Hi everybody – My husband is T2 and we have both started this diet today. However, he does seem to be of the impression that he needs a lot of slow release carbs to counteract having a hypo. As we have only just started we can’t, as yet, monitor how he gets on but does anyone add a bit of carb to the recipes, like brown rice or brown bread. How does anyone else manage not having hypos? Thanks.

Hi
don’t worry about it as long as he isn’t having them now.
Best to check the sugar readings every day for the first couple of weeks (especially if he’s taking Gliclazide) and start reducing meds (with the GP’s permission) if the readings start going too low.
TBH there will probably be enough stored sugar in his organs to stop any hypos from happening.

Hi Icarus, I am known for flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to low blood glucose, mainly when it gets to 4 or 5 pm and I previously used to have a snack. It can be quite frightening seeing your results go down and down but this is what the diet is meant to do. Do not even think of brown bread, it is bread by another colour. Most things that say wholemeal, wholewheat, natural etc are not, they are manufactured. I know a little brown rice is allowed on this but only a very small amount. He is right, he does need slow release carbs (not a lot) and these are found in chickpeas, lentils, nuts, fruit (not too sweet), lots of foods if you can find a GI diet list on line.

Is your husband on insulin. As my readings came down I slowly slowly reduced my insulin. Like Bill says, Gliclazide can cause lows and I have cut mine from 3 a day to 2 but you might want to ask your doctor first. If mine get really low I have something like prunes or sultanas and a tablespoon of yogurt – advised to me on here as I didn’t want to go the bread, jam, juice root. Try to get him to have a mid afternoon snack left over from his lunch or make up a hummus dip with some celery or carrot sticks or eat an apple, all this before his bloods get too low. Is he checking regularly, I mean a couple of times a day. If he starts to feel shaky or any of the symptoms he should do a blood test, if it is low, have something good to eat. I know some of the foods don’t sound great but who knew I would come to love minted pea hummus served with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.

Good luck

Should of said, I don’t go low on purpose, it is just this diet has had that effect and rather than eat more I have been able to reduce meds. Right now I have stuck to the same amount of insulin for 1 week to see if my bloods stabilise. If they are still keeping low by tomorrow I will reduce my insulin again.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, my husband is on insulin once a day. He had a mild hypo last night (first day of diet) and reduced his insulin by 2 mls (we live in France so numbers are different) and was ok during the night. He is on metformin as well. Monitoring his blood at least 5 times a day at the moment just to make sure it is staying stable. It is me who does the worrying as I hate seeing him have a hypo! So far enjoying the recipes (we love to cook) and hope it helps us a. lose weight and b. reduce Js medication!

Bonjour Icarus, j’habite en France aussi, pres de Bergerac depuis onze ans. Et vous????

I think when you say ‘hypo’ you mean very low reading and feeling a bit shaky, a true hypo is when your eyes go blurry, you sweat and possibly vomit and black out and that is when the low has gone too far. It is just being aware of your own body and having something healthy on standby to eat – a few nuts or prunes. Obviously if it is a true hypo and he loses consciousness you will have learnt how to deal with it i.e. liquid glucose (you get sachets from the pharmacy) and if no improvement, call the samu. Like your husband I am probably on the same insulin Lantus in the pen and my 2 units is the same as his 2ml. I remember seeing my results going down and down and being a little afraid. After the second week it started to stabilize and I have been on the same units for a week with no intention of reducing further, unless I have another drop.

You should publish his results so we here can keep up with his progress.

Bon chance et bon courage.

I have been on the diet now for 5 days. Losing weight very slowly but blood sugar levels are plunging from far too high a level. I am on Lantus once a day 34 units, Metformin 4 a day, Gliclazide 4 a day. Cooking supper last night I tested and got a reading of 2.1, ate supper immediately and 2 hours later it was 3.8, had to eat my usual sweet remedy and an oatcake, got it up to 5.8 by bedtime. I reduced my insulin by 2 units and left out one Gliclazide (advice from diabetic nurse when I was on the Sirt Diet and getting the odd hypo) Woke at 4am and it was 3.3. Ringing the diabetic nurse today!

Incidentally, over here, a hypo is when you drop below 4, not when you lose consciousness.

Hi JaneG, did you manage to speak to the nurse, what did she say. When I had my problems I just kept reducing my insulin slowly slowly. I have just re-read my post above (was it really 26th July) and since then I have reduced from 38 units daily to 24. I have also stopped some of the Glycazide, was on 3 x 30 mg daily now on 2 x 30 mg. What I mean’t about hypos was that you know you are going hypo when you get the symptoms I mentioned, not everyone has a blood monitor on them so there are danger signs to watch for and was just advising what to do for someone having a full hypo i.e. gone unconscious, before that stage they would be able to deal with it themselves by eating or having glucose tabs or syrup. I didn’t mean it is not a hypo until you are unconscious.