Mary's mini and blood sugar??

[minirunner]

I do not technically have diabetes or insulin resistance but I do have PCOS which can be very susceptible to certain foods. I want to try Mary's mini but have been hesitant because I don't know if I want to use white potatoes and was wondering if anyone had a good suggestion for a starch to use.

I have been trying to follow Dr. Fuhrmans diet and found that without enough starches I CANNOT meet my nutritional needs [I was using the crono-meter]. I tried a McDougall style diet and found I could easily meet my nutritional needs. Anyway, I have noticed that I have been having afternoon fatigue and dizziness when I eat sugars so I want to avoid anything that might aggravate blood sugar issues. Any suggestions for doing Mary's mini with these issues would be wonderful. Thank you.

[kirstykay]

I did MM using exclusively white potatoes and vegetables with apples or bananas as my snacks. In 10 days, I lost 8 pounds and my fasting blood sugar went from 189 to 127!
IMO, you don't need to worry about blood sugar while doing Mary's Mini!
If you REALLY don't want to use white potatoes, though, you can use brown rice or sweet potatoes as your starch.
Good luck!

[minirunner]

Thank you so much for your response, that helps so much!! There are so many varying opinions about potatoes and blood sugar issues. I'm excited to get started! I love potatoes!

[kirstykay]

I know, it can be very confusing. The medical community and popular media have us all convinced that potatoes and bananas basically CAUSE diabetes. You're not the first person to have this same concern. Here's a link to a previous forum discussion that addresses this topic in more detail.

www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13848&sid...

I'm glad that my experience helps you. I was, frankly, stunned by the quick and dramatic results. My doctor was ready to increase my medication, and I avoided needing to do that. This way of eating really works!!! It's hard to convince others, though. That's why I love this website and forum. It's the one place where I know I'll get sound advice about how to heal my body.

[Jackie J]

KirstyKay - congrats on your weight and blood sugar loss - how many potatoes did you eat a day?
Many thanks

[kirstykay]

Thanks! I didn't really count how many potatoes I ate, but a typical day for me looked something like this:

Breakfast: hashbrowns and cabbage (with catsup)
Lunch: oven fries (made by cutting russet potatoes into wedges and baking at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes) with a mixed greeen salad and nonfat dressing
Dinner: Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes mixed with canned corn (drained) and some other vegetable like broccoli on the side.
Snack: whenever I was hungry, I would eat an apple or a banana or more oven fries because they were easy to grab.

I really didn't think about portions. I just ate when I was hungry and I stopped when I was satisfied, and my cravings (which have always derailed my dieting efforts in the past) virtually dissappeared. I plan on doing MM again starting Monday and going through the month of December. I've enjoyed the variety of the MWL plan the past few weeks, but I think to get through this temptation-filled season, MM will simplify my life. There is a MM thread that you can join if you're interested in checking in with others doing it. I think they will be starting a new thread for the month of December which I will join. I hope I "see" you there.

[Randrews]

well, i'm not totally convinced a diabetic can eat brown rice or certain other starches. I ate half a can of beans and 2 cups of brown rice this morning and my blood glucose went to 191! Thats too high for me!

[minirunner]

I was planning on starting on MM on Monday as well. Yesterday I simplified my diet because of the weight gain on Thankgiving and I ate quinoa for breakfast, a pita and veggies for lunch and a baked potato and sauteed veggies for dinner and that was the first night in months I felt satiated and did not wander around the kitchen looking for something sweet to eat.
I am excited to start MM on Monday, I think I've got my sister in law convinced to do it with me!

[Jackie J]

thanks for the deets on your mm plan, KristKay

[minirunner]

Randrews, blood sugar is supposed to rise after a meal, the real test is how quickly the blood sugar levels return to normal after eating.

[Randrews]

yes mini, i am aware that glucose levels rise after a meal, but they should never go above 150.

[kirstykay]

yes mini, i am aware that glucose levels rise after a meal, but they should never go above 150.

Where are you getting that information?

[Randrews]

several websites but the ADA, says it should be 140 or lower after a glucose test.

[maverick451]

Your blood sugar will spike at first when you start this program, over time the spike will get less and less, sure you can eat more fat and the spikes will be less but you'll still be contributing to the underlying cause, insulin resistance.

If you gave it 3 months im sure you'd see the spikes becoming less and less

read this thread

http://drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6321

also exercise really helps aswell.

[Randrews]

well, I'm going to give it 3 months then. oh I joined the Y a while back and do an abs class and a stationary bike class. I walk 30 or 40 miles a week.