foods into the meal plan and if they're good, I'm sure he won't mind.

And I find since I've started experimenting with new fresh foods, that I enjoy the taste much more than my other favorite less-healthy foods. For instance, I LOVE brusselsprouts. When I first tried them they tasted a little weird. Then I started to eat them because of how nutrient-packed they are, and now I eat them like candy, and I really enjoy the taste.

I guess it's important to remember that you are what you eat, but don't stress out about it. If you want a cookie, then go eat one!

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ryfo

If your hubby is having anxiety, a change in diet and regular exercise will help with that as well as making him feel better overall. IMO anyone suffering anxiety or depression issues should make exercise and diet their first plan of attack, as the benefits are both physical and mental.

snowy

Yeah, I don't think there's any need to go overboard and go all-out natural immediately. I do use natural beauty products; they're really not that hard to find these days. My favorite shaving cream is made of natural soaps and essential oils. But I digress...

As far as liquids go, I really recommend drinking plain green tea. I drink a ton of it. I also drink a glass of OJ a day, a glass of skim milk a day, and allow myself a diet soda in the afternoon and a cup of sugar-free cocoa before bed. There are a lot of sugar-free or no-sugar-added options out there, if you still have an occasional sweet tooth. Generally, though, I just eat a mandarin orange when I feel the need for a sweet.

The key with beverages like milk, orange juice, and no-sugar-added beverages like cocoa is to know what the serving size is. That's why when I drink cocoa, I buy the stuff in packets--it's pre-measured. For milk and OJ, it's 8 oz. I have small juice glasses just for milk and OJ, so I don't have to use a measuring glass every time. But you can pretty much drink all the green tea you want

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analog

No offense- this thread has turned into an anti-corporate hippie-fest of every food conspiracy theory in the world. No chemicals! No processed anything! You will get diabetes, lose your feet, and die a horrible death if you eat high fructose corn syrup or a potato!!!

No one dies from having a cheeseburger or a twinkie or a potato. They die because their overall diet is consistently shitty, unbalanced, incomplete, and they don't exercise.

Be very wary of all dietary advice, and talk to your doctor about options for YOU. No diet advice works for all people. Dietary advice needs to be tailored to you, as an individual, to be effective and appropriate.

ays

You're absolutely right, nobody does die from a cheeseburger or a twinkie.. Potatoes are good for you.

But you have to understand that if you eat a cheeseburger then your body has to direct it's resources to breaking up all the fat, cholesterol, etc.

It's not about avoiding all these things, and not enjoying the taste of certain foods. It's about if you want to be healthy, then you're going to have to watch what you eat, drink plenty water, and exercise.

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