Not Too Sweet: Labels

Hey everyone, it's been a while, but diabetes is a lifelong thing, so why not take our time?
I still have a lot to learn. One thing in particular, labels on everything! If you read the directions on mostly anything you'll read...

Warning:

Ask your doctor before taking if you have:

• (stuff about blood)...
• diabetes!!!
• (have babies)...
• (some other health crap inserted here)...

Now, I understand that the FDA and other health organizations do this to ensure safety. But at the same time, it's really, really, really annoying to see this everywhere I look...

I mean, do I really need to ask my doctor or should I proceed with caution? Maybe just talk with my doctor about the stuff I use everyday that has a warning against diabetes?

When it comes to diabetes your body is already pretty sensitive as it is. So putting other stuff inside can be a little tricky. I mean a few grams of sugar can get my blood sugar skyrocketing, who knows what would happen if I put a suppository in my body? (Yes, I saw this label on a box of suppositories...)

So, read the labels and proceed with caution!
Stay sweet!

Not Too Sweet: Kindred Spirits

A few days ago I was at work and I decided to sit with a co-worker of mine. I had bought some sweet things I probably shouldn't have been having. He looked at the label and said that he couldn't have that.

He told me he was diabetic.
Me too!
He got diagnosed a month ago.
Me too!!
He has to take Metformin and a few other pills.
Me too!!! ...kinda... (I only take Metformin.)

It made me think of the possibility of many others who are now becoming diabetic. I feel this is a wake-up call to society to go back to a more simpler way of eating. Mother nature is kicking our butts saying "Stop eating so much sugar!". It sounds simple but it seems hard...

What we put in our bodies is extremely important, and most of society puts 'food-like products' into their systems because that food is cheap and readily available. Processed food also takes the time out of having to actually prepare and cook your meals, but at the cost of ingesting chemicals that your body most likely will turn to fat.

I could go on a rant about food and your body, but I'll just stick with this one quote:
"If it comes from a lab, then it will take a lab to get it out of me."

To all the people who are just now starting your diabetic journey, or even a weight-loss one, I say welcome... and start eating healthier.

Stay sweet, but Not Too Sweet!

Not Too Sweet: Family and Friends

With any new diagnoses, family members become more concerned about your health.

All my life my family always voiced their concerns, "I'm worried you're going to get diabetes." they said, "You need to lose weight" they said, more or less.

Now that I have diabetes, they voice different concerns, "Is your blood sugar low?", "You shouldn't be eating that you know.", "If you lose 100 pounds, you won't have diabetes anymore". I don't know how true that last statement is but I can see that they care for me. But, this form of caring isn't going to work. I have more on my plate to worry about, yes, and I am taking care of it.

I am at a young enough age to increase my chances of repairing my organs to perfect, or near perfect, capacity. I just need to make small, smart choices.

What would be nice is to see friends and family helping out differently. For example; bring me to a cool new exercise class together, show how happy you are that I am making progress, teach me a neat new recipe for my bento lunches, get me excited about the next upcoming 5k, or whatever. Something that isn't demeaning of my choices, not a pity party.

I got myself into this, I can get myself out.
In time.

Stay sweet everyone!

Not Too Sweet Depression

Today, and for a few days now, I've been consumed with this overwhelming sense of hopelessness, grief, and loss. I believe this to be depression at the moment.

I have had times like these before, but back then I would sooth these feelings with foods. Sweet foods mostly. Something to fill the void. Something that can take my mind off my feelings, my thoughts, and put me back into my body. My very uncomfortable feeling body that has either eaten too much or is high on sugar.

The weight of these feelings cannot be fixed with food anymore. That form of comfort will kill me. It feels very hard to not reach for food, so I try other methods; exercise, crafts, blogging, holding the cat. They help in their own way.

I need to talk to my doctor about this on my next visit. Perhaps I need more medication. I would rather not.

Stay sweet, but not too sweet!

Not Too Sweet Diet

So with my new change comes a new diet I have to follow. Long story short; plan meals, prepare foods, watch my carbs.

In order to lose weight I need to have 30g - 45g of total carbs with meals, for snacks - 15g. It's amazing how little that actually can be. But then again, when losing weight you're basically fasting...

On a good note, with my medication, my blood sugar levels have been in normal range for about a week! Yeah!

Back to the diet portion, my diet and eating habits have been sporadic to say the least. I usually had an idea of what my body felt like having when it was time for a lunch or snack, and would usually just buy whatever I needed, or thought I needed. Now I need to prep foods in advanced, prepare meals for the day that I might later not really want to have when the time comes, and I have to start learning how to... cook!!!

I've had some ideas on how to make things fun, one word: Bento!

freezerdinner.com

Bento, japanese for "boxed lunch", is a great way for anyone to have fun making a healthy, well portioned meal. A great website that got me started is Just Bento, it has great articles to get you started, not to mention a great book!

I'm still new to planning and preparing meals of my own. I get a little overwhelmed. It seems simple... First I figure out what I want to eat for the week, figure out what to buy, when to prepare said food, how to store it, when to pack it. Also keeping track of how many carbs, calories, and serving sizes per meal. Eating the meal seems like the easiest thing. Small, smart choices. One day at a time....

Stay sweet!

Not Too Sweet Thoughts

"I can't have that anymore..."

"How many carbs is in this?"

"How high is my blood sugar?"

"Did I eat too much?"

"I didn't eat enough..."

"I'm going to miss eating this..."

"Should I eat this?"

"Can I have that?"

Becoming diabetic has changed how I look at food; what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, what to substitute, and what to get rid of. Candy has become like a poison to me. Chips, bread, sugar, it's all just something I have to limit my intake on, or not eat at all.

On a positive note, there are a lot of sugar free and gluten free foods. Perfect for diabetics!

My diet, so far, consists of having 4 servings of carbs (about 15g Total Carbs) with each meal. I found most things I used to eat, like for example sandwiches, would take about 2-3 of those servings! So I've been reading labels more and figuring things out as I go along.

It will get easier with time, but for now I'm taking things one day at a time...

Stay sweet, but not too sweet!

Not Too Sweet Beginnings

Within a few days, my life has turned into a world of pokings, prescriptions, and perseverance... My name is Lara, and I am a diabetic.
Welcome to Not Too Sweet, my new blog about me and my personal journey with diabetes.
This all started a week ago, when I was having some feminine issues, I went to my gynecologist and was telling her my symptoms; itching, burning, maybe I have a UTI? Then I mentioned that I was going to the bathroom often, drinking a lot of water, maybe having dry mouth? We did some tests and they found sugar in my urine! *hint: sugar in urine is very bad!* So they did some blood work and they would call me the next day.
The next day comes around, and oh boy, I have really high blood sugar levels! I needed to see someone NOW... Off to the emergency room I went. I missed work, got poked a ton, and had a sleepover at the hospital. The next day was basically a lot of waiting, and pokings, I finally learn that I'm diabetic, (no duh), and get sent home with new prescriptions.
[Skip if you understand how diabetes works] Diabetes happens because either; the pancreas isn't creating insulin which takes glucose, your body's source of energy, and deposits the extra glucose into organs or converts into fat cells; or your body's cells and organs aren't responding to insulin and won't take in the glucose, also known as insulin resistant.
Basically Diabetes is too much, or too little, glucose in your blood stream. Both are bad. People like me and millions of others are having to test our blood sugar levels, take prescriptions, and sometimes have to go without eating because our levels are too high...
So welcome to the sweet, but Not Too Sweet blog!
Feel free to comment and tell us about your diabetic stories!