The tip of my big left toe is numb. I am sure this is permanent. It is due to diabetes. But it is OK because it is the only lasting damage caused by the disease. I hope.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about this time last year. I thought it was a death sentence. After all, my father had diabetes and he died from congestive heart failure, which is partly brought on by diabetes, I think. One of his sisters was diabetic and she didn't fare so well. My difference was education.
Mark and I took a diabetes education class once a week for four weeks. We learned about more than diabetes, we learned about nutrition and healthy eating. Not that we always follow it, but we are better than we used to be.
The first question the dietitian asked in the class was: "what can you NOT eat if you have diabetes?" The flurry of hands went up and the most common answer given was sugar. Candy, cake, cookies and all the other sweets I had always associated with the disease. After all, I always heard it referred to as "sugar diabetes".
WRONG ANSWER!
There is nothing you can't eat if you are diabetic, you just have to measure your carbohydrates and choose healthy ones as opposed to junk ones. We were taught to read nutrition labels, so we could check for carbs, but we were also taught about fats and other things. Portion size. The word "lite" is not always better for you. Exercise makes a big difference.
My glucose numbers have dropped drastically since I started testing daily more than a year ago. I have lost between 45 and 50 pounds, as my weight is fluctuating a lot with my chemo affecting my appetite. I am not a fanatic about exercise, but I take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator when I can. I do take medication but I have not needed insulin to control my glucose.
I am lucky. My diagnosis was not a death sentence, it was a life sentence, but one I can handle.
Have your A1c level checked to see how you are doing. I am glad I did.
Now bring on the junk food, but make mine a bite size Three Musketeer!
Hooray for you and Mark taking your health into your own hands..no one else will do it for you. I have a rule of thumb - don't eat processed food or at least keep to a minimum. The closer to whole you can get the better it is for your body to break down and utilize. I am a firm believe of "Feed your body, not fill it"!
ReplyDeleteMan I need this! I would so much rather excercise than watch what I eat. But we must do both.
ReplyDeleteI'll try harder!