My DP is back. I had a glass of pinot noit last night at eight with a slice of cheese. Took my glucose before bed and it was 90. This morning at five it was 102. I'm thinking the siliphos in combination with the wine or the coconut oil before bed is what gave me low FBG's.

I'm looking forward to going back on berberine.

90 at bed time and an FBG 102 in the AM does not constitute DP in my opinion..........

90 at bed time and an FBG of 120 might be DP......

I'd draw the line at a rise of 15 points or less is nothing to be concerned about and a once in a while gain of 20-25 points is nothing to worry about. What I mean by not worrying is; I'd keep doing what I've been doing and not adjust to chase an unecessary correction.

I ate Chinese Buffet last night; Shrimp, Fish, very little crawfish, rib-eyes, some veggies, cream cheese pie, a small piece of orange cake, soft vanilla ice cream with candied peanuts, canned apricots & some fresh grapes.

I took only metformin 1000mg with a gymnema pill in the morning about an hour after breakfast and I didn't take my evening dose of the same thing till almost two hours after returning home from the dinner. After my evening dose of gymnema, I ate about 8 grapes and an asian pear and went to bed....

My FBG today: 89 I had taken my BG readings yesterday a couple of times, away from meals and I was in the 70s', but I was very active all day yesterday, till an hour before dinner time....

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Oh, almost forgot: I also drank a Tsing Tao (Chinese )beer when I returned home.

What's called "normal" by doctors isn't something I want to be content with.

I'd like to be optimal. Lower morning FBG are linked to longevity. Plus I'm pretty convinced I have IR and I'd like to fix that.

I realize my blood sugars aren't in the dangerous range, unless I eat high carb, but I would like to improve them.

Nancy I'm with you on the numbers. I know my numbers aren't dangerous but I'd like them to be optimal. They aren't optimal just from lowcarbing. I have to add supplements into the mix.

Have to add that an hour after I had taken my FBG the number was down to 95. But within thirty minutes of that I was starving and had to eat. I really like that the berberine takes care of my hunger and to a lesser degree so does the bitter melon.

I'm thinking about adding gymnema. I'm pretty sure it will constipate me but I'm going to do it anyway. Ill just take more magnesium.

Ron..........for as many carbs as you eat you have fantastic numbers. Are you sure you're diabetic? I'm just kidding of course but still...........your numbers are good.

Gymnema has "ZERO" side effects and cannot and will not constipate you...... That is my humble opinion, but I've never read anything to indicate anyone ever had a problem with it...

Nancy! About not being comfortable with normal. I feel that way about optimal..... Everyone is so quick to point out that no diet fits all, well, if that is true, not one BG level can be optimal in my simple thinking. Perhaps 75 for a BG average is optimal for one person and 100 is optimal for another. When we mess with mother nature, mother nature will mess with us... I'm not saying that from an extremist point of view, but rather from a moderate stand point. I think we should not go to extremes to achieve a desired result, or we might get along with that some undesired results....

I had FBGs' in the 70s and 80s for a while and now they're 90s and low 100s, but my A1C is still great and I still don't experience hypos, even on the metformin, which I dreaded to take because of a fear of hypos....

I think once we start taking herbs/prescription meds that mother
nature is out the window.I often wonder about what BG is optimum
but,like Ron,as long as my A1C is good and I don't see bad high or
low BG,I am content.Am i crazy?
<yuk><barf><meow>
Eddie

I think being born and eating a modern diet all of mother nature is out the window. Once you've gone long enough, a few decades, your metabolism and probably autoimmune system may be broken beyond repair. At that point you have to rely on drug, diet changes, herbals and all manner of other things to try to stuff the genii back in the bottle.

It's not about stopping the downward spiral, just trying to reduce the angle of the decline....

Good observations... but we get up each day and do things as though we might turn it all around on this day...

Wow a great thread.

Just thought I would say hello and remember to save this thread somewhere.

I am losing weight now and intend to get my weight down to at least 210 and re-assess everything at that point.

I must remember to come back to this thread.

Perhaps at 210 or lower I will not need insulin, meds for BP, etc., etc.,

That is what I am hoping.

Also, what I have found out is we all can live well with a moderate amount of certain carbs and maintain our BG levels during the day between 80-120; 120 being the target for 2 hour post priandal and 80 being the goal for in between meals and FBG. We don't always get there but the closer to the "normal" profile of a non-diabetic the better. I read through this thread and all of you in my opinion are doing great.

Good A1C is in the 5's or less.

Best wishes,

Ralph

Four days on the gymnema and my colon feels like it has a rubber band around it. And I look like I have a small watermelon in my belly. sorry if that's TMI. They do work pretty good for controlling hunger though.

I'll be! I didn't know they could cause constipation. According to some sites out there they use it to treat constipation.

I don't think its' the gymnema.

I just noticed (because I don't pay close attention sometimes) that my gymnema sylvestre from D-Care products is a pill with chromium picolinate and vanadyl sulfate in it, whereas the gymnema from Vitacost is in a capsule.

In the pill form, the gymnema can be put under the tongue for about 30 seconds and it gets into the blood stream that way and destroys any cravings for sugar. In the capsule form, you lose that benefit.

After experimenting with the capsules, which are twice as strong as my pills from D-Care, I think the D-Care is a better product all the way around.

Becky, try drinking more water..... it might help

I don't think its' the gymnema.

I just noticed (because I don't pay close attention sometimes) that my gymnema sylvestre from D-Care products is a pill with chromium picolinate and vanadyl sulfate in it, whereas the gymnema from Vitacost is in a capsule and has no comination of anything in it....

In the pill form, the gymnema can be put under the tongue for about 30 seconds and it gets into the blood stream that way and destroys any cravings for sugar. In the capsule form, you lose that benefit.

After experimenting with the capsules, which are twice as strong as my pills from D-Care, I think the D-Care is a better product all the way around.

Becky, try drinking more water..... it might help. I recently had trouble doing my normal morning routine, but my wife insisted I start drinking a glass of water as soon as I get up and cleared up that situation. Also, with the warmer months coming, my wife is making me drink a lot more water lately and I think it is a good thing....

hmmmmm this is the fourth time I've tried gymnema and had the same results every time and each time I've tried a different brand. I have never had anything though other than capsule form. I had planned on trying your brand but couldn't find it at vitamin shoppe so just got what was available.

In all my researching I could find nothing that said it caused constipation and in fact Nancy you are right...........it's supposed to have the opposite affect.

I'm going to try Ron's brand and see if that helps. It did such a good job of controlling my hunger. I gave the bottle to a friend who said she can't seem to stop eating sweets. Of course with me it took a few days for it to work.