The Salad Has Nothing To Do With The Words

"Think of your head as an unsafe neighborhood;

 don't go there alone."

~Augusten Burroughs

Dry

This Friday I will meet, and have an appointment with, my new therapist. She will be number 51. Yep, in my lifetime I have had 50 therapists! I am 52, so you can imagine who young I began my adventures with the couch! And keep in mind, I went a few years, here and there, without any time spent in therapy. Sigh. I don't really need it now, I just know that sometimes painful things comeback sometimes, and I feel like it is better to have someone I can touch base with. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I have learned and gotten a lot out of therapy over the years. I have learned to let go, I have learned to not ruminate on the painful times, and I completely eliminated panic attacks from my life! So it's a good thing to be establishing myself with a new therapist, it's just telling the whole story from the beginning that's the hardest part. Fortunately, I am in a happy place, so in a way, whatever got me to here is something to be grateful for.

Now this picture has everything to do with the words.

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

A1C

"In my food world, there is no fear or guilt, only joy and balance. So no ingredient is ever off limits. Rather, all of the recipes here follow my usually... sometimes... rarely philosophy. Notice there is no NEVER."

~Ellie Krieger, The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes For A Healthy Life

 As my About.com newsletter pointed out yesterday, it was World Diabetes Day! I knew that the whole month of November was dedicated to diabetes awareness, but I hadn't realized that there was one particular day in November that was observed as a special day. You see, I have been backsliding a bit when it comes to my diabetes, which isn't very bright of me! When I was first diagnosed, back in the summer of 2007, I really took the whole situation as a kind of fun challenge for myself. I wanted to start taking my health more serious, and Alan decided to join me in the adventure! Together we were amazing! He toned up. He lowered his cholesterol numbers, and we coached each other in being more physically active. It was fun!

And then we both went through some heavy stress times...

Elvis got cancer, and died a few months later!

Alan's brother, Darrell, passed away, suddenly, at the age of 50. 

Governor Schwarzenegger put a financial noose around our necks, when he decided to impose a 3 day forced furlough on state workers.

Our brand new Saturn cars began to fall apart, exactly 13 months to the date of purchase. Go look up all the problems Saturn cars experienced during that time. The troubles ranged from the minor annoyance... to the downright dangerous. But they were never deemed a lemon. Make no mistake, any owner of a Saturn ION from years 2002 -2009, will tell you, they might as well have been Corvairs!

Then there was the case of the neighbors from HELL, Donny and Nina (not their real names).

And finally, two of my major coping mechanisms, All My Children and One Life To Live, were MURDERED by that cad, Brian Frons. Which, by the way, have both been shelved, yet again! Grrrr.

I know. I do.

Excuses, excuses. 

But hear me out. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I was sad. I felt like I was a failure! I thought I had done things right over the years! I had watched what I ate. As far as my other numbers went, I was doing pretty good. My cholesterol was perfect, much to my doctor's delight. My blood pressure was fine, at least it was, it has since become a cause for mild concern, but back in 2007 I did what I thought was right, and I got diabetes anyway! I guess I took some things for granted. It happens. Right? So, instead of beating myself up over my folly, I got proactive, and dropped my A1C drastically within 3 months, and I did it without giving anything up! I did it by educating myself on nutrition!

I ate scheduled meals.

I portioned out a proper serving, and didn't go back for seconds. 

I set a total caloric intake number for myself daily, and stuck to it!

I ate what I wanted, but learned which foods gave me the best value, in terms of satisfying my appetite and not affecting my blood sugar.

I made sure I spent no longer than 30 minutes eating. 20 was ideal.

I read labels. I learned what was in the food I was eating.

I went back to taking long walks with Alan. It was as good for our bodies, as it was for our marriage.

I checked my blood sugar, to learn about how different foods affected my blood sugar.

I learned that when it comes to blood sugar levels, stress also plays a factor.

And by the way, stress is stress. Any extreme, will affect my blood sugar. Some time ask me about how high my blood sugar went when I was watching Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine! 

I ate what I wanted, only I was eating it with the proper perspective about what food is! Food isn't a blanket, the purpose of food is to nourish the body. Yes, it's great, but it's not healthy to let it replace the real needs we have. 

I knew all this! I had learned it for myself. And I still backslid. My A1C as of this last Tuesday was...

  

6.6 

Standard range is... 4.6 - 6.0

Not bad enough to require medication, but if left unaddressed, it's the road to daily shots of insulin, possible blindness, loss of limb, increased chance of kidney failure, and other assorted badness! 

I am smarter than that! So what happened? Well, there are no good excuses, but there were plenty of reasons. Some of which I explained above! But really, why did I let myself give up so easily? Why did I hand Donny that victory? Why did I let him get to me to the point I gave up? When Darrell passed away, why did I stop taking care of myself? He wouldn't have been really upset about that! He loved me, and would have been the first one to have said... "Hey dummy, what are you doing?" When Elvis died also, it was almost more than I could take. I was devastated watching him slowly lose his zest for life. I have never seen anyone, human or feline alike, who lived life quite as full as Elvis did! He loved me, which meant that he would have wanted me to be the best person I could be!

Looking back, I know all the reasons, and excuses, and again I am doing a full assessment of how to, once again, begin again. Like last time, I am giving respect to the mistakes, and owning them, but I am not beating myself up over it. That is a waste of time. Instead I asked my doctor to schedule me another round of blood tests in 3 months, so I can have a focus point to look forward to. A goal. You see, I have set a reasonable goal. I just want to see that 6.6 A1C measure, become a 5.9 measure. It's perfectly reasonable. I did it the first time! When I was first diagnosed, back in 2007 my A1C was...

On July 23rd, 2007, my A1C was 6.7, but by November 14th, it was ( 5.9 ).

Life is an adventure... right? I had a blast inventing new recipes, and taking a scientific approach to not just my experience with diabetes, but indeed, life in general. At the time I blamed my diagnosis on George W. Bush, and in truth, he did kind of play a roll in that he was such an irritating little beast! And now, we have the likes of Sarah Palin, and the obnoxious Tea Party, and Gun worshippers, but I plan to take the ire I feel, and turn it into power walking, and meal planning. LOL. It can work. I know from experience... It will work! but just for the sake of releasing just a bit of tension...

Mr. Frons, wherever you are, I still hope you never work again! Poophead! 

Even if you don't have Diabetes, it might be a good idea to educated yourself on it. If not for you, than someone you love. Diabetes can be managed, I am living proof of that! Please click the link below to visit the Center For Disease Control Website, and the American Diabetes Association.

(CDC) Center For Disease Control: Prevent Diabetes

American Diabetes Association

Wish me luck, okay? I will report on my progress on February 14th 2014, just in time for American Heart Month!

 

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #62: Autumn Fruits And Vegetables

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."

-Buddah







EMPS # 62: Autumn Fruits And Vegetables. NOW CLOSED!
We are in a delicious time of year, so lets see some AUTUMN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! Show me something yummy, found particularly during this time of year, that gives you that little bit of extra energy to fight not just the dark, cold days of autumn, but also the cold and flu season, which is about to be upon us. For the purpose of this assignment, lets do new photos this week, rather then reaching into the archives. For those of you outside the Northern Hemisphere, there is an alternate assignment below.

Extra Credit: Show me your AUTUMN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES all prepared and ready to enjoy!

EMPS #62A: FAVORITE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES STILL LIFE.
For those of you who live outside the U.S., and who are not currently in the season of autumn, do a STILL LIFE of your FAVORITE everyday FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Extra Credit: Same. Show me your favorite FRUITS AND VEGETABLES all prepared and ready to enjoy!

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday, at 9:00 PM. ET. Please submit your entries by that date and time, by getting your photo, uploading to your blog, journal or website, and then come back here with the direct link back to it. REMEMBER... it must be a link which goes back to an entry which is specific to this week's Monday Photo Shoot assignment. NO HYPERLINKS ACCEPTED! Also, please link back here, so other folks can find the assignment and play along with us! If you haven't played before, and if you have any questions about how to play, feel free to email me at ONDINEMONET@AOL.COM.

Linking List for EMPS #61: Halloween. 10/26/09

NOW CLOSED!

1. Carolyn

2. Suzanne

3. Liz

4. Paul

5. Carly (Yep, I Did The Assignment Too!)

6. Karen ( 1 ) ( 2 )

Thanks everyone! See you next Monday!

-Carly

364 Days

Click the above graphic to see it in a larger version.

"Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food."

-Hippocrates

You might have noticed that I took a few days off this week. I took Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off as part of a detox I do for myself every once in a while. I enjoy blogging and browsing the net, but sometimes one just has to step away from the box on the desk, and step out into the light. Life gets stressful for us, heck it gets stressful for everyone, and in those times it is more important then ever to just take a step back from everything and enjoy whatever weather you are currently having. With the exception of a few really hot days, it has been a mild summer here in the Bay Area. It's been the kind of summer where you can wear a nice light sweater and be very comfortable. :)

The Internet gets to me sometimes. In my in-box there are four ads for ways I can increase my penis size, an email about how Sherry Shepard will now have to eat her words about a tasteless joke about Barbara Walters, and some assorted 56 emails or so that are actually newsletters. Everything from my About.com: Photography to my MayoClinic Weekly Health Update. I will more then likely delete the emails about ways to increase my penis size, because in that I am a girl it really isn't something I can use. LOL. And since I am more then happy with Alan... MORE THEN HAPPY... well... you get the picture. As for Sherry Shepard, I saw the joke, and I it wasn't a big deal. I am getting so tired of online sights, and AOL looking to find another controversy about The View, as if they are trying to recreate the Rosie year! Enough already.

I have a lot to share about what I did this week, but I think I will spread the news out over a couple days or so. I have some really good news to share about myself and Elvis. We are both handling things really well all considered. I will do a full update on him either tomorrow or Sunday, because Saturday is our next Round Robin Challenge. Are you going to play?So now, on with the news. For Now lets start with me...

As you know, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes on July 23rd, 2007. At that time my A1C was 6.7. Kaiser considers the normal range for non-diabetics to be between 4.6 - 6.0. The A1C test measures your overall blood glucose level for the previous 3 months prior to the test. When I checked my A1C in November of 2007, after living as a diabetic for 4 months, my A1C had dropped to 5.9. Just inside the normal range. In those four months I learned a lot about nutrition and stress. I was able to determine that stress was the biggest factor in raising my blood sugar. I took simple steps to lower my stress levels, and to get the most out of my meals.

The biggest difference came from not just reducing my sugar intake, but from eating proper portions, eating out less, and eating my meals inside 30 minutes. I stopped the fast food full stop. I love junk food, but once I began measuring my blood glucose levels, I got a wake up about what that food does to your body. I also learned that eating out once in a while will not cause the world to end, in fact it's good for the soul if done in moderation. Sometimes Alan and I will grab a Big Mac and split it, just to chase off the craving if we have one. Since I love to cook, it was an easy move for me. I love the creativity that comes from cooking. I have a cookbook for diabetics, that can be enjoyed by everyone who just wants more food with less consequences. Diabetics are not restricted to a sugar-free diet, it simply has to be approached from a realistic point of view.

I hate cookbooks that call themselves "Death By Anything Edible." It's not clever, and it is very possible. In fact it's more then possible. It will happen. I have a friend in my past who ate herself to death. She died at 37, 200 pounds overweight. She didn't have to die. She didn't have a problem with her metabolism, she admitted on more then one occasion that she didn't care. She lived alone, so why cook for herself? I still miss her funny wit, her kindness and her creativity. We all saw it coming, but that didn't make it hurt less when she died. Not one little bit. I think the only positive thing that came from it was the lesson about how nutrition can turn on you. Sigh.

Anyway, after my diagnosis I used the Internet to research how to make those necessary changes and adjustments, and as of Tuesday, July 21st, my A1C is 5.5! I have worked really hard at controlling my diabetes. I didn't have to give up anything to do it, I just had to let myself learn about nutrition and exercise. I learned I can eat a little more with dinner, if I am willing to engage in 30 minutes of mild exercise after my meal. Like I said... simple! My friend passed away in 1992, and sometimes I wonder if she would have survived longer if she would have had access to a computer to help her figure things out. I know I did a lot better because of the research I did. Last night I ate a Twix bar, and 2 hours later my blood glucose level was 100, which means it didn't go up even a little bit. That's because I have lowered by A1C so drastically that my body doesn't worry about me as much as it used to. That's a good feeling.

My goal for my A1C test in November is 5.3... wish me luck!

"For people without diabetes, the normal A1C range is 4-6%. For people with diabetes, the lower the A1C value, the better the diabetes control and the lower the risk of developing complications such as eye, heart, and kidney disease. Your goal should be to have A1C values less than 7%. That may be a hard target to hit, but it is important to try because the lower your A1C, the lower your health risk."

-Diabetes Journal of the American Diabetes Association


-OndineMonet

In Praise Of The 100 Calorie Pack

"No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut."

-Channing Pollock

Okay, the holidays are over, and Alan's birthday is over and now it's back to reality, so, it must be said. I am Carly, and I am a diabetic. I have Type 2 diabetes, and what that means is, I have to watch a little bit closer then most people, what kind of nutritional decisions I make. I was given some phenomenal news last November by my personal care physician, she told me that in just under four months I had managed to lower my A1c test result into normal numbers. Not normal for diabetics, normal for the average human. Did it mean that I was no longer a diabetic? No. It means that I have things well under control. It meant that with a little more time, and the same consistently lower numbers, I would no longer be considered diabetic, but I need to also be aware that now that I have had a taste of the disease, there is a higher then likely chance that I could once again be diagnosed with full tilt boogie Type 2 Diabetes.

Sounds a bit contradictory, but really it makes all the sense in the world. To live in the best health possible, it would be a good idea to live as if I have diabetes. So I do. I have found the differences I have made in my food intake to be very easy to manage. I don't eat at fast food restaurants anymore, well, ok, I do, but I plan for my visits. I don't just go there on a whim. I have a pocket nutrition guide that tells me the fat and calorie content of fast food, and if I know I might be eating out, I plan for it. I have been trying different convenience foods, such as the new line of food at Safeway, Eating Right. The frozen dinners are the perfect size for lunch, and they taste really good. Some of my favorites are the Spaghetti and the Salisbury Steak. Both fill me, and my blood glucose reading 2 hours after the meal has always been well into my target range of 140-160 mg/dl. Although most days it reads at a much lower number. And I always eat my meals with a time limit of 30 minutes maximum.

Like everyone else, I get the munchies late in the day. I thought when I was first told that I had Type 2 Diabetes, that it meant I had to give up the snacking I loved. I especially crave snacks when I am on a long walk, or when Alan and I are playing a board game. POUT. Well, my doctor told me that I didn't have to give up much as a diabetic, and she is right. I am thrilled with the 100 calorie packs which have been around for a couple years. When I first started seeing them in the stores, I thought it was just another diet gimmick, but then one day I decided to give them a try.

I found out, when I did a random check on my blood, that 100 calories seems to be a magic number for me. When I get a craving for, say, cookies, I grab a 100 calorie pack of, Keebler Chocolate Grasshopper cookies, and it fills that momentary need for a little something to tide me over to dinner. I rarely, if ever, see a rise in my blood after eating one of these packs, but I am careful about when I indulge. I only eat one of these if it has been at least 2 hours since I ate a meal, and if it is more then 2 hours before my next meal. I know, I know a piece of fresh fruit would be better for me, and a lot of the time, I do grab a tangerine or an apple, but it's not realistic to give up the "bad stuff" all together. So, I now I just make better decisions on when and where I indulge. As you can see, lol, we love our snacking!

I visited a few websites this morning to, see what's being said about these 100 Calorie packs, and for the most part they are being praised, but there is a downside as well. For one thing, the cost. It's true, they are a bit more expensive, which is always the way with anything that is packaged for convenience. Sigh. I could probably save a little bit and buy a big bag, and weigh the snacks, and put them in individual Ziploc bags, but it does take time to do this, and then there is the willpower factor. How difficult it is to not sample here and there while I am bagging them up. Willpower is something we all struggle with... right? Which brings me to the other negative factor... the 100 calorie pack doesn't fill you. But a snack shouldn't replace a meal. I tend to look at as snack as something fun until I eat my next meal. So keeping things in a proper perspective is key as well.

For now, this all seems to be working for me. Diabetes is a little different experience for everyone who has it, and I am one of the lucky ones who caught her diabetes early in the disease. As I get older, it will be more and more difficult to manage, but it seems like having all this information and resources available to me, has only made it all easier. Last weekend, I joined the Discovery Channel's 2008 National Body Challenge. Have you heard of it? When you get the chance, drop by and have a look around. There are healthy recipes, and tips for living a more healthy lifestyle. It's fun. And the other day, I found an adorable website called, Hungry Girl. On that site you can find all kinds of information on food, dieting and nutrition. It's one of my new favorite websites. See the links below.

Sigh.This is going to sound strange, but I think being diagnosed with diabetes is the best thing that ever happened to me. I am enjoying taking care of myself, and learning new things. It is really fascinating to find out what different types of food does to my blood. It has been a eye opener what stress does to my blood sugar, and how exercise makes me feel better. Stress seems to be my biggest trigger. Like I said, George Bush gave me diabetes. LOL. But no, I have to take the responsibility here, letting George Bush irritate me is probably what gave me diabetes. LOL. That's all I'm saying. LOL.

I have some struggles ahead, such as adjusting my calorie maintenance so I maintain my weight, another important factor in things, but right now I am having fun, and even on days like today, when my Fibromyalgia causes my hands to hurt so bad I can barely type, I am smiling at my blood glucose number when I woke up this morning. It was 94mg/dl. Yay! And thank you 100 Calorie Packs for keeping me sane! I just wish it was this easy to control my cat Elvis's diabetes. Sigh.

Articles

Discovery Channel 2008 National Body Challenge

100 Calorie Packs: Do They Help With Weight Loss? (ABC News)

Weighing In On 100 Calorie Snack Packs (Boston Globe)

Hungry Girl

-OndineMonet
"100 Calorie Packs"
Berkeley, California
January 10th, 2008
Morning