Hi Janet, Not sure what your question is here, but I would be happy to chat with you - email or chat room - if you would like.

I find the Nutritionist has more to say about what NOT to eat, than what you can eat, although mine has been trying to get me to try Quinoa. It's not at Costco or my local supermarket so I looked for it on line. It's some sort of grain and I found it costs more than scallops or filet minion - not sure of the spelling here :))

I've just read a book by Jenny Ruhl called Blood Sugar 101, and she also has a book on low carb diets too. I will get that after I read the Low Carb book from Dr. Bernstein. These authors have had diabetes a lot longer than we have and have learned a lot about keeping their numbers in check, so I feel both are a good source of information.

I've also been researching herbs that help blood sugar levels and have just started taking Gymnema. It seems to be helping, but I've only been taking it for a week.
I've started a topic here on Gymnema.

ok first off, take a deep breath and tell yourself you can do this. Basically you need to eat a healthy diet with watching your portion controls and making substitutions. You can pretty much eat the same thing providing you make it healthy and don't indulge and of course watch the carbs

No fried but do baked or broiled (the fats from fried keep numbers up longer and higher)

watch white breads, pastas, rice, potatoes since the starches in these items also tend to hold the numbers higher, longer

Use the light versions of bread, in wheats and whole grains, try wheat rice, sweet potatoes and see if you can find the dreamfields pasta which is processed and diabetic friendly

fruits are good, pick the smaller sizes, veggies are great tho watch corn and carrots since they tend to have a higher level of natural sugars and some can't handle them.

go get a good carb count book or join spark people or lose it to track your foods. Even after 17 years I still track a week once a month to see if I am still on track.

Tell yourself you can do this, and we know you can do this, do it for yourself and for family

Ask all the questions you have, we will be here to answer. And just to ease your mind - your A1C is not that bad !! My endo says they are happy with anything under 7, so you can relax. Doctors tend to have different ideas and in time you will learn what range is good for you.

Janet, I was diagnosed in November 2013 so this is still pretty new to me. I also read Jenny Ruhl;s book Blood Sugar 101 and would definitely recommend it. As Mizizgale says, a lot is about substituting new foods for the ones you used to eat, not outright denial of anything that tastes good. I am at the stage where I keep a list every day of what I eat and how many carbs and sodium it has (I have to cut down on sodium too). It takes time and effort, but it gives me an idea of how foods affect my blood sugar. Portion control is important of course. It is an ongoing thing, experimenting with various foods and trying to stay on track. I get times when I feel so tired of it all, but then I feel so much better with the new "diet". I think we would all like to pretend that we do not have diabetes. Each of us has to find our way through this; there is no magic cure, just the day to day choices to eat better. You are not alone - we understand.

I know how you feel being overwhelmed, right now I feel the same way.I was diagnosied around 2007/2008. Did good for a while controling it with diet and exercise, but now I'm on two kinds of insulin Levemir and my doctor just added Humalog a fast acting to take at night and my sugars are still in the 200s daily. I hate needles, so you can imagine how hard it is to stick myself. Yesterday I was in tears because I tried 7-8 times and couldn't get the insulin in. I try to watch what I eat. I have cut out lots of things I love and dropped off diet soda during the day except for diet ginger ale, which doesn't bother my sugar at night, but i limit that to one cup. Diabetes is something we all have to keep working at. Try to stay positive and find some friends/family to help support you and do your own research. You know your body better than the doctor does a lot of times and you will find out what works best for you.

sweet try not to think of when you are giving yourself the insulin, basically just be matter of fact if that makes sense. I hate needles, I am not on insulin but it took me over 15 minutes the first time I tested my blood sugars, and of course got the depth on the lancet wrong etc...totally frustrated. but I laid it aside, watched TV and while watching a show I didn't give it any thought, just picked up the lancet and test - success lol. Now I can do this without a thought, even in movies etc and in time you will get there also.

Do any of your insulins use the pens? I understand they are easier to do

If your tired of taking medication and want to slowly get back to your health,then this link is something that will help you http://bit.ly/1g35UGR


Blessings