May 29th - June 4th Menu

I saw the Endocrinologist and Certified Diabetes Educator last week. I found the visit with the endo to again be a waste of time and money. As of today, he's done very little my GP hasn't, can't, or won't do except confirm that I have LADA (Type 1.5 Diabetes) so I don't think I need him, though the GP probably won't agree. He did tell me that the recent blood sugar readings my sons had were way out of line and suggested they each get a Fasting Blood Glucose test and an A1c. Because of their ages, normal weights, and lifestyles he feels that if they're diabetic, they have LADA and not Type 2. He also gave credence to my suggestion that perhaps my diabetic relatives also had LADA rather than Type 2 and it's a genetic issue in our family.

I expected the visit with the CDE to be as much a waste of time as the endo but was pleasantly surprised. I told her up front that I eat a low carb diet most of the time but listened to her spiel with an open mind. In return, she didn't gripe about my way of eating but thoughtfully explained, complete with a white board and some great diagrams, why and how she believes low carb eating has actually harmed me over the last 11 years. Once I understood her perspective and the science behind it,  I agreed to a two week trial with the understanding that if I didn't see substantial improvement in blood sugar readings without large weight gain I'd go back to my way. She told me that my blood sugar might seem a little unstable for a few days but not to panic if it did and I might gain a few pounds but those issues would resolve themselves quickly.

In a nutshell, I now carbohydrate count, but for comfort and weight loss purposes my plan is modified to contain fewer carbs. I eat three meals a day of 30 grams of carbs and three snacks of 15 grams of carbs with the third snack being eaten right before I go to bed, whether that's at 8 PM or 3 AM. That's 135 grams of carbs, still much less than most people eat but much higher than the 30 to 50 grams I'm used to. It's not easy for me to eat those carbs and some days I simply can't eat them all but I try and do well most of the time.

I now eat breakfast within thirty minutes of waking in the morning. Sometimes breakfast is nothing more than 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry cereal but it meets the 30 grams of carbs criteria. Breakfast is a major hurdle for me. I just don't want food most days before 11 AM so I made a rule for myself - no coffee before eating in the morning. Yeah, I basically bribe myself to eat that first meal but it works for me. In addition, it's enabled me to drink just two cups of coffee in the morning rather than the copious amounts of the past.

I started the new way of eating on Wednesday, May 25th and except for Saturday, when I over ate a little and ran around 150 all afternoon and evening, and a postprandial last night of 177 (see note below), I haven't seen readings under 75 or over 120. No panic stricken hypos in the middle of the night leading to werewolf eating binges, no rushing to bolus extra insulin because I've over eaten or under shot. It's been fairly steady between 85 and 100 for most of four days. In addition, I'm shooting substantially less insulin, sleeping better, feeling better in general, and have lost 2 more pounds. I'm puzzled by it all and four days aren't enough to convince me that this is the long term way for me but the results give me hope that I might be able to have a less restricted diet. Since the average American eats between 200 and 400 grams of carbohydrates a day, I'll never have the 'average' diet (and don't want it, thanks!) but something pseudo-average will wonderfully suffice!

With all that said, my menus now have meals that average 30 grams of carbs, sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more. Feel free to adjust them as needed for your own preferences and if you're diabetic, remember YMMV (Your Meter May Vary).

This week I'll have, in no particular order except for last night's dinner which is listed first:

Beef fajita salad with Ken's Lite Northern Italian Dressing and six Triscuit rosemary and olive oil crackers (My preprandial was 102 and postprandial was 177. Six Triscuits might be too many so I'll try four next time and if that doesn't work, they'll become a rare treat that requires a little more insulin)

Chicken breast seasoned with plenty of garlic and pepper, skillet cooked with olive oil, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and a side of wild rice with slivered nuts

Open faced roast beef sandwich with caramelized onions and a side of homemade vegetable soup

Cheese and skirt steak omelet, hash browns, and one slice of whole wheat toast with sugar free grape jelly

Baked cod with green beans, buttered beets, and half an ear of corn

Beef stroganoff, whole wheat noodles, green beans, and a large salad

Leftover night when I eat whatever is lingering in the fridge

And that's it for this week! By the way, my snacks are usually 1/2 a cup of fruit, yogurt, or four crackers with cheese. I'm going to have to get more creative with snacks and I'll update on those as I come up with good ones. If you have suggestions on snacks with 10 to 15 grams of carbs, please share them in a comment.

For more ideas on what to feed your family, check out Menu Plan Monday to see what others are coming up with.