Last update: Saturday, June 11, 2022 - 5.6 HbA1c
Becoming A Diabetes Beater
Learning to beat type 2 diabetes is possible, but for most may not be easy. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on January 29, 2009, my blood (fs) glucose reading was 393.0 and my HbA1c was 13.1. The doctor sent me to the emergency room where they gave me two shots of insulin over a 2-hour period, released me, and prescribed Metformin (Glucophage), I was to take 500 mg twice daily. On Feb 5, 2009, they doubled the dosage since my levels did not improve, so I was taking 1,000 mg twice daily.
I started doing research to find out what I could do to get rid of this problem, I do not like taking medication, so having to take Metformin was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I began making 7 simple lifestyle changes which included:
7 Simple Lifestyle Changes
- elimination of most forms of sugar from my diet, e.g., sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey, molasses, etc. Be careful not to overdo it here, you can actually cause hypoglycemia, I try to get 5-10 grams of sugar per day from natural sources. Xylosweet Xylitol is my primary sweetener.
- reading ingredient labels to find what is in the products that I buy. Pay close attention to the amount and list of sugar and other sweeteners.
- frequent exercise; gradually built to average 1 hour per day (my nutritionist advised that I restrict it to 6 days per week).
- took my medication as prescribed, this was difficult, to get the best results it is best to take the medication at the same time each day; in my case at 12-hour intervals.
- monitored my glucose levels daily.
- requested routine lab test and insured the HbA1c was included; it is interesting that I had to ask for the HbA1c, for some reason (I will not express my opinion on this in this blog) the doctors only included this upon request.
- now that I was doing my part, I sought help from God, my higher power, and began to use the gift of self-control (an essential part of the indwelling Holy Spirit).
Latest diabetes beater update
I am happy to report that as of Oct 6, 2010, I am no longer taking medication for diabetes; and yes I make sure my levels stay normal. The last HbA1c: Saturday, June 11, 2022, was 5.6. So for twelve years I am still officially considered non-diabetic, a diabetes beater. You CAN DO IT too!
Type 2 diabetes – articles of These 7 Simple Steps Can Make You A Diabetes Beater:
The Big Picture: Checking Your Blood Sugar – American Diabetes Association®
“Tight control means getting as close to a normal (nondiabetic) blood glucose level as you safely can. Ideally, this means levels between 70 and 130 mg/dl before meals, and less than 180 two hours after starting a meal, with a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) level less than 7 percent…”
Food Cures for Type 2 Diabetes.
“It’s an extremely serious condition, but diabetes doesn’t have to run (or ruin) your life. If you work with your doctor to monitor and control your blood sugar and commit to eating right and exercising regularly…”
Five Ways to Control Type 2 Diabetes.
“…the latest research on diabetes, which shows that taking early and aggressive steps to achieve tight control of your blood glucose levels — by eating right and exercising, for instance — pays off big time.”
Type 2 diabetes: Treatments and drugs – MayoClinic.com.
“Treatment for type 2 diabetes requires a lifelong commitment to:
- Blood sugar monitoring
- Healthy eating
- Regular exercise
- Possibly, diabetes medication or insulin therapy
These steps will help keep your blood sugar level closer to normal, which can delay or prevent complications.”
Diabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control – MayoClinic.com.
- Get more physical activity
- Get plenty of fiber
- Go for whole grains
- Lose extra weight
- Skip fad diets and just make healthier choices
“A 2005 study from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) involving more than 157,000 people with diabetes found that more than two-thirds weren’t adequately controlling their blood sugar, which put them at risk for blindness, kidney failure, foot amputation, and other complications.”
Bless you and live healthy by following These 7 Simple Lifestyle Changes that Can Make You A Diabetes Beater!