A Beginner’s Guide to Being a Diabetic
I had no one to ask questions about this dreaded disease.
Your doctor gave you a small pamphlet that only scratched the surface, right?
You don’t know any diabetics to ask for help. Where do you go?
Can you trust what they say on the internet? Information on the internet is conflicting and wrong most of the time.
How I found out I was a diabetic.
I had a physical in late April. The news wasn’t good.
My doctor told me I was overweight, had high blood pressure and was officially a diabetic. I can’t tell you how bad and hopeless I felt.
I didn’t get a lot of guidance from my doctor. I did copious amounts of research on the internet that only confused me.
I read everything I could about what to eat. But there was a problem. Sugar was in everything. Literally.
I checked labels and was shocked at things like fruit juice, bread, yogurt, milk, cereal, etc.
I was floored by all the conflicting advise on diabetes and what diabetics should eat. I just spend a couple of weeks doing this research but didn’t feel like I knew any more about diabetics or their diets then I did when I started.
One thing I knew for sure, drop sugar from my diet immediately.
What I decided to do about my diet.
My youngest daughter went to college with a friend who became a nutritionist in Florida. I called her. She was coming up to Georgia for the weekend and said she would bring me a custom printout on what I should be eating based on weight and age.
It was very helpful. She talked with me about how much protein, carbohydrates, and starch I should be eating at each meal. We discussed food and what we each knew about that could help.
She suggested things like raw fruit and vegetables. She brought literature on good and bad things to include in my diet and gave tips on how to easily accomplish feeding myself.
She also told me to get diabetes certified dietician that I could follow up with to coordinate with my doctor.
The dietician was very helpful as well. Further educating me on things to be concerned about and things to ignore. She was a diabetic since childhood and was an RN as well.
I was so relieved to understand how diabetes worked and how I should eat that I felt like a human again.
How my eating changed.
· One thing both the nutritionist and the dietician told me I did right was cutting back on sugar.
· I bought sugar-free whole wheat bread. I didn’t really notice any difference in taste. It was good.
· Another suggestion was eating more fish. This was easy for me because I’m from Florida and I love seafood.
· I cut back on beef and started eating ground turkey instead. We have always eaten more chicken, so this was a no brainer.
· I needed to get away from high sugared cereal and yogurt for breakfast. I found some low-sugar yogurt. I eat peanut butter on toast with fresh fruit. I have a protein bar with 0% sugar.
· Gave up diet drinks and chose water, sparkling water, tea or coffee.
· Use Stevia a plant-based sugar substitute for coffee instead of sugar.
· I eat clear soup, peanut butter & fruit spread sandwiches. Sometimes salad with grilled chicken.
· Twice a week I eat tuna fish and crackers for lunch.
· Raw vegetables and fruit.
· No seconds.
· No cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream or soft drinks.
· Stay away from juice. Although I have since found low-sugar fruit juice.
· Stay away from high-fat foods.
· Don’t freak-out about sugar but try to avoid it if possible.
I really felt in control again. Oh, did I tell you — I lost 34 pounds. No wonder I was feeling better, right?
Talking with the nutritionist and the dietician was the best thing I ever did for my health.
You can find a dietician by going to the American Diabetes website for more information. If you are struggling as a diabetic I would advise this right now. Neither of these specialists charged me a dime so no reason to wait. Do you hear me?
How I feel about all this change.
At first, I was thinking this wasn’t going to work for me. But as time has gone by, I have adopted this diet as a way of life. It’s good and simple which I love.
My portions are smaller. My waist size has decreased by 4 inches. I feel like exercising more.
I weighed 272 pounds in March 2019 I now weigh 238 pounds in September.
I feel so much better. I sleep soundly. I look better in my clothes. I look better naked (take my word on this one). My confidence is soaring.
I truly believe that all Americans should severely limit their sugar intake. That alone will help you feel better immediately.
Armed with knowledge, I wish I had done this when I was younger. If I had kids today, I would certainly make sure they are on a low sugar diet.
Why sugar is so bad for you.
· Sugar, when added to a drink or food, doesn’t give you any nutritional value. Your body absorbs it quickly and it is a major source of weight gain.
· Weight gain is always more for people who add sugar to things they eat or drink like coffee or tea.
· The American Diabetes Associations recommends avoiding sugary food and drinks because people who drink soft drinks and sugary foods are 26% more likely to get Type II diabetes.
· These same foods can cause tooth decay.
· People with added sugar in their bloodstream are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those that don’t have added sugars in their bloodstream (my doctor put me on high blood pressure meds and a statin — this is no joke).
*MedicalNewsToday https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324854.php ”Five Reasons Sugar is Bad for You”.
The Impact on Healthcare in America from added sugar.
· Healthcare cost for Americans with diabetes is 2.3x more than Americans without diabetes.
· 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
· Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 30 million Americans have diabetes and will suffer these diseases consequences.
· Did you know diabetes alone cost Americans $327 billion dollars a year? Up from $245 billion in 2012. That is 1 in 7 dollars spent on healthcare.
The takeaway
Don’t take your health for granted. I am lucky because I caught mine early enough I can do something about it.
It’s time Americans everywhere start controlling their sugar intake before it’s too late. This is a huge epidemic among Americans. No matter your age start today — Drop Sugar.
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