SUGAR IS NOT MY FRIEND

The following comment is one I left as a response on Spo-Reflections blog.  He laments that although he's not a sugarholic, he does occasionally have "unnatural cravings."   As we all know when you get an itch, you have to scratch it.  I wish my itches weren't such bitches! They all seem to go way beyond being harmless unnatural cravings.  For me, that sweet sugar itch is a real blood sucking demon!

I’ve tried desperately to weed sugar from the mix of what I consume. So far I’ve been fairly successful…my A1C smiles, but damn it, sometimes I want a King size Snickers and a Coke and raspberry pie with vanilla ice cream and mountains of warm, homemade oatmeal cookies and a HUGE glass of ice cold milk (not 1%)…just to name a few. I guess after feeling like I’ve rammed my head into the proverbial wall enough, I decided to be more compliant and accept that sugar and any simple carb in mass quantities …oh hell, who am I kidding? even in small quantities it’s like committing suicide slowly. My mantra needs to be “SUGAR IS NOT MY FRIEND!"

The truth of the matter is anything, but comical.  Diabetes is a horrible disease to have and difficult to manage successfully.  I know it's not impossible...just difficult!  It requires making informed choices: sugar or feet?  sugar or eyesight?  sugar or liver?  I could go on and on because let's face it, uncontrolled diabetes effects everything in your body and uncontrolled diabetes is a sure death sentence. Yes, we're all going to die, but why hasten the process?  Why add to the list of  things that go wrong as our body naturally ages? 

My last A1C was 10.3. My endocrinologist wants it to be under 7.5 in 3 months when I'm tested again. Do you know what your A1C is?  If not, maybe you should have it tested the next time you have to have blood work done.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

For someone who doesn't have diabetes, a normal A1C level can range from 4.5 to 6 percent. Someone who's had uncontrolled diabetes for a long time might have an A1C level above 8 percent.

When the A1C test is used to diagnose diabetes, an A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates you have diabetes. A result between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes.

For most people who have previously diagnosed diabetes, an A1C level of 7 percent or less is a common treatment target. Higher targets may be chosen in some individuals. If your A1C level is above your target, your doctor may recommend a change in your diabetes treatment plan. Remember, the higher your A1C level, the higher your risk of diabetes complications.

 

A1C level	Estimated average blood sugar level
5 percent	97 mg/dL (5.4 mmol/L)
6 percent	126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L)
7 percent	154 mg/dL (8.5 mmol/L)
8 percent	183 mg/dL (10.2 mmol/L)
9 percent	212 mg/dL (11.8 mmol/L)
10 percent	240 mg/dL (13.3 mmol/L)
11 percent	269 mg/dL (14.9 mmol/L)
12 percent	298 mg/dL (16.5 mmol/L)
13 percent	326 mg/dL (18.1 mmol/L)
14 percent	355 mg/dL (19.7 mmol/L)

*Repost from June 11, 2014