Hi
Thanks for coming back again, hope you all had a good summer.
At the moment I am still trying to get back on track after my holiday. I have to admit I really didn't try very hard to stick to my eating plan whilst I was in France. I ate croissants, baguettes, crepes, gallettes, french fries and quite a lot of ice cream (the ice cream over there is quite extraordinary!). I had to put my insulin back up to 8 or 10 units (occasionally 12) twice per day to cope with it all. I also travelled light with regard to oils and supplements - all I took with me was high strength fish oil caps (3 per day) and a multivitamin/mineral.
I experienced the same reduction in fasting BG that happened on my last holiday in June, but I also had some pretty high post prandial readings. I found that a portion of French fries caused my BG to spike much higher than 3 scoops of ice cream.
I do actually regret it now as I could've made more of an effort, but the truth is I just couldn't be bothered. Still, I'm not giving up and am getting back into the swing of my normal routine again. I haven't needed to inject 10 units since I got back and should be back down to 6 or less very shortly.
Before I went away I joined a Raw Food Group on Yahoo and I'm finding some excellent information and links on it if anyone is interested. A film is being produced about curing Diabetes using a raw food diet. It's called Raw for 30 days - here's the link:
http://www.rawfor30days.com/index.html
I'm going to leave it at that for this week as I'm still getting back into the swing of things.
Carol ;)
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Sunday, 22 July 2007
Evaluation week 13
Hi everyone
Thanks for coming back and also to carefix and Karen (Chocfish) for their comments and feedback on last weeks post.
I'm going to spare you the flowery introduction I had planned for this week and just point you straight in the direction of my latest find. Apparently conceived in the eighties by Dr Barry Sears the Zone diet just about embodies everything I've learned so far about controlling type 2 diabetes. I'll put the links at the end of the post.
As for me I've had another extremely successful week on the diet and I've been getting in some moderate exercise every day. The big news is that I haven't actually needed any insulin most days, although my bg has been a little higher than I'd like, it's staying within a reasonably narrow range and not spiking at all over 11 post prandial or otherwise. When I have taken some insulin it's been absolutely minimal at between 2 and 4 units. I'm still taking the metformin though. I've also lost weight this week - nearly 4lbs! YEY!! My tummy also feels a lot flatter although I haven't measured my waist to see if I've lost any inches yet.
I'm still working on the diet and keep adjusting it to see what happens. I am working towards a totally individualised plan for myself. At the moment I totally avoid pasta, rice and bread (although I will include the odd pitta bread). Carbs come from lots of veggies including potatoes and fruit, oatcakes and rye crispbread. Protein - mainly things like sprouted seeds/beans, pulses, tofu, quorn and occasionally a little cheese, fish or chicken.
This must sound extreme but I haven't made these changes overnight. Before I started on insulin last June I was feeling so ill that I was wondering if I could continue working in my current teaching job. I realised that I couldn't continue being a passive recipient of health care that was just trying to treat my symptoms often with varying degrees of success. When I started taking insulin, it brought my bg sufficiently under control for me to feel well enough to start tackling matters.
The first thing I did was to stop drinking alcohol on a regular basis in August 06. Looking back I realise how much of a strain that bottle of wine I looked forward to drinking all week was having on my already overworked liver at the weekend. Far from giving me some stress relief it was actually making me feel worse on just about every level. I don't miss it at all. I'm much more lively at social occasions and actually enjoy them more and far from envying others having a drink I think omg I'm glad that's not me!! Did I used to look like that after a couple of drinks?
I then gave up tea, coffee, (and bread for a few months) in October. Although I've never been a big meat eater, meat only went out altogether in January.
The result of all these changes in conjunction with taking "the cure" is that I have been able to reduce my insulin requirements from 14 units to the absolute minimum - if I need to inject at all. I now have energy again - not quite as good as twenty years ago but definitely 1000% better than I felt this time last year. It's just sooooo worth the effort.
I'm still wrestling with the fasting bg issue. It's still always too high averaging at around 10. I've got several ideas one of them being to increase the amount of fish oil. mmmmm
Anway I'm going to leave it at that for this week. Thanks for taking an interest. Please feel free to leave a comment.
Here's the link to an explanation of the zone diet http://www.weight-loss-institute.com/zone_diet.htm
Next have a scroll at the archives on Dr Sears website - just a warning though - it's all very American. If you look around at some of the other pages you'll see that the diet is heavily marketed selling all the usual products like zone bars etc etc Some of the articles however are very interesting.
Here's the link to the archive http://www.drsears.com/searcharchives.member
I've also jus found this link if you're interested in the "dawn phenomenon"
http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-96273.html
Carol
Thanks for coming back and also to carefix and Karen (Chocfish) for their comments and feedback on last weeks post.
I'm going to spare you the flowery introduction I had planned for this week and just point you straight in the direction of my latest find. Apparently conceived in the eighties by Dr Barry Sears the Zone diet just about embodies everything I've learned so far about controlling type 2 diabetes. I'll put the links at the end of the post.
As for me I've had another extremely successful week on the diet and I've been getting in some moderate exercise every day. The big news is that I haven't actually needed any insulin most days, although my bg has been a little higher than I'd like, it's staying within a reasonably narrow range and not spiking at all over 11 post prandial or otherwise. When I have taken some insulin it's been absolutely minimal at between 2 and 4 units. I'm still taking the metformin though. I've also lost weight this week - nearly 4lbs! YEY!! My tummy also feels a lot flatter although I haven't measured my waist to see if I've lost any inches yet.
I'm still working on the diet and keep adjusting it to see what happens. I am working towards a totally individualised plan for myself. At the moment I totally avoid pasta, rice and bread (although I will include the odd pitta bread). Carbs come from lots of veggies including potatoes and fruit, oatcakes and rye crispbread. Protein - mainly things like sprouted seeds/beans, pulses, tofu, quorn and occasionally a little cheese, fish or chicken.
This must sound extreme but I haven't made these changes overnight. Before I started on insulin last June I was feeling so ill that I was wondering if I could continue working in my current teaching job. I realised that I couldn't continue being a passive recipient of health care that was just trying to treat my symptoms often with varying degrees of success. When I started taking insulin, it brought my bg sufficiently under control for me to feel well enough to start tackling matters.
The first thing I did was to stop drinking alcohol on a regular basis in August 06. Looking back I realise how much of a strain that bottle of wine I looked forward to drinking all week was having on my already overworked liver at the weekend. Far from giving me some stress relief it was actually making me feel worse on just about every level. I don't miss it at all. I'm much more lively at social occasions and actually enjoy them more and far from envying others having a drink I think omg I'm glad that's not me!! Did I used to look like that after a couple of drinks?
I then gave up tea, coffee, (and bread for a few months) in October. Although I've never been a big meat eater, meat only went out altogether in January.
The result of all these changes in conjunction with taking "the cure" is that I have been able to reduce my insulin requirements from 14 units to the absolute minimum - if I need to inject at all. I now have energy again - not quite as good as twenty years ago but definitely 1000% better than I felt this time last year. It's just sooooo worth the effort.
I'm still wrestling with the fasting bg issue. It's still always too high averaging at around 10. I've got several ideas one of them being to increase the amount of fish oil. mmmmm
Anway I'm going to leave it at that for this week. Thanks for taking an interest. Please feel free to leave a comment.
Here's the link to an explanation of the zone diet http://www.weight-loss-institute.com/zone_diet.htm
Next have a scroll at the archives on Dr Sears website - just a warning though - it's all very American. If you look around at some of the other pages you'll see that the diet is heavily marketed selling all the usual products like zone bars etc etc Some of the articles however are very interesting.
Here's the link to the archive http://www.drsears.com/searcharchives.member
I've also jus found this link if you're interested in the "dawn phenomenon"
http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-96273.html
Carol
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Evaluation weeks 11 & 12
Hi
Apologies for not updating last week. I was feeling tired and had a lot of other stuff to do.
Well, I have now completed 3 months of the trial and very much back on track after my little fling on holiday 2 weeks ago. I managed to get back into my regular diet very easily but keeping up with the exercise has been a lot harder. I sometimes think my full time job (which often spills over into my own time) is too much for me at times, I also have a home to run and a family to look after (excuses , excuses I know). On the positive side I have walked the dog every day and done about 15 minutes of yoga most days but it's not really as much as I'd like.
The diet is going extremely well at the moment - I know pretty much exactly what I can and can't eat to avoid the trans fats. I stopped the flax oil a few weeks ago but I take hemp, fish and evening primrose oil every day without fail. I have also returned to my favoured vegetarian lifestyle. Although the rest of my family are not vegetarian they often eat vegetarian meals with me which I hope has health benefits for them too.
I have actually been doing something of a detox the last three days . For my detox I have been drinking warm water with lemon juice until lunchtime then having my ususal breakfast of organic muesli with shelled hemp seeds and light soya milk. For snacks I have been eating fresh fruit, oatcakes or organic crisp breads with cheese, fruit spread or organic nut butter and for tea I have had a large salad with lots of different vegetables, herbs and sprouted seeds with a hemp oil dressing. I haven't felt hungry at all and I have not needed to take any insulin to control my blood sugar, although I have continued to take 4 x 500mg Glucophage SR. I will be back in work tomorrow so will return to my usual routine which is pretty much the same as the detox except I eat 3 meals a day, the evening meal usually being a cooked vegetarian dish.
I have to say I can really see the difference this mini detox has made in the mirror this morning - I look super healthy. Most noticeably my eyes - they look super clear and shiny. My clothes also feel a lot looser - It's definitley been worth the effort.
This last week I have also been testing my blood sugar more frequently. I am particularly interested in my fasting blood sugar as this is the one I can't get under control. I have noticed that my pre bed time reading seems to have no impact on the next mornings readings at all. For example one evening I tested at 4.1 before bed - the next morning BG was 10.1. On another day I tested 9.3 before bed (had a late snack) - BG was 9.1 the next morning. What's that all about then?
My crude understanding of diabetes tell me that this "dawn phenomenon" is down to the liver either pumping out glucose or eliminating insulin from the blood stream in the early hours of the morning. To be honest I think this is where the cis oils "cure" falls down because the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are not just the result of insulin resistance (which the cis oils aim to cure). I think Diabetes is incredibly more complicated than this, involving the function of the whole digestive system but particularly the liver and the pancreas.
Whilst I don't have the faintest idea what is happening in my body I am 100% confident that it has been caused by eating a typical wetern diet of highly processed, refined foods (including hydrogenated oils) and taking too little exercise. I also beleive that I was predisposed as my mother was also diabetic. In my bid to cure myself of this condition I am therefore going further than just eliminating hydrogenated oils, I am working towards a diet consisting of purely whole, unprocessed and unrefined foods and comepletely free of additives and caffeine (as far as that is possible in todays world).
I beleive I am getting the results to support my theory and I am also looking and feeling pretty damn fine ;-)
Any comments welcome. Thanks to Bob for the last comment - hope the weather is good for you in Cornwall.
Carol
PS if you are following "the cure" please don't be put off by what I have said, I am positive it is of great benefit. It's overall effectiveness in overcoming diabetes will, I think, vary between individuals.
Apologies for not updating last week. I was feeling tired and had a lot of other stuff to do.
Well, I have now completed 3 months of the trial and very much back on track after my little fling on holiday 2 weeks ago. I managed to get back into my regular diet very easily but keeping up with the exercise has been a lot harder. I sometimes think my full time job (which often spills over into my own time) is too much for me at times, I also have a home to run and a family to look after (excuses , excuses I know). On the positive side I have walked the dog every day and done about 15 minutes of yoga most days but it's not really as much as I'd like.
The diet is going extremely well at the moment - I know pretty much exactly what I can and can't eat to avoid the trans fats. I stopped the flax oil a few weeks ago but I take hemp, fish and evening primrose oil every day without fail. I have also returned to my favoured vegetarian lifestyle. Although the rest of my family are not vegetarian they often eat vegetarian meals with me which I hope has health benefits for them too.
I have actually been doing something of a detox the last three days . For my detox I have been drinking warm water with lemon juice until lunchtime then having my ususal breakfast of organic muesli with shelled hemp seeds and light soya milk. For snacks I have been eating fresh fruit, oatcakes or organic crisp breads with cheese, fruit spread or organic nut butter and for tea I have had a large salad with lots of different vegetables, herbs and sprouted seeds with a hemp oil dressing. I haven't felt hungry at all and I have not needed to take any insulin to control my blood sugar, although I have continued to take 4 x 500mg Glucophage SR. I will be back in work tomorrow so will return to my usual routine which is pretty much the same as the detox except I eat 3 meals a day, the evening meal usually being a cooked vegetarian dish.
I have to say I can really see the difference this mini detox has made in the mirror this morning - I look super healthy. Most noticeably my eyes - they look super clear and shiny. My clothes also feel a lot looser - It's definitley been worth the effort.
This last week I have also been testing my blood sugar more frequently. I am particularly interested in my fasting blood sugar as this is the one I can't get under control. I have noticed that my pre bed time reading seems to have no impact on the next mornings readings at all. For example one evening I tested at 4.1 before bed - the next morning BG was 10.1. On another day I tested 9.3 before bed (had a late snack) - BG was 9.1 the next morning. What's that all about then?
My crude understanding of diabetes tell me that this "dawn phenomenon" is down to the liver either pumping out glucose or eliminating insulin from the blood stream in the early hours of the morning. To be honest I think this is where the cis oils "cure" falls down because the symptoms of type 2 diabetes are not just the result of insulin resistance (which the cis oils aim to cure). I think Diabetes is incredibly more complicated than this, involving the function of the whole digestive system but particularly the liver and the pancreas.
Whilst I don't have the faintest idea what is happening in my body I am 100% confident that it has been caused by eating a typical wetern diet of highly processed, refined foods (including hydrogenated oils) and taking too little exercise. I also beleive that I was predisposed as my mother was also diabetic. In my bid to cure myself of this condition I am therefore going further than just eliminating hydrogenated oils, I am working towards a diet consisting of purely whole, unprocessed and unrefined foods and comepletely free of additives and caffeine (as far as that is possible in todays world).
I beleive I am getting the results to support my theory and I am also looking and feeling pretty damn fine ;-)
Any comments welcome. Thanks to Bob for the last comment - hope the weather is good for you in Cornwall.
Carol
PS if you are following "the cure" please don't be put off by what I have said, I am positive it is of great benefit. It's overall effectiveness in overcoming diabetes will, I think, vary between individuals.
Friday, 29 June 2007
Evaluation weeks 9 & 10
Hi again
Welcome to another post. It's been a week since I returned from Devon/Cornwall. I think this post should be entitled holiday hangover, not from alcohol I hasten to add but from the holiday I took from my usual eating plan. I hadn't intended to stray into the realms of chip shops and cream tea parlours but stray I did and it's turned out to be a rather interesting excursion.
I'll explain a bit about the type of holiday so get you get the picture first. We have a touring caravan and this time it was just my husband and I (the first holiday on our own without our daughter who will be 18 in a few weeks). We took our walking gear (boots, waterproofs etc) along with cycles and and all our body boarding stuff for the beach.
The way we've always eaten on these holidays has been to have breakfast in the caravan (cereal or cooked) then bugger off out for the day. We never bothered with packed lunches preferring the convenience of eating out. Anyway this time I insisted on going supermarket shopping and for the first 2 days I dutifully made myself a salad dressed with hemp oil for lunch. Evening meals in pubs were a bit tricky but I did my best by ordering things like baked potatoes with cheese and salad.
By day 3 I was fed up making salads and even more fed up with carrying them in my rucksack everyday along with bottles of water and several pieces of fruit. The start of my demise was a vegetable pasty (made with wholemeal flour of course). I then progressed to fish and chips from the chip shop which I have to say were absolutely gorgeous - so much so I went back for another lot later in the week. During the rest of the week I also managed to fit in 3 scones with jam & cream (no butter) and 2 ice creams.
On the plus side I continued to take my hemp oil everyday (I didn't take any flax as I ran out).
Now then here's the thing...............................
you'd think that all those carbs and sugar which I normally avoid like the plague would've sent my BG rocketing. Wrong!! Amazingly I saw spectacular improvements particularly in my fasting levels first thing in the morning. Yes I did increase my insulin before eating fish & chips or scones (overall I was injecting on average between 2 and 4 units more at each injection than usual). But that's not a lot of insulin to bring down fasting blood BG as low as 6.8 the next morning (for me anyway) ! I can't remember ever testing that low in the morning before.
My explanation for this is simply the amount of activity. One day my husband joked we had done a mini triathlon - cycling in the morning, body boarding in the afternoon and walking in the evening. Despite some bad weather we were out of the caravan everyday for several hours. I think that, had I managed to stick to my normal eating plan whilst I was on holiday I would've been hypoing every day (I didn't have a single hypo). But then I believe I also need extra carbs to fuel all that activity.
I consider it an important lesson learned. My problem is now that I'm home how am I going to maintain that level of activity? Actually I can't, all I can do is make a commitment to take exercise as often as I can possibly manage it.
This last week after returning from holiday it took me a few days to adjust back to my normal eating plan but my fasting blood sugars have been ranging between 10 and 12. Very disappointing and that's why I likened it to a hangover. If I could just get the diet and the exercise right and maintain it......
Just a couple of things to mention about food products:
I've noticed that KerryGold are now advertising a spreadable butter without added vegetable oils.
Also low carb chocolate bars by Dr Atkins (available in Boots) state they are trans fat free (but they are expensive).
That's it for this week. If you have any comments please feel free to post it would be nice to hear from people.
Carol
Welcome to another post. It's been a week since I returned from Devon/Cornwall. I think this post should be entitled holiday hangover, not from alcohol I hasten to add but from the holiday I took from my usual eating plan. I hadn't intended to stray into the realms of chip shops and cream tea parlours but stray I did and it's turned out to be a rather interesting excursion.
I'll explain a bit about the type of holiday so get you get the picture first. We have a touring caravan and this time it was just my husband and I (the first holiday on our own without our daughter who will be 18 in a few weeks). We took our walking gear (boots, waterproofs etc) along with cycles and and all our body boarding stuff for the beach.
The way we've always eaten on these holidays has been to have breakfast in the caravan (cereal or cooked) then bugger off out for the day. We never bothered with packed lunches preferring the convenience of eating out. Anyway this time I insisted on going supermarket shopping and for the first 2 days I dutifully made myself a salad dressed with hemp oil for lunch. Evening meals in pubs were a bit tricky but I did my best by ordering things like baked potatoes with cheese and salad.
By day 3 I was fed up making salads and even more fed up with carrying them in my rucksack everyday along with bottles of water and several pieces of fruit. The start of my demise was a vegetable pasty (made with wholemeal flour of course). I then progressed to fish and chips from the chip shop which I have to say were absolutely gorgeous - so much so I went back for another lot later in the week. During the rest of the week I also managed to fit in 3 scones with jam & cream (no butter) and 2 ice creams.
On the plus side I continued to take my hemp oil everyday (I didn't take any flax as I ran out).
Now then here's the thing...............................
you'd think that all those carbs and sugar which I normally avoid like the plague would've sent my BG rocketing. Wrong!! Amazingly I saw spectacular improvements particularly in my fasting levels first thing in the morning. Yes I did increase my insulin before eating fish & chips or scones (overall I was injecting on average between 2 and 4 units more at each injection than usual). But that's not a lot of insulin to bring down fasting blood BG as low as 6.8 the next morning (for me anyway) ! I can't remember ever testing that low in the morning before.
My explanation for this is simply the amount of activity. One day my husband joked we had done a mini triathlon - cycling in the morning, body boarding in the afternoon and walking in the evening. Despite some bad weather we were out of the caravan everyday for several hours. I think that, had I managed to stick to my normal eating plan whilst I was on holiday I would've been hypoing every day (I didn't have a single hypo). But then I believe I also need extra carbs to fuel all that activity.
I consider it an important lesson learned. My problem is now that I'm home how am I going to maintain that level of activity? Actually I can't, all I can do is make a commitment to take exercise as often as I can possibly manage it.
This last week after returning from holiday it took me a few days to adjust back to my normal eating plan but my fasting blood sugars have been ranging between 10 and 12. Very disappointing and that's why I likened it to a hangover. If I could just get the diet and the exercise right and maintain it......
Just a couple of things to mention about food products:
I've noticed that KerryGold are now advertising a spreadable butter without added vegetable oils.
Also low carb chocolate bars by Dr Atkins (available in Boots) state they are trans fat free (but they are expensive).
That's it for this week. If you have any comments please feel free to post it would be nice to hear from people.
Carol
Friday, 8 June 2007
Evaluation weeks 6,7,8
Hi thanks for staying with me and coming back to read more
I had a great bank holiday weekend socially but it wasn't so successful on the diet front. I went camping for the weekend with some of my work colleagues (there were 18 of us in all). The weather in Shropshire was more like the middle of January than the end of May, it rained and the temperature dropped like a stone overnight. Still it was a great weekend and I got to spend some quality time with some great people.
I took my flax oil and didn't miss taking it but we took refuge in several pubs and cafes where I could not resist the temptation to eat food I wouldn't normally touch. I even ate a cooked breakfast on the last morning only realising later that the egg would've been fried in vegetable oil. Needless to say my insulin had to be increased to cope with all the gluttony.
I previous weeks I was getting annoyed with myself whenever I discovered I had either inadvertently or carelessly (through not reading labels properly) consumed any vegetable oils, but I have decided not to let it worry any more. The constant vigilance and label reading is quite streesful not to mention reporting all my results so I am going easy on myself. Someone else who has already done this cure did so without avoiding trans fats although it was a very slow process. In future I will do my best to avoid trans fats but I'm not going to fret if I slip up any more.
Although I've been eating some meat to raise my iron levels I haven't felt happy about it so I'm glad to say I've found a 100% natural iron supplement called spatone. It's actually a mineral water and comes in boxes of 28 sachets. It tastes very metallic but to me it's preferable to a permanament return to my previously carniverous habits. I like being a vegetarian and notice a difference in the way I feel. I'm sure it's all psychological but somehow I feel lighter and more healthy by not eating meat. I had my cholesterol and blood pressure checked a few days ago - cholesterol was 4.08 and blood pressure 115 over 76. These numbers have never been a cause of concern for me and I attribute this to not being a meat eater.
Looking at my data for May it looks like there's not been any improvment, but I'm not discouraged as I think it's still far too early to tell if this intervention is going to work. I should mention that at the time I started taking insulin (June 06) I was injecting between 12 and 14 units per meal. Due to changes in diet and possibly this cure I am now injecting as little as 4 units. That's some going and I can't wait to see what the diabetologist makes of it (I am due my annual appointment this month).
I had a great bank holiday weekend socially but it wasn't so successful on the diet front. I went camping for the weekend with some of my work colleagues (there were 18 of us in all). The weather in Shropshire was more like the middle of January than the end of May, it rained and the temperature dropped like a stone overnight. Still it was a great weekend and I got to spend some quality time with some great people.
I took my flax oil and didn't miss taking it but we took refuge in several pubs and cafes where I could not resist the temptation to eat food I wouldn't normally touch. I even ate a cooked breakfast on the last morning only realising later that the egg would've been fried in vegetable oil. Needless to say my insulin had to be increased to cope with all the gluttony.
I previous weeks I was getting annoyed with myself whenever I discovered I had either inadvertently or carelessly (through not reading labels properly) consumed any vegetable oils, but I have decided not to let it worry any more. The constant vigilance and label reading is quite streesful not to mention reporting all my results so I am going easy on myself. Someone else who has already done this cure did so without avoiding trans fats although it was a very slow process. In future I will do my best to avoid trans fats but I'm not going to fret if I slip up any more.
Although I've been eating some meat to raise my iron levels I haven't felt happy about it so I'm glad to say I've found a 100% natural iron supplement called spatone. It's actually a mineral water and comes in boxes of 28 sachets. It tastes very metallic but to me it's preferable to a permanament return to my previously carniverous habits. I like being a vegetarian and notice a difference in the way I feel. I'm sure it's all psychological but somehow I feel lighter and more healthy by not eating meat. I had my cholesterol and blood pressure checked a few days ago - cholesterol was 4.08 and blood pressure 115 over 76. These numbers have never been a cause of concern for me and I attribute this to not being a meat eater.
Looking at my data for May it looks like there's not been any improvment, but I'm not discouraged as I think it's still far too early to tell if this intervention is going to work. I should mention that at the time I started taking insulin (June 06) I was injecting between 12 and 14 units per meal. Due to changes in diet and possibly this cure I am now injecting as little as 4 units. That's some going and I can't wait to see what the diabetologist makes of it (I am due my annual appointment this month).
The other thing to remember about this cure is that it is a cure for 'insulin resistance' not for beta cell failure. This being the case it is unlikely that it will effect a complete cure in my case. As I was advised by the diabetologist that I do have some beta cell failure, it is likely that I am always going to need some sort of treatment. The hope for me in taking this cure is that I will be able to get the medication down to a minimum.
There is one area I feel I could do much better in and that's excercise. All I do at the moment is walk the dog and the obligatory housework. My job is neither sedentary nor active, I would describe it as moderately active with some sitting and driving. I want to start doing some yoga as I've read it has a profound effect on the endocrine system. Some aerobics and weights would also be beneficial but the problem is fitting it all in. I also beleive rebounders or mini trampolines are very good. I am sure that if I get myself motivated on a daily basis I could get off the insulin altogether and lose some weight.
So I'm sowing the seed here to get myself started.
On the flax oil front I've noticed a big difference between brands. Some taste worse than others so if you are having trouble getting the flax oil down try a different brand and try to buy it as fresh as possible. Hemp oil is much more palatable if you really can't stand the flax. You can also obtain omega 3 from nuts and seeds. In particular sprouted seeds and grains are powerhouses of nutrional goodness and life energy (Leslie Kenton Raw Energy 1985). I have bought myself a sprouter (from health food shops) and have started adding sprouts to all my salads. As always read up on it yourself to find out all the benefits.
Thanks for looking in, I'm away for a week in gorgeous Cornwall next weekend so it'll be a few weeks before I post again.
Take care
Carol
Sunday, 20 May 2007
Evaluation week 5
Hi
Thanks to carefix and Karen AKA choclolatefishUK I have received a lot of help this week for which I am very grateful. If you didn't read my last post entitled update please read it at the end of this one -it's important.
If you are also following this cure or are thinking of trying it Carefix has posted specific instructions and a progress sheet to record your data on the forum here's the link again http://uk.geocities.com/p.s.s.ltd@btinternet.com/DTD.doc
I've printed a copy and saved a copy to record my data. Please report back on the forum about your experiences or set up a blog - it's very easy to do. Visit www.blogger.com
If you need any help with setting up a blog send me an email.
In spite of all the help I've felt a bit down this week. I've made a few mistakes eating things I assumed would be ok and then realising they contain vegetable oils. Things to watch out for include nuts, stock cubes and packet casserole mixes. Eliminating trans fats isn't easy, even when you think you've got it all sussed it's so easy to get caught out.
I've also found out that I have mild anaemia and have understandably been advised to start eating meat. I guess it's the sensible thing to do, although I won't be turning into Tyrannosaurus Allen any time in the near future. I'm also experiencing other symptoms associated with my age and the fact that I'm female. Oh joy. It's enough to make you fall to your knees and thank the lord that cadburys chocolate is now on a digestive biscuit.
Anway I'm plodding on, it's a new day tomorrow and things aren't really that bad. My insulin requirements are decreasing steadily which is good. My experiment with the Hay diet (food combining) has had mixed results, but there is definitely a connection (for me at least) with the amount of carbs consumed at tea time the night before and fasting BG levels the next morning. Obviously the less carbs consumed the better the BG reading the next morning. The best results have been after limiting the portion sizes as well. Pretty flippin obvious I suppose.
I asked carefix about the carbs connection and he said that while reducing carbs will improve BG it is not a cure. Replacing trans fatty acids with cis fatty acids will actually cure insulin resistance because the body rebuilds cells using the cis fats which allow glucose to enter the cells normally.
To be honest I think I've been reading too much and I'm getting bogged down with it all. There's so much conflicting advice around diet that I'm getting confused and fed up with it. From now on I am just going to concentrate on the carefix's instructions - get the good oils down and do my best to avoid the bad ones.
Finally, at the request of carefix I am referencing the originator of this cure, visit http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/DiabetesDeception.html
to read it.
I have also started a thread on the food forum for anyone to post recipes/suggestions for getting the flax oil down.
Take care
Carol J
Thanks to carefix and Karen AKA choclolatefishUK I have received a lot of help this week for which I am very grateful. If you didn't read my last post entitled update please read it at the end of this one -it's important.
If you are also following this cure or are thinking of trying it Carefix has posted specific instructions and a progress sheet to record your data on the forum here's the link again http://uk.geocities.com/p.s.s.ltd@btinternet.com/DTD.doc
I've printed a copy and saved a copy to record my data. Please report back on the forum about your experiences or set up a blog - it's very easy to do. Visit www.blogger.com
If you need any help with setting up a blog send me an email.
In spite of all the help I've felt a bit down this week. I've made a few mistakes eating things I assumed would be ok and then realising they contain vegetable oils. Things to watch out for include nuts, stock cubes and packet casserole mixes. Eliminating trans fats isn't easy, even when you think you've got it all sussed it's so easy to get caught out.
I've also found out that I have mild anaemia and have understandably been advised to start eating meat. I guess it's the sensible thing to do, although I won't be turning into Tyrannosaurus Allen any time in the near future. I'm also experiencing other symptoms associated with my age and the fact that I'm female. Oh joy. It's enough to make you fall to your knees and thank the lord that cadburys chocolate is now on a digestive biscuit.
Anway I'm plodding on, it's a new day tomorrow and things aren't really that bad. My insulin requirements are decreasing steadily which is good. My experiment with the Hay diet (food combining) has had mixed results, but there is definitely a connection (for me at least) with the amount of carbs consumed at tea time the night before and fasting BG levels the next morning. Obviously the less carbs consumed the better the BG reading the next morning. The best results have been after limiting the portion sizes as well. Pretty flippin obvious I suppose.
I asked carefix about the carbs connection and he said that while reducing carbs will improve BG it is not a cure. Replacing trans fatty acids with cis fatty acids will actually cure insulin resistance because the body rebuilds cells using the cis fats which allow glucose to enter the cells normally.
To be honest I think I've been reading too much and I'm getting bogged down with it all. There's so much conflicting advice around diet that I'm getting confused and fed up with it. From now on I am just going to concentrate on the carefix's instructions - get the good oils down and do my best to avoid the bad ones.
Finally, at the request of carefix I am referencing the originator of this cure, visit http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/DiabetesDeception.html
to read it.
I have also started a thread on the food forum for anyone to post recipes/suggestions for getting the flax oil down.
Take care
Carol J
Monday, 14 May 2007
Update
Hi again
I just need to clarify a few concerns voiced by carefix about this study. Because of other concerns I have to do with my skin, up until 1 week ago I was not taking the oils in the quantities specified by carefix in order to effect this cure.
This has now been remedied and I am consuming 4tbs of organic cold pressed linseed oil per day along with 1 tbs hemp oil. I am going to ditch the Seven Seas oil I mentioned on a previous post and research a suitable replacment.
If you are also following this cure can I stress on behalf of carefix that in order for the cure to work you must be taking the correct quality and quantity of cis isomer oils as well as eliminating trans isomer fats from your diet.
Best Wishes
Carol
I just need to clarify a few concerns voiced by carefix about this study. Because of other concerns I have to do with my skin, up until 1 week ago I was not taking the oils in the quantities specified by carefix in order to effect this cure.
This has now been remedied and I am consuming 4tbs of organic cold pressed linseed oil per day along with 1 tbs hemp oil. I am going to ditch the Seven Seas oil I mentioned on a previous post and research a suitable replacment.
If you are also following this cure can I stress on behalf of carefix that in order for the cure to work you must be taking the correct quality and quantity of cis isomer oils as well as eliminating trans isomer fats from your diet.
Best Wishes
Carol
Saturday, 12 May 2007
Evaluation Weeks 3 & 4
Hi
Thank you for coming back to the blog. I've had a very mixed fornight, I was away from home last weekend and whilst it wasn't a problem with the diet as such, I found the mixed insulin regime (Novomix 30 twice a day) very inconvenient. I've also felt unwell most of the week. Nothing major just not my usual self - slight headache and sore throat, occasional nausea and general tiredness. I wonder if it's part of the detox process or if I've had a mild virus of some sort? I don't know but I hope it clears up soon.
Although I've stuck to the diet my BG has been a bit irratic and higher than usual, particularly fasting BG. I've felt a little down and I think it's been because I've been eating a bit too much at tea time or maybe it's just because I've been a bit under the weather. Who knows.
Anway I've been giving some thought to the fasting BG problem as it's something that has always been a problem for me. I bought a book about the Hay diet a couple of years ago and have sort of followed it albeit not too strictly. Looking at my diet, at the moment I eat salad usually with cheese or egg at lunch time (no carbs). My blood glucose pre tea time is usually very good but that's because I've kept it from going too low by snacking on fresh fruit & nuts in the afternoon.
At tea time I have a mixed meal (carbs & protein). My theory is that if I switch these meals round and eat a carb meal at lunch time and a protein meal instead of a mixed meal at tea time it might improve my fasting BG and also keep my BG up in the late afternoon. I've decided to test this out over the next week. In fact I'm thinking of testing the Hay diet on my Golden Retriever to see if she loses any weight. She's getting on now (11 this year) and while she's not actually overweight the vet told me to try and get her weight down to keep her back legs going longer.
Good news on the bread front, I tried Marks pitta bread - they contain olive oil and are much softer than the others. I also found an actual loaf of bread which doesn't specify any oil at all. It's called a 7 seeded crown from Marks and it's just like "normal" bread. Funny thing is I'm not that bothered about bread anymore. I am going to rely mostly on whole grains like brown rice, millet and quinoa for my carb lunches with lots of salad vegetables and good oils.
On the subject of oils I found an interesting website which gives the flipside to flasxseed oil. Have a look at http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/?p=403
also http://www.mind1st.co.uk/Flax_Seed_Oil_v_Fish_Oil.asp
As I was due to start adding in cod liver oil (according to Johns' plan) I went out and bought a large bottle of Seven Seas high strength omega 3 fish oil enriched with cod liver oil. I didn't bother reading the ingredients till I got home and was just about to pour my first yummy spoonful when I looked at the label. To my horror I read Sunflower oil and Fractionated vegetable oil. What??? I Googled for it and found the following quote from an article in the Washington Post:
Oh, and about fractionated oils: Fractionation does not add or remove trans fatty acids from an oil. All it does is remove some of the more saturated fats -- trans or not -- to keep the product from thickening when stored in a cool place.
Here's the link to the full article http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A13188-2003Aug19¬Found=true
Anway I'm going to take the stuff and hope for the best but I don't think I'll be buying it again in future. It just goes to show you that even the most innocuous of products can be harbouring undesirables!
I think that's about it for this post, I've still got ironing to do :( and I'm out again tomorrow.
If you look at my spreadsheet click on the May 07 tab to look at this months data.
Best Wishes
Carol Johnson
Thank you for coming back to the blog. I've had a very mixed fornight, I was away from home last weekend and whilst it wasn't a problem with the diet as such, I found the mixed insulin regime (Novomix 30 twice a day) very inconvenient. I've also felt unwell most of the week. Nothing major just not my usual self - slight headache and sore throat, occasional nausea and general tiredness. I wonder if it's part of the detox process or if I've had a mild virus of some sort? I don't know but I hope it clears up soon.
Although I've stuck to the diet my BG has been a bit irratic and higher than usual, particularly fasting BG. I've felt a little down and I think it's been because I've been eating a bit too much at tea time or maybe it's just because I've been a bit under the weather. Who knows.
Anway I've been giving some thought to the fasting BG problem as it's something that has always been a problem for me. I bought a book about the Hay diet a couple of years ago and have sort of followed it albeit not too strictly. Looking at my diet, at the moment I eat salad usually with cheese or egg at lunch time (no carbs). My blood glucose pre tea time is usually very good but that's because I've kept it from going too low by snacking on fresh fruit & nuts in the afternoon.
At tea time I have a mixed meal (carbs & protein). My theory is that if I switch these meals round and eat a carb meal at lunch time and a protein meal instead of a mixed meal at tea time it might improve my fasting BG and also keep my BG up in the late afternoon. I've decided to test this out over the next week. In fact I'm thinking of testing the Hay diet on my Golden Retriever to see if she loses any weight. She's getting on now (11 this year) and while she's not actually overweight the vet told me to try and get her weight down to keep her back legs going longer.
Good news on the bread front, I tried Marks pitta bread - they contain olive oil and are much softer than the others. I also found an actual loaf of bread which doesn't specify any oil at all. It's called a 7 seeded crown from Marks and it's just like "normal" bread. Funny thing is I'm not that bothered about bread anymore. I am going to rely mostly on whole grains like brown rice, millet and quinoa for my carb lunches with lots of salad vegetables and good oils.
On the subject of oils I found an interesting website which gives the flipside to flasxseed oil. Have a look at http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/?p=403
also http://www.mind1st.co.uk/Flax_Seed_Oil_v_Fish_Oil.asp
As I was due to start adding in cod liver oil (according to Johns' plan) I went out and bought a large bottle of Seven Seas high strength omega 3 fish oil enriched with cod liver oil. I didn't bother reading the ingredients till I got home and was just about to pour my first yummy spoonful when I looked at the label. To my horror I read Sunflower oil and Fractionated vegetable oil. What??? I Googled for it and found the following quote from an article in the Washington Post:
Oh, and about fractionated oils: Fractionation does not add or remove trans fatty acids from an oil. All it does is remove some of the more saturated fats -- trans or not -- to keep the product from thickening when stored in a cool place.
Here's the link to the full article http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A13188-2003Aug19¬Found=true
Anway I'm going to take the stuff and hope for the best but I don't think I'll be buying it again in future. It just goes to show you that even the most innocuous of products can be harbouring undesirables!
I think that's about it for this post, I've still got ironing to do :( and I'm out again tomorrow.
If you look at my spreadsheet click on the May 07 tab to look at this months data.
Best Wishes
Carol Johnson
Friday, 27 April 2007
Evaluation week 2
No problems sticking to the plan this week. Although I've had some very different days. I felt totally exhausted on Wednesday all day but Thursday and Friday I felt really well and full of energy. My blood glucose is coming back under control nicely (I lost control over Easter weekend by eating what my family and friends would consider to be a "normal" diet) so I'm pleased with this weeks progress.
On Thursday I printed out the whole thread by carefix and read it again thouroughly. I've also just been reading Dr Atkins vita-nutrient solution - your complete guide to natural health (I picked it up in Woolworths for £1). What a surprise! I didn't know Dr Atkins was a 'champion of complementary medicine'. The book basically corroborates the arguments by carfeix concerning hydrogenated and vegetable oils in the diet. The book is full of information about the role of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and herbs and how they can be used to
help alleviate many conditions including diabetes. Dr Atkins mentions several vitamins and minerals beneficial for diabetics which I think I already have covered with the supplements I take. One thing I might start to include is Lipoic Acid. I've seen it mentioned on the forum and according to Dr Atkins it is a proven diabetic treatment.
On the food front I'm on a mission to find the nicest wholemeal pitta bread - so far Sainsburys is in front with a softer texture and breadier taste than Tescos cardboard like pittas. I stick em in the toaster, spread with a bit of butter and call me odd but I think they're quite delicious! I'll have to try Marks next though.
My local health food shop stock some unusual breads like sprouted grain sunflower bread. Very good ingredients - just sprouted sunflower seeds, linseed oil and water. I bought one to try but have to say I didn't like it much. Must be an 'acquired taste' I think.
I've also been checking the ingredients on other breads, some of them contain palm oil (apparently a saturated fat) which carefix doesn't make mention of, so I'm erring on the side of caution and not touching it. So far I haven't been able to find anything in the supermarket (other than pitta bread) that I think would be uncontaminated with trans isomer fats.
Time to start baking perhaps? Googling for oil free bread I found some great sites with loads of fat/oil free recipes including all manner of breads (yippee!) I've put the links on the blog for anyone who might want a look. They are vegetarian/vegan but don't let that put you off! I also found some good sources for hemp & flax seed oil. Incidentally I buy my hemp seed oil from a medical herbalist who also told me that all oils must be kept refrigerated once opened.
I got my HBA1c and cholesterol results on Friday which were quite good considering my transgressions over Easter. HBA1c was 6.8 and cholesterol was 4.5. My aim is to maintain this control and maybe even improve it through continuing to eat well, avoiding all white refined carbohydrates (which I did anyway) and processed food containing hydrogenated or vegetable oil.
Weight hasn't moved yet but I think this may change in the coming weeks.
I won't be able to post on the the blog next bank holiday weekend as I will be away. I have to say I'm a little concerned about managing my diet away from home but I'm determined to do it. At least I'm not going abroad.
Thanks for reading this weeks post, have a lovely bank holiday. I'll let you know how I got on away from home in a fortnight.
Carol
On Thursday I printed out the whole thread by carefix and read it again thouroughly. I've also just been reading Dr Atkins vita-nutrient solution - your complete guide to natural health (I picked it up in Woolworths for £1). What a surprise! I didn't know Dr Atkins was a 'champion of complementary medicine'. The book basically corroborates the arguments by carfeix concerning hydrogenated and vegetable oils in the diet. The book is full of information about the role of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and herbs and how they can be used to
help alleviate many conditions including diabetes. Dr Atkins mentions several vitamins and minerals beneficial for diabetics which I think I already have covered with the supplements I take. One thing I might start to include is Lipoic Acid. I've seen it mentioned on the forum and according to Dr Atkins it is a proven diabetic treatment.
On the food front I'm on a mission to find the nicest wholemeal pitta bread - so far Sainsburys is in front with a softer texture and breadier taste than Tescos cardboard like pittas. I stick em in the toaster, spread with a bit of butter and call me odd but I think they're quite delicious! I'll have to try Marks next though.
My local health food shop stock some unusual breads like sprouted grain sunflower bread. Very good ingredients - just sprouted sunflower seeds, linseed oil and water. I bought one to try but have to say I didn't like it much. Must be an 'acquired taste' I think.
I've also been checking the ingredients on other breads, some of them contain palm oil (apparently a saturated fat) which carefix doesn't make mention of, so I'm erring on the side of caution and not touching it. So far I haven't been able to find anything in the supermarket (other than pitta bread) that I think would be uncontaminated with trans isomer fats.
Time to start baking perhaps? Googling for oil free bread I found some great sites with loads of fat/oil free recipes including all manner of breads (yippee!) I've put the links on the blog for anyone who might want a look. They are vegetarian/vegan but don't let that put you off! I also found some good sources for hemp & flax seed oil. Incidentally I buy my hemp seed oil from a medical herbalist who also told me that all oils must be kept refrigerated once opened.
I got my HBA1c and cholesterol results on Friday which were quite good considering my transgressions over Easter. HBA1c was 6.8 and cholesterol was 4.5. My aim is to maintain this control and maybe even improve it through continuing to eat well, avoiding all white refined carbohydrates (which I did anyway) and processed food containing hydrogenated or vegetable oil.
Weight hasn't moved yet but I think this may change in the coming weeks.
I won't be able to post on the the blog next bank holiday weekend as I will be away. I have to say I'm a little concerned about managing my diet away from home but I'm determined to do it. At least I'm not going abroad.
Thanks for reading this weeks post, have a lovely bank holiday. I'll let you know how I got on away from home in a fortnight.
Carol
Friday, 20 April 2007
Evaluation week 1
Very pleased with progress this week. In terms of fats I have only consumed cold pressed hemp oil and a little goats butter since Monday, as well as my evening primrose oil supplement.
I can already see an impact on blood glucose particularly on the pre-breakfast readings which is very good. However, I think this is mainly due to the reduction in carbohydrate consumed at dinner time as I have cut out one of my mainstays - bread. I used to eat very heavy stonebaked or seeded varietes but I discovered today that pitta bread does not contain oil of any kind. Excellent news as rice cakes and cripbread just don't cut the mustard when it comes to making a decent sandwich or something to dip in your soup! You can see my blood glucose data at http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5cT8HERT5YBzejCfv2_BUw
I had a full blood test done on Wednesday, despite my current dispute with the local health centre (see the thread NHS cuts on the soapbox forum at www.diabetes.co.uk), So I will be able to update the spreadsheet after I see the diabetic nurse in a weeks time.
I suppose I should also let my GP know what I'm up to, but I don't think it warrants a visit just yet. I may just write and tell her and let her decide if she wants to see me.
My weight has stayed constant as has my waist circumference which I'm pleased with. I've also decided it might be a good idea to publish some sample menus so people can see what I'm actually eating. Click on http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc4fbcgs_2j88d9z to see what I ate on Monday this week along with estimated calorie intake. I haven't been counting calories, as it's not easy to estimate the calorific content of home cooked food, but I haven't been cutting back in any way. I eat to satisfy my appetite - this is difficult enough without trying to restrict calorie intake!
During the week I eat the same things every day for breakfast, snacks and lunch (athough the salad ingredients and fruit vary). At the weekend I eat the same breakfast but might have pasta or a rice dish for lunch. For emergencies I always carry dried fruit - dates and apricots being my favourites and if I want to eat something which doesn't impact on my BG too much I'll go for some mixed unsalted nuts.
I am proceeding with caution regarding any changes to my insulin. Whilst I feel confident in managing my medication it's still easy to get caught out unexpectedly as I found out this week. I wouldn't recommend trying this unless you're happy you can manage changing requirements for medication unsupervised.
In conclusion a good week, I'm feeling highly motivated and I don't expect to see any significant changes, if they happen, for some time yet. I am fully aware that this is going to be a long term project.
Good Health to you all....
Carol
I can already see an impact on blood glucose particularly on the pre-breakfast readings which is very good. However, I think this is mainly due to the reduction in carbohydrate consumed at dinner time as I have cut out one of my mainstays - bread. I used to eat very heavy stonebaked or seeded varietes but I discovered today that pitta bread does not contain oil of any kind. Excellent news as rice cakes and cripbread just don't cut the mustard when it comes to making a decent sandwich or something to dip in your soup! You can see my blood glucose data at http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5cT8HERT5YBzejCfv2_BUw
I had a full blood test done on Wednesday, despite my current dispute with the local health centre (see the thread NHS cuts on the soapbox forum at www.diabetes.co.uk), So I will be able to update the spreadsheet after I see the diabetic nurse in a weeks time.
I suppose I should also let my GP know what I'm up to, but I don't think it warrants a visit just yet. I may just write and tell her and let her decide if she wants to see me.
My weight has stayed constant as has my waist circumference which I'm pleased with. I've also decided it might be a good idea to publish some sample menus so people can see what I'm actually eating. Click on http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc4fbcgs_2j88d9z to see what I ate on Monday this week along with estimated calorie intake. I haven't been counting calories, as it's not easy to estimate the calorific content of home cooked food, but I haven't been cutting back in any way. I eat to satisfy my appetite - this is difficult enough without trying to restrict calorie intake!
During the week I eat the same things every day for breakfast, snacks and lunch (athough the salad ingredients and fruit vary). At the weekend I eat the same breakfast but might have pasta or a rice dish for lunch. For emergencies I always carry dried fruit - dates and apricots being my favourites and if I want to eat something which doesn't impact on my BG too much I'll go for some mixed unsalted nuts.
I am proceeding with caution regarding any changes to my insulin. Whilst I feel confident in managing my medication it's still easy to get caught out unexpectedly as I found out this week. I wouldn't recommend trying this unless you're happy you can manage changing requirements for medication unsupervised.
In conclusion a good week, I'm feeling highly motivated and I don't expect to see any significant changes, if they happen, for some time yet. I am fully aware that this is going to be a long term project.
Good Health to you all....
Carol
Sunday, 15 April 2007
The first step
I am hoping that by making these changes to my diet I will make a significant reduction in the amount of medication I need to take to control my type 2 diabetes over the next 12 months.
I will record my numbers (daily blood glucose levels, HBA1c, weight, etc etc) on a google spreadsheet. You can view my spreadhsheet at http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5cT8HERT5YBdA1hElsl1Tg I will try to make the data as comprehensive as I can, I don't normally measure blood glucose at lunchtime but I've put a column on the spreadsheet as I will try to start including it.
Over the next week or so I will be reducing the amount of trans isomer fats I consume by using up stuff in my store cupboard like my favourite seeds of change curry sauces and shop bought humous. I am also going to substitute rice cakes for bread and hopefully come up with some more alternatives.
Basically I don't have to change what I eat for breakfast and lunch as they already fit in with the plan. It's just evening meals and snacks that need work. I am going to be gathering and collecting recipes, including raw food recipes.
I intend to update this blog once a week. I've already done a lot of research about food and nutrition and have saved a lot of web pages into my favourites, I will put the links the blog as they may be of interest to others. Please feel free to email me or post a comment either on here or on the www.diabetes.co.uk forum.
Thanks for reading my blog.
I will record my numbers (daily blood glucose levels, HBA1c, weight, etc etc) on a google spreadsheet. You can view my spreadhsheet at http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5cT8HERT5YBdA1hElsl1Tg I will try to make the data as comprehensive as I can, I don't normally measure blood glucose at lunchtime but I've put a column on the spreadsheet as I will try to start including it.
Over the next week or so I will be reducing the amount of trans isomer fats I consume by using up stuff in my store cupboard like my favourite seeds of change curry sauces and shop bought humous. I am also going to substitute rice cakes for bread and hopefully come up with some more alternatives.
Basically I don't have to change what I eat for breakfast and lunch as they already fit in with the plan. It's just evening meals and snacks that need work. I am going to be gathering and collecting recipes, including raw food recipes.
I intend to update this blog once a week. I've already done a lot of research about food and nutrition and have saved a lot of web pages into my favourites, I will put the links the blog as they may be of interest to others. Please feel free to email me or post a comment either on here or on the www.diabetes.co.uk forum.
Thanks for reading my blog.
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