FAQ

Program Support Questions

 Q. How often should I check my blood glucose levels?

A. We recommend that people check their sugar upon waking, 2 hours after meals, and before going to bed. Your post prandial (2 hours after meal) numbers are the most important as they are directly linked to the development of diabetes complications in the future.  If your numbers are too high, learn how to lower them with exercise.

Q. What is the difference between a stroll and working out?

A. A stroll is a slow walk you take after a meal. This aids in digestion as well as in controlling sugar levels. Even though it burns calories, it shouldn't bring your heart rate up too much. A great time to exercise is 2 hours after eating, for about 20 minutes - this will aid in lowering high blood sugar levels. Try to bring your heart rate up, maybe even break a sweat. You can engage in any type of activity: swimming, biking, fast walking, jogging, dancing, etc. Check your sugar leves again after you have finished working out to see how much it's dropped.

Q. When do I lower my insulin/stop taking medication?

A. Again, we stress the importance of embarking on this program with the aid of a physician. The book itself as well as the forum serves as a guide, but your doctor is the only one that should be changing the dosage or your medication/insulin and telling you when it is safe to stop taking either of those aids.  For this purpose, be sure to meet with your doctor regularly and as your numbers drop, he will be more than thrilled to adjust the medications accordingly. DO NOT SELF MEDICATE YOURSELF AND CHANGE YOUR OWN DOSAGE. There are severe complications associated with medication side effects, not to mention spikes and drops in your sugar levels. So BE SURE TO CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN.

Q. What do I do if I experience strange sensations, odd symptoms?

A. This question is related to the one above in that your physician should be contacted with any changes in your disease process. Be sure to contact him/her with if you experience anything strange and out of the ordinary. Again, some of the symptoms may be because the dosage of medication needs to be adjusted. Keep him/her in the loop always.

Q. Why plant-based diet?

A. We recommend a plant-based diet for optimal health and the best results. Additionally we encourage people to limit their intake of fat (especially saturated fat) and eliminate trans fats from their diet. A plant-based diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, olives, limited amount of nuts, nut butters and seeds. You can limit intake of total fat by using primarity plant fats, especially monounsaturated fats such as olives, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and limited amount of nuts, nut butters, and seeds.  To limit intake of saturated fat eat largely plant-based foods, because they have lower saturated fat content (exceptions: chocolate, coconut/coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil). It is possible to eliminate trans fats from your diet by eliminating the use of animal products, eliminating intake of fast food/or restaurant food (especially deep-fried items as they are cooked in partially hydrogenated oils), and avoiding the use fo food products which contain any of the following ingredients: partically hydrogenated oils, shortening or margarine.

Q. What if I opt to still consume animal products?

A. If you decide to continue consuming animal products but want to get the best results that you can, avoid eating red meat, processed/lunch meats, liver, pork and shellfish. Have a 3-4 oz serving (about the size of a deck of cards) of skinless chicken, skinless turkey, or fish 2-3 time/wk, NOT deep fried. Limit intake of dairy products to 1 serving or less per day of either fat-free or low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese or milk. Use 1% milk instead of whole or 2% milk. Skip butter, lard, and shortening and instead use Smart Balance Light (found at WalMart). To help lower cholesterol, use egg white's only. If entire egg is more desirable, limit to 1-2 a week.

Q. How can I prevent intestinal gas associated with the consumption of beans?

A. The uncomfortable sensations of intestinal gas are caused by sugars that aren't digested in the small intestine continuing on to the large intestine where their fermentation by bacteria creates gas. The aim is to remove the gas producing sugars. When cooking with canned beans, be sure to rinse and drain the beans thoroughly, until all of the colored liquid becomes clear. If cooking with dry beans, presoak the beans before cooking. The soaking water needs to be thrown out prior to cooking the beans. The beans need to be cooked until butter soft - test this by placing bean between thumb and forefinger and squeezing. When the bean is completely soft and offers no resistance, the beans are thoroughly cooked.  Additionally the body creates more enzymes that are able to break down the sugar particles of a particular food over time. A shortcut way is to use Beano for a while. You can find it at your local Wal-Mart and it works like a charm.

Q. Which types of beans are better?

A. All beans are beneficial and have their own unique composition of nutrients. We recommend using a variety of beans, nto all at once, but rotating among different types. The table below is a sample of the different kinds of nutrients that beans posess.

 

1 cup, cooked

Black-Eyed Peas (mature)

Kidney Beans

Navy Beans

Calories

200

225

258

Carbohydrate (g)

35.7

40.4

47.9

Dietary fiber (g)

11.2

11.3

11.6

Protein (g)

13.3

15.3

15.8

Potassium (mg)

478

713

670

Calcium (mg)

41

50

127

Magnesium (mg)

91

80

107

Iron (mg)

4.3

5.2

4.5

Selenium (mcg)

4.3

2.1

10.6

Folate (mcg)

357.8

230.1

254.8

Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 18th ed.,

Pennington, JAT, Douglass, JS

 

Q. Why is my pulse important and how do I take it?

A. The pulse rate indicates the frequency at which your heart is pumping. Learning to count your own pulse is a very positive step towards becoming active in your own healh care. Pulse monitoring is especially important when performing exercises or undertaking any new activity so that you do not overtax your heart.

Count your pulse at regular intervals to determine the intensity of your activity. Find your pulse quickly to get a fair representation of your working heart rate. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply it by 6 (remember the first beat is 0; it is a reference beat). Adjust your activity accordingly to obtain your target training range.

Two common places where you can probably feel your pulse easily are the wrist and the neck. Wrist Pulse: The radial artery is located on the inside of the wrist at the base of either thumb and is best felt by the pads (not tips) of two or three fingers of the opposite hand. Pressing the artery too hard may cut off the pulse whereas a light, but firm, pressure should allow you to feel it well. Neck Pulse: The carotid artery is found no eiher side of the windpipe. It is one of the largest arteries in the body and one of the most easily felt. It is probably easier to feel this artery by placing both the index and middle fingers just to the lateral side of the "Adams Apple." Do not press both sides of the artery at the same time as that may cause you to faint. Do not press in the carotid near the jawbone as that can stimulate some sensitive nerves and slow the heart rate. Feel one carotid artery only in the middle of the neck.

Q. How do I use the daly journal?

A. We've had quite a few questions on how to use the daily journal, so we've filled in a sample journal for you. To view the page, click here.

Fasting blood sugar is taken after at least 8 hours of no eating. Your first morning blood sugar reading (before eating or drinking) is thus considered fasting (unless of course you have had a snack at night). For help calculating an accurate pulse rate, see question above.