# Paleo diet and diabetes.



## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I have been thinking of going paleo. Now I have been diagnosed as diabetic. Obviously the problem is carbs, and the paleo diet is very low carb. Now I have met with the diabetic counselor. I didn't bring up the paleo diet but she insisted that carbs were a regular and normal part of the diet. Does anyone here have experience with diabetes and the paleo diet?


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Can't speak tp Paleo, can speak to carbs.

If you've ever burned wood, you know that some burns hot and quick, while some burns long and steady. You always want the long and steady because you want that fire to burn even and for as long as possible.

Works that way for carbs, too! Some get "fired up" quickly and die out about as quickly. They ALSO raise your blood sugar quickly and then drop off, at which time you'll be grouchy and hungry...again.

Phrase we're looking at here is "Glycemic Index". Learn to use it to your advantage. And yes, you can still do Paleo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=32

Mon


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I would ignore the diabetic nutritionist/counselor. If you follow their idea of an eating plan you will not have as low of blood sugar as if you eat a low carb eating plan. BTDT.... Nothing beats low carb for diabetic eating plans.
One thing you should know is that even if you eat correctly, sometimes your glucose goes up no matter what. It is harder to keep it under control when you take certain medications and are ill especially if you have had the disease a long time. Since you were just diagnosed, you will do well for a long time on a low carb plan. It just works that way.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

It's really easy to figure out how you should eat. Do an experiment. Fast for 5 hours. Eat a meal "paleo / low carb style" -- 5-6 oz meat, green or yellow veggies with plenty of butter, 1 small piece of fruit. Test blood sugar at 1 hour and 2 hour. Then do the same thing the next day but eat a meal the nutritionalist recommends. Test again at 1 and 2 hours. I have never understoon the diabetic "diet" of high carb low fat. I've been diabetic for 10 years and would be in bad shape had I followed the "standard diabetic" diet. I do moderate low carb of 25 grams of carb per meal, and take minimal meds. On the occasions I eat high carb for more than just one meal, I have to take a buckload of meds to keep my bs. in range.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Well, I've gone partial paleo for the last few days (I'm not giving up dairy LOL!) 3 of my last 4 BS tests are below 200 (first sub 200 readings).

Fell good but weak and shaky at times.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

If your blood sugar readings have been high for some time, you can feel that way for a bit when you change your diet and your blood sugar goes down. See if you can find about a 100 calorie, 12-15 gram snack you can have between meals.

Mon


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

We moved our young son from pre-diabetic to normal by eating a low carb diet for the last few years.

Hoping you feel great and have great blood sugar levels soon!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

frogmammy said:


> If your blood sugar readings have been high for some time, you can feel that way for a bit when you change your diet and your blood sugar goes down. See if you can find about a 100 calorie, 12-15 gram snack you can have between meals.
> 
> Mon


Yep, I, I eat a piece of string cheese ( I know, iffy paleo, but I'm sticking with dairy), and a clementine when I get weak. It usually hits me just as I start work at 11:00 pm.

My BS was 113 tonight!


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## buttonwillow (Jul 31, 2010)

Your nutrition counselor is right, carbs are a normal part of the human diet, if you describe normal as what most people are doing. But just because everyone is slurping up 32-ounce sweet sodas, should you follow suit? Hardly. The American Diabetic Association itself admits cutting out starches and sugar is the best way to go, but it never, until recently, comes out and says to do it because it thinks people are such wimps that they can't bear to give up their desserts and breads and pastas. Belfrybat is correct: test your blood sugar after eating different meals. Since the ADA absolutely recommends that you keep your BS low and level, you'll see that low carb/paleo/primal style eating will give you the results you want.


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