Insulin resistance page 2

[newberrycrater]

Here's my opinion in a nutshell: Your body reacts to food in your own special unique way. Get a glucose monitor (the monitor will cost less than $50, the strips cost about $1 each) and learn how your body reacts. Insulin resistence might earn you one free strip a day, but if you don't otherwise have a medical record of the disease it might not be worth it because of the future insurance risk. In any case the first few days you are going to use A LOT of strips finding out how your body reacts to each food. And then you will know what _you_ can eat without spiking your blood sugar.

Manufacturer's make money on the strips so they often have freebie deals on the monitors. They used to actually pay you to take them thru various drug store incentive programs. That has died down due but there are still freebie offers via rebates. For example, this week at Walgreens the Accu-Chek Aviva or Compact Plus monitors are $14.99 each and there is a $14.99 mail in rebate. The fine print says "Available only to uninsured patients and patients whose meters are not covered by insurance or a discount program." Not sure how they could check on that though.

[ani]

I have a monitor, I just ran out of strips for it, and it feels rather painful to spend $1 each time I want to do a test which is why I haven't gotten more. Maybe I'll see if I could get insurance to pay for them.... Actually I just found some on Amazon that are $0.30-$0.50 per strip which is much more doable, so I'll get on that.
I also walk pretty regularly, once a day at least usually. I used to workout more but even with the Primal approach I just got burned out.
VLC sounds painful to me right now, because lots of heavy meats/fats just don't sound good since its so hot. Currently I'm more inclined to load up on the green stuff and leaner meats.
Thanks for all the ideas, its nice to know what I can do.

[brahnamin]

Dunno what insurance you have, but most will cover at least some portion of the cost of strips if you have been diagnosed diabetic or pre diabetic by your doctor.

[ani]

The trip to the doctor, and the tests to officially be diagnosed pre-diabetic will probably outweigh the savings on the strips, but I may ask about it when I go again in about a month with all my thyroid stuff.

[brahnamin]

The trip to the doctor, and the tests to officially be diagnosed pre-diabetic will probably outweigh the savings on the strips, but I may ask about it when I go again in about a month with all my thyroid stuff.

It's just a matter of getting the proper blood test done - which your doctor can order on your next visit (and probably even do in-house) and a follow up visit. So one extra co-pay.

*shrUg*

Just something to consider. If he hasn't already ordered/done an A1C on you he probably doesn't think you're in danger. But your insurance should cover the test if you choose to ask for it.

[newberrycrater]

Many glucose monitors come with 10 free strips. If you can get the meter for free with a deal or less than $10, you're saving money on the strips. Even if you didn't need a new monitor.

Here's a link to a printable coupon for $25 off the Bayer Didget glucose monitor. It's specifically designed for children but I don't see why an adult couldn't use it. Not valid in MA. http://www.bayerdidget.com/images/Didget_coupon

And if anybody is interested in the FreeStyle Lite monitor and it's strips, there were coupons that came out in the papers in March. I could probally find a few and mail them out. It was $9.99 off the monitor and $20 off the testing strips.

[geostump]

Most insurances except for Medicare/Medicaid do not cover glucometers/strips if you are IR or even diabetic. When my husband was diagnosed type II we had to pay $250 for his testing supplies. Stay away from meters that you have to "code" the bottle of test strips into the meter, its a waste of time and meters. A couple of good, inexpensive meters/strips are Breeze 2 and Contour. Also, do a google search for Solo V2 Glucometer. The manufacturer is Biosense Medical. They can send you out a starter kit and this is one of the easiest to use meters on the market. I'm IR and work for a diabetic DME.

[bokbadok]

My thyroid function is fine, so my situation might not fully jibe with yours. But I found that adding regular walking and twice a week LHT to my PB WOE all but wiped out my insulin resistance where the PB WOE did not.

This.

Sprinting workouts and Lifting heavy things (especially slow intense lifting to failure) will increase muscle insulin sensitivity like nothing else will.

Think of it like a bathtub. The lower carb diet is like turning down the faucet to a trickle. Intense exercise is like pulling the plug from the drain. You have to create a glucose drain by emptying the muscles of their glycogen stores via intense exercise. That will make the muscle cells MORE insulin sensitive which reduces your insulin levels. It also means that any glucose (veggies and fruit) beyond brain needs is gobbled up by the muscles for glycogen storage in preparation for your next infrequent intense workout.

So while it's true that eating low-carb will lower your blood insulin levels, intense exercise will help lower them further.

[bokbadok]

The trip to the doctor, and the tests to officially be diagnosed pre-diabetic will probably outweigh the savings on the strips, but I may ask about it when I go again in about a month with all my thyroid stuff.

I would rather pay for a meter and strips out of pocket than get officially branded as pre-diabetic. Under the current health plan it may not be a big deal, but if things change, it could be hard and/or expensive to get insured with that label.

[marcadav]

I Actually I just found some on Amazon that are $0.30-$0.50 per strip which is much more doable, so I'll get on that.

Walmart has a meter for under $10. Corresponding strips are $19 for 50 strips.