my blood work

[hamper19]

So I got my blood work done and everything seems fine except the doc said I have high potassium? I never heard of that.

He also said my blood sugar was a bit high at 107. I don't get that either since I don't even eat sugar..i use substitutes...almost never eat refined carbs like white bread etc...so that's just wierd. My grandfather did have diabities but i mean he was unhealthy and had TypeII much later in life.

any thoughts? I'm going to search on stuff for lowering blood sugar but if anyone wants to chime in on stuff i can order (preferably that nutraplanet may have since Im in the middle of ordering stuff from there right now)..that would be cool

h19

 

[Nitrox]

Refined carbohydrate consumption can be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes but is by no means the deciding factor.

Was your blood test a fasting one? If not, you really need one for the blood sugar result to be accurate. If so, you may well have some degree of insulin impairment and may wish to ask your doc about an oral glucose tolerance test to see what the degree is.

 

[hamper19]

Refined carbohydrate consumption can be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes but is by no means the deciding factor.

Was your blood test a fasting one? If not, you really need one for the blood sugar result to be accurate. If so, you may well have some degree of insulin impairment and may wish to ask your doc about an oral glucose tolerance test to see what the degree is.

It was a fasting blood test. I don't even consume refined carbs though. I mean maybe for cheat meals I'll have some white bread, but 95% of the time I eat zero bread and pasta..the only form of carbs i usually have come in vegetables or fruit..and like tomato sauce but i use this carb obtions one. I also eat the fiber one cereal but thast not even refined carbs.

I don't think it's THAT high, but it's still high none the less.

I will ask what he says about that test. Thanks for the info

Anyone have thoughts on the whole potassium thing? I think that part was a fluke.

h19

 

[Nitrox]

It was a fasting blood test. I don't even consume refined carbs though. I mean maybe for cheat meals I'll have some white bread, but 95% of the time I eat zero bread and pasta..the only form of carbs i usually have come in vegetables or fruit..and like tomato sauce but i use this carb obtions one. I also eat the fiber one cereal but thast not even refined carbs.

It doesnt matter. All food with non-zero calories has the capacity to raise blood glucose: refined carbs, whole food carbs, protein, fats, etc. As a diabetic even if I dont eat, my blood glucose creeps up if I am inactive and not burning it off.

 

[hamper19]

It doesnt matter. All food with non-zero calories has the capacity to raise blood glucose: refined carbs, whole food carbs, protein, fats, etc. As a diabetic even if I dont eat, my blood glucose creeps up if I am inactive and not burning it off.

So what are some preventitive steps I can take?

 

[Nitrox]

So what are some preventitive steps I can take?

Firstly talk it over with your doctor and get his input. As always it is good to do some of your own homework in advance to know what questions to ask. If your results are accurate then the following excerpt MAY apply to you:

People with glucose levels between normal and diabetic have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). People with impaired glucose tolerance do not have diabetes, but are at high risk for progressing to diabetes. Each year, 1-5% of people whose test results show impaired glucose tolerance actually eventually develop diabetes. Weight loss and exercise may help people with impaired glucose tolerance return their glucose levels to normal. In addition, some physicians advocate the use of medications, such as metformin (Glucophage), to help prevent/delay the onset of overt diabetes. Recent studies have shown that impaired glucose tolerance itself may be a risk factor for the development of heart disease. In the medical community, most physicians are now understanding that impaired glucose tolerance is not simply a precursor of diabetes, but likely its own clinical disease entity that requires treatment and monitoring.

First steps are of course the textbook lifestyle changes. Reducing total caloric intake, total carbohydrate intake, and eating fewer smaller meals will reduce the load on your remaining insulin function. Reducing bodyfat and daily exercise (the higher the intensity the greater the effect) should improve insulin sensitivity and allow remaining function to work better.

Since you are already an AM member Im guessing that you have already done some of this so there may not be as much room for improvement as say, an obese, McD eating, couch potato. Be sure to mention this to your doctor, if you are already fairly lean, he may suggest early stage meds like Metformin.

Some cheap supps that can help a little are cinnamon, green tea (and other caffeine products), and acetic acid (vinegar). There are numerous ALA products available but they really arent competitive if something like Metformin is an option.

Hope this helps.

 

[hamper19]

Thanks..yeah i'm not a fat ass or anything. I workout at least 4x a week. I'm 5'7" 177lbs roughly 12% bf or so. Also I eat at least 5 times a day already usually more, about every 2.5-3 hours.

When i spoke with my doctor before he just said "Just keep an eye on it"....what does that mean lol.

I don't know. I think it was just maybe a fluke.

but i'm going to be aware of it regardless..thanks for your advice

 

[Nitrox]

When i spoke with my doctor before he just said "Just keep an eye on it"....what does that mean lol.

IMO that answer varies from acceptable to absurd depending on how seriously YOU take your results and your health.

Regardless, how does he expect YOU to keep an eye on it. Are you able to source your own lab work or do you have access to a blood glucose meter?

FWIW here's another recent thread that has info you may find useful: Invalid Link Removed

 

[NYhomeboy]

I'm not saying that it was a fluke, but I've frequently been around blood sugar testing as my sister was a diabetic (it just disappeared after she started eating healthy... imagine that), and I used to volunteer at a hospital to check people's blood sugar levels. I know that a few times, I've had people come in with relatively high blood sugar, and then have it checked the next day and it's been perfectly fine. If you think it's a fluke, I would get it tested again to make sure, as it's fairly easy to check.

 

[Nitrox]

I'm not saying that it was a fluke, but I've frequently been around blood sugar testing as my sister was a diabetic (it just disappeared after she started eating healthy... imagine that), and I used to volunteer at a hospital to check people's blood sugar levels. I know that a few times, I've had people come in with relatively high blood sugar, and then have it checked the next day and it's been perfectly fine. If you think it's a fluke, I would get it tested again to make sure, as it's fairly easy to check.

Good call. That's why I recommended the glucose tolerance test. That will give a better indication of if there really is a problem and if so how bad.

I had a suspicious result 10 years ago that my doc at the time basically discounted. In retrospect I could have had 10 years of lead time to address my condition if he had taken a closer look.

 

[hamper19]

My stepfather and no late grandfather actually have the blood sugar tester. The kind you prick your finger, then drop the blood onto a strip. I was thinking about getting my grandfathers since he obviously doesn't need it anymore.

 

[Nitrox]

My stepfather and no late grandfather actually have the blood sugar tester. The kind you prick your finger, then drop the blood onto a strip. I was thinking about getting my grandfathers since he obviously doesn't need it anymore.

Yep that could work. Then you could do your own fasting test and/or see how high you get with certain meals.

The companies that make those meters kinda shaft you though. They basically give the meters away and then charge like $0.75-1.00 per strip. Of course its cheaper if you can get them under some coverage.

 

[hamper19]

Yep that could work. Then you could do your own fasting test and/or see how high you get with certain meals.

The companies that make those meters kinda shaft you though. They basically give the meters away and then charge like $0.75-1.00 per strip. Of course its cheaper if you can get them under some coverage.

I'll just have to jack my stepfather for some of his on a monthly basis...I think he pretty much got it for fun or something.

Do they give prescriptions for the strips? I supposed I could ask my doc for one.