How prepared are you right now?

[tmttactical]

There are alternatives to insulin. Search for "Bee Tea" in Brazil. Many people crush 10 bees & steeple it like tea. One study found it more effective than insulin itself. (I am not a doctor)

I will keep this in mind, for when the SHTF and insulin is not available. I am still hoping the new meds will work. The lowest dosage did not work, so I am moving up to the next dosage level. I am a little old and slow to catch many bee's. LOL

 

[DrHenley]

Best to find some alternative means of lowering blood sugar before you become insulin dependent. There are a number of them that work for Type II Diabetes, but once you are insulin dependent, your options are limited.
Chromium
Magnesium
Berberine
Turmeric
Fenugreek seed
Apple cider vinegar
Beets
Cinnamon
Insoluble fiber
Exercise
Controlling stress levels
7-9 hours of quality sleep at night

 

[OldButtoni]

A word of caution with Berberine. I tried it on two different occasions to get its many health benefits and both times it gave me "violent" intestinal distress that immediately went away upon suspension. YMMV.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I was stock piling my meds but it has turned out useless, as they are no longer working. I am one step away from becoming a type 1 diabetic. If the new meds don't work, I will have to shift to insulin. Such is life in the big city or even the little towns. LOL

Not sure if it will help you, but Dr Atkins makes a strong case for helping diabetics not require Insulin by eating his Atkins diet. Have you tried it? He actually had MANY diabetics able to give up insulin.

 

[Brent S]

medication . I've been skipping meds twice a week for 3 yrs. now and still doing it. (stock piling )

Just don’t skip the important ones!

 

[Brent S]

I was stock piling my meds but it has turned out useless, as they are no longer working. I am one step away from becoming a type 1 diabetic. If the new meds don't work, I will have to shift to insulin. Such is life in the big city or even the little towns. LOL

Have you radically changed your diet? I’m not preaching as I know it is hard to stick to a healthy diet, but I have seen it make huge impacts on people’s health.

 

[BucketBack]

I changed my diet. I went from 259.8 # on 8/08 / 2016

8.5 A1C, now I don't even test.

Was down to 185 in March, then the COVID 19 + pounds showed up, and now my 1st and 2nd line kit is snug

 

[KateMTx]

Not sure if it will help you, but Dr Atkins makes a strong case for helping diabetics not require Insulin by eating his Atkins diet. Have you tried it? He actually had MANY diabetics able to give up insulin.

For type 2 diabetics this is very possible as long as the disease is not too advanced. In fact it is best controlled with diet and healthy living, which can even reverse it in very early stages. Type 1 diabetes, however, is an autoimmune disorder and means that the body simply doesn't produce its own insulin, so the only treatment is giving it insulin from another source.

 

[tmttactical]

Have you radically changed your diet? I’m not preaching as I know it is hard to stick to a healthy diet, but I have seen it make huge impacts on people’s health.

I eat less than 50 carbs per day. No fun snacks, no crackers, no bread, only string cheese and almonds. I have started to increase my exercise program but that is also limited by physical condition. I do get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day. Other than the stress from this election, no other real stress. I have shifted to an Atkins type diet but so far, no improvements. I Hope to stay away from going on insulin but not feeling too positive. One apple can cause my blood sugar to spike at over 200. I am considering adding cinnamon to my diet but will have to wait and see what the new level of medication does. I don't want to add too many variables at this time. Salad and protein is my current menu. Even a couple of tables spoons of peanut butter will spike me. I do miss my peanut butter. The wife has gotten some no / low carb cooking books and the needed components. She want me to stick around, she said she is not done torturing me ( it's a joke fellas). I don't plan to give up and will do what ever I can to stay off insulin. I do appreciate all the suggestion and I will check into what I can and cannot take. Please feel free to offer any suggestions.

 

[GaRp58]

Interesting read...
https://cesiumeliminator.com/

 

[Brent S]

I eat less than 50 carbs per day. No fun snacks, no crackers, no bread, only string cheese and almonds. I have started to increase my exercise program but that is also limited by physical condition. I do get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day. Other than the stress from this election, no other real stress. I have shifted to an Atkins type diet but so far, no improvements. I Hope to stay away from going on insulin but not feeling too positive. One apple can cause my blood sugar to spike at over 200. I am considering adding cinnamon to my diet but will have to wait and see what the new level of medication does. I don't want to add too many variables at this time. Salad and protein is my current menu. Even a couple of tables spoons of peanut butter will spike me. I do miss my peanut butter. The wife has gotten some no / low carb cooking books and the needed components. She want me to stick around, she said she is not done torturing me ( it's a joke fellas). I don't plan to give up and will do what ever I can to stay off insulin. I do appreciate all the suggestion and I will check into what I can and cannot take. Please feel free to offer any suggestions.

There is no doubt diet can often improve our health, but not always. Drugs and modern science are needed sometimes. At least they are capable of helping us live our normal lifespan in many cases. I agree it’s best to try and avoid them when possible but it isn’t always. I’m on BP meds for life now and finally accepted it’s better than the risk of early stroke or heart attack. Glad you are trying the natural methods first.

 

[Maverick]

My husband uses insulin. Not fun.

There are alternatives to insulin. Search for "Bee Tea" in Brazil. Many people crush 10 bees & steeple it like tea. One study found it more effective than insulin itself. (I am not a doctor)

Apis mellifera bee tea
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0197071

 

[OldButtoni]

I eat less than 50 carbs per day. No fun snacks, no crackers, no bread, only string cheese and almonds. I have started to increase my exercise program but that is also limited by physical condition. I do get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day. Other than the stress from this election, no other real stress. I have shifted to an Atkins type diet but so far, no improvements. I Hope to stay away from going on insulin but not feeling too positive. One apple can cause my blood sugar to spike at over 200. I am considering adding cinnamon to my diet but will have to wait and see what the new level of medication does. I don't want to add too many variables at this time. Salad and protein is my current menu. Even a couple of tables spoons of peanut butter will spike me. I do miss my peanut butter. The wife has gotten some no / low carb cooking books and the needed components. She want me to stick around, she said she is not done torturing me ( it's a joke fellas). I don't plan to give up and will do what ever I can to stay off insulin. I do appreciate all the suggestion and I will check into what I can and cannot take. Please feel free to offer any suggestions.

Since YOU brought up low-carbing , I do have a 11-year old recipe website with over 2000 personal LC recipes now: Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes. Have a look! You might find some you want to try on for size. Lots of favorite comfort foods converted to LC versions there. And they all had to meet my picky husband's standards to get uploaded to the site.

I can tell you from my low-carb journey, you will most likely not see the dramatic blood work lab improvements until you have been on low-carb for 6 months. Subtle things will be happening early on, in the mirror, with energy levels, less intestinal gas, more alert, but the blood chemistry doesn't usually reflect the improvements for 6 months. If you test too soon, the numbers actually go up a bit the first couple months.............but then they drop dramatically. I know many diabetics who not only came off there diabetic meds in 6-8 months, but they had insulin reduced (or eliminated) as well. Be patient with the plan. It can completely eliminate Type 2 and do wonders for even Type1. The only thing I know works better toward that end is intermittent fasting, promoted by Dr. Jason Fung, a well-recognized nephrologist treating mostly diabetic, obese patients. His books Obesity Code, and Diabetes Code are great reads. It has done wonders for his metabolically-impaired patients. Blending both low-carb into intermittent fasting and the autophagy (cell recycling/repair) benefits are amazing! That's the approach I took and my pre-diabetes is no longer looming on my horizon.

 

[tmttactical]

Since YOU brought up low-carbing , I do have a 11-year old recipe website with over 2000 personal LC recipes now: Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes. Have a look! You might find some you want to try on for size. Lots of favorite comfort foods converted to LC versions there. And they all had to meet my picky husband's standards to get uploaded to the site.

I can tell you from my low-carb journey, you will most likely not see the dramatic blood work lab improvements until you have been on low-carb for 6 months. Subtle things will be happening early on, in the mirror, with energy levels, less intestinal gas, more alert, but the blood chemistry doesn't usually reflect the improvements for 6 months. If you test too soon, the numbers actually go up a bit the first couple months.............but then they drop dramatically. I know many diabetics who not only came off there diabetic meds in 6-8 months, but they had insulin reduced (or eliminated) as well. Be patient with the plan. It can completely eliminate Type 2 and do wonders for even Type1. The only thing I know works better toward that end is intermittent fasting, promoted by Dr. Jason Fung, a well-recognized nephrologist treating mostly diabetic, obese patients. His books Obesity Code, and Diabetes Code are great reads. It has done wonders for his metaolically-impaired patients. Blending both low-carb into intermittent fasting and the autophagy (cell recycling/repair) benefits are amazing! That's the approach I took and my pre-diabetes is no longer looming on my horizon.

Thank you for your link. I have bookmarked it and will start doing some reading. Good info and I will try and be a little bit more patient on the recovery phase. Moving onto insulin is not high on my to-do list. Low carb diet I can deal with but since I only eat one meal a day, I am not too excited about fasting. I am 5'11 and 165 LBS, so I am not dramatically over weight but skipping my one meal a day is not real high on my to-do list either. LOL

 

[Proud Prepper]

Thank you for your link. I have bookmarked it and will start doing some reading. Good info and I will try and be a little bit more patient on the recovery phase. Moving onto insulin is not high on my to-do list. Low carb diet I can deal with but since I only eat one meal a day, I am not too excited about fasting. I am 5'11 and 165 LBS, so I am not dramatically over weight but skipping my one meal a day is not real high on my to-do list either. LOL

Thats not overweight at all.

 

[OldButtoni]

Having been a prepper since Y2K, picking our pace up considerably since March of this year when Covid quarantining began, frankly......................I'm sick to death of prepping. I told my husband 2 weeks ago "I'm done with it." If we don't have the survival items and enough food stockpiled now, so be it!" If I can't buy it anymore, or can't grow it myself, well I guess I'll just starve and die with the rest of the masses. I'm sure we're forgetting something critical to survival, but at 72 and 75, there's only so much fighting back we can do. There, I've said it and ya'll can pick your jaws up off the floor now.

 

[Amish Heart]

If you've been living the lifestyle for 20 years, you'll be ok. It probably comes naturally.

 

[OldButtoni]

I sure hope so. Both sets of grandparents certainly modeled farm survival skills I learned via osmosis, I think. It's the military/defense skills we're most lacking in (and most incapable of carrying out physically) to be honest.

 

[tmttactical]

I sure hope so. Both sets of grandparents certainly modeled farm survival skills I learned via osmosis, I think. It's the military/defense skills we're most lacking in (and most incapable of carrying out physically) to be honest.

There is a time and point in many people lives (me included) where some options have to come off the table. With advanced years and physical / medical issues, bugging out and hit and run fire fights are NO-Go considerations. I will not be loading out military style packs and hitting the trails. I will stay at home and wait for whatever comes down the road. There is a time and place for everything and now my place is at home, defending life and liberty there. If you can't run with the pack, stay at home an guard the den.

 

[Amish Heart]

Right there with you, tmttactical.

 

[DrHenley]

I think I can still hold my own in the woods in those situations where stealth and marksmanship make up for lack of speed and prowess. I'm too old for street fighting though or a lot of other scenarios. I'm going to have to be like a cottonmouth and stand my ground as long as I can rather than run.

 

[GaRp58]

am not too excited about fasting. I am 5'11 and 165 LBS, so I am not dramatically over weight but skipping my one meal a day is not real high on my to-do list either. LOL
I am only 5'6" and weigh in at 185 lbs. (no fat, no stomach) eat what I want and have been like this since about 20 years and stable. Man am I lucky to be healthy, I feel for you all with your problems of insulin tho, my daughter was T 2 for a while, only tablets, then quit altogether and after a few years back to normal at the last checkup.
You are not overweight by any means TMT, hang in there. GP

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Having been a prepper since Y2K, picking our pace up considerably since March of this year when Covid quarantining began, frankly......................I'm sick to death of prepping. I told my husband 2 weeks ago "I'm done with it." If we don't have the survival items and enough food stockpiled now, so be it!" If I can't buy it anymore, or can't grow it myself, well I guess I'll just starve and die with the rest of the masses. I'm sure we're forgetting something critical to survival, but at 72 and 75, there's only so much fighting back we can do. There, I've said it and ya'll can pick your jaws up off the floor now.

You are prepared Buttoni! All you really need are necessities. The fact is, when SHTF big time we NEED folks like you! Your experience and wisdom is very valuable. Try to stay positive. *Hugs*

 

[TexasFreedom]

I will keep this in mind, for when the SHTF and insulin is not available. I am still hoping the new meds will work. The lowest dosage did not work, so I am moving up to the next dosage level. I am a little old and slow to catch many bee's. LOL

Talk to a local beekeeper. Most will laugh & give you 100 bees in a zip lock bag and ask to just let them know how it goes. (ok, maybe not in the middle of winter, but during regular season...) Mav found a good link to describe it. Take 10 bees, crush them (mortar/tendon), Put in a tea bag & put in 1/4 cup of water. Make the 'tea', let cool, and drink it. As I said, I'm not a doctor.

 

[Oddcaliber]

I'm getting up in years myself. My mind says yes but my body screams no! I'll hold out for as long as I can.

 

[DrHenley]

What's that saying? "I'm too old to take an arse whuppin' and I'm too young to die."

I won't fight fair.

 

[lonewolf]

more like " old enough to know better young enough not to care".

 

[Kelly1]

So I found a new use for old
Medicine bottles- matches and other useful junk- I’m painting them and using a color system- and my new discovery to add- liquid bandage- where has this been all my life

 

[user 7704]

I

So I found a new use for old
Medicine bottles- matches and other useful junk- I’m painting them and using a color system- and my new discovery to add- liquid bandage- where has this been all my life

I use mine for home made toothpaste.

 

[GaRp58]

Endless supply of water, food for about a year, meds...only 3 months...clothes for 3-4 years, hunting and fishing supplies for years, gas or propane and butane for 3-4 months. If we are not robbed or the mob takes over the land. Endless supply of wood for heating/cooking and two stove heaters, a wood heated water heater and wood fired oven and a portable rocket stove. Better than most but not a far as I would like...but what can you expect from $530,00 a month income since my accident??? Still happy, got a paid off house, garage full of power and hand tools, nail and screws to boot and a very strong woman at my side for 43 years now...live free, Gary