RECIPE WEDNESDAY - Recipe for Better Health

NOTE: Beginning this week, Recipe Wednesday will become Air Fryer Friday some weeks and other general recipes will still run on Wednesday's... just not every week.

On Monday I talked about the extra ice cream and coffee I've been allowing myself.
While these haven't really affected my sugar, they can if larger amounts... or over a period of time. So far my numbers are pretty much what is normal for me.

Prior to the girls' arrival this summer I also got away from my Vinegar/ Detox tea routines, which I will explain in a future video (I promise) I also got away from checking my sugar every morning when the little notebook I was using to track ran out of pages.

I've since set up a new booklet. I will show you in a minute.

I do know that I do NOT want to be this person:

Instead, I try keeping an eye on my sugar bu watching the amount of carbs I eat. Carbs are the big factor. Thankfully, I'm more of a protein kind of gal.

I found this cute bag at SEMOR SAVINGS in Seymour Missouri. While I received a convenient bag with my tester, I needed something large enough to also hold a travel pack of kleenex and my Happy Planner Micro Notes.

Tru-Matrix testing supplies from Walgreens

Happy Planner Micro Notes

The first Micro Notes I used, I was putting my # on one full page!  For this new one, I broke out the washi tape and am doing a 'week on two pages' planner spread. That way I'm getting more use of the page. I still have room to make additional notes on any given day.

So there's my pre-diabetic monitoring. I'm back to checking every morning (note, this picture was taken on Monday). 

Time to get back to routine.

THE GLUCOSE STORY - How My Journey Began

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Tuesday's are normally about FlyLady. I'm updating my system and will be bringing that back in September. I hope you'll join me as we deep clean and find a routine ahead of the Holidays.

Since the cat is out of the bag with my family (Bob has known from the beginning), I thought it time to share my Pre-Diabetic condition with you.

I've always had low blood sugar. I was born anemic and took Tryvisol with Iron until I was twelve. When Bob and I were first married and I went to the gynecologist, they said everything was fine but that my sugar was a bit low. That if I felt fatigue to eat a candy bar. Great! I've never been one for candy bars. LOL

Speed ahead about five years ago. Bob and I had to have blood work done for Bob's insurance at work. I've always been a head-in-the-sand- type of person so when mine came back with a glucose of 135 I didn't think much about it. Bob's youngest brother and wife had been here for a visit. I had extra people to cook 'comfort' foods and desserts for four days! I chalked the number up to the extra carbs/ sugars I'd consumed and didn't think any more about it.

But here's the thing... the signs were there. I just did NOT KNOW they were signs of pre-diabetes.

Every day by 3 p.m. I wanted a nap.
I made frequent trips to the bathroom. Well of course I did! I was drinking like a fish.
I thought I was just trying to get my daily water in.

I didn't give these signs any thought.

Then I started getting tingling in the tips of my toes. Not cramps, just slight tingling. - early signs of diabetic nerve pain.

I also spent nights searching for cold spots in the bed because my feet were always hot. (I've always had COLD feet at night)

Maybe I should get a glucose meter and see what's up. Am I low? Am I high? (the numbers, not me!)

Speed ahead to January of this year.
January 15... Bob and I went to Applebees for their all-you-can-eat BBQ riblets/ shrimp/ tenders. Well, of course I ate the riblets! Three rounds! I also drank part of a pepsi (I normally drink unsweet tea but this was a special occasion) plus a few fries. I'm not a fan of french fries.

As we walked around, shopping, my toes got almost to the point of unable to walk. I thought the pain was due to wearing my new boots for the longest length of time since I'd bought them. So we went to the shoe store and got tennis shoes.

By the time we got home, my toes/ feet hurt so bad, I had Bob rub my feet down with a muscle rub, took Percogesic and searched for those cold spots between the sheets.
The next day while in West Plains. I went to Walgreens and bought a test meter.

Are you ready for this?

365

If you're not familiar... that is stroke level!

Here's the scarier part. My feet weren't hurting. I shudder to think what that number was the day before!

I don't do doctors. You may as well know that up front right now. I have strong beliefs I won't get in to here. Instead, I got on the American Diabetes Association website and EDUCATED myself. I changed my eating habits immediately.

I began paying closer attention to signs of when I thought the numbers might be up

I started taking the Vinegar tablets/ Cinnamon capsules/ Sugar blocker as well as the Detox & Vinegar Teas.

I added my DARK GREEN veggies to my diet and really watched the carbs.

I check my Fasting number every morning when I get up and plan my meals accordingly.

If something seems off throughout the day, I'll check again to make sure of where I am.

THIS is the monitor I use. 

To this day, that is my routine. 

I kind of got off-track when the girls were here and I'm paying for it now. I'm fighting to get my numbers back into what is 'normal' range for me... around 135-152. I'm still hovering between the 160's and 180's. 

Listen to your Body

Pay attention to changes

Educate yourself

and if you see a doctor... 

Make an appointment. Go armed with Questions. See that you get answers.

Tomorrow I walk you through how I'm shocking my system back to reality this week. 

Enjoy the Journey!

~Kelly

WEIGH IN 8-12-19

162/ 167/135

I'm Back!

Thank you so much for your patience while I took two months off to spend with my grandgirls. They are 11 and 7. We had an awesome time making art, weenie roasts in the back yard and hotel/ pool time. We took in a local play of Beauty & the Beast as well as caught showings of Aladdin and Secret Life of Pets 2. Lots of garden time, snuggling and just making memories.

After not touching my office during that time, the place is a disaster. I've been working on a serious dig out/ pitch/ organize session in prep for starting an Etsy shop as well as increasing my Stampin' Up! business. I have a financial plan I'll share with you at another time.

For now, this is my first day of my first full week back to work. My blog board is set up, the planners (which I've not looked at since mid-May) will be put in order and I'm writing again. You can read about that in today's post at my AngelaDrake blog.  

As you can see, I am up a pound from my last blog post. Not too bad considering all the nibbling and eating out we did while the girls were here. That also meant my sugar numbers went back up. Bad me! But I'm okay with that because I know what I need to do to get back in line.

BTW, Bob won the last weight challenge. While I could have used the money I was thrilled to see him losing weight. With his job, that is such a struggle and I was very proud of his accomplishment.

Now that I've had a chat with my sister, I can share with you that I am pre-diabetic. My goal is to not have to take medications/ insulin. I've gotten a lot of good information from the American Diabetes Association website I know this is controllable with proper diet and exercise. 'Proper Diet' means eliminating things from my food plan and adding extra of others. 

After the past two months I think I need to shock my system back into shape. For the next two weeks I'm going back on the Fast Metablolism menu. You can read about that in THIS POST.

  Wednesday is Food Day here on the blog so for the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing the rotation of foods from the Fast Metablolism plan. 

My step counter is out of commission for the next couple of days. I need a new battery. I did keep my steps up while the girls were here but I want to go back to tracking them in my planner again. 

Feels good to be back with y'all. Let's Do This!

We are on this together... let's Enjoy the Journey!

~Kelly