Diabetes is a pain! I wish that, when I was younger, I would have been informed about Diabetes and my potential for it. My diet generally consisted of meat and potatoes, bread, macaroni, noodles, and everything that tasted good. I didn't eat a lot of sugary things like pies, or cakes, or cookies, though on occasion I would develop a "sweet tooth" and enjoy some. But I had no idea what I was doing to my body and how I was setting myself up for Diabetes. Once, after asking a doctor why, occasionally I felt weak , clammy and shaky, he told me that I may be on the verge of becoming diabetic but he offered no advice on how to avoid it, nor did he seem to be overly concerned about it. Of course you know that when you look to allopathic doctors for their level of concern, you may be misled.
Anyway, here I am at almost 65 years of age and it's a daily fight. I find the period from Thanksgiving till the New Year to be the most difficult. I mean people bring candy of all sorts, baked goods, and of course those big meals. I'm just like everyone else and I occasionally let my guard down BUT believe me I pay the price! Now, most of the time I am able to control my sugar levels by diet but I know that exercise is a big part of maintaining sugar levels as well. Yesterday, for instance, I dropped my sugar count around 60 points by walking the treadmill for 15 minutes. I will do it again when I am done with this blog.
Some people use insulin or pills to help maintain their sugar levels but those can be dangerous by themselves. The side effects of these (not the diabetes necessarily) are blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, and loss of limbs. I know people who eat the wrong stuff and then take a pill. I'm just not going to do that!
It's really true that diabetes is easier to prevent than it is to maintain though there are those who claim diabetes can be reversed. I'm still in the search! Avoiding simple carbohydrates and sugars is the best way to avoid diabetes. Eat your vegetables like mother said! Once you have diabetes even complex carbohydrates can make your sugar spike. I know! When I first learned I was diabetic (I learned it on my own and was not diagnosed till some time later) I switched from white macaroni and noodles to whole wheat products instead. That seemed to help for awhile but after time even those had to be in reduced amounts. I love potatoes just about any way they can be served but I've learned they are a "no,no"!
There are herbs that can help such as cinnamon, tulsi, or bitter melon but these will not lower sugar levels significantly by themselves. I've tried some sugar reg products but these are more for those who are not yet diabetic. I believe the most important thing you can do (which I have the most difficult time with) is to maintain an alkaline forming diet so things like meats, some nuts, and grains should be avoided. This is difficult for me because I'm a meat eater and I don't really like most greens all that much. I have to force myself! A vegan diet works pretty well. An acidic body welcomes all kinds of ailments and our American diet is very acidic!
So, for those suffering with diabetes, I know what you're going through and it's not fun! I find that I have to exercise, even though I REALLY don't like it! I have to avoid simple carbohydrates, even complex carbohyrates, depending on where they are from (grains), must be avoided as well. Those coming from green, leafy, vegetation are necessary. I avoid corn, and I only eat small amounts of peas. No sugar! I use stevia as a sweetener and it works well for me.
Today most doctors will say that a sugar count below 200 is acceptable. But, the closer you can get to 100 the better! I'm still in the search but if I find something that really does the trick I'll pass it on. I won't promote something I don't trust for myself.
I love the treadmill clip art.=) I bet I am borderline diabetic, but I m not ready to give up my carbs yet. I did scale way back when I was pregnant though. Good bread and sweets are my downfall.
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