I'm writing my third book - “Diabetes Dos & How Tos" and need your help. I'd like to feature a dozen people with just a line or two about something you do that helps you stay healthy living with diabetes.
The book has a number of Dos (steps) to take care of your diabetes, and several recommended ways (How Tos) how to do that.
There are 4 sections: Food Dos, Medical Dos, Fitness Dos and Attitude Dos and at the end of each section I’d like to feature a "How To" from a few people - what you do to manage one of these aspects.
Can you share in just a sentence or two with some detail what you do:
1. To manage to eat healthy? e.g. "I always bring my own food to the airport because that way I can ensure I'm going to eat something healthy."
2. To take care of your diabetes – it can be anything from how you organize your medicines, to reading up on new advances, to preventing or treating hypoglycemia - anything you do that is at all medical related to caring for your diabetes. e.g. "I keep glucose tabs in all my purses and pockets so if I have a low I'm ready for it"
3. To manage to stay fit, or get exercise? e.g., "I work out at Curves three times a week. Being around other people and the inspiring music keeps me going."
4. To keep your stress under control e.g., "I go to a yoga class in my neighborhood once a week, and twice if I can find the time."
You can answer all or any of the 4 questions above. Can you also let me know:
Jonathan Sparks, T2, diagnosed in April 1988. I am 58 years old.
My main thing is attitude. It is tough sometimes but we have got to stay positive. I just started the other D (dialysis) 3 weeks ago. I could easily throw in the towel and say enough is enough. I still work (even though people think I should stop and live off the taxpayers) and I intend to keep on working.
1. Last year, I signed up to run the Chicago Marathon and, in the course of training, was loading on calories, butter, ham, cheese in Egg Beaters and my cholesterol drifted up. I switched to spinach and broccolli a couple of weeks before my biggest running week (not race week unfortunately...) and felt great and figured the perceptible change was from the veggies so I've stuck with them since. I've lost bout 90 lbs (275 then to 185 now...) slowly, mostly reducing carbs so I think that helps too. Recently, I've started putting some "wholer" grains in, Ezekiel bread, etc. so we'll see if that helps...
2. Have something else to do! When I was younger, it was rock and roll and partying, now it's exercise. I had a few years where my main hobby was reading and it didn't really provide the focus that "activities", even perhaps unwholesome ones, did to stay on top of my BG
3. I run 3x/ week and lift/elliptical 3x/ week, on my days off. Sometimes I toss bike rides in too, when it's nice out. I like biking the most but it tends to consume more time?
4. From 2004 (or 5, I'm not sure...)-2009 I studied Tae Kwon Do and found exercising was a great stress reliever. We had to move away from the school I'd trained at so I stopped that but had started running before my black belt test, because everyone said "you'd better start running!" and have kept at that. My job can be pretty stressful but I am very fortunate to live close to 3 excellent trails and within striking distance of some other ones and have what I consider an "adult playground" to run at.
oops, my name's Mike Barry and I have had T1 since 1984 and am now 44. When I was younger, and more debauched, I was skeptical I'd live much past 40 so now it's all the frosting on the cake!
Deborah Kanter, T2, 2 years, 50 yrs old. 1. I buy a variety of vegetables and eagerly try new ones. Salads at my house (or in my lunchbox) make for a colorful plate.
2. Keeping a log of my blood glucose from most days of the week helps me identify fluctuations that merit checking with my doctor about a possible shift in medication or diet.
3. I aim for 30+ minutes of exercise daily, be it walking, tennis, swimming, or a bike ride. When I miss a day, I jot that down in my BG log and avoid doing so again for a week.
4. I go to sleep when I’m tired. Well rested, I wake up ready to handle the day.
1. Eat to live... a simple maddening rule that will drive you nuts but will reward you in spades...
2.Not on meds, don't need them. I use apps for biometrics; Bg's, Blood pressure, food, workouts, adjust for trends as I need. App's are great for problem solving, helped me fix some issues recently! Need more fuel, go figure! never expected that one! :)
3.Bicycle 6 miles, run sprints for 2 miles, bicycle 12 to 15 miles home! Free weights! Winter was interesting, running in -30C weather was fun! Need to work off energy, i go for some running sprints in park!
4. Smile... i use my bicycle to lose it or just run as fast as i can run! feels better!
Finding a balance that works; grub, exercise, trends helped me lose 100 lbs, countless sizes of clothes, Bp under control, Bg's under control, No meds,no hospital ER visits. Nice to have Doc mutter at last visit as he goes over the data, "You're not diabetic!" as he scratches his head. :)
1. I try to exercise on the days that I plan to indugle or treat myself. That way, I've boosted my metabolism to help me process the added sugar.
3. I don't let illness or busy periods derail my exercise regime. I know I can't do all the exercise I want to do, so I just tell myself - "Keep going back." Once, I signed up for a yoga class and was too sick to go to all but the final class. But I didn't give up, and I went when I was able.
I don't have any ideas for 2 & 4. I need some help with that myself.
I'm Kelly Layne, age 33, Type 1/LADA, I've had diabetes for 5 years.
