Mrs. Furious ... Recipes, Rants & Reality: WARNING

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

WARNING

This blog has been proven to be dangerously addictive to some readers. Please be aware that as long as this blog is public, you may feel compelled to read it.

8 comments:

Noah said...: It's your fault for having a public blog. Since it's public, I must read it. It's not my fault for being nosy or prying; in fact, were your blog not public, I wouldn't be so nosy and prying. See? Your fault. This blog - public as it is - can't help but bring out the very worst in me.

This is fun.

Remind me to tell you about my modified Paleo diet, why, and the like. Don't mean to hijack, but this seems to be a bit of an open thread.

See??? Gods, your blog makes me want to talk about ME.; May 7, 2013 at 9:52 AM
sara said...: Mrs. Furious rocks. Squeeze away, please.; May 7, 2013 at 9:57 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Tell me about it! I was just thinking about trying it again but straight up paleo was causing severe constipation... could be too many nuts... never did figure it out. How are you modifying it? and Why? :); May 7, 2013 at 9:57 AM
julie said...: Damn, I thought she was back. I was looking forward to more excitement from the judgey one.; May 7, 2013 at 11:53 AM
Unknown said...: You are so fucking funny.; May 7, 2013 at 1:12 PM
Noah said...: Long story short: my reward for 18 months of heavy "MetCon"-style workouts, running, and diet is a diabetes diagnosis. Awesome.

The good news is that in only 2 1/2 months, I am off of insulin and on a med that keeps my pancreas producing what it has to for me to metabolize sugar again.

Turns out that the best diet for diabetics is the diet I was already headed down: low carb, high protein, low cholesterol and fat. And it turns out the diet that works well with that is: Paleo!

That said, my workouts combined with insulin meant my blood sugar for the past several weeks was hanging a tad above hypoglycemic. So...I modify Paleo to include whole grain stuff. That's great carbs for diabetics, especially since they interact with my digestive systems slower, so they don't spike my sugar high and they keep me from hypoglycemia throughout the day and around workouts.

Also? Cheese. Because I'm just not quitting cheese. And yes, I still enjoy beer. Just not a lot. That'll mess up a diet.

So for the rest of my life, my diet is "that of a guy perpetually losing weight" and a couple mods to Paleo seems, right now, to be working for me.

I'm down to my post Infantry School weight, my glucose is controlled to the point where, again, I'm off insulin, and I'm training for a Tough Mudder (June 29, at MIS).

So this modified Paleo is what is sustaining my workouts and sugar levels. It didn't "cure" me (I know cure is the wrong word, given that even as a Type 2 diabetic, I'm always and forever a diabetic), it is sustaining what "cured" me, which was ultimately diet and exercise discipline. And a healthy dose of fury, which is why I get along so well with the Furious family, because I live every day with a barely-controlled undercurrent of rage.; May 7, 2013 at 11:03 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Smitty,
wow... I'm sorry to hear that... but happy to hear you have been able to treat it so well with diet adjustment. If you don't mind, I have a million questions. I figure there might be someone reading that can relate and might benefit from more detail. How did you find out, at a regular physical or were you not feeling well? Do you have a family history?
Are you having to actually count your carbs now? How often are you eating whole grains? And do you mean literal whole grains (brown rice, etc) or whole grain products like bread?; May 8, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Noah said...: About a month before my regular physical is when I found out. SuperBowl Sunday, I went to bed feeling foggy but mostly fine. I woke up Monday, and couldn't focus on anything further than about 10 feet away. A couple days later, I felt constantly tired. A couple days later, I'd wake up every hour on the hour to pee a bucket (sorry, graphic). A couple days after that, I'd have to drink water WHILE talking just to keep my mouth moist. It was time. I checked into the doc and said "I don't know how, but somehow, I have diabetes," They doubted it, checked my glucose, and BAM. Normal people 2 hours after a meal are in the ballpark of 120-140 mg/dL. I was 514.

I don't have a family history.

We suspect that I have been pre-diabetic for a long time; in fact, my last blood test at my last physical, the doc mentioned I was a "little high" for his liking, but given no family history, he wasn't ready to diagnose yet. So going so long with slightly-elevated glucose levels, and my pancreas telling itself "must...work...harder..." to keep up with sugar levels it was not quite keeping pace with, it gave out. Said fuck it, I'm done. And thus: the sudden spike.

I can get into more detail if you wish about how I brought it back down under control, and how quickly.

On whole grains: they - and carbs - need to be a part of every meal for me, especially since I exercise so aggressively. But some carbs, like white sushi rice or white bread, spike my glucose way up, then crash me later. Whole grain pastas, whole grain breads, whole grain crackers, whole grain chips, pop corn...those I can do, IF I eat the listed serving size. Then I appear to be fine, and have a sustainable and "normal" post-meal and fasting glucose level. So really, my meals are exactly how the new revised "food pyramids" claim is best: heavy on protein and veggies (especially the leafy variety), appropriate serving size of carb, which is best if it's whole grain.

Again, it's because whole grains take longer to break down. That processed crap turns into sugar RIGHT NOW. Whole grain does more slowly over time, giving the insulin, or in my case my body's own natural insulin which it has slowly ramped-up production of, plenty of time to react and digest it approriately.

I am thrilled and happy to answer your or anyone's questions about diabeetus, keeping in mind that it will be biased to my particular condition and reactions. What else do you want to know?; May 8, 2013 at 11:37 AM