Eat Differently. Eat Better. Just EAT!

I have been a victim of the Hollywood/Commercial media sell-job of the religion of THIN. Of course my parents (God Bless them) telling me that I was “fat” didn’t help my self image. I remember my first “diet” being before I got out of high-school and I weighed 100 pounds.
In my early 20’s I became a vegetarian, eschewing salt, white flour, white rice, white sugar.
From there, I became a Fruitarian for 6 months. Not good for me. Collapsing from lack of protein and hallucinating from high blood sugar was not a good life plan for me, as it happens.
I’ve tried fasting diets, shake diets, the Adkins diet , the South Beach diet, the Over-eaters Anonymous diet, the Jenny Craig Diet or the Nutrisytem Diet , can’t remember which (too much salt).
The American Diabetes Association diet, the Healthy Exchanges Diet,
I‘ve done Juicing, Detoxing, sweating, anguishing and weeping. I had a workout coach, at one time, who was a bodybuilder.
I’ve toured the inner depths of my “food issues” and my eating disorders.
Over the last 4 years I’ve lost 20 pounds. How? I became a caregiver for my mother, and (for the most part) stopped taking care of myself at all.
Through all of these different and sometimes painful journeys I’ve learned some things that I think are helpful to me and might serve me.
One thing I learned, since the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, is that stress effects blood sugar (in a negative manner).
It has been mentioned to me that stress “effects one’s blood sugar” , it’s been mentioned in books about stress causing “high readings”. What I’ve heard, mostly is “don’t eat sugar. Watch what you eat and lose weight” from my (former) doctors.
Somehow the “stress factor” (as I’ve come to call it) is sort of “skimmed over” in the ongoing lecture of my self-destructive diet. I’ve really had too many of those conversations from “health professionals” . Me sitting there, feeling like a puppy being scolded for messing on the floor, and doctor holding the rolled up newspaper in a threatening manner, telling me if I “lose weight, this all goes away.”
All of my medical involvement and my experience with alternative diets and therapies had made this amalgam of nutrition “soup” of my brains and total terror of my eating habits. So this year, I’ve decided to apply some of the things I’ve learned…really learned, about myself , my constitution and my wants and needs. I thought sharing them in this forum would clarify some of them for me.
So here goes:
Number 1) Stress is a MAJOR factor my blood sugar rising.
Two corollaries: I am not as good as I could be (involving my diet).
But I’m not nearly as bad as I have been,
and not nearly as bad as some people are, involving their diabetic diet.

Number 2) I take all my meds every day, without exception.

Number 3) Watching the Food Network is good for me (in some ways because it inspires me to cook & eat).

Number 4) DON’T DEMONIZE THE FOOD!

Number 5) Eating (nearly) anything, is better than eating nothing.
-I learned this one from my bodybuilder, coach and friend Doug,
my husband and lover, Walt
and my endocrinologist, Dr.Ojha.

Number 6) Eating something that you’ve made at home (even if it’s not something quite on my diet,) is always better than anything I can eat out at a Restaurant.

Number 7) Walt and I don’t drink (alcoholic beverages) nearly enough. (see observation #1)

Number 8) If I’m craving it, have it and eat it.
Corollary: Walt will not judge me for eating something.

Number 9) Exercise is good for me. (sighs-as much as I hate to admit this one)


Until Next time;
Eat something wonderful
And life a life worth loving.

-Kim