If you're like me, you find your blood sugar level very difficult to control, even while eating healthily. While researching the problem, I came across a few ideas to help stabilize blood sugar and gave them a go.
One idea was cinnamon. In a study in Pakistan cinnamon was shown to reduce the overall blood sugar levels, which in turn, prevents the over secretion of insulin that causes problems. It is recommended that pre-diabetic, or type 2 diabetics consume about six grams of cinnamon a day. That is about one and a half teaspoons. That may sound like a lot, but there are many ways to use this spice and shouldn’t result in too much inconvenience. Often the word 'cinnamon' conjures to mind sweet, delicious pastries and apple pies, but there are other ways to use this tasty spice. I always try to eat an apple a day, but recently I've discovered how much more delicious apples are when sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon. Actually I don't sprinkle, I literally coat my slices because it's just so yummy! This works really well with bananas too. I've also started adding cinnamon to my smoothies and yoghurt; vanilla yoghurt is an especially tasty match. If you enjoy honey on toast, sprinkle cinnamon over the top to help prevent a blood sugar peak. This versatile spice is not limited to only sweet creations however, try it sprinkled over boiled, roasted or steamed vegetables, particularly carrot and sweet potato. It is also an important ingredient in many curries, try adding it to your favourite store-bought or home made curry powder or paste for a delicious earthy taste.
Another two studies that caught my eye involved vinegar. Arizona State University conducted a study where they gave subjects 20g of apple cider vinegar before a high carb breakfast. They found that when they took the vinegar before their meal, their blood sugar rose much more slowly than it did when they did not have the vinegar. This shows that apple cider vinegar may help to stabilize the blood sugar and prevent spikes. However, another study at Lund University in Sweden shows that the type of vinegar does not seem to make any difference to the effect. In this study the scientists tested the subjects using gherkins, or dill pickles, which are preserved in vinegar. This study showed the same effect as the Arizona study. This is very promising and I have tried it myself, eating pickles before my meals and I have found it very effective so far. However, one scientist points out that there are commercially available 'vinegar supplements' which purport to contain all the same benefits of vinegar. These so far do not seem to be effective, presumably due to the fact that they do not contain acetic acid, which is theorized to be the active ingredient in preventing blood sugar spikes. Both studies seem to show that the people who get the most benefit from vinegar are pre-diabetic patients, however all test subjects did receive significant benefits.
Vinegar by itself, as you will know, is very strong tasting, and not easy to drink by the spoonful. However there are other ways we can get vinegar into our diet to reap the benefits shown by the above studies. Pickled vegetables are readily available and tasty. Vinaigrettes make a delicious and healthy salad or vegetable dressing and apple cider vinegar can be added to water for a refreshing cool or hot pre-meal drink.
Honey mustard vinaigarette:
3 tablespoons of olive or rice bran oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of wholegrain or dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of liquid honey
1 small clove garlic, crushed
squeeze of lemon juice to taste
dash of salt to taste
Put all ingredients in a glass jar with the lid on and shake, shake, shake. You may want to taste it and adjust the seasonings to suit. Serve with all types of salad and chicken. Yum!!
xxPandy
"Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well." -- Marcus Valerius Martial
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Next stop, Diabetesville!
I am very prone to episodes of low blood sugar (or hypoglycaemia). I’m pretty sure this is due to my weight gain and my diet over the past few years. I'm well on my way to being a diabetic already. I'm probably already there.
Diabetes terrifies me. It is a horrendous disease and, in a way, type 2 diabetes is worse, because it is purely lifestyle induced and totally preventable. Yet many people still let it happen. I’ve known people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, only to get bigger and bigger, go blind, lose their feet, become bed ridden and die. I simply can’t let this happen to me. I have to stop my addiction to food or I will lose my life. My current lifestyle is not compatible with a quality existence.
Stopping, however, is not as easy as it seems. Now that I’ve let myself get to this state, getting out is much more problematic than it was at 80kg, or even 90kg. Now that I get low blood sugar attacks, changing my diet is much more difficult. If I eat breakfast at 7am, I’m shaky and headachy with low blood sugar by 10am and need to eat again. When I exercise, I can’t go more than an hour and a half without an attack. This includes low GI foods. My body has become so accustomed to junk food and frequent binging, that when I try to stop, my body thinks that it’s starving and forces me to eat by dropping my blood sugar.
I once tried Reductil (Meridia), and it did help suppress my appetite, however, I couldn’t tell when my blood sugar was getting low and it ended up hitting me like a tonne of bricks suddenly. I quickly became lethargic, confused, angry and started slurring my words, I also nearly lost consciousness. It was like being on a really bad high, luckily my husband was home and had the presence of mind to make me eat something.
So my new years resolution, is to get my blood sugar under control. Starting with a doctors appointment ASAP
xx Pandy
“To preserve health is a moral and religious duty, for health is the basis of all social virtues. We can no longer be useful when we are not well.” -- Samuel Johnson
Diabetes terrifies me. It is a horrendous disease and, in a way, type 2 diabetes is worse, because it is purely lifestyle induced and totally preventable. Yet many people still let it happen. I’ve known people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, only to get bigger and bigger, go blind, lose their feet, become bed ridden and die. I simply can’t let this happen to me. I have to stop my addiction to food or I will lose my life. My current lifestyle is not compatible with a quality existence.
Stopping, however, is not as easy as it seems. Now that I’ve let myself get to this state, getting out is much more problematic than it was at 80kg, or even 90kg. Now that I get low blood sugar attacks, changing my diet is much more difficult. If I eat breakfast at 7am, I’m shaky and headachy with low blood sugar by 10am and need to eat again. When I exercise, I can’t go more than an hour and a half without an attack. This includes low GI foods. My body has become so accustomed to junk food and frequent binging, that when I try to stop, my body thinks that it’s starving and forces me to eat by dropping my blood sugar.
I once tried Reductil (Meridia), and it did help suppress my appetite, however, I couldn’t tell when my blood sugar was getting low and it ended up hitting me like a tonne of bricks suddenly. I quickly became lethargic, confused, angry and started slurring my words, I also nearly lost consciousness. It was like being on a really bad high, luckily my husband was home and had the presence of mind to make me eat something.
So my new years resolution, is to get my blood sugar under control. Starting with a doctors appointment ASAP
xx Pandy
“To preserve health is a moral and religious duty, for health is the basis of all social virtues. We can no longer be useful when we are not well.” -- Samuel Johnson
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Disciplined Exercise
I’m like most people. I’m not a great fan of exercise. I’m not one of these people who enjoy feeling ‘the burn’. But like most people, I know that I should exercise. I know that I am exceptionally unfit and if I don’t start doing something I’ll die before I meet my grandkids.
Discipline is the only way to move forward in life. Without it, life just flows around us and we stagnate. Discipline is something we are all capable of, but in today’s quick-fix society, it’s something we’re just not inclined to use. It is merely the act to doing something that you don’t really want to do, because you know it’s right. Or, inversely, it is NOT doing something that you want to do, because you know its wrong. For example, you want cake, but you refrain because you know it’s bad for you. Or, as in my case, you’d rather stay in bed, but you go out and exercise instead. The wonderful thing about discipline, is that it allows you to grow (or shrink!). I may be 104kg at the moment. But as long as I stay disciplined, that will change. Maybe you want to learn an instrument, but you don’t try because you think you’re hopeless. Good news: With discipline you WILL learn. It’s a guarantee that costs nothing.
Do you ever see people running or cycling along the road and think, “I could never do that”. Well, I’ve got news for you - that’s a load of crap. You could do that, maybe not tomorrow, but by having a bit of discipline, there is no reason most of us couldn’t get out there and run a few miles given time. I have started on my way. Last night, I cycled at a moderate/fast pace on my exercycle for 30 minutes. It wasn’t easy for a big woman such as myself, but I had decided before starting that I would do 30 minutes and it wasn’t negotiable. Then this morning, I practiced discipline again. I set my alarm for 5am and forced myself to get out of bed and go for a walk. I went down to the sports field and done 10 laps (4 km) as planned. I’m not being unrealistic - I walked - I didn’t run. For me to run at this stage would be like asking a cat to wear roller skates - hilarious, but cruel and potential dangerous. I did force a couple of jogging half-laps, but they just left me a wheezing mess. But I stuck to my 10 lap plan. By lap four, I wanted to stop. By lap 6 I was developing blisters. By lap 8 the shoes had to come off. By lap 10 I was feeling great because I had accomplished what I set out to achieve. I intend to repeat this everyday, and little by little, it will get easier and I will be able to push myself a little more.
Another great thing about my early morning challenge, is that I was home and showered before my two year old was even awake. This was much better than our usual routine of her waking me up by jumping on me and pulling my hair while screaming in my face. I’m all for unexpected bonuses.
xx Pandy
“The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions”-- Stephen R. Covey
Discipline is the only way to move forward in life. Without it, life just flows around us and we stagnate. Discipline is something we are all capable of, but in today’s quick-fix society, it’s something we’re just not inclined to use. It is merely the act to doing something that you don’t really want to do, because you know it’s right. Or, inversely, it is NOT doing something that you want to do, because you know its wrong. For example, you want cake, but you refrain because you know it’s bad for you. Or, as in my case, you’d rather stay in bed, but you go out and exercise instead. The wonderful thing about discipline, is that it allows you to grow (or shrink!). I may be 104kg at the moment. But as long as I stay disciplined, that will change. Maybe you want to learn an instrument, but you don’t try because you think you’re hopeless. Good news: With discipline you WILL learn. It’s a guarantee that costs nothing.
Do you ever see people running or cycling along the road and think, “I could never do that”. Well, I’ve got news for you - that’s a load of crap. You could do that, maybe not tomorrow, but by having a bit of discipline, there is no reason most of us couldn’t get out there and run a few miles given time. I have started on my way. Last night, I cycled at a moderate/fast pace on my exercycle for 30 minutes. It wasn’t easy for a big woman such as myself, but I had decided before starting that I would do 30 minutes and it wasn’t negotiable. Then this morning, I practiced discipline again. I set my alarm for 5am and forced myself to get out of bed and go for a walk. I went down to the sports field and done 10 laps (4 km) as planned. I’m not being unrealistic - I walked - I didn’t run. For me to run at this stage would be like asking a cat to wear roller skates - hilarious, but cruel and potential dangerous. I did force a couple of jogging half-laps, but they just left me a wheezing mess. But I stuck to my 10 lap plan. By lap four, I wanted to stop. By lap 6 I was developing blisters. By lap 8 the shoes had to come off. By lap 10 I was feeling great because I had accomplished what I set out to achieve. I intend to repeat this everyday, and little by little, it will get easier and I will be able to push myself a little more.
Another great thing about my early morning challenge, is that I was home and showered before my two year old was even awake. This was much better than our usual routine of her waking me up by jumping on me and pulling my hair while screaming in my face. I’m all for unexpected bonuses.
xx Pandy
“The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions”-- Stephen R. Covey
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Beginning
Oh first post, how exciting! Well, I'm the Vicious Panda (Pandy for short), and I'm here to document my transformation into a fit, healthy and disciplined machine. I'm currently an incredibly unmotivated sloth like creature, who, like the panda, spends a lot of time eating and sitting and being fat. I weigh 104kg (228lb) and am thoroughly revolting.
I am a compulsive over eater and have been going to Overeaters Anonymous, but have only gotten bigger. The program is fine, but I haven't been working the steps and I find that my group is just a pity party and that's not going to help anyone. Nothing worse than a group of fat women, sitting around talking about how fat they are, and how they are powerless, and how God will save them, while they continue to stuff their faces with donuts. So enough of this "I am powerless" bullshit, I'm taking my power back. Only my decisions have put me where I am, and only my decisions are going bring me back to my ideal weight.
Don't get me wrong, the concepts I have take from OA are very practical, and I intend to utilise the ones that work for me. For example, the food plan is essential for me. Without a daily plan, I will binge, that I know from experience. By writing a list each evening of the food I intend to eat the following day, I take the guess work out of eating and am less likely to make poor decisions. I have also found meditation to be helpful. It is surprising how easily rational thoughts can flow when you let your mind be still.
Discipline is something I have never practised. I'm a quitter and I always have been. I quit whenever things get hard or uncomfortable. I've quit every diet I've ever been on, every exercise regime I've ever tried. I have a violin I haven't touched for 3 years and will have to start from scratch again.
I also make excuses. I can't exercise because I'm too tired and it will make me even more tired. I can't exercise because I have a toddler and I'm too busy. If I hide that candy wrapper in the bottom of the bin, no will know and it will be like it never happened. Excuses are the escape route for all overeaters, because we don't really want to stop eating and start exercising. We just want a magic pill to take away the fat and allow us to continue enjoying our food. We don't want to face reality that we have to put limitations on ourselves, we'd rather just close ourselves off from the world and stuff our faces. Most of us will never face reality until the day they have to smash out a wall in our house just to remove our massive decaying bodies.
I have to change this pattern of my personality or I will never have anything to be proud of. So here I am on day one. I am taking the first step and I will do this if it kills me.
xx- Pandy
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” - Jim Rohn
I am a compulsive over eater and have been going to Overeaters Anonymous, but have only gotten bigger. The program is fine, but I haven't been working the steps and I find that my group is just a pity party and that's not going to help anyone. Nothing worse than a group of fat women, sitting around talking about how fat they are, and how they are powerless, and how God will save them, while they continue to stuff their faces with donuts. So enough of this "I am powerless" bullshit, I'm taking my power back. Only my decisions have put me where I am, and only my decisions are going bring me back to my ideal weight.
Don't get me wrong, the concepts I have take from OA are very practical, and I intend to utilise the ones that work for me. For example, the food plan is essential for me. Without a daily plan, I will binge, that I know from experience. By writing a list each evening of the food I intend to eat the following day, I take the guess work out of eating and am less likely to make poor decisions. I have also found meditation to be helpful. It is surprising how easily rational thoughts can flow when you let your mind be still.
Discipline is something I have never practised. I'm a quitter and I always have been. I quit whenever things get hard or uncomfortable. I've quit every diet I've ever been on, every exercise regime I've ever tried. I have a violin I haven't touched for 3 years and will have to start from scratch again.
I also make excuses. I can't exercise because I'm too tired and it will make me even more tired. I can't exercise because I have a toddler and I'm too busy. If I hide that candy wrapper in the bottom of the bin, no will know and it will be like it never happened. Excuses are the escape route for all overeaters, because we don't really want to stop eating and start exercising. We just want a magic pill to take away the fat and allow us to continue enjoying our food. We don't want to face reality that we have to put limitations on ourselves, we'd rather just close ourselves off from the world and stuff our faces. Most of us will never face reality until the day they have to smash out a wall in our house just to remove our massive decaying bodies.
I have to change this pattern of my personality or I will never have anything to be proud of. So here I am on day one. I am taking the first step and I will do this if it kills me.
xx- Pandy
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” - Jim Rohn
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