Nuts for COCONUT OIL

My aunt recently emailed me about a new diet she is testing out. I am typically on board with the new diets she tries, but this one was different. It is a fat-based diet called the ketogenic diet. The chart below paints a clear picture of what I am talking about.

Just for some context, the typical American diet is:

• 55% Carbohydrates
• 30% Fat
• 15% Protein

I was shocked and decided that I had to do some more research. Ketogenic diets are extremely popular right now! Recently, Americans are going nuts over the Bulletproof Coffee trend. This also falls in line with the ketogenic diet. The more I scoured the internet, the more I kept finding articles about ketogenic diets and T1 Diabetes. The key in this diet for diabetics is coconut oil--a kitchen product I have never purchased.

I am not going full-swing into the ketogenic diet, but I am implementing the coconut oil. Basically, this diet is low-carb. As a diabetic, I would say I aim for this on a daily basis. If you would like more information on ketogenic diets, read here.

I began by replacing all of my cooking oils with coconut oil. I typically use olive oil for EVERYTHING. If you do not like the coconut taste, don't worry unless you use too much! Please note that coconut oil is solid (like butter). Once you heat it, it will melt into oil. You cannot taste the coconut flavor unless you use too much. A little goes a long way! Another note--be sure to buy virgin coconut oil. Regular coconut oil usually has chemicals added in and it won't work as well as pure/virgin coconut oil.

Secondly, I began eating 2t of coconut oil every morning and have worked to eating 2T each day. It doesn't taste bad, but the texture takes some getting used to. Imagine spooning butter/margarine in your mouth. Needless to say, it feels a little uncomfortable at first.

I have tried many different "quick fixes" for my T1, but incorporating coconut oil into my daily routine has by far been the most dramatic. My blood sugar levels are low and stable throughout the day and I stay full longer. This is important for me because I am a HUGE snacker. Other than being my saving grace with my health, coconut oil has many other benefits. For example, my roommate began swishing some in her mouth to reverse a cavity. See below for a short list of the great benefits:

I plan to keep you all updated on my progress. I am excited to see what my next AIC is when I visit my endocrinologist in March. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I would also love to from anyone who has adopted the ketogenic diet lifestyle or has incorporated coconut oil into their diet. 

The DiaBlogger 

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