11:45AM
2 chicken breasts with cheddar cheese, Ranch dressing, and tomatoes
CarbSmart vanilla ice cream with fresh locally grown strawberries, Truvia, and whipped cream
Diet Coke with Splenda
6:15PM
Spinach leaves with cheese, eggs, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and Ranch dressing
7-ounce sirloin steak with mashed cauliflower, green beans, and butter
Diet Coke with lime
9:15PM
Low-carb cheesecake (cream cheese, Xylitol, eggs), strawberries, and whipped cream
Diet Coke with Splenda
NOTE: In 2000, Christine and I moved away from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia to live in South Carolina and we left a really great church full of friends and people who loved us. Those were the people who saw us fall in love, get married in 1995, and start our life together as a family and they will always be our friends no matter how far away they live from us. Recently I found one of our Virginia Beach friends on Facebook and she said she lived just down the road from us about 45 minutes away. AWESOME! Her new husband works in Spartanburg where we live, so she said we really should meet for dinner sometime--tonight was that night!
It's funny how some people who you haven't seen in nearly ten years you can start chatting with them and it's like no time has passed at all. It's obvious that it has, but the laughing and sharing that happens between good friends is timeless. Christine and I were so thrilled to hook up with this long lost friend and we've committed to staying in touch and meeting for dinner often now that we live so close to each other. After speaking with her, we were made aware of another reason why we should stay in touch--HER DIABETES.
Somehow the conversation of health came up during dinner and we found out our friend has Type 2 diabetes. I asked her what she is doing to control it and she said she takes three prescription medications along with 1 unit of insulin daily. Because of what I know about blood sugar, insulin, and the carbohydrate connection, I decided to ask my friend what her fasting blood glucose number was. When she said 350, I just about fell out of my seat. My follow-up question was about her A1C number, and it was in the double digits. EEEEK!
Obviously she's getting a lot of carbs in her diet, but I wanted to know for sure. She had lobster ravioli during dinner--not exactly the perfect choice for someone with diabetes. But she did have a diet soda to drink with her meal, so it's not a complete carb-fest. When I inquired about what her typical diet looks like, here's what she said (brace yourself!):
BREAKFAST--a bowl of cereal with 2% milk
LUNCH--some crackers and/or granola bar
SUPPER--a bowl of cereal with 2% milk
This is NOT a joke! She REALLY eats this way as a Type 2 diabetic. Her husband was very interested in what I had to say and I spent about an hour explaining the way carbohydrate acts in the body to raise blood sugar levels which stimulates insulin and the whole kit and kaboodle. When I said her diet looks like it is about 90% carbohydrate, 5% protein, and 5% fat, she looked kind of stunned by it. In her mind, she thought her choices were pretty healthy and yet they're the reason she's taking so many drugs and insulin to try to control her diabetes. I'm SO glad we were able to speak with her and share the truth about what is best for getting this disease eradicated from her life.
I urged them to pick up a copy of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution and follow it EXACTLY! I said with confidence that she could probably come off of at least 1-2 of those medications and the insulin within 4-6 weeks if she got serious about restricting her carbohydrate intake. She thinks she lacks the willpower and motivation to do it, but I know it is possible if she would simply give it a try. And her husband was thrilled to hear she could still eat full-fat meats, cream, cheese, and other foods that didn't fit on a typical "diet." The message of replacing the carbs with dietary fat sunk in for him and he's gonna do this with her since heart disease runs in his family (several siblings have died or suffered cardiovascular problems). You gotta love it when you know you are making a difference in the lives of people you know who stand to benefit from livin' la vida low-carb.
It is my hope they take this to heart and REALLY do it for the sake of their health. Both of them are approaching 50 and it's a PERFECT time to start eating a healthy low-carb lifestyle so they will be around for each other for many years to come. Maybe this meeting with an old friend could be the start of a major turnaround in her health that could save her years of agony and frustration wondering why she was dealt this hand of fate. We're gonna change what was thought to be inevitable into some truly incredible!
Friday, May 29, 2009
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11 comments:
Jimmy,
When you last saw your friend, were you overweight? If so, I would imagine that the change she saw in (last night) you will likely help get your message across.
A good example, like you, is often many times more impactful than even the most persuasive explanation.
I hope your friend takes your advice and benefits from it. Your staying in touch will probably be very important though. There are a lot of negative messages that we all get with regard to the merit of LC living. Without positive reinforcement ... beginners often lose faith and quit before reaping the full benefits.
My best to you and Christine!
You were put in your friend's path for a reason. So glad you were able to educate her on a better way to manage her diabetes. With a fasting sugar of 350, she's was headed for disaster.
I remember having a conversation with a woman who came into my office a while back. While I worked with her, I struck up a little small talk. She revealed she was diabetic, and that her sugars were (like your friend) consistently out of control. I told her to read DANDR for a general understanding of what she was dealing with and told her she needed to cut her carbs.
She then said, she actually did cut her carbs: "Oh yeah, I tried that . . . Like, for lunch, I'd just have a pack of Ramen noodles . . ."
As the conversation continued, the lady assured me she'd get the book, but I sensed she was just pacifying me. When I told her to cut back on the starches and sweets - and to the addtl step of defining exactly what I meant by "starches and sweets" - I think she decided deliberately not to take my suggestions seriously. Did I really expect her to give up noodles/rice/potatoes/sweets?
You've had a major weight loss since seeing your friend last AND write a LC blog. You gave some solid tips to your friend on how to control her out of control diabetes. She replied that she thought she lacked motivation and will power.
I hope she feels differently after she has some time to reflect on what you told her, and maybe her husband will persuade her too.
The sad thing is, I'm pretty sure your friend has been through diabetes education. Though the generally-accepted standard diabetic diet is garbage, it is clearly NOT the menu she described to you. She is not following her dr's recommendations.
I hope she has a change of heart and listens to you.
Jimmy-What a wonderful twist of fate brought you together with your diabetic friend. Although I'm not diabetic, Dr. Bernstein is one of my heroes. If she finds his 6/12/12 regimen too difficult at the start of her healing journey, simply doing very low carb should help significantly.
And you were right. I braced myself before reading her daily food intake; it could not have been worse.
Off now to eat some wild salmon and organic greens. Life is good.
Marly
Ah - the heartbreaking truth about what people actually eat and ARE TOLD TO EAT with Type 2 Diabetes. It makes you want to tell the whole world!
Christine reminded me that our friend also sometimes had a PopTart for breakfast too! EEEEEK!
J.P., actually the last time she saw me I had just lost all my weight on a LOW-FAT diet in 1999 just prior to gaining it back on my four-month rebellion binge against it. But she knew what I looked like big and the fact that I've kept the weight off as long as I have certainly had to make an impression.
OnPoint, I agree this was right place right time. Her husband was VERY interested in all that I had to say, so I hope his influence over her will make the difference. Marly, I think if she gets close to doing what Dr. Bernstein recommends she'll be able to come off the insulin and meds in NO time. Anne, I'm doing my part to tell everyone I know the TRUTH! :)
jimmy, it seems you really need to get away from all the diet coke consumed though. Try a nice crystal light, which is also good frozen into popsicles, or a sparkling water w/ lime or lemon or orange, or just water with a slice of cucumber. just a thought.
THANKS kiddeys! I've actually tried Crystal Light and sparkling water and it just doesn't cut it for me like the diet soda. I personally have no problem drinking the diet sodas and they keep me away from the real stuff. If you have decided to cut the out of your diet, then that's great for you. But I've chosen to consume them as part of my healthy low-carb lifestyle and have been for over 5 years and counting.
Wow, Jimmy, that really is an amazing story. I can't wait to hear the follow-up in a few months. I suspect you sent her packing with a few books and websites as well. Educate one person at a time if you need to, right?
That's the only way, Matt--one sick person at a time!
carbonation holds fat on the body and the phoshoric acid imbalances the calcuim potentially making kidney stones itswicked stuff in any form!!!!
THANKS for sharing, Barbara. If you choose to avoid diet soda, that's fine and good for you. :)
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