Links:

Here’s a link to a low-carb menu site - https://www.dietdoctor.com/quick-easy-weekly-keto-meal-plan

Fruit - My Personal Superfoods List

I've put together a list of "stuff" I have going on - and foods that supposedly help.  NOTE: All foods with carbs will raise your blood glucose.  Most of these foods are lower on the Glycemic Index scale, but all fruits should be combined with a fat and protein and eaten in moderation.

Fruits and Veggies

SUPER FOODS

Apples DCI
Avocados DALCI
Blueberries DLI
Peppers (esp. red and yellow) DALI
All Berried DACI
Kale DALI
Spinich DALHCI

REALLY GOOD FOODS

Beets I
Brussels Sprouts L
Carrots DA
Fermented Foods A
Mushrooms AH
Kiwi L

STAY AWAY FROM

Bananas
potatoes
oranges
juice
starchy root veggies

D = diabetes
A = aging
L = libido (these issues are common with people with diabetes)
H = hair health
C = cholesterol
I = inflammation (some studies seem to say that diabetes is caused by inflammation and lowering inflammation may help glucose numbers.  Lowering inflammation also helps joint issues

Four Terms...

Four terms - some I hear on a regular basis, some I rarely hear because I think people don't like them much.

Managed.  Remission.  Cured.  Healed.

Managed:

This word describes most people with diabetes.  Our blood sugars are mostly within normal ranges, some with medication, some without.  Our A1C is pretty good, but without careful monitoring and "managing" it would be much higher.

Remission:

(a state in which all signs and symptoms of diabetes disappear) - a person has been so good at managing their diabetes, that all signs and symptoms disappear.  However, a Glucose Tolerance Test would still show a diabetes diagnosis - although most doctors would not give a GTT, unless for a pregnant patient.  Remission means that the disease could come back, if the person is not diligent about lifestyle choices.

Cured:

"Cured" is a medical term.  There is no cure for diabetes at this point.  If a person is cured, the disease no longer exists in their bodies, due to medical treatment.  This is not the same a "managed."

Healed:

A healing may be spontaneous or miraculous.  Our bodies are built to be healthy and will try to heal on their own.  People have been healed of diabetes, both miraculously and through lifestyle choices - there is evidence that given time, our glucose response will come back to normal for some people.

God willing, I have the strength to make those lifestyle commitments, and bring that healing into my life.

Product Review - Stainless Steel Handheld Electric Milk Frother

Okay - maybe it shows how easily amused I am.  But I like this little $10 thing and I use it every day.

It will make nearly any liquid foam up, warm or cold.

It will make a soft whipped cream if you use heavy cream (low carb, high fat option)

It will make a really nice foam if you use half & half (a bit higher carb)

It will even make unsweetened almond milk foam up!  (another low carb option, but low fat)

It will make a plain cup of coffee (or tea, or diet root beer) seem downright decadent - I poured a cup of coffee pumpkin pie spice (sugar free, recipe here) and a bit of splenda, then a bit of cream with a bit more pumpkin pie spice.  I used the frother on both, then put the cream on top.  This is better (and better for you) than the Starbuck's version with heavy sweet syrup!

The real cream mitigates the  glucose spike of the coffee, and the cinnamon in the Pumpkin Pie Spice helps with insulin resistance.  This is very quickly becoming my "go-to" morning beverage.

In the evening, my "once in a while" night cap is a diet orange soda, with frothed up heavy cream and a shot of vodka.  It tastes like a grown-up orange creamsicle.

Sooo....we're on vacation...leaving tomorrow

This is the first extended vacation I've taken, post-dx.

We're on motorcycles, so no coolers in the car...I'll update.

5 Month Mark

It's been 5 months since my diagnosis.

Lots of ups and downs.

If a body needs a break from Metformin because it quits working, I think I might be there.  Dawn is back with a vengeance - upper 120's the last four mornings.

Weight is stalled.

Although...I blame the week I took a statin drug.  Everything stalled.  I have no known heart issue, I had an EKG and an C-scan of my chest in March.  Nothing was wrong.

Even all my lipid numbers are "normal" except the LDL and that's only 12 points in the "high-normal" range.  But they want everybody on statins.

Everything stalled.  Even after four days on the drug, but muscles hurt.  I quit taking it.

That was a 1-1/2 weeks ago and I'm just now starting to drop weight again.

There was a sense of futility - if nothing is working, then why am I not enjoying the food I used to eat and enjoy?  So...a couple more cheat meals a week.  Having food in the house that I should not have.

But if I'm losing again, it's time to start really low-carbing again and see what I can do.

I'm going to rock this disease.  

Doctor's Orders...

I am becoming increasing aware of the willingness of others to "play doctor."  That is, giving unsolicited medical advice.

(This is the big reason I'm not sharing my diagnosis with family members - while not universal, we do have relatives that will be virtually unable to contain their "wisdom."

This is really concerning when that advice goes directly against what the doctor says.

If a person asks about a doctor's advice, I'll happily answer the question and offer possibilities, but will not simple tell anybody "don't take that medication" (without telling doctor.)

HOWEVER - I am equally happy with making the choice to not follow medical advice for myself.

My endocrinologist was very insistent on giving me  prescription for statins.  (I'll post research later.)

Because of my metabolic issues,  I have to work HARD to lose weight, and I have to be CAREFUL in order to keep my blood glucose controlled.

I had been on statins for a week.

I've gained 4 pounds, and my fasting blood glucose went up 25 points (137)

I've not had a great night's sleep since I started taking the drug.

My joints and muscles started aching.

So...I don't have any heart issues, so the drug is given simply because they give people with statins drugs to prevent issues - there is no evidence that they work to prevent heart disease.

Last night I didn't take the pill.

This morning, but FBG is 113.

I lost .4 pounds.

I'll message the doctor tomorrow and tell her I'm throwing the stuff away.

"Cage Phase"

Cage Stage Calvinism is a humorous term used to warn Christian believers recently converted to Calvinistic Theology. It suggests that the new Calvinist would be best placed in a cage rather than cause undue offence due to their zealous promotion of a Calvinistic theology.

No, this really isn't a religious post.  It's a post about people.  People who have a (probably) new and amazing outlook on a particular area of life.

Cage Phase Calvinism...I've been there, done that.  And I've learned to see that the term "cage phase" applies to other areas of life.

The Diabetes Connection

I have come to believe that LCHF (low carb/high fat) is the absolute best way for people with Type2  diabetes to manage their disease (with or without medication.)

Many other people have come to that conclusion as well.

What does "cage phase" have to do with that?

If you hang around on-line support groups long enough (some days, "long" means a few minutes) you'll bump into a "cage phase low carber."

It is very likely that this "cage phaser" has grown an attitude that medication is 1) unnecessary and 2) outright bad for you.

(see also - the most annoying anti-smokers are ex-smokers.)

If somebody asks a question about medications, the answer will be "all medications are bad."  Or "get off those med!" Or some variation on that theme.

For a while...

Right after my dx, when I joined a great facebook group...

There were a few that were so insistent, so consistent in the way they were speaking at, and to people about LCHF and "all meds are bad" that people were leaving the group.

That's why I started this blog (notice the title) and my (very little) group.  I would like it to grow, because I would like it to serve a different purpose than the large group -  the big group is much more active, and questions get lost.  Recipes are files and organized differently.  I wanted to have a place where people don't have to worry about the "this is the only way to do it" attitude.

We each have our own path, and we need to be able to find it.  That path may, or may not...include medication.  We may, or may not...come to the LCHF path.  In fact, the HF might be BAD for some people.

Until we can look into the other person's mind, heart and medical history...we simply don't know what that other person's path is going to be.

Get out of the cage.

Confucius say...

It matters not how slow you go...as long as you do not stop.

One day a couple of years ago I took a side trip on a hike.  A BIG side trip...added a big climb.  One the map it didn't look so...mountain.

Anyway, at the bottom, in the shade, was a picnic table where I stopped and ate my lunch.  This was carved into the table.

It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop.

The "days off" are like stopping to eat my lunch at that table.

I stop and enjoy the view, but I know that I'm going to continue...and continue STRONG.

Unlike lunch on a hike, I don't *need* to have a cheat day, or even a cheat meal.  Or maybe, in order to not feel as if I can NEVER have my favorites again...

In order to "do not stop" - maybe some of us do need to have that "break" once in a while.

I have determined this - I'm no longer going to beat myself up over it.  I'm going to get up from the bench, pack up my stuff, put my pack back on...and keep going...no matter how slow it seems.

Keto Diet and Diabetes

Background

Prior to the advent of exogenous insulin for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in the 1920's, the mainstay of therapy was dietary modification. Diet recommendations in that era were aimed at controlling glycemia (actually, glycosuria) and were dramatically different from current low-fat, high-carbohydrate dietary recommendations for patients with diabetes. For example, the Dr. Elliot Joslin Diabetic Diet in 1923 consisted of "meats, poultry, game, fish, clear soups, gelatin, eggs, butter, olive oil, coffee, tea" and contained approximately 5% of energy from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 75% from fat. A similar diet was advocated by Dr. Frederick Allen of the same era.

So, "keto" or low carb/high fat (LCHF) diets are nothing new to control Type 2 Diabetes.  

(Here is a link to the basics and "what you can eat" list.)

Before insulin became available in the 1920's, the Keto diet WAS the way to control diabetes.

What happened?

It all started back in the 1950s, when there was an epidemic of middle-aged men dropping dead of heart attacks.₂

So the "science" and USDA assumed that there was a link between saturated fat and clogged arteries.  But was there really an "epidemic" of this type?

Nope.

No. Instead, there was an epidemic of men aged 50 and up. In 1900, the average life expectancy of an American male was 48 years....By 1950, however, the average American male was living into his seventies. That means more men were dying of heart attacks simply because more were surviving long enough to have one.₂

And then...the "proof"

Then, when President Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower had a heart attack in 1955, his cardiologist, the famed Dr. Paul Dudley White, blamed the president’s high-fat diet and put him on a low-fat diet instead. (The fact that Eisenhower had smoked four packs of cigarettes a day up until 1949 didn’t seem to cross anyone’s mind as being a likely cause.) When Ike ran again for president in 1956, the low-fat diet was credited for his recovery and ability to return to work. What never got publicized is that Ike hated his low-fat diet. He felt hungry all the time even as he gained weight and his cholesterol continued to rise. He also continued to have heart attacks—six more after leaving office. The last and fatal attack occurred in 1969.₂

Follow the money...

When the USDA chose the "Basic Four Food Groups" in the 1950's, they invited executives from major food companies to help.  

The dutiful "regulators" reasoned:

"(The USDA) felt that food industry groups would have a vital interest in any food guide sponsored by the Government." ₃

So...farmers, food companies, and  lobbyists and the USDA decided that we needed more carbs.

So...what now?  Back to the National Institutes of Health...

The diet they studied was nearly text-book Atkins.  Subjects started 20 or fewer grams of carbohydrates per day, but (unlike Atkins, which called this "induction" and ended this stage after two weeks) the study waited until the subjects had lost half of their weight OR experienced carb cravings, and then began increasing carbs by 5 per day, until they stopped losing weight.

What did they find?

In this single-arm, 4-month diet intervention, an LCKD resulted in significant improvement of glycemia, as measured by fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c, in patients with type 2 diabetes. More importantly, this improvement was observed while diabetes medications were reduced or discontinued in 17 of the 21 participants, and were not changed in the remaining 4 participants

Conclusion

The LCKD improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes such that diabetes medications were discontinued or reduced in most participants. Because the LCKD can be very effective at lowering blood glucose, patients on diabetes medication who use this diet should be under close medical supervision or capable of adjusting their medication.

So...When you see somebody in a group tell you that a Keto diet works - listen.  It might not work for you, for various reasons...but the National Institutes of Health...agree with those who are suggesting that low carb is a good way for people with diabetes to get a handle on this disease.

Based on a article for the National Instututes of Health

(2)The FDA’s phony nutrition science: How Big Food and Agriculture trumps real science — and why the government allows it

(3)The Food Pyramid that Made Us Fat

Intermittent Fasting

I had a pretty good carb day yesterday, but it was "grazing" and at the end of the day I was about ready to eat the carpet.  However, I also forgot my morning Metformin.

Husband suggested I have a "mio" water and a few chocolate chips to trick my body into thinking it was having dessert.

It worked.  Blood glucose shot up, I'm up a pound today and my Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) was 137.

I have to do something.

1. Plan Better (have better food prepared and on hand)
2. Have a generally "no cheat" lifestyle
3. Dip my toes into intermittent fasting (today I'll eat breakfast at 9:00, last meal before 9:00 PM)
4. I'm not working today, so a walk will work.
5. Eat less than 50 carbs for the day.

Dangers in the house - 

• Chocolate chips (Husband will take care of these)
• Trail mix (I'll give this to Daughter)
• Protein bars (not low carb) - these are for Husband and I pretty much leave them alone, as long as I have other, healthy snacks for me
• Apples (there is one left, so if I have carbs left at the end of the day, I'll eat 1/4 of it and see what happens.)
• 
  

Effects of Protein on Blood Glucose Levels.

Usually, carbohydrates are the "go to" source of blood glucose and our bodies can break carbs down into glucose pretty quickly (simple and/or high glycemic foods very quickly and complex/low glycemic foods a bit more slowly.)

In the absence of carbs, our bodies can also covert protein to blood glucose.  Our bodies need glucose to survive, and our brain's sole energy source is glucose.  So with no other source, our bodies are designed to use what it has, to make what it needs.

So yes, protein will raise our blood glucose - if it's only a small rise, it's normal (even in non-diabetic people) and necessary for our brains to stay functional.

Some things to be aware of:

• Eating fat only for a long period of time is not the answer.  High amounts of fat tend to make our bodies *more* insulin resistance, so that it takes MORE insulin to get energy into our cells.  This is exactly the opposite of what we want.(1)
• Insulin resistance means that our cells are not using insulin effectively.  In effect, we don't have "enough" insulin because it takes more of it to get energy into our cells.  With "enough" insulin, protein causes a very slow, minimal rise in blood glucose levels.
• Eating *LOW* protein is not the answer either.  Our bodies need protein to build and retain muscle mass.  If we don't eat enough protein, we lose muscle and strength.  
• Eating small amounts of protein *prior* to a meal tends to INCREASE insulin sensitivity.

My (old, in another state) endocrinologist told me that a good ratio is 60% fat (emphasis on healthy fat)/30% protein/10% carbs.

But then what?

Doesn't it seem like we're between a rock and a hard place?

Eating fat makes us insulin resistant, and eating protein converts to glucose!

The thing is...all of these studies are based on high carbohydrate diets.

If we eat a "normal" amount of carbohydrate, then yes...fat will cause problems.  But when we lower our carb counts to a "low" carb diet, the body switches from using carbs for its main energy to using fat for its main energy.

Since carbs are no longer the main energy source, there is less insulin, and so insulin resistance is not as much of a problem.  

When we use carbs as our main energy source, our cells are FULL of glucose and so when we put more carbs in, there is nowhere for them to go, except to hang out in our blood.  Since there is glucose in our blood, there will also be insulin in our blood...our cells (being already full) resists the insulin's attempt to get more glucose into our cells.

When we move to fats as our main source of energy, our cells have less glucose, so that when there is glucose in our blood, and there is insulin, it can get into our cells more easily.

So>>>

This blog is all about information, without judging or pushing.  I am convinced that a low carb (although not necessarily keto,) moderate protein and high fat eating plan is what most diabetics will do well on.

Some of will get there by other paths, some will go straight there, and others may not get there at all - we all have different lives to live and it's worth it sometimes to just eat in a way that is going to fit what we have to do.

But the information is here, should you want it.

(1)Protein: metabolism and effect on blood glucose.

Could An Alkaline Diet Reverse Diabetes?

Read the article here.

Several large-scale studies have revealed a strong and compelling link between an alkaline diet and improved insulin resistance. This benefit has also been found to lower the incidence of developing diabetes, and some types of cancers.

Our bodies are naturally slightly alkaline, and if we are more acidic than our bodies like, our kidneys have to work harder to filter out waste products.


A printable food chart is here.

What you'll need:

• a tube of pH test strips (Get them from Amazon)

That's it.  Follow the directions on the package to find out the pH of your body.  The first time I measured mine, I was WAY on the acidic side.

I started alkalizing my water and it brought it back into a reasonable range really quickly.

The WATER part:

I tested the pH of my tap water and it was way in at the wrong end of acid.  There are several ways of fixing that.

1. Buy a reverse osmosis water filter (BIG bucks!)
2. Buy pH alkalizing drops (makes your water taste funny)
3. Put lemons in your water (tasty and works, but sometimes you just want plain water or a cup of tea.)
4. Buy mineral water (not all that expensive and tastes good.)

And the FOOD part!:

Foods are either acid or alkaline...and the chart I linked to has both divided into 4 parts (very high, high, low, very low) - the more alkaline foods you eat, the more alkaline your body will be.

You can see that I've rewritten the chart (below) to list only foods that I'm likely to eat.  I put a check in the top for each food that I eat, so I can keep track of the good vs. bad.

And yes, when I'm focusing on alkaline, it's easier for me to keep my blood glucose numbers down.

Eat four	Eat three	Eat two	Eat one
VERY HIGH ALKALINE baking soda chlorella lemons limes lotus root mineral water nectarine onion persimmon pumpkin seed raspberry tangerine vegetable juices HIGH ALKALINE watermelon apples apricots arugula asparagus beans (fresh green) broccoli carrots dandelion tea endive garlic ginger (fresh) ginseng tea kale kambucha kiwifruit kohlrabi mustard green olive parsley parsnip raspberries soy sauce turnip	LOW ALKALINE almonds apple cider vinegar artichokes (jerusalem) avocado bell pepper blackberry cabbage cauliflower cherry cod liver oil collard green egg yolks green tea honey (raw) leeks mushrooms peach pear primrose oil pumpkin rutabaga sesame seed sprouts watercress VERY LOW ALKALINE avocado oil beet blueberry brussel sprouts celery chive cilantro coconut oil cucumber fermented veggies  flax oil ghee ginger tea  grapes hemp seed oil lettuces olive oil orange quinoa squashes  strawberry sunflower seeds tahini turnip greens wild rice	VERY LOW ACIDIC amaranth butter canola oil coconut cream curry dates dry fruit figs Fish Gelatin  goat cheese honey koma coffee maple syrup millet pine nuts sheep cheese spinach sunflower oil vinegar zucchini LOW ACIDIC adzuki beans aged cheese  alcohol almond oil balsamic vinegar black buckwheat chard  cow milk farina kidney beans lamb lima beans pinto beans plum red beans sesame oil shell fish spelt tapioca  teff tomatoes turkey vanilla	MODERATELY ACIDIC basmati rice chicken coffee corn cottage cheese cranberry egg whites garbanzo beans green peas honey (pasteurized) ketchup mussels mustard nutmeg olives (pickled)  other legumes pecans pistachio seeds pomegranate popcorn  pork prunes snow peas squid  veal HIGHLY ACIDIC  artificial sweeteners beef beer brazil nuts breads  brown sugar cocoa flour (white) fried foods hazelnuts jam / jelly liquor lobster pickles (commercial) processed cheese seafood soft drinks walnuts white vinegar wine yeast

What If We're Wrong?

What if We're Wrong? (Subtitle: chicken or egg?)

I was stick-thin until I hit puberty, then a bunch of PCOS symptoms kicked in, including weight gain.

If the PCOS came first, the sequence would have been

1. PCOS
2. Insulin resistance
3. Obesity
4. Diabetes.

I know that the PCOS part isn't always part of it, but for me, I was diagnosed with PCOS before I was "obese."

PCOS comes with insulin resistance...more insulin in the blood stream leads to obesity and diabetes.

I certainly had a part to play in the obesity piece, having given up in frustration over not being able to lose weight because of the PCOS.  That led to unhealthy eating habits and here I am.

However, if the list is right, even the "obesity" was a step, not the cause.

Lemon Balm Essential Oil

Lemon Balm (LBEO)(melissa)  is another "nearly all purpose" Essential Oil.

• It's a member of the mint family, so if you're allergic to mint, go very carefully.

• it seems to have a sedative and calming effect, so can be used at night time to help with insomnia

• It may have anti-viral properties - some people apply it topically to treat cold sores (herpes simplex 1)

• Some research shows that taking lemon balm by mouth daily for 4 months seems to reduce agitation and improve symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

• Research has shown no evidence of side effects, even with extended use (4 months) but is listed as "possibly" safe for children and pregnant women.  

• LBEO has significant antioxidant properties and eats up free radicals in the body

• LBEO has really good effects on blood glucose, liver metabolism and triglyceride levels.

SUGGESTED Dosage:

If using internally, use FOOD GRADE Essential oil: 6-12 drops of diffused oil (this is a gentle oil, so 1:1 is okay,) up to 3 times a day.
If using topically, same ratio.  Added benefit - LBEO contains a citronella compound, so mosquitoes don't like it.
If using gel-tabs, 600 mg, up to 3 times per day.

NOTE:  these are suggested dosages - I'm not a medical professional, so this is only for informational use.

The text in the article (below)... 


...is a bit confusing - I'll break it down to bullet points.


1 - Antioxidant activity.  (Antioxidants are compounds found in food that stop or delay damage to the cells.)

• Lemon Balm Essential Oil (LBEO) was tested on mice.

• LBEO "scavenged" 97% of DPPH Radicals (labs use DPPH to measure antioxidant activity

2 - Diabetes Application:  Mice who were given LBEO for 6 weeks had

• significantly lower blood glucose levels (65% of the control group)

• significantly lower TAG (triglyceride) concentrations 

• improved glucose tolerance (by oral glucose tolerance test)

• higher serum insulin levels

3 - Further...

• From what I understand, LBEO affects gene expression, so even if your T2 comes from a genetic expression, LBEO can regulate those effects.

• LBEO seems to help the liver metabolize extra glucose and 

• inhibits the creation of glucose in the liver.

(1)The antioxidant activity of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oil (LBEO) on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and its hypoglycaemic effect in db/db mice were investigated. LBEO scavenged 97 % of DPPH radicals at a 270-fold dilution. Mice administered LBEO (0·015 mg/d) for 6 weeks showed significantly reduced blood glucose (65 %; P < 0·05) and TAG concentrations, improved glucose tolerance, as assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test, and significantly higher serum insulin levels, compared with the control group. The hypoglycaemic mechanism of LBEO was further explored via gene and protein expression analyses using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Among all glucose metabolism-related genes studied, hepatic glucokinase and GLUT4, as well as adipocyte GLUT4, PPAR-γ, PPAR-α and SREBP-1c expression, were significantly up-regulated, whereas glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression was down-regulated in the livers of the LBEO group. The results further suggest that LBEO administered at low concentrations is an efficient hypoglycaemic agent, probably due to enhanced glucose uptake and metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue and the inhibition of gluconeogenesis in the liver.

Why are my numbers different?

Q. Why are my numbers different?  

I see people on line and some of the numbers look like the numbers on my meter, but others look sort of like my A1C looks, only a bit "off."

What gives?

A. Where do you live?

In the United States, our blood glucose meters use the measurement of mg/dl.  That stands for milligrams (of glucose) per deciliter (of blood.)

In Canada (and other pasts of the world) the meters use a mmol/l measurement.  That stands for millimole* (of glucose) to a full liter (of blood.)

Here is a link to a chart that includes mg/dl and mmol/l and A1C conversion.


 *A millimole is 1/1000 of a mole, which is a measurement for the mass/area of molecules)

To to that off...

We also have the AlC number.

The A1C test is a test that is done at a lab (there are at-home tests, but not very accurate and I have not had luck using them) and the test shows the average of all your blood glucose over the last three months.

Glucose binds itself to the hemoglobin in your blood and the hemoglobin cells last about three months, so by taking the average of how much glucose has attached to your hemoglobin cells, we see a reflection of your true average.

Q. Why is an A1C better than just averaging out my meter numbers?

We tend to use our glucose meters on a schedule (either by certain parts of the day, or based on when we eat) AND/OR if we're feeling a bit wonky (either high or low.)

So we miss those high numbers or low numbers that happen when we don't test, or while we're sleeping (*that's why my A1C was higher than my meter average - I don't test during the "Dawn Phenomenon.")

Our meter numbers are really good for planning our eating and exercise, but the A1C is good for knowing our glucose "status" and adjusting medication.

If there's anything I missed, let me know and I'll add it!

Eat To Your Meter

I use a lot of test strips - until I have a really good handle on this, I want to know how different foods affect me.

For your diabetes to be "controlled" you MUST control those after-meal spikes. ("Spike" - when your blood glucose rapidly increased to a high number within an hour of eating.)

That means testing each of them, and that means "eating to my meter."

Here is a really good article about it, and has a lot of "why" - I'll copy and paste the "how," but please read the whole article.

NOTE: If I'm testing a new food, I do the one-hour test so that I know how much the food changes my blood glucose at this highest point.

So, here is how you “eat to your meter.”  Take a blood glucose reading before a meal.  Eat your meal.  If you are NOT diabetic, test your blood glucose 1 hour after a meal (if diabetic, test 1 1/2 hours after a meal.  If you are diabetic and commonly experience blood glucose levels over 200, then test 2 hours after a meal).

If you experience more than a 25-30 point spike in your blood glucose between your pre and post meal readings, then identify the carbohydrate (grain, starch, legume or fruit) on your plate.  THAT FOOD IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!  (Article: “Should I Eat Fruit?  How About Grains, Starches and Legumes?”  HERE.)

What do you do if you find a food that spikes you over the target range?  Well, next time, try cutting the portion of that food to a very small amount.  For instance, I would personally have a significant blood glucose spike from 10 strawberries, bur very little spike from 3 strawberries.  So, I have learned my limit with this particular food.

If you still have a significant blood glucose spike from the food after consuming only a very small portion, then, in my opinion, this food has to be eliminated from your diet.  Why?  Because your body cannot process this food without significant blood glucose rise.  If you continue to eat foods that cause a significant rise in blood glucose, you will eventually need medication (or MORE medication) to help you process these foods.  To me, no food is worth more medicine and the side effects that come along with it.

Now, when you find a food that causes very little blood glucose spike, put it on a “safe” list.  After a few weeks of testing like this, you will have built up a nice sized safe list, and you will have eliminated obvious trigger foods.  Concentrate your meals around your “safe” foods.  Once I have determined which foods are “safe”, I personally, no longer test for those foods.

I did this several years ago and built a “safe” list for myself.  I have chosen stricter targets for myself, choosing to keep my post-meal blood glucose <100.  I literally have dozens of items on my “safe” list that cause less than a 5-10 point spike in my blood glucose.  Many of the foods I eat have almost NO glycemic impact.  Here is an example of one of my pre-meal, 1-hour and 2-hour post-meal blood glucose from a food on my “safe” list.

What I learned in Al Anon

For a time, through a difficult space of time with a very dear loved one, I went to Al-Anon meetings.  I wanted somebody to tell me how to handle this.

But they wouldn't.

"We can only tell you our experiences, but cannot and will not tell you how to handle yours."

Over time, I began to understand.

1- Everybody and every situation is different.  

How one person responds may be very different from how another person responds.  That difference might be the difference between success or failure.

Over time, as I listened to stories, I realized that my loved one would have responded very differently and it would not have gone well.   It was only by taking a bit here and a bit there that I was able to figure out how to move forward with my life.

How it relates to my dx

You read a lot of "try this" and "try that."  Worse, you hear a lot of "you HAVE to..."

You read a lot of "you need to get off meds" and "meds are poison."  

Not every thing works for every person, and by trying to make the glass slipper fit every foot, it becomes an exercise in frustration.

2 - You have to "make it your own"

If you only go by what somebody else tells you is the way it has to be done, you never have the chance to "make it your own."

How it relates to my dx

You hear a lot of "you HAVE to..."

You know what?  That may be true.  But until I internalize that information, it's the will fighting against the desire.

The more I was told (or told myself) that I COULD NOT have something, the more I wanted it.  The more somebody else told me that there was something I HAD to do...the longer it took me to get to that point.

Now, as I relate to others, I help others find substitutes, work-arounds, etc.

I give them space to "make it their own."

3 - Baby steps count, too.

With my loved one, there were a lot of missteps.  Lost opportunities.

But a step forward is still a step forward.

How it relates to my dx

A step forward is still a step forward.  In myself, and in others.

Recognizing baby steps in others is worth celebrating.

They may not "get it" when they're told that the only right way is the way they're being told.

But if their steps are in the right direction, let's celebrate that.

1- What works for me may not work for others
2 - What works for others may not work for me
3 - Give others the space to figure it out in their own time
4 - Celebrate the baby steps.

Sooo...early this week I was told by a doctor that my A1c was high enough for a "diabetes mellitis" diagnosis.  It does take two blood tests over 6.5% to have the official diagnosis, but it's a wake-up call.

I've been eating low(er) carb - well, according to the "experts" fewer than 100 grams of carb a day is considered a low carb diet, so I'm close.

So...here we go.