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Skinny guy on the slow boat to Diabetestan

MyDoorsAreOpen

MyDoorsAreOpen

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
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I'm a 32 year old American man of Celtic and Germanic descent, with a BMI<20. Never really been fat, except a 3 year stretch in my early 20s when I abused alcohol, ate junk, and didn't exercise. Even then though, I was just slightly pudgy, and now that I don't do any of those things anymore, and make it to the gym 3~5 times in a good week, I'm skinny again now.

I just had bloodwork done for the first time in 3 years, and it showed a fasting blood glucose of 99. Yes, I really did fast >12h, except for a black espresso that morning, which doesn't raise blood glucose. I also had a glycosylated hemoglobin A1c of 5.6, which is at the upper limit of normal.

I sent my DNA away to be analysed by 23andme.com some time ago, and it showed I have a much elevated risk of both types of diabetes. My granduncle had it, and I'm pretty sure one of my cousins on that side of the family does too. When I told this to the doc at the place I got the bloodwork done and showed him by lab results, he said I'd probably be diabetic in 5 to 10 years, but it wasn't my fault. :|

Is anyone else in my situation -- a person of approximately my demographic and biometric stats, who seems to just be at a great genetic risk for type II diabetes? (Not much can be done to protect against type I.) How do you eat, and how much and what types of activity do you integrate into your life, in order to keep the Metformin at bay?

I still intend to smoke marijuana every day. But I'm willing to cut out all candy and eat only whole grain pasta -- I already only eat brown rice and whole oats. I rarely drink soda. I have 1 24oz beer every 3~4 days. I never eat ice cream. I'm thinking of carrying around a pocketful of plain nuts everywhere I go, since my metabolism is still pretty high, and I get hungry easily.

What's a good thing to put in oatmeal that doesn't contain much carbohydrate, but makes oatmeal not so bland? Anybody ever try oatmeal with nori?
 
get a tester at walmart they make a cheap but reliable test kit. You need to evaluate yourself a few more times before you get a baseline reading. A fasted glucose level of 99 is indeed horrible. Even with growth hormone (which causes hyperglycemia) I rarely go above 120 (with administration of 100+g of simple carbs).

There are a few things you can do.

IGF1-des can sensitize insulin receptors. Its run on a multiple-per day injection schedule (AM/noon/PM).

cinnamon works also.

ALA is good.

intermittent fasting is probably necessary. Give me a typical day's eating and I will help you rearrange the nutrients so that there are no nutrients in the beginning of the day (thus extending the fast of night into the day and keeping insulin quiet).

You're talking about a lot of carbohydrates. IMO you need to stay away from carbs. Carbs around working out (before and after) and carbs during first meal of the day. Fruit included (one of the worst for spiking insulin). You shsould be primarily eating meats and fats and green veggies.

I'll be back to this thread if you want more help (with diet or drug therapy).
 
I believe one of the advantages of eating raw (mostly fruits) is that blood sugar levels are not spiked, even when eating massive amounts of fructose. I don't know how this works, but I'm sure MM will refute or confirm this post. :)
 
I'm all about the raw fruits. I usually buy bottom of the barrel cheapo veggies, especially during the winter, so I feel safer cooking them. I love nuts and beans.

I'm not sure a raw diet is going to be economically feasible for me for the next couple of years, at least.

I ate a bowl of oatmeal the other day with nothing in it. It was surprisingly good. I can definitely do no refined carbs. I'm switching back to whole wheat or multigrain pasta, and as I said, I only ever eat whole grain oats, pressure cooked brown rice, quinoa, and whole kernel corn. But no way I can cut out grains as the staple of my diet.

Andy, do any of Walmart's top competitors also offer a cheap OTC glucometer? I don't Walmart.

I'm also going to get my A1c tested again after I've been going to the gym for 3 whole months.

Thanks for the ideas, guys.
 
It is actually pretty affordable. It has been for me anyway. What you spend on more fresh fruits and veggies you make up for with less of the heavier stuff.

And you don't have to go 100% raw or nothing to have the benefits. Even going 80% raw and basing your diet around greens and salads instead of the grains will help. Processed whole wheat products will be the opposite of what you are looking for... seriously, you don't have to listen to me, it's your choice but I'm just trying to help. I do hope you are able to watch that movie and be inspired by it a little at least. :)

Good luck!
 
I'm poor, but I spend about $30 a week on groceries. I don't know if this is high or low, but I feel like spending money on my health is justified.
 
^ do you eat food on campus at your school also?

I spend about 80-100 dollars a week on food, at about 250g protein/day and 3.5k calories/day. I think I'm doing pretty great. I could buy more organic potatoes/sweet potatoes more often (every once in awhile I buy convential potatoes since I eat so much of them and they are hella cheap).
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
I'm all about the raw fruits. I usually buy bottom of the barrel cheapo veggies, especially during the winter, so I feel safer cooking them. I love nuts and beans.
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some veggies (and legumes) you always want to cook the hell out of to mitigate the neurotoxins they contain.

have you heard of the paleolithic diet? the basic theory is that you cut carbs mostly out of your diet and replace it with, as the title implies, the foods that were available to the gen pop during the paleolithic period (i.e. pre-agricultural revolution).

i should explain how this relates to diabetes:

ok, so diabetes is insulin resistance that develops generally from high blood sugar, keeping fuel in the blood till it goes stale and settles down as fat rather than being used by the body as normal.

simple carbs (that includes most things labeled "whole wheat" imho), alcohol, and obviously sugars like glucose are metabolized fastest, loading your blood up with fuel. athletes load up on carbs before an event because they need that quick shot of fuel to use their muscles at full efficiency.

however, most people in Western society load up on carbs before sitting down on a couch to watch said athletes using their bodies closer to the purpose it was used for during the paleolithic period, where being active was necessary to score every meal.

iirc, glucose circulates in the blood for up to a day until it settles into fat deposits if not used by the body. hence the obesity usually associated with diabetes.

protein and fats they take longer to metabolize which means they are gradually introducing glucose to your blood. the general theory is that converting to a diet that is mainly protein and fats (alongside the prerequisite fruits/veggies) makes the body work harder to convert the protein and fat to fuel than it would the carbs and leads to better management of blood sugar so that neither hypo nor hyperglycemia are experienced.

protein is a no-brainer but in terms of fats i believe you would want to stick more with the unsaturated plant fats as opposed to the saturated animal fats. there was a really good essay about how the saturated fats influence insulin resistance too but i forget the mechanics of it.

regardless, i know two people who cured their diabetes and attribute it to cutting saturated fats out of their diet. that's no bull, and [conspiracytheory][run-on sentence]the reason doctors don't talk about a cure for diabetes is because the pharmaceutical industry rewards them for prescribing drugs and since the drugs do technically solve the issue (the catch being that it's dose dependent) it's not a violation of the Hippocratic oath to avoid discussing how to really solve the issue instead of just managing it, and hey, in America, home to the on-demand lifestyle, nobody gives two shits about the cure anyway just give me the fucking drugs and let me get back to my big mac motherfucker! *points menacingly*[/conspiracytheory][/run-on sentence]

anyway, lay off the beer at the very least. and corn, those two are among the worst for potential diabetics and you admit to them being staples of your diet. tsk tsk :)

oh right and the whole active lifestyle thing. that is also key.
 
Matsuo Munefusa. said:
^ do you eat food on campus at your school also?

I spend about 80-100 dollars a week on food, at about 250g protein/day and 3.5k calories/day. I think I'm doing pretty great. I could buy more organic potatoes/sweet potatoes more often (every once in awhile I buy convential potatoes since I eat so much of them and they are hella cheap).
Click to expand...

nope, I dropped out of grad school last semester %)

With the tuna/salmon, yogurt, broccoli, almonds, and cheese, I think I'm getting a pretty adequate amount of protein.
 
^seriously?

how do you afford salmon and almonds on 30 dollars a week food budget? one meal of salmon is like 4-6 bucks. id love to see a breakdown of your shopping list if you have a free moment sometime!
 
Matsuo Munefusa. said:
so MDAO what are you going to CHANGE so you dont get either of these diseases?
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Well, for one thing, I'm going to go to the gym at least 5 days a week. I'm going to resume my usual biking everywhere once the streets are free of ice. As for my diet, I'm going to correct a few major bad habits. I'm already off candy and 'white' starches. I'm considering giving up beer and having a small glass of dry red wine or dry sake instead. Then, as I mentioned, I'm going to get my fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin retested sometime in late spring. If they haven't improved, then I'll consider more drastic measures.

I understand now the difficulty with dieting. I'm taking into consideration not only nutritional content, but also economics (I live one block away from, and do most of my shopping at, a supermarket that serves a predominantly Latino clientele.), and also comfort. Being back in a demanding grad school program, I must say that I have to have some tried-and-true comfort foods to reach for. For me, that's mostly been pasta. I have to weigh my priorities -- I want to be able to say that I shop locally and get exercise by walking to and from the place I food shop. I also need to save money, being a student. Plus, I do need to look forward to eating.

You must understand, I'm a skinny, high-metabolism dude who has traditionally put away enormous amounts of food without any effort or repercussions. When I don't, I don't have enough energy for the mentally and physically demanding lifestyle I've always kept up.

Thujone, I have heard of the paleolithic diet, and it intrigues me. I will look more into it. The only issue that preemptively strikes me is this: while this diet would definitely suit a baseline physiology that hasn't changed in millennia, would it suit a lifestyle and enviromental demands that are quite novel?
 
daysonatrain said:
^seriously?

how do you afford salmon and almonds on 30 dollars a week food budget? one meal of salmon is like 4-6 bucks. id love to see a breakdown of your shopping list if you have a free moment sometime!
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Some things I buy once a month, others every two weeks, still others-- like bananas and almonds, I buy every week.

$4.99 ~ 4-pack canned light tuna or salmon (w/ no additives, preservatives, etc...)
$3 ~ 3 bunches bananas (I weigh myself, leaving one bunch off the scale to save $1 a week)
$4.99 1 loaf sprouted bread
$3.50 bag of oranges
$3 bag of apples or pears
$4 pound of almonds (I lift the bag while I weigh them, saving about $5 a week)
$4 medium sized 2% greek yogurt
$4 brick of cheese
$2 pound of couscous (scale trick, again)
$3 oatmeal (one large can lasts me months)
$3 broccoli
$.99 mini carrots
$2 large bag spinach
$1.99 hummus
$3 honey (once every 1.5 months)
$4 natural peanut butter (once a month maybe)
$2.50 organic blue corn tortillas
$.69 large can of tomato puree
$.39 per can of beans (once a month or so)
$1.99 50 pack store-brand green tea bags


Others things like avocados and mangoes are more expensive, but I only eat those in the summer
 
Matsuo Munefusa. said:
you should eat more food brother. Thats like 2-3 days for me :\
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That's enough to maintain my weight of like 163 pounds at 5'10''

Sure, some people want to have more muscles than you know what to do with. Others eat very little to live a long life. I think this is a good middle-way, so to speak.

not to hijack the thread
 
yeah that makes sense I guess. I am 174 at 5'6" and pretty lean so obviously im gonna need more food than you.

i remember back in the day when I was 120 I ate like 2 small meals a day heh. No longer do that. Its 5-6 full meals every day.

oh but I take a stab at your "more muscle than they know what to do with" - I hike with loaded backpacks, chainsaw wood, chop it, stack it, climb cliffs, deadlift and squat...I know what to do with my muscle hehe ;)
 
Well then I applaud you for using the mass. If you were, say, lifting just for the sake of lifting, it'd be remiss of me to not mention the fact that more body mass = shorter life, biologically speaking.

Once I leave this frozen tundra that is the north east, I hope to be spending all my time outdoors-- naturally I'll be eating a lot more then. :)
 
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