On December 29th, someone told me that the way in which you end a year will determine how your new year will be. This T2D doesn’t believe a word of it! Nothing. Nada. I’ve had vertigo for two days along with an evil virus. That’s the way I ended 2017. Ugh. NO WAY will 2018 be like that for me — absolutely not!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It’s 7:50 p.m. on Monday, January 1st, 2018. The vertigo and evil virus left this morning, as 2018 entered my life.
Thinking positively and looking forward to a WONDERFUL 2018!
Controlling my blood sugar is #1 on my list of positive things focus on. Healthy eating choices, exercise, and meditation.
I can’t deal with the wraps that are sold in supermarkets, deli’s, restaurants. I’ve tried, and tried again. They’re tasteless. The consistency is dreadful — at least to ME. I just can’t use them as a substitute for bread. I need something, but wraps? No thank you. 😦
I searched for a healthy alternative to bread. Finally, it dawned me to try lettuce. This is certainly not a new idea. I started out with iceberg. I know — there’s no nutrition to be found there. It wasn’t the right consistency either — just a tad too thick. When I added the contents and rolled them up, the iceberg wraps “cracked under the pressure” of my expectations. Back to the supermarket — this time Boston lettuce. My hopes were rising!
As I peeled off the leaves, I thought the thickness and consistency of this vegetable might just meet my needs. My heart raced as I began. One leaf of the Boston, followed by one slice of turkey, then a slice of cheese (my fave, Alpine Lace Swiss (YUMMY!), topped off with another beautiful leaf of green goodness. I started to roll it, slowly, carefully. Disappointment ran across my face. There was no denying it — this experimental lettuce wrap did not make the grade. The leaves were just not long enough. They were too round. Just not right.
I took my search seriously, googling the various types of lettuce, determined to find the right “gem” for my purpose.
I searched the supermarkets and local farms, looking for just the right fit. It was an education to see just how many types of lettuce there are; never noticed them! Similar to roses: A rose by any other name is still a rose. Guess what? A lettuce by any other name is still a lettuce! Red leaf, green leaf, Boston Bibb, radicchio, arugula, rainbow chard, cabbage, endive and kale. Lots of different names, but all in the lettuce family. I considered each of them and tried the ones that I thought might live up to my ever-growing standards.
Finally, I noticed what was right in front of me the whole time — ROMAINE! How did I miss it? I took a beautiful head of fresh Romaine and started for home.
Photo by Yigithan Bal on Pexels.com
Success! The leaves were just the right size, thickness, color — perfect for forming a wrap. The green color, dark on the outside, was lightening as I peeled off the leaves, heading for the lighter center. I started the process: one long leaf of Romaine, one slice of fresh turkey, a slice of alpine lace, and one more leaf of Romaine. I began to roll it. Not one crack in the lettuce and the turkey and cheese were safe inside this outstanding wrap. Perfection!
Sometimes I add a condiment, for variety, but for the most part, I enjoy my wrap on the “naked” side. To glam it up, I might add VERY thinly-sliced apples, or artichoke hearts. For that matter, add whatever you like, as long as it’s not going to push up your blood glucose too much.
In the end — in my humble opinion — What’s better than Romaine? NOTHING! It’s the winner. 🙂
I’ve been sick. You know, “praying for death” sick. 😦
Some evil “stomach bug” crept into my system and took over. You don’t want the details. My blood sugar was all over the place. I tried the “natural” route, but I was only able to live in one room in my house (…the room with the echo), so finally, I called my doctor who told me to only eat crackers, dry toast (if I’m hungry — which I’m not), and drink 1/2 water and 1/2 Low Calorie Gatorade for a few days, to avoid dehydration and to give my intestines a break. In the end (no pun intended), I was in the waiting room of a gastroenterologist. She sent me for a ton of tests, the results of which I won’t get ’til Thursday, if I’m lucky.
But, she also gave me a medicine that “calmed” everything down, in the meantime. Thank God!!! That pain was a killer — my poor body. She wanted me to eat more; the thought was disgusting. She added plain chicken, turkey, baked potato. Ugh. She was right, eating a bit more did help.
With every situation, we learn something, right? (Not that I haven’t learned this before…) When I have a stomach issue, I hate the thought of food — including, my addictive junk foods. It’s been 8 days now and I haven’t had a thought about (my drug of choice) sugar. Nothing, Nada. I feel like I’ve been in a rehab for carboholics/sugar addicts.
Do you know what? The Sugar Beast had nothing to do with my being ill but, I’m going to take advantage of this situation, grab onto my proverbial detox and hold on for dear life!
Seriously, regardless of the results of the testing, I want to be done with sugar — SO DONE. Being sick just brought this to the forefront of my mind (again, I say again!). This Type 2 Diabetic’s plan is to do everything in my power to steer clear of it. I know, I know, we’ve all said it before.
I see this “Silver Lining” as a gift, and I’m going to wrap myself in it — like a soft, satin, protective shield. It will be difficult — if anything, I’m NOT naive. I know it’s really hard (at least for me) not to get dragged into a sugar feast, but, the way I’m looking at it, I’ve got a head start, and I’m grateful for it.
I’ve got the motivation, now I have to get back to developing the habit...AGAIN. Every day really is DAY #1.
My sister’s birthday is coming and that will be my first “real” test. Wish me luck!
Blah, blah, blah. The attitude of gratitude. Blah, blah, blah. Today, I didn’t want to hear about it, didn’t want to know about it, didn’t even want to think about it.
Today was one of those B A D A T T I T U D E days. Why? I have NO clue. Sometimes you just want to pull up the covers and forget about it. This was one of those days. So, what did I do to change my attitude? I went to get my hair colored (good move!) and came home hating the way my hair looked (bad move!).
I have a friend who’s a DIYer, as am I. She’s working on a credenza; I’m 1/2-way through refinishing a table. Looking for motivation to finish mine, I decided to stop at her house to see how she’s progressing (good move!) She had painted just one of the drawers, as a test case, to be sure she liked the finish, before continuing. It was gorgeous! Light gray base coat with a darker silver distress. Just beautiful. Did it motivate me? Absolutely. (Yea!!!)
On the ride home, I thought about my project. I’ll work on it this afternoon, I told myself. When I pulled into the gas station to fill up, I remembered why that wasn’t going to happen. As I got out of the car, a stabbing pain shot down the right side of my butt and leg and reminded me that today was NOT going to be the day I’d be working on the table. [Last Wednesday I went out to my garage to grab the paint supplies to complete my table. As I leaned over to lift the carton, I coughed REALLY hard, and ZAP — sciatica crept back into my life. If you’ve ever had it you know — it smarts! I left the carton right where it was, grabbed an ice pack and a heating pad, and spent the next two days trying to get the inflammation down. SCIATICA SUCKS — I’m gonna get a bumper sticker.] I shouldn’t complain; four days is nothing and it’s MUCH better. But, I didn’t remember that, when I went into the gas station and bought a package of Twinkies (bad move! — really bad move).
Continuing my brief drive home, I told myself, In the meantime, I’ll work on Carrie’s quilt. I can do that. Carrie is friend of my daughter’s who’s having a baby and the shower is the day after Thanksgiving. HOLY PROCRASTINATION! Hurry up, Kathy! I wasn’t going to give her the quilt until the baby is born but, if I do it NOW that’ll be many hours of keeping my hands busy and not thinking about cravings. (Back to my Grapefruit Oil) 🙂
Well, when I got home, after I downed the Twinkies, I set up the table to lay out the quilt, got out the fabric and started. NO! Of course I didn’t start!!!I told you I had a lousy attitude. Instead, I grabbed my laptop and wasted about two hours watching YouTube videos on “How to Make a Rag Quilt.” It was very relaxing to watch someone else do the work. I know how to make that style quilt — I’ve done it four times!
strip, rag quilt
WHY then, was I wasting the time??? Probably because my miserable attitude told me to AND probably because of the sugar rush to my brain from the freakin’ Twinkies. Ugh.
It’s 11:51 p.m., so nine more minutes until Sunday. My GOAL for Sunday?
Eat correctly
Walk first thing in the morning
…and with a renewed and refreshed ATTITUDE, work on the quilt.
This is a great discussion to have with your doctor. At least consider the prospect, the possibility of reversing your disease. What have you got to lose? It’s just a conversation.*
This is a “conversation” that Dr. Sarah Hallberg has with her patients. Give her a listen; it can’t hurt — right? It’s a TED Talk — they’re all so interesting.
After you’ve heard what she has to say — THEN speak with your doctor.
*As with ALL information on this blog, always speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diabetes management.
Do you live for a buffet/smorgasbord dinner? NOOOOoooooo! My conscience screams, DON’T do it! If you have issues with portion control, that kind of dining can be a downfall.
I read a great article in Everyday Health. the title was, “Sizing Up Your Plate: Why Portion Control Matters.”
Everyday Health does a great job in its discussion of diabetes and this T2D “listens” very carefully when they “talk.” D. Wolter-Nitta, RD, CDE, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, was quoted on the topic of portion control. For the Type 2 Diabetic, who may be overweight, losing some pounds can lead to better blood sugar control and “possibly” less need for medication. Some of the information noted in the article will be familiar to you and some will seem like common sense. I read everything diabetes related. Truth is, there’s always more to learn and, if nothing else, reading the info will put it in the forefront of my mind. Can’t hurt, right? Everyday Health noted that Jill Weisenberger, RD, CDE, and writer, out of Yorktown, VA, stressed that “not eating proper carbs at a meal can lead to higher or lower blood sugars,” and we know what that can produce. Problems.
She, along with others, had some good points:
Weigh and Measure your food. LOL — right! We’ll see about that. 🙂 Okay, I’ve never been thrilled with doing “the scale thing,” but she’s right. It’s really difficult to guess how much food is the right amount, and we know that portion control is imperative. That’s why…
Visual Aids are so important! I was having difficulty awhile back in my T2D journey, and I went to a diabetes educator for help. I thought I had portion control down pat but was stunned to learn that the fact that I was eating apples the size of a softball didn’t make the grade. She tossed me a tennis ball and informed me that THIS was the size I should have been consuming. “Really?” I queried, while looking at the small ball that seemed to be lost in my hand. I realized that the difference in size meant that I was eating what would be considered two apples at each sitting. AAArrrggghhh! That explained my weight gain. By the way, when shopping for apples, TRUST ME, the ones that come packaged in the plastic bags are the size you should be eating. It’s called SMALL! At first, I was saddened by the fact that my beloved apple snack had just shrunken to about one-third of its size. Here’s what helped a LOT: I sliced the apple into very thin slices — VERY thin! During that same appointment, the Diabetes Educator shocked me into realizing that I’d been overeating just about everything — without even knowing it. She showed me a plastic hamburger to demonstrate the portion that we should be eating. It seemed so small and alone on the plate — probably one-third of the size I’d been scoffing down. Next on her agenda was the “deck of cards” — another visual aid to slap me silly into “getting” the world of portion control. WHAT??? How many of us eat a portion of chicken, fish or beef that takes up one-third to half of the dinner plate? Well, get a grip! The deck of cards it is.
Read Food Labels! Besides the obvious — carbs, protein, fiber, it’s important to check out the food labels for the SERVING SIZE.You may be surprised to learn that a can or package contains more than one serving per person.
Use Smaller Plates. This is an easy one. Substitute a luncheon-sized plate for a regular dinner plate. This tricks your eye, because it looks like you have a lot of food on your plate when, in fact, your plate is smaller. 🙂
Beverages. Again, read those labels. You may be surprised to see that the serving size information will force you to make a different decision. Drinking is the fastest way to get carbs into your system; therefore, for better blood glucose management, it’s better to eat your carbs than drink them.
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK! Tim Harlan, M.D. and Medical Director of Tulane University Group in New Orleans, states (in Everyday Health) that snacking is important for the diabetic. He says that snacking “controls overeating, controls cravings, and keeps blood sugar stable.” MAKES SENSE! 🙂
WRITE, WRITE, WRITE! Another common sense tip. Keeping a food log is important when managing blood glucose levels. Simply put, it keeps us on track and holds us accountable. Not a big deal.
“PLATE” #2 — continued in next post — will focus on eating out and will include social events such as weddings!
I CAN’T TAKE IT, when I’m off track or working at a really S L O W pace in ANY area of my life and that’s where I am right this minute. Ugh! I don’t know how it happens. It’s as if an enormous gust of wind sweeps through my day, grabs my plans, blowing them right out the window. I envision an open window, dressed in bright, white, sheer curtains –flowing, moving gently in the soft, gentle breeze. Then it happens — the sky darkens, the wind picks up its pace, and suddenly, SWOOOOSH!
I can see it, clear as day. My calendar, filled with an agenda created by me with tasks to make my day more productive and “perfect.” I can’t reach them (my plans) — they’re “caught” by the wind and taken to someone unknown, dark and deserted area, where they will fall, wither and die.
Obviously, that’s not what really happens; it feels like it, though.
Instead, in “real” life, my calendar — filled with dates and times, an organized agenda of things to do, calls to make, places to go, FLIES in the face of sanity. Yep, I get caught up in the boring momentum of doing what I don’t necessarily even want to do. …and, there go my plans…swoooosh.
It’s disappointing. But, who’s in charge here, anyway? That would be me! So then, GET A GRIP, Kathy. Get it together, get with the program, follow your plans! So much for the veritable tornado that you THINK is rushing through your life.
Sometimes, stuff happens — it just does. On those occasions, I know what a joke plans are; I realize that they’re not going to happen — no fault of mine. Those are not the days about which I’m speaking. I’m talking about the other days, when my schedule is laid out in a tight format, planned with no “outside influences” to distract me. The days when I pencil in:
7 :00 a.m. Take blood sugar and weight.
7:20 a.m. Throw in a load of laundry
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Shower (toss clothes in dryer)
9:00 a.m. Get dressed, hair, makeup, blah-blah
9:30 a.m. BLOG
10:30 a.m. Leave for Writer’s Group
11 – 1:00 Writer’s Group
1:45 p.m. Lunch
Remainder of day: nonsense that we all have to d0.
5:30 p.m. Walk!
6:30 p.m. Prepare dinner and mange
7:45 p.m. Clean up kitchen, fold laundry, etc.
8:15 p.m. Write my brains out
10:30 p.m. Relax, watch the tube, read, etc.
Midnight Lights out!
Now THAT is a day that’s PLANNED PERFECTION. That is also a day that most likely will not happen the way it’s been “penciled” in. WAIT! Maybe that’s the problem — I should be using INK! 🙂 Commit, Kathy, Commit!
I don’t think that being “committed” is my problem. No, I think maybe I NEED to be committed. Not to completing my schedule, but to a lovely two-story, brick facade building, with great curb appeal, manicured lawns, flowers, trees. A delightful place where all the inhabitants are calm — probably from the regularly scheduled meds! 🙂 You know what I mean, where there’s no stress, all one’s needs are met… someone else does the laundry, cooks the meals, cleans — the whole magilla! STOP! That sounds like there might be locks on the doors, bars on the windows, and a high fence around the perimeter. NO THANK YOU. I’m not ready for that…yet?
No, seriously, the perfect scenario for me at this point in my life, is a regimen that keeps me on track but INCLUDES some flexibility. I’ve been living by the clock my entire life; I want to be done with that, at least for the most part. I’d like a schedule, but one that has blanks, so that I can pick and chose those things that I want/need to be included in my life. For instance, did you see Yoga on that schedule? No. Did you notice a massage? No. Was there a time written in to go to the city or the beach? No. Volunteering? No.
My conclusion is that I DON’T necessarily need to PICK UP THE PACE. What I do need, and want to do, is to have some time scheduled into my day to complete tasks that have to be done. Also filled in and highlighted, should be some fat ol’ blocks of time to do those things I WANT to do. I am, after all, retired; enough with the merry-go-round of jam-packed days, of running hither and yon. I repeat, NO THANK YOU!
Schedule
My focus (with my “revised” schedule) will be on keeping myself healthy. Diabetes will not reign in my life — but I will do everything possible to keep it in check — and we all know what that means.
I’ll be taking that perfectly planned schedule (as listed above) and burning it! My new and revised “schedule” will be calmer, way more fun, and healthy, as will my diabetic-friendly meals and exercise. My PACE will be tailored for MY needs. Doesn’t that sound great?
Ta-da! That’s all folks! My voice rings out — I sing: “You can take that pace and…it!”
No more, I’m done! I realized last week that I have been procrastinating beyond belief, and let me tell you — I can procrastinate!
When my brother became ill and passed away in April, I came to a full STOP. During that time period, I wrote not a word — not on my blog, not anywhere. Normally, I’d tell myself to “write it out,” but the words never came.
Four days after his funeral, I began my “dental journey.” I really want to write DENTAL NIGHTMARE, but I’m determined to stop feeling sorry for myself. During the two months of dental nonsense, my blood sugar was out of whack — low, because I was having such difficulty eating. I felt awful on every level. Feeling sorry for myself, I took the “opportunity” to procrastinate some more. Poor Kathy. 🙂
Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: Went to the dentist — my blood sugar is not the only thing out of whack — so are my teeth. (Say it isn’t so!) As I left his office, I made an appointment for July 6th to START the process OVER! 😦 I swear. I’m thinking positively. This time it’s going to be perfect — no problems. That’s what I’m telling myself. Going with the flow…
I decided NOT to use this setback as yet another excuse to avoid writing. Why am I avoiding the one thing I love the most — writing? I don’t get it. On Saturday, I made a commitment to get back on the horse and write, write, write — starting Monday (today). Notice, I promised to do it, but not for two more days!!! (The Master Procrastinator!)
I woke up at 7:15 this morning, and decided to check my e-mail before breakfast and then I would write. First my blog and then a piece for one of my writing groups. Maybe I’ll take a shower first, do a little laundry… At 9:05 I opened an e-mail from a friend and fellow member of some writing groups that I attend. She wrote: Hi Kathy, Would you please send me the address to your blog? Oh, no! I was embarrassed to have to admit that I’ve neglected posting on my blog, as well as the rest of my writing. I’m a MESS.
But, then it happened. I realized that Linda’s sending me that e-mail was no coincidence. I don’t believe there ARE coincidences. What I DO believe is that if she hadn’t sent me that e-mail, for sure I would have found another excuse. I responded with diaryofadedicateddiabetic.wordpress.com, and thanked her for being the bearer of the message I needed to hear. I told Linda that, thanks to her, TODAY is the day I climb out of the hole and get back to my life, and importantly, my writing. …and that’s what I did!
Regarding my blood sugar issue, I’ve decided that, due to my dental dilemma, I will not eat three meals each day. I’ve been so nauseous an have had NO appetite, that I’ve been lucky to get in two. (I’m down 20 lbs since we began my dental work on April 20th.) In an effort to ward off the nausea, I’m going to eat more smaller meals. Maybe that will help. I’m sure it will help to balance out my blood sugar levels. Because of all this nonsense, they’ve been lower than ever.That would be great, except that I feel horrible. So, tomorrow I’ll be on a regimen of five or six small meals instead of three “normal” meals. I remember, that when I was first diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, that was the instruction I was given, but i haven’t done it in years. Here’s hoping!
Continuing my brief drive home, I told myself, In the meantime, I’ll work on Carrie’s quilt. I can do that. Carrie is friend of my daughter’s who’s having a baby and the shower is the day after Thanksgiving. HOLY PROCRASTINATION! Hurry up, Kathy! I wasn’t going to give her the quilt until the baby is born but, if I do it NOW that’ll be many hours of keeping my hands busy and not thinking about cravings. (Back to my Grapefruit Oil) 🙂
By the way, when shopping for apples, TRUST ME, the ones that come packaged in the plastic bags are the size you should be eating. It’s called SMALL! At first, I was saddened by the fact that my beloved apple snack had just shrunken to about one-third of its size. Here’s what helped a LOT: I sliced the apple into very thin slices — VERY thin! During that same appointment, the Diabetes Educator shocked me into realizing that I’d been overeating just about everything — without even knowing it. She showed me a plastic hamburger to demonstrate the portion that we should be eating. It seemed so small and alone on the plate — probably one-third of the size I’d been scoffing down. Next on her agenda was the “deck of cards” — another visual aid to slap me silly into “getting” the world of portion control. WHAT??? How many of us eat a portion of chicken, fish or beef that takes up one-third to half of the dinner plate? Well, get a grip! The deck of cards it is.
Diary of a Dedicated Diabetic 