Re: [fast5] Re: Health Related Question

Thanks for your response, Ellen. I agree with your assessment and that many people tend to get obsessed with numbers and health. My friends and I, all over 60 have made a pact not to talk about our bowels; something our parents did to a fault!

I must admit that I first looked at fast5 as a weight loss plan. And while I have lost weight and continue to, I have found this way of eating to be very intuitive for me. I am not hungry until about 2:00 pm and usually start my eating window then. It is funny that when I go off fast5, as I recently did when I had house guests, I feel sluggish, eat too much, and am uncomfortable.

One of the jobs I have is teaching evidence based best practices to advance practice nurses. So I am able to keep current on the literature and realize how little we know about the body and disease. One of my students is a diabetes nurse educator and has unbelievable stories about her patients and their eating habits. I hope science will soon get some answers on this epidemic, so people can lead productive and healthy lives.

On Feb 23, 2009, at 8:40 AM, Ellen Ussery wrote:

MJ,

My point was NOT to check it every day and be obsessive. It was to check it for a few days in response to normal meals and find out how you respond to the particular kind of meals you eat.

Getting the HgAlC   would certainly be another way to do this, if you want to go to your doctor that often. Although that wouldn't tell you about particular foods and some people do respond more to some foods than others regardless of whether they are considered low carb or low glycemic.

Also I was referring to older people and people having some health or weight,issues, not the entire populace. A lot of people come to this board to lose weight and are thinking only about the weight, but often there are blood sugar and insulin issues involved. In the long term, it could only help them to understand what is going on and not rely solely on the occasional fasting blood sugar test. I certainly wish I has understood all this 50 years ago. I suspect I would have made different choices and as a result had more time and energy productive work as well as fun.

Ellen

On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Mary Jeanette Mannino <mjm1@cox.net>wrote:
I really think that checking your blood sugar daily is overkill, unless you are a diabetic. It would be better to get a HgA1C test every 3-6 months to get a snapshot of your blood sugars over a period of time.

Sorry Ellen, I am over 70, have a strong family history of diabetes, but fortunately am not a diabetic. If one is a diabetic or very ill, tight control of blood sugar and insulin levels have been found to be critical in maintaining health. For those of us who are healthy, a few simple things work well to feel good. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!! If you are hungry, eat (good, nutrient rich food), if you are thirsty, drink enough to quench the thrist, exercise enough to be flexible and to challenge the heart (I do yoga and take long walks). Part of my feeling great is not to be obsessive about things, so I don't weigh myself daily, nor do I check my blood pressure and wouldn't think of checking my blood sugar. If I did all of that, I wouldn't have time to have fun.

MJ

On Feb 23, 2009, at 6:25 AM, Ellen Ussery wrote:

Just want to agree with Heather about the glucometer. I had the same experience of seeing high blood sugars when I thought that feeling I had been having was from low blood sugar.

From what I have been reading, that low blood sugar feeling often comes about if your sugar have been higher than they should be for a while and now they are coming down. My experience bears this out. For the best of health they need to stay pretty much in a tight range all day. Optimal is around 83 and not going too much higher than 10 points.

But the common wisdom of eating frequently to keep them up is not good advice, because for many of us it will keep them up too high. So in the short run you might feel better, but in the long run, not so much.    Low carb and FF are two things that can help get them in line.

But you need to know exactly what is going on in order to deal with it appropriately. If what I suggested was the case, It might mean this person would ease more slowly into FF.

The older you get the more likely it is that your blood sugar is deranged. I am 66 and I now think everybody who is over 60 or who is any age and is having difficulty with weight ( or a number of other issues like high B Pressure) ought get one and periodically check for a day or two to see what their numbers are for: fasting, pre meal and one and two hours after meals. Because unless they check now they could be doing all kinds of silent damage to all their tissues, and systems ( all the well known complications of diabetes -- heart, blood pressure, neuropathy and some not so well known like tendon issues) and not find out till it is too late.

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045621.php

IMO the above site is filled with information about Blood sugar that everybody who cares about their health ought to understand.

Ellen

On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 6:09 PM, zipolite2 <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Thanks for your response. Personally I agree with you! I would like
to hear what Dr. Bert has to say as well, if he gets a chance to
respond.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the light, clean, clear fasting feeling and
increased energy.

Be well!
z2

--- In fast5@yahoogroups.com, Heather Twist <HeatherTwist@...> wrote:
>
> I think it's fairly common to feel woozy when you are getting
> used to the eating pattern. If your nurse friend is worried about
> blood sugar, you should try getting a glucometer and
> actually testing your blood sugar. I was really shocked when
> I did this. It turned out that when I was "woozy" my blood
> sugar was HIGH ... even though I hadn't eaten for hours. It
> was high cortisol that did it. I learned to fight high cortisol
> with exercise ... a couple of squats or a walk around the block
> does wonders. So does drinking lemon juice or vinegar
> water, or eating a salty fish ... not sure why, but it probably
> has to do with triggering an insulin surge? But lemon juice
> doesn't seem to hurt my fasting any or make me hungrier
> later.
>
> But the thing is, it's hard to know how to treat it until
> you know what is going on. Glucometers are CHEAP these
> days and easy to use, although the concept seems weird.
> I finally got up the guts after seeing someone test his all
> day (he's very, very diabetic). If her blood glucose is in
> fact low, then a sugar cube or glucose pill will help. But if
> it is high, then sugar is not a good solution.
>
> It could also be her blood pressure. Same thing: either
> too high OR too low. In that case electrolytes might
> help. She could be getting a little dehydrated for some
> reason also. BP monitors are easy to get and to use
> too, and at 76 she should probably have one around?
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 11:49 AM, zipolite2
<no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> > The friend I am doing this program with is 76, in excellent
health,
> > takes no pharmaceuticals etc.
> >
> > She has experienced wooziness during her fasting hours, a couple
of
> > times at night (her window is 2-7, and she had the woozy feeling
> > around 10 despite having eaten around 7) and today in the morning.
> >
> > A nurse friend says this is a bad program, that you have to keep
your
> > blood sugar level at all times bla bla bla... I am telling her
that
> > this program is compiled and researched by a doctor and that most
> > people have a misunderstanding of fasting sensations.
> >
> > Is there a possibility she has blood sugar issues that are causing
> > her problem? My advice to her is to have it checked by all means,
> > but I don't believe her health is at risk. What do you think?
> >
> > When I first began fasting years ago (always on juices) I
experienced
> > occasional weakness/wooziness but have had no adverse symptoms
since
> > then.
> >
> > Thank you!
> > z2
> >
> >
>