It's a sugar-(full)free life for me

A few months ago my Mom told me about the Fed Up movie--have you heard about it? It is basically a documentary that talks about the food industry and how much added sugar Americans consume on a daily basis. Watch the trailer here:

Along with the movie, producers Katie Couric and Laurie David created the Fed Up Challenge. In order to complete the challenge you have to eat on a no-sugar added diet for 10 days. Unfortunately I have a HUGE sweet tooth. This becomes an issue with my T1 very easily. I am trying to get better at saying no to sweets...but if someone is offering dark chocolate covered pretzels, I am taking them.

I read about the challenge and thought I could definitely do it. I should not be eating added sugar any day of my life, so I could at least go 10 days, right? It was more difficult than I thought! I think I am going to try this challenge again...starting tomorrow.

Read about the challenge and the rules here.

This challenged really helped me become better at reading labels. At the grocery store, I typically look at 4 parts of a nutrition label: Carbohydrates, Fiber, Sugar and Sodium. I look at how many grams of each are in the product. However, now I am better at looking at the actual ingredients listed. Katie Couric explains that a food label may show that it is low in sugar, but in the ingredients you can find all of the dangerous sugar chemicals that have been added. At the top of this post is a list of all the names for sugar. Watch out for these + if you see it listed, do NOT buy it.

Products you should stay away from that are not obvious include:

• crackers
• Nutrition bars/granola bars
• bread
• pasta
• sauces/condiments/dressings
• alcohol

Challenge yourself to complete this and WATCH the movie! It has some great information and is truly shocking.

The DiaBlogger

Share your Sh!t

What is it like to live with T1/T2 or to care for someone that is diabetic? It is not fun. I can tell you that! It is funny how easy it is to feel alone with a disease that affects millions of people. 

The FDA is hosting a discussion with the diabetic community to better our understand our needs and where we are lacking in resources. Take this opportunity to share your concerns and struggles with leaders who CAN make a difference in our day-to-day lives. Here is a live survey that you can take and share with friends and family that have been affected by diabetes. 

Click here to find out more about the discussion taking place on November 3rd. 

Discussion coordinators are working to set up a live webcast to the event. So if you cannot make it, follow online! 

The DiaBlogger 

The cure is...now?

How many times have you heard: There will be a cure in 5 years...In the next 20 years nobody will have diabetes anymore...They are so close to finding an answer! 

I have heard this way too many times. After awhile I think I just began to zone it out. At my first endocrinologist appointment after a rough hospital stay (read my diagnosis story) I was shaking and crying as my nurse tried to check my blood sugar. It was too painful to get my finger pricked and I was not afraid to be defiant. Looking back at that image of myself makes me laugh and think "wow, you have no idea what is coming." The nurse tried to console me and started the well-rehearsed soothing lines... It is really okay. There will be a cure for diabetes in the next 10 years. It will be in your lifetime, you are going to be fine.

That was the first thing that made me perk up since being diagnosed. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad after all. Now, after living with diabetes for over 5 years it really just makes me laugh when I hear someone say that. You could say I have a negative outlook, but I think I am just realistic to a fault.

We have seen data on pancreas transplants, the bionic pancreas, different diets, etc. and things look promising, but not all that great. I was surprised this week when I read an article about these scientists at Harvard that are mass-producing new fully functioning beta cells. Check it out here. Beta cells are what produce insulin. Auto-immnune disease attacks these cells, and then we are left with manually injecting insulin into our bodies. Here is my favorite blunt quote from the article:

“A lot of the complications associated with manual insulin monitoring can lead to a lower quality of life.” Jeffrey Millman, a doctor in this research study 


Spot on, Jeffrey.

My biggest fear has always been that I will live for the discovery of how to stop T1 diabetes, but not be here for the day doctors learn to cure people already diagnosed with it. This research is exciting because the scientists were already able to rapidly cure one mouse in the experiment with their new cells. It is also exciting because I am an auto-immune cocktail recipe for disaster.

This is a huge breakthrough for the T1 community and for health research in general. If it is a potential cure, it will be years before we can get our hands on it. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The DiaBlogger

Okay, I'm alive.

my backpacking route 

When I think of diabetes, I am constantly reminded of all the things I can't or shouldn't do. Most of these rules I break on a daily basis---like the fact that I am inhaling a bag of Wavy Lays as I type this. My backpacking trip was a small break from all of these rules because I accomplished something I thought I would never be able to do.

Some of my fears, doubts, concerns:

• What if my bag gets lost/stolen and my medicine is in it?
• How will I keep my insulin cool at all times?
• What if I slip into a low blood sugar and nobody knows that I am diabetic?
• Most importantly, how can one travel lightly when having to balance 3 months of medical supplies with a clothing addiction?

I started doing research online and with my doctor to figure out the best way to go about this trip. I was NOT about to lug around a cooler and ice packs, so I asked my doctor to be real with me...I asked how important is it to keep my insulin cool? She admitted that it is not about keeping insulin cool, as much as it is from keeping it from getting hot. My dad had a great idea: pack my pens in a thermos. This worked out great, because it was light and easy to cram in my backpack. If need be I thought I could drop a few ice cubes in the thermos, but I never ended up doing that.

My doctor wrote long letter with my list of prescriptions on it. I made one copy for my backpack and one for my purse. This was just in case my bag was lost /stolen and I needed to walk into a hospital and DEMAND insulin. Unfortunately, I am on a 90-day prescription cycle. So if I ran out when I was traveling, my insurance company said they would not be able to send me a refill. I never had to utilize this letter, but I felt much safer having it with me!

Another thing recommended to me was to pack 3x the amount of medicine that I would usually take for that time frame. 3x the needles, 3x the pens, 3x the pills. I still do not understand how I can walk onto a plane with 30 needles in my carry-on (let alone 300) without being stopped by security (Check out my post here).

And in case you were concerned about what I consumed..I did not hold back on drinking or eating anything...Sorry Dr. Aleppo.

Mykonos, Greece

Munich, Germany 

Ios, Greece

Paris, France

My trip was more than just seeing the world. It truly made me feel like I could accomplish something without my health holding me back. It was a great reminder that I can still do human things without feeling like I am on a regimented medical course everyday.


Contact me with any questions or similar traveling advice!
The DiaBlogger