You Are What You Eat!!

I just can't believe how smooth my skin has gotten. I first noticed the smoothness about a week ago, when I absently touched my knee and was surprised at how smooth and soft it was. I thought that it might be something in the pool water at the physical therapist's office and wondered what it might be that would make my skin feel so smooth and soft. It was nice but, you know, nothing of import and I figured it was temporary. I noticed it again a couple of times, but still paid no real attention to it. Recently, I have noticed the skin on my face is as smooth and nice as baby skin. I checked my arms and neck and, surprisingly, my whole body skin has become as soft and smooth as it was when I was a child. What a nice surprise!

I am not sure what to attribute this to, except for the diet of fresh raw vegetables, protein, and good fats. Maybe even the shirataki noodles. Who knows? I was eating the vegetables before and my skin got "clear" but not so smooth and nice as it has become now. It seems that it must be either one or both of the protein and the fats that I am consuming. Gee... even my hair has gotten soft, again. I remember when I stopped eating sugar that my skin was no longer so dry, rough, and flaky, and now it has become extremely smooth and soft, too.

The only place on my body that the skin is not what I would call "ideal" is on the bottoms of my feet. There it seems to be flaking and cracking in odd places like the bottoms of the toes. I had put some coconut oil on them this morning after using emory to "file" them down. I was not yet pleased with them. But this "whole body" skin thing is new and unexpected.

"You are what you eat." Every time I make a dietary change, my body responds to it in ways that I was not expecting -- and most of them have been good changes recently because I've been eating good things.

If you think about it, every time a diabetic pricks their finger to test their blood sugar that is proof that what a person eats actually does get injected directly into the blood stream and courses through the body with every beat of the heart. If I eat something sugary or high in carbs my blood sugar goes up. I know because I can test it, myself. If I eat raw vegetables, protein, and fats, my blood sugar reflects the absence of excess sugars.

When the doctor checks my A1C, she can tell just how much sugar and high carbs I've been eating over a three month time period. The A1C test measures how many of the oxygen molecules have been displaced by glucose molecules on our red blood cells. Isn't that awesome to think about? Every bit of food we put in our mouths, chew and swallow ends up in a cell somewhere in our body. Some of them to give us health and vitality -- and some to cause problems, like the sugar replacing the oxygen on the red blood cells which ends up being "poor circulation." How about them apples?

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” (Hippocrates, 460 B.C.) H said this more than 2500 years ago and it is still true today. What we eat really does affect our bodies. I keep hearing vegans and raw foodists saying this, but mainstream America does not seem to be listening. It is hard for addicts to change their lives. Whether the addiction is tobacco related, alcohol related, or food related the hardest part of the addiction to deal with is the cravings. It's not good for you but you just can't seem to stop eating it!! And every bite you eat adds another problem to your body.

I've just been spending some time at http://www.konjacfoods.com/ reading the bits and pieces of research that they have posted about how glucommanen acts in the body to reduce post-prandial blood sugars, insulin, and lipids in the blood stream which make them an excellent food for diabetics. Some of the studies were done in the 1990s, so why it just now, that I am hearing about it? I must admit that I had heard about and even ordered some glucomannen tablets once about ten years ago, but I did not see instantaneous affects from it, and never completed taking the bottle of pills.

I was a little afraid of the choking warning, too, so was never really comfortable taking the GM pills. I remember throwing them out because I did not know enough about them. Too bad!! The choking warning on glucommanen pills came about because if one of the capsules were to get lodged in your throat and then break open the glucommanen, which can absorb 100 times it weight in liquid, could block the passage and cause big problems. They recommend that you drink lots and lots of water if taking the pills. I think I recommend not taking the pills!!

But eating the shirataki noodles which are made from glucommanen is not a problem -- as far as I can tell at the moment.

Another thing I have noticed as I am journaling and keeping track is that after I exercise can become a problem time for me. Not every time, just certain times, and I am not exactly sure which is which. I do recall a suggestion from an exercise guru that I read in the last year. He said that you need to make sure to have something to eat, and water to drink, immediately after exercising. I'm thinking that perhaps I need to pay more attention to that.

I often feel completely exhausted after a work out at my therapist's office. She always has a cup of water ready for me to drink after both the massage and the work out so I can see she follows that same "drink water after exercise" theory. I am always ready for the cup of water, too. So, perhaps I need to prepare a snack for after exercise, too. She does not want me to eat a heavy meal beforehand, so I don't, but I seem to need a real good snack afterward. Maybe some bacon would be a good easy to carry with you snack. I don't seem to do "snacks" at home... but maybe I need to start. I need them on Sundays when the service goes long, too. Maybe some of those pork rinds would do, and they would be easier to carry. I think I read somewhere about a lady who is doing low carb and she carries string cheese in her purse. I need something that is portable, not a bother, and has protein -- a veggie would be good too.

They have a whole list of low carb snacks at www.atkins.com but some of them seem a little complicated to just carry in your purse for emergencies. They do list bacon, avocado, and cheese, each one as a snack item. I could do any one of those and be happy. Although the avocado would require a knife for opening and eating.

I've been looking online for a better way to purchase the plain shirataki noodles (no tofu) and the www.konjacfood.com seems to be the cheapest -- but you have to buy a case of them. That does not seem like it would be a problem since I am planning on using them nearly once every day. I purchased a case of their #1 variety and have been very pleased with them. I do find that I don't like the "macaroni" shaped ones, though. They seem to be too chewy and not really like macaroni for me. I love the noodles like the "angel hair", and the "linquini." Anything that resembles spaghetti pasta works for me, so next time, I may just order a case of "angel hair" and skip the variety pack. Of course, I would not know that, if I had not tried it out.

I found this on the Konjac Foods website along with other sited reports about high fiber foods and diabetes:

Diabetes Care (2000; 23: 9 - 14)
Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial.
"A diet rich in high-viscosity KJM improves glycemic control and lipid profile, suggesting a therapeutic potential in the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome."

This is saying that the addition of any soluble fiber with a high viscosity (ability to soak up liquid) affects how carbs get digested in the body. Glucommanen is the natural soluble fiber with the most viscosity known to man. Konjac root, Glucomannen, has 64 grams of soluble fiber per ounce as compared to oatmeal that has 12 grams of soluble fiber per ounce. If eating oatmeal once a day can help lower cholesterol, then eating shirataki noodles once a day should work about six times better or faster.

Glycemic control means keeping blood sugar levels low and glucommanen (shirataki noodles) helps to control blood sugar. It also controls the fats (lipids) in the blood. So if you have high triglycerides (fats) in your blood, then glucommanen powder or shirataki noodles may help lower the lipids or fats in your blood. The suggestion of a "therapeutic potential" means they may be used as therapy for "insulin resistance syndrome" which is also known as "prediabetes." I'm on board for that.

Been feeling closer to God lately. I'm glad of that. Been praying for the upcoming hurricane to close up shop and not hit the East Coast. God is the Master of the Wind!! If you are a believer, then please pray for "Irene" to stop blowing and become peaceful.


From my friend, "B":

FAITH AND FEAR

Faith keeps you stable despite what your eyes see

Fear keeps you on shaky ground and never wants you free

Faith keeps you moving as each day you believe

Fear keeps you idle and it likes to deceive

Faith keeps you encouraged as you keep your eyes on Him

Fear wants you to dwell on things when they're looking dim

Faith gives you power to keep on pressing in

Fear keeps you in condemnation and looking back again

Faith gives you power to stand upon God's word

Fear clouds your thinking with the negative things you've heard

Faith makes you more like Jesus as you trust Him and obey

Fear wants you to figure things out and keeps you in disarray

Faith helps you walk in peace and calms the storm and rain

Fear makes you always doubt and keeps you under lock and chain

Faith helps you please the Father and makes your body whole

Fear will never help you win so don't let it have control

By: David Todd Hendrix

Love you

Be back soon,

Marcia

Progress is Progress

Last Post Aug 10, 2011
Wt: 337
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great

Today, Aug 22, 2011
Wt: 331
Morning BG: 106
BP: 147/88
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 1.75 -- which is great

I consider this a monumental breakthrough!

Most times when I have not been blogging, that is a big indication that I have been wandering around in a fog -- but this time is different. I have been keeping my daily food journal for about four weeks and today is the start of week 5.

My progress has been extremely slow by some evaluations but I consider progress, even slow progress, to be exactly that: progress. Some people might think that a six pound loss in five weeks is nearly nothing, my former self included but after trying for two years to settle on a program that I could do and stick to (very important) and also see progress in weight loss and blood sugar numbers, I think I have finally found the solution. It is my own modified version of the Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program by Drs Richard and Rachel Heller (http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/).

I think I told you I made myself a chart to keep track of things and as I have been going along I have made some chart changes that suited my needs. I think I have the final chart down now. I call it a "chart" because I made it in Excell and it has places for me to record today's date, my daily morning weight, my morning blood pressure and blood sugar readings, along with my pulse (that comes with the BP reading so I just write it down) along with what I call "Ankles" which is my eyeball evaluation of the edema in my legs and ankles. I awake enthusiastic to record my numbers and have been eagerly doing it for four weeks now.

I took the Heller's advice and have weighed myself every day and at the end of the week I calculate the average. (You just have to know that I made an Excell chart for that too!!) I call this one my Progress Chart. I'm using my old "standard weight" of 352 as my starting weight and then subtract to find my actual weight loss for the week. The first three weeks my weight really did not change much (15, 14.7, and 14.8 lbs lost) if you round those off I stayed at a 15 pound weight loss for three weeks. I figured that if I was not gaining weight that was progress. Then the next week I suddenly lost two pounds and this morning I went down another 3.7 pounds for a total lost (today) of 21 pounds. I am fully aware and even expecting that will fluctuate up and down over the next week to whatever it ends up to be, but I must say it was a good day when I found that number on my scale for the first time.

The thing that keeps me motivated and on track is the actual elimination of food cravings that has been going on from following the program. As I ate my raw low carb vegetables and proteins I felt fully satisfied and was not craving food. Sanity suddenly showed up. That is what makes the program easy to do and what gives me enthusiasm to continue. I no longer have to fight against my own body and self to stay on the program. Just as Rachel Heller says, it does not take will power to stay on a program that is satisfying, which this one, FINALLY, is.

Since when I started I had already gone through the "withdrawal" and was off of sugar, starches, and any other high carb items from the eight day juice fast, I did not have to spend the first three days fighting withdrawals on the program. It was actually quite easy to begin incorporating satisfying salads and proteins which make me feel good. Literally.

That is not to imply that I did not have any problems, though. The "Reward Meal" was the first daily problem that I encountered. I'm not saying this is a bad part of the program, I'm just saying it caused me problems. My blood sugars would jump up pretty high after a reward meal, and I had trouble controlling the amount of carbs I was eating. I was not exactly like a kid in a candy store, but I began to see those impulses. I'm so glad I was journaling and keeping track of my blood sugars at that time, because I could tell the reward meal was causing me problems by how high my blood sugars went after those meals.

My first program modification then was to reduce the number of reward meals I had. I could not do one every day, my body is too extremely sensitive to carbs to be able to handle that. I had thought that I might have one every three days, but I came across a better solution. I eliminated the "Reward Meal" concept and rules and replaced it with shirataki noodles (SNs) once a day. I have found through blood sugar checking that the SNs do not raise my blood sugars even one point. You would think this might make me "over indulge" but I've notice I also have some side effects from the SNs so I keep it at once a day.

The side effects are the same as eating other carbs, minus the blood sugar increases. I am not positive yet, but think there might be an effect on the edema. I think my body has had to adjust to this new and foreign-to-my-system food, also, so I am giving it time to adjust. I noticed right away that my sinuses seem to be effected by it with an increase in liquid output and post nasal drip. I've even noticed a headache on some occasions. I don't seem to be getting the headaches as often now but I've also noticed that my herniated disc seems to be acting up from the exercise that I am doing which can also cause headaches, so the jury is out on whether it is the noodles or the disc causing those. I need to start doing neck traction again, so I can eliminate that as a possibility.

The good things about the SNs are that they fill me up, satisfy the sense memories, and do not raise my blood sugars. So I use them for the reward meal, at which, I no longer have to be so careful. One package is "one serving" so I can eat all 8.8 ounces and not feel any pangs. It truly is a pleasure food to eat. They are touted as extremely high in fiber. I still have to take magnesium to keep regular but am not having the problem of trying to pass "bricks" as I did so long ago on a low carb/high protein diet. So, for now, I shall continue with the SNs for my reward meals. I suppose I might at some time get tired of "stir fry" which is how I have been cooking them, but there are so many varieties of other ingredients (the protein choices to the veggies and spices) that I'm happy and satisfied with it all.

If you would like to check out the Shirataki noodles that I am using for yourself, here is the web site that I ordered them from: http://www.konjacfoods.com/

I am ordering them online because I have not yet found a local source. They have the tofu/shirataki noodles at Whole Foods if you feel OK about eating soy-based foods, but I don't eat soy because I believe it causes some forms of cancer and is simply not good for humans to eat. They are not low in carbs, either. If you do not have those considerations (or simply have not read about them, yet) you can choose to eat them. They are not for me, though. I don't suppose buying one package to try them out would kill you, but why become familiar with and begin to enjoy something that is not good for you? I buy the plain (no tofu) ones online and am happy with them. (for my initial reactions and descriptions of the noodles in more detail see http://cureprediabetes.blogspot.com/2011/07/shirataki-noodle-verdict-is-in.html .)

Have to go get ready for physical therapy so will leave this for today. Hope you are doing well. I really do. Have a good one,

Be back soon,
Marcia

Doing Better

Wt: 337
Morning BG: 113
BP: 147/82
Ankles (scale of 1 to 10) about 2 -- which is great


Hi,

I think I finally have things straightened around (for the moment. LOL) I stopped doing the reward meal for a few days, just to see if things straightened out and they did -- this morning, in fact. I'm kind of thinking that I will not have a reward meal every day, but about every third day and will monitor what happens with that. I do believe I need some high carbs... I just need to get them regulated so they don't cause me weight loss or health problems.

I'm also seeing that I need to up the portions on the protein. For some reason I just don't buy cuts of beef (even grass fed) when I am standing in front of the counter. The prices are high, but I just don't understand all the cuts and how to cook them -- and I am reluctant to buy nine dollars worth of meat and mess it up. Perhaps I need to find that information so I can begin to make decisions about what to purchase. Vegetables are a whole lot easier.

I had a nice experience at physical therapy yesterday. When I got out of the pool, I could tell my body is stronger than when I started out a few weeks ago. That was a nice feeling and I like that I have finally seen some payoff from the exercise I've been doing. I am also encouraged to keep at it, since I can see the good results. It has also dawned on me that when you build muscle your weight may go up because muscle weighs more than fat -- which might be a plausible explanation for some of the ups and downs I've been seeing on the scale.

Yesterday a friend shared with me that her weight and her husband's weight also go up and down daily as I have been experiencing. That was kind of a relief to hear that their weight can also change in four-pound increments over night. I felt a little better after that, so, see, when you share weird stuff it can be helpful to others!!

I mentioned that I had gotten some "Atkins" stuff in the mail. Part of what I received (for free) are the guidelines of how to follow their program which I have been reading. It is not so much different from my "craving reducing" meals. On that one you can eat as much as you need to fill you up, also.

They sent a small "chef" recipe book which is interesting to read but you have to be careful and notice that not all the meals are OK for what they call their "induction" phase. This irritates me. Anyone who needs the guidelines to begin would need phase one recipes, don't you think? I also don't like all the sugar substitutes they use and one of the (about six) recipes was for homemade almond flavored gelatin. Puleeze. Who would eat that stuff? It looked like a white blob on the plate. I guess there are people out there who like "flan" -- I am just not one of them.

I did like the recipes for salmon, but you have to start them in a skillet and then place the skillet in the oven (in 90 degree weather? -- NOT) and, of course -- they are recipes for four servings. Don't they know it is easier to multiply than to divide? I can turn a recipe for one into any number of servings I need, but turning a recipe for 4 into a recipe for 1 does not always work. One good point was that they told you there were more recipes at www.atkins.com -- so that is a redeeming quality.

I guess I should not be complaining -- they sent the stuff for free, after all, and I have used it to compare to what I am doing. Their program is not all that different, except for the reward meal -- which has been kind of tripping me up. Well, I guess, I've been tripping myself up -- but in the course of things I see that I can cut down on the reward meals and hopefully get things back on a more even keel for longer periods of time. I leave the actual weight lost to The Lord -- as I simply continue to be obedient to the program.

I liked some of the suggestions they have for snacks between meals -- like one stalk of celery and cheese, or 10 olives and a bite of protein. They seem to have it all thought out for you. Of course, I've never been able to follow someone else's meal plans but I can get ideas from them.

I enjoyed my salad today. I went shopping the other day so have plenty of things to add for variety: three kinds of lettuce, radishes, fresh raw skinny asparagus, avocado, sun flower sprouts and broccoli/clover/radish sprouts. The salad was refreshing and very filling. I cooked up about a third of a pound of turkey sausage for the topping and my protein for the meal and am completely satisfied. And the BG afterwards was 111 -- excellent!!

OK. So much for the diet travails.

Hope you are doing well!! Write and let me know!!

Be back soon,

Marcia

Monday Morning Blue Cloud

Current Wt: 339
Blood Pressure: 153/81
Morning Blood Sugar: 137
Total Wt Lost from 346 = 7
Original High Wt: 352 for a total loss of 13 pounds


Hi,

It's Monday and I am discouraged. My weight is going up, not down. Last night at church it dawned on me that I have not turned this over to the Lord -- I am still trying to do it on my own -- so I prayed and asked the Lord to bless me with weight loss, as I continue to do the program. The blood pressure is the only thing that is "OK"... it is still high but not as high as it used to be.

I am keeping my food journal and watching what I eat. There are two places that I find are troublesome for me. One is Sunday's. The other is the Reward Meal. I'll start with the reward meal:

The guidelines say that I must have two cups of salad before I begin. I've got that down. Then it says that your plate must be divided into thirds of craving reducing vegetables, protein, and high carb item. I've not been measuring but I have been eye-balling and trying to get the portions right, but I have trouble doling out the right amount of high carb items. Just like you would think that an alcoholic who is allowed one certain sized drink a day will find a way to fudge the size up, I think I am doing that with the high carb item. I've been pretending that the HC item can be just a tad larger than the protein, but I need to find a better way, at least for now, to make sure I am getting equal portions.

I think for a while I will actually measure the protein and the carb portions, so I can get them closer to real. Perhaps, if, for now, I just did half cup/half cup/half cup that would insure the portions. Then once I get accustomed to that, I hope I can go back to eyeballing but with better proportions in mind. OK... that seems to handle that problem.

The reason Sunday is a problem is that I go to an old fashioned Baptist church and the meetings can be any length they happen to be. Sometimes it goes short, and sometimes it goes long -- it just depends on how the Spirit is moving that day.

Yesterday is the first time I had gone back to morning church after having the blood clot, because I was afraid of sitting for too long (hour drive there, hour drive back, one hour for SS, and one hour for church is an average of about four hours of sitting). Steve suggested that I could get up between meetings and walk around, which I did yesterday.

My morning meal was at 8:15 a.m. but I was not able to eat again until 2 p.m. and since I was at a friend's house I did not accept the fruit and coffee that everyone else had. I simply requested ice water. I was OK going to evening church, but coming home, I think things may have gotten off kilter. My evening meal was at 10:00 (I'm not precisely sure on the time). That was just too long of a time between meals. Then on the way home I stopped to pick up my mail and Atkins had sent me three Atkins bars to sample.

I had already planned on having potatoes for my HC item in my reward meal. The bars had been out in the ninety degree weather sitting in the mail box, so I could tell they were softish and misshapen. I put them in the freezer... but they stayed on my mind. The addiction was kicking in before my meal started. All it took was a little too long between meals and I fell over. I overdid the potatoes and then in a craving frenzy I ate the three bars after dinner. Insanity ruled, last night. Before I ate the bars my blood sugar was 148 but I had to have the bars, too. I measured the blood sugar at about midnight and it was 123.

I need to plan a little better for Sunday. Part of the problem was the spontaneous invitation to Steve and Linda's which I accepted at morning church. I asked what they were having to eat and asked if it was OK if I stopped at Wendy's and got a Cobb salad for me to eat -- and they encouraged me to stay on my program. I appreciated that. I guess I'm going to have to plan some sort of snack, too -- either for on the drive home from church or something, because I was just too hungry and the old addiction took over instantly.

As I think back on it, and check my journal, I realized that on Saturday night I had overdone the high carb part of the RM, also. Again because of too long between meals. Don't you just wish you had my body that can gain weight on three ounces of extra carb with a meal? Well... I guess I'm going to have to be responsible and remember that. I do think the measuring will solve that problem.

I've also been thinking about the blood pressures which are still moderately high and the only solution I can see is more exercise. Exercise will bring down the blood pressure and the sugars. I'm still doing the aquatic with physical therapy with an additional swim at home, but I think I'm going to start getting on the Airofit again. That has helped my back pain in the past, and I hope it will again. I'll also do the stretchy cords, too.

So rather than continue to sit at this moment I shall end for now and go do the exercise. Then I have to go shopping -- I have nothing to make salad with, and I really need that replenished.

Be back soon,

Marcia

Thursday on Tuesday

Hi,

How silly of me. When I got to the doctor's office on Tuesday I discovered my appointment was for Thursday!! They took me in anyway -- Thanks Dr. Robbins!! I am just so used to my appointment being on Tuesday that I did not check the date, I just showed up. There was only one person before me in the waiting room and I only waited about 30 minutes.

When I saw the doctor I shared all about what I had done the previous day (the diuretic and the magnesium to show the weight lost) and she laughed. I asked about the side effects of Triamterene because I was suspecting that was the reason my blood sugars went so high that morning -- 132 for wake up -- and it was 127 at the office, after having eggs, sausage, and salad for breakfast, which should not have raised the blood sugar level at all.

I shared about the program I am doing and how I feel like it is the perfect one for me, because I am not craving, and I am actually able to follow the directions. I showed her my copy of the food lists, and also my food journal and I'm glad I brought it with me. I had evidence that I was doing things right even though the blood sugars were so high that day. Doctor's do not tend to believe that you are being compliant if their tests say you were not. This time I had proof.

The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program is so much easier for me to do than anything I have tried in the last two years that I am completely amazed. Thank you Lord for reminding me of it and guiding me to it. I am grateful.

I am also actually using my daily food journal to keep track of my blood sugars, my water drinking, my weight, and my meals. I sometimes have to list the meals after the fact because I often forget to list them right after I've eaten -- but I am following the program eating guidelines better than any other program, too. The program, itself, makes it easy, because the cravings and the madness have disappeared with the doing of it. That is part of the purpose of the program: to eliminate the madness of cravings -- and I think it does that very well. Thank God!!

My morning blood sugars are very slowly dropping down again (119 this morning), and I am taking that as evidence that the Triamterene raises my blood sugars artificially, which also causes inflammation, and gout along with the inflammation. I am only going to use that stuff in an emergency. I am hoping that after a time, I won't have so much edema. I was also surprised that the day after I had taken the diuretic that my ankles were like balloons, again, but I was not tempted to take another one to get rid of that swelling. I just waited, elevated my feet, and ate right, and drank all the water I am scheduled to drink. They look much better this morning, but may increase by evening.

I have physical therapy today and am looking forward to it. I have all my pool do-dads packed and ready to go. I wear my swim suit under my clothes so all I have to do is take off the outer layers, put on the water shoes and climb the stairs to the little exercise pool. Getting in and out is the hardest part, because my PT wants me to sit on the edge and swing my legs over. I only wish I could "swing" my legs over -- ha!! Doing that is the hardest part for me to perform, but I do it the best I can. It is very hard for me to get my legs that high while seated. I struggle to get my foot up over the edge and then inch it along the ledge until it gets to the other side. Then I have to do it again for the other leg -- but the joy of being in the water is worth the struggle of getting in and out. I just love being in the water, although, I really don't like having my face in the water.

My reward meal last night was salad, turkey sausage, and half of an individual Pizza from Taco Bell/Pizza Hut across the street from the MHP I live in. I had gotten used to not having high blood sugars after a reward meal, but it was 149 after that meal. Perhaps I should have eaten only a fourth of the pizza.

I thought I had it all figured out. Literally half of my plate was green salad with a little homemade dressing. I consumed half of the salad before partaking of the sausage and a bite of pizza which was a taste treat for my mouth. I figured that since part of the pizza was cheese and meat and veggies, that it actually increased the amount of protein and veggies that I had by a small percentage. I always get the "supreme" from that store. At a real Pizza Hut I get the "super supreme." I am now wondering if they put MSG in their ingredients or have some other hidden sugars in abundance, because a blood sugar reading of 149 is really high, in my estimation for the equivalent of one regular slice of pizza.

The one other thing I am being tempted with is the high carb item for the reward meal. The pizza experiment is evidence of that. The program says I can consume ANY high carb that I want -- up to and including candy -- but it also points out that it would probably be better to choose more healthy items. The CALP program also points out that you have to add the one high carb item to your reward meal (that is why it is called that). It is not really a option to not have the reward meal.

Don't worry I have not eaten any candy in any of my Reward Meals this time -- although I did when I did the program in 1998 (which is probably why I did not stick to it, then). If you begin being out of balance with your carbs, the cravings and insanity start coming back and they sneak in a little at a time so you might not even notice it until you are completely crazy again. They are like "a thief in the night." The one thing that I'm having trouble with in planning the reward meal is that I keep thinking of grain items, then have to remind myself that I'm better off without grain.

I decided to go with avocados and new potatoes (not at the same time) for my upcoming reward meals which I bought at Sams after PT. They are whole foods and should be better for me. I don't think the avocados will cause any harm, but the potatoes may cause a spike, so I'll have to be vigilant with my record keeping and watch my blood sugars.

I seem to be in a better place with CALP than back in 1998. I think that some of the programs I did recently that lead up to this one helped me get off most of the bad stuff before I started: sugar, grains, and dairy except for cheese. For the most part I am choosing better HC items and don't really have many in the house -- which is part of the reason I stopped for pizza last night. It was late and I thought it would work. I paid attention to the portions but am not happy with the result.

Well... I am toddling down the path, making corrections as I go. I feel gladness in my heart.

Hope you are well,

Be back soon,

Marcia

Doctor Today, Then Physical Therapy

Hi,

Yesterday I blogged about taking three doses of magnesium to help rid my colon of stalled waste. I also took one diuretic pill to release some of the edema. This morning I am down four pounds. Amazing -- and proof that my suspicions were correct about why I was putting on weight on the scale, but not in the mirror.

I saw my friend Masa yesterday and she immediately commented that I looked like I was losing weight. I was grateful for her confirmation of what I had been seeing in the mirror, myself. I hope my doctor can see it also, because I have been working hard to do things right.

I went to the Golden Corral last night with Masa and filled my plate according to the rules of the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program. I knew that it was perfectly acceptable to have dessert for my high carb item so I had a small piece of carrot cake (did not eat the icing) and one oatmeal cookie -- both of which were sickeningly sweet to my mouth. (I don't think I'll be doing that again.) I was glad to have a little protein and veggies to wash down the bites and eliminate the taste. On the program you eat your high carb item (no matter what it is) as part of the meal. Even dessert is not eaten afterwards, but becomes part of the meal.

My blood sugar last night when I got home was really not bad at 109, but this morning it was 132!! This seems very odd to me and I'm not sure what caused it. It could have been the dessert, but it did not affect my blood sugar last night when it would have normally had an effect(?). I suppose it could have something to do with the magnesium or the diuretic(?). I am reluctant to discuss this with my doctor because if I share that I had one meal like that, she assumes I eat every meal like that and may want to set me up on a another new and un-do-able program.

I like the program I am on, because it really seems to address my hunger issues. I am simply less hungry on this program. I don't have odd cravings for sweets any more -- they used to make me dash off to get whatever item it was. That does not happen any more -- at least as long as I follow the program -- I suppose that if I went off the program that would return. I would not have eaten the desserts last night except that I sat there thinking about them as I watched my friend eat. It was like a habit of my mind, rather than a craving of my body. My body actually, as I mentioned, did not really like the sweetness. It was more like an assault on my tongue, than a pleasure.

From past experience, I know that I could force the issue and continue to eat the sweets, but that would be insanity and head me in the wrong direction. I only make the statement because I have actually done that in the past. I don't want to do that now. I want to stay on the good eating program that I have found. I want to follow it more closely and do what it says. One of the options on the program is the suggestion to not go for the sweet high carb dessert-type items for my daily high carb reward meal, but to go for perhaps some bread, or potatoes or beans, instead. I had done that with the first plate. I very carefully filled half my plate with salad, a small roasted chicken breast portion, and a bowl of chili with beans. When I was done eating that I was truly satisfied. Then my friend went and got a huge plate of food with a lot of high carb items on it and I sat there just watching her eat.

It was then I began thinking about the idea of having another plate (just as it advises on the plan) with one-third veggies, one-third protein, and one-third high carb -- just so I could have the dessert. I chose some steamed cauliflower and broccoli, a spoonful of taco meat, and a very small piece of cake and one cookie for the final third of the plate. My blood sugars after the meal were good. I have been noticing that eating the one high carb item surrounded by good veggies and protein, really does not usually raise my blood sugars. I even tested them last night and went to bed feeling that I had done well. Then I wake up to a morning level of 132. It is really hard for me to believe that happened. But there it is, in black and white.

I learned about the "morning phenomenon" from Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's book, "Diabetes Solution" where he explains that when diabetics get up in the morning they may have rather high blood sugars after a good night's sleep, and no one knows why. I think I shall just chalk it up to the "morning phenomenon" and let it go at that. I am going to pay attention, though and see if I have any other reward meals with an extremely high carb, if this happens again. My morning blood sugars so far, had been very good.... from 110 to 113, which is excellent for me. This was the first time I have been thrown for a loop, as they say. I shall record and observe for future information.

You know, as I think about it, I am wondering if the morning high blood sugar was somehow connected to the diuretic. I had asked my doctor if there was anything that I was taking that would cause inflammation and she said, most definitely, the Triamterene, so I stopped taking it. As soon as I stopped taking the diuretic my blood sugars went down. I had attributed it to the change in the food I was eating, but I had also stopped taking the Triamterene at about the same time. Then boom. One dose of Triamterene and my morning blood sugar is even farther above what it had been running back then.

I shall observe this in the future, too. I want to confirm my suspicions on this one. I shall not take any for a few days and see what happens. Then I will take one, and see what happens. That should be a good enough test. I'll let you know what I find out. I think I will try to remember to ask my doctor about this, today. If I pose the question correctly, I may be able to find out if that is a side effect of the Triamterene or not. I may also look it up on the internet to see what I find.

I have set up a food journal for myself in my Excel program that has spaces for all the things I want to keep track of on a daily basis. It includes the 64 ounces of water, has a space for the blood glucose numbers, and the time of day. Plus enough room to write the contents of my meals along with the time that they were eaten. I wish I knew how to load a picture into the blog, but I am ignorant of that process, so cannot show you the chart.

Must prepare for the appointment....

Be back soon,

Marcia

On the Road

Hi,

On the "Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program," (CALP) they tell you to weigh yourself every day and then take an average at the end of the week. I've been doing that, and it appears that I am gaining a pound a day. Not happy with that. I attribute it to the very slow plumbing, so have gone back on the magnesium. I was hoping that the high fiber in the shiratake noodles would help to correct that problem, but maybe I have to eat them for a longer time to see the results.

One thing about the magnesium: I use the brand called "Calm" which is a stevia sweetened powder that you add to a cup of water (hot or cold, as you wish). I know that over time you have to begin increasing the dose to keep getting the same results. I had been using one level teaspoon for a long time, but now see that I need to increase the dose. The problem I have with that is that the taste is so overpowering that a higher dose all at once in the cup is difficult for me to take. It has dawned on me that I could simply drink two cups instead of one, so that will be my solution. I can drink one cup with one level teaspoon of "Calm" without too much problem. In fact, I rather like it, it reminds me of a lemon flavored soda. So now I shall have two cups for a dose and get the increase that I need without shocking the taste buds. And more water is good for me. Problem solved. I hope. For now, I may need to do that morning and night, as my doctor suggested.

I also bought a bottle of sesame oil made in Hong Kong at the Dekalb International Farmer's Market, since it is on the list, and have fallen in love with it's hearty warm and toasty nutty almost burned scent and flavor. It really perks up a meat and gives it a lot of good flavor that I like. I fried up two butterfly pork chops last night that I had cut apart into four pieces before beginning, in the sesame oil, garlic powder, salt and Italian herbs. After I had cooked them on low heat for quite a while I took them out of the pan and slivered them into many small pieces that I can place on top of salads or in shirataki noodle dishes. I tested one and it was kind of bland, so I threw the slivers back in the pan and added a little more sesame oil, garlic, and Italian seasonings. That really perked them up. I placed a few on top of a salad and had a nice meal. The rest are in the fridge waiting for their next appearance. Perhaps I should freeze some for much later. I don't want to become bored with them, too soon!

I am still watching low carb recipe videos on YouTube. They have quite a few recipes, including shiratake noodle recipes. If you think about it, a low carb meal consists of meat and vegetables, but many of the videos are like casseroles made with substitutions. One was "macaroni and cheese" where the substitution for the macaroni was tofu, so technically it is tofu and cheese and if you think about that, that is two kinds of cheese (Tofu is soy cheese), so it really is cheese and cheese. I must admit it looked really good, but I don't eat Tofu because I don't think it should be consumed by humans. (I don't like the soy revolution that has taken place, because I believe that soy promotes cancer.) So I wrote and asked if the author thought that shirataki noodles might be a good replacement for the tofu.

I went ahead and ordered a variety pack of noodles and a packet of glucommanan powder just to experiment with the powder. I have stumbled across quite a few ways to use the powder. One is as a thickening agent. It says that it thickens ten times more than corn starch, so you only use a tiny bit, get to make gravy, and there is no increase in carbs to the meal. Another use, I shared in my last blog about the guy who made his own noodles in his fry pan. I might try those. But the third use is to sprinkle it on other food -- kind of like Sensa. That seems like an easy way to add fiber to all this meat that I am eating, without much fuss, and I need the fiber and like the no-fuss.

The only draw back that I have found from the shirataki noodles is that they seem to clog up my sinuses. I figured out that the dizziness I suffered the other day was from water in the inner ear -- a problem I have from time to time. I had noticed all through the juicing that my nose was running more than usual. It has increased since I started the CALSP, and with the addition of the shirataki noodles it seems to have moved on to cloggy especially in the evening. I was clearing my throat a lot last night at church, which was a little embarrassing. Perhaps I just have a mild cold... but maybe it is the glucommanan. I hope I don't end up being allergic to it. That would be very disappointing. I shall wait and see what happens with the new brand that I've ordered and try to observe what happens after I eat them each time.

I published and then had to delete a comment made by someone on my before-day-one blog (the one with which I started this blog). One of the things they said was they wanted to see me make more posts (?). So I let the person know that the archive was on the right hand side of the screen in my reply. This person had also included a link to something called "Prediabetes Diet" which I scanned very lightly and thought was good information, so I published the post. Then I went back to read the link a little better and saw that it is the standard American Diabetes Association diet with lots of grain and fruit which I cannot support, so I deleted the post and my comment. I really hate having to do that but don't like my blog being used for someone else's agenda, especially one that I know promotes or increases prediabetes and diabetes conditions rather than reducing them. The idea is to avoid the complications of diabetes, not run faster toward them.

It is hard enough to manage the condition without misinformation being forwarded, too. I've worked long and hard and done too many personal experiments with different foods in relation to my actual blood sugar levels to ever go down the road of fruits and grains again. They are simply not good for diabetics in any amount -- even though the majority of "authorities" still think people need ten servings of grain a day as on the government's food pyramid. We do not need ten servings of grain a day -- that is too much even for normal healthy people. Diabetics need to let go of grains completely. Grain is what is killing us, in the form of refined flour and even whole grain and whole wheat flour, along with the low fat/high carb diet which some people can tolerate but which is not good for anyone with diabetes of any kind. Better information is out there, if people are interested. It does not take much work to find it, either. I feel so sorry for those who listen to their diabetic nutritionist tell them to eat small servings of rice and bread every day and then do it. They will soon be on insulin if they are not already. Eating rice and bread (grains) promotes blood sugar highs.

I also tried the vegan approach but that did not exactly work out for me, either. Even on the juice fast my upper numbers did not decrease, although the lower ones did decrease. The span seemed to widen out which I think meant my blood sugar was spiking. I did include a little fruit -- just following the directions -- but that does not work for a prediabetic as I am. Even though I am not at this moment losing weight, the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program has given me very much better blood sugar numbers.

My meter shows that my average blood sugar for the past seven days has been 110, which is excellent in my eyes. It is not yet normal which is about 88 but I've not seen 88... well.... ever... since I started having to check my blood sugars. But... you know they don't tell you start checking them, until they are high, and have become a problem. I think everybody should have one, so they can see what is going on in their own body. I remember being afraid of pricking my finger but have learned that that is nearly painless if you set the needle at the right depth for you. My skin is very thin so a low medium depth draws blood almost without pain especially once I learned to prick on the side and not the tip.

As to the weight I have two things going on that are holding the numbers up. One, I stopped taking the diuretic because they should not be taken for lengthy periods of time and I've already been taking it for two years -- and two, the plumbing stopped moving -- both of which will give higher numbers to a person's weight. I have noticed in the mirror that my neck is no longer as wide as my face, so I know some of the fat is disappearing, it just does not show up on the scale. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I know my doctor will not be as understanding as I would like. Although she will still see a weight loss, I don't know how much it will be. I think it may be around five to seven pounds. We shall see. I have taken three doses of magnesium, hoping that will aid a little, and it has, but not very much. So maybe a diuretic would help, too. Maybe that is not the right way to go about it, but, I feel compelled to try to do something in preparation for the visit. (I guess that is about "looking good" -- oh so shallow!)

Since stopping the diuretic my ankles have been fine in the morning but as the day wears on they get a little thicker and poofey. They are not extreme, but I know I am holding water. I have been drinking more water, according to the plan, and thinking that perhaps that has helped to keep them at a minimum.

Anyway... still on the road, checking things out. Hope all is well with you.

Be back soon,

Marcia