They call me Doctor Love

[cyrano]

So the results of a blood test that I trust came back, and I talked to Doctor Lin. Triglycerides are uncomfortably high, and my fasting blood sugar was at 116. After I talked about the changes I'd made, and the lack of response I saw, she suggested (a) continuing with the changes (b) reducing the amount of white sugar/white flour/white rice I ate (c) starting a program of glucosage.

Comments

[cerulean-me.livejournal.com]

Glucosage? Or glucophage? If the latter, it's my diabetes drug of choice...

*hugs*

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I thought she said glucosage, but either is quite possible. I should probably resolve that confusion before I finish my research.

[cerulean-me.livejournal.com]

I Googled "glucosage" and didn't get very far ;-)

Glucophage is nice because it doesn't just lower your blood sugar, it helps your body use it's insulin better.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I got more results there than I did looking for 'glucofage' which was my initial search. (: You've probably got the correct name, but I'm going to call WalGreen's anyway and verify.

[cerulean-me.livejournal.com]

I'd better know how to spell it, I've been on it for 6 years! :)

The brand name is Glucophage, the other name it Metformin. FWIW

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

*hug*
reducing white death (As they call it on the south beach lists) is much easier than I expected it to be. We use only whole wheat pastas (just as cheap as, and much tastier than white), whole wheat breads (ditto) and whole grains (although I miss my Thai Jasmine rice, which we cheat on, once every couple of months.)

The change, while kind of weird at first, has really been pretty simple. Out here, even in the regular grocery, they have whole grain bagels, english muffins, bread (of course) and even hot dog and hamburger buns. Boboli makes a whole grain pizza crust, and Trader Joes has whole grain pizza dough (which is nummy and cheap at about 79cents per pizza).

white sugar, we've just pretty much switched to splenda. I don't get nitpicky about it. I figure if I'm eating no "real" sugar in soda, drastically reducing the amount of candy/sweets I eat, and using splenda in most things, then the little bit that's in spaghetti sauce/etc is not going to hurt me.

The one thing we've learned to watch out for is corn syrup, however. High Fructose Corn Syrup is in /everything/. I don't sweat it in things like ketchup (Which I maybe use a 1/4 cup of a week), but in things like non-fat yogurt, which I eat every day, I try to choose stuff with splenda or such instead.

*hug*

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

That's part of my despondency, though. Two years ago I cut out most of the heavily processed starches--I don't know if brown rice counts or not, but still--and I don't say "It's not fair" but it really isn't.
And yeah, I keep re-learning the rules about HFCS. I was quite dismayed to find it in my non-fat yogurt.

[tamago.livejournal.com]

HFCS is the devil. And, as you know, the devil is in the details. It's hard finding processed food without it. (Not impossible, but close to.)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Since I'm trying to cut back on processed food too, then that should theoretically walk hand in hand with my current plans.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Brown rice does not count as a heavily processed starch. It's considered a whole grain and a recommended substitute for white rice, which is nutritionally empty calories and not much else.

That is teh suck. :/ But let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

This is one of those times when the isolation of my schedule really hits. Like I told Dr. Lin, even if I did get on a more regimented diet, I'd be doing it all on my own and I'm unlikely to have the time and energy to follow through. It'd be nice if that weren't true and I could say "Yeah, no problem, I'll just get myself on a diet". I'm hoping the stuff I'm doing now becomes habit and then I can assimilate the next step.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Hrm.

Maybe you can talk to her about a recommendation to a nutritionist? Maybe with some help, it may be something you can do.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

You may wanna talk to Dr. Lin about this, but when I was doing Atkins, he recommended in his book taking extra chromium in the form of chromium picolinate to help in cases of insulin resistance--which would likely be a symptom the glucophage's "helps your body use its insulin better" aspect that cerulean_me mentioned would be combatting. Something about chromium being a factor in the insulin-receptors which get 'turned off' in terms of insulin resistance, and that having plenty of chromium in your system can help keep that from happening.

I've been taking it daily since then, even when I stopped doing Atkins, in an effort to maybe help stave off that happening.

Better living through chemistry...

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I doubt this stuff is in my multi-vitamins, but I can certainly check. Is the form crucial, or is chromium in general sufficient?

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I think chromium in general is sufficient, and that chromium picolinate was recommended either because it's the most common form of standalone supplement, or because it didn't usually get packaged with carby fillers like Brewer's yeast or dextrose. Just check the ingredient lists.

[cerulean-me.livejournal.com]

Chromium Picolinate is AWESOME.

Though, I'd actually go a step further and picking up a "blood sugar control" supplement from Whole Foods. The on I take is fenugreek, cinnamon, chromium picolinate, bilberry (to help those itty bitty blood vessels in your eyes, which diabetic have trouble with) and a few other things that help daibetics.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

These are all good things to know for the proper Care and Feeding of a Coyote, seeing how you will be here very soon.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Definitely good to know, although pretty much what it does is confirm what I already knew. I'm planning to hold off on starting the medication until I get back from my trip--I don't think I want to deal with new meds while I'm on the road.
Looking forward to seeing you. And giving you hugs.

[7leaguebootdisk.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome

This could be interesting.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that looks familiar. Plus, how cool is it to say "Don't mess with me, bub. I have Syndrome X."