Here's what's up with my T2 and health efforts:
-- I quit my hideous job at the factory, which I'm pretty sure was making me toxic (particulates, volatile chemicals) because my breathing is about 85% better now. Whew. I wish I could get back the $1,000 I spent on co-pays for every test under the sun last fall. Oh, well. At least I know that my ticker is in excellent shape.
-- I cut out a whole lot of stuff from my diet, stuff that I think was not only wreaking havoc with my BG's but also giving me horrible reactive food cravings and making me fatter by the minute, for example:
- Anything with refined sugars of any shape, form or kind (except for emergency-only glucose tabs, which I haven't needed...yet. Of course I will use them if I go hypo and I have them stashed wherever.)
- Anything made with grains or flour of any kind (bread, pasta, rice, cereal, etc.)
- Anything created in a factory out of chemicals. If a scientist devised it, I don't eat it: artificial sweeteners, preservatives, artificial flavorings, artificial colors, nitrates, nitrites, etc. I am trying to buy organic veggies and fruit as possible.
- Anything to drink other than pure water, 1% organic milk or organic herbal (zero caffeine) teas such as camomile or mint. No coffee, black tea, diet sodas, sports drinks, etc.
- If I eat fruit, I eat whole fruit -- not dried fruit, fruit leather, fruit purees, etc. Dr Lustig says that with fruit, "the poison is packaged with the antidote", in other words the water and the fiber (soluble and insoluble) moderate absorption of the fructose in whole fruits enough for our bodies to handle it. I am currently avoiding super-sweet fruits (e.g. white grapes, over-ripe bananas) and focusing on lower glycemic things like berries.
- I'm also avoiding various known-to-me trigger foods, e.g. peanut butter, dairy butter, mayonnaise and any kind of margarine, including the "healthy" kinds (hint: it's not healthy if you go through a tub in two days!)
What's left? Mostly I'm eating veggies, veggies and more veggies, meat and poultry, Greek (pressed) yogurt, eggs, almonds, walnuts, a little fruit, a few beans now and then...and did I mention veggies? I'm using olive oil for cooking and taking a few supplements.
This is working GREAT for me. I haven't had any food cravings after the first few days of detox, my average BG's are dropping nicely, and I've lost eighteen pounds in the past month (the bigger you are, the more you lose, especially at first.) I'm sleeping better, feeling more clear-headed and am much less depressed. I'm playing guitar more, spending more time with friends and cleaning my home from top to bottom.
So that's it. As soon as I recover from my recent slip on the snow, I'll be back to my walking program. If my HMO doesn't kill me off with stressful formulary changes, I think life will be good in 2012. I feel it in my bones. Whew.