Snacky Snax

One of the hardest things for me to face with diabetes is snacking. Isn't that something we should all stop doing?

Easy things to snack on for me have been crackers, turkey, cheese sticks, an apple, or a clementine. However, recently with my new gluten-intolerance and the summer heat, I have been looking for gluten free snacks that are low-carb and will not perish in the summer heat.

Trader Joe's has been a life saver for me. It is hard for me to find snacks that fit my requirements and are not overly expensive. Here are some of my favorites that can all be found at your local Trader Joe's:

Un-Sweetened Dried Fruit: 

Dried fruit is a great way to get in your nutrients without worrying about eating them in a timely matter. My favorite dried fruits are apricots, prunes, and cranberries. Dates apricots and prunes are great choices for a diabetic in particluar because they are high in fiber. Unfortunately, they can also be high in carbs but the fiber helps maintain and stabalize your blood sugar. These are great for road trips or to throw in a backpack if you are going to be out for a day. My other favorites are cranberries and cherries. These have more of a sweet and tart taste. They taste much more like a desert than a healthy snack.

LARABAR: 

I have had a lot of trouble finding granola bars that are gluten-free, low-carb, low-sugar, and high in fiber. I think LARABAR takes the win. The bars have no sugar added, are high in fiber, and only use minimal ingredients of nuts, fruits, and spices. One of my favorites is Cashew Cookie. This bar only contains cashews and dates. It has 23g of carbs, 6g of protein, and 3g of fiber.

Skinny Pop: 

Skinny Pop or any air-popped popcorn is a perfect snack that does not go stale and will stay fresh even in hot weather. I like Skinny Pop because it does not have any added salts or butter. It is simply air popped. If you buy other sir-popped popcorn, make sure that you check the ingredients listed, and also the amount of sodium listed on the package.

That's It Bar: 

This bar is one of my favorites. There are a variety of different flavors, but essentially this bar is an apple and another fruit in a bar. The listed ingredients on the package of this bar is: Apple, Cherries. That's it! This is another great solution to taking fruit on-the-go with you. The bars do not perish easily and are nicer than dried fruit because you do not have to worry about resealing.

Nut Based Trail Mix:

Trail mix is a hard one to find. Unfortunately, any trail mixes are high in carbohydrates and in gluten. However, at Trader Joe's I have been able to find many assorted nut and fruit based trail mixes. Stay away from mixes that include pretzels, chocolate, or mini-breadsticks.



Do any of you have other favorite snacks that easy to take on-the-go??
I could use some other recommendations!

Stay cool, we are definitely still chillin' out here in Chicago...don't worry!!

xoxo
The DiaBlogger

HERE COMES SUMMER

HOW TO: pump iron while pumping insulin.

Putting on a swimsuit is just not in my cards anytime soon. Now that nice weather is here to stay, I need to put my winter body away. However, this is much easier said than done when you throw diabetes into the mix. I have really been struggling with keeping weight off and also following my daily medical routine. I recently took up running, which I have really enjoyed, but have found that running has repetitively given me high blood sugars. This is extremely frustrating.

With summer approaching I need to find recreational activities that keep my blood sugar consistent. Is this possible?

Here is an interesting web page I found with tips on exercising with T1. 

For the most part, I think that the goodness of staying active and participating in physical activities outweighs the bad of a slight higher or lower blood sugar. It is so important to stay active with diabetes, because we hold on to fat so easily due to our insulin intake.

The trickiest part of dealing with my health during the summer is not wanting to lug all of my medicine and medical supplies around. I feel like I can never go anywhere without a giant bags to cover all of my “what-if” situations. BUT NEVER GO WITHOUT. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Plus, with my luck if I ever tried to go without….that would be the time that I find myself in a compromising situation. AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS wear a medical ID. 

Stay active and enjoy the fresh air and flowers!!!!

xoxo

The DiaBlogger 

Gluttony for Gluten

My favorite part of being diagnosed with T1 was sitting with my nutritionist and listening to the long list of fabulous diseases and disorders that I now have a 26% higher, 13% higher, 67% higher or 42% higher chance of getting. 

"Congratulations. You just got T1 Diabetes. Regardless if you take care of your health or not, here is a long list of problems you will probably come in contact with in your far, or not so very far, future."

Am I the only one who feels this way???

The only disorder that struck my attention the most from this looong list was Celiac Disease.  I think it caught my eye simply because gluten-free diseases have been so trendy recently. I am sure you are all aware...but just in case....Celiac Disease is a condition in which you must go on a strict gluten-free diet. 

FUN FACT: 3-8 % of people with type 1 diabetes will have biopsy-confirmed celiac disease. 

So...recently (over the past month or so) I have been experiencing some severe stomach pain after eating. I tried to track exactly what food I was eating that was causing the pain. Unfortunately, many of the meals I had pain after had a combination of dairy and gluten. When I ate dairy or gluten separately, I would have absolutely no stomach pain at all. This led my doctor to believe that my stomach pain was IBS related because it was also occurring during more stressful times for me. 

To make a long story shorter than I am making it....This past week, my stomach pain has evolved into some digestion issues. I will elaborate this way: when I eat gluten, I have about 5 minutes to get to the nearest bathroom. 

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness:

Celiac disease associated with diabetes is usually silent, showing no symptoms, and may only be found upon screening. Signs and symptoms, such as abdominal pain, gas, bloating, malabsorption, weight loss, and abnormal liver function tests may also be seen and easily confused with poor glucose control of type 1 diabetes or gastroparesis - when the muscles in the wall of the stomach do not function normally.

So tonight, when I was low blood sugar I opted for eating a piece of toast with crunchy peanut butter. YUM. I was getting ready to leave my apartment to get on a 10 hour long Megabus ride home for the weekend. So I figured the toast would raise my blood sugar and the protein in the peanut butter would keep my blood sugar stable. 

CARBS  + PROTEIN= GOOD DECISION

TOAST= BAD DECISION

 I am not diagnosed with Celiac or gluten intolerance, but my body is speaking LOUDLY, clearly and very brownly [sorry if that was too much information]. 

Well, I am leaving you all there. Please, PLEASE let me know of your experiences with T1 & Celiac. I am new to the business. And wish me luck on my bus ride with my digestive issues..... only 8 more hors to go, right?

xoxoxo

The DiaBlogger

Our Future as DiaRobots

I just read this fabulous article about Diabetes research going on in Israel!
Please read and share with all of your dia-friends...maybe we have something to look forward to in the near future!

Check it out here!

I hope you are having a consistent sugar kind of day,

The DiaBlogger

HASHiMOTO

Hashi..whaaaat?

Yes. My body seems to have a things for diseases with asian names. Starting with my diagnosis of Kawasaki disease back in 2010, I have had a strange path of foreign-born illnesses.

However, Hashimoto is very common with us diabetic people. I knew that eventually I would be diagnosed with this thyroid disease, I just did not realize how soon it would sneak up on me.

When I recently visited my doctor, she instructed me to start taking Levothyroxine. I was very excited because I had clearly been gaining weight and been blaming my own laziness. It was nice to blame my thyroid for packing on the pounds rather than myself (lazy...right?).

My dad has recently started taking a thyroid pill as well, and we were shocked to learn all the details about taking a pill for hypothyroidism. There are some very strict rules when it comes to taking thyroid medication that I was pretty unaware of. I have done some research and here is my list of things YOU SHOULD KNOW if you are treating Hashimoto, or taking a pill to help your thyroid activity:

• Take pill as a single dose, 
• Take on an empty stomach, 
• Take in the morning, one-half to one hour before breakfast. 
• Take with a FULL glass of water
• Do not take with other medications. It can make the thyroid pill less effective. 
• Many experts recommend you take vitamins or supplements with iron at least two to three hours apart from thyroid hormone. Iron can interfere with thyroid hormone absorption if taken too close together.
• You should avoid infant soy formula, cotton seed meal, walnuts, and high-fiber foods while taking medication.

Following these rules have been difficult for me considering I wake up at different times each morning and usually start my day with a multivitamin. However, I have been doing alright for the most part and have seen great results.

happy bolusing...

The DiaBlogger

New Year, New Pancreas

JUST KIDDING.

So, just like every other year of my life...I have about 5,000 different new years resolutions that I am going to try to keep afloat this year. However, this year I have made my health a major priority.

I have always said that I would be a better terminally ill patient than a diabetic. I am a person who is a consistent check list maker and completer. (At the bottom of my checklists, my last task is always: make new to-do list). I am good at completing tasks, but I am not good at accomplishing things that are long term. I have to segment my life into smaller sections in order to feel like I have better control of them.

For example: I can run sprints, but not long distance.

When I was diagnosed with T1 Diabetes, my mind was turned upside down. If I had a cold, I simply followed the steps until I was better a few days later. Done. But how can I possibly take care of my health when there is no goal? There is no finish line. My mind could not wrap around this concept. the concept that I will die with this disease. I kept asking: How do I get better? What are the next steps" How long until I am no longer Diabetic" When will it go away"

I slowly learned, it doesn't.

My biggest resolution for this year is to train my mind to have goals that are farther in the future. I decided the easiest way to do this was to set a goal, right? By then end of 2013, I want to have ran a half-marathon. I am not a long distance runner by any means so this will be difficult. I am hoping that doing daily training will not only train my mind, but will train my body to make more healthy choices and to be more in touch with my blood-sugars and insulin levels.

Before I get up and run a half-marathon, I am starting small by training for a 10K. I found this simple 8-week training chart on Google and I have found it to be working very well.

I will keep you updated as I am running. My first run is scheduled for March 24th! I hope your 2013 has been happy and healthy!!

xoxo
The DiaBlogger