Welp. I admit that I got cocky and stopped doing the things I knew were keeping my blood sugar at a healthy level. After being super strict for over 18 months, due to a massive fear of diabetes (and doctors/medications), I had a little slip. When that little slip didn’t result in disaster, I started to relax how stringently I followed the Blood Sugar Solution (by Dr. Mark Hyman) program. (TW/CW: he uses the word “diabesity”, which I find offensive and annoying as hell, he also has a strong focus on weight – but I took the information I needed and left the bias and BS, although I can certainly see how it could be triggering. Unfortunately, that is the general reality in the medical field and trying to get useful information is nearly impossible without wading through the ignorant bias against fatness). When I had pizza for the first time in almost two years, I felt joyous – like my life was returning to normal. Maybe I was healed? Maybe, as I’d suspected, my diabetes had been caused by a reaction to an antibiotic I’d taken just before my diagnosis. I had felt it wreck me. Between that and working 60-80 hours a week and being completely exhausted, I thought that maybe this whacko blood sugar reading over 200 was just a fluke. Now, I was better.
As the pandemic hit, I slid further away from the program. My blood sugar started to rise, but not to a level that inspired panic. I was okay with finding a balance that worked for me – allowing me to enjoy “regular” foods (carbs, pizza, ice cream, bread, cheese, etc.) while also being mindful to stay within a certain range. When it looked like my blood sugar was teetering on the edge, I would be more careful. Until I wasn’t. Between being afraid to go outside, thereby exercising far less than I’d been, and not shopping regularly for groceries, just eating what was convenient, I landed myself in my current position – which is that I feel awful.
My blood sugar was 145 this morning. That is horrible. I knew it was bad because I felt light-headed and nauseous. I’ve been sick to my stomach all day. When I was on program, my blood sugar ranged from about 80-105. Over these past few months, it’s been more like around 110-120. Not perfect, but I was prepared to live within that range. Then I started hitting into the 130’s here and there. I didn’t feel bad, so I wasn’t too alarmed. Until today. I finally feel bad enough to acknowledge that there is a problem and I need to do something about it.
When I was first diagnosed, I lived in Florida and could ride my bike around my neighborhood every day. Good for my knees and fun for me. Since then, I’ve moved across the country and I don’t currently have my bike with me. I’ve been dancing a little bit, one of my favorite things, but not every day. This morning, I went for a walk – just a little over half an hour. I will build that up to an hour a day. That’s how long I rode my bike – it seemed like a good amount of time to be active. I felt healthy and strong. On rainy days, I can dance. I’m re-committing to making time to be active every day for an hour. I’ve also been doing yoga a little bit here and there – that’s definitely helpful for my sense of well-being.
As for my eating program, I am going modified strict for now and see what happens. When I first started, I didn’t do any fruits or grains at all. After a few months, I started having some citrus, blueberries, strawberries, and other low-glycemic fruits with my breakfast. I also added a half of a sprouted grain English muffin with almond butter to the two eggs I ate daily for breakfast. By the way, look at the picture on my home page. Watch my cholesterol drop from 220 to 159 while I ate two eggs every single day. I brew six cups of some sort of herbal tea (usually peppermint or green tea) each morning and drink that throughout the day. I’m starting now with allowing the fruit and half of an English muffin. If my blood sugar isn’t returning to normal as quickly as I’d like (within a week or two), I’ll drop those as well until I am well within the normal range (under 100).
For lunch and dinner, I’m keeping it simple: returning back to chicken and veggies, with a few nuts as condiments and snacks. I did include carrots today, but I won’t include potatoes, which I’ve found to have an undesired effect on my blood sugar. I generally cook my eggs in coconut oil and use olive oil on my salads and to saute my veggies. By the way, I used a poppyseed salad dressing on my salad last night – and I think that’s part of the reason my blood sugar was so elevated this morning. I’ll be sticking with just olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads from now on.
Okay, so day one of this journey back to health and balance is almost complete. I’m tired and feeling crappy, but I know I’m on the road back to wellness and I’m grateful for that! I’ll be checking in regularly to let you know how it’s going, what I’m doing, give you some recipes, and share some other things that have been helpful for me. In the meantime, we breathe.
Once again, I am not a medical professional, nor a nutritionist. I am not offering any sort of medical or dietetic advice. I am simply sharing my own personal journey and what is working for me. Please do consult your own medical professionals and do your own research.
Disclaimer: Please be advised that I am not a medical professional nor a dietician. This site is not in any way, shape, or form providing any sort of diagnosis, advice, cures, or recommendations for medical or dietary treatments. I am simply sharing my own journey and experiences. Nothing I say is intended to replace proper medical care.
My Dance With Diabetes 