Friday, June 29, 2012

Dieting for Type 2 Diabetes

A few weeks ago, John LaGrace, National Awareness Director for DrugWatch.com, contacted me asking if they could guest post on my blog. Generally, I only post things from others on my blog, if I value and/or believe what they are imparting. This is one of those times. I'm hoping this article will inform, encourage and inspire you to eat for your health and avoid traditional medications, if possible.
~Amy
----


Diet is one of the most important things a person with type 2 diabetes has to think about. About 80 percent of people in the United States with type 2 have the disease because of obesity. That's more than 19 million people. That number only reflects the people who currently have diabetes already. For each of those already diagnosed, there are scores of other people who will one day get diabetes from not watching their diet.

Some doctors believe excess fat desensitizes cells to insulin, and others believe fat in the liver and pancreas keep them from working properly. Regardless of the exact reasons, medical studies show that long-term weight loss is incredibly beneficial to type 2 treatments. Losing more than 5 percent of body weight can dramatically improve symptoms. That's good news, since certain type 2 diabetes medications can be deadly.

The type 2 diabetes pill Actos (pioglitazone) increases the risk of bladder cancer by 83 percent. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a black-box warning on Actos for its other side effect of congestive heart failure. The black-box label is the strongest warning that the FDA uses. They only put it on drugs that can cause life threatening side effects or death. 

Children learn from their parents' example, so the best thing an adult can do to save their child from type 2 diabetes is to keep careful watch over their own diet. Eating foods that are high in fiber and low in fat, especially trans fat, is the tried-and-true staple of a diet built for diabetes. Dieticians recommend eating foods that are low on the glycemic index, so they won't raise your blood sugar too much.

Eating right makes people less dependent on medication and improves diabetes and health in general. Lower blood sugar means fewer clogged arteries. That creates less risk of congestive heart failure and stroke. A better diet will also lower cholesterol and blood pressure. 

Many foods such as bread, rice and potatoes are foods containing carbohydrates that people with diabetes should try to avoid. These foods are full of starches and sugars, which will push blood sugar levels through the roof. An episode of hyperglycemia (extremely high blood pressure) can occur to someone with diabetes, even with just a small portion of these carbohydrates. 
So recognize the importance of diet. Kick the French fries, and get fresh vegetables. It's well worth the trade.

William Richards researches and writes about prescription drugs and medical devices for Drugwatch.com.

Posted by at

Friday, June 8, 2012

Buckwheat Pancakes topped with Butterscotch Walnut-Coconut Butter and Raspberry Compote!

I've been a bit Lackadaisical with my anti-candida diet lately. And I've been enjoying all kinds of "off-limit" treats. And while trying to rid yourself of candida, you do need to be quite strict, I decided that I had been strict for 2 full months and was starting to feel better already. So, I took a hiatus. 

And instead of saying, "Now it's time to get back to the way I should be eating", I'm going to continue to look at my journey with food as just that... a journey. 

When you have to live a life of strict eating, sometimes you need to allow yourself to have something that you know you shouldn't. And you need to eat it without guilt. And thoroughly enjoy it. Make it worth it. It should be, after all, what it is... a treat. Something you occasionally indulge in. Keyword: occasionally.

----

I was craving something sweet and easy to make for lunch, but wanted to stick with the very best ingredients for my health today. So, I tried these.

These pancakes do not disappoint! A wee bit crispy on the outside, but airy and fluffy goodness on the inside. Yum!

Substitutions: 
1 tsp stevia powder, in place of the brown sugar
1 c unsweetened almond milk, in place of the buttermilk/rice/soy milk

Notes:
I did not top mine with the syrup or berries. I topped mine with the two recipes following this one: first with some Butterscotch Walnut-Coconut Butter and then with some Raspberry Compote.

----


Notes:
I have made this recipe twice, two different ways. I have made it where I substituted stevia powder for the lucuma powder and I have made it exactly the way Ricky made it. I have made this in my blender (which is not a high-powered blender) and I have made it in my food processor. While the flavor, both times, was amazing, the consistency of mine does not turn out quite like Ricky's picture. Mine is chunkier and drier. I still love it and I'll still continue to make it, I just wanted you to be aware that it may not be as smooth as Ricky's picture.

----

Sugar-Free Raspberry Compote
This recipe was inspired by the Raspberry Compote that you'll find linked to the cupcake recipe below. I wanted a sugar-free version of the compote.

1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 tsp stevia powder

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a small skillet and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.

----

We had some friends over for a grill out in the backyard. My friend loves all things chocolate and I knew her favorite fruit is raspberries, so when I found this recipe I thought it would be a great treat!

Substitutions:
I wanted to be able to eat the cupcake, too, so I made a few anti-candida diet-friendly substitutions.

Cupcakes:
*apple cider vinegar for white vinegar
*I made my own gluten-free flour blend: 1/2 c brown rice flour + 1/8 c tapioca flour + 3/4 tsp guar gum.
*guar gum for the xanthum gum
*3/4 tsp stevia powder for the sugar
*coconut oil for the vegetable oil

I made all the toppings and served them separately, so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted.

Mint Frosting:
*alcohol-free vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste

Raspberry Compote:
*see Sugar-Free version above

Chocolate Ganache:
*I used my Salted Dark Chocolate Bar recipe, but omitted the salt. I threw the leftover "ganache" in the freezer for a chocolate bar!

Chocolate Cookie Crumbes:

Notes:
This is a really fun dessert, because you get to add whatever you toppings you want. The Mint Frosting was a mild mint flavor and oh-so-good (and no, it's not healthy, sorry!) This dessert can be as "indulgent" as you want or you can just stick to the cupcake and ganache and you've got yourself an anti-candida dessert!


Posted by at

Hormones: The Results Are In

Last month my Dr had me undergo a month long hormone test via saliva.

The results are in.

Before I give you my results and subsequent treatment plan, I need to make a disclaimer. My reason for giving you these results are not to have you go out and mimic my plan. That would be unwise. These are recommendations for my body specifically and are done under a Dr's supervision. The purpose, instead, is awareness of perhaps some products you didn't know existed that you can ask your Dr about, or to perhaps have you asking if you maybe need to get your own hormones checked out.

With that said, here it goes...

I wasn't really that surprised by my results, but I guess I didn't realize that it was truly that bad.

The Results:

  • My progesterone is chronically low throughout my entire cycle and drops quickly again after I ovulate. This should not be happening and is what causes PMS symptoms (contrary to popular belief, PMS symptoms are not normal) and miscarriages.
  • My estrogen is too high throughout my entire cycle.
  • When your reproductive organs aren't functioning properly, your adrenal glands take over. When that happens for too long, your adrenals become taxed and since your adrenals produce DHEA, which then converts into Free Testosterone, those will also be low. Such is the case with me: taxed adrenals, low DHEA and low testosterone.
  • Your FSH Surge must attain a certain level to mediate maturity and selection of the dominant follicle, and promote optimal conversion of androgen to estrogen. My numbers weren't even on the chart, they were so low.
  • The LH Surge must attain a certain threshold to induce, and trigger ovulation to stimulate the formation of a viable corpus luteum for progesterone production. Mine, of course, was low.
  • When your FSH and LH aren't working properly, this can indicate that your brain is not communicating with your ovaries properly.

The Treatment:

Given that everything is messed up, I need to be on much supplementation to correct everything. The main things we need to accomplish are: to naturally clear my body of the excess estrogen while supplementing progesterone. We need to support my adrenals and get my DHEA up (this should then, in effect, increase my testosterone without supplementation). We need to support my brain function to improve communication with my ovaries. Therefore, the following is my new daily regimen (and is equal to a part-time job to try to keep track of!)


These are all in addition to my regular regimen to support my liver, clear my body of candida, and support my digestive system. All of which are usually issues for women with Endometriosis.


As far as diet goes, my Dr has informed me that for women with PCOS, 90% of feeling better is diet. And we're still trying to kill off the candida. So, with those two things in mind, my current diet recommendations are:

  • No Starch / Anti-Candida Diet (low carb fruit is now ok)
  • Small Protein Snack before BED

So, there you have it. Is it any wonder I haven't been feeling well?! I can't wait to start feeling better!

Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)