Sweet News from the Hive

Last summer, I had discovered some unpleasant news at my annual physical: Type II diabetes. I have known for years that I have issues with my insulin levels after a trip to the ER after a hypoglycemic episode at work when I was on Atkins. I thought I had been pretty aware of my blood sugar levels, until these results.

My Doc said the changes were probably due to a huge shift in all my hormones in the lovely perimenopausal state I was in. You see, the blood work noted all those hormones had really tanked as well, as if the hot flashes weren't enough to warn me of it's presence.

All I knew was that I just felt too old in my body. I'd been overweight and out of shape for years. I'd successfully lost 18 pounds and kept it off the preceding winter, but then lost steam. Changes needed to be made, and I really truly did not want to just jump on the "medicate the symptom" bandwagon. I wanted to fix the problem, if I could.

So, I started doing research, reading labels, and cutting foods from my diet. I am the first to admit that I love all those high carb foods that are so bad for me...pasta, rice, and potatoes. I knew I would not be one able to stick to a whole, raw foods diet without becoming vicious enough to eat my young. So I cut out the glaring culprits and limiting carbs in general. I made substitutions 75% of the time to whole grains in bread, pasta and rice. I prayed that in finding a balance, I would be able to get healthy and still enjoy lasagna or chicken fried rice once and a while.

I noticed a significant change only after my body had gotten used to not having certain foods. Corn syrup & white sugar are big triggers that now makes me feel physically ill. When I have even a glass of Lipton iced tea or the such, I can feel my blood sugar spike, and indulging in candy gives me headaches. When I am feeling exceptionally tired , I could literally eat a pop-tart and be zipping as if taking speed. I can say that while I wasn't as diligent as I could be, my body helped me out by showing me the signs I needed to easily limit sugar intake.

Six months later, my blood work came back much improved. My sugar is now under 100...and I am still eating my favorite foods occasionally. My doctor has said that I no longer need to use the blood sugar monitor, as my body seems to be giving me wonderful warnings when I have over-indulged. My fingers are so happy!

The added bonus is that I even lost another six pounds. Now that I am stabilized , I am planning to step back into a more purposeful weight loss program after the holidays with the help of my nutritionist Betsy, in hopes of dropping another fifteen pounds. As Betsy said, I can undo years of slow gain and poor health by working my way back. It's really empowering!