Sometimes it's easy to weigh the pros and cons of medical choices we have to make.
Should I take insulin?
It's a synthetic hormone that, if taken at the wrong dose, can be lethal.
Well when you weigh that information against the knowledge that not taking insulin has a 100% chance of killing me, I'm all for it.
Bring on the insulin!
And thank you Doctors Banting and Best for giving me the choice.
Other health decisions are a little less cut and dry.
Should I take calcium?
Pros - it will help reduce the risk of bone density loss, something I am at high risk for and have already shown early signs of.
Cons - the are health risks associated with calcium supplements, include cardiovascular disease risks which, as someone with T1, I am also at risk for.
Should I take a low dose statin?
Pros - it will help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, things I am at risk for as a person with T1.
Cons - there are all sorts of side effects that come with taking statins including, I recently discovered, memory loss. For some reason that one I find particularly disturbing...but I can't remember why.
Should I take iron? Should I take digestive enzymes? Should I take vitamin D? Vitamin K? A multi-vitamin? Low-dose aspirin? A pill whose name I can no longer remember that is supposed to help protect my kidneys? Birth control?
All of the above have been prescribed or strongly recommended by a doctor at some point in my diabetes care. Some I have said yes to, many I have said no. All I have agonized over and still second guess as I pop open the daily pill bottles.
Despite all of the no's, I take three pills when I wake up, one with breakfast, one mid-day and one before bed.
I can only hope that they are doing more good than harm.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Blood Pressure
I had two medical appointments yesterday.
I had an appointment with my family doctor because I went to renew a prescription last week only to discover that I had no more repeats on it. They were nice enough to squeeze me in so I could get another six months' worth of a prescription that I will be taking for the rest of my life (sigh).
While I was there, they checked my blood pressure.
It was 127/72.
They said nothing other than to speak the numbers out loud.
I left, prescription in hand, and headed down the road to my dentist for my 6-month cleaning and check up.
When I got there, they tested my blood pressure.
It was 119/80.
"That's pretty much perfect isn't it?" I asked. "120/80 is the magic number right?"
"No", replied my dental hygienist. "120/80 is the highest you want it to be. So you're just on the edge of too high." "Your heart rate is really low though. It's only 55 beats per minute" she said. And then she proceeded to scrub my teeth within an inch of their life for 45 minutes...which gave me 45 minutes to think.
I realize that blood pressure fluctuates for all sorts of reasons. Stress, movement, time of day, the way they did the blood pressure reading etc.
So I'm not particularly bothered by the difference in my readings.
What I am bothered by is the fact that my family doctor didn't bat an eye at 127/72 (and she is the type to prescribe medication even before it's needed) and my dental hygienist's comment seemed to indicate that I was teetering on the edge of problematic blood pressure.
After CoreFit and a late dinner I went online to do a bit of research. Here is what I learned.
The top number indicates the systolic blood pressure which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is pumping. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure which is the pressure in the arteries in between heart beats. With me so far?
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, low risk blood pressure is a top number below 120 and a bottom number below 80. (uh oh)
Medium risk is a systolic blood pressure of 121-139 or a diastolic blood pressure of 80-89.
High risk is 140+/90. Unless of course you have diabetes and then it's 130/80.
Bloody hell!
I looked up what the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends for lowering blood pressure.
I had an appointment with my family doctor because I went to renew a prescription last week only to discover that I had no more repeats on it. They were nice enough to squeeze me in so I could get another six months' worth of a prescription that I will be taking for the rest of my life (sigh).
While I was there, they checked my blood pressure.
It was 127/72.
They said nothing other than to speak the numbers out loud.
I left, prescription in hand, and headed down the road to my dentist for my 6-month cleaning and check up.
When I got there, they tested my blood pressure.
It was 119/80.
"That's pretty much perfect isn't it?" I asked. "120/80 is the magic number right?"
"No", replied my dental hygienist. "120/80 is the highest you want it to be. So you're just on the edge of too high." "Your heart rate is really low though. It's only 55 beats per minute" she said. And then she proceeded to scrub my teeth within an inch of their life for 45 minutes...which gave me 45 minutes to think.
I realize that blood pressure fluctuates for all sorts of reasons. Stress, movement, time of day, the way they did the blood pressure reading etc.
So I'm not particularly bothered by the difference in my readings.
What I am bothered by is the fact that my family doctor didn't bat an eye at 127/72 (and she is the type to prescribe medication even before it's needed) and my dental hygienist's comment seemed to indicate that I was teetering on the edge of problematic blood pressure.
After CoreFit and a late dinner I went online to do a bit of research. Here is what I learned.
The top number indicates the systolic blood pressure which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is pumping. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure which is the pressure in the arteries in between heart beats. With me so far?
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, low risk blood pressure is a top number below 120 and a bottom number below 80. (uh oh)
Medium risk is a systolic blood pressure of 121-139 or a diastolic blood pressure of 80-89.
High risk is 140+/90. Unless of course you have diabetes and then it's 130/80.
Bloody hell!
I looked up what the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends for lowering blood pressure.
- Eat a low sodium diet (stay under 2,300mg/day) - I don't get anywhere near that number most days. I typically hover around 1,500mg.
- Eat a diet low in saturated fat - again, no problem there.
- Exercise 150 minutes per week - I do several times that most weeks.
- Don't drink more than two alcoholic drinks per day - I hardly drink two per week
- Don't smoke - you couldn't pay me enough to pick up a cigarette
- Keep stress to a minimum - I have a pretty stress-free life most of the time and work hard to keep it that way.
Well, I have six more weeks until my next appointment at the Diabetes Centre. They're really good at answering my questions so I'm sure they'll give me a good sense of a) what my readings mean and b) if I need to do anything about them.
In the meantime, I'll keep on doing all the things I do to stay healthy and I may just pop into the local pharmacy for random blood pressure checks. For research purposes.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Gently Taking the Bull by the Horns
I'm standing on the edge of 2015 looking into the fog, trying to spot any clues of what the year might hold.
My ability to read the future has never been particularly strong so there is no point assuming that it will work this time.
And, to be honest, I prefer to think that life is what you make of it rather than what it makes of you. Don't waste time waiting around for life to do things for you. Just make it happen yo!
So let's grab this 2015 bull by its proverbial horns and steer it in the right direction shall we?
6. Wine should really come with a nutrition label so that I know how many calories in each glass. Once I looked it up I realized that I had better really want that second glass before I pour it. And I had better have gone for a run that morning too.
So 2015 looks like it's shaping up to be a year of paying closer attention to what I eat in addition to paying attention to what I do. Stay tuned as I am sure I'll be nattering on about all the stuff I am learning.
Other goals?
Find my swimming mojo again and get back in the pool.
Be able to call myself a triathlete again. Last summer I did not do one triathlon and I mean to change that this year by doing several.
Two half marathons - minimum.
Do more speaking engagements in the type 1 diabetes world. I did two last year and would love to do 5 or more this year. They are a wonderful way to help others and inspire myself at the same time.
Lose those five pounds I put on last year - slowly, safely and without sacrificing my health or my sanity to do it.
Get my damn golf handicap below 35 by the end of the 2015 season.
And, by adding up all the kilometres I run, walk, swim and bike, I want to make it all the way to Regina, Saskatchewan, via Thunder Bay of course. That's 2747km, 300k farther than last year.
My ability to read the future has never been particularly strong so there is no point assuming that it will work this time.
And, to be honest, I prefer to think that life is what you make of it rather than what it makes of you. Don't waste time waiting around for life to do things for you. Just make it happen yo!
So let's grab this 2015 bull by its proverbial horns and steer it in the right direction shall we?
In 2014, I decided to try a new online program to help me keep track of my activity. It's called Training Peaks and, after a full year of use, I can say with surety that I do like it. I have not signed up for the full version but even the watered down free edition has enough to keep me happy and on track. Getting to see weekly, monthly and annual totals for each activity is ridiculously satisfying and I will be continuing to use it in 2015.
A few days before the beginning of this new year, I decided to try another new program. This one is called My Fitness Pal. I know I know, I'm a little late getting on this bandwagon. After only a few days, I have already come to appreciate the value of this wee app.
I had several reason for trying this app but the main one was to get a better sense of the type and amout of food that I consume every day. As someone with Type 1, I'm pretty good at figuring out how many carbs I consume in a day but I am also pretty abysmal at knowing how much protein, iron, calories, vitamin A or B12 I consume. And, let's be honest here, the fact that I am 5 pounds heavier than I was this time last year is another good reason for me to pay a little more attention.
I've been logging my food and activity for one week already and I have learned that:
1. I easily consume enough fibre every day for two people
2. I don't eat enough protein. In fact I did not eat enough protein even once during that first week.
3. My diet is naturally low in sodium but also naturally high in sugar, most of which comes from all the fruit I eat, especially with breakfast. My Fitness Pal usually starts warning me by lunch time that I am over my sugar quota for the day. And that's before my evening baklava treat.
4. Exercise makes a big difference in terms of the number of calories I can eat in a day. When I run or cycle, the number of extra calories that translates into makes it easy for me to stay within range. When I don't, I have to be more vigilant to avoid going over.
5. Avoiding lows is a great way to avoid overeating and spotting incoming lows early enough to treat them with something nutritious like an apple or a banana is much better than taking in empty sugar calories. I now wince when I have to add two packages of fruit chews to my daily total.
So 2015 looks like it's shaping up to be a year of paying closer attention to what I eat in addition to paying attention to what I do. Stay tuned as I am sure I'll be nattering on about all the stuff I am learning.
Other goals?
Find my swimming mojo again and get back in the pool.
Be able to call myself a triathlete again. Last summer I did not do one triathlon and I mean to change that this year by doing several.
Two half marathons - minimum.
Do more speaking engagements in the type 1 diabetes world. I did two last year and would love to do 5 or more this year. They are a wonderful way to help others and inspire myself at the same time.
Lose those five pounds I put on last year - slowly, safely and without sacrificing my health or my sanity to do it.
Get my damn golf handicap below 35 by the end of the 2015 season.
And, by adding up all the kilometres I run, walk, swim and bike, I want to make it all the way to Regina, Saskatchewan, via Thunder Bay of course. That's 2747km, 300k farther than last year.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
85% isn't so bad
Can you define healthy?
What does it really mean to be healthy?
That your blood test results come back in the acceptable range when you are tested for cholesterol, vitamin b12 levels, A1C and other things?
That your blood pressure falls in the acceptable range?
That your BMI falls in the acceptable range?
That you can run to the corner and back without collapsing? That you can run a half marathon?
That your colour looks good?
That you don't have dark circles under your eyes? That your hair is shiny? That your nails aren't brittle?
That you eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day as well as grains and legumes and kefir and chia seeds?
That you don't smoke? Or drink too much? Or overdo the caffeine or the salt or the sugar?
That you get enough sleep? Or that you don't get too much?
Is healthy about what you do?
Or what you don't do?
Or what the blood test results, the blood pressure results or the BMI results say?
I have been thinking lately about all the things I try to do to be healthy. And all the things that I don't do in order to be healthy.
I was wondering which choices have a greater impact. Does staying in bed an extra 90 minutes make more sense than getting up super early in order to exercise before work? Does sticking to one coffee a day and then switching to herbal tea really make a difference in the great scheme of things?
And does my body know how many times I crave chocolate and yet don't eat it and does that knowledge somehow help justify the times that I do eat it? Kinda like buying something expensive on sale and talking about how much you saved rather than how much you spent?
The other day I downloaded two weeks worth of readings from Rose. Insulin information, continuous glucose monitor information. Basal changes and bolus correction information. I then spent a good amount of time looking at the 40+ pages of information that was generated. I was able to look at every minute of every day to see my blood sugar highs and lows. I was able to look at charts and graphs and everything I looked at seemed to point out all of the times that my blood sugar was below 4.0 or above 10.0.
All I could seem to focus on what the times I was high and the times I was low.
And then, on the last page of the report, there was a lovely pie chart. This pie chart summarized beautifully what percent of the time my blood sugar was below 4.0, above 10.0 and between 4-10.
The results:
below 4.0 = 5% of the time
above 10.0 = 10% of the time
between 4-10 = 85% of the time
I don't know what you think but the fact that I am hanging out between 4-10 85% of the time is pretty damn fabulous in my books.
I think it's too easy to feel bad about the unhealthy choices that we make. The big ones and the little ones. It's easy to feel guilty about having that chocolate bar or going to bed too late or not getting up to exercise before work.
And I think it's important to look at the pie chart. Because while we're busy getting caught up in the unhealthy choices we make, we often overlook all the healthy ones.
And those, my friends, should be celebrated!
What does it really mean to be healthy?
That your blood test results come back in the acceptable range when you are tested for cholesterol, vitamin b12 levels, A1C and other things?
That your blood pressure falls in the acceptable range?
That your BMI falls in the acceptable range?
That you can run to the corner and back without collapsing? That you can run a half marathon?
That your colour looks good?
That you don't have dark circles under your eyes? That your hair is shiny? That your nails aren't brittle?
That you eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day as well as grains and legumes and kefir and chia seeds?
That you don't smoke? Or drink too much? Or overdo the caffeine or the salt or the sugar?
That you get enough sleep? Or that you don't get too much?
Is healthy about what you do?
Or what you don't do?
Or what the blood test results, the blood pressure results or the BMI results say?
I have been thinking lately about all the things I try to do to be healthy. And all the things that I don't do in order to be healthy.
I was wondering which choices have a greater impact. Does staying in bed an extra 90 minutes make more sense than getting up super early in order to exercise before work? Does sticking to one coffee a day and then switching to herbal tea really make a difference in the great scheme of things?
And does my body know how many times I crave chocolate and yet don't eat it and does that knowledge somehow help justify the times that I do eat it? Kinda like buying something expensive on sale and talking about how much you saved rather than how much you spent?
The other day I downloaded two weeks worth of readings from Rose. Insulin information, continuous glucose monitor information. Basal changes and bolus correction information. I then spent a good amount of time looking at the 40+ pages of information that was generated. I was able to look at every minute of every day to see my blood sugar highs and lows. I was able to look at charts and graphs and everything I looked at seemed to point out all of the times that my blood sugar was below 4.0 or above 10.0.
All I could seem to focus on what the times I was high and the times I was low.
And then, on the last page of the report, there was a lovely pie chart. This pie chart summarized beautifully what percent of the time my blood sugar was below 4.0, above 10.0 and between 4-10.
The results:
below 4.0 = 5% of the time
above 10.0 = 10% of the time
between 4-10 = 85% of the time
I don't know what you think but the fact that I am hanging out between 4-10 85% of the time is pretty damn fabulous in my books.
I think it's too easy to feel bad about the unhealthy choices that we make. The big ones and the little ones. It's easy to feel guilty about having that chocolate bar or going to bed too late or not getting up to exercise before work.
And I think it's important to look at the pie chart. Because while we're busy getting caught up in the unhealthy choices we make, we often overlook all the healthy ones.
And those, my friends, should be celebrated!
Monday, July 14, 2014
Welcome to Your New Reality
Type 1 diabetes is often referred to as juvenile diabetes despite the fact that it can strike anyone at any age. This name is one of the many things that contribute to the misconceptions surrounding diabetes.
It leads many people to think that children get one kind of diabetes and it's not their fault and adults get another kind of diabetes and it is their fault.
Last week Doug and I were out golfing. One of the other golfers spotted me checking my insulin pump.
"Oh, is that a pedometer?" they asked.
"Nope" I said, "it's my insulin pump. I have diabetes."
And then I waited for the response. Typically, I would hear something like "oh, I know someone who has a pump" or "my aunt had diabetes" or "how does a pump work?" etc etc.
I don't usually get a look of horror followed by a "wow, that means your diabetes is really bad". It wasn't even a question. It was a statement of fact. My diabetes is very bad. Therefore I must wear an insulin pump.
I responded with a tight-lipped but polite "actually it doesn't mean that at all. My pancreas doesn't work and I need to take insulin in order to live. I just use a pump as a way to get insulin. I could just as easily use needles". I certainly did not expect to hear "yes, but that means that your diabetes must be really bad" in response.
Now I was frustrated. I understand that most people have no idea about diabetes and I don't expect anyone with no experience with it to be an expert. So, while the first comment was hurtful, I don't believe it was intended that way. Once I explained things, I would have hoped that they would have listened and made an attempt to understand. Or at least ask questions. The second comment went from being unintentionally hurtful to something worse. They were judging without knowing and doing it to my face without apparent care for how I might feel about being judged.
The third comment was the final straw for me. "My cousin has diabetes. She really doesn't take care of it. She is on a pump too and it's really bad."
I responded with "the worst thing about diabetes is how unfairly people are judged. You don't really have any idea what your cousin does or doesn't do to take care of herself. Everyone assumes that, if someone has diabetes, it's their fault. Often it's not. And even if someone's lifestyle did contribute to their getting diabetes, it doesn't give anyone the right to judge them."
For anyone who knows me, saying that directly to someone, particularly someone I don't know well, is as close to boiling over that I get. I was furious. I was hurt. And I was grateful for the dark sunglasses that hid the tears of frustration.
As we walked on to the next tee, me struggling to get my emotions under control and her apparently oblivious to the turmoil she created, a voice popped into my head.
It said: welcome to your new reality.
I am no longer a 28 year old newly diagnosed 'juvenile' diabetic.
I am now an almost 40-year old person with diabetes. A person who makes a point not to say "I have type 1". I say "I have diabetes" period. And I am now of an age when people begin to develop type 2. Which means that the assumption more and more is going to be that I have diabetes because I did something wrong. And I am on insulin because it's really bad.
I have a feeling I am going to be spending more and more time trying to teach people that a) the fact that I'm on a pump is awesome, not awful and b) that it's just not ok to judge people, no matter how much someone thinks they 'know' about diabetes.
It leads many people to think that children get one kind of diabetes and it's not their fault and adults get another kind of diabetes and it is their fault.
Last week Doug and I were out golfing. One of the other golfers spotted me checking my insulin pump.
"Oh, is that a pedometer?" they asked.
"Nope" I said, "it's my insulin pump. I have diabetes."
And then I waited for the response. Typically, I would hear something like "oh, I know someone who has a pump" or "my aunt had diabetes" or "how does a pump work?" etc etc.
I don't usually get a look of horror followed by a "wow, that means your diabetes is really bad". It wasn't even a question. It was a statement of fact. My diabetes is very bad. Therefore I must wear an insulin pump.
I responded with a tight-lipped but polite "actually it doesn't mean that at all. My pancreas doesn't work and I need to take insulin in order to live. I just use a pump as a way to get insulin. I could just as easily use needles". I certainly did not expect to hear "yes, but that means that your diabetes must be really bad" in response.
Now I was frustrated. I understand that most people have no idea about diabetes and I don't expect anyone with no experience with it to be an expert. So, while the first comment was hurtful, I don't believe it was intended that way. Once I explained things, I would have hoped that they would have listened and made an attempt to understand. Or at least ask questions. The second comment went from being unintentionally hurtful to something worse. They were judging without knowing and doing it to my face without apparent care for how I might feel about being judged.
The third comment was the final straw for me. "My cousin has diabetes. She really doesn't take care of it. She is on a pump too and it's really bad."
I responded with "the worst thing about diabetes is how unfairly people are judged. You don't really have any idea what your cousin does or doesn't do to take care of herself. Everyone assumes that, if someone has diabetes, it's their fault. Often it's not. And even if someone's lifestyle did contribute to their getting diabetes, it doesn't give anyone the right to judge them."
For anyone who knows me, saying that directly to someone, particularly someone I don't know well, is as close to boiling over that I get. I was furious. I was hurt. And I was grateful for the dark sunglasses that hid the tears of frustration.
As we walked on to the next tee, me struggling to get my emotions under control and her apparently oblivious to the turmoil she created, a voice popped into my head.
It said: welcome to your new reality.
I am no longer a 28 year old newly diagnosed 'juvenile' diabetic.
I am now an almost 40-year old person with diabetes. A person who makes a point not to say "I have type 1". I say "I have diabetes" period. And I am now of an age when people begin to develop type 2. Which means that the assumption more and more is going to be that I have diabetes because I did something wrong. And I am on insulin because it's really bad.
I have a feeling I am going to be spending more and more time trying to teach people that a) the fact that I'm on a pump is awesome, not awful and b) that it's just not ok to judge people, no matter how much someone thinks they 'know' about diabetes.
Friday, March 21, 2014
When Ted Talks - Listen
Last weekend, on a drive up to Toronto, Doug and I were listening to the radio. Most specifically, we were listening to a Ted Talk about health care. The person speaking was a young lady who had been doing some kind of internship in a medical centre. While she was there, she asked the doctors all sorts of questions. One question in particular changed everything.
She asked the doctors what they would do if they could change the way they provided service.
The doctors said that they would take more time with each patient to find out what they really needed. The said that they were frustrated with having to prescribe antibiotics for someone with recurring infections or inhaler refills for a child whose asthma is triggered by cold...knowing that the family could not afford to pay their heating bills. They were so busy that all they did was write prescriptions to treat the condition, not solve the underlying issue.
It was about getting people healthy. Not keeping people healthy.
This girl took it upon herself to change how the clinic worked and the interview was about the changes that had been made.
Now, when a patient comes in, the first person they meet with asks them all sorts of questions. Not questions about their health but questions about their lives. Questions like "do you run out of food before the end of the month? Do you life in a safe place? Do you have trouble paying your utility bills? Do you have access to fresh fruits and vegetables?".
They then meet with the doctor for the medical reason they came about (ex. refills for their child's asthma inhaler).
The doctor then writes a prescription. Or two. Or three.
They write a prescription for refills but they might also write one for heat. Or fresh produce.
The person is then sent to the last stop - to meet with a highly trained community advocate that helps connect them to community resources. Resources such as a local food bank. Or a community garden. Other times, they advocate for the person by calling the heating company to apply for reduced billing due to low income.
The clinic now gets people healthy again and then helps keep them that way.
Pretty amazing stuff eh?
I took notes in the car as we drove. It got me thinking about the presentation I'm doing in a few weeks at a conference on diabetes. To diabetes doctors. And nurses. And dieticians. And all sorts of other people who help people like us.
I don't think it's realistic to ask them to prescribe heat and fresh veggies to people they support but I do think it's a pretty powerful message to ask them to really think about the person sitting in front of them. As a whole person. With life challenges and stressors and children at home and work deadlines and unpaid bills and depression and whatever else that person in front of them might have hidden in their back pocket.
Health care has got to be about more than the label of illness and the test results. It should be about helping people to get healthy and, more importantly, helping them stay that way.
She asked the doctors what they would do if they could change the way they provided service.
The doctors said that they would take more time with each patient to find out what they really needed. The said that they were frustrated with having to prescribe antibiotics for someone with recurring infections or inhaler refills for a child whose asthma is triggered by cold...knowing that the family could not afford to pay their heating bills. They were so busy that all they did was write prescriptions to treat the condition, not solve the underlying issue.
It was about getting people healthy. Not keeping people healthy.
This girl took it upon herself to change how the clinic worked and the interview was about the changes that had been made.
Now, when a patient comes in, the first person they meet with asks them all sorts of questions. Not questions about their health but questions about their lives. Questions like "do you run out of food before the end of the month? Do you life in a safe place? Do you have trouble paying your utility bills? Do you have access to fresh fruits and vegetables?".
They then meet with the doctor for the medical reason they came about (ex. refills for their child's asthma inhaler).
The doctor then writes a prescription. Or two. Or three.
They write a prescription for refills but they might also write one for heat. Or fresh produce.
The person is then sent to the last stop - to meet with a highly trained community advocate that helps connect them to community resources. Resources such as a local food bank. Or a community garden. Other times, they advocate for the person by calling the heating company to apply for reduced billing due to low income.
The clinic now gets people healthy again and then helps keep them that way.
Pretty amazing stuff eh?
I took notes in the car as we drove. It got me thinking about the presentation I'm doing in a few weeks at a conference on diabetes. To diabetes doctors. And nurses. And dieticians. And all sorts of other people who help people like us.
I don't think it's realistic to ask them to prescribe heat and fresh veggies to people they support but I do think it's a pretty powerful message to ask them to really think about the person sitting in front of them. As a whole person. With life challenges and stressors and children at home and work deadlines and unpaid bills and depression and whatever else that person in front of them might have hidden in their back pocket.
Health care has got to be about more than the label of illness and the test results. It should be about helping people to get healthy and, more importantly, helping them stay that way.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Just a Spoonful of Sugar...or Ten
Is it just me or has anybody else been reading and hearing a lot lately about how sugar is really bad for us?
I'm not talking about natural fruit sugars. I'm talking about the stuff that food manufactures put in things like pop and chocolate bars and pasta sauce and frosted breakfast cereals and bagels.
Yesterday, on my drive home, CBC radio was doing an interview with someone (I'm sorry but I don't remember who) and they said that, ideally, people should eat no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar per day. Less would be better but they realize how difficult it would be to even keep people to 10. They said that was the equivalent of one can of pop and one package of ketchup.
I don't drink pop - ever. Even as a kid I hated anything carbonated so pop is not a weakness of mine. Neither is juice which I dislike and will only drink to treat a low.
I do however have a few treats that I enjoy regularly and look forward to. For example, most nights after dinner, I sip a glass of red wine (dry, not sweet I swear!) and nibble on a few squares of chocolate. I start thinking about that chocolate sometime around 2pm. I eat it one little square at a time and it can take a half hour to eat all six little squares. I don't eat that chocolate. I savour it.
A few squares of chocolate certainly won't tip the scales on the daily sugar quota.
Oh, but wait, that's right. I have diabetes. And, like it or not, I eat all sorts of sugar. Even when I don't want it. Because, if I don't eat sugar when I need to, I will quickly end up in big big trouble.
Question: Does it count towards the 10 teaspoon limit if we don't actually want to eat the sugar?
Totally not fair!
I must admit that Dexter has been great at helping me cut down on the crappy sugars that do nothing for my health other than raise my blood sugar. For example: Dex 4s. They're wonderful at getting me out of a dangerous low but it's not like they're high in Omega 3s or iron or anything that can help justify buying them in the quantity that I do. They're just empty calories that I sometimes eat by the handful at 3am.
With Dexter, particularly during the day, I'm often able to spot a low coming on long before it arrives. When that's the case, I treat it with something a little healthier like dates, a banana or an apple. I can do that because I have enough warning and there is time to digest it and have it enter my bloodstream before I get in trouble. Still though, I do have lows that I can't treat that way and still end up eating packages of fruit chews, Dex 4s and drinking juice boxes. Sugar that I don't want. Sugar that the news reports are increasing telling me is bad bad bad for my health.
Funny how something that saves my life regularly is so darn bad for me.
I guess it could be worse.
Imagine if the only way to treat a low was to smoke a cigarette?
I'm not talking about natural fruit sugars. I'm talking about the stuff that food manufactures put in things like pop and chocolate bars and pasta sauce and frosted breakfast cereals and bagels.
Yesterday, on my drive home, CBC radio was doing an interview with someone (I'm sorry but I don't remember who) and they said that, ideally, people should eat no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar per day. Less would be better but they realize how difficult it would be to even keep people to 10. They said that was the equivalent of one can of pop and one package of ketchup.
I don't drink pop - ever. Even as a kid I hated anything carbonated so pop is not a weakness of mine. Neither is juice which I dislike and will only drink to treat a low.
I do however have a few treats that I enjoy regularly and look forward to. For example, most nights after dinner, I sip a glass of red wine (dry, not sweet I swear!) and nibble on a few squares of chocolate. I start thinking about that chocolate sometime around 2pm. I eat it one little square at a time and it can take a half hour to eat all six little squares. I don't eat that chocolate. I savour it.
A few squares of chocolate certainly won't tip the scales on the daily sugar quota.
Oh, but wait, that's right. I have diabetes. And, like it or not, I eat all sorts of sugar. Even when I don't want it. Because, if I don't eat sugar when I need to, I will quickly end up in big big trouble.
Question: Does it count towards the 10 teaspoon limit if we don't actually want to eat the sugar?
Totally not fair!
I must admit that Dexter has been great at helping me cut down on the crappy sugars that do nothing for my health other than raise my blood sugar. For example: Dex 4s. They're wonderful at getting me out of a dangerous low but it's not like they're high in Omega 3s or iron or anything that can help justify buying them in the quantity that I do. They're just empty calories that I sometimes eat by the handful at 3am.
With Dexter, particularly during the day, I'm often able to spot a low coming on long before it arrives. When that's the case, I treat it with something a little healthier like dates, a banana or an apple. I can do that because I have enough warning and there is time to digest it and have it enter my bloodstream before I get in trouble. Still though, I do have lows that I can't treat that way and still end up eating packages of fruit chews, Dex 4s and drinking juice boxes. Sugar that I don't want. Sugar that the news reports are increasing telling me is bad bad bad for my health.
Funny how something that saves my life regularly is so darn bad for me.
I guess it could be worse.
Imagine if the only way to treat a low was to smoke a cigarette?
Monday, November 25, 2013
Blood Test Results
Last Friday, on my much-needed day off, I headed over to the naturopath for my follow-up appointment.
I went in full of questions and left full of things to think about.
First of all, I got my blood work results back. After complaining about fatigue, I had been sent for the following blood tests:
- iron
- ferritin (think of ferritin like my iron stores)
- vitamin d
- vitamin b12
- thyroid
Being low in any of these things can result in fatigue so it was worth checking out. I figured I'd be low in iron, low in ferritin and wouldn't have been surprised to find out everything else was low too.
Instead, my iron was fine, my ferritin was fine, my vitamin d was fine, my thyroid was fine and my B12 levels were the highest he's ever seen in someone who is not getting B12 injections.
Well wasn't that nice to hear on a cold Friday morning in November? I asked if I was too high and he said no. Just higher than he is used to seeing. I asked how that was possible since I don't take extra B12 or do anything special to try to get it in my diet. He said I might just be absorbing it really well from my VEGA powder or my multivitamin. Whatever the reason, the blood results were fine which means I have a few less things to worry about.
He then told me that he thinks he figured out that weird thing that happens in my ears when I run. He said it was called 'exercise-induced eustachian tube disfunction'. A long name to be sure but it's not dangerous or problematic. On the other hand, there isn't much we can do to prevent it from happening either. It happens when I run for over an hour and goes away when I stop running. If I start up again, it comes back almost immediately. In my body's struggle to deal with it, it also affects my breathing and I find myself gasping for breath for a few minutes once I do stop.
(For the record, I googled it when I went home and read all about it. Sounds exactly like what I am struggling with. My GP, diabetes doc and my ear nose and throat specialist couldn't figure it out - I'm impressed my naturopath did and that he did it so quickly.)
So I have a diagnosis for my ears and confirmation that my blood test results were good. So what's up with the fatigue you ask?
Here's where things took a turn and I left the appointment with a lot to think about.
"Eustachian Tube Disfunction can sometimes be related to food allergies. So can unexplained fatigue. You're probably not going to want to hear this but I'm going to recommend you try an elimination diet to see if you have any food allergies."
What??!?
He talked about the four most common food allergies (dairy, wheat, eggs and soy) and suggested that, ideally, I would eliminate all of them from my diet for six weeks and then reintroduce them one at a time. "If you're not willing to do that, at least try wheat and dairy."
Bleh!
I drove home and thought about it. I told Doug what the doctor suggested and we talked about it. I thought about it some more.
Pros: if I really do have a food allergy, doing this might help me identify it, make changes to my diet and feel better overall. Not that I feel bad - I just have ears that plug up on long runs and I personally think I'm more tired than I should be given the amount of sleep I get.
Cons: I turn my diet upside down for six weeks. Just in time for Christmas. I wouldn't be able to eat out (easily anyway), I'd have to rethink every meal I eat, I'd be the most annoying dinner guest ever (did I mention Christmas is coming?) and I'd be pretty annoying to live with because every meal would potentially involve two meals and a lot of discussion to ensure all my allergens are avoided. And for what? I have no other reasons to think I have food allergy so it could all be for not.
I did think about doing it after Christmas but we're traveling in February, spending a week with friends, and doing things throughout the year that would never make it easy to find a six-week chunk of time where I can eat every meal at home without too much fuss.
Don't get me wrong. If I had a legitimate food allergy, I'd make all the dietary changes I needed to make to be healthy. But, because all of this is hypothetical, I'm really hesitant.
So, after a weekend of thought, I emailed my naturopath. I said I would continue with everything else he recommended, I'd increase my veggie intake, perhaps cut down, when reasonable, on my wheat, soy, eggs and dairy but I would not be doing the elimination diet at this time.
I felt both relieved and disappointed as I hit 'send'. I also felt like a tiny bit like a jerk since I went to him for advice but didn't take it. It is, however, my life and, ultimately, I need to make the choices that make the most sense for all involved.
So I did.
I went in full of questions and left full of things to think about.
First of all, I got my blood work results back. After complaining about fatigue, I had been sent for the following blood tests:
- iron
- ferritin (think of ferritin like my iron stores)
- vitamin d
- vitamin b12
- thyroid
Being low in any of these things can result in fatigue so it was worth checking out. I figured I'd be low in iron, low in ferritin and wouldn't have been surprised to find out everything else was low too.
Instead, my iron was fine, my ferritin was fine, my vitamin d was fine, my thyroid was fine and my B12 levels were the highest he's ever seen in someone who is not getting B12 injections.
Well wasn't that nice to hear on a cold Friday morning in November? I asked if I was too high and he said no. Just higher than he is used to seeing. I asked how that was possible since I don't take extra B12 or do anything special to try to get it in my diet. He said I might just be absorbing it really well from my VEGA powder or my multivitamin. Whatever the reason, the blood results were fine which means I have a few less things to worry about.
He then told me that he thinks he figured out that weird thing that happens in my ears when I run. He said it was called 'exercise-induced eustachian tube disfunction'. A long name to be sure but it's not dangerous or problematic. On the other hand, there isn't much we can do to prevent it from happening either. It happens when I run for over an hour and goes away when I stop running. If I start up again, it comes back almost immediately. In my body's struggle to deal with it, it also affects my breathing and I find myself gasping for breath for a few minutes once I do stop.
(For the record, I googled it when I went home and read all about it. Sounds exactly like what I am struggling with. My GP, diabetes doc and my ear nose and throat specialist couldn't figure it out - I'm impressed my naturopath did and that he did it so quickly.)
So I have a diagnosis for my ears and confirmation that my blood test results were good. So what's up with the fatigue you ask?
Here's where things took a turn and I left the appointment with a lot to think about.
"Eustachian Tube Disfunction can sometimes be related to food allergies. So can unexplained fatigue. You're probably not going to want to hear this but I'm going to recommend you try an elimination diet to see if you have any food allergies."
What??!?
He talked about the four most common food allergies (dairy, wheat, eggs and soy) and suggested that, ideally, I would eliminate all of them from my diet for six weeks and then reintroduce them one at a time. "If you're not willing to do that, at least try wheat and dairy."
Bleh!
I drove home and thought about it. I told Doug what the doctor suggested and we talked about it. I thought about it some more.
Pros: if I really do have a food allergy, doing this might help me identify it, make changes to my diet and feel better overall. Not that I feel bad - I just have ears that plug up on long runs and I personally think I'm more tired than I should be given the amount of sleep I get.
Cons: I turn my diet upside down for six weeks. Just in time for Christmas. I wouldn't be able to eat out (easily anyway), I'd have to rethink every meal I eat, I'd be the most annoying dinner guest ever (did I mention Christmas is coming?) and I'd be pretty annoying to live with because every meal would potentially involve two meals and a lot of discussion to ensure all my allergens are avoided. And for what? I have no other reasons to think I have food allergy so it could all be for not.
I did think about doing it after Christmas but we're traveling in February, spending a week with friends, and doing things throughout the year that would never make it easy to find a six-week chunk of time where I can eat every meal at home without too much fuss.
Don't get me wrong. If I had a legitimate food allergy, I'd make all the dietary changes I needed to make to be healthy. But, because all of this is hypothetical, I'm really hesitant.
So, after a weekend of thought, I emailed my naturopath. I said I would continue with everything else he recommended, I'd increase my veggie intake, perhaps cut down, when reasonable, on my wheat, soy, eggs and dairy but I would not be doing the elimination diet at this time.
I felt both relieved and disappointed as I hit 'send'. I also felt like a tiny bit like a jerk since I went to him for advice but didn't take it. It is, however, my life and, ultimately, I need to make the choices that make the most sense for all involved.
So I did.
Monday, November 11, 2013
What Our Bodies Tell Us
When I checked into the hospital 11 years ago I had lost a lot of weight and was looking pretty awful. I was newly (as in less than two hours before) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. An endocrinologist was assigned to me. He came to visit me in my room and we chatted for a few minutes.
He then stood at the foot of my bed and asked me to look at him.
I did.
He asked me to turn my head to face the window.
I did.
He announced that I was severely dehydrated.
"How do you know?" I asked, thinking that I drank more water at that point that the rest of my family combined.
"Your nose" he replied.
He had never seen me before so had no idea what my nose normally looked like. But he was able to, correctly, determine that I was severely dehydrated based on what it looked like. He transferred me to Intensive Care, put me on insulin and looked at my nose every time he came to visit. Within a few days, he was happy with how it had 'filled out'.
I have known people whose doctors have diagnosed a deficiency in one thing or another by looking at their fingernails and the ridges that formed there. Horizontal ridges mean on thing, vertical ones mean another.
I find that kind of stuff fascinating.
It's obviously not going to work with every possible diagnosis but our bodies tell us much more than we realize.
The other night I was telling my sister that my naturopath put me on digestive enzymes. She laughs and said that her naturopath did the same for her.
"Did he look at your tongue?" she asked.
No.
Apparently the colour of one's tongue gives a good indication of their digestive prowess. A rich, red colour means, as she puts it, a person can digest a tin can. A pale tongue means that they have difficulty digesting food that isn't cooked.
At a yoga retreat she attended a few years ago, everyone had to show their tongues and they were told what percentage of their diets should be raw and what percentage should be cooked. So interesting.
It sounds part voodoo but also makes sense. My tongue, like my sister's, was pretty pale when we compared to others around us. I do have difficulty with large amounts of uncooked veggies and, like her, would probably have been put on a 90% cooked diet at that yoga retreat. Even the fruit was cooked, just a bit, to help aid in the digestion.
Noses, tongues, fingernails. I'm guessing I haven't scratched the surface on the little hints our bodies give as to how they are doing.
He then stood at the foot of my bed and asked me to look at him.
I did.
He asked me to turn my head to face the window.
I did.
He announced that I was severely dehydrated.
"How do you know?" I asked, thinking that I drank more water at that point that the rest of my family combined.
"Your nose" he replied.
He had never seen me before so had no idea what my nose normally looked like. But he was able to, correctly, determine that I was severely dehydrated based on what it looked like. He transferred me to Intensive Care, put me on insulin and looked at my nose every time he came to visit. Within a few days, he was happy with how it had 'filled out'.
I have known people whose doctors have diagnosed a deficiency in one thing or another by looking at their fingernails and the ridges that formed there. Horizontal ridges mean on thing, vertical ones mean another.
I find that kind of stuff fascinating.
It's obviously not going to work with every possible diagnosis but our bodies tell us much more than we realize.
The other night I was telling my sister that my naturopath put me on digestive enzymes. She laughs and said that her naturopath did the same for her.
"Did he look at your tongue?" she asked.
No.
Apparently the colour of one's tongue gives a good indication of their digestive prowess. A rich, red colour means, as she puts it, a person can digest a tin can. A pale tongue means that they have difficulty digesting food that isn't cooked.
At a yoga retreat she attended a few years ago, everyone had to show their tongues and they were told what percentage of their diets should be raw and what percentage should be cooked. So interesting.
It sounds part voodoo but also makes sense. My tongue, like my sister's, was pretty pale when we compared to others around us. I do have difficulty with large amounts of uncooked veggies and, like her, would probably have been put on a 90% cooked diet at that yoga retreat. Even the fruit was cooked, just a bit, to help aid in the digestion.
Noses, tongues, fingernails. I'm guessing I haven't scratched the surface on the little hints our bodies give as to how they are doing.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Colour of Bone Density
Ever notice that, when things are going well, you don't notice them?
Probably not.
It's ok. Most people don't.
Notice them I mean.
Like I don't notice when my iron levels are fine. Or when my skin isn't dry and itchy. Or when I'm not feeling nauseous.
But I sure as heck notice when my iron is low, when my skin is cracking or when my stomach is turning. And I do everything I can to bring things back to their happy place as quickly as possible...and then I don't notice them again.
Until they're no longer in a happy place.
The other night, I got to thinking about my bone density. And all the calcium and vitamin D that I've been mainlining for the past few months. And I wondered if I would ever really know if all these white pills were making a difference.
See, I didn't notice my bone density before I found out it was low(er). Everything felt fine, I ate my yogurt, and my body did what I asked it to do.
Then my shin fractured and my foot broke (well, it cracked really) and I began to pay attention to my bone density. Actually that's not really accurate. I got other people to pay attention to my bone density - namely my doctors. One bone density scan later confirmed that I was a little less dense than I should be.
(Shut up. Don't say a word. I know what you're thinking.)
Ever since I've been taking calcium and vitamin D twice a day. Every day.
Is it making a difference? How the heck would I know. My bones felt fine before. They feel fine now. Sometimes I think they feel a little stronger. More dense perhaps. And then I think that is more in my head than in my bones. There is no way I would feel the difference. Plus will there ever really be a difference?
Let's face it. I'm already past the age when my body builds my bones. I'm now at the age when I have to fight not to lose calcium. So, as far as I understand, all this calcium won't add a thing to my bones. It will just stop them from becoming less dense. Does it mean I will still be prone to stress fractures? I'm betting that answer is a yes. Does it mean that I am as dense today as I will ever be in the future? Again, probably yes.
You know what I wish? I wish that our bodies gave us really clear signs when things were 'off' instead of sitting quietly while our bones turn to swiss cheese. Wouldn't it be nice if we turned blue when we weren't getting enough calcium. Or our hair turned pink when our iron is low. No more of this being completely oblivious while our body systems are off kilter nonsense.
"And another thing" she says as she wags her finger. "I want my body to tell me why I feel a certain way". "Don't just feel nauseated and expect me to guess why. Tell me. Make my eyes turn yellow if I'm getting the stomach flu, my finger nails be covered in polka-dots when I have food poisoning or my stomach to flash red when I've had a too much goat cheese"
It would make things much easier don't you think?
Plus there would be no more faking. If someone was feeling off, the world would know because they would be flashing all sorts of colours. We could even match our outfits to our illnesses.
We could pull out that special top we were saving because it matches beautifully with our orange and green "I have a migraine" complexion.
See if you can figure out what's up with her.
Probably not.
It's ok. Most people don't.
Notice them I mean.
Like I don't notice when my iron levels are fine. Or when my skin isn't dry and itchy. Or when I'm not feeling nauseous.
But I sure as heck notice when my iron is low, when my skin is cracking or when my stomach is turning. And I do everything I can to bring things back to their happy place as quickly as possible...and then I don't notice them again.
Until they're no longer in a happy place.
The other night, I got to thinking about my bone density. And all the calcium and vitamin D that I've been mainlining for the past few months. And I wondered if I would ever really know if all these white pills were making a difference.
See, I didn't notice my bone density before I found out it was low(er). Everything felt fine, I ate my yogurt, and my body did what I asked it to do.
Then my shin fractured and my foot broke (well, it cracked really) and I began to pay attention to my bone density. Actually that's not really accurate. I got other people to pay attention to my bone density - namely my doctors. One bone density scan later confirmed that I was a little less dense than I should be.
(Shut up. Don't say a word. I know what you're thinking.)
Ever since I've been taking calcium and vitamin D twice a day. Every day.
Is it making a difference? How the heck would I know. My bones felt fine before. They feel fine now. Sometimes I think they feel a little stronger. More dense perhaps. And then I think that is more in my head than in my bones. There is no way I would feel the difference. Plus will there ever really be a difference?
Let's face it. I'm already past the age when my body builds my bones. I'm now at the age when I have to fight not to lose calcium. So, as far as I understand, all this calcium won't add a thing to my bones. It will just stop them from becoming less dense. Does it mean I will still be prone to stress fractures? I'm betting that answer is a yes. Does it mean that I am as dense today as I will ever be in the future? Again, probably yes.
You know what I wish? I wish that our bodies gave us really clear signs when things were 'off' instead of sitting quietly while our bones turn to swiss cheese. Wouldn't it be nice if we turned blue when we weren't getting enough calcium. Or our hair turned pink when our iron is low. No more of this being completely oblivious while our body systems are off kilter nonsense.
"And another thing" she says as she wags her finger. "I want my body to tell me why I feel a certain way". "Don't just feel nauseated and expect me to guess why. Tell me. Make my eyes turn yellow if I'm getting the stomach flu, my finger nails be covered in polka-dots when I have food poisoning or my stomach to flash red when I've had a too much goat cheese"
It would make things much easier don't you think?
Plus there would be no more faking. If someone was feeling off, the world would know because they would be flashing all sorts of colours. We could even match our outfits to our illnesses.
We could pull out that special top we were saving because it matches beautifully with our orange and green "I have a migraine" complexion.
See if you can figure out what's up with her.
Looks like low iron to me. And perhaps a wee case of the reaping. Maybe a low grade district 12 fever.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
What Exactly IS a Naturopath Anyway?
Anyone out there ever been to a naturopath?
I haven't.
In fact I'm not totally clear on what exactly a naturopath does. I know that they can order tests to check for food allergies. I know they look at a person's overall health, lifestyle, eating habits etc and can make recommendations of things to start doing or to stop doing. I know of people who have had food intolerances or allergies diagnosed by a naturopath when no one else could figure it out.
There's a bit of a void in my knowledge however and I have to work hard not to let words like 'tincture', 'garlic pills' and 'remove all sugar, caffeine and alcohol from your diet' prejudice my thinking.
There has been some naturopath talk around the office this week. We do have coverage under our work benefits but none of us have ever gone to see one. The more I think about it, the more I'm intrigued. I mean really, what's the worst that can happen?
I bring in three days of food and drink intake and the naturopath gasps in horror? Recommends that I cut down my one cup of coffee per day? My afternoon chocolate fix? My glass or two of wine after work?
I'll probably say thank you for the advice and head home to my coffee, chocolate or wine depending on the time of day.
They might, however, notice other things that I have not picked up on. Perhaps I'm low in something I didn't know I was low in. Maybe the little ridges in my nails don't mean that I have nails with ridges. Maybe they mean I'm missing something in my diet. Maybe the constant dark circles under my eyes aren't there because I get up before 5 many mornings per week but because something is off in my digestive system.
Maybe I eat too many fruit in the morning and should spread them out a little more. Maybe I'm overdosing on chia seeds or bananas.
Maybe they'll discover I have a tapeworm?
Or an allergy to Aero bars.
Nooooooo!
And, for the record, by Aero bars I mean these:
Not these:
I don't actually have any reason to go see a naturopath. It's not like I am experiencing digestive issues or food intolerances. I'm not in the habit of making appointments with medical professionals out of curiosity. Heck, I don't even go for a massage unless there's a medical reason for it (like my shins are tight...again).
I am sufficiently intrigued by the idea that I may find myself making an appointment in the near future.
Any of you nice folks ever been to one? What did you think? Is it worth exploring?
And what about the whole Type 1 thing? How did they handle that? Did they understand the fact that sometimes we need to eat when we don't want to and sometimes we can't eat even when we're hungry? Or the fact that refined sugars can play a pretty important role in our diets whether we want them to or not?
Let me know what you've experienced and I'll let you know what I learn.
Deal?
I haven't.
In fact I'm not totally clear on what exactly a naturopath does. I know that they can order tests to check for food allergies. I know they look at a person's overall health, lifestyle, eating habits etc and can make recommendations of things to start doing or to stop doing. I know of people who have had food intolerances or allergies diagnosed by a naturopath when no one else could figure it out.
There's a bit of a void in my knowledge however and I have to work hard not to let words like 'tincture', 'garlic pills' and 'remove all sugar, caffeine and alcohol from your diet' prejudice my thinking.
There has been some naturopath talk around the office this week. We do have coverage under our work benefits but none of us have ever gone to see one. The more I think about it, the more I'm intrigued. I mean really, what's the worst that can happen?
I bring in three days of food and drink intake and the naturopath gasps in horror? Recommends that I cut down my one cup of coffee per day? My afternoon chocolate fix? My glass or two of wine after work?
I'll probably say thank you for the advice and head home to my coffee, chocolate or wine depending on the time of day.
They might, however, notice other things that I have not picked up on. Perhaps I'm low in something I didn't know I was low in. Maybe the little ridges in my nails don't mean that I have nails with ridges. Maybe they mean I'm missing something in my diet. Maybe the constant dark circles under my eyes aren't there because I get up before 5 many mornings per week but because something is off in my digestive system.
Maybe I eat too many fruit in the morning and should spread them out a little more. Maybe I'm overdosing on chia seeds or bananas.
Maybe they'll discover I have a tapeworm?
Or an allergy to Aero bars.
Nooooooo!
And, for the record, by Aero bars I mean these:
Not these:
I don't actually have any reason to go see a naturopath. It's not like I am experiencing digestive issues or food intolerances. I'm not in the habit of making appointments with medical professionals out of curiosity. Heck, I don't even go for a massage unless there's a medical reason for it (like my shins are tight...again).
I am sufficiently intrigued by the idea that I may find myself making an appointment in the near future.
Any of you nice folks ever been to one? What did you think? Is it worth exploring?
And what about the whole Type 1 thing? How did they handle that? Did they understand the fact that sometimes we need to eat when we don't want to and sometimes we can't eat even when we're hungry? Or the fact that refined sugars can play a pretty important role in our diets whether we want them to or not?
Let me know what you've experienced and I'll let you know what I learn.
Deal?
Friday, September 6, 2013
A Nutritional Expert in Every Aisle
Last night I was on my own for dinner and I was craving one of the concoctions that I tend to whip up when it's just me at home. Most foods that I love, Doug loves. Most foods that he loves, I love.
There are, however, a few things in my 'love' department that fall in to his 'I'm not home for dinner tonight so if you want to do one of your kale-quinoa dinners, go ahead' department.
So I do. And I make enough for about four lunches so it keeps me going for days.
Last night I whipped up a warm salad with quinoa, edamame, chick peas, roasted portobellos, red pepper and zucchini. I steamed some kale and tossed that in a bowl. I piled the salad on top and, voilà , delicious dinner.
In order to make said dinner, I needed to go to the grocery store. I grabbed my veggies and then headed to the health food section for the frozen edamame. Since I was on my own and had plenty of time, I strolled up and down the aisles. I looked at the healthy cereals. The gluten-free crackers. The rice pasta. Just holding these items in my hand made me feel healthier and more virtuous.
I looked at the rice pasta. I know that people who eat a gluten-free diet eat rice pasta. What I didn't know was - is it good for me? Or does it just not have gluten in it? I checked the nutritional label. Yep, there are carbs and fibre and a few nutrients in there. I looked at a box of white pasta. There are carbs, fibre and a few nutrients in there too.
I know that there are strict regulations on what can and cannot be printed on food items. And that nutrition labels are made to be simple(ish) to read. But do you know what I wish? I wish that, when I read a bag of rice pasta, it said something like:
"Hi there! I'm rice pasta. I'm made from brown rice rather than wheat so I am safe for those who need a gluten free diet. I'm also good for you because I have the following things (insert correct information here) that white pasta does not have. Unfortunately, white pasta has (insert correct information here) that I don't. And in terms of (insert info), we're pretty much even so it doesn't really matter which you choose. It's up to you to decide which product is right for you but at least you have all the correct information so you can make the best decision."
Or it would be nice to have some sort of info guide available in all stores where we could look up two items we are comparing and see everything there is to know rather than just the basic nutritional information based on a serving size that makes little sense. It could tell us the differences between the two products, the similarities, which one is a better choice and why.
Better yet, I want highly trained people in each food section who can answer my questions about each and every product. It might take me three hours to do my groceries but I'd learn a lot and come home with things that might make a bit more sense to have in the cupboard.
Because really, just because a food is in the 'health food section' doesn't mean it is the most nutritionally sound choice. It could also be there because it looks like something healthy people would buy and it sells better when it's next to the rice puffs cereal and apple butter spreads.
A few months ago, when Doug and I were at a B&B, the owner was very nice and very very eager to talk about food. She asked me if I had eaten coconut butter yet. I said no.
"Oh, you have to try it. It's so good for you."
"Really? Why is it good for me?"
"It's just really really good for you health."
"How is it good for my health?"
"It just is really good for you. You should try it. Have you tried it yet?"
"Um, no. But thanks for the information."
That kind of stuff drives me batty. Just enough information to sound good but not enough to tell me anything useful. It's so easy to jump on the bandwagon and start adding tablespoons of coconut butter to my daily diet...until I'm suddenly five pounds heavier and not really any better off.
I'm no nutrition expert. I know that quinoa is good for me and I can spout off a few things about complete proteins. I know that edamame is good for me and I can talk a little bit about the benefit of adding soy products to your diet. I know that kale has lots of iron, that chick peas are a good source of protein and that veggies like zucchini and mushrooms are probably good for me too although I'm not clear on what nutrients they actually provide. I'm guessing my salad, overall, was a pretty healthy meal and that a registered dietician would nod in approval.
But rice pasta? I don't know. Coconut butter? I'm not sold.
So I came home from the store without the coconut butter. I did however bring home a bag of rice pasta. I figure that it's no worse than white pasta and it does taste pretty good so either a) there is a slight health advantage to eating it or b) there is no advantage and it's just another carb option in the cupboard.
I can live with that.
There are, however, a few things in my 'love' department that fall in to his 'I'm not home for dinner tonight so if you want to do one of your kale-quinoa dinners, go ahead' department.
So I do. And I make enough for about four lunches so it keeps me going for days.
Last night I whipped up a warm salad with quinoa, edamame, chick peas, roasted portobellos, red pepper and zucchini. I steamed some kale and tossed that in a bowl. I piled the salad on top and, voilà , delicious dinner.
In order to make said dinner, I needed to go to the grocery store. I grabbed my veggies and then headed to the health food section for the frozen edamame. Since I was on my own and had plenty of time, I strolled up and down the aisles. I looked at the healthy cereals. The gluten-free crackers. The rice pasta. Just holding these items in my hand made me feel healthier and more virtuous.
I looked at the rice pasta. I know that people who eat a gluten-free diet eat rice pasta. What I didn't know was - is it good for me? Or does it just not have gluten in it? I checked the nutritional label. Yep, there are carbs and fibre and a few nutrients in there. I looked at a box of white pasta. There are carbs, fibre and a few nutrients in there too.
I know that there are strict regulations on what can and cannot be printed on food items. And that nutrition labels are made to be simple(ish) to read. But do you know what I wish? I wish that, when I read a bag of rice pasta, it said something like:
"Hi there! I'm rice pasta. I'm made from brown rice rather than wheat so I am safe for those who need a gluten free diet. I'm also good for you because I have the following things (insert correct information here) that white pasta does not have. Unfortunately, white pasta has (insert correct information here) that I don't. And in terms of (insert info), we're pretty much even so it doesn't really matter which you choose. It's up to you to decide which product is right for you but at least you have all the correct information so you can make the best decision."
Or it would be nice to have some sort of info guide available in all stores where we could look up two items we are comparing and see everything there is to know rather than just the basic nutritional information based on a serving size that makes little sense. It could tell us the differences between the two products, the similarities, which one is a better choice and why.
Better yet, I want highly trained people in each food section who can answer my questions about each and every product. It might take me three hours to do my groceries but I'd learn a lot and come home with things that might make a bit more sense to have in the cupboard.
Because really, just because a food is in the 'health food section' doesn't mean it is the most nutritionally sound choice. It could also be there because it looks like something healthy people would buy and it sells better when it's next to the rice puffs cereal and apple butter spreads.
A few months ago, when Doug and I were at a B&B, the owner was very nice and very very eager to talk about food. She asked me if I had eaten coconut butter yet. I said no.
"Oh, you have to try it. It's so good for you."
"Really? Why is it good for me?"
"It's just really really good for you health."
"How is it good for my health?"
"It just is really good for you. You should try it. Have you tried it yet?"
"Um, no. But thanks for the information."
That kind of stuff drives me batty. Just enough information to sound good but not enough to tell me anything useful. It's so easy to jump on the bandwagon and start adding tablespoons of coconut butter to my daily diet...until I'm suddenly five pounds heavier and not really any better off.
I'm no nutrition expert. I know that quinoa is good for me and I can spout off a few things about complete proteins. I know that edamame is good for me and I can talk a little bit about the benefit of adding soy products to your diet. I know that kale has lots of iron, that chick peas are a good source of protein and that veggies like zucchini and mushrooms are probably good for me too although I'm not clear on what nutrients they actually provide. I'm guessing my salad, overall, was a pretty healthy meal and that a registered dietician would nod in approval.
But rice pasta? I don't know. Coconut butter? I'm not sold.
So I came home from the store without the coconut butter. I did however bring home a bag of rice pasta. I figure that it's no worse than white pasta and it does taste pretty good so either a) there is a slight health advantage to eating it or b) there is no advantage and it's just another carb option in the cupboard.
I can live with that.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Diabetes Doctor Details
Last week, the day after my presentation, I had an appointment with my diabetes doctor. My regular bi-annual appointment. I arrived armed with my blood sugar/food log and a whole bunch of questions. She arrived with my blood work results.
My A1C was the lowest yet at 6.5%. I have been more stable lately - less lows - and I thought perhaps I'd be somewhere around 7%. Seeing a 6.5% knowing that it happened despite fewer lows made me happy.
A1C is essentially an average of your blood sugar over the last three months. There are different ways to reach a good A1C average. You can reach it with good numbers but you can also reach it by having lots and lots of lows which help lower the average but that's not a particularly safe or smart thing to do. I'm glad that my A1C this time was most likely due to good numbers.
My cholesterol was in the healthy range and there were no signs of protein in my urine. High fives all around.
After looking at my blood sugar log, my doctor noticed a trend that I had not seen. Apparently I have a low blood sugar in the early mornings after I swam the morning before. It's almost 24-hours later but seems to be a pretty consistent pattern. So I'll be more aware of that.
My turn.
I started off by asking for a prescription for test strips for my new Verio meter which she readily wrote. By the way, two people commented on a post I wrote last week saying that the Verio meter gave them readings that were higher than their other meters. I noticed that too on the first night when I tested my blood on my old and my new meter and then tested both with a control solution. The was almost a 2mmol difference. The question is: which one is off? My OneTouch Ultra Mini or my OneTouch Verio? Hard to know. I'm bringing both with me to Israel with lots of test strips for each so, if one starts feeling like it's giving me wonky results, I have a backup.
I then asked for a prescription for long-acting insulin. I told her that I decided not to bring a back-up insulin pump with me because of the potential $5,000 charge if I lose or damage it. I said that I was planning to bring a prescription for long-acting insulin with me as a back up. She did even better than that and gave me a pre-loaded Lantus pen with enough long-acting to get me through 20 days. I was given instructions for how to calculate the dose. Sweet!
The last thing I did was mention the issue that I had had with my toes. Anyone remember my blog a few weeks ago when I went to my family doctor and showed her tiny dots on the tips of my toes? They had been itchy but not painful and had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. My family doctor told me I had small blood vessel disease, told me to keep my feet warm, to take low dose aspirin and to show my diabetes doctor. Well, the black dots are gone now so I had nothing to show. My diabetes doc listened to me explain my symptoms and said that it probably wasn't small blood vessel disease. It was most likely a wart virus I had picked from the pool that had flared up and then disappeared once my body fought it.
She said that my family doctor probably didn't think of that because I have diabetes. (Insert rant here about looking at me as more than just a diabetic).
So my A1C was good. My other blood work was good. I have a low blood sugar trend to be aware of. My feet are fine. I have a back up plan in case my pump collapses from the Israeli heat.
All in all a very positive day at the doctor's office.
My A1C was the lowest yet at 6.5%. I have been more stable lately - less lows - and I thought perhaps I'd be somewhere around 7%. Seeing a 6.5% knowing that it happened despite fewer lows made me happy.
A1C is essentially an average of your blood sugar over the last three months. There are different ways to reach a good A1C average. You can reach it with good numbers but you can also reach it by having lots and lots of lows which help lower the average but that's not a particularly safe or smart thing to do. I'm glad that my A1C this time was most likely due to good numbers.
My cholesterol was in the healthy range and there were no signs of protein in my urine. High fives all around.
After looking at my blood sugar log, my doctor noticed a trend that I had not seen. Apparently I have a low blood sugar in the early mornings after I swam the morning before. It's almost 24-hours later but seems to be a pretty consistent pattern. So I'll be more aware of that.
My turn.
I started off by asking for a prescription for test strips for my new Verio meter which she readily wrote. By the way, two people commented on a post I wrote last week saying that the Verio meter gave them readings that were higher than their other meters. I noticed that too on the first night when I tested my blood on my old and my new meter and then tested both with a control solution. The was almost a 2mmol difference. The question is: which one is off? My OneTouch Ultra Mini or my OneTouch Verio? Hard to know. I'm bringing both with me to Israel with lots of test strips for each so, if one starts feeling like it's giving me wonky results, I have a backup.
I then asked for a prescription for long-acting insulin. I told her that I decided not to bring a back-up insulin pump with me because of the potential $5,000 charge if I lose or damage it. I said that I was planning to bring a prescription for long-acting insulin with me as a back up. She did even better than that and gave me a pre-loaded Lantus pen with enough long-acting to get me through 20 days. I was given instructions for how to calculate the dose. Sweet!
The last thing I did was mention the issue that I had had with my toes. Anyone remember my blog a few weeks ago when I went to my family doctor and showed her tiny dots on the tips of my toes? They had been itchy but not painful and had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. My family doctor told me I had small blood vessel disease, told me to keep my feet warm, to take low dose aspirin and to show my diabetes doctor. Well, the black dots are gone now so I had nothing to show. My diabetes doc listened to me explain my symptoms and said that it probably wasn't small blood vessel disease. It was most likely a wart virus I had picked from the pool that had flared up and then disappeared once my body fought it.
She said that my family doctor probably didn't think of that because I have diabetes. (Insert rant here about looking at me as more than just a diabetic).
So my A1C was good. My other blood work was good. I have a low blood sugar trend to be aware of. My feet are fine. I have a back up plan in case my pump collapses from the Israeli heat.
All in all a very positive day at the doctor's office.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Shut the Eff Up Already!!
Last week, a fabulously depressing article about diabetes was posted by several people on Facebook. It was all about the changing face of diabetes in Canada and it reports on the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes, the contributing factors, the costs to our health care system and the risks for those who have diabetes.
The best thing I can say about the article is that the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 were explained. This is not always the case. The explanation was not particularly elaborate but at least the author did distinguish between the two types. No mention of LADA anywhere though...
Anyway, I could write several blogs about all of my various frustrations with articles like this one, the fear they create, the depression they can cause and the misconceptions about diabetes that they perpetuate.
Today though, I want to focus on one line in particular:
"Life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years."
The best thing I can say about the article is that the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 were explained. This is not always the case. The explanation was not particularly elaborate but at least the author did distinguish between the two types. No mention of LADA anywhere though...
Anyway, I could write several blogs about all of my various frustrations with articles like this one, the fear they create, the depression they can cause and the misconceptions about diabetes that they perpetuate.
Today though, I want to focus on one line in particular:
"Life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years."
That's right folks, you can shave as much as 15 years off my life because of my faulty pancreas.
Or so the article says anyway.
Do you know what I want? I want to someone to write an article about the effects of healthy living on that life expectancy sentence. The effects of checking my blood sugar 10-15 times a day and keeping my A1C in range. The effects of exercising 5 to 6 days a week, every week. Of maintaining a healthy weight. Of eating my fruits and vegetables and quinoa and brown rice and salmon. The effects of having low blood pressure and low cholesterol. The effects of not smoking, of keeping a healthy work-life balance and of getting 8 hours of sleep most nights.
I would argue that I am healthier than the majority of the population if you simply look at those factors.
Add Type 1 to the list and I immediately get lumped in a the same health category as an overweight smoker with high cholesterol.
Seriously?
I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe that, with all the time and energy I dedicate to taking care of myself, I am going to drop dead of a stroke or heart attack at 65 years of age because of diabetes.
That may be naive on my part but I don't see any other way to deal with such depressing information other than to plug my ears and sing lalalala until the mean people who say these things shut the eff up.
I have a chronic disease that has a list of complications that is so long and so scary that I cope by ignoring it completely, setting my alarm for 4:50am and going to the pool.
I have a chronic disease that could kill me tonight if my blood sugar drops too much and too quickly for me or anyone around me to react. I cope by never being more than a few steps from a stash of fast acting carbs and by checking my sugar like a hawk.
I have a chronic disease that leaves my fingertips scarred and calloused and my bank account much much lower than it would be otherwise. I cope by painting my fingernails pretty colours and always bringing lunch and my homemade coffee to work to save money.
Diabetes is fabulous in the sense that it never, for one day, lets you forget that you have it. I don't need anyone to remind me of that.
I don't want to read articles about the depressing life sentence that diabetes hands to people. I want to read articles about the amazing things people do in the face of that life sentence. I want to be inspired by others who beat the odds. I want to learn about the effect that even small changes can have so that I, and other like me, are inspired to try to be just a little bit better tomorrow than they were today. I'm sure others do too.
So, dear medical profession - stop scaring the crap out of people by saying 'You have diabetes' and then handing them a pamphlet about all the awful things they can look forward to before they die of a heart attack at 65, blind and on dialysis.
Dear media world - stop making us want to put our fingers in our ears and sing lalalala in a effort to ignore the awful things you remind us of.
If you can't say something nice - shut the eff up!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Watching Minutes Turn to Hours
Two weeks ago, I mentioned that I was at the Diabetes Centre and they told me about the Disability Tax Credit.
They said that, if I could prove that I spend 14 (or more) hours per week managing my diabetes, I could fill out the application form and they would sign it. That is, of course, no guarantee that it gets approved but a signature is the only way that the form will even been looked at.
So step one: track my time spent with diabetes for two weeks.
I have been dutifully chronicling everything I do since my appointment.
They said that, if I could prove that I spend 14 (or more) hours per week managing my diabetes, I could fill out the application form and they would sign it. That is, of course, no guarantee that it gets approved but a signature is the only way that the form will even been looked at.
So step one: track my time spent with diabetes for two weeks.
I have been dutifully chronicling everything I do since my appointment.
- every blood sugar check
- every insulin administration
- every post-shower check for air bubbles
- every post-shower insulin prime
- every pump change
- every basal adjustment
I figured 14 hours a week equals, on average, two hours per day so I kept my eye on the daily totals. No point in doing this for two weeks if I am only averaging 45 minutes per day right?
Well, it's almost laughable how close I am to the target.
One day I'll be 120 minutes. The next I'll be 115. Then I'll be 125 followed by 110 and then 130. The days are all averaging out to 120 minutes or two hours. My numbers are so close to the target that it looks like I'm making it up.
I'm not though - there is no way I'd be comfortable submitting false numbers. I'd be awake nights expecting the diabetes tax credit auditing people to descend on my house and demand to see my blood sugar logs.
Still though, I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad to know that I spend 14 hours a week doing nothing but manage diabetes.
I'm happy because it might qualify me for a tax credit and any little bit extra is always welcome.
But holy bananas. Fourteen hours a week?? On a chronic disease?!?
I'll try to take comfort in the thought that it's my choice to spend that much time and energy taking care of myself. Because there is little comfort in the thought that I've spent 728 hours in the last year checking my blood sugar, changing my pump, adjusting my basal and priming my pump.
Those minutes add up apparently.
I'm hoping that, in the end, it will be worth the time spent.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Hmmmmmm
Does anyone remember the crazy problem I was having with my ears last summer during marathon training?
Like the problem of going almost deaf after 2+ hours of running?
It started during the longer runs last summer. I would be fine for the first hour or two but then my ears would slowly start to plug up and, by hour 3, I was pretty much deaf. If I stopped running, it would clear up in a few minutes. If I resumed, my ears started plugging again almost immediately. It got to the point where I wasn't sure I'd be able to run a marathon because I wasn't sure what would happen if I tried to run 4+ hours.
Would my head explode?
Luckily, I ended up sidelined with a stress fracture before I made it to the four hour zone...
Anyhoo...last fall, I was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist. They tested my hearing (which was great - whew!) and did a bunch of other tests but couldn't find anything wrong. It could be allergies (but it also happens in the winter). It could be my earbuds (but I only wear one and both ears plug at the same time). It could be my blood pressure (but it seems to be fine). She rebooked me for a follow up appointment.
This appointment happened this past Wednesday morning.
They did the same tests again. My hearing hasn't changed so the doctor feels that, whatever the problem is, it isn't causing any permanent damage.
That's good.
She asked me to stand with my feet together and my arms extended in front of me. "Close your eyes and march up and down until I tell you to stop" she said. I did, feeling ridiculous as the seconds ticked by and she didn't say anything.
Was she even still there?
Did she leave for coffee?
I obviously have ok balance because I haven't fallen over yet. When is this going to end?
"Ok, you can stop and open your eyes."
I did and was shocked. I might not have fallen over but I rotated like a top and went from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock without even feeling it.
What an odd sensation to open your eyes and not be where you think you should be.
She asked if I was ever dizzy. Last year, I would have said no. This year, I can say yes - but only when I'm asked to swim on my back. I hate it. Within seconds I'm dizzy and, even if I only swim 25m, the rooms spins for several minutes once I stop.
That's odd she said - I've never heard of that before. Do I get dizzy when I lie on my back? Nope. When I roll over in bed? Nope. When I swim on my front? Nope.
Hmmm.
I seem to be causing a lot of hmmmmms in that office.
I was sent away with very little insight other than: whatever is happening doesn't seem to be causing damage. And call us back if things change.
Fabulous.
Like the problem of going almost deaf after 2+ hours of running?
It started during the longer runs last summer. I would be fine for the first hour or two but then my ears would slowly start to plug up and, by hour 3, I was pretty much deaf. If I stopped running, it would clear up in a few minutes. If I resumed, my ears started plugging again almost immediately. It got to the point where I wasn't sure I'd be able to run a marathon because I wasn't sure what would happen if I tried to run 4+ hours.
Would my head explode?
Luckily, I ended up sidelined with a stress fracture before I made it to the four hour zone...
Anyhoo...last fall, I was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist. They tested my hearing (which was great - whew!) and did a bunch of other tests but couldn't find anything wrong. It could be allergies (but it also happens in the winter). It could be my earbuds (but I only wear one and both ears plug at the same time). It could be my blood pressure (but it seems to be fine). She rebooked me for a follow up appointment.
This appointment happened this past Wednesday morning.
They did the same tests again. My hearing hasn't changed so the doctor feels that, whatever the problem is, it isn't causing any permanent damage.
That's good.
She asked me to stand with my feet together and my arms extended in front of me. "Close your eyes and march up and down until I tell you to stop" she said. I did, feeling ridiculous as the seconds ticked by and she didn't say anything.
Was she even still there?
Did she leave for coffee?
I obviously have ok balance because I haven't fallen over yet. When is this going to end?
"Ok, you can stop and open your eyes."
I did and was shocked. I might not have fallen over but I rotated like a top and went from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock without even feeling it.
What an odd sensation to open your eyes and not be where you think you should be.
She asked if I was ever dizzy. Last year, I would have said no. This year, I can say yes - but only when I'm asked to swim on my back. I hate it. Within seconds I'm dizzy and, even if I only swim 25m, the rooms spins for several minutes once I stop.
That's odd she said - I've never heard of that before. Do I get dizzy when I lie on my back? Nope. When I roll over in bed? Nope. When I swim on my front? Nope.
Hmmm.
I seem to be causing a lot of hmmmmms in that office.
I was sent away with very little insight other than: whatever is happening doesn't seem to be causing damage. And call us back if things change.
Fabulous.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Bike Helmets versus Brain Injuries
Yesterday I went for my six month visit to see my doctor at the Diabetes Centre. It went well - bloodwork came back fine, logbook got the nod and my blood pressure was textbook. We were done the required stuff in about five minutes, including my questions.
"Have you heard anything about the Disability Tax Credit?" asked my doctor.
"No," I replied.
"Oh good, something useful I can tell you," she replied and proceeded to explain it to me.
The disability tax credit is something that some people are eligible for...if they meet the criteria.
"Basically," she explained "you need to prove that you spend 14 hours (or more) per week doing life-sustaining therapy".
She handed me a list of things that qualify, or don't qualify, as life-sustaining therapy.
Qualify:
- time spent monitoring blood glucose
- time spent setting up pump or equipment (site changes, drawing up insulin into the pump etc)
- calibrating equipment
- treatment of low or high blood sugars
- insulin adjustments
- logbook maintenance
- time away from normal activities
Doesn't qualify:
- pump delivery time of insulin
- travel time
- medical appointments
- carb counting (why the hell not??)
- exercise (really??)
I have to track for two weeks and, if I can prove that I spend 14 hours per week doing life-sustaining therapy, they will sign the paperwork and I will qualify of the disability tax credit.
I will most certainly be doing that.
But it got me thinking about a conversation I had with my mother a while ago. About the amount of money I spend to stay healthy. The cost of healthy food. The cost of my pool membership and now my masters swimming classes. The cost of my 4-5 pair of running shoes and inserts per year. The amount I spend on gels and other fast-acting carbs so I have enough emergency stuff for long runs. The cost of upkeep on my bike so I can cycle and help my legs recover from long runs. The cost of massages and chiropractor appointments to keep my body in good shape so I can keep exercising. The cost of all the test strips I use (10+ a day, every day). My compression socks to keep my circulation moving.
Rough calculation of annual costs:
$100 annual bike maintenance
$600 running shoes and inserts
$600 pool membership and classes
$150 gels and fast-acting carbs
$500 for massage (after my insurance covers $500)
$50 compression socks
Total: $2000/year
That doesn't include healthy food like my protein shake powder or race entry fees which, while not necessary, keep me focused and motivate me to train. That doesn't include the cost of running clothes or bathing suits because I wear them until they disintegrate. That doesn't include the cost of vitamins, of gas to drive to my pharmacy every two weeks or to my 15+ medical appointments a year - most of which are in a different city.
Two thousand dollars a year minimum to stay healthy and active. Not to mention the time I spend exercising, preparing to exercise, recovering from exercise or cooking healthy meals.
Two thousand dollars a year to stay healthy.
Who knows, I may still get good A1C results without all the cost, time and effort. I may still have textbook blood pressure and great blood test results. I may still maintain a healthy weight and fight off diabetes complications. Or I may not.
But I'm guessing two thousand dollars a year is much cheaper than the cost of dialysis. Or hospital stays. Or amputations. Or long-term disability.
My mom and I chatted about how nice it would be if the system encouraged and supported us to maintain good health instead paying for us when we get sick.
You can either buy me the bike helmet or you can pay for the brain injury.
"Have you heard anything about the Disability Tax Credit?" asked my doctor.
"No," I replied.
"Oh good, something useful I can tell you," she replied and proceeded to explain it to me.
The disability tax credit is something that some people are eligible for...if they meet the criteria.
"Basically," she explained "you need to prove that you spend 14 hours (or more) per week doing life-sustaining therapy".
She handed me a list of things that qualify, or don't qualify, as life-sustaining therapy.
Qualify:
- time spent monitoring blood glucose
- time spent setting up pump or equipment (site changes, drawing up insulin into the pump etc)
- calibrating equipment
- treatment of low or high blood sugars
- insulin adjustments
- logbook maintenance
- time away from normal activities
Doesn't qualify:
- pump delivery time of insulin
- travel time
- medical appointments
- carb counting (why the hell not??)
- exercise (really??)
I have to track for two weeks and, if I can prove that I spend 14 hours per week doing life-sustaining therapy, they will sign the paperwork and I will qualify of the disability tax credit.
I will most certainly be doing that.
But it got me thinking about a conversation I had with my mother a while ago. About the amount of money I spend to stay healthy. The cost of healthy food. The cost of my pool membership and now my masters swimming classes. The cost of my 4-5 pair of running shoes and inserts per year. The amount I spend on gels and other fast-acting carbs so I have enough emergency stuff for long runs. The cost of upkeep on my bike so I can cycle and help my legs recover from long runs. The cost of massages and chiropractor appointments to keep my body in good shape so I can keep exercising. The cost of all the test strips I use (10+ a day, every day). My compression socks to keep my circulation moving.
Rough calculation of annual costs:
$100 annual bike maintenance
$600 running shoes and inserts
$600 pool membership and classes
$150 gels and fast-acting carbs
$500 for massage (after my insurance covers $500)
$50 compression socks
Total: $2000/year
That doesn't include healthy food like my protein shake powder or race entry fees which, while not necessary, keep me focused and motivate me to train. That doesn't include the cost of running clothes or bathing suits because I wear them until they disintegrate. That doesn't include the cost of vitamins, of gas to drive to my pharmacy every two weeks or to my 15+ medical appointments a year - most of which are in a different city.
Two thousand dollars a year minimum to stay healthy and active. Not to mention the time I spend exercising, preparing to exercise, recovering from exercise or cooking healthy meals.
Two thousand dollars a year to stay healthy.
Who knows, I may still get good A1C results without all the cost, time and effort. I may still have textbook blood pressure and great blood test results. I may still maintain a healthy weight and fight off diabetes complications. Or I may not.
But I'm guessing two thousand dollars a year is much cheaper than the cost of dialysis. Or hospital stays. Or amputations. Or long-term disability.
My mom and I chatted about how nice it would be if the system encouraged and supported us to maintain good health instead paying for us when we get sick.
You can either buy me the bike helmet or you can pay for the brain injury.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Bibimbaping in the Kitchen
Last night I was alone for dinner. This doesn't happen that often. Doug and I don't always eat dinner together if we're both running here and there but one of us will usually make dinner for the other person to eat when they can.
Sometimes Doug is out for dinner so I'm alone in the kitchen.
Those are the nights when I play around creating dishes that make me happy but that don't exactly turn his crank. He always knows I'm planning something 'yummy' when the grocery bag has things like kale, sweet potatoes and quinoa in it.
My latest go to meal is a hybrid dish that I invented but have not yet named. It's based loosely on a dish I had in Toronto a few months ago with my little sister but the way I serve it is inspired by bibimbap, my favourite Korean dish.
The end result is colourful, not very pretty but super healthy and, in my humble opinion, very very tasty. Plus it makes leftovers for three or four lunches. And who doesn't love leftovers?
Here's what I do.
Step one, bake two sweet potatoes. This takes about an hour in the toaster oven at 400 degrees so I'll usually put them on and then sit at the kitchen counter to compose the next morning's blog (which is basically what I'm doing right now). When they are nice and soft, remove them, toss them in a bowl and mash the heck out of them with a fork. I always keep the peel on because I'm all about squeezing as many nutrients as possible out of my food.
Step two, slice up an entire bunch of kale and steam it.
Step three, cook some quinoa. I like to mix red and white because red is prettier but white has more iron. I cook 1 1/2 cups of quinoa in three cups of water.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes, remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes and then remove lid and fluff with a fork. I'm not sure if that last step is critical but fluffing is fun and having a fork just gives me an excuse to steal a few bites.
To prepare my bibimbap-inspired dish I put a bunch of quinoa at the bottom of a deep bowl. I then put some mashed sweet potato on top, some kale beside it and then, wait for it, a big hunk of goat cheese beside that (oh so good!). When I have an avocado that's ripe enough to eat, I'll chop that up and toss it on top as well. The ones at the store were kermit green so they'll be ready for leftover lunch number two.
I drizzle some olive oil (straight from Israel courtesy of my little sis) and a bit of tamari on top.
And then I nibble away, feeling my iron levels climb with every bite.
Note: my apologies for the picture quality. I was toolazy busy cooking to grab my big girl camera so these were taken with my phone. They will NOT be making it on to the Céline Parent Photography website any time soon but at least you get a visual of what I'm talking about. Bon appétit!
Sometimes Doug is out for dinner so I'm alone in the kitchen.
Those are the nights when I play around creating dishes that make me happy but that don't exactly turn his crank. He always knows I'm planning something 'yummy' when the grocery bag has things like kale, sweet potatoes and quinoa in it.
My latest go to meal is a hybrid dish that I invented but have not yet named. It's based loosely on a dish I had in Toronto a few months ago with my little sister but the way I serve it is inspired by bibimbap, my favourite Korean dish.
The end result is colourful, not very pretty but super healthy and, in my humble opinion, very very tasty. Plus it makes leftovers for three or four lunches. And who doesn't love leftovers?
Here's what I do.
Step one, bake two sweet potatoes. This takes about an hour in the toaster oven at 400 degrees so I'll usually put them on and then sit at the kitchen counter to compose the next morning's blog (which is basically what I'm doing right now). When they are nice and soft, remove them, toss them in a bowl and mash the heck out of them with a fork. I always keep the peel on because I'm all about squeezing as many nutrients as possible out of my food.
Step two, slice up an entire bunch of kale and steam it.
Step three, cook some quinoa. I like to mix red and white because red is prettier but white has more iron. I cook 1 1/2 cups of quinoa in three cups of water.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes, remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes and then remove lid and fluff with a fork. I'm not sure if that last step is critical but fluffing is fun and having a fork just gives me an excuse to steal a few bites.
To prepare my bibimbap-inspired dish I put a bunch of quinoa at the bottom of a deep bowl. I then put some mashed sweet potato on top, some kale beside it and then, wait for it, a big hunk of goat cheese beside that (oh so good!). When I have an avocado that's ripe enough to eat, I'll chop that up and toss it on top as well. The ones at the store were kermit green so they'll be ready for leftover lunch number two.
I drizzle some olive oil (straight from Israel courtesy of my little sis) and a bit of tamari on top.
And then I nibble away, feeling my iron levels climb with every bite.
Note: my apologies for the picture quality. I was too
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Moderate Excess
There aren't too many things that I do to excess but there are lots of things I do...a lot.
I eat...a lot. I eat chocolate, candy, fruit, bread, cookies, date squares, hot apple crisp with melted chocolate on top, mango salad, shrimp skewers, crispy apples dipped in peanut butter, t-bone steaks, maple fudge..you name it, I eat it - with relish. Well, not really with relish - I quite dislike relish to be honest. But I eat my food and I enjoy it.
But rarely to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I drink alcohol. To clarify, I drink red wine. I really really like red wine. Most nights of the week I have a glass or two. Occasionally a glass of white. Sometimes I'll sip a tumbler of whisky - neat.
But not to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I get lots of sleep. It's a rare night when I'm in bed for less than 8 hours and, despite waking up several times to check my sugar, I sleep for most of it. But I don't sleep to excess. I never lounge in bed until noon. In fact, 7:30am is a pretty sweet lazy morning.
As for exercise, I'm sure some people would argue that I exercise to excess. Perhaps they're right. It feels reasonable to me though, considering how many hours a day I sit, for me to move for an hour a day, every day. Two on Saturdays.
The whole point of this rather drawn out introduction is that I was thinking about diabetes and how it affects the daily decisions I make. Sometimes, diabetes encourages me to moderate my choices, other times it encourages me to push my limits.
It's relatively easy to exercise portion control when I know what overeating does to my blood sugar. Diabetes is a fabulous excuse when someone offers me a second piece of pie and diabetes keeps me honest because I have to bolus for that second piece. That fact alone often stops me just long enough to reconsider and say no.
It's pretty easy to limit alcohol to a glass or two (sometimes three if Erin is over) because it really is just too dangerous to have more than that. I never want to be unable to recognize a low blood sugar because I've had too much to drink. Add to that the fact that alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and it really is easy to say 'no thank you' to the third glass of wine.
On the other hand, diabetes is a great motivator to get lots of rest and lots of exercise. Diabetes is the never-ending voice in my head that says I should be out there taking care of my heart, my lungs, and my body. Diabetes forces me to take my health seriously.
Based on my blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, diet, weight and fitness level - I'm a pretty healthy gal. Add diabetes to the list and I automatically fall in the same health risk category as someone who is overweight or a smoker.
Imagine where I would fall if I didn't do all these things?
'nuff said.
I eat...a lot. I eat chocolate, candy, fruit, bread, cookies, date squares, hot apple crisp with melted chocolate on top, mango salad, shrimp skewers, crispy apples dipped in peanut butter, t-bone steaks, maple fudge..you name it, I eat it - with relish. Well, not really with relish - I quite dislike relish to be honest. But I eat my food and I enjoy it.
But rarely to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I drink alcohol. To clarify, I drink red wine. I really really like red wine. Most nights of the week I have a glass or two. Occasionally a glass of white. Sometimes I'll sip a tumbler of whisky - neat.
But not to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I get lots of sleep. It's a rare night when I'm in bed for less than 8 hours and, despite waking up several times to check my sugar, I sleep for most of it. But I don't sleep to excess. I never lounge in bed until noon. In fact, 7:30am is a pretty sweet lazy morning.
As for exercise, I'm sure some people would argue that I exercise to excess. Perhaps they're right. It feels reasonable to me though, considering how many hours a day I sit, for me to move for an hour a day, every day. Two on Saturdays.
The whole point of this rather drawn out introduction is that I was thinking about diabetes and how it affects the daily decisions I make. Sometimes, diabetes encourages me to moderate my choices, other times it encourages me to push my limits.
It's relatively easy to exercise portion control when I know what overeating does to my blood sugar. Diabetes is a fabulous excuse when someone offers me a second piece of pie and diabetes keeps me honest because I have to bolus for that second piece. That fact alone often stops me just long enough to reconsider and say no.
It's pretty easy to limit alcohol to a glass or two (sometimes three if Erin is over) because it really is just too dangerous to have more than that. I never want to be unable to recognize a low blood sugar because I've had too much to drink. Add to that the fact that alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and it really is easy to say 'no thank you' to the third glass of wine.
On the other hand, diabetes is a great motivator to get lots of rest and lots of exercise. Diabetes is the never-ending voice in my head that says I should be out there taking care of my heart, my lungs, and my body. Diabetes forces me to take my health seriously.
Based on my blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, diet, weight and fitness level - I'm a pretty healthy gal. Add diabetes to the list and I automatically fall in the same health risk category as someone who is overweight or a smoker.
Imagine where I would fall if I didn't do all these things?
'nuff said.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Swords and Books
I started watching Game of Thrones this week.
I know, I know, I'm a little behind the times but trust me, I doing well. Usually I discover shows about four years after they've gone off the air. I'm only a few months behind this time. Part of my excuse for taking even that long is that I wanted to read the book before watching the show. I prefer to know the story before watching, particularly for sweeping sagas like Game of Thrones (or Lord of the Rings - hello!)
There are several characters in Game of Thrones that I'm really drawn to - for various reasons. Some reasons are deep and spiritual - others are rather superficial (her hair is so pretty!)
One of my favourites is Tyrion. For those of you who don't know him - he's a compelling combination of intelligence and debauchery. I'm not sure if I'd like him if I met him in person but he never fails to make me think and I love watching him on screen. You can see his mind working away - taking everything in - filing it away for later.
There was one scene in one of the first episodes that I can't seem to get out of my head. Tyrion was sitting by himself, reading a book. John Snow (another favourite of mine) asked him why he is always reading. Tyrion replied that a knight's weapon is his sword and he must practice with it and keep it sharp. Tyrion's weapon is his mind - so he reads to keep it sharp.
It seems that, in the Game of Thrones world anyway, most people do one or the other. They train their bodies...or they train their minds. (Or they drink and eat to excess and spend way too much time in brothels but that's for another blog entry.)
It got me thinking (of course it did) about the idea of training the body and training the mind.
I spend my work days sitting at a desk typing and thinking. Or sitting in meetings, talking and thinking. Or solving problems. Or answering questions. Or writing reports. I feel like I spend a lot of my day in my head.
So I spend a lot of my free time training my body. I get up early and make time on weekends to run, cycle and swim - constantly trying to get stronger, faster, better than I am.
But here's the thing. The only way to get better physically is to push yourself. If you always run 5k on the same route at the same pace, your body stagnates there. It gets so used to it that you can hardly imagine doing anything but that route at that pace. So you have to push, change the pace, the distance, the incline - whatever.
At work, I do a lot of thinking but, to be honest, it's always the same kind of thinking. It's not easy (and it makes my head hurt) but it's predictable and I'm used to it. It's kinda like running 5k over and over.
The best way I have found to push my body is to sign up for races.
I wish there were races I could sign up with to get me to push my mind.
It feels a little stagnant.
I didn't even notice until Doug and I had a debate the other night. It was one of those academic conversations you have in university, sitting in a dorm room with a bunch of students so full of ideas that their brains are coming out of their ears (to steal a phrase from said Doug). Doug had his points, I had mine. I wanted to push my point but I also wanted to learn more about his perspective. Back and forth it went until my brain was full and my neurons were tingling. I no longer remembered my original argument and I felt like I had just run 10k.
It was wicked!
And I want more!
Apparently I need to take a note from Tyrion's book and spend as much time exercising my brain as I do my body. Otherwise one will go to mush while the other gets stronger.
I know, I know, I'm a little behind the times but trust me, I doing well. Usually I discover shows about four years after they've gone off the air. I'm only a few months behind this time. Part of my excuse for taking even that long is that I wanted to read the book before watching the show. I prefer to know the story before watching, particularly for sweeping sagas like Game of Thrones (or Lord of the Rings - hello!)
There are several characters in Game of Thrones that I'm really drawn to - for various reasons. Some reasons are deep and spiritual - others are rather superficial (her hair is so pretty!)
One of my favourites is Tyrion. For those of you who don't know him - he's a compelling combination of intelligence and debauchery. I'm not sure if I'd like him if I met him in person but he never fails to make me think and I love watching him on screen. You can see his mind working away - taking everything in - filing it away for later.
There was one scene in one of the first episodes that I can't seem to get out of my head. Tyrion was sitting by himself, reading a book. John Snow (another favourite of mine) asked him why he is always reading. Tyrion replied that a knight's weapon is his sword and he must practice with it and keep it sharp. Tyrion's weapon is his mind - so he reads to keep it sharp.
It seems that, in the Game of Thrones world anyway, most people do one or the other. They train their bodies...or they train their minds. (Or they drink and eat to excess and spend way too much time in brothels but that's for another blog entry.)
It got me thinking (of course it did) about the idea of training the body and training the mind.
I spend my work days sitting at a desk typing and thinking. Or sitting in meetings, talking and thinking. Or solving problems. Or answering questions. Or writing reports. I feel like I spend a lot of my day in my head.
So I spend a lot of my free time training my body. I get up early and make time on weekends to run, cycle and swim - constantly trying to get stronger, faster, better than I am.
But here's the thing. The only way to get better physically is to push yourself. If you always run 5k on the same route at the same pace, your body stagnates there. It gets so used to it that you can hardly imagine doing anything but that route at that pace. So you have to push, change the pace, the distance, the incline - whatever.
At work, I do a lot of thinking but, to be honest, it's always the same kind of thinking. It's not easy (and it makes my head hurt) but it's predictable and I'm used to it. It's kinda like running 5k over and over.
The best way I have found to push my body is to sign up for races.
I wish there were races I could sign up with to get me to push my mind.
It feels a little stagnant.
I didn't even notice until Doug and I had a debate the other night. It was one of those academic conversations you have in university, sitting in a dorm room with a bunch of students so full of ideas that their brains are coming out of their ears (to steal a phrase from said Doug). Doug had his points, I had mine. I wanted to push my point but I also wanted to learn more about his perspective. Back and forth it went until my brain was full and my neurons were tingling. I no longer remembered my original argument and I felt like I had just run 10k.
It was wicked!
And I want more!
Apparently I need to take a note from Tyrion's book and spend as much time exercising my brain as I do my body. Otherwise one will go to mush while the other gets stronger.
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