Once upon the beginning of this blog, I said I'd talk about some big 'ol medical words and abbreviations at some point 'later' in the blog. Well, it's later...so off we go! Everyday blood sugar readings are measured by pricking a digit with one of those unpleasant pointy pokey sticks (lancets-which is just a fancy way of saying needle mounted on little plastic thingamajig), (after two months I don't like them anymore than I did on day one-and I still jump every time I do it!), then squeezing out a nice perfectly round drop 'o the red stuff, which is kind of magically sucked up by a second absorbent stick thingy (test strip) that you've inserted into the little machine (glucose monitor), prior to the whole unpleasant poking moment. You wait 5 seconds (can't ya just hear the Jeopardy music playing in the background?!) and it tells you how sweet you are (or aren't-if you are crazy enough to poke yourself to check when you aren't diabetic! Ha!) Actually, it tells you the sugar (glucose) level in your body at that very precise and pinpointed moment in time. This is great, but it doesn't tell the whole picture. Look how many cool words we got in, just in one paragraph!
See, your sugar level varies throughout the day and as I'm learning, gets more and more complicated. There's that failing (but still loved-we don't want to shun our pancreas...it could do wayyyy worse things!) pancreas that keeps on keeping on to try and make some insulin, there's your heroic liver, trying valiantly to take up the slack for your vacationing pancreas, there's those crazy kids we call the hormones running amok all up in the mix, then there is that invisible, but very real, wall that your body is erecting to get between your cells and the blood, where that sugar is swimming along like so much sludge, to prevent the cells from sucking the sugar out, to go burn it off as we work and play...la, la, la. Still with me??? Okay. So, this is all going on and then we throw in food we eat, the medicine we're taking, and all the external factors that come into play including stress, lack of sleep, sickness, and on and on. As a side note, so we understand that it all plays a part...yeah, we'll get back to the main point, I swear!...I was sick two weeks ago and even after eating oh so well the day before, after one night of congestion and little sleep, my blood sugar was the worst it has been, the next morning when I checked it. All of this means that those individual readings, while handy at the time, need a way to get grouped, or put together, to mean something over a longer period of time.
I check my blood sugar once a day, but what is it at other times of the day? I don't know. Ah, but my body is keeping track of it. And there's a handy little test to gather that stored information and tell doctors what my sugar is doing on average, over time. How cool is that!? The test is called an A1C. By taking a much larger sample of your blood (not nearly as much fun as the pokey thing you do to yourself, but the nurses mean well!), the doctor can tell what your blood sugar average has been over 2-3 months. It has to do with hemoglobin protein linking up with sugar in a way that leaves a trail (just think of it as NCIS for diabetics but without that cute Mark Harmon-just another part of the major suckage of this disease). I cannot possibly do the explanation justice, so check out this article on the ADA website at http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/. This number is what really matters and is the number used to determine if you are diabetic or just 'glucose intolerant'. Isn't that a hoot?! A kinder gentler way of saying my body sucks at getting rid of sugar! When I had my inital A1C it was right at an 8...eh, not so good. After two months, I'm down to just below a 7...which is much better. Not where I want it to be, and maybe never where I want it to be, but it's a start. The number assigned (called an Estimated Glucose Average) has to do with your blood sugar average level, which takes us back to our daily readings that usually fall in a three digit range...like 145 or 168. For example, someone with an 8 is running an average level over 2-3 months of 183. The information about this scale and where the averages fall can be found here, http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/estimated-average-glucose.html, so check that out. To have 'normal' blood sugar you have to run below 100 which puts your A1C at a 5. I miss being a 5...
A big part of diabetes control is all about the mouth, and what you put in it. Seeing as I'm a food loving human, I have spent a lot of time learning how to make typical foods I eat, fit into the new lifestyle I must now lead. That lead me to reading all about foods with LGI's! Turns out all carbohydrates are not created equal. Nothing is ever easy...as they say, whoever 'they' are. All carbohydrates have a glycemic index, which measures how a food containing carbs, raises blood sugar levels. A HGI (high glycemic index) food raises the blood sugar more than a LGI (low glycemic index) food. Arming yourself with knowledge about which carbs raise your sugar less, goes a long way toward balancing your overall eating throughout the day. And for me, it really helped focus some eating choices very early on. Some low GI foods include: dried beans, most fruit, and many whole grain breads and cereals. I have found switching over to some lower GI foods a pretty easy thing to do, to make a meal still seem about like it was before all this started. For example, sweet potatoes have a lower GI than regular potatoes, so I try to make that change to keep my potato in my meal. There are some factors that affect the GI level of foods and you can read all about that in this article: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.html Suffice to say, our good friend FIBER, is a key component to lower GI levels. I'm loving me some fiber these days!
There are about a million other little words we could discuss but then this would be a dictionary and not a blog. Dictionary=boringggggggg...blog=fun with a wee bit of learning. At least that's the plan! So gather up your alphabet, all these new fun geeky words, and go take care of yourself. You only get one shot at that...don't forget it.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
One Down...One to Go
Thanksgiving has come and gone, we finished the last of our holiday meals tonight. Part of the time I did really well with my food choices, and part of the time I tanked like the Titanic. Weirdly enough, Thanksgiving day, although not perfect, I held up pretty well. It really is a bummer you can't accummulate your carbs and have them when you need them rather than spread out, cause I could do that! It would sooo work for me! Anyway, I ate all my favorite stuff, in reasonable, although I'm sure not reasonable enough, amounts. As I added in my head, I figured I was about 2 carbs over for the day. Not bad. I can live with that for the biggest holiday meal I will have.
Oh but the fun was just starting. A day that shouldn't have tripped me up at all, just threw me for all sorts of curves. The day AFTER Thanksgiving...it was laying in wait for me, I swear! There were all the combinations of things that fit together perfectly to add up to a bad day of food choices for me. First, Caroline and I were alone for the most part, so there wasn't visiting to do or visitors to see and keep occupied with entertaining. Second, neither of us were feeling very well (she had a cold and I was on day 3 of a headache), so we didn't want to get out and go do anything or even really do much around the house. Boredom setting in is so not a good thing for me and food! Since I didn't feel good, I didn't want to cook either, so other than a healthy breakfast (I set out on this day with good intentions!), I left us to nosh on leftovers from Thanksgiving and whatever we could rustle up. Well, you and I both know that if you rustle up something...it's usually the rustling of a chip bag, or the rustling of a wrapper on candy...it's never the rustling of fresh vegetables! Alone, bored, feeling yucky, not cooking...I was doomed when I got out of bed. It didn't help that pecan pie was sitting in my fridge feeling neglected because I only ate one small piece the day before. I could just hear it calling my name...
The only good thing I can say about the day was, it was at least grazing all the wrong foods, and not a big sit down fest of feasting on junk. There were natural consequences, of the kind that I love, love, love to have happen to my children. You know the ones, where you don't have to punish your kids because the outcome of their choice is so awful that they are punished without you having to say a word!? I got just that kind of moment, only it was all mine...every last bite. Ugh. I just thought I felt bad. By the end of the day I was good and miserable, with only myself to thank. At the end of it all, I realized there hadn't even been a vegetable on my horizon, not all day long! That's just nuts.
Which made me think...how often do we just eat, without thought, without effort, without care? We get one body, one shot at taking care of what we've been given, and how often do we expect our bodies to just keep up with what we're doing to it?! As I lay in bed last night, praying...being thankful for my warm house, and my great kids, and memories of happy wonderful holidays from years gone by, I spent a little time talking to the Lord about my choices that day. And I'd love to say there was a bright light moment of knowing I'll never make that mistake again, but who am I kidding? In general, we, as humans aren't nearly as well trained as our pets...we keep sticking our hands to the fire, knowing what happens! But I got up today, with resolve to be thinking about, looking at, aware of what I was eating. Eating with awareness, whether you are diabetic or not, is a real good idea. If you have that down, yay! I don't, I'm still working on it. I'll be working on it when I leave this world, I'm sure. But working on it is better than doing nothing at all.
I refuse to just 'do nothing' about this disease. That would be like standing on the railroad tracks with the train coming and 'hoping for the best'. Uh...NOT. So today was a good day. Even though we had another big dinner with lots of goodies. I ate well all day, and I didn't feel deprived. I felt great actually. And I ate what I wanted at dinner, within reason. As much as anything, this, for me, is a journey about self-control. And never have I had a harder time with anything. I bought a lesson this week though. Hopefully, it will be awhile before I have to buy another.
So for those days when you are losing your mind and eating without using your brain, try a few of these top 25 diabetic snacks from the Diabetes Living online mag. They are good for anyone, you don't need diabetes to enjoy them, I promise! http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/nutrition/top-diabetic-snacks/
Oh but the fun was just starting. A day that shouldn't have tripped me up at all, just threw me for all sorts of curves. The day AFTER Thanksgiving...it was laying in wait for me, I swear! There were all the combinations of things that fit together perfectly to add up to a bad day of food choices for me. First, Caroline and I were alone for the most part, so there wasn't visiting to do or visitors to see and keep occupied with entertaining. Second, neither of us were feeling very well (she had a cold and I was on day 3 of a headache), so we didn't want to get out and go do anything or even really do much around the house. Boredom setting in is so not a good thing for me and food! Since I didn't feel good, I didn't want to cook either, so other than a healthy breakfast (I set out on this day with good intentions!), I left us to nosh on leftovers from Thanksgiving and whatever we could rustle up. Well, you and I both know that if you rustle up something...it's usually the rustling of a chip bag, or the rustling of a wrapper on candy...it's never the rustling of fresh vegetables! Alone, bored, feeling yucky, not cooking...I was doomed when I got out of bed. It didn't help that pecan pie was sitting in my fridge feeling neglected because I only ate one small piece the day before. I could just hear it calling my name...
The only good thing I can say about the day was, it was at least grazing all the wrong foods, and not a big sit down fest of feasting on junk. There were natural consequences, of the kind that I love, love, love to have happen to my children. You know the ones, where you don't have to punish your kids because the outcome of their choice is so awful that they are punished without you having to say a word!? I got just that kind of moment, only it was all mine...every last bite. Ugh. I just thought I felt bad. By the end of the day I was good and miserable, with only myself to thank. At the end of it all, I realized there hadn't even been a vegetable on my horizon, not all day long! That's just nuts.
Which made me think...how often do we just eat, without thought, without effort, without care? We get one body, one shot at taking care of what we've been given, and how often do we expect our bodies to just keep up with what we're doing to it?! As I lay in bed last night, praying...being thankful for my warm house, and my great kids, and memories of happy wonderful holidays from years gone by, I spent a little time talking to the Lord about my choices that day. And I'd love to say there was a bright light moment of knowing I'll never make that mistake again, but who am I kidding? In general, we, as humans aren't nearly as well trained as our pets...we keep sticking our hands to the fire, knowing what happens! But I got up today, with resolve to be thinking about, looking at, aware of what I was eating. Eating with awareness, whether you are diabetic or not, is a real good idea. If you have that down, yay! I don't, I'm still working on it. I'll be working on it when I leave this world, I'm sure. But working on it is better than doing nothing at all.
I refuse to just 'do nothing' about this disease. That would be like standing on the railroad tracks with the train coming and 'hoping for the best'. Uh...NOT. So today was a good day. Even though we had another big dinner with lots of goodies. I ate well all day, and I didn't feel deprived. I felt great actually. And I ate what I wanted at dinner, within reason. As much as anything, this, for me, is a journey about self-control. And never have I had a harder time with anything. I bought a lesson this week though. Hopefully, it will be awhile before I have to buy another.
So for those days when you are losing your mind and eating without using your brain, try a few of these top 25 diabetic snacks from the Diabetes Living online mag. They are good for anyone, you don't need diabetes to enjoy them, I promise! http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/nutrition/top-diabetic-snacks/
Saturday, November 13, 2010
A Roll by Any Other Name is Still a Carb
Hightailed it to Paris this week for my first visit with the Diabetes Educator. Like most people, the last place I normally want to find myself is in some medical office, but I was actually in a very positive frame of mind and looking forward to finding out more about how to help myself. I was not disappointed. First of all, the very knowledgeable professional that I saw was wonderful. She explained so many things to me, things that I knew on the surface, but didn't have all the details I wanted. She also made me feel a little less afraid and certainly like I wasn't alone in the medical management of this disease.
We talked about several aspects of diabetes and I suspect each visit will leave me feeling more in control of what happens from this point on. Things I'm obsessed with at this moment, however, that I'm going to get tired of quickly: reading, reading, reading labels and counting, counting, counting carbs. Which package has the fewest grams of carbohydrates per serving? I'm looking for every opportunity to save a carb, picking up every package to read. And while I will get tired of reading and counting, I will never be able to stop. Not if I like breathing deep on the topside of planet earth...and I do. So, guess we should talk about carbs and what makes a standard serving of them for a diabetic.
There are three types: starches (complex carbohydrates), sugar, and fiber. On a label, the Total Carbohydrate, is the number you are looking for because it combines the totals of all those together for one happy number you can use. Starches include foods like corn, peas, dried beans, potatoes, and grains like wheat, oats, etc. Sugar includes those naturally occurring like in milk and fruit and added sugars from food processing. Fiber includes the indigestible parts of plant foods.
The magic number of grams in a serving for us sweetest folks? 15...You read that right, 15. Want to know how long it takes to get to 15??? One-half of a hamburger bun. One slice of many breads. One-third a cup of pasta. I scoured the shelves today to come up with some kind of pasta that magically did not have 42 grams of carbohydrates in a 2 oz. serving. It was nowhere to be found. I'm not Italian but I mourned a little, right there in the aisle of WallyWorld.
Every diabetic has a diet/menu plan/new way of eating forever that sucks big time, assigned to them, because this is a customized disease. All us sweet people are not created equal. So, you have to find out how many carb servings you can have a day from the trained people that know. All I know is what I get to have, which is 3 carbs per meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 2 carbs for one snack. Of course I get all the other food groups, also in assigned amounts, but we're talking about the foods that turn to sugar at the moment. Now, the most un-fun news I received this week from this fabulous diabetic educator? You can't bank these bad boys for a rainy day! Oh no, forget skipping breakfast, and lunch in favor of overdosing on spaghetti at the local pizza joint...it ain't happening! We cannot save them, to use later. We eat them at the meal they are assigned or we lose them. It's not like counting calories on the lastest fad diet or counting points on Weight Watchers (great program, by the way, just saying). Once your body no longer makes enough insulin you can't bombard it with a boat load of carbs all at once, and feel good about yourself, because you skipped breakfast to do it. That's kinda like a full assault on your organs that are trying valiantly to keep on, keeping on, for YOU! As much as I'd personally love the save 'em for later plan, my body disagrees and if I don't care, who else will?
I learned a lot more and over time will share the bestest bits here. Mostly, I left her office less stressed because of her reassurance. It was very comforting, by the way, that she is diabetic, too. So she gets it, on every level and there was none of the pious, 'I know better than you' attitude. Read up on all things carby at this great page on the diabetes association website. It is my online diabetes bible, I swear, I don't know what I'd do without it. You certainly don't have to be that excited, but give yourself a little learning and you'll be glad you did. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/carbohydrates.html
We talked about several aspects of diabetes and I suspect each visit will leave me feeling more in control of what happens from this point on. Things I'm obsessed with at this moment, however, that I'm going to get tired of quickly: reading, reading, reading labels and counting, counting, counting carbs. Which package has the fewest grams of carbohydrates per serving? I'm looking for every opportunity to save a carb, picking up every package to read. And while I will get tired of reading and counting, I will never be able to stop. Not if I like breathing deep on the topside of planet earth...and I do. So, guess we should talk about carbs and what makes a standard serving of them for a diabetic.
There are three types: starches (complex carbohydrates), sugar, and fiber. On a label, the Total Carbohydrate, is the number you are looking for because it combines the totals of all those together for one happy number you can use. Starches include foods like corn, peas, dried beans, potatoes, and grains like wheat, oats, etc. Sugar includes those naturally occurring like in milk and fruit and added sugars from food processing. Fiber includes the indigestible parts of plant foods.
The magic number of grams in a serving for us sweetest folks? 15...You read that right, 15. Want to know how long it takes to get to 15??? One-half of a hamburger bun. One slice of many breads. One-third a cup of pasta. I scoured the shelves today to come up with some kind of pasta that magically did not have 42 grams of carbohydrates in a 2 oz. serving. It was nowhere to be found. I'm not Italian but I mourned a little, right there in the aisle of WallyWorld.
Every diabetic has a diet/menu plan/new way of eating forever that sucks big time, assigned to them, because this is a customized disease. All us sweet people are not created equal. So, you have to find out how many carb servings you can have a day from the trained people that know. All I know is what I get to have, which is 3 carbs per meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 2 carbs for one snack. Of course I get all the other food groups, also in assigned amounts, but we're talking about the foods that turn to sugar at the moment. Now, the most un-fun news I received this week from this fabulous diabetic educator? You can't bank these bad boys for a rainy day! Oh no, forget skipping breakfast, and lunch in favor of overdosing on spaghetti at the local pizza joint...it ain't happening! We cannot save them, to use later. We eat them at the meal they are assigned or we lose them. It's not like counting calories on the lastest fad diet or counting points on Weight Watchers (great program, by the way, just saying). Once your body no longer makes enough insulin you can't bombard it with a boat load of carbs all at once, and feel good about yourself, because you skipped breakfast to do it. That's kinda like a full assault on your organs that are trying valiantly to keep on, keeping on, for YOU! As much as I'd personally love the save 'em for later plan, my body disagrees and if I don't care, who else will?
I learned a lot more and over time will share the bestest bits here. Mostly, I left her office less stressed because of her reassurance. It was very comforting, by the way, that she is diabetic, too. So she gets it, on every level and there was none of the pious, 'I know better than you' attitude. Read up on all things carby at this great page on the diabetes association website. It is my online diabetes bible, I swear, I don't know what I'd do without it. You certainly don't have to be that excited, but give yourself a little learning and you'll be glad you did. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/carbohydrates.html
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Lions and Tigers and Fears...OH MY!
Tomorrow morning I'm off to meet with the folks who specialize in dealing with extra sweet people like me! You know, this new sweet label is about all the coolness coming from this disorder deluxe, and I'm getting the mileage out of it. Anyone that knows me at all, knows I'm not a waster of much of anything. But, I'm getting off topic. This little meeting is all about teaching me what I already know, what I don't know (which is plenty-but I'm working on that real hard!), and how to put it all together and 'fix' myself...sorta. There's no fixin' the pancreas, former producer of insulin I needed, so I could have Snickers without added fiber. It's about fixin' me...the brain part, that's hard-wired to connect food and everything wonderful. Or food and everything awful. I expect to hear that I've not done enough to get my sugar low enough (oh margarita, how thou betrayed me!) when they look at my sugar log. It's not terrible, matter of fact until they tell me how un-good it still is, I've been pretty okay with it. But I know that it still isn't in the normal range, you know, for people who are not as sweet and I'm sure it's supposed to be.
But before this meeting there is some handy dandy paperwork to fill out...as there is with all disorder'ish type things, and I set out this afternoon to complete said paperwork. I arrived at two questions, about halfway through the litany, that made me stop and think, really take stock of what I should say. Kinda odd, I thought, with all these practical, easily answered, medical questions to throw in a couple that emotionally pricked me.
The first was a version of 'what do I know about this disease?' What they want is the facts I have and the ones I don't, but that's not what they got, because in that moment all that came to me about what I know is this...What I know is that this disease took one of my favorite people in the whole world from me. Absolutely, 100%, no other explanation will do. It destroyed his kidneys and you have to have those bad boys to get by in this world, and so at the ripe old age of 58, his body could stand no more and God scooped him up. Now, I just want God to drop him and let's have us a do-over. I'm selfish that way and seeing as he was my biggest fan, my go-to guy for all things, ever, I miss him beyond expression. But we don't get do-overs on that dying business. Armed with that knowledge, the second part of my answer was this...I don't want this disease to take me. It was my first stark acknowledgement, out loud, so to speak, that I really don't want to die from diabetes. It's not a real friendly way to go. If you don't have first hand experience, just trust me on this one. That led me to the understanding that fear is a big part of what I'm wrestling with, in the early stages of this thing in my life.
These folks must be pretty smart, because no sooner had I had this grand a-ha moment, than the next question said something to the effect of...What are you most afraid of? My response? It was eloquent, let me tell you! And, probably the most efficient use of words ever!!! Those of you reading along know I have no shortage of words, but today, to answer that question, I only needed one...Everything. I tried to pick the one thing about this disease that scares me most and I couldn't. I'm afraid of everything it can do to my body. With every bite I take, good or bad, (yep, bad, I'm a work in progress...I'm the Sistine Chapel of diabetes, difference is Michaelangelo did eventually finish and I suspect I'll never be finished) I think about what kind of damage it can do to my innards. Isn't that a great word? Garfield the cat used it in a Halloween cartoon when referring to the insides of a pumpkin and I've loved it ever since.
Sugar looks so sweet and innocent, just lying there in that peanut butter cookie, or simmering along in your blackberry cobbler...but it's not. Left to its own devices, it tramples your very valuable organs, some of which you just can't live without. I suppose sugar is the bully on the playground, insulin is the playground guard, and my playground guard took early retirement. Just my luck. He could have at least checked with me first!
Fear is a powerful emotion and motivates many different types of people for many different reasons. In small doses fear can be a good thing. It can make your hairs prickle just enough to know you are headed into something that's over your head and nudge you to turn back. It can also overwhelm you and leave you a prisoner in your own home or in your own mind, too paralyzed to do anything. I'm going to have just enough to, hopefully, keep me heading the right way with this disease until I have it as controlled as I can get it. So for now, me and my fears are headed to learn some stuff that will give me more control. Control I must exercise, because the knowledge does nothing for me if I don't put it into practice. And when I am losing control, and facing the 'fear of failure', I'm going to take myself right back to that first question...what I know is...I don't want this disease to take me.
A little learning is good for us all so check out this cool site I found connected to Kraft Foods. I am digging these recipes! http://www.kraft.com.au/RecipeCollections/HealthyEating/DiabeticRecipes/
But before this meeting there is some handy dandy paperwork to fill out...as there is with all disorder'ish type things, and I set out this afternoon to complete said paperwork. I arrived at two questions, about halfway through the litany, that made me stop and think, really take stock of what I should say. Kinda odd, I thought, with all these practical, easily answered, medical questions to throw in a couple that emotionally pricked me.
The first was a version of 'what do I know about this disease?' What they want is the facts I have and the ones I don't, but that's not what they got, because in that moment all that came to me about what I know is this...What I know is that this disease took one of my favorite people in the whole world from me. Absolutely, 100%, no other explanation will do. It destroyed his kidneys and you have to have those bad boys to get by in this world, and so at the ripe old age of 58, his body could stand no more and God scooped him up. Now, I just want God to drop him and let's have us a do-over. I'm selfish that way and seeing as he was my biggest fan, my go-to guy for all things, ever, I miss him beyond expression. But we don't get do-overs on that dying business. Armed with that knowledge, the second part of my answer was this...I don't want this disease to take me. It was my first stark acknowledgement, out loud, so to speak, that I really don't want to die from diabetes. It's not a real friendly way to go. If you don't have first hand experience, just trust me on this one. That led me to the understanding that fear is a big part of what I'm wrestling with, in the early stages of this thing in my life.
These folks must be pretty smart, because no sooner had I had this grand a-ha moment, than the next question said something to the effect of...What are you most afraid of? My response? It was eloquent, let me tell you! And, probably the most efficient use of words ever!!! Those of you reading along know I have no shortage of words, but today, to answer that question, I only needed one...Everything. I tried to pick the one thing about this disease that scares me most and I couldn't. I'm afraid of everything it can do to my body. With every bite I take, good or bad, (yep, bad, I'm a work in progress...I'm the Sistine Chapel of diabetes, difference is Michaelangelo did eventually finish and I suspect I'll never be finished) I think about what kind of damage it can do to my innards. Isn't that a great word? Garfield the cat used it in a Halloween cartoon when referring to the insides of a pumpkin and I've loved it ever since.
Sugar looks so sweet and innocent, just lying there in that peanut butter cookie, or simmering along in your blackberry cobbler...but it's not. Left to its own devices, it tramples your very valuable organs, some of which you just can't live without. I suppose sugar is the bully on the playground, insulin is the playground guard, and my playground guard took early retirement. Just my luck. He could have at least checked with me first!
Fear is a powerful emotion and motivates many different types of people for many different reasons. In small doses fear can be a good thing. It can make your hairs prickle just enough to know you are headed into something that's over your head and nudge you to turn back. It can also overwhelm you and leave you a prisoner in your own home or in your own mind, too paralyzed to do anything. I'm going to have just enough to, hopefully, keep me heading the right way with this disease until I have it as controlled as I can get it. So for now, me and my fears are headed to learn some stuff that will give me more control. Control I must exercise, because the knowledge does nothing for me if I don't put it into practice. And when I am losing control, and facing the 'fear of failure', I'm going to take myself right back to that first question...what I know is...I don't want this disease to take me.
A little learning is good for us all so check out this cool site I found connected to Kraft Foods. I am digging these recipes! http://www.kraft.com.au/RecipeCollections/HealthyEating/DiabeticRecipes/
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fiberlicious
Fiber is an important part of any healthy diet but it can be especially beneficial to a person with diabetes. Blah, blah, blah...don't fall asleep on me just yet! It gets crazy interesting in a minute...we'll do some math! I spent this afternoon reading up on fiber articles, from websites like MedlinePlus, the ADA, and several in-between. Fiber is not digested as it goes through our bodies, so having a higher dosage of it in the carbohydrates we're eating is a big plus. You aren't adding sugar to your bloodstream, or any of your other 2,000 parts, if you aren't digesting it!
Of course the recommendation of all these healthy life promoting websites is to obtain your fiber naturally, in your food, rather than through a supplement. No shock there. Nice thing these days, especially if you have a busy lifestyle, is they are adding fiber to everything from single serving applesauce to yogurt to artificial sweetners. Seriously, I bought applesauce with extra fiber...it was tasty, too. Not to mention the foods that already have a lot of fiber to which they are adding MORE fiber! Remember that double fiber bread? It's pretty good by the way, a bit drier than average, but not enough to worry about. Well, Bunny Bread it ain't and the Wonder Bread folks are perfectly safe, too, but it really is edible.
The 'best' fiber count, according to all these fine professionals, is a serving of food that has 5 or more grams of fiber in it. 2+ up to 5 grams is considered 'good'. Most breads (the ones I've been stalking in the grocery store), contain 2-3, some 4...you have to go looking for those 5's and better. See, I told you there was math! The level of fiber affects how you count the carbohydrates, too, as a diabetic. Far too much information to re-type here (and even more math...some dividing and subtracting...*gasp*), so I'm adding a link at the bottom for you to go read all about carbs, which includes fiber and what you want to know. It's riveting reading...I swear! And there's no pop quiz to follow, aren't I sweet?! Of course I am, that's how I got here in the first place!
Now if I can just figure out how to get more fiber in my Snickers...
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/carbohydrates.html
Of course the recommendation of all these healthy life promoting websites is to obtain your fiber naturally, in your food, rather than through a supplement. No shock there. Nice thing these days, especially if you have a busy lifestyle, is they are adding fiber to everything from single serving applesauce to yogurt to artificial sweetners. Seriously, I bought applesauce with extra fiber...it was tasty, too. Not to mention the foods that already have a lot of fiber to which they are adding MORE fiber! Remember that double fiber bread? It's pretty good by the way, a bit drier than average, but not enough to worry about. Well, Bunny Bread it ain't and the Wonder Bread folks are perfectly safe, too, but it really is edible.
The 'best' fiber count, according to all these fine professionals, is a serving of food that has 5 or more grams of fiber in it. 2+ up to 5 grams is considered 'good'. Most breads (the ones I've been stalking in the grocery store), contain 2-3, some 4...you have to go looking for those 5's and better. See, I told you there was math! The level of fiber affects how you count the carbohydrates, too, as a diabetic. Far too much information to re-type here (and even more math...some dividing and subtracting...*gasp*), so I'm adding a link at the bottom for you to go read all about carbs, which includes fiber and what you want to know. It's riveting reading...I swear! And there's no pop quiz to follow, aren't I sweet?! Of course I am, that's how I got here in the first place!
Now if I can just figure out how to get more fiber in my Snickers...
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/carbohydrates.html
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down...NOT!
When I was a young girl, I had an aunt that I just adored. She was so glamorous to my child eyes. She wore wigs to have more bouffanty hair, she had that eyeliner that looked like Elizabeth Taylor, she was daily dressed to stop traffic, and she always had what amounted to a small suitcase of medication, because she was ill all of my life. That little rectangular case (think hip 60's hard shell make-up case with mirror in the lid) held bottle after bottle of prescription medication to manage her outrageous heart problems and other assorted serious illnesses. In a strange bit of irony, all that medication that kept her alive for years, eventually was credited with causing the stomach cancer that took her life. Between heart problems, diabetes, and blood pressure issues, everyone in my family, it seemed, was on 'medication for life'. Since I was young, I thought this was what happened when you 'got old'.
Realizing I had arrived at the door of diabetes, I was overcome with that sense of 'medication for life' because I was 'old'. Never mind that I know better! As a matter of fact, 90 is looking pretty young to me these days. Least as far as I can see, the older I get the farther off 'old' gets. But niggling in the back of my brain was the sense that if I had to take medication forever, I was old, and doomed, and well, can't you just hear the violin playing?! I went so far as to ask the doc if I worked really really hard and was super good (yeah, fat chance, Twinkie loving girl...don't go there!) and got my sugar down the all natural way, could I please not take that medicine stuff. You can guess how that went. A big fat NO. Here's why. She explained that the medicine will help regulate the extremes of my blood sugar. Because with diabetes, if you have high highs, you are also having some low lows. And your body can't cope with that long term. The medicine shortens the wave...so there are fewer extremes and your body is a bit more leveled out.
There are dozens of medication options, prescription and OTC supplement type things, and then there's the insulin by injection, which I am so grateful not to be having to use. So, I'll share what I take, what it is, and where it falls in the list of medication options. Then I'll give you a link so you can go read up for yourself. I am on a medication called Metformin. It was my doc's choice because it is less taxing on that pancreas that has so deserted me in my hour of dessert needs. It is in the category of Biguanides which is one of six classes of blood sugar lowering drugs. It works primarily by lowering the glucose produced by the liver and by making your muscle tissue more sensitive to insulin so glucose can be absorbed. I take it every day and it's making a huge difference.
I'm still getting used to being on 'medication for life' but when I think I want to get dramatic about it, I remind myself that it is indeed just that...medication for LIFE. I am too busy having a life to leave yet. I have things to do, children to raise, libraries and library patrons to care for, and in general much fun yet to be had. So me and my Metformin are spending time together, twice a day. We're going to be great buds...especially if it makes me a little less sweet. Read more about medication for diabetes here, http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/medication/
Realizing I had arrived at the door of diabetes, I was overcome with that sense of 'medication for life' because I was 'old'. Never mind that I know better! As a matter of fact, 90 is looking pretty young to me these days. Least as far as I can see, the older I get the farther off 'old' gets. But niggling in the back of my brain was the sense that if I had to take medication forever, I was old, and doomed, and well, can't you just hear the violin playing?! I went so far as to ask the doc if I worked really really hard and was super good (yeah, fat chance, Twinkie loving girl...don't go there!) and got my sugar down the all natural way, could I please not take that medicine stuff. You can guess how that went. A big fat NO. Here's why. She explained that the medicine will help regulate the extremes of my blood sugar. Because with diabetes, if you have high highs, you are also having some low lows. And your body can't cope with that long term. The medicine shortens the wave...so there are fewer extremes and your body is a bit more leveled out.
There are dozens of medication options, prescription and OTC supplement type things, and then there's the insulin by injection, which I am so grateful not to be having to use. So, I'll share what I take, what it is, and where it falls in the list of medication options. Then I'll give you a link so you can go read up for yourself. I am on a medication called Metformin. It was my doc's choice because it is less taxing on that pancreas that has so deserted me in my hour of dessert needs. It is in the category of Biguanides which is one of six classes of blood sugar lowering drugs. It works primarily by lowering the glucose produced by the liver and by making your muscle tissue more sensitive to insulin so glucose can be absorbed. I take it every day and it's making a huge difference.
I'm still getting used to being on 'medication for life' but when I think I want to get dramatic about it, I remind myself that it is indeed just that...medication for LIFE. I am too busy having a life to leave yet. I have things to do, children to raise, libraries and library patrons to care for, and in general much fun yet to be had. So me and my Metformin are spending time together, twice a day. We're going to be great buds...especially if it makes me a little less sweet. Read more about medication for diabetes here, http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/medication/
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Diabetes Superfoods
The night after my telling doctor visit, I spent a good bit of time on the Internet, researching my new problem. First stop, the American Diabetes Association. Who should know better than all the experts of this organization? Their website is immense, of course, and there is enough information there to keep you reading and learning about this disease for a real long time. I'm still exploring on their site and will share the coolest stuff I find, so anyone that's interested can get there in a quick minute...sort of saving you some 'legwork'.
With that in mind, I found this intriguing list of 'Diabetes Superfoods' on the site that I immediately printed, read, and put on my refrigerator. I made a mental note that I was going to try, every single day, to have one of these foods included in my eating plans. Now, the word plans is probably too formal a word. I don't make menus and eating plans, I haven't gotten that far in this process, and truth be told, I'm likely to never get that regimented. But I am conscious of knowing what these foods are, trying to have some of them in my kitchen, and making sure that when I eat, that at least one of my meals, has one of these foods, perched on the plate.
On to the list...(and a little about how they made this prestigious top 10)
1. Beans-from kidney to pintos, the nutrition level is high, the fiber content is very high (fiber we'll be discussed in a future bloggy moment all its own), and the glycemic index is low (big medical term we'll talk about later, too)...suffice to say, LOW is great!
2. Dark Green Leafy Veggies-Okay, they are on every superfoods list. Green stuff is good for you, no way around it...just eat your spinach, ok!? The ADA calls these POWERHOUSE foods...that means really, really important.
3. Citrus Fruits-I was a bit surprised about their inclusion. I tend to think of fruit as sugary...and they aren't without sugar content, but portion and the form it takes, along with a whole bunch of other factors like fiber content make it a good choice.
4. Sweet Potatoes-I sure enough did a double take when I saw a POTATO on the list! Woohoo! I'm saved, I can eat potatoes, they are SUPER! Wait, not so fast there, tater tot...we're not talking Mickey D's french fries (yeah, I'm still gonna eat those sometimes). Turns out these little starchy darlings are full of Vitamin A and that fiber stuff. They have a lower glycemic index than their paler peers and therefore make the team.
5. Berries-Pick your favorite and get to noshing. Lots of antioxidants and FIBER make them a good choice.
6. Tomatoes-As the ADA puts it, no matter how you like your tomatoes, you get vital nutrients including iron (which I always seem to be low on), so eat up. Watch when you buy those canned tomatoes at the store. Just today I was label reading again for fun...yeah, my life is a rip snorting party in the making, don't remind me...and so so many canned tomatoes have added sugar! What buttheads, adding sugar to a diabetic superfood.
7. Fish-Not just any fish mind you. We're not talking British fish 'n chips fried goldeny delicious wrapped in newsprint...oh no. We're talking those high in Omega-3 fatty acids fishes. Lucky for me, salmon fits nicely in this category. Salmon grills or broils up all lovely like, and tastes good with almost any side dish. If you don't like salmon, I'm just real sorry bout that. Treat it like spinach and eat some anyway. Because the good folks at the ADA have a 'goal' for you on this super food...6-9 ounces a week. Nope, it's not catfish...but it may be even better. There are other Omega-3 fishes, too.
8. Whole Grains-You want germs and brans in this category. So forgo that lily white bread (okay, 'cept for maybe the occasional perfect grilled cheese day) and pick up the brown stuff. Again, some label reading will do you good. The higher the fiber count in these whole grains, the better off you will be, the lower the glycemic index will be, and the happier your body will be. Not all whole grains are created equal. My first purchase after my diagnosis, I came home with 4g of fiber bread, which was higher than most of what I looked at on the shelf that day. But today I found some that was 6g of fiber! Oh yeah, now we're talking! That brand was Oroweat, and was listed as Double Fiber bread.
9. Nuts-Some nuts contain those Omega-3's we're looking for and are a good idea to stave off hunger. Don't reach for that HoHo! NoNo...get some nuts to have on hand. Eat just a little because they are high in fats and calories. Sugar, fat, it's always something between a food loving girl and her snacks!
10-Fat-free Milk and Yogurt-Confessional time...just picture a draped background and the mini-cam pointing at my morose expression as I share. I'm not a milk person to begin with and if you say fat free, I'm tuned out before you get to the 't' part of 'f a t' in fat-free. I did go down to 1% milk and it's acceptable. Drink, eat, and be dairy!
Now, please do not take all my words as gospel. I interpreted the ADA article in my own words and style. That's why I've included the link to that exact page for you on their site. Go forth and read and then throw all that stuff in your cart on your next shopping trip. We'll be SUPER together! http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/diabetes-superfoods.html
With that in mind, I found this intriguing list of 'Diabetes Superfoods' on the site that I immediately printed, read, and put on my refrigerator. I made a mental note that I was going to try, every single day, to have one of these foods included in my eating plans. Now, the word plans is probably too formal a word. I don't make menus and eating plans, I haven't gotten that far in this process, and truth be told, I'm likely to never get that regimented. But I am conscious of knowing what these foods are, trying to have some of them in my kitchen, and making sure that when I eat, that at least one of my meals, has one of these foods, perched on the plate.
On to the list...(and a little about how they made this prestigious top 10)
1. Beans-from kidney to pintos, the nutrition level is high, the fiber content is very high (fiber we'll be discussed in a future bloggy moment all its own), and the glycemic index is low (big medical term we'll talk about later, too)...suffice to say, LOW is great!
2. Dark Green Leafy Veggies-Okay, they are on every superfoods list. Green stuff is good for you, no way around it...just eat your spinach, ok!? The ADA calls these POWERHOUSE foods...that means really, really important.
3. Citrus Fruits-I was a bit surprised about their inclusion. I tend to think of fruit as sugary...and they aren't without sugar content, but portion and the form it takes, along with a whole bunch of other factors like fiber content make it a good choice.
4. Sweet Potatoes-I sure enough did a double take when I saw a POTATO on the list! Woohoo! I'm saved, I can eat potatoes, they are SUPER! Wait, not so fast there, tater tot...we're not talking Mickey D's french fries (yeah, I'm still gonna eat those sometimes). Turns out these little starchy darlings are full of Vitamin A and that fiber stuff. They have a lower glycemic index than their paler peers and therefore make the team.
5. Berries-Pick your favorite and get to noshing. Lots of antioxidants and FIBER make them a good choice.
6. Tomatoes-As the ADA puts it, no matter how you like your tomatoes, you get vital nutrients including iron (which I always seem to be low on), so eat up. Watch when you buy those canned tomatoes at the store. Just today I was label reading again for fun...yeah, my life is a rip snorting party in the making, don't remind me...and so so many canned tomatoes have added sugar! What buttheads, adding sugar to a diabetic superfood.
7. Fish-Not just any fish mind you. We're not talking British fish 'n chips fried goldeny delicious wrapped in newsprint...oh no. We're talking those high in Omega-3 fatty acids fishes. Lucky for me, salmon fits nicely in this category. Salmon grills or broils up all lovely like, and tastes good with almost any side dish. If you don't like salmon, I'm just real sorry bout that. Treat it like spinach and eat some anyway. Because the good folks at the ADA have a 'goal' for you on this super food...6-9 ounces a week. Nope, it's not catfish...but it may be even better. There are other Omega-3 fishes, too.
8. Whole Grains-You want germs and brans in this category. So forgo that lily white bread (okay, 'cept for maybe the occasional perfect grilled cheese day) and pick up the brown stuff. Again, some label reading will do you good. The higher the fiber count in these whole grains, the better off you will be, the lower the glycemic index will be, and the happier your body will be. Not all whole grains are created equal. My first purchase after my diagnosis, I came home with 4g of fiber bread, which was higher than most of what I looked at on the shelf that day. But today I found some that was 6g of fiber! Oh yeah, now we're talking! That brand was Oroweat, and was listed as Double Fiber bread.
9. Nuts-Some nuts contain those Omega-3's we're looking for and are a good idea to stave off hunger. Don't reach for that HoHo! NoNo...get some nuts to have on hand. Eat just a little because they are high in fats and calories. Sugar, fat, it's always something between a food loving girl and her snacks!
10-Fat-free Milk and Yogurt-Confessional time...just picture a draped background and the mini-cam pointing at my morose expression as I share. I'm not a milk person to begin with and if you say fat free, I'm tuned out before you get to the 't' part of 'f a t' in fat-free. I did go down to 1% milk and it's acceptable. Drink, eat, and be dairy!
Now, please do not take all my words as gospel. I interpreted the ADA article in my own words and style. That's why I've included the link to that exact page for you on their site. Go forth and read and then throw all that stuff in your cart on your next shopping trip. We'll be SUPER together! http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/diabetes-superfoods.html
Saturday, October 30, 2010
There's Knowing and Then There's KNOWING
Life is full of what one of my dear friends terms 'la la' moments. The things in life you just don't want to face. I have spent the last few months having my own la la moment. Usually, I'm the very grounded practical person, pointing out the stark facts to those in my life, that like to live in the land of make believe. But I suppose everyone has something they just don't want to deal with, that they'd rather forget, or that they can't seem to face.
For me, that something, was diabetes. I grew up in a family that is plagued with this disease. Ugh...disease, disorder, discombobulation...can I just say, whatever you want to call it, it sucks big time. I have always been surrounded by loved ones that had diabetes, so I knew how it looked...all it's little symptoms, so when I started having them, I knew my time had come.
Doesn't that sound ominous!? My time had come, as if I was the damsel just waiting for the bad guy to swoop down on me. Oh, I was, but I had plenty a hand in it...a hand in the cookie jar, a hand on the fork. If you know me, you know my backside didn't get this wide by exercising restrain. Heredity gets to deal us a hand, but we all make decisions that improve upon what we're given, or we let it ride to see what happens.
So I waited, knowing, as long as I dared, before I went to the doctor to get the 'stark facts' for myself. Why did I wait? Because I didn't want to give up all the foods I love! I'm a foodie kind of person. I love recipe books, I love shopping, cooking, eating and feeding other people. It's a form of southern love. My grandma fed me, my moma fed me, my aunts fed me, and I have memories of wonderful times stored away in my brain...almost all of them connected to food. Events and food go together. Right? I waited because I knew, once I had a confirmation of what I knew, that I couldn't sit idly by and let this sweet disease take my health. That I would have to get off my considerable behind and do something about it. Changes would be required and you know how all us human folk love change.
Now here I am, 3 1/2 weeks after finding out I'm diabetic, working on how to make my life a little less sweet, if you know what I mean. Changes have occurred. I'm on medication...that's another blog, coming soon. I'm checking my sugar every day...yet another blog for another day. And I'm dealing with my love of food, because my body is no longer going to let me just eat what I want without serious, scary consequences.
And I'm sharing it all with whoever cares to read about it. Why? Lots of reasons. After my doctor visit, I had a little pity party, complete with tears, because I didn't want to have this disease. I was angry with the part I couldn't control (all those weird glands and things that quit working like they are supposed to) and I was angry with myself for living my life as if I could somehow just magically escape my fate without effort on my part. Then I gave myself the stern talking to I deserved...something along the lines of bucking up and dealing with it, after which I knew that it would benefit me and help me wrap my mind around what I now have to do if I chronicled my experience. The other reason, that I can verbalize, is that I want to share what I learn with others, in the hopes that one person can help another and so on. I suppose that's the librarian in me, wanting to research it all, get the facts, and then give them to people who look like they need information!
If you are here and have this disease, please know that I will do my best to share whatever I find, to improve our diabetic lives. If you are here and your glands are all in proper working order...well, just enjoy the ramblings and adventures of one diabetic girl.
For me, that something, was diabetes. I grew up in a family that is plagued with this disease. Ugh...disease, disorder, discombobulation...can I just say, whatever you want to call it, it sucks big time. I have always been surrounded by loved ones that had diabetes, so I knew how it looked...all it's little symptoms, so when I started having them, I knew my time had come.
Doesn't that sound ominous!? My time had come, as if I was the damsel just waiting for the bad guy to swoop down on me. Oh, I was, but I had plenty a hand in it...a hand in the cookie jar, a hand on the fork. If you know me, you know my backside didn't get this wide by exercising restrain. Heredity gets to deal us a hand, but we all make decisions that improve upon what we're given, or we let it ride to see what happens.
So I waited, knowing, as long as I dared, before I went to the doctor to get the 'stark facts' for myself. Why did I wait? Because I didn't want to give up all the foods I love! I'm a foodie kind of person. I love recipe books, I love shopping, cooking, eating and feeding other people. It's a form of southern love. My grandma fed me, my moma fed me, my aunts fed me, and I have memories of wonderful times stored away in my brain...almost all of them connected to food. Events and food go together. Right? I waited because I knew, once I had a confirmation of what I knew, that I couldn't sit idly by and let this sweet disease take my health. That I would have to get off my considerable behind and do something about it. Changes would be required and you know how all us human folk love change.
Now here I am, 3 1/2 weeks after finding out I'm diabetic, working on how to make my life a little less sweet, if you know what I mean. Changes have occurred. I'm on medication...that's another blog, coming soon. I'm checking my sugar every day...yet another blog for another day. And I'm dealing with my love of food, because my body is no longer going to let me just eat what I want without serious, scary consequences.
And I'm sharing it all with whoever cares to read about it. Why? Lots of reasons. After my doctor visit, I had a little pity party, complete with tears, because I didn't want to have this disease. I was angry with the part I couldn't control (all those weird glands and things that quit working like they are supposed to) and I was angry with myself for living my life as if I could somehow just magically escape my fate without effort on my part. Then I gave myself the stern talking to I deserved...something along the lines of bucking up and dealing with it, after which I knew that it would benefit me and help me wrap my mind around what I now have to do if I chronicled my experience. The other reason, that I can verbalize, is that I want to share what I learn with others, in the hopes that one person can help another and so on. I suppose that's the librarian in me, wanting to research it all, get the facts, and then give them to people who look like they need information!
If you are here and have this disease, please know that I will do my best to share whatever I find, to improve our diabetic lives. If you are here and your glands are all in proper working order...well, just enjoy the ramblings and adventures of one diabetic girl.
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