One hint for type II

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Claire

Master Chef
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
7,967
Location
Galena, IL
One thing that worked -- astoundingly well -- for my husband and me was that I told him I wasn't going to count. I cook good food, neither are junk food junkies. He went to the dietician (alone, I might add. His doc, who was also mine at the time, wanted me to go. No. When it was cholesterol, I went to the dietician with him. When it was high blood pressure, I went to the dietician with him. Both times I knew more about nutrition, and one heck (and I'm being nice) about cooking than the dietician). This time I sent him alone and said to bring me back the info. There was nothing in it I didn't know.

I took out a 1 cup measuring cup, a 1/2, and a 1/3. Since my husband's preferances aren't often for sweets, but for eating too many starches, I just put out the cups and he useS them for serving spoons.

Within a few years, his PCP said that if he hadn't diagnosed himself, he wouldn't believe it.

That and, can't say it enough, DAILY EXERCISE!!!
 
One thing that worked -- astoundingly well -- for my husband and me was that I told him I wasn't going to count. I cook good food, neither are junk food junkies. He went to the dietician (alone, I might add. His doc, who was also mine at the time, wanted me to go. No. When it was cholesterol, I went to the dietician with him. When it was high blood pressure, I went to the dietician with him. Both times I knew more about nutrition, and one heck (and I'm being nice) about cooking than the dietician). This time I sent him alone and said to bring me back the info. There was nothing in it I didn't know.

I took out a 1 cup measuring cup, a 1/2, and a 1/3. Since my husband's preferances aren't often for sweets, but for eating too many starches, I just put out the cups and he useS them for serving spoons.

Within a few years, his PCP said that if he hadn't diagnosed himself, he wouldn't believe it.

That and, can't say it enough, DAILY EXERCISE!!!

Please explain what foods went into what cups, and how that is important to overall health, with daily exercise. There are many here who don't understand the importance of, not only eating healthy foods, but in what proportions to each other.

I've learned so much about nutrition over the years, but still have much to learn. I'll never stop learning. Plus, what you do with your husband just might teach me a thing or two as well.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
The measuring cups are used to portion your servings, no guessing. You find out what the serving size is and you stick to it. A digital scale helps, too.

I get 1 cup of Cheerios, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp sugar. It's my choice to use sugar, but I only get one serving, it's also my choice to use 2% milk, again I only get 1/2 cup. That is my carb and dairy for breakfast.
 
I think that is a great idea for everyone--not just those with health issues. I measure my carbs using a 1/2 c measuring cup (also do the same with yogurt and cottage cheese). I use the scale to measure out meat portions so that I am only eating a 3-4 oz. serving. Veggies and fruits, on the other hand, go unmeasured.
 
Ah, just give me my 20 yea old body back. I couldn't get over 139 lbs. back then, no matter how much I tried. And for my size, I was superman, not the blob. Well, I'm still not the blob, but neither am I superman anymore. I've turned in my cape for what is supposed to be wisdom. I think its more like my monicker though, Chief Longwind.:LOL:

Well, I've got most of the snow gone from what the ploy left in my driveway. I can almost get my car into it. Now, I just have to remove what Ma Nature left in there. One hour of shoveling done, one break taken (here on DC), one hour of shoveling to go.:ohmy:

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Chef L, for my husband's particular case, it was the starches. That is to say, rice, pasta, potatoes. In my husband's case, and I stress that, every body is individual, it worked out that he could have 1/2 c of starch (loosely packed) twice a day, and 1 c once a day. The hard part has continued to be bread. While it seems that rice, pasta, and potatoes (Seriously, use your common sense here, a hard packed cup of mashed potatoes isn't going to have the same carb count as a loosely packed cup of cubed potatoes).

But bread? Have you ever looked? A slice can have anything from 10 gr to 50 gr. I'm aiming for 15 so my husband's sandwich at lunch will be 30. And my local bakeries of course don't have to post nutritional values. A cup of rice is a cup of rice. A slice of bread, even at the same thickness, can be insanely different, so I have a hard time using artesanal breads.

Anyway, the true point is to take control of your own health, which my husband has done. The 1/2, 1/4, and 1/3 old plastic cups are there (maybe I'll find something more attractive!?) so when I make a pot of rice, or potatoes, or pasta (or, yes, he makes home-made-from-scratch pasta), he can judge for himself what and how much.

The other thing for my husband is that he was (and still can be) very inconsisitent with exercise. HE's a retired military man who had to work out regularly for much of his life. Then he lapsed right after retirement. Then he got back into it. Then lapsed. Etc. When the diabetes scare came on, he started to be more practical. That is to say, maybe not so much, just regularly. That seems to be the key for him. Not going all out, just doing something every day. There are some things I'd like to see him get interested in, but after 30 years of marriage, I doubt he'll get into weight work (which I've been into since before I met him!). I'm just happy to set his butt off for a walk every reasonable day, and convinced him to buy my much-hated exercise bicycle once or so a week when the weather sucks.

Oh, by the way, in addition to the starches I mentioned above, he "gets" snacks in between. I think 15-20 gr carbs in between meals and one before bed. I'll have to ask him. For him, and I do mean, just for him, not necessarily for anyone else reading this, it has been about leveling the carbs through the day, to keep any spikes. Every body is different, and if you have problems, talk to your own doctor!
 
I have found out that with any advance, I have to rethink how I eat and what I eat. I'm getting healthier, meds are being changed or stopped altogether. Those changes mean I have to adjust my diet. My carb needs are increasing, because my weight is going down and my activity level is continuing up.

Medication changes are being done by my doctors. Diet changes are discussed with a dietician.
 
When I married my first husband, I learned about portion control. I learned that one potato per person was all that was needed. If it was a very large potato, it was counted as two. A lot of my girlfriends would cook so to have leftovers. Not me. Each plate that I put food on, got one serving spoon of mashed potatoes. One pork chop per person. And they were never large one either. And enough gravy for six people. I knew the kids wouldn't finish a large piece of meat. One spoonful of veggie. It was always a full well balanced meal. I also served supper on a luncheon plate. It is smaller than a dinner plate, yet larger than a salad plate. That way they had a full looking plate. A lot of times I didn't bother to serve dessert. They had snacks of celery and carrot sticks, fresh fruit available to them throughout the day. There were cookies maybe twice a week and a cake once a week. I never limited their intake of whole milk. Growing kids need milk. With four kids I went through about three loaves of bread for lunch sandwiches and for supper each week. They also got toast in the morning if they had eggs. Like me, my husband was not a bread eater.

I taught my kids that tomorrow was another day. They could not eat all the food in the house in one day. My kids never realized that I was practicing portion control. And they never left the table hungry. When my kids would come in from play and head for the fridge, I would tell them immediately what was off limits. I was planning to use that food for another meal. As the kids got older and were allowed to stay up later, there was popcorn for a snack while they watched TV.

When my daughter got married I would get calls from her. Ma, how much do I cook for a spaghetti supper for three of us? How many cans of tomatoes for pasta sauce? She knew I had a system, but wasn't quite sure what it was. It was then I taught her about portion control. :angel:
 
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bread is a tough one. it's taste, aroma, and contrasting texture rolled into one.

i try to think of things in a historical perspective. carbs are for people who do physical work all day long to keep them going. if ypu're less physical work, you need less carbs. egyptians invented beer to build the pyramids, as it were.

protein is expensive, thereby smaller portions are to be savored, not eaten in gluttony. be kind to your tasty animals. :pig:

and then there's fresh, raw veggies. ypu can eat them all day long, as much as you want for the most part.

i've come to eating 1 meal a day of just raw veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, leafy salad, etc.) and to make them filling, i eat them with something like very spicy hummus, pickled veg, or low/no calorie dressing.

in just changing my diet as such (without a change in physical activity) i've lost 20 lbs., and have my bp under control.

now, if i can find the time to exercise in ways that i used to enjoy, i'll really be on my way.
 
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My dh walks 4 miles a day and about half of that is hilly. His glucose reading is down a lot as soon as he gets back. We couldn't believe the difference when he first started.
 
bread is a tough one. it's taste, aroma, and contrasting texture rolled into one.

i try to think of things in a historical perspective. carbs are for people who do physical work all day long to keep them going. if ypu're less physical work, you need less carbs. egyptians invented beer to build the pyramids, as it were.

protein is expensive, thereby smaller portions are to be savored, not eaten in gluttony. be kind to your tasty animals. :pig:

and then there's fresh, raw veggies. ypu can eat them all day long, as much as you want for the most part.

i've come to eating 1 meal a day of just raw veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, leafy salad, etc.) and to make them filling, i eat them with something like very spicy hummus, pickled veg, or low/no calorie dressing.

in just changing my diet as such (without a change in physical activity) i've lost 20 lbs., and have my bp under control.

now, if i can find the time to exercise in ways that i used to enjoy, i'll really be on my way.
I found that switching my "big meal" to breakfast and eating a snack of veggies/yogurt/cottage cheese to my evening meal (I can't fall asleep if I'm hungry), cutting out white sugar and white rice, and omitting bread (I love bread) for the most part, let me shrink 2 sizes in about 3 months. I also make sure that veggies make up 2/3 of my plate and weigh my protein (meat). I also have added legumes to my diet 3x/week and go vegetarian (Indian) at least 7-8 meals (lunch, breakfast) a week. I do eat a bigger meal in the evening if I have someone around to eat with me. I also do not keep any snack food in the house except cheese, nuts, raisins, fresh veggies, fruit. The only other snack food I have around is popcorn. It is amazing how these little lifestyle changes can have a big benefit. And, I've added some weight lifting to my routine and run up and down the stairs a LOT right now since the woodstove (and washer) are in the basement.
 
bread is a tough one. it's taste, aroma, and contrasting texture rolled into one.

i try to think of things in a historical perspective. carbs are for people who do physical work all day long to keep them going. if ypu're less physical work, you need less carbs. egyptians invented beer to build the pyramids, as it were.

protein is expensive, thereby smaller portions are to be savored, not eaten in gluttony. be kind to your tasty animals. :pig:

and then there's fresh, raw veggies. ypu can eat them all day long, as much as you want for the most part.

i've come to eating 1 meal a day of just raw veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, leafy salad, etc.) and to make them filling, i eat them with something like very spicy hummus, pickled veg, or low/no calorie dressing.

in just changing my diet as such (without a change in physical activity) i've lost 20 lbs., and have my bp under control.

now, if i can find the time to exercise in ways that i used to enjoy, i'll really be on my way.

When you are looking for a way to excercise, start small. In a short while, the weather will start to be better. Walk with your son to his scout meetings, or his Little League games. A mile is really not that long. And having your son with you will make it so much easier. You already know that you enjoy the time you get to spend with him. Make a game of it. Run a half block, walk a half block. Set goals for the both of you. Run from here to there. I bet he will beat you every time. Make it a fun time for the both of you. And don't forget the two of you have to walk back home. Anything you do that is not a part of your regular day is excercise. Just do it with more energy. And every so often, leave the car at home. :angel:
 
When you are looking for a way to excercise, start small. In a short while, the weather will start to be better. Walk with your son to his scout meetings, or his Little League games. A mile is really not that long. And having your son with you will make it so much easier. You already know that you enjoy the time you get to spend with him. Make a game of it. Run a half block, walk a half block. Set goals for the both of you. Run from here to there. I bet he will beat you every time. Make it a fun time for the both of you. And don't forget the two of you have to walk back home. Anything you do that is not a part of your regular day is excercise. Just do it with more energy. And every so often, leave the car at home. :angel:
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I park at the back of the parking lot (farthest from the door) when I go to the grocery store/bank/etc. I used to have to spend a lot of time on conference calls. I would pace if I didn't have to do anything on the computer for the meeting. If the weather was nice, I'd go outside and pace up and down on my deck; if not, I did "laps" around the main floor of my house while on the call instead of sitting down.
 
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I park at the back of the parking lot (farthest from the door) when I go to the grocery store/bank/etc. I used to have to spend a lot of time on conference calls. I would pace if I didn't have to do anything on the computer for the meeting. If the weather was nice, I'd go outside and pace up and down on my deck; if not, I did "laps" around the main floor of my house while on the call instead of sitting down.

I forgot about the elevator. :angel:
 
great advice, everyone.

addie, have you ever heard of the scout "pace". to even things out for boys of all athletic ability, you jog 50 paces, then walk 50 paces, then jog 50 paces, and so on. you'd be surprised at how fast you get to where you're going.

the pack or troop stays together, and the "older" leaders really appreciate it for a multitude of reasons, lol.
 
great advice, everyone.

addie, have you ever heard of the scout "pace". to even things out for boys of all athletic ability, you jog 50 paces, then walk 50 paces, then jog 50 paces, and so on. you'd be surprised at how fast you get to where you're going.

the pack or troop stays together, and the "older" leaders really appreciate it for a multitude of reasons, lol.

Yes I have bt. When my youngest was in scouts, he was always the one who would help the younger and less able ones. He was never one who had to win no matter what. At 13 y.o. he was already 5'10" tall. The younger kids thought it was great that they always beat him. Sometimes he would pick up the smallest one and run with him so he could be up front. :angel:
 
For me it's checking my blood glucose readings often each day. Doing this for years has taught me about how my body works and uses the carbs and how much of them, i can use. just got my monthly bg value from dialysis and it was 79 for me a good thing.
so if you have a meter and strips use them please you will be glad for it.f you haven't got a meter and strips talk to you endo about getting one.
kades
 
I am so bad about checking my sugar. I go to Winthrop once a month so they can check my vitals. I print out my sugar readings and bring it with me so they can enter them into their computer. I download them to my computer and then print them out. You would think that there would be at least 30 readings I turn in. No, not me. I just checked it now only because of your post. The last one was on the 17th. I usually check it if I am not feeling well. I know when it is to high or low. I can feel it. Winthrop will be lucky if the get five readings from me when I go in March. I keep the meter and strips right next to my bed. They are in a small basket with some other stuff like my nail clippers, my inhaler, etc. I use most of the stuff in there daily. So I see the meter and strips. I just look past them. I need to put up a big sign where I will see it that says;

CHECK YOUR SUGAR READINGS
:angel:
 
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My aunt was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was about 6 years old, in the 50s. My dad always said she lived as long as she did because she checked her sugar 4 times a day before it was recommended to do that. Keeping tight control is the key to avoiding complications, like kidney disease and nerve damage.
 
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