#gidiet

The more time that passes the more I learn about diabetes and its management.  Each time I learn something new my life changes a little bit more.  This is initially quite a daunting prospect to a 26 year old child like me!  I smoke, I love cakes and biscuits and all sweet things.  I drink, although not too much, and I never bothered to calorie count in my life.

These changes in diet influence your life in many ways.  Salad for lunch everyday entails not only preparing the night before but also more shopping trips mid week, no one wants a soggy been-in-the-fridge-too-long salad! 

I must say that I am enjoying the diet more now, I'm learning to vary it more and with each appointment I learn a little something new.  I had two appointments yesterday, one where I got my flu jab - ouch!  In the second appointment I learnt a bit more about carbohydrates and diet, for example, I should aim for 40g of carbs per meal.  This is a figure I can work with! 40g of Carbs works out at about three table spoons of cooked rice (brown or black rice is better but that's on to the low GI diet side of things which I will come on to later).  40g of carbs also equals one whole grain tortilla of one slice of wholegrain bread.

The next thing to know about carbohydrates is the type you are dealing with, this is where the low GI diet thing comes in.  one of the key issues of diabetes management is maintaining your blood sugar level to avoid peaks and troughs.  In people without diabetes or 'normies' the body self regulates sugar levels with insulin.  

Your body turns all carbohydrates in to sugar and therefore energy which your body needs, the trick to this is in slow release carbohydrates.  This means whole grains because your body digests them slower thus helping to maintain a constant sugar level.  In white bread the flour is so refined it is easy for the body to turn it in to sugar and it does, which in a diabetic will case an swift increase in their level.  Whole grain bread takes longer to be digested so the sugar is released from it slower, it's much nicer than white bread too!

read more on Low GI here: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Managing-your-diabetes/Glycaemic-Index-GI/?gclid=CjwKEAiA74qkBRCdrM-6or7U73QSJABCDL9pyS8mNsfyKKj6IYyuqGjTwgbTEplyelVY8NScVL7UJRoC9mjw_wcB

Cholesterol also plays a big influencing factor in the diet of type 2 diabetics, and actually I am now learning should be something for everyone to consider.  This is why a low GI diet alone is not suitable as you must also regulate certain fat and the types of fat you eat.

Monounsaturated fat is your olive oil and other natural oils which remain liquid at room temperature, there are good in moderation.

Polyunsaturated fat, this is from certain fish oils, nuts, soy bean etc.  This is again good in moderation.

Saturated fat, visible fat on meat, butter, lard, still solid at room temp.  this is basically fat for the sake of it, it's not good for you but hey sometimes everyone wants a little treat.  this type of fat is in chocolate too and does lead to cholesterol.

Trans fats - ready meals, fast food, many a tasty treat harbours trans fats, they are the worst and have no place in any ones diet.  Please eat sparingly!

for more on fat: http://www.healthcheck.org/page/different-types-fat

The rule of thumb as you may have guessed: Is it solid at room temperature? The more solid it is the more unhealthy it is.  Sorry butter lovers but Olive spread is pretty good too.

Finally salt, salt is in many things and you need some, but you get plenty of it without adding any.  I have stopped using stock cubes in place for herbs and spices, which are much nicer with a wider variety of combinations.

The guidelines are pretty simple and when you start watching what you are putting in to your body it really becomes quite entertaining and a learning experience.  I'm compulsively checking labels now ohhing and arrrring like an old lady reading heat magazine when I see some of the sugar contents on 'health foods'.

Sweet potato, chicken and sweetcorn Soup with bacon, chilli and thyme. 

My mum bought a G.I. (glycemic index) Diet cook book years ago and to be honest the only recipe we ever used was this one and being a G.I. Diet recipe it is rather good for you. It has to be the best soup I have ever discovered and made, and I've made it so much I've stopped following the recipe exactly and just threw it all together whenever I make it. It is very filling and is best served with some crusty bread. 

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts - cut into chunks

2 slices of smoked bacon - sliced

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes - cut into equal sized chunks to the chicken

1 can (400g) sweetcorn

1 clove of garlic - finely chopped

1 large onion - diced

Vegetable or chicken stock

1 medium red chilli - the level of spice is entirely up to you; you can either remove the seeds or use half of them or just use crushed chilli flakes

3 sprigs off thyme - leaves picked

Salt and pepper

Heat some olive oil and a little butter in a pan and add the onions and bacon and fry until the onion is soft and the bacon has coloured. Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes then add in the chicken and cook till the meat is sealed and golden brown. Throw in the sweet potato and cover in stock, add the sweetcorn, chilli and thyme and stir. Season and leave to simmer for 10mins, or until the chicken is cooked and the sweet potato is soft. 

My main reason for starting this blog was to document my experience with a new life long commitment to myself and my health. I am someone who has always had weight to lose but either held it well, didn't want to cave to the desires of society, etc, etc... The list goes on to all the reasons I wasn't going to make life long changes.

But today is Day 5...is she serious?!?!?! Why now what's the deal...?

Well, a few years ago I read an article about PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome) I thought, "Hmm..Maybe I have that and that's why I've never been slim or had any luck with weight loss attempts in the past." So, off to my MD I went and a visit with the endocrinologist and several vials of blood later I was given a 'clinical diagnosis' of PCOS. Of course I struggled the weeks following this diagnosis; fretting that I would be unable to have children, would never be able to wear a size smaller than 12, could never have a healthy BMI, that I would have full blown diabetes sometime in the near future...the list went on. I thought I tried diet and exercise (I didn't know what to do!) so back to the endocrinologist I went and home I went with a bottle of metformin. I took this stuff for 3 days. On the third day I was at work, became shaky, sweaty, I was ready to faint so I stuffed myself with juice and a bagel and off I went, but it kept coming back - my blood sugar was bottoming out repeatedly. Needless to say I did not continue with the metformin. And yes, I may have been using it wrong, but I truly did not and do not want to be on any medication if I do not have to be.

Since this horrible experience I have gotten other opinions from MDs. An endo who told me that if I want to lose weight I just have to eat less and most recently from my primary MD whose response I appreciate the most. He believes that since my blood work is normal that I may have characteristics of PCOS making it more difficult to lose any weight.

Some history about me - I hit puberty and was in a size 12 jean and approximately 150lbs. I stayed there for most of my adolescence, until I was 24 and stopped smoking cigarettes twenty plus pounds later I cannot even get back to 150. Have I mentioned I am 5'2"?? 

So, today is Day 5 of properly following The GI Diet by Rick Gallop. I feel good, haven't have the cravings I usually do, been sleeping well and am less moody. Last year I tried this and did it 'my way.' Because I am a vegetarian (since age 15) I thought I could finagle my way to successful weight loss without following Mr. Gallop's Phase 1. After just over a month of that I felt good and saw limited changes in my body. So back to uneducated eating I went.

Now at Day 5 in the 'proper' Phase 1 I feel good in my body and hopeful in my mind that changes will come my way. I'm getting a tape measure today and will track myself for 30 days to adequately track my changes. Last thing I need is diabetes and issues with infertility. Have I mentioned I'm not even hungry (the way I used to be), I just eat regularly and 'green light' AKA properly.