D-Day - Living With Type II: Eating Whatever I Want

It is true, even with Type II diabetes, I can eat whatever I want. The caveat is I can't eat it whenever I want or have as much as I want.


The thing with this disease is that you need to closely monitor it. You're trying to keep an even keel, staying withing the optimum range of blood glucose levels.


Since I'm a big fan of protein, that's not too much of a problem for me. In fact, sometimes my meal is a little too protein heavy and I need to munch a handful of candy to get back into range when my numbers get too low.

While that has not been a problem, probably the hardest thing I've had to learn is to not eat between my scheduled meals. That means eat a reasonable breakfast then nothing till lunch. Another balanced meal in the middle of the day, then nothing til dinner.  A couple hours after dinner, I allow myself a small snack.


That's it.  Nothing more.  No Girl Scout cookies from the secretary next door.  No tootsie rolls from the dish in my attorney's office. Ixnay on the oreos my credit union likes to have out on a platter.

Once in awhile, though, I can break out of that routine.  If I haven't had dessert for awhile, I might allow myself a slice of cheesecake after dinner, especially if it's a protein rich meal that I know will not affect my glucose level too much. A slice of cake on my birthday or maybe a cinammon roll once every couple of months to get my Sunday morning going or a Milky Way from the gas station to keep me awake on a very long drive.


The key, of course, is keeping an eye on how it effects me. As long as my numbers are consistently good, a rare spike in the glucose for a treat will not harm me.  I just have to remember, if I'm going to cash in some chips for that rare treat, make sure it's something that's really worth it.


(DISCLAIMER: This series about Type II is not meant to apply to everyone. This is what works for me, you need to consult with your own medical professionals to find out what will work for you.  My goal here is to simply give you hope that once you're diagnosed, life as you know it does not have to end...you can still enjoy life and the treats it offers.)


Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

D-Day - Living with Type II: The Sweet Spot

I'm lucky in one way, I don't really have a sweet tooth. 

It's not that I don't like sweets, I do. I enjoy a good Milky Way bar, had some real good ice cream not too long ago, cheesecake with a good raspberry topping sounds good to me, and I love Jelly Bellies. But it's just not something I crave.

My wife and son seem to live for their desserts while I can go quite awhile without them.

Still, when you have to watch your sugar, things get a little amplified.  I can't just take a swing down to the snack bar and grab a bag of Sugar Babies when the hunger appears or take a simple snag out of the donut box one of my attorneys just brought in.

Once in awhile, though, I do like to have an indulgence and I've found two times I can give in.

First, and this has been very rare since my diagnosis, when my blood sugar takes a precipitous drop. For example, a month or so ago, my blood dropped down quickly from the 120's down to the 80's after a protein-heavy meal.  

That's the sign to grab a few Jelly Bellies...purely for the quick response back into the zone, mind you. A sweet, tasty response at that.

Second, I've noticed on my blood profiles and regular testing that my glucose levels drop the most in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. Frequently getting down to the low 100's or even 90's.

This is my sweet spot.  Not that I really want a whole lot but if I do get a craving, I plan that candy or dessert indulgence for my after lunch let down.

Another reason to remember that the diagnosis is not a death sentence or the end of the fun.

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved