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Food Bytes - Diabetes

Mikiesboy

Entry posted by Mikiesboy

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First, i am no expert on diabetes, but i am learning. 

 

During the summer Michael (my Husband) learned he has type2 Diabetes. I'd rather suspected it, and asked a few times that he go to the doctor. He would say, yes later. The symptoms increased (thirst, frequent urination, painful nerve pain in his feet and hands) and i was worried and afraid. i do not raise my voice to Michael, but on this day i did. i was upset and He wasn't hearing me, so i did. He agreed to go and we went together. 

 

Tests showed his blood sugar was 18, where it should be 4 to 7 on waking, and 5 to10, two hours after meals. ***Kitt's comment reminded me these numbers are for Canada. Please check your own country's Diabetes Association or talk to your doctor.***

 

We walked out of the doctor's office and He said. "We need to make changes."

 

We did immediately. For us they were not huge changes but we stopped adding sugar to drinks, stopped eating desserts other than fruit or some no-sugar added desserts that we found. We cut down on carbs, stopped eating products made with white flour and other highly processed foods. We greatly increased the vegetables we eat - luckily we both like a huge variety of them - added unsalted nuts, and fruit as snacks. Michael measures condiments He chooses to add. We read labels a lot and often find the carb levels are just not worth it.

 

Our need for sweetness quickly disappeared. Though Michael does like dessert, but He is content with no-sugar jello and some fresh or canned fruit packed in water. For Thanksgiving, i made a baked pumpkin custard (pie with no crust basically) and He loved it. 

 

One product we have found and indulge in from time to time is something Michael got for Christmas. Russell Stover's no-sugar candy. Hard fruit flavoured boiled candy, pecan caramel chocolates and mint patties.  These are made with stevia and are very nice, not super sweet either, but they taste good. 

 

You can live with diabetes. You can eat well and have treats. There is still a world of food out there just waiting for you to try it, but you need to change how you think about food, and be open to changing yourself. 

 

Stay healthy and thanks for reading. 

 

 

 

 

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Kitt
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8 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

You know it is hard and i think harder even, if you are cooking for one. Michael is still buying groceries for 3. Cooking for 2 is somewhat easier.

I buy extra purposely and then pack "real food" lunches to take to the barn with me. Hubby takes his lunch as well.

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Mikiesboy
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2 minutes ago, Kitt said:

I buy extra purposely and then pack "real food" lunches to take to the barn with me. Hubby takes his lunch as well.

i bring mine .. leftovers or 1/2 a sandwich with a bag of veggies and some fruit...has to be done. I will make Michael lunch too if He wants one. Usually just give Him things to nibble on like fruit and nuts/cheese and some veggies.

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FormerMember4
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34 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

You know it is hard and i think harder even, if you are cooking for one. Michael is still buying groceries for 3. Cooking for 2 is somewhat easier.

 

Cooking real food is so much better for you .. really it is an investment in you. There is nothing wrong with frozen veg if you think you won't use all the cabbage. Or share with a friend? Buy broccoli crowns rather than the whole thing.

 

Ask molly or me if you need to know something.. i'm sure one of us will know!   xxoo

We have two freezers. I make extra. One, cuts out processed food. Second, I know Sir is not eating fast food. I pack easy enough that it’s fast for him to heat quickly.

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mogwhy

in the 35 years i've been dealing with this, food options have sure changed. thank goodness! "real food" is so much better than the drugs the doctors push. 2 things i discovered that were not in the brochure, is that infections screw with your BS levels and diabetic need to discuss with the dentist about prophylactic antibiotics. diabetic are at a bigger risk for a heart infection after dental work.

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MichaelS36
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Great blog, boy. I am lucky to have you ... for a multitude of reasons. The main, of which, is because I love you.

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wildone
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I'm glad that both of you have choose to accept and adapt your lives to live with Diabetes. It is never easy to adapt when we get past our teens and we are told our world is going to be turned upside down.

 

Having been diabetic since I was 3 1/2, I always consider myself a little bit luckier since I grew up with it and have benefited with the improvements over the years. When I was diagnosed, I had to pee in a cup, put a tablet in a test tube, drop 5 drops on urine on it and compare to a chart. This would only tell you how much sugar you were passing about 3-4 hours after the fact. I had a glass syringe that was stored in alcohol and used disposable needles that were about 2 inches long :o Then we went to urine pee strips compared on a colour chart, then blood testing on strips on a colour chart, then we got meters. Meters got better and better but this fall I finally got a  interstitial fluid blood testing system, aka, no blood needed you just hold a meter to a sensor on your arm.

 

The reason I bring this all up is that it takes a strong person in my opinion to change your lifestyle after your teens. Your habits, your tastes, your lifestyle is usually set by the time you hit 18.

 

Too many times I have calls from wives or husbands or parents of friends that say their other has been diagnosed with Type 2. I have also had to attend funerals of too many of them that decided that it was easier to just continue what they have done their whole life :(.

 

I think many diabetes educators have encountered too many adults that just don't care. For those that want to change and have the drive to change, I think they unfortunately get short changed.

 

All of you, keep up your monitoring and improvements in your lifestyles and you will be around a long long long time to come :) Also talking and sharing is great. I still have most of my friends I made while growing up and going to Diabetic Camp from age 8-16. Be nice and I will tell you all about darts around the campfires 0:)

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Mikiesboy
12 hours ago, mogwhy said:

in the 35 years i've been dealing with this, food options have sure changed. thank goodness! "real food" is so much better than the drugs the doctors push. 2 things i discovered that were not in the brochure, is that infections screw with your BS levels and diabetic need to discuss with the dentist about prophylactic antibiotics. diabetic are at a bigger risk for a heart infection after dental work.

oh wow.. see i had no idea about this..  this is great info, moggy ... thank you

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Mikiesboy
7 hours ago, MichaelS36 said:

Great blog, boy. I am lucky to have you ... for a multitude of reasons. The main, of which, is because I love you.

:blushing:    :kiss:  love You back, Michael xo

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Mikiesboy
6 hours ago, wildone said:

All of you, keep up your monitoring and improvements in your lifestyles and you will be around a long long long time to come :) Also talking and sharing is great. I still have most of my friends I made while growing up and going to Diabetic Camp from age 8-16. Be nice and I will tell you all about darts around the campfires 0:)

thanks  wildone .. i know some people refuse to change.  it's a shame because it's just food.  Personally i really don't find i crave things much ... the very odd time chocolate, but it's rare and it passes. And even for that there are options. 

 

I was never really into fast food...Michael was but that's how it was at his work, they ordered crap or picked it up cuz it was fast. He misses soda but has a coke zero and now with pepsi zero... well He's even happier.  And He has a SodaStream ...which is great and He's happy with low cal juice and soda, but even that He doesn't drink a lot of.  There are ways around things and maybe you will need to let go of some. But i'd rather live.

 

so @wildone  how good do we have to be to hear your campfire stories????

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wildone
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12 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

so @wildone  how good do we have to be to hear your campfire stories????

 

:P not too much. just picture about 8 teenage boys sitting around a campfire with our shirts off and tossing needles at each others stomachs from a distance. Nothing too drastic but you made sure you covered your junk in case of a low flying needle :o

 

For some reason our camp counselors who weren't diabetics and never really dealt with them before were somewhat horrified :gikkle:

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Mikiesboy
15 minutes ago, wildone said:

 

:P not too much. just picture about 8 teenage boys sitting around a campfire with our shirts off and tossing needles at each others stomachs from a distance. Nothing too drastic but you made sure you covered your junk in case of a low flying needle :o

 

For some reason our camp counselors who weren't diabetics and never really dealt with them before were somewhat horrified :gikkle:

gosh.. what i've missed!!  LOL 

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