Living with diabetes

I developed type II diabetes later in life. I was told that the medication I take for my mental health likely caused me to become diabetic. The featured image I chose for this post is of a meal I had a few years ago before diabetes set in. These days I cannot have the chips or the sauce. I have to be very careful about how I eat. I learned that diet soda spikes my blood sugar. I also learned that so called sugar free food spikes my sugar. I keep a journal of what I eat and how it affects my blood sugar. I have to take insulin now to help control my blood sugar. I have decided to cut out all soda diet sugar free and regular soda. I also decided to cut out diet Gatorade. The diet Gatorade is very salty. Since I have made some significant changes to my diet I notice that my blood sugar is slowly improving. I was hyperglycemic for quite some time. Diabetes cannot go untreated something has to give. If I fail to change my diet I could end up losing limbs or going blind. It is a silent killer. These days I check my blood sugar regularly and try to get exercise. I go for long walks. I notice on the days I exercise my blood sugar is lower. I am discovering there is a lot I can have and there is a lot I cannot have. I can eat a handful of potatoes and be okay. Portion control is very important. I love hummus but can only have a little at a time because it is a carbohydrate. I am learning that my body will turn carbs into sugar. Carbs like bread starchy veggies and processed food. I love bread and discovered that if I portion control the amount of bread I have I am okay. The days are gone where I can eat as many carbs as I like and then enjoy ice cream for dessert. I went through a grieving process letting go of sugar. I am addicted to sugar I have a terrible sweet tooth. I have since developed a taste for un-sweet tea which I enjoy now. I enjoy making sun tea. I enjoy coffee black which took some time. That is an acquired taste. As I continue my diabetic journey I will eventually cut out all carbs it’s the only way to go to avoid spikes in blood sugar. It’s a journey and every day I am getting better and stronger. Below are some meals I have made so far that have helped keep my blood sugar low. I snack on sardines now and find them satisfying. I am losing weight which is wonderful. At the age of 53 I am middle aged and struggle with visceral weight beneath my breast area. I look like I am pregnant it’s awful. The weight loss is a welcome side effect of adjusting to a diabetic diet. I heard the Ketone diet is good. All I know is when I eat less carbs and more lean meats with some fruit and veggies I lose weight and have a lower blood sugar to show for it. Thank you for reading this blog post. Living with diabetes is not easy but adjustments can and must be made to make my life more successful and healthy. I discovered I can still eat out but when I get a patty melt get it without the bun. I enjoy an occasional McDonald’s McChicken without the bun. As I continue to adjust my diet I will get better at avoiding foods that spike my blood sugar…I was addicted to caramel iced coffee sweet caramel frappe from McDonald’s. I love their ice cream and was addicted to their grandma Ice cream treat that had butterscotch in it. Giving up sugar is not so bad. I have no choice but to do it. I value being able to go on long walks and being able to see well with the help of my glasses. My vision was blurry for a time when my blood sugar was out of control. A friend of mine who knows I am diabetic made me a chocolate cake for my birthday. With friends like that who need enemies? It was a kind gesture I did eat some but had to discard most of it. My tastes are slowly changing for the better as I adjust to a low to no carb no sugar diet…