Do U need Keto Strips if you test your blood
 

Just a question, when I started low carbing I bought keto strips to test my urine but soon thought that was silly since I'm diabetic and can do a blood test with my monitor that would tell me if I'm doing ok.
Since then I have lost weight and don't use the KS and wonder if anyone else feels the same way.
mine never turned purple really.
Nibby

I don't use them, either. The ketone test strips are from the days when diabetics didn't have home blood glucose montiors and had to rely on testing their urine to see if they were spilling glucose or ketones.
It's easy to forget that home blood glucose monitors have only been widely available to diabetics for the past 25 years or so.

Ketostix
 

Ketostix help me stay on my low carb diet. If you are on Bernstein's diet you are almost certainly in ketosis. Sitting around the house all day plus 30 carbs and I might only show a trace. But a half hour walk with a day of 30 carbs will show at least moderate on the stick.

Bust the diet with pie and coffee at the restaurant on Grocery day and the stick says negative for that day but is back the next day.

Do Pizza for lunch and pie and coffee both on grocery day and it is negative for that day and the next, but back into ketosis on the third day.

But thats for me, every one is different. Oh, and I am not diabetic, but my cat is. She is on low carb too.

Sorry I guess I didn't sound very clear. I have a monitor and its all I use to check my blood sugars which have been very very good for the most part since low carbing. I know alot of people use the sticks that are not diabetic to see how they are doing on thier LCing diet but I wondered if a diabetic that already has a good way to keep track of thier blood sugars with a monitor would even need the sticks to see how the LCing was affecting them.
I don't use them and didn't find them all that helpful to me.
Nibby

hi Nibby,

Other LC programs such as Protein Power do not require testing for ketones. And folks lose weight just fine ;)

In "Diabetes Solution", Dr. Bernstein does recommend that diabetics keep a supply of individually foil-wrapped ketone test sticks on hand (the foil-wrapped sticks have a long shelf life because they're not exposed to air or moisture. Very expensive though!). These are for emergencies such as during illness or an infection. At these times, blood sugars can go out of control and get very high. The presence of ketones in the urine along with high blood sugars is a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis, and requires a trip to the nearest emergency room, pronto. :exclm:


Doreen

doreen,this doesnt pertain to this post about keto stix,but i just wanted too tell you that since i started the new WOE and this forum that everything thing i have read from you has been so informative and helpful too me,i havent told you that and i just wanted you too know,,thx alot :) Tammy

p.s. i am not diabetic,but i relied on the keto stix alot in the beginning,but since i have been lcing for over 3 months now,i pretty much know what will throw me out of ketosis and i dont use them much at all anymore.....i really think they help when u first begin low carbing ,they did me :) Tammy