Type 2 Diabetes, Stress, and COVID-19

 REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

March 12, 2020

Image:  CDC

I have always had a sort of high anxiety personality.  I might not show it on the outside – because I am very stoic, but inside my brain is always running, running, and the anxiety builds.  My mind just won't stop, and I obsess over what I am worried about.  

The past three weeks have brought on the stress.  This new COVID-19 (Corona Virus) has been all in the news, with cases in the US growing on a daily basis.  It’s on TV, it’s on the radio, it’s on Google News, it’s ALL on social media.  Everywhere you turn, there’s COVID-19.  There are currently 13 cases in my metro area.

Trying to do my regular grocery shopping, and there’s no toilet paper, no hand soap, no isopropyl alcohol.  I had to go on a scavenger hunt to multiple stores to find alcohol swabs for when I prick my finger to test my glucose.  

This COVID-19 thing has me worried for several reasons.  I have an 85 year old mother who has congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s.  I worry about another family member with a compromised immune system, and I’m worried about myself being diabetic.  I can’t afford to get sick, because I have to help care for my mother – even though she is in an assisted living community, I still have to take things to her frequently, as well as take her to her doctor appointments and other places.  And I’m also worried about what if they start banning visits to the facility, except for medical personnel.  I’m in Houston (Harris County), Texas – the 4th largest city in the US.  There has already been a state of emergency put into effect for the City of Houston.  The press conference said no visitors are allowed in to skilled nursing centers or rehab facilities.  What if that is extended to my mother’s assisted living?  I think I would really go into high gear stress if that happens.

This stress is keeping me from sleeping well, which I know is also affecting me, and can contribute to insulin resistance and even thyroid issues (which is also a concern for me).  I spoke with my Dario Coach today (I use a Dario meter, and subscribe to one of their plans which gives me access to a diabetes coach – I can get info faster than calling my doctor, and it helps me to decide if I need to call my doctor, as well.)  He confirmed what I have been reading about – that stress raises my glucose levels.  I’ve had recent high (for me) levels of 143 mg, 133 mg, 123 mg, 140 mg, 129 mg, and 121mg.  I’m drinking water like crazy, and I still have high readings.  And just having a high reading is stressful.

I know that the stress can trigger cortisol, which could eventually leave me with more belly fat – the deep visceral fat cells that are difficult to get rid of.  I’ve worked so hard to lose 23 lbs, and I don’t want to gain it back.  I know that stress can also lead to insulin resistance, because the cortisol makes it hard for my pancreas to make insulin.  It contributes to high blood pressure – which, thank goodness, has been under control with my blood pressure medication.  It’s all just a vicious circle that leads back to stress.  

When COVID-19 cases began popping up in my area, I immediately began to determine what I needed to do to protect myself and my family.  I read up on the CDC website, as well as the American Diabetic Association website.  COVID-19 is a serious threat to the US, and I need to to know how I should react and prepare.  You can click HERE to go directly to the link on their page on COVID-19.

Here’s what I did:

• I checked all of my diabetic supplies to make sure that I had everything and had enough – 
  • Glucose meter, lancets, test strips, and alcohol swabs 
• I have all my medical info available for my husband, and have fully filled prescriptions
• We grocery shopped and got all the things that I am allowed to eat – and we stocked up on frozen veggies and such, in case we get quarantined.  (Fresh veggies last only so long, so I wanted to make sure we had veggies in the freezer, too.)
• We pretty much drink only water and coffee.  So we have stocked up on our 5 gallon jugs of water, and lots of k-cups!
• I am a soap hoarder, so I already had many bottles of hand soap in the cabinets for washing our hands
• My doctor’s office sent out protocol on how to contact them should I get sick – different from their regular protocol.  So I have that info handy.
• I did stock up on ibuprofen and  acetaminophen, as well as Benadryl.  

• We are practicing social distancing – mainly staying at home as much as we can and steering clear of sick folks and crowds, trying not to touch our faces — of course, now that they say this, EVERYTHING tickles or itches my face and and makes me want to scratch or touch my face.   
• Common sense stuff like washing our hands frequently, cleaning surfaces that we use a lot (already do these things anyway!), and when in public, always using an antibacterial wipe to clean our hands after touching common surfaces that others have touched.  I am already a germaphobe, so cleaning knobs, faucets, counter tops, etc is second nature. 

And on the hand washing, just a little side note.  I got tired of singing Happy Birthday twice, so I looked up some other songs that I thought would be fun to sing.   Here are the ones that I came up with: 

Hand washing songs!
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life © 2020

• I already clean my cell phone daily — I spray it with isopropyl alcohol and wipe it down.
• We definitely are not traveling anywhere right now, so flying or going to a city where there are other known COVID-19 cases is not something we will be doing.

As for COVID-19 symptoms, my doctor’s office said if we get any of the following to self-isolate and then call their office:

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath

My doctor’s office also said in their message to make sure to stay well hydrated, check my glucose levels often, and if my glucose levels rise too high, to call them.  

So besides the things above, what am I going to do to try and lower my stress levels?  I’m thinking that I need to binge watch something fun, like Gilmore Girls, House Hunters International, or maybe some comedies.  Maybe it’s time for me to go through some closets and clean them out, throw some things out, make some boxes of items for donations.  And fingers crossed, this won’t last too long.  

I’m still working on a different post, but the COVID-19 topic seemed to be timely and important.  

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog.  I hope that you’ll subscribe – top right corner of this page.  In the meantime, stay well, live well, and be well! 

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

 REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

March 6, 2020

Have you ever noticed that when you get sick, or there's some kind of drama in your life, people tend to give you all sorts of unsolicited advice or stories about their own experiences?  I'm going to sort of step away from the physical health perspective of diabetes, and slide over to the emotional side for today.  

Image credit: Unknown

For the past several years, I have been making a conscious effort when someone tells me their troubles, to not make the kind of comments that turn the conversation to all about me, and I certainly don’t want to criticize someone who is reaching out for help.  I am focusing on trying to be a better listener and a friend.  

When I was first diagnosed and would ask questions, I got all sorts of advice from people – some were people I knew, and some were even total strangers.  As a natural skeptic, I usually let unsolicited advice go in one ear and out the other.  But that’s just me.  Sometimes, even when you ask for advice, it can be crushing, if it is delivered in the wrong manner.  

In an effort to find out as much information as possible, I followed several diabetic groups on various social media outlets when I was first diagnosed.  (This was in addition to my reading and researching.). I wanted to see real stories by real people.  What I wasn’t expecting was to see adults bullying other adults.  It was shocking, to put it mildly.  Instead of finding a sympathetic ear, people were being put down for anything from the type of medication that they were taking to whether or not they were active, or if they were overweight.  There were so many comments that were critical and even downright cruel.  I quit following multiple social media groups because  of the bullying that I saw.  It was definitely enough to make a person not want to be a part of that community, at best, and I can’t even imagine how someone who had low self esteem might feel.

I even experienced bullying via social media myself when I posted the nutrition information on a recipe that I adjusted to fit my diabetes.  One lady went out of her way to write SIXTY-TWO comments directed at ME, that the nutrition information was incorrect. (yes, I counted them!)  Never mind that the nutrition label was created from a website based on the data gleaned from the  USDA’s Food and Nutrient Databases, which is what food corporations use to create nutrition labels for the foods we see in our grocery.  This lady went out of her way to criticize.  (Even though I knew the nutrition was correct.)  She picked and picked so much, that I finally deleted my post to get her to leave me alone.  She simply went on to the next person and started bullying that person.  It was at that point that I decided that lady must be a very unhappy person, so she makes herself feel better by bullying people.

Yesterday, I was saddened when I read a comment in another online community – one that I really like, by the way – written by a person who was afraid to even tell friends of a diabetic diagnosis out of fear of being criticized and “blamed” for causing the condition.  Maybe that person did contribute to their diabetes by a poor diet and lack of exercise.  But maybe that person has the genetic markers for diabetes, and it may be inevitable that it would develop.  It is a very sad day in that person’s life when they can’t even confide in FRIENDS, in hope of receiving some moral support.

Negative opinions of others can weigh heavily on your shoulders, but that’s not going to help. Focus on yourself and what you need to do to be healthy and happy. Surround yourself with people who are supportive. I don’t mind telling most people that I am diabetic, but there are some that I don’t mention it to at all.  You only have to share your life with folks that you feel comfortable with.  (I can’t believe I’m going to end that sentence with a preposition, but I just did, so there! 😜)

Image: WordArt created by My Type 2 Diabetic Life © 2020

Now I’ll get off my soapbox.  What’s the purpose of my post today?  

Kindness is an art, and it comes in many forms — a listening ear, a hug, a smile, buying a stranger a cup of coffee, holding the door open for someone, doing a favor for someone, saying thank you, a compliment, an encouraging note, liking a post, inclusion, courtesy, compassion, friendship, acceptance, moral support, empathy, and so much more.  Kindness goes a long way.  We should all strive to be the friend that listens to and supports others.  And we should all practice a little more kindness, and a little less judgement.  

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog.  I hope you’ll subscribe (on the bottom of the page), so that you can follow my blog.   I’m working on a post about diabetic remission for next time.  So until the next post, be well, and BE KIND.  ❤️  

Searching For the Holy Grail — what low carb ingredients are in my future?

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

February 17, 2020

I grew up in Texas.  From the the time I could sit up in a high chair, my palate was refined through consuming delicacies made with white flour, lard, whole milk, and bacon grease, and usually made in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. Low carb wasn’t even a phrase when I was growing up.      

I love all things carby, fattening, and flavorful.  Saturday morning breakfasts included things like biscuits and sausage gravy, pancakes, biscuits and jelly with a side of pork bacon or a slab of ham,  fried eggs, breakfast casseroles, and of course boxes of sugar coated cereals and whole milk.  

Lunch might be a sandwich with super soft and fluffy white bread slathered with mayo, some greasy potato chips (because “fat is where the flavor is,” right?), and of course something sweet to top it off.

Dinner was usually a meat and potatoes thing, because my dad was a meat and potatoes guy.  I hated iceberg lettuce (still do to this day) because of a certain daycare that I attended as a very small child.  (That’s a story for a whole different blog, so I’ll just leave that one alone.).  Family meals included yummy things like squash, green beans, peas, and other vegetables.  Along with a healthy dose of pastas, breads, fried foods, gravies, and lots of sugar filled desserts like cakes, fried pies, baked pies, and homemade ice cream.  

Here’s a recipe that I found in my grandmother’s old cookbook – a prime example that nutrition wasn’t at the forefront of cooking when I was a kid. 

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©
Old recipe from my grandmother

I have been on the hunt for all things low carb (and low sugar, but I’ll save that for another day and focus on carbs in this post), whether it be some sort of low carb flour substitute, or vegetables.  

The big question is how to decipher the carbohydrate content of all these foods I love, and also to figure out what I can eat, and what I should limit, as well as what I should stay away from.  I am learning what causes my blood sugar to spike, and what doesn’t, by testing a couple of hours after I have a meal.

I’ve learned from the Mayo Clinic Diabetic Diet how my plate should look at a meal.  It hasn’t looked like that in the past.  (Especially if we went out to eat, where so many times, a meal was served on a serving platter, rather than on a dinner plate!)

Diagram of how a Type 2 Diabetic’s Plate should look.
Image:  The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet Book

I also often look at the American Diabetes Association website for ideas of what to make for our meals.  Here’s a nice list that I found from the ADA that lists healthy foods for diabetics.

Best food choices for diabetics. (1 of 2)
Images:  American Diabetes Association

Best food choices for diabetics. (2 of 2)
Images:  American Diabetes Association

Flour is one source of carbs that I have to really watch. There are so many different types of flour that claim to be low carb.  I am working my way through them to see which ones that I like. I’ve had to make myself some charts so that I can see what I should try and what I may want to steer clear of. 

Flour comparison chart 
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

So far, I have tried coconut flour, almond flour, flax meal, and cauliflower flour.  One thing is for sure.  They are NOT CHEAP like your typical all-purpose white flour.  I’m spending $7 to $10 for a 1 pound bag of these, as opposed to $3-$4 for a 5 pound bag of all-purpose white flour.  The nut flours seem good for baking things like cookies and dessert breads – they help add a sweetness and allows me to use less Truvia (stevia/sugar substitute).  However, so far, I think I like the cauliflower flour the best for making things like pizza crust and garlic breads for dipping.

Flours that I might try
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Even though I really didn’t cook very often with white flour, I did use it for things such as thickening graves, and the occasional batch of cookies or cakes.  But we were still consuming it though eating various fast foods – pizzas, hamburgers (love those soft buns!), sandwiches, and such.  We also love pasta – and I really do miss it – which is also made from white flour.  All these were adding lots of carbohydratesto our meals, which translates into higher blood sugars.

There are many other options that I will be looking to try out.  Here’s a chart that I’ve been using to give me ideas of which alternative flours I want to try.  There’s even a flour made out of ground CRICKETS!  Yes!  And GROSS!  No thank you.  But if you’re into eating bugs, let me know how that turns out for you.

Flours that I’ve tried
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Fresh herbs make spaghetti taste so much better!
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

I have recently learned how to cook a spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot, so that we can eat spaghetti with meat sauce – one of my favorite foods. I love adding fresh vegetables and herbs to my sauce, as well.   Whenever we make this, my glucose levels are always in the low range of normal – 70s – 80s.

Spaghetti squash with ground turkey meat sauce is delicious!  I was planning to add some tasty diabetic friendly garlic bread sticks, using cauliflower flour.  It was a fail.  Let's just say that I can cross off the cauliflower flour for now.  It really didn't have any taste to it, and it made my kitchen stink.  So I'm still experimenting, and when I come up with a good recipe for some low carb garlic breadsticks, I will post how I made them.

I tried to add my recipe, but it wouldn't format correctly.  If you'd like it, just comment below, and I'll try to get it to you.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by to read the blog!  I would love for you to subscribe and follow along, as I document my journey. If you have questions or comments, please post them in the comments section below.   

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. 

My need for a good support system — Where do I find one?

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Image created on WordArt.com

February 9, 2020

As soon as I found out about this new diagnosis, the very first thing I did was to say a prayer to God to help me through this thing.  Then I told my sweet husband. I needed to start building a support system to get through this. 

I love this man SO MUCH.  He is my Rock of Gibraltar whenever things get tough.  We have so much fun just being together.  It doesn’t have to be anything special – it can just be hanging out at the house, out shopping, or whatever.  I still feel butterflies in my tummy when I think about how much I love this guy.  

We met at the Galleria Mall here in Houston.  I was watching him ice skate and thought he was cute.  I asked a friend who he was, and the guy’s response was “That’s Danny.  He’s got abs of steel.  Want to meet him?”  We laugh about that now.  It was instant attraction for both of us, and didn’t take us long to realize that this was the real deal.  Sorry for going off on a rabbit trail.  Back to my main point — my husband is my main supporter in this journey.  He has helped me to figure out what we can eat that is healthy, as well as going with me to the gym and working out hard, and by cheering me on the day that I realized I have lost 20 pounds since my diagnosis.  

I also have a greater than fabulous cousin who’s also a T2 diabetic.  Wendy has answered lots of questions that I’ve had, pointed me in the direction of finding information that I needed, and in general, soothed the fears that I have.  Not only is this gal a T2, but she is a breast cancer SURVIVOR!  I just love her to pieces!

Image:  ClipartStation.com

Of course, my new endocrinologist and her team are fantastic!  She spent well over an hour, going on two hours with me at my first appointment.  I go back in about 6 weeks, and then will set up an appointment with their nutritionist.  I’m looking forward to adding the nutritionist as part of my support system!  

Image:  ClipartStation.com

I also went searching on social media for support groups.  I am here to tell you, that was an eye opener.  Yes, I have found a couple of groups and communities that have been helpful, but there are also some weird and crazy groups on social media claiming to be supportive.  I joined a couple of groups that were supposed to be “recipe” groups for Type 2 Diabetics.  Well let’s just say many of them were full of people who just complained constantly and bickered among themselves. No thanks.  

Another thing that concerned me about those groups was that people were giving medical advice to each other – about medication dosages and such.  That was scary.  No doctors or nurses among them – just doling out medical advice and the crazy thing was that people were accepting the advice and acting on it.  I got out of those groups as fast as I could.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you need to be careful when using social media as part of a support system!    

I did find a couple of good groups on social media – one is a local diabetic support group that has some very kind and positive members, and the other one is a recipe group that follows low carb and low sugar.  Some of the members are on the KETO diet, some are diabetics, and some who just want to keep weight off. 

I’ve not mentioned my parents in my support system. My father passed away when I was in college, and my mother now lives in an assisted living center with an assortment of health issues, so I don’t want to burden her. I just try to be positive about things when I am with her or talking to her. 

Image:  ClipartStation.com

So today’s post is going to be short.  I really wanted to take a chance to write about my support system — I think it’s very important to have a good one.  

What’s your support system like?  If you’ve got any suggestions for me, please feel free to share in the comments below.  

Thanks for stopping by to read the blog.  I would love for you to subscribe and follow along, as I document my journey. If you have questions or comments, please post them in the comments section below.    

A Southern Girl Learning to Cook – All Over Again

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

February 5, 2020

My grandmother and her sisters, in their childhood kitchen.
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

As I mentioned in a previous post, I learned to cook from some of the most fabulous Southern cooks around!  My grandmother could make a chocolate pie with a magnificently beautiful meringue on top!  When it was cut, you could hold a piece of it in your hand without it falling apart!  And it was as delicious as it was beautiful! 

Me and my grandmother
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

So I grew up eating all things Southern – chicken & dumplings (put some extra butter in that while it’s cooking!), turnip greens with cornbread dumplings, fried cornbread, baked cornbread (add some sugar to it before you pour it into the hot skillet!), chicken fried steak, new red potatoes in a cream gravy, pan fried chicken, mashed potatoes with full cream whipped in them, turkey and dressing, chicken and dressing, brown sugar and Coca-Cola glazed ham, hot rolls or white bread with every meal.  Peach cobbler, fluffy yellow cake with chocolate icing (FROM SCRATCH!), that chocolate pie… You get my drift, right?  

I never read labels on boxes – and in fact, it wasn’t until 1990 (after I was already an adult) that nutrition labels became mandatory.  I didn’t even really read them then, either.  I glanced to see how much salt was in something, maybe.  Or if there were weird words of ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce, but I never looked for carbohydrates or sugars in anything that I bought.

And let’s face it, like most of America, my family was eating things that came out of a box. It was convenient and easy for a household that had two parents who were both working.  It was easy to throw in a pound of hamburger meat and packets of seasoning and noodles that came out of a box.  BAM!  Dinner was served and the kitchen cleaned in less than an hour.  The rest of the evening was spent grading papers or later, going through office discipline referrals for the next day of work (teacher and school administrator 🙋‍♀️), while watching Netflix or Dancing With the Stars.  And part of the time was also given to our kids, helping them with homework.  (How I hated science fair time!)

As I said before, when my kids got into middle school and high school, we actually started working out at the YMCA.  It was fun and I felt like I was living a healthy life.  We were eating pretty well – even though we were still eating out frequently, because as a high school administrator, I had quite a few night time activities, and didn’t get home to cook all the time.  So when we went out, I would order something like grilled fish or chicken and veggies.  

But after I retired, instead of thinking I have more time to cook at home, my husband and I, as empty nesters, fell into the habit of “let’s go out and grab something because it’s easier and will give us more time to do something fun like binge watch something on Netflix or Hulu.”  When I did cook, because I had more time to do things, I would cook heavy, high calorie dinners – Southern Style and TexMex Style.  (See the list of foods in paragraph 1.). 

So fast forward to this past November, when I am diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  Suddenly, I felt this urgent need to learn all I could about reading nutrition labels, and figure out how I could apply that knowledge to my cooking.

No more going out to eat, and no more boxed foods for convenience.  We are now trying, as much as possible, to use all fresh ingredients when we cook.  And as I said before, we also have eliminated refined sugar in our diet.  No sodas, no cakes or cookies.  I use Truvia in my coffee – it’s made from the stevia plant.  No calories, and it does not spike my blood sugar.  

I am learning to look at recipes and substitute things like Truvia in place of sugar, and almond flour or flax meal in place of all purpose flour.  I do a lot of research about how to cook low carb and low sugar.  Then I just try to revise recipes that I have liked over the years, or even when I know what I want, look back at all my grandmother’s recipes and work on recreating them using my new low carb food products. Yesterday I saw a bag of cauliflower flour and I got giddy – until I saw the $10.00 a bag price for a 10 ounce bag! I’ll continue to use the fresh riced cauliflower for now, until the cauliflower flour goes down in price!

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life

So with all this being said, I’m going to share with you one of my family recipes that I have adjusted.  I took a banana nut bread recipe, and have created banana nut bites.  Small, cookie size bites that can be a small part of breakfast, or a healthy snack. It’s like bite sized cake.   

And the very best part of the recipe is that it is low calorie, low carb, and low sugar.  (Remember that Truvia baking blend?)

And here’s the nutrition label for this recipe, created on Very Well Fit. 

Happy baking everyone!  If there’s a recipe that you’d like to see on here, let me know in the comment section, and I’ll see if it can be reworked to be diabetic friendly.

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

The Gym Is My Jam

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

January 25, 2020

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

As I continued my reading and researching of what I should be doing to lower my blood sugar and my A1C, there were three things that continued to stand out:  DIET (what I’m eating), WATER, and EXERCISE.  

My new endocrinologist told me that regular exercise will increase my insulin sensitivity, causing my insulin to better use the glucose in my bloodstream not only during the workout, but afterwards, too, and regular exercise will help to lower my A1C over time.

Exercise helps a Type 2 diabetic not just lower their blood sugar level, but it also helps to decrease the risk of heart disease complications that could result from diabetes.  The Harvard Medical School has a great article that has helped me to understand a lot of the “why” it’s important for diabetics (me) to exercise.  

Back when we lived near the Houston Medical Center (“inside the loop” as Houstonians say), we lived across the street from the YMCA.  We walked across the street multiple times a week, to work out.  When we moved to the suburbs about 10 years ago, we didn’t keep that habit up.  

After I received my recent T2 diagnosis, and we had time to process the idea that my life (our life) needed change, we decided that we needed to join one of the gyms near our house.  We asked neighbors and friends, and I asked my hair stylist. (You know, if you ever need to know anything, your stylist is going to be the one who is in the know – Steel Magnolias!)  We ended up joining one of the two gyms that is closest to us, which also happened to be the one that my stylist goes to, also. 😁  

We made the commitment to go to the gym 5 days a week – that is every Monday through Friday.  So we grab our earbuds and make sure we’ve got some good tunes to listen to during our workout. (Tunes are very important!)  We rest our bodies on the weekend – well sort of.  We also run all of our errands and such over the weekends.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy going to the gym.  We spend anywhere from 2 to 3 hours each day that we go.  I spend 1 hour on the treadmill, and the rest of the time doing weight training.  And the weight training… well let’s just say I’m not talking about lifting a 5 pound dumbbell.  I have worked my way up to 70 pounds of resistance on the ab machine (crunches), and I’m pulling 70 lbs on the lat machine, as well.  80 pounds on the leg press machine, and 80 on some kind of machine that I call the “thigh master.”  I do 16 count reps, and repeat it 4 – 6 times, depending on what machine I’m using.  Sometimes we use YouTube to find workout regimen ideas.  One guy that we follow on YouTube is Chris Heria.  Click on his name to see some cool workout videos.  

Of course my sweet husband puts me to shame when he does his 150 pounds on the leg press, and lifts 125 pounds over his head with the bar, not to mention all the other awesome lifts he makes. 

I had a video of my sweet husband, but for some reason it won’t upload. I’ll work on it. 😩

Each day before we go work out, we eat a light lunch or snack, to fuel our workouts.  We eat about 1 hour before we go to the gym.  At first it was really hard to get motivated to go, and the time seemed to just drag on while we were there.  But now that we are starting our 3rd month of working out, the time really flies by.  We’ve met lots of really cool people, too.   

Together, we have lost a combined weight of over 25 pounds!  We both have also noticed that we are sleeping better.  I think it may be a combination of more healthy eating, weight loss, and working out.  This gym thing has become a permanent part of our lifestyle, it’s very enjoyable, and a great thing to do together as a couple.  

Everyone is different, so talk to your doctor and listen to your body about what kind of workouts are good (and safe) for you.

Thanks for stopping by to read the blog.  I would love for you to subscribe and follow along, as I document my journey. If you have questions or comments, please post them in the comments section below.       

Diet Is Not a Dirty Word

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

January 24, 2020

My great grandparent’s dining room table. It reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting.  

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Some of my best memories are around the dining room table enjoying a meal with family and friends.  Breaking bread with others has been woven into society, across all cultures, since the beginning of time.  

My great grandmother would say “I don’t have a thing to feed y’all,” but then her table would be FILLED with food.  It was like clowns getting out of a car at the circus, but in this case, it was that “down home country cooking” coming out of her kitchen.  

The kids’ table (This is not me. 😁 It’s my aunt and cousins.)  Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Like many people in modern day culture, I fell into the trap of processed foods.  I recall as a kid, getting excited when we got to eat TV dinners.  Those little aluminum trays of food where each item had its own compartment was quite a novelty for a kid who was a picky eater.  None of the food was touching the other food! 

TV Dinners were a TREAT!
Image: TES.com

For working moms in America, the mantra became “if you can make it out of a box, it’s in like Flynn!”  Bring on the mac & cheese, the rice-a-roni, the hamburger helper, and the frozen chicken strips!  I could say dinner was good “and I helped!”  (If you grew up when I did, you’ll remember that last quip from a commercial using an unnamed boxed product to make baked chicken – and pork chops – that supposedly tasted like it just came out of your grandma’s frying pan.)

When my diabetic journey began, I looked into my pantry and saw a multitude of boxed, processed foods.  Same thing in my freezer and fridge.  So I grabbed the trash can and my sweet husband helped me to cull through it all, and throw out all processed foods.  I even dumped the sugar and white flour out of the canisters, and got rid of the sugar filled sodas.

We then went to the grocery store and started shopping the perimeter.  We loaded up on produce, fresh poultry and fish, nuts, seeds, and whole grain (lowest carb we could find) bread.  We also only drink water, plain sparkling water, and coffee.  We use fat free, lactose free milk in our coffee, and Truvia.  

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

I have ALSO learned that the more WATER I drink, the lower my blood sugars are.  WATER is your friend, whether you’re diabetic or not.  We are drinking so much water that we have invested in the 5 gallon refillable jugs (you can get them from Whole Foods or off of Amazon), and we got this nifty pump gadget off of Amazon that just sits on top.

When this began, my first thought was “oh lord, I’m going to have to go on a diet.”  But as I began to search Google for diabetic friendly recipes, I realized that the word DIET is not a dirty word.  We have to eat to fuel our bodies, The word DIET is defined as the kind of food that someone habitually eats.  It doesn’t mean depriving yourself of nutrients.  

There are two things that I began to look at when figuring out if a recipe would be healthy for my body (because what’s healthy for someone else may or may not be healthy for me) – carbohydrates and sugars.  (I’ve not yet had my appointment with the nutritionist, so I’m just kind of going on what I’ve read in the Mayo Clinic book and on the American Diabetes Association web page as my current guidelines.) I try to stay in a range of no more than 30 carbs per meal, and as few sugars as possible.  

If I was going to be cooking from a recipe, how in the world would I know this information?  I know I can read nutrition labels on those boxes, and on cans of stuff, but if I’m cooking from scratch HOW can I figure out the nutrition?  I found a super nifty website that does it for me!  All I have to do is type in my ingredients and it will create a nutrition label!  How cool is that?  At Very Well Fit I use their nutrition label calculator to create a nutrition label for EVERY recipe that I have put in my recipe binder.  (My sweet sister-in-law got me started making recipe binders. Now it’s an addiction, I think. 😆). Very Well Fit draws from the database that is used by the FDA, in order to create their labels. The FDA is who oversees the nutrition label laws in the US, so I trust this site.

Here’s an example of one label that I created for a low carb hummus recipe (not my recipe) using the nutrition calculator. The calories seem a little high, so I’m still not sure if I’m going to make this recipe, or create a new one. When I do, I’ll make sure to write a post about it.

Image: VeryWellFit.com Nutrition Analyzer

So what’s the take away from this long rambling post?  Diet is NOT a dirty word.  I’ve learned that diet is simply the fuel you put into your body.  I’ve also learned that I have to drink LOTS of WATER, and know my carbohydrate and sugar intake.  (Ask your doctor and/or your nutritionist about how many carbs and sugars you should be having per day. Everyone may have different targets.)

In future posts, I’ll share some of the recipes that I’ve used, along with nutrition labels to those recipes.  I’ve started a brand new recipe binder that I am using ONLY for recipes that are diabetic friendly.  I’m still keeping all of my old recipes, and will work through them to see how I can adjust them.

Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©
Binder from: Amazon

I’ll also be adding future posts about the new workout habits that I’m trying really hard to make a part of my life.   

Thanks for reading about my journey.  Feel free to ask questions in the comment section below.  

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