"Diabetic diet". The nutritionist gave me sample menus and all of these recipes and
a "brief" explanation about counting carbohydrates. I was so confused when I left it was overwhelming. I cried all the way home. But, I took it all home and read thru it and was determined to try. I followed the diet for about a week and regularly checked my blood sugar levels. They were horrible.
At that point I knew I needed something to "connect" in me that would help me understand
my disease in my own way and I knew I needed to change my eating habits. Now if it had been 2010 I would have googled for help of course, but it was 1997. So I went to "Books-A-Million" and grabbed some coffee and planted myself in the "food & nutrition" section. I pulled every book off the shelf that I could find about type 2 diabetes and started reading. After a few hours I had found the help I needed in this book:
"The Other Diabetes - Living and Eating Well With Type 2 Diabetes" by Elizabeth Hiser.
Ms. Hiser first explained what diabetes is and she made it so easy to understand. She recommended a Mediterranean based diet and explained why it works - I learned about healthy fats and good carbs vs processed foods and bad carbs. I learned how to cook the foods she recommended. I learned how fiber plays a key role in blood sugar management. She included grocery lists and all sorts of tips about what to have in your kitchen. So I did what she recommended and followed her menus. After the first day, my blood sugars dropped literally overnight. After a few days they started staying down where they should be. I felt like I was finally getting a grasp on my diabetes.
She also talks about exercise and how it effects your blood sugar levels - she convinced me,
and I was a major couch potato, to get up and MOVE!
I highly recommend this book - I have gone through 2 copies and gave 2 away to friends who were diagnosed. (I need to order a new copy for myself). There are some great recipes in it - some of them are long and look complicated, but they really aren't. Just to give you an idea I actually wrote her a letter thanking her for the book and she mailed me a hardcover copy!
If you have type 2 diabetes & things just aren't "connecting" for you in your health care regimen or if you are caring for someone with type 2 diabetes, you need the book. It is available at Amazon.com for anywhere from $7-$10.
Coming Soon.....Exercise and How I decided I actually liked it!
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