Thursday, May 10, 2012

Day 7-Research



 I have strayed a bit from what I intended this blog to be about. So first let me catch up on that. Day one was to break away from sweets. That meant reading the labels to see what was contained. Day 2 was to had half a teaspoon of cinnamon to your daily diet. Day three eliminate sugary sodas, energy drinks, juices, and anything else you drink that is high in sugars. Day 4 was to find the healing drinks. Water is best. Tea is filled with things that help prevent diabetes. Real coffee, black no sugar is also good for you. Latte's are not. Day 5 was to eliminate "fast" carbs. That included the breads, rice, pasta, pretty much anything that looks like it has those items. Day 6 was healing breakfasts. Keep hard boiled eggs on hand for when you are running late. Veggie omelettes, Mexican omelettes, yogurt with nuts and cinnamon, chopped almonds in ricotta cheese or even a 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese. Day 7 eliminate fast food lunches. It's not worth it. Hummus for dipping, fresh veggies, a salad (oil and vinegar dressing), a handful of almonds, walnuts, or pecans. A slice of turkey rolled around a stalk of cheese, or wrapped in a leaf of lettuce. That brings us up-to-date on where you should be. I am sorry I neglected that and will be more diligent from now on.

But today is also research day. You've been diagnosed with diabetes. You need to do all the research you can. As someone with type 2 diabetes your doctor should have given you a diabetic diet or signed you up with a dietician. The doctor should also have told you that you need some kind of exercise NOW. Walking thirty minutes a day is a good start. If you can't do it all at once, break it into three 10-minutes walks.  You probably need to lose weight. You need to monitor your sugars, watch what you eat, and get exercise. The sooner you do this the longer you can stay off medications.

If you are like me, my doctor did none of this. He just put me on meds. I became depressed, continued eating the way I had been and got fatter, so the diabetes got worse. My doctor increased my meds and added another one. It took a friend dying for me to wake up. It took me four years of watching my food intake to lose 100 pounds. I did that. I still have 48.2 pounds to lose. I just say 50, it's easier. I am the only one who can control what goes into my mouth. I am the only one who can move my butt of the sofa and walk.

I have also researched the meds I take. I've checked the Mayo Clinic website and WebMD. Metformin will eventually destroy my kidneys. According to my blood tests yesterday, it has not done that yet. I will be watching. I am increasing my water intake to force my kidneys to work. I keep bottled water around all the time. I am drinking flavored tea as it does not have sugar added. I need to get away from adding sugar to my tea. So, I will not be buying a box of Red Rose for at least a month.

I am sleeping well. That is something I did not do the last month in South Carolina. I now know how to take care of that issue. I am getting a good eight or nine hours of sleep. Being well rested is a must for someone with diabetes. I have not added my thirty minutes a day since I returned home. I will be working on that soon.

Know your body. It is yours. If something the doctor suggests doesn't feel right say no. No one else lives in your body but you. You should know it best. If something feels wrong, tell your doctor about it. If your doctor does not listen to your concerns, find another doctor. Don't take this sitting down and following the crowd. If you do, the next thing you will  hear is that you need insulin. That is not always the case.

Stepping off my soapbox.
TTFN

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