Ok, so I know its been way to long since I've updated but sheesh there has been A LOT going on! We've had 3 weddings, a move to a new apartment, life work, and a new marriage in between all that, and lots more that I probably can't even remember at this point.
I have thought about and been reminded of the blog with people wondering the next post would be and suggesting material to write about. Most importantly, I know it has served as a source of information and inspiration to many- so here it goes :-)
I think one of the most important things I should talk about is my visit to my doctor about a month ago now- I know how dare I wait so long. Anyway, I went to the doctor and explained to her that I have been feeling really amazing since I changed the way I ate and that I was most impressed by how positively it was impacting my diabetes. I continued to tell her that I was interested in getting new tests done to see if any of my numbers have changed since the last time I was tested, over 6 years ago at this point. She stated that "she wasn't sure that the numbers would reveal that much but if I was interested in getting them done, it would be possible."
I asked her about my "numbers" at the time of the diagnosis and she said the C-peptide and she said it was at 2.4 then, that my GAD antibody (if I remember correctly, this is the one that attacks the pancreatic cells) was a 10 and anything higher than a 2 means its positive and that for diabetics the presence of good cholesterol is uncommon but it showed up for me. So she said something about me being in the "gray area" with the fact that the cholesterol was present, I was not overweight at the time of my diagnosis, and that I was still producing some level of insulin (that's the c-peptide number). So with all of this, she then goes on to ask "if I was questioning my diagnosis" and I said I was not but instead I was wondering a lot about how my diet has changed the way I now "treat" my diabetes. She said to that comment that "diet is very important for everyone."
Now, I have never in my life asked many questions of doctors and that could be for many reasons but that version of me no longer exists. I want to know more now and yes I plan on being in the room more that 2 minutes! I still am walking around with the document to go get my tests done and I hope to get that done soon. I am still very curious, of course, to see what the numbers will reveal if anything.
I continue to be mostly off of insulin, with the occasional use depending on what I eat (I have definitely had some moments of celebration and cheating, which feel pretty damn good!). Taking insulin, though, does feels foreign and I had my first low last week, the first since I started paleo- now over 4 months ago ;-). I have lost 3 pants sizes and it feels great to know I am HEALTHY! Yes, still a diabetic but in control of it. Simply by making very conscious decisions of the food I eat.
I promise to write more often and to feature some of my amazing friends that have inspired me to continue!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
My Diabetic Paleo Experience:Does it work?: Blog Feature!!!!
My Diabetic Paleo Experience:Does it work?: Blog Feature!!!!: "Hey folks, So I got my first blog feature!!!! Wooohooooo!!! Who knew little old skeptic me would have a blog that would be featured some..."
Blog Feature!!!!
Hey folks,
So I got my first blog feature!!!! Wooohooooo!!! Who knew little old skeptic me would have a blog that would be featured somewhere? Have I mentioned I am not an expert- just a regular person blogging for the first time ever?
Anyway, back to the feature. It is on one of the most amazing websites that currently exists about the Paleo diet. It is Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution (http://robbwolf.com/). Now for those of us that a little about paleo, Robb Wolf is one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition and author of The Paleo Solution – The Original Human Diet. A student of Prof. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, Robb has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series. He is one of the major guru’s of this movement.
I sent this in when on day 30 of my diet and they were interested in reading and featuring the story which means that my story can reach more people due to the sites large audience. That makes me smile a big smile and made my day today (which didn’t start off that well by the way)
Anyway, I hope to continue to share my experience with as many people as possible. If you visit the site, my story is featured there with some pretty amazing comments so far. I’ve also received a few new people commenting on the blog. I know it’s been almost two weeks since I’ve updated but I promise content is coming soon.
Check it out: http://robbwolf.com/2011/08/15/its-actually-become-a-way-of-life-controlling-type-1-diabetes-with-paleo/
So I got my first blog feature!!!! Wooohooooo!!! Who knew little old skeptic me would have a blog that would be featured somewhere? Have I mentioned I am not an expert- just a regular person blogging for the first time ever?
Anyway, back to the feature. It is on one of the most amazing websites that currently exists about the Paleo diet. It is Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution (http://robbwolf.com/). Now for those of us that a little about paleo, Robb Wolf is one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition and author of The Paleo Solution – The Original Human Diet. A student of Prof. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, Robb has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series. He is one of the major guru’s of this movement.
I sent this in when on day 30 of my diet and they were interested in reading and featuring the story which means that my story can reach more people due to the sites large audience. That makes me smile a big smile and made my day today (which didn’t start off that well by the way)
Anyway, I hope to continue to share my experience with as many people as possible. If you visit the site, my story is featured there with some pretty amazing comments so far. I’ve also received a few new people commenting on the blog. I know it’s been almost two weeks since I’ve updated but I promise content is coming soon.
Check it out: http://robbwolf.com/2011/08/15/its-actually-become-a-way-of-life-controlling-type-1-diabetes-with-paleo/
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Day 61-66: Met with my nutritionist, finally!!!
One of the moments I've been waiting for since I started paleo was the opportunity to meet with my nutritionist to talk to her in person about this life changing eating plan I've been on over the past two months. I was excited and nervous. Excited because I was expecting to get good news about my numbers and how great I've been doing but nervous because I haven't been there in a year and I've only been on paleo for two months. What usually happens is that I go in there, I get weighed, they take my meter from me to run my numbers, I test my sugar they , take some of that same blood to run my A1C and then I meet with the nutritionist. For those that might not know, the A1C provides them a snapshot of the last 3 months of my blood sugar levels.
So, since the last time I was there over a year ago I have lost 12 pounds. However, I believe I've lost more because I know I was over 159, which is the last number they have on file but either way this was a good start to my appointment. Very, very happy to get that news!! The second thing I found out is that it will be 7 years this September 24th since I was diagnosed with diabetes. I have been saying 8 years for a really long time, now I know not to exaggerate anymore! After this, we (yes, my husband was with me) sit down with the nutritionist and she informed us that my A1c was at 7.6 last year and it is now at 6.7!!! What great news I tell you. For a long time, it kept creeping up to the 7.6 so to literally reverse the numbers feels amazing!! I feel great about that accomplishment and know that the next three to six months it will continue to go down, which is what we want since we are trying to get pregnant. The ideal for being pregnant is low 6's. I know I will get there really soon but for now, this is really good! Woohoooo!!! :-)
She then asks me how I've been. I told her that I've been great due to paleo and informed her that I stopped my nighttime insulin (which caused an eye brow raise) and that I've been using very little of the day time insulin because the foods I eat don't require it. I walked her through my usual meals and told her that I need a whole new set of rules for my insulin intake since it's become a guessing game since paleo. She goes on to look only at the past two days of the weekend, which was not a good measure because we were in DC with our great friends, and I was not completely paleo, which meant that the numbers weren't that stable. She says that she wants me to take 4 units of my nighttime insulin (used to be 13 units so its a big change!). I asked her why and she said it would help avoid the highs in the morning. What made no sense in regards to her suggestion was the fact that my sugars aren't usually high in the mornings so taking nighttime insulin to not cause a high in the morning made no sense to me.
The new ratio she gave for regular insulin intake is 1 unit per every 30 grams of carbs/sugars and this used to be 1 unit for every 15 grams of sugar/carbs. For example, before paleo I would have to take around 2 units for two slices of bread (each slice is around 13 grams of carbs x 2 =26). Now, if I were eating bread I would only have to take one unit based on the new ratio. This I was fine with, good to go! The last new number was that if my sugar was high, 1 unit would lower it 50 points but this was based on her suggestion of having night time insulin in my system which would help balance the sugar more. The way I have calculated it is that without insulin, 1 unit will lower about 20-30 points, which is what I will continue doing since I don't plan on taking anything at night. The reason for this is why have insulin in my body if it's been fine without it? Do I hear big pharma knocking? The next thing she suggests is using insulin that allows for 1/2 dosages so if something I am going to eat is not an exact number, that this might be useful for me. Is pharma still knocking? I am not using it either. I am not a product and I am fine with what I have and I am sorry for those that might be using it, but I think it's unattractive to walk around with something that says "not for human use". I mean, really? She provided the disclaimer for that but it still doesn't work for me.
Now, I ask her about the possibility of getting a battery of tests done over again since clearly my body has changed since I was there 7 years ago. I ask her about the c-peptide number and what it was then. This is something I'd never heard of until a fellow diabetic mentioned it. She told me it was a 2.4 then (I don't know what the number really means) and that it meant that my body was producing some level of insulin. Now, I really don't ever remember hearing this before but it would have been reassuring as heck to have heard that 7 years ago. There is also the possibility that if I did hear it that I had no clue what it meant. So in three weeks when I go back to meet with my doctor (who is the co-director of the hospital by the way) I will ask her more about this and will request this test and some others to be done again.
Overall, this was an amazing visit and I plan on making the rest of them the same. I am still a diabetic, I know this but I am doing well, I feel well, and I plan on feeling and being better. I realize that knowing, asking questions, and being persistent are all good things.
Forward movement folks, forward movement!
So, since the last time I was there over a year ago I have lost 12 pounds. However, I believe I've lost more because I know I was over 159, which is the last number they have on file but either way this was a good start to my appointment. Very, very happy to get that news!! The second thing I found out is that it will be 7 years this September 24th since I was diagnosed with diabetes. I have been saying 8 years for a really long time, now I know not to exaggerate anymore! After this, we (yes, my husband was with me) sit down with the nutritionist and she informed us that my A1c was at 7.6 last year and it is now at 6.7!!! What great news I tell you. For a long time, it kept creeping up to the 7.6 so to literally reverse the numbers feels amazing!! I feel great about that accomplishment and know that the next three to six months it will continue to go down, which is what we want since we are trying to get pregnant. The ideal for being pregnant is low 6's. I know I will get there really soon but for now, this is really good! Woohoooo!!! :-)
She then asks me how I've been. I told her that I've been great due to paleo and informed her that I stopped my nighttime insulin (which caused an eye brow raise) and that I've been using very little of the day time insulin because the foods I eat don't require it. I walked her through my usual meals and told her that I need a whole new set of rules for my insulin intake since it's become a guessing game since paleo. She goes on to look only at the past two days of the weekend, which was not a good measure because we were in DC with our great friends, and I was not completely paleo, which meant that the numbers weren't that stable. She says that she wants me to take 4 units of my nighttime insulin (used to be 13 units so its a big change!). I asked her why and she said it would help avoid the highs in the morning. What made no sense in regards to her suggestion was the fact that my sugars aren't usually high in the mornings so taking nighttime insulin to not cause a high in the morning made no sense to me.
The new ratio she gave for regular insulin intake is 1 unit per every 30 grams of carbs/sugars and this used to be 1 unit for every 15 grams of sugar/carbs. For example, before paleo I would have to take around 2 units for two slices of bread (each slice is around 13 grams of carbs x 2 =26). Now, if I were eating bread I would only have to take one unit based on the new ratio. This I was fine with, good to go! The last new number was that if my sugar was high, 1 unit would lower it 50 points but this was based on her suggestion of having night time insulin in my system which would help balance the sugar more. The way I have calculated it is that without insulin, 1 unit will lower about 20-30 points, which is what I will continue doing since I don't plan on taking anything at night. The reason for this is why have insulin in my body if it's been fine without it? Do I hear big pharma knocking? The next thing she suggests is using insulin that allows for 1/2 dosages so if something I am going to eat is not an exact number, that this might be useful for me. Is pharma still knocking? I am not using it either. I am not a product and I am fine with what I have and I am sorry for those that might be using it, but I think it's unattractive to walk around with something that says "not for human use". I mean, really? She provided the disclaimer for that but it still doesn't work for me.Now, I ask her about the possibility of getting a battery of tests done over again since clearly my body has changed since I was there 7 years ago. I ask her about the c-peptide number and what it was then. This is something I'd never heard of until a fellow diabetic mentioned it. She told me it was a 2.4 then (I don't know what the number really means) and that it meant that my body was producing some level of insulin. Now, I really don't ever remember hearing this before but it would have been reassuring as heck to have heard that 7 years ago. There is also the possibility that if I did hear it that I had no clue what it meant. So in three weeks when I go back to meet with my doctor (who is the co-director of the hospital by the way) I will ask her more about this and will request this test and some others to be done again.
Overall, this was an amazing visit and I plan on making the rest of them the same. I am still a diabetic, I know this but I am doing well, I feel well, and I plan on feeling and being better. I realize that knowing, asking questions, and being persistent are all good things.
Forward movement folks, forward movement!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 56-60: Seeing double!
Holy moly! Two months on paleo…already!
Month two was definitely different than month one, which I kind of expected. I haven’t continued to lose as much weight as I did in month one but I sure have managed to maintain it from not coming back. I know I’ve talked about this exercise thing for a while but I am not on the bandwagon yet. I know that once I start doing more physical activity the weight will potentially drop a bit more. However, let me be clear, this is not about my weight, it’s about a lifestyle change. In month two, there was definitely an increase in the amount of units I used but still not at all compared to the last 8 years of diabetes. I have also heard many more stories of people that are interested in trying paleo and other diabetics reaching out to get advice and/or learn more.
I have also heard countless times that I need to keep blogging as often as I used to and part of me really wants to do that but I also don’t want to bore my followers with the same content all the time. My brother, Fernando, made a good point and said that many times we paleo people eat the same thing often, which is not a bad thing at all. This is definitely true for Chris and I. We have chosen to stick to the fruits, meats, seafood, vegetables, and nuts that work for us. During our first few weeks, many of the recipes and meals we made were new to us so it was always an introduction of different meals. In month two, we haven’t been too experimental but we are still enjoying everything we eat. I thought I would have been bored with the food we eat because that usually happens with me but this is different- it's all good!
The weekend of the 23rd we went out for brunch at MexiQ (http://mexiqny.com/index.php) and I thought that what I ordered would be the most paleo of all but it wasn't- it ended up being tortilla chips in a bowl with chicken and beef topped with two eggs over easy- not all paleo but damn good. I should've known by the name of it- The Hangover Cure. I wasn't even hung over! Anyway, it wasn't the worse for my sugar. All in all a very good meal.
I will say that continuing to eat this way has been very easy and feels really natural. For my diabetes, it makes complete sense. I will definitely take thorough notes when I meet with my nutritionist and share those with you all. My numbers have been fine since the mishap I talked about the last time so that is completely reassuring.
Here are some of the repeated delicious meals that we make with fresh ingredients and as much as possible with no added sugars (the bacon is usually with added sugar). It's important when choosing foods that you stick to the most natural and organic products available.
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| Roasted brussel sprouts |
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| Salmon & Kale |
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| Chicken with bacon kale and tomato salad |
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| Slow roasted tomatoes and chicken |
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Day 47-55: It's been a while!
Oh it feels like I've abandoned the blog, although that's not my intention. I am still here and still going paleo strong.
I realized soon after the last blog and all that frustration that I forgot to mention something really critical. Well its not that I forgot, it's what happens when I'm not clearheaded- I place blame on everything else and sometimes fail to realize that there might be real reasons things are happening. Anyway, what I failed to realize, and this might be too much information for some folks, was that I was on my monthly cycle, which causes hormonal imbalances (I can see all the guys rolling their eyes, lol) and also causes sugar levels in diabetics to change. If you don't believe me- Google it! So after all that frustration of high sugar levels, this is a pretty legitimate reason as I've experienced this before.
So my paleo journey traveled with me to Atlantic City as I celebrated my girl's bachelorette celebration. It was actually not too hard minus all the damn alcohol. For the most part, I stayed away from non-paleo foods but knew that at some point I might have to stray a bit based on options. Overall, it was great and I had a great time, but I did have some sugar highs. Congrats Haydee and Eddie and I will add that the lovely couple is now on day 4 of paleo- Wooohooo!!!
On Wednesday, 7/20 we went to a wedding tasting with our lovely friends JB & Trish in Jersey City. I was prepared to NOT be paleo as I wanted to make sure I gave them my honest opinion. Well after all of that delicious food, four courses later, and four glasses of wine, my sugar was HIGH! Want to guess how high? Well it was 290. So that just meant I took 6 units of insulin to lower it and remember that this is all guess work at this point.
I am so excited to finally see my nutritionist on Monday and see if we could figure this all out.
Here is one photo of the bachelorette celebration after dinner with the gracious waiter.
I realized soon after the last blog and all that frustration that I forgot to mention something really critical. Well its not that I forgot, it's what happens when I'm not clearheaded- I place blame on everything else and sometimes fail to realize that there might be real reasons things are happening. Anyway, what I failed to realize, and this might be too much information for some folks, was that I was on my monthly cycle, which causes hormonal imbalances (I can see all the guys rolling their eyes, lol) and also causes sugar levels in diabetics to change. If you don't believe me- Google it! So after all that frustration of high sugar levels, this is a pretty legitimate reason as I've experienced this before.
So my paleo journey traveled with me to Atlantic City as I celebrated my girl's bachelorette celebration. It was actually not too hard minus all the damn alcohol. For the most part, I stayed away from non-paleo foods but knew that at some point I might have to stray a bit based on options. Overall, it was great and I had a great time, but I did have some sugar highs. Congrats Haydee and Eddie and I will add that the lovely couple is now on day 4 of paleo- Wooohooo!!!
On Wednesday, 7/20 we went to a wedding tasting with our lovely friends JB & Trish in Jersey City. I was prepared to NOT be paleo as I wanted to make sure I gave them my honest opinion. Well after all of that delicious food, four courses later, and four glasses of wine, my sugar was HIGH! Want to guess how high? Well it was 290. So that just meant I took 6 units of insulin to lower it and remember that this is all guess work at this point.
I am so excited to finally see my nutritionist on Monday and see if we could figure this all out.
Here is one photo of the bachelorette celebration after dinner with the gracious waiter.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 40-46: Paleo with Friends, Family, and Frustration!
As I’ve mentioned many times, we are blessed to have such great people in our lives. Those that support us through our new endeavors by cooking us DELICIOUS paleo meals.
Preparing for the weekend ahead, we were excited to be traveling to Coatesville, PA for my cousin Dania’a annual BBQ! BBQ=food, right? Well food we had. We arrived and were starving and all that food looked amazing but I stuck to just meat, which is crazy as I type it but I was not trying to cause any crazy sugar spikes. I had stew chicken, ribs, fish, a burger patty and I’m sure a few other things and yes, I had some wine. We had such a great time, as always, being by the pool, eating, drinking, and seeing the horses and the Amish in the background, lol. Thanks Dania & Carlton for having us over! :-)
Sunday was paleo with with my mother in law Miriam and with our great friends JB & Trish out in Long Island. This was complete paleo filled with amazing fruits, collard greens, salmon, sweet potatoes and salad for dinner. Oh the wonders of delicious food!! Thank you momma Mendez for preparing it all with love and attention- everything was great. Trish & JB, we cant wait to celebrate again at your wedding! On Monday, we had the newly engaged couple, Amy & Ishan, over for dinner so we made chicken, roasted brussell sprouts, and Gwyn’s tomato dish :-). They felt good after eating the meal and again, it made it all worth it to share this new experience with people trying to incorporate more healthy eating into their lives. After the meal, Amy said "Wow, I feel like I just did something good, lol. Thats exactly what paleo makes you feel like so she's right on the money with that comment. Congrats Amy & Bzar!
And now the frustration!!!!!
It’s been an irregular number of days with my sugar levels and not being a doctor I can’t quite figure it out. My sugar levels have not been in the low 100/90’s as I’ve reported over the past month. Here is what I’ve been seeing for those that are curious (192, 159, 150, 99, 155, 134, 152, 207!, 154, 139, 152, 119, 163, 131, 134, 122, 106, 162, 154, 189, 168, 117, 151, 159, 127, 209!, 178, 171, 171). Over the past 6-7 days the average of all this is around 150, which is not horrible but it’s not the same pattern. Yes, I get that these numbers are better than what they were before paleo so it’s not all lost and it’s not something I am going to stop doing. My body does not react the same to the insulin anymore so even if I try to correct it, it doesn’t really work or even if I try to match insulin with a meal, that doesn’t work either and that feeling really sucks. I feel defeated at times and wonder what is causing the shift. I am not going to lie by saying that I’ve been to the gym- I haven’t at all in weeks and that might be part of it. I did feel like just saying “F it” to it all and stuffing my face with a meal with bread or rice or hidden sugars but where is that going to take me? My rational dominant self gets that all this is the process and that it’s not going to be perfect but in the moment this is not at all how I am thinking. Now, I imagine that for those that aren’t diabetics that the experience is completely different so I’m not knocking paleo I’m just a diabetic trying to live healthily so why isn’t my body collaborating? Maybe it’s time to get a doctor that is available when needed versus every three months, maybe I need to get up early and work at home, and food related- I am eating healthily so not too many changes will happen there.
Overall, I am happy to continue to try and share paleo with friends, family, and all that are interested. I am sure this is one of those road blocks that suddenly appear to feed my skepticism but this will all pass. You watch!
The first was at my friend Gwyn’s house on a nice summer day (Thursday, July 7th). She and her partner Ben, prepared us a fresh, filling meal to celebrate our two months of marriage (that was completely coincidental but it worked!). As many people, they had questions about paleo and we tried our best to explain. Having warned Gwyn that we were trying this new thing, they decided to go with grilled sausage, grilled asparagus, and tomatoes with avocado and basil in balsamic vinegar and oil. As we sat outside of their lovely apartment, we recounted our honeymoon, our new paleo endeavor and caught up on all the wonders of life! Congrats Ben & Gwyn on successfully cohabiting over the past few months and thank you for the amazing meal, although this is way overdue ;-). Look at this meal people!
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