DISCLAIMER:

live with physical challenges.
I am NOT a DOCTOR!!! I don't even play one on TV!!! It is my goal to live a more healthy lifestyle. Living well and being happy is what this blog is all about.

"Nothing,' wrote Tolstoy, 'can make our life, or the lives of other people, more
beautiful than perpetual kindness."

- Gretchen Rubin




I write about my own experiences and what works (or does not) for me. Nothing I write is to be taken as medical advice.

Only your health care provider, personal physician,Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor - I don't even play one on TV! This
or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.








Sunday, March 10, 2013

The Narrow Path

Don't forget to change the time on the blood sugar meter, insulin pump, and CGM!

 
Today is Sunday.  I lost an hour of sleep, yet this morning I have poured my first cup of coffee and have a local newspaper with me at the computer.  My thoughts have turned to another Sunday morning many years ago.  That Sunday was the day that changed my life forever and set me on a journey that has been filled with some doubt, fear and much anticipation about my future and my health. 
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  – Lao-tzu
I have lived with Type 2 Diabetes for over 20 years.  My life has been indelibly changed by the disease.  The journey has included some mountains to climb, some rivers to cross and there were a few times when I had to place one stepping stone at a time in front of me in order to move on.  It has not been an easy journey, but it has been a journey filled with joy!

I was not diagnosed in a doctor’s office.  One Sunday morning in 1992 after our morning church service was over, I was standing in line at a potluck dinner when my friend, who happened to be a Diabetic Educator, approached me with a glucometer and asked if she could test my blood glucose.  I told her she could – and the results were astounding!  My blood glucose was over 300!  Now, mind you, this was before lunch! 

Needless to say, I did not eat lunch.  My appetite was gone at that point.  I decided to go back into the sanctuary and just sit and think for a while.  My friend came in and began to explain Type 2 Diabetes to me.  I’ll be honest – I was scared of what this diagnosis meant.  I wondered how much damage had already been done.  I had been in denial for a very long time.  But I hit the wall and I could not deny it any longer.  I broke down and cried on my friend’s shoulder.  I’m so thankful she was there to help me!

It’s funny how the ol’ fight or flight reflex works.  There’s an immediate choice to be made – one choice will set you free and the other puts you further in bondage to the disease.  That Sunday I chose to fight, and I’ve fought every day for over 20 years!  I read every book, magazine article and internet article I could get my hands on about Type 2 Diabetes. 
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.  ― Ann Wigmore
I was at my chiropractor’s office one day reading a magazine article about the link between food, water, exercise and positive attitude, and its effect on mood, pain and overall wellness.  That article greatly impacted my life.  I discovered pH (potential for Hydrogen) but I’ve heard it referred to as “potential for health” – I like that better!  The more alkaline your diet, the more healthy your cells are and the less likely you are to suffer the ill effects of disease. 
I used to think that it was enough to cut carbohydrates and increase protein intake in my diet.  It turns out that the quality of food you choose is more important than the type of food.  There was a time when I would not touch fruit because I had been told there was too much sugar in it.  There are also vital vitamins and essential fiber in fruits.  Of course some fruits have more sugar than others so you have to watch portions very carefully.  For the most part, I do eat fruit with little impact on my overall blood sugar levels. 

Vegetables are for all intense purposes free for the eating!  I eat them raw and enjoy just as much as I want.  I also eat nuts, with the exception of peanuts and cashews.  Again, because they do have a lot of fat, I eat just one handful a day – usually for a snack.  Some diabetics refuse to use any artificial sweeteners, but my choice is Stevia.  I do put it in my coffee and on strawberries once in a while if they taste a little tart.   

The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.  ― Thomas Edison

I eat five small meals every day - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner.  I never feel deprived.  Since I’ve adopted an alkaline lifestyle, I’ve lost over 80 pounds and have gone from a size 2X to a size 16.  I have 30 more pounds to lose, but now I have the tools I need to succeed.  Basically, I am forced to eat the kind of diet that everyone should be eating.  If you don't have Type 2 Diabetes, then you are not going to feel the added incentive that I obviously do to stay on track!  This is not just a diet - this is my lifestyle.  It has to be!  This is me regaining my health! 

I have Type 2 Diabetes, but Type 2 Diabetes does NOT have me!  My last A1c was 6.6.  I truly have an abundance of joy in my journey!  I’m in control and feelin’ great…  inside and out!
This is a great recipe!
Today is MIDDLE NAME PRIDE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This brings my mother to mind.  Mama's middle name was Joe.  The family all insisted that it was Jo - but it was not.  Mama told me that she was named Joe (with an "e") after an old family friend.  It seemed to be a bone of controversy throughout her life.  I don't know why anyone would care how she chose to spell her middle name - what difference did it make?  Let mama be Betty Joe!  Let it be, for Pete's sake!  Hey - does anyone know what Pete's middle name is???  Just askin'...
 
 
 

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