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&notFound=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