Hi, I’m Jodi. Thanks for welcoming me to the community, I'm so happy to be here. I'm an RN, CDE who has been working in the field of diabetes for the past 11 years. You'll soon find out, I have a little bit of a different approach to diabetes education than most clinicians. I try to work with my members as individuals to help them figure out the root cause of their problem rather than focusing on the symptoms of the problem.
The truth is we are all very different people with different needs so it's important to hear a different perspective sometimes. My intention is not to stir up controversy, but to offer an alternative to some people that may be struggling. Below you will see my story and how my different approach came about. (I also like to tell a lot of personal stories)
The most common question I am asked as a health coach is, “What can I eat?” This is a complex question because there’s no standard answer. Plus, we’re consistently being bombarded with conflicting information about what’s healthy and what isn't. Do we count calories? Carbs? Is it as simple as calories in calories out? Is it low-fat, high-carb, low-carb, high-protein, diabetic diet, or glycemic index? With all of this information, it’s no wonder why we can no longer figure out what to eat.
If you have ever been confused about your diet, let me tell you that I was in the same boat a few years ago. I don’t have diabetes, but I think we all struggle with some kind of confusion or little issues that we deal with and don’t know what’s causing them. I tried every different dietary approach out there. It might have worked for a little while, but I never felt good; there was always something that wasn't right.
I was eating a “healthy” diet (or so I thought), yet I couldn't lose weight. I was tired all the time, I had headaches daily, I was always bloated no matter what I ate and my cholesterol was getting higher.
On top of it all, I’m a health coach! I was teaching others about their health and eating patterns, but I couldn't even figure out how to do it for myself.
That was when I decided to look for answers on my own. I did a lot of reading and research. I eliminated all processed foods, grains, and dairy from my diet and replaced them with whole, clean foods like grass fed meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, berries, and plenty of good fats.
Within 2 weeks I noticed a huge difference. I lost weight, my digestive issues had disappeared, I had more energy than ever, my headaches were gone, and my mood improved. Within a month, my cholesterol had dropped 30 points!
It turns out I had a sensitivity to gluten and dairy. Once I removed what was toxic to me from my diet, it eliminated most of the health issues I was having. I felt more confident and in control of what my body needed. Who would have thought that after so many years of trying everything (including medications), I was just a few weeks away from feeling good.
My point is that there is no such thing as a one size fits all eating plan. What works for someone else could be toxic to you. Something in your diet could be the cause of some of the health issues that you have been experiencing for so long.
By figuring that out, you could change the entire direction of your health. That’s why I’m so passionate about what I do. The power you gain when you finally “figure it out” is liberating.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Albert Einstein
I like your attitude & your way of thinking
I grew up in France on a balanced meal
T1 since 1936
Bravo.
"One size fits all" is a non-starter where diabetes is concerned -- period. We have an acronym: YDMV ("Your Diabetes May Vary"). What works perfectly for one person may not work at all for the next. An example chosen at random: Humalog does a great job for millions of people. For me, it does absolutely nothing -- might as well be a placebo.
That rigid single-rule attitude is endemic in health care. You find it in doctors, nurses, CDEs, dietitians, and even organizations like the ADA, who really ought to know better. It's one of the principal reasons PWD struggle with control -- they're trying to apply a formula developed for someone else.
Diabetes management has to be tailored to the individual to have any reasonable hope of success. That applies to everything involved in fighting this war: diet, exercise, medication, stress relief . . . you name it. No one else knows my body like I do, no one else is here 24x7 to manage it, and no one else has to live with the consequences. I need to do what works for me, and that can only be determined empirically. Sorry; that's just how it is.
One of our members (not me) said it best: "If you want to treat diabetes by the book, you need a different book for each diabetic."
Welcome to TuD, Jodi. David, "Your Digestion May Vary" also! I have Celiac Disease (and Type 1 Diabetes), so I eat no gluten. In fact, I have to be very careful about gluten cross-contamination. I have found that taking a good probiotic capsule early in the day, I have no lactose intolerance whatsoever. Without the probiotic, I cannot eat a bit of dairy because of all the unpleasant resulting symptoms.
Makes total sense, Trudy. Physiology is unimaginably complex, and everyone's is different. Until someone comes up with something better, trial and error is the only way to determine the management regime that serves your needs. You do what you need to do, i.e., what works. Good job!
I have heard it said many time here that we are each our own science experiment. A person may never find the level of control they wish if they are not willing to experiment a just little bit.
NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED A DIFFERENT BOOK FOR EACH PATIENT BUT ALSO FOR EACH DAY WHEN LIVING WITH DIABETES
My question is how do we get the "health care professionals" to stop their attitudes of their way or the highway. My 30 years of successful management of my Diabetes ought to count for something. Yet all too often, pump settings are changed willy-nilly cuz that's the way this or that doctor does it. I'm tired of hunting for an Endo practice that respects my experience and perspective.
Artwoman, if you find one send me the name and address.
@artwoman, I’m sorry you’ve had that experience. I think HCP’s mean well but I think sometime’s lose sight of truly listening to what people are telling them. I have tried to change how I interact with my members because I have realized through some personal experiences as well as just talking and more importantly listening to PWD, that guess what, we don’t all fit into “guidelines” as expected ( that goes for people with and without diabetes) and who knows your body better than you? You should be respected for what you have been able to accomplish over the past 30 years. Keep searching there is someone out there that will listen, in the meantime keep doing what you are doing!
While I wouldn't work well on that diet myself I'm glad you figured out what works for you, and that is something a lot of health care professionals either don't fully understand or just don't practice. While my endocrinologist and CDE are pretty good (like I really can't complain when I have excellent blood sugar control and they never are negative to me at all and praise me for figuring out what I needed to do) , I've experienced less than satisfactory treatment in patient at a hospital as far as diabetes management goes because of diet and how they use insulin (IE they feed you like a type 2 even if you're a type 1 and say you can eat whatever you want as long as you know how many carbs are in said food, they use a sliding scale for insulin which may only work for some people (not me I know that much) and I had a nurse try to hold my lantus that was fun) . I think CDEs and endocrinologists in particular need to educate each other as well on how to handle patients with diabetes. Since diabetics are all different, it really all needs to be put into consideration. Apparently patient voices aren't enough.
I think this is an amazing story, it opened my eyes to a lot of stuff I had been struggling with! I do not have diabetes but my husband does and just reading your story has helped me in so many ways! Thank you so much for sharing your story and for sharing what has helped you overcome!