Anonymous wrote:
I just found out that my Hemoglobin A1C is 6.5%, so I may have diabetes. I need to make some life changes. Please help me know specifically what to do. My aunt just died of diabetes-related complications at age 65.

I’m only 46. I’m 5’8” and 250 lbs. I have loose ankles due to some physical deformations, so I’m mostly sedentary. I can walk, but I have to be careful.

I eat three meals a day and a snack. For breakfast I have two soft-boiled eggs on fresh spinach on bread with a glass of OJ. For lunch I have fresh chopped veggies with hummus and a banana. For dinner I eat whatever. I have a banana and Nutella for a snack before dinner. Sometimes dinner is salmon and broccoli, sometimes it’s hamburgers and sweet potato fries. Sometimes it’s coconut curry chicken. Sometimes it’s Ethiopian or Thai curry.

I take vitamin C, Abilify, lithium, latuda, and Xanax. I’m suicidal without these - I had a lot of trauma as a kid and have an ACE score of 9. I’m in therapy twice a week, making good progress.

Where do I start? I think eating better and getting movement would help, but I’m not sure exactly what. Maybe a 20 minute walk in the morning?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes carbs raise blood sugar, but you still need some carbs.

The best way to stabilize your blood glucose is a meal with one third each protein, fat, carbs. This stops your blood sugar from spiking with each meal. It is also slightly better if you eat your fruit at the end of a meal. If you go no carbs, it often omits any grains or legumes. You can get pretty constipated!

Quick takes
Bananas are a very high carb fruit without a lot of fiber.
Drop the OJ, juice is sugar water
Add more protein everywhere!
Stay hydrated. Water, seltzer.
No artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are okay as a “sometimes” thing, but not to be guzzling all day.

See an endocrinologist. Your GP will probably not cut it. It will take awhile to get an appointment.

My child has had Type 1 for 11 years. I have learned a lot over this time. Read and learn, but remember every single person’s body is different. Some things might not work for you, and that’s okay. Move on and try something else.

You just need a few changes. You are doing really well and not consuming a lot of processed crap! This is better than most people!

You can do it! Good luck!

While someone's experience with Type 1 is informative, do understand that it's a VERY different disease. Type 1 is concerned about sugar getting too low, primarily. Type 2 is about preventing it from being too high, primarily. Both want to avoid spikes. And both involve counting carbs and monitoring glucose.