Managing Type 2 Diabetes aboard

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truant2

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
22
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Kava Kava
Vessel Make
Sealine 420 Statesman
I was recently diagnosed (75 yo male) with Type 2 diabetes, that as of now can be regulated with diet and exercise, so no meds at this time. I'd be interested in any suggestions or personal experiences as to how you managed this ailment while aboard. Also, how did you stock your galley and what food choices worked best for you. We have a small pneumatic stair stepper and exercise bands aboard our 42' flybridge cruiser. We'll be traveling down the ICW from the Chesapeake to Florida in a few months, so won't be far from land and groceries. Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/J7dn2m9TTVCHkEWcQ4kshg.Pg5Bf77brdOWaxOrZRTVcV
 
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I'm 70 plus and diagnosed as borderline diabetes about 10 years ago. I didn't use much sugar and rarely had sugary drinks. I also had no interest in changing much in my eating habits. So I did some research on herbs that combat high blood sugar and now my blood tests in the middle of normal. A maritime buddy, the same age, also got the bad news. I gave him my list and in a month he was borderline diabetes. Now he's approaching my test results. The herbs probably won't work for everybody or poor dietary choices, especially high sugar intake. But if you're interested, pm me and I'll make a list.
I also have an enlarged prostate. I researched it and now have much better results than the prescription drugs using several herbs.
And all this herb taking had a side benefit of lowering somewhat high blood pressure to normal. Probably the cinnamon.
 
I'm 72 and also Type 2. I don't have to take insulin, I just control it with some meds and diet.


A couple of things I've mostly given up because of the sugar content are Margaritas, cookies, candies, ice cream and most other sweets. My wife is an excellent cook and does her menu planning around my diabetes.


I get most of my exercise jumping to conclusions and running my mouth off. Other than that I'm not much of an exercise junky. Through GW's menu planning I've managed to drop about 15 pounds in the past year, and it's still coming off.
 
Learn to complete your metabolic cycle. Deplete your reserves before you replenish. Your cycle has an anabolic phase and a catabolic phase. Complete each phase.

Get a glucose meter and use it after fasting, before eating, and at intervals after eating. Use it to see how different food affects you. Quit eating in time to stabilize your blood sugar before bedtime, fast all night, and exercise before you eat in the morning to deplete your reserves. Your body needs the chemical byproducts of the completed cycle.

Anything your doctor says trumps anything I say.

I'm not a diabetic and not a doctor, or dietician, so take this free advice as worth what it cost you. I'm not recommending anything I haven't done myself.

Sorry if this seems curt. It is short and blunt. You could read several books on blood sugar management and not get this information.
 
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Not a diabetic but I'm a nurse. The vast majority of Type 2 diabetes can be adequately managed by lifestyle changes alone. We're talking about diet and exercise. Losing 12-15 lbs alone can make the difference between needing meds and not. Cardio isn't super easy aboard, but it's possible, as is yoga (and some yoga will wear you out!).

It requires close collaboration with the chief mess officer as packaged meals are a no-go. For both diabetes management as well as heart-healthy eating, the latest research keeps pointing to the Mediterranean diet.

Work closely with your provider and closely monitor your blood glucose. Diabetes, like high blood pressure, is a silent killer in that it doesn't hurt, and so is easily ignored.
 
Boat said:
Anything your doctor says trumps anything I say.d

Using this as my starting point as what I type here relates to my personal involvement with Pre-diabetes, I am 81 years old, realized pre-diabetes three years ago. I lost weight, exercise, take Metformin. While the blood level test improved down to around 140 it was still high. My blood pressure was high as well, enough the doctor placed my on a BP medication. On top of this, my arthritis in the shoulders became an issue with finding a position that didn't hurt enough to sleep. Shots worked for a short while. At a point the shoulders were intolerable, my son suggested trying CBD. ( https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cbd+and+diabetes+type+2&t=h_&ia=web ) (pick and choose any article)
He knew I am a very conservative sort and that suggestion the use of any part of the marijuana family was a risk of our relationship! He explained that it is NOT marijuana, but hemp. Same family different grow.
Okay, so after finding the correct dose after some experiment, I am able to report that my diabetes blood level runs between 90 and 125. My BP is around 130/65 and I have absolutely no further shoulder pain from the arthritis. I sleep like a log, no stress factor that I am aware of.
My wife has Parkenson's and has had for a recognized full year. She is on her meds but she experienced tremors, nightmares, trouble sleeping and loss of balance. She started CBD and her tremors have stopped during the CBD being active (4-8 hours) she has stopped nightmares, and sleeps like a log.
Too, with Parkinson's there is mental stress, which she demonstrates none. Her Neurologist, on her last visit noted her tremors not being present and we explained the CBD use. He suggested we double the dose to see what other improvements develop or stop. To date, almost a year later, her status remains as I described, which in someways is positive as any decline is not detected.

I say all of this as CBD is really misunderstood. At some point in the future, it will be recognized much as a medical wonder, like penicillin (I would hope)

For what it is worth, I too recommend open conversation with your medical team before you venture into any CBD use.
PS, there is no side effects and no known conflict with normal prescribed medications.
PPSS: CBD is legal in all 50 States and now in Canada
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Metformin is likely in your diabetic future. Welcome to the club.
 
Boat said:
...
Get a glucose meter and use it after fasting, before eating, and at intervals after eating. Use it to see how different food affects you. Quit eating in time to stabilize your blood sugar before bedtime, fast all night, and exercise before you eat in the morning to deplete your reserves. Your body needs the chemical byproducts of the completed cycle. ...
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Death by a thousand cuts.
 
Odd, there was a TV conference program last night, about complementary medicines, vitamins,supplements, etc. The medicos present were unenthusiastic, the pharmacists selling them and making them were very enthusiastic. One consumer needed a liver transplant after "liver cleansing",combined with some other over the counter meds.
Be careful what you use, especially the "herbal" stuff. What is it, what does it do? Just because it`s herbal and "natural" is not enough, hemlock is natural and a poison.
I took glucosamine for 15 years,now I have knee arthritis. The orthopaedic guy I saw described glucosamine as "a placebo at best". Physiotherapy prescribed exercises have worked wonders for me,but not the glucosamine.
Put your faith in a good diet and exercise. Even cruising, it should be possible to maintain a decent diet. You could take kayaks along, that`s good exercise even if you are seated, and add some other exercise, like a good walks when the opportunity is there,say when docked overnight. Basically, as Sabre says, reduce weight by diet and by burning more of the fuel you consume, and you likely get improvement.
 
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South of Heaven said:
Why won't the thread last long RT? Seems like it could be very beneficial to the senior citizens on here.
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We are getting children with type II diabetes. Seriously, not even ten years old. I'm calling it "junk food diabetes".

Cut out the middleman.

Glucose - blood sugar, insulin and triglyceride are related. When you eat so that your blood sugar elevates, your body produces insulin to lower your blood sugar. Where does the blood sugar go? It is stored as fat. If you can eat so that your body does not need to produce insulin, it's a win-win. Burning it, not storing it.

Blood sugar stores as glycogen and as fat. If you can learn to store the glycogen and burn it, without storing it as fat, you win. Complete the metabolic cycle.


Once again, this is the oversimplified version. It's a good solid start.
 
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Another type II here. Retired professional mariner and now a recreational boater.

Ashore many of us type II diabetics can easily manage our diabetes with exercise and diet. Aboard it's a bit more of a challenge. Diabetes is a personal disease, each person is different and each person's management of the disease is different. It's going to take some time for you to learn what and how much to eat.

Your diabetes educator may have lead you to believe it's all about counting carbs. Mine sure did. I have found that is not the case at all. I needed to try different foods and to learn what works for me.

There's no one size fits all answer to what to stock your galley with. Generic advice works as a starting point. Cut out sweets, sweet drinks, prepared foods. Cut back on bread, pastries, carbs for breakfast. Strive for a balanced diet, lean protein, good fats, low carb and lots of fiber.
 
Greetings,
Mr. SoH. Homeopathic "solutions" are very much in the news these days and the immediate response to the OP was just that. I suspected (erroneously) this thread would develop into a conflict of opinions. It seems this is not the case.


My better 3/4 is a health care specialist and I am acutely aware of the relationship between diet/lifestyle and physical well being. The potential harm "traditional" herbal medicines may cause when used in lieu of accepted medical care has been well documented.



Obesity has become an epidemic particularly in North America with one result that more adults AND an increasing number of children are succumbing to diabetes.


As I age and slow down, I've put on a few extra pounds and like others, I'm NOT an exercise kind of person BUT I am being more careful of my diet. I sure miss those OREO cookies though...



200.webp
 
I have type I diabetes, wear a pump and continuous glucose monitor. I boat in remote areas of BC every summer. But it takes careful planning and management.

There is much to learn about how your body responds to food and exercise. I suggest talking with you MD about using a continuous glucose monitor at least for a few months. You will see exactly how you body responds to different foods and it will show a graph of what your blood glucose level does even when you are not checking.

There are at least two continuous glucose monitor (CGM) systems on the market now. They are simple to insert and display in real time on their own receivers or on your smart phone. One of them must be changed (EZ) each week and the other lasts for two weeks. Mine is nearly completely paid for by Medicare and supplemental insurance.

You may PM me if you have any questions.
 
I have a 85 YO mother in law that was diagnosed with type 2 in her 70’s. She completely controlled it with exercise and diet. In that order. Took up walking and developed better but not great diet habits. She started with walking a mile a day and worked up to 3. Amazing at the transformation in her overall well being and stamina. Not to mention controlling the diabetes. You could find a nice rowing dink and work up to a daily 45 minute “harbor tour” if walking is not an option.
 
Depending on your level of physical conditioning, excercise can be as simple as marching in place. Add some ankle weights and small dumbells if that isn't enough. Fitness watches are pretty cheap and allow you to watch your heart rate. It might be boring, but you could get excercise in a small space that way. If you are up for it, its hard to beat swimming for a full body workout.
 

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Greetings,
Regarding diet: Two things I might mention. While it IS important to watch what you eat, also VERY important is how much you eat. Portion control should be a part of one's regime.


Nutrition labels on the side of every foodstuff are a valuable resource that are available to every consumer. Someone mentioned that they watch their sugar intake and that's a good thing but you should also be aware of the "hidden" sugar. For instance, one of the major sources of sugar one gets on a regular basis is bread. Pretty well everyone eats bread, sometimes 3X a day. One doesn't really feel common everyday bread is a sugar source but 1g per slice, on average...



"The American Heart Association, for example, recommends women limit sugar consumption to 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day and men limit to 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day." From this article: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/usda-recommended-sugar-intake-8628.html
 
Benthic2 said:
Depending on your level of physical conditioning, exercise can be as simple as marching in place... If you are up for it, its hard to beat swimming for a full body workout.
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I swim 1km plus,3x a week,all year round,began it for back issues on medical advice, and it really helps. Some say you are not bearing your body weight,the water is partly doing that, so output and weight loss is lessened, but the support is a virtue in other ways,eg joints etc are less loaded. I aim to walk the days I don`t swim but agree, swimming is great all over exercise. And for lung capacity,as you force exhale underwater.
 
Also a type II veteran. Type II meaning my body produces insulin but does not know how to use it. I use to stick myself 2x a day but then realized why do I need to do it. If I eat pizza or pasta I don’t need a meter to tell me my sugar will be high or conversely eat fish and vegetables and have the meter tell me my sugar is low. It all about diet and exercise. Do it right and you won’t need meds. Meds allow us to cheat. Anyway it has led me to drink rum and Diet Pepsi, 0 sugar and carbs. Who would think rum which is made from sugar cane contains no sugar.
 
Newbie is right. I've been diabetic since 2007 but well controlled through diet and exercise. (and a little help from Metformin) So much so the Coast Guard let me keep my license the last two renewals. They were a little touchy about the recent heart murmur but that is another thread.



I'm going to have to switch from Manhattans to rum - after all I am a "Captain".
 
Word origin for diabetes includes the concept of flow. Everything that flows from your body contains water, but not fresh water. It is mineral water and contains electrolytes. In the not too distant past, doctors tasted urine for sugar as part of the diagnosis for diabetes. As your body loses electrolytes, they must be replaced, your body cannot synthesize elements.

Electrolytes are tied to acid/base balance and if any of this gets way out of whack it can land you in the emergency room. Not meaning to be alarmist and as a newbie diabetic it is not likely an immediate threat. It does deserve consideration in your decision making. It is a direction to avoid.

Eating for electrolyte replacement and balance is a worthwhile pursuit.
 
We have three types of people here, Diabetics, Pre-diabetics, and potential diabetics. All three are impacted or potentially impacted by lifestyle choices made. Advising anyone with specifics isn't something we can do here as we don't know their health details. However, there's some general advice I'd give to all.

If you start early enough, your changes don't have to be extreme. They're a little of this and a little of that. I was not health conscious at all until after I got married and then it hit me that as I aged I wasn't going to be able to continue to ignore diet and exercise and having a younger, very much in top condition, wife, it make me take action.

So, I exercise like a fanatic and cut out eating hundreds of bad things then didn't I? No. Absolutely not.

Exercise, we play basketball and tennis and when we've been unable to walk distances or play for days we do find a treadmill. But the most productive suggestion I have is to walk. When you go to shore, take long walks. Don't stay just anchored for days, swim or walk. Some of these watches and tracking devices may help you by simply reminding you that you've been a bit too sedentary for a couple of days. I love to walk cities and towns from NYC to the smallest town. Best way to see and get the feel. We're a sedentary society in many ways. We've had HR talk to our corporate employees who might tend to spend 8 hours sitting at the desk. We now have groups taking mid day or morning or afternoon walks together. Yes, they lose some of their work day, but we've had amazing reports of what it does for camaraderie and productivity. We don't know many of our neighbors, but the older couple who take care of things for us sure do. That's because they walk. There are actually two loops but they take other routes too. They don't rush. They stop and talk. But they get out and take their walks. We've also taught chair exercises and for those who have had back problems, setting a timer and every hour getting up and walking around a little.

Diet is such a challenging topic with a million different philosophies and different doctors advising even diabetics differently. Unless you're absolutely the world's worst eater, you don't likely need to change everything, just make some modifications and trade-offs. About a dozen years ago, we gave up a few things. No more soft drinks. Now, prior to that, I always had a diet coke handy. I'd never finish them before they got warm so would get another, but I started early and went all day. My wife did the same. We weren't coffee drinkers. We gave up all soft drinks and only drink water. We seldom even drink juice and a few times a year drink champagne. That's it. Never really missed the soft drinks. It was habit, not need. Happy with water.

French fries were a huge weakness. Fast food always meant ordering the combo. Had to have potatoes with every meal. If fries weren't available, then chips. I haven't had a french fry or chips in all the years since. Can't even stand the smell of fries now. Very seldom have other potatoes like baked. As to bread, we'll still eat some excellent bread in a nice restaurant, but don't eat bread on the boat or at home. It was automatic with meals and now it's not.

Then we weigh daily and we know if we've overdone things a few days and we adjust. We'll eat a super healthy meal or skip all sweets and desserts for a few days, just to get back in line. We don't deny ourselves dessert at "Better Than Sex" in Key West, but the next day we make sure to walk and probably skip desserts throughout the day.

Part of the challenge is that since many of us have been very out of balance in our lifestyle we may need to start with a dramatic shift but long term, we just need to refine our habits. Just need to be aware of what we're doing. Not committing to being perfect, just to being better.
 
Saw your post today and am responding. I am a recently retired boarded obesity medicine physician, living on our boat. You likely fall into the category of 95% of my former patients, with the true disease being "insulin resistance", which often evolves into diabetes. The best nutritional treatment is carb limitation, and specifically "refined carb" elimination. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, therefore is beneficial, especially strength/resistance. Resources: as a boater, Carolyn Sherelock (theboatgalley.com) has got some great stuff including recipes. Academically look at TED talks by Peter Attia, Sarah Hallberg, Nina Teicholz, Robert Lustig to start. I'd be glad to help any way I can. There are tons of data and resources out there and the current thought on all of this is rapidly evolving.
Steve Park
Burntside
Kadey Krogen 39-22
 
I spend a significant amount of my day seeing diabetic patients checking for diabetic eye disease. While I know a lot about diabetic eye disease, I don't know a lot about the management of diabetes itself. I can pass on what little I have gleaned from my continuing medical education, endocrinologists, and my patients.


Education is hugely important. I would ask your physician if there are patient education resources available in your area. I'm NOT talking about Dr. Google. Many areas have classes available for patients that are designed for newly diagnosed DM II patients that are taught by professionals such as nutritionist etc... Again, ask your physician about it.


Blood sugar testing is important but as someone on the lookout for diabetic eye disease I'm much more interested in knowing what a patient's Hemoglobin A1C is. I tell my patient that they should hit the targets set by their physician. If they are young, I also tell them that research shows if they keep their A1C around 6.2, they won't go blind because of the disease. So while you are doing the ICW, I'd make sure that you can setup places and times where you can have blood testing done per your physicians recommendations. That knowledge is important.


One big take away from both my CME and from my patient's own experiences is the effect of exercise. There has been a lot of research on how much simply walking 30 minutes, 5 days/week can have on A1C levels. Again, check with your physician. If you are on the ICW, I am assuming that you will be at a dock a lot. Try to get a 30 minute walk in everyday that you can. If you need to take a dinghy to shore to do it, then that is fine as well. Have I mentioned check with your physician? See what his/her recommendations are.


Strength training can also be helpful. It is something that can be done simply and cheaply on a boat. See if your physician can recommend someone to work with you on setting up a boat friendly program that you can manage.


I'm not giving you any advice, just some examples of things you can ask your physician about. Anything you read here, or anywhere, should be checked first with your physician. They are your partner in this process.
 
BandB said:
Part of the challenge is that since many of us have been very out of balance in our lifestyle we may need to start with a dramatic shift but long term, we just need to refine our habits. Just need to be aware of what we're doing. Not committing to being perfect, just to being better.
Click to expand...


That is an excellent point!
 
Waterford said:
I have type I diabetes, wear a pump and continuous glucose monitor. I boat in remote areas of BC every summer. But it takes careful planning and management.

There is much to learn about how your body responds to food and exercise. I suggest talking with you MD about using a continuous glucose monitor at least for a few months. You will see exactly how you body responds to different foods and it will show a graph of what your blood glucose level does even when you are not checking.

There are at least two continuous glucose monitor (CGM) systems on the market now. They are simple to insert and display in real time on their own receivers or on your smart phone. One of them must be changed (EZ) each week and the other lasts for two weeks. Mine is nearly completely paid for by Medicare and supplemental insurance.

You may PM me if you have any questions.
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What he said about CGM. I'm Type 2 since 2002. Now on Metformin and Humalog which is a mixture of short and long term insulin. MD prescribed a well known CGM for me. Small disc I wear on the back of my upper arm. No pain putting it on or taking it off and I don't even know it is there. Uses a free app on my iPhone. I want to know what my blood sugar level is I hold my phone near it and ding ding, there is my blood sugar reading. Tracks it in a log, graphs, averages over 7-14-30-90 days, everything I could want to know. Sensor lasts 14 days and then I replace. The app tells me when. Just being able to get a level easily and without fingerstick has resulted in much better monitoring. A1C has gone from outrageous 9.5 down to 6.3. Best thing that has ever happened to me. I didn't fingerstick often enough because it was a pain, a chore. Hated it. Now it is just too easy to monitor.

My experience with exercise is....go for a walk. No, you don't have to walk 5 miles a day, lift weights, etc. Just go for a walk. When I get tired I turn around and go home. I can then see my blood sugar stay much lower for 24-48 hours. The more I exercise, even just scrubbing the boat, up and down to the engine room etc. the lower my blood sugar is.

Like someone said, I find diabetes to be very personal. What works/doesn't work with others doesn't affect me in the same way. Some diabetics can't get near pasta. For whatever reason it doesn't affect me too bad. Coffee with a little 2% milk, minimal carbs, in the morning drives my blood sugar way up. I have to follow what my body tells me. With the CGM I can easily tell what is going on and adjust.

On A1C testing, there are over the counter home tests that are well respected and accurate enough to let me know how I am doing in-between MD visits. Would be perfect for those cruising.
 
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I've been a type 1 diabetic for 35 years and have learned to manage it very well and I am currently a very healthy 70 yr old. Everyting RT Firefly posted is absolutely true and anyone with Type 2 would do well to take his advice.
My advice to you guys is....."You are what you eat" and you all eat way more than your body needs and to make matters worse, you eat the wrong type of foods otherwise you would not be diabetic.
Conrol your eating habits, get a little exercise so that those calories are burned and say goodby to high blood sugars.
 
Healthy 70 year old type one is a strong person. I'd stand shoulder to shoulder with you against anything.


You live on a quarter of what you eat and your doctor lives on the other three quarters.

Uncertain origin but it stuck in my head many years ago.


We eat for fun and entertainment, not for sustenance. With eating, the difference between want and need is a quality of life issue. It is a quality of life compromise. Immediate rewards come back to bite us in our ever fatter asses. That's rude, apologies.


My sermon/lecture will go more into the behavioral side of this. I'll try to not be so rude.
 
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