Questions/Answers

You will find patients' questions and answers on several topics including:

diabetes  •  PCOS  •  weight control  •  healthy heart issues
eating disorders   •  soy  •  osteoporosis  •  sports nutrition  
fish oil capsules  •  probiotics  •  splenda •  celiac disease
children & weight • cancer • lactose intolerance
• night eating syndrome • vitamin D

Diabetes

Q: What is pre-diabetes?

A: Physicians used to tell their patients they were border-line diabetic or a little bit diabetic. Now we have a new diagnosis called pre-diabetic. This is the state that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. A fasting blood glucose level between 100-125 mg/dl is considered pre-diabetic. People with pre-diabetes havea 1.5 fold risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people with normal blood glucose. If you have pre-diabetes you can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes such as weight loss and regular exercise.

Q: I frequently experience feeling weak and shakey soon after I eat. Sometimes I also break out in a sweat, or feel my heart is racing especially if I've skipped a meal. Is there anything in particular I can eat to prevent these feelings?

A: It sounds as though you are experiencing low blood sugar symptoms which can result from an intake that is not balanced in carbohydrates and protein or skipping a meal. You may also experience mood swings and/or irritability when your blood sugar is low. This condition responds very favorably when the appropriate distribution of carbohydrate and protein is determined for you.It is important to identify specific guidelines for you to eliminate your low blood sugar symptoms triggering extra intake which may result in weight gain. Keep in mind hypoglycemia may be a predisposing factor to diabetes a few years down the road.

Q: My doctor ran a test he called A1C to check my blood sugar. What is this test?

A: As a diabetic you check your blood sugar every day to determine your daily blood sugar level at that moment. This is important to know how much you should eat or how much medication to take. You also need to know how your blood sugar swings throughout the day, and you don't want to prick your finger 50 times a day to make this determination. Your hemoglobin A1C value indicates your average blood glucose over a 2 - 3 month period. This reading reflects the amount of glucose attached to the hemoglobin (protein in your red blood cells) molecule over the life of the red blood cell which is 2 -3 months.

A1C for a person without diabetes is 4% - 6%. Ideally, your goal should be an A1C less than 7%.

A1C	Equivalent Blood Glucose mg/dL
6%	120
7%	150
8%	180
9%	210

Each 1% rise in A1C reflects approximately 30 mg increase in blood glucose. The lower your A1C, the fewer diabetic complications you will experience. Always ask your physician, "What is my A1C level?" Know your numbers so you can compare to your previous readings. You are in charge of your diabetes management. You are the one who makes daily decisions of what to eat, when and how much to exercise, how to manage your stress. Take control -- it's your life.

Q: As a diabetic, can I have snacks?

A: Of course you can have snacks. There is a great deal of flexibility built into your diabetic diet today opposed to the ghastly regimens we used to impose on diabetic individuals.

First, you need to make an "honest" determination regarding:

There is no "ideal" snack. You may have one or two snacks or none. Fruit, crackers, yogurt, leftovers from your meal, whole grain cereals or half-a-sandwich could all be appropriate depending on the reason for your snack. Check with your dietitian, he/she will be able to make specific recommendations for you based on your preference, blood sugar levels and health goals.

Q: What is a normal blood sugar reading?