Our neighbor's mother just passed away. Sister Packard was a wonderful little lady who accomplished a great deal in her life. She was as sweet as could be, but she suffered from diabetes for many years. Unfortunately, she didn't do well at keeping it under control and in the end, it contributed to her death.
Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the US and the risk of death for diabetics is twice the normal death rate. Of all the diabetes factors which contribute to death, cardiovascular disease is the most common and most serious. In fact, 65% of all diabetes-related deaths are from heart attack and stroke.
However, with proper diet, good exercise and careful monitoring, we can live long and healthy lives. When I was first diagnosed my blood sugar was too high, my blood pressure was sky-rocketing and my cholestrol was out of whack. Now, my numbers are much more in line, I'm off blood pressure medication all together. I think it's really important that we watch these numbers and eat right and exercise in order to keep them under control.
Sister Packard's death reinforced, for me, the need to always be careful and always do the right things for my body. We cannot wait until we're old and sick to eat right and exercise. We have to do it now!
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Welcome to my pantry where you can learn about my journey through life with Type II Diabetes and weight loss. You will find my personal story, food suggestions, recipes and more.
Fresh Fruit Count
Enjoy a little of that wonderful fresh summer fruit. A cup of watermelon, cantalope, honeydew or strawberries is between 12 and 15 grams of carbohydrates.
The Three-Bite Rule
My friend, Cindy, was diagnosed with Diabetes a few months ago. She has tackled her nagging sweet tooth with the Three-Bite Rule. She allows herself 3 bites of any yummy she shouldn't really eat and that's it. She eats them slowly and savors every taste. Then, she passes the plate to her husband or throws the rest away. She feels satisfied and doesn't alter her blood-sugar. Sounds like a great idea!
Counting Carbs Online
A great website provides easy carb-counting at http://www.carb-counter.org
Carb Counting
Controlling your carbohydrate intake is essential for controlling Diabetes and losing weight. It may seem a little complicated at first, but with a little practice, it will become quite easy.
Read the nutritional label on all food (see example below). Look at the Total Carbohydrate grams (70g). Subtract the dietary fiber (70-24=46g). Divide the number of grams per serving by 15 (3). This will give you a smaller, workable number called a carb unit. The goal is to eat no more than 4 carb units in a meal.
Be sure to notice the serving size in your calculations. For example, the label on a loaf of bread may list the information for one slice of bread, but beware that some will surprise you. Those Granny B cookies with the pink frosting -- each cookie is 4 servings and at 68 g of carbs, that's 4.5 units in one yummy cookie!
Read the nutritional label on all food (see example below). Look at the Total Carbohydrate grams (70g). Subtract the dietary fiber (70-24=46g). Divide the number of grams per serving by 15 (3). This will give you a smaller, workable number called a carb unit. The goal is to eat no more than 4 carb units in a meal.
Be sure to notice the serving size in your calculations. For example, the label on a loaf of bread may list the information for one slice of bread, but beware that some will surprise you. Those Granny B cookies with the pink frosting -- each cookie is 4 servings and at 68 g of carbs, that's 4.5 units in one yummy cookie!
1 comment:
Good job on the no Blood Pressure medication! Your article is a good reminder for us all to take care of our bodies.
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