Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hand & Hand

Dr. Bernstein's list of what diabetics should not eat
...yeah, okay!
The relation between diabetes and food goes hand in hand.  A couple things reminded me that diabetes is a disease thats focus is more than 50% food.  What we put in our mouths reflects on our meters - there is no sneaking a cookie, have a tiny bite or just having the last piece without consequences.  Yesterday I gave a presentation alongside two of my colleagues about nutrition/diabetes.   I couldn't help but think half of the education that comes along with diabetes is all about what is on our plates.

I am not sure how many people actually follow Canada's food guide - for me, I find it nearly impossible (yet, I know it's not impossible) to follow.  As a student, cooking for one - it's hard to take the time to make a decent meal and cover all bases.   It's much easier sometimes to make something quick which usually doesn't incorporate all of the food groups.   Some may shake their their heads thinking, "but, my oh my, you're diabetic!" but the truth is, we all should be eating healthy, so no one should point blame on diabetics for not eating perfectly all the time...

Later on once I was home I watched an episode of Dr. Phil about bulimia/anorexia two diseases that haunt many teens and young adults.  It was strange, when I turned it on all I heard was, 'low blood sugar' and I assumed it was about diabetes, but realized it was a clip of the girl suffering from anorexia coming out of the E.R because of low blood sugar due to not eating.  As the show went on, I thought more about how teens and bulimia/anorexia is not uncommon within diabetics.

Before I was diagnosed I had the classic symptoms.  The one that made the most impact was weight loss.  I had went from a size 11 to a size 4 in nearly 3 months.  At this time I was working out hard and trying to make healthy food choices, so I was mainly impressed with my rapid weight loss.  I had lost approximately 30 pounds and I was receiving enough compliments to fill my head with air - completely not realizing how sick I truly was.

I loved the attention it brought and I felt good, but deep down I must have known something was up. I was sneaking downstairs at midnight to eat a couple pudding cups and drink juice boxes - hiding the evidence deep down in the garbage.  I wasn't sure what was happening - I was losing weight, but at times I found myself cheating - eating fatty food, craving sugar, drinking juice.    I was confused about food and what it was doing to me. I didn't know that I was sick, how could I have known.

Now that I have been on insulin for three plus years, I have put some of that weight back on.  Rightfully so, I wasn't born to be a skinny girl.  However, of all the symptoms, this weight loss was a blessing - transforming myself from one extreme to another, only to bounce to a comfortable size.  But, we all know that losing weight or trying to cut down doesn't come easy.

Mainly diabetic girls everywhere are finding themselves gaining weight in the regions they put sites or give insulin and finding working out sometimes a pain because of having to eat after because of a low.  The struggle to be a recommended size isn't always a goal easy to maintain; however, the good thing to note is that most people struggle with weight, so when an emphasis is put on diabetics struggle to take off weight, remember how many times your neighbour, friend, Aunt, or co-worker also talked about the struggle of weight loss.

Kayla


1 comment:

  1. Hi Kayla,

    Great post. You are so right that diabetes and food go hand in hand. I struggle a great deal with trying to eat healthy and manage blood sugars. Sometimes I get frustrated that it seems easier to manage blood sugars with the packaged (and therefore less healthy) food than it is with fresh stuff.

    Good topic of discussion.

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