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Re: Insulin and feeling shitty

Posted by crinn on December 24, 2001, at 11:20:51

In reply to Re: Insulin and feeling shitty, posted by Noa on December 21, 2001, at 6:20:42

You don't say if you are type I (insulin-dependent) or Type II. All the above advice is about Type 2. If you are type I you need to realize that insulin is a hormone, and researchers are still trying to figure out how it interacts with the hormones in the body. But many people with diabetes are very moody. There is an excellent book called "The Human Side of Diabetes" by Mike Raymond (you can get it in the library) that talks not about carbs and dosages, etc...but how it really feels to have diabetes. There is a lot of excellent research happening right now (check out jdrf.org) and a lot of hope. But in the meantime, it is the pits to feel awful just because of food. Hang in there!
> Maybe you should see a doc about this.
>
> Insulin resistance is apparently quite common (I've read up to 20% of the population of adults in this country). My understanding? The cells don't respond to insulin, the pancreas emits more of it, the more that is emitted, the more unresponsive the cells become, and a viscious cycle develops. (please correct my understanding if it is wrong).
>
> To test for insulin resistance, I had an oral glucose tolerance test, which involves several blood tests over the course of about 2 hours. First, they get a sample while you are "fasting" (ie, it can be first thing in the morning before you have eaten). Then they give you a glucose-rich liquid and then take more samples at intervals of (if I am remembering correctly) 30 minutes, one hour and two hours. My results showed normal glucose levels at fasting, and too-high levels after the glucose, although not yet in the range of diabetes. Still, I am considered at risk for diabetes. Again, my understanding is that the high output of insulin can't go on forever, and eventually it is depleted, causing diabetes.
>
> The reason I think you should check this out is that insulin resistance and diabetes II are very serious over the long term. Catching them early can really make a difference for your health. The extra insulin in the body is associated with higher risk of vascular damage and heart disease.
>
> Like MB, I also find exercise helps, and have read that regular exercise helps to regulate the insulin system. Apparently, both cardio/aerobic exercise and weight training help to make the body more efficient in metabolizing sugar. There was a recent study publicized widely in the media about the efficacy of exercise in preventing the onset of diabetes in people at risk.
>
> I have been trying to be more conscious of my sugar intake, although not reducing it very drastically. I once read work by Dr. Judith Wortman of MIT regarding nutrition and mental alertness, mood, etc. She said that the time of day makes a difference in terms of how carbos affect mood and alertness. For example, she said that carbos first thing in the morning doesn't tend to cause that drop in blood sugar and associated alertness/mood lowering, but middday meals that are carbo-rich do, and that it is a good idea to eat lunch that, first of all isn't too big, but also contains protein and vegies. I think Dr. Arnot's The Biology of Success also discusses this subject. Also, don't know if you are male or female, but Dr. Michelle Harrison's book, Self Help for Premenstrual Syndrome talks about how sugar and caffeine contribute to hormone-related irritability and depression.


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