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I want to gain weight

Q.
I wonder if you have any advice for the oddball who wants to GAIN weight? I have Ascites and need to increase my protein. BUT the breakfast you suggested would probably shoot my day's sodium allowance.

To make things more interesting, I am an insulin dependent diabetic.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A.
Wow! You have it tough! I admire you! You have to have so much courage to face your disease every day.

I really am afraid to give you advice without knowing more about you. For example are you and "Adult Onset" (type II) diabetic or "Juvenile Onset" (Type I) Diabetic? From what you explained as your health problems I almost wonder if you are type I where your body has No ability to make insulin?

With type II diabetes often the body still produces a small amount of insulin. With diet modification you can clean up the insulin receptor sites sometimes so the body will increase it's natural production (actually your bodies sensitivity to insulin), thus reducing the need for insulin injections.

Normally if a person decreases their dietary intake of carbohydrates they will not have to worry about their sodium intake as much. Carbohydrates cause overproduction of insulin and one of the things that causes is sodium retention. With less carbohydrates in the body we retain less sodium from the foods we eat, but in your case with ascites already present I would be afraid to give you this advise. It has more to do with your insulin production or in your case non-production.

I plan to do an article in the next month or so on ways to increase your weight. Your question has given me much to think about. If you would like to respond to my questions in this response to your questions maybe I can give you more information. I would like to keep people like you in mind when I look for information for another article.

Hope to hear from you. Take Care.

Mary Howard is a Registered Nurse, mother of two, and enjoys natural gardening. Come visit her Homegrown web site

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