HUBBY TAUGHT ME TO BE WEIRD

My husband of 33 years has strange tastes, and after 33 years, those tastes have crossed the divide and migrated to my side of the table. Here is one of his favorite items, a PEANUT BUTTER AND TOMATO AND COTTAGE CHEESE ON SOURDOUGH creation.

1 slice sourdough bread
1 tbs peanut butter
1 slice tomato
1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese

Toast bread, spread on peanut butter, add one tomato slice and top with cottage cheese. DELICIOUS! And it makes a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

But since we want meals to be around 30gm protein and 20 carbs for someone my size, we need to have this one with a whey protein drink.
With the drink, the nutritional data is this:

Fat 10gm, Carbs 23 gm, Protein 30 gm, Fiber 2 gm

A GREAT READ

If you want to understand how we got here as a nation, with over 40% of our population either diabetic or on the way, a very good book that examines the economics and cultural forces in play is THE FATTENING OF AMERICA, by Eric A. Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman. Highly recommended.

Also, scroll down to the left of this blog and watch HOW TO GET FAT by Peter Jennings.

Now we know. We cannot be blamed for living in a culture that makes it harder to get good food, and harder to exercise, than in years past. It takes special effort and yes, money, to solve the weight problem. Both of these media examinations of the issue will make you feel better about solving the diabetes problem.

SUPPLEMENTS THAT LOWER BLOOD SUGAR

There are over 1200 known substances that lower blood sugar, other than insulin. The problem with insulin, for a Type 2 diabetic, is that it increases insulin resistance. What that means is you will need increasing doses as time goes on, and there will come a time when the insulin does not work anymore. This is the time when a diabetic reaches end stage diabetes, with all the nightmares you have heard of: blindness, kidney dialysis, amputations, heart attack, and stroke. As a Type 2 diabetic, you want to reduce the need for insulin, not use it to control blood sugar.

The primary way to manage blood sugar is with food. If you hit your target numbers mentioned at the left side-bar, you will be using food to manage blood glucose. Then, you can use supplements to come in and finish the job.

The Germans have known about alpha lipoic acid for some 50 years. They use it, not only to control blood sugar, but to help with diabetic neuropathy. Every doctor in Germany knows about alpha lipoic acid for diabetes. You can take up to 2 Gm per day, in divided doses, each time you eat, and you will see a nice drop in glucose.

If you need to talk to your doctor about alpha lipoic acid, just ask them to go to http://www.pubmed.com and enter that term into the search engine. There you will find PEER-REVIEWED study after study that shows its effectiveness in reducing blood glucose. It is a nice addition to your diet, and most Type 2 diabetics, if they follow the diet, can achieve normal numbers with alpha lipoic acid alone.

You can do the same search at pubmed.com for reishi. There is also study after study of the blood glucose lowering properties of reishi. A nice benefit is that reishi also stimulates the immune system, and can also help with high blood pressure.

Berberine is a good way to lower blood sugar.  It also helps with cholesterol.  Work with your doctor to find the best dosage for you.  I use 1200mg daily.

Just remember it is always food first, then supplements. The supplements will not help you if you are eating high glycemic index carbs - the evil carbs that gave us diabetes in the first place. By balancing protein and low-glycemic carbs, you are doing the job to prepare your body for the supplements. Both of them together can normalize your blood sugar readings just fine, without the use of insulin.

If you are like me, I still use a little insulin when I know there is a social event where people are still eating poison. I know how to walk for half an hour after eating more than I can metabolize, but sometimes even that is not enough. So, alpha lipoic acid, reishi, a balanced protein and carb diet, and exercise are my main supports for diabetes. I am down to less than 1/4 of the insulin that was prescribed for me before I knew how to manage blood glucose with food and supplements.

BANANA SHAKE

I love bananas, but you don't have to eat the carbs in order to enjoy the great BANANA SHAKE.

1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 cup water
1 packet Stevia Balance
1 tbs chia seed
15 gm vanilla whey protein
1 tbs Davinci Sugar Free Banana Syrup

Blend all, then add 1 cup ice and blend again.
Fat 4gm, Carbs 13 gm, Protein 27 gm

WHY YOU NEED THAT PROTEIN SHAKE IN THE MORNING

I know a lot of people feel they can't eat in the morning, but if they knew that was contributing to their weight problem, and to their high glucose readings, they would change. The body uses the stimulus of food to accellerate calorie burning. Since most diabetics have a problem with high blood sugar when they get up, they need to actually eat something to start their metabolic engine. If they don't eat anything, their blood sugar will continue to climb.

A whey protein shake solves this problem, and the bonus is, that for women at least, it sets you up for a good mood all day long. This, according to Dr. John Gray, of Mars and Venus fame, is because the amino acids in whey protein are precursors to serotonin - the feel good brain chemical. When you eat a whey protein shake in the morning, within two hours of waking up, your mood is good for the entire day!

Here is another favorite recipe:

ORANGE JULIUS SHAKE

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 Stevia Balance packet

1 cup water

15 gm orange pineapple whey protein

1 tbs chia seed

Blend all, then add one cup ice and blend again.

Fat 4 gm, Carbs 13 gm, Protein 27 gm

Enjoy both your breakfast and your good mood!

THE RIGHT KIND OF EXERCISE FOR OLDER DIABETICS

When I was morbidly obese, I knew I should be exercising. But my back and knees would not let me. I could walk for short stretches, but I had to rest.

So, I decided to lose weight first, then exercise. Since the balanced carb and protein diet puts on muscle mass, I was actually ahead of the game by losing weight that way. When I started, I had 100 pounds of muscle pushing around 283 pounds. Now I have 130 pounds of muscle pushing 170 pounds around. Ask me how different I feel now!

At any rate, there are a couple of pieces of exercise gear that really help people with weak knees and backs. I work out every day for 20 minutes on my Healthrider. This exercises every muscle in your body except your neck, and it does it without hurting your back and knees. I am very fond of it.

I also do 2 sets of 12 back extensions on the Roman Chair pictured above. This has strengthened my back tremendously and chased away all my back problems.

I have just added a set of women's free weights, 1-2-3 lb sets, and I am adding them for resistance work. Resistance work gets the insulin into your cells better than any other type of exercise. Do cardio for your heart, but do resistance work for your insulin resistance.

I aim for 30 minutes exercise per day. That is good for about 60 points post prandial, and keeps my blood sugar under control the entire day.

MOST FRUIT IS 15 GM CARBS PER CUP

I love fruit. And I love fruit salad. So, I usually just choose 3 fruits that mix well, and mix one cup of salad. I always match this with 15 gm protein - something like a whey protein drink, or a piece of ham, or maybe 2 eggs. Consult your Book of Food Counts to find matching protein and carbs.

Here are some of my favorites:

1 oz ham with 1 cup mixed pineapple and cherries salad

1 oz cheese with red raspberries, strawberries, and cherries salad

Chocolate whey protein with 1 cup banana, grape, and kiwi salad

Vanilla whey protein with 1 cup cantaloup, grapes, and strawberries.

HOT TIP: USE SUGAR FREE WHIPPING CREAM ON TOP OF THE FRUIT!

All of these will be about 150 calories, wonderful for a mid afternoon snack. And they are all balanced protein and carb.

MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI SQUASH

MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI SQUASH - SERVES 3

6 Turkey Meatballs
2 cups spaghetti squash
1 cup marinara
1/4 cup mozzarella

Split spaghetti squash lengthwise and place face down in casserole dish. Cover with 1 inch water and microwave on high for 25 minutes. Remove seeds.

Heat frozen turkey meatballs in pan and add marinara. Spoon over scraped squash, 1 cup per serving. Top with cheese and microwave until cheese is melted.

Fat 12 gm, Carbs 15 gm, Protein 15 gm, Fiber 3 gm, Cal 229

METFORMIN TO THE RESCUE

As you may know from reading previous posts, I had gallstone pancreatitis and lost half my pancreas, making me diabetic for life. I am a mixture of Type 1 (fewer beta cells) and Type 2 (insulin resistance.) Because of the tragic way I came to use insulin, I did not follow the usual route of Metformin or glucophage as a stepping stone to manage blood sugar before the use of insulin.

My doctor agreed that I needed Metformin a few weeks ago. I have done everything I can to manage my blood sugar by diet, exercise, and supplements, but my A1C was still at 7.2.

Metformin is a medication that attacks the Type 2 problem of insulin resistance. Some people have problems with it because it can give you diarrhea as a side effect. I was forearmed before I started taking it. I loaded up on acidophilus (probiotics) to make sure I had plenty of the good bacteria in my intestines, and I also use a product called Stevia Balance from Now Foods. This product feeds the good bacteria. The result is that I had no problems at all with loose stools with metformin. I am also on the Metformin ER version, where there is less problem with intestinal upset.

I am happy to say that the Metformin has lowered my A1C to 6.5, with no other changes in diet. If you would like to see what a prominent holistic physician has to say about Metformin, please read here:

http://www.antiaging-magazine.com/interviews/interview_1.html

As you may know, I have a strong bias against using insulin, because it increases insulin resistance over time, making the problem worse for Type 2 diabetics. But I am proud to say that an old medication fits the bill for getting at insulin resistance. So I am not against pharmaceuticals, only against using insulin for Type 2. Metformin is a very good addition to a diabetic treatment plan, and in the interview above, the good doctor recommends it for anyone over 35.