They say confession is good for the soul. It’s also a good way to show others they are not alone in their challenges. Talking about what ails you can also foster a sense of community.
In this series, we’ve been taking a look into some self-sabotaging habits that commonly derail diabetes management. We’ll also share what our experts suggest to help with those challenges and give you an opportunity for you to declare, share, and move forward.
Celebration Time!
Confession: After you get a glowing report from your doctor that your tests have improved, you suddenly feel invincible. So you decide to celebrate by eating a huge meal!
But why does that treat need to be sugar-coated? If you celebrate your accomplishment of improved health with something else that also makes you feel good, then you will feel even more accomplished.
Here are some carb- and calorie-free ways to celebrate:
- Look in the mirror and repeat your accomplishment out loud. You’ll smile when you see and hear yourself saying “your blood sugar is in good control.”
- Take some time off and read a book or see a movie. It’s a guilty pleasure that you typically wouldn’t do on a random weekday.
- Go for a long walk. If you live near a beach, go to the boardwalk.
- Buy yourself flowers or take a walk through a botanical garden (that you’ve been meaning to visit). The lovely sights and smells will make you remember why you are eating well and taking care of yourself.
- Sit in a bubble bath, schedule a massage, or treat yourself to a nice body lotion.
- You deserve to have another good blood test in three months. Rather than eat foods that you might regret later, treat yourself to activities which will make you happy and healthy.
Good Intentions Gone Bad
Confessions: #1: Chocolate. #2: Every time I decide it’s time to eat more fruits and veggies, I eat more junk.
The most compelling human needs are water, oxygen, and anything we’re told we can’t have.
My solution to this problem is to adopt a healthy eating plan that involves adding foods to your diet rather than taking things away.
Let the good crowd out the bad. Every week, add at least one new source of protein, one new vegetable, and one new fruit to your shopping cart.
Focus on low carb fruits and vegetables and high-fibre foods. Learn more about superfoods like greens.
Don’t give up chocolate. Just switch to plain, dark chocolate (if you don’t like it at first, take little pieces and suck on them from time to time; soon enough, you’ll like it more than milk chocolate).
Meet with a dietitian who specializes in diabetes. As a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Janis Roszler says, “You don’t have to avoid all of your favourite foods, just learn how to eat them in healthier amounts.”
— Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Temptation, You Temptress!
Confession: Being tempted by others and giving in to it instead of standing up for myself and resisting. For instance, regardless of what junk my hubby brings home and sets in front of me, I don’t have to choose to eat it. I just wish he were “on my side.”
Solution: Temptation is tantalizing, but it doesn’t have to always win and you don’t always have to avoid it. To deal with temptation try the following:
Solution: It can be difficult for the spouse who doesn’t have diabetes to know what to do or when. To encourage your spouse to be on your side: Bring him or her to a session with a dietitian or diabetes class to learn more about your needs. Invite your spouse to read a good book about diabetes, such as The Secrets of Living and Loving With Diabetes — a great book that helps spouses and partners learn how to support one another.
— Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N
Solution: If you are taking medication to control your diabetes (insulin or oral pills), please be aware that alcohol can lower your blood sugar (i.e., cause hypoglycaemia) for up to 12 hours after drinking.
Alcohol should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as the effects of the alcohol will be exaggerated. The symptoms of being intoxicated and having a low blood sugar are very similar (slurred speech, unsteady gait, or dizziness) and therefore the two can be easily confused.
Mixed drinks (which often contain fruit juice or sugary additives) provide additional carbohydrates, which are often not accounted for when meal planning.
Because alcohol reduces your ability to make good decisions, meal planning may be an issue if you drink too much on a regular basis.
Here are some tips to de-stress and drink a bit less:
Solution: Night-time eating is perhaps the most common way people sabotage their healthy eating efforts. Research shows that people who eat more in the morning eat less, over the course of a whole day than people who eat more in the evening.
The research also shows that food consumed in the morning actually satisfies us more than the food we eat at night. Of course, at night you’re tired, you’re sitting around, there’s nothing you have to be doing. And you’ve got all those snacks in the kitchen.
What’s the easiest fix? Get those easy, grabbable snacks out of the kitchen. You’re less likely to engage in mindless eating in front of the TV or the computer if the only food available needs to be chopped or cooked.
Other ideas: Change your night-time routines. Take a yoga class or attend a lecture series at your local library. Anything that gets you out of the house cuts some of your night-time snacking hours.
Take a therapeutic bath once a week (find a spa-type bath product you love — salts, bubbles, oatmeal, etc.) The bathtub is one relaxing place where it’s very inconvenient to eat.
Change your night-time snacks to odd foods that you’re unlikely to overeat: Briney foods like pickles, olives, or veggies dipped in vinaigrette; slow-eating things like beef jerky, or spicy foods like a hot chili or stuffed hot cherry peppers.
— Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Source: Castro, John M. 2004. The Time of Day of Food Intake Influences Overall Intake in Humans. Journal of Nutrition. 134:104-111.
Any time is a good time to assess your diabetes management and make a positive step forward.
https://dlife.com/diabetes-blog/true-confessions-part-2-habits-that-derail-diabetes-management/
- Treat yourself to a small taste of the tempting food
- Make your home a “junk-free” zone (which is healthy for all)
- Keep a healthy alternative snack in your purse.
- As for that unsupportive spouse? See below!
Diabetes Police
Confession: I just wish my spouse was “on my side.”
— Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N
Handling Stress
Confession: I drink alcohol; margaritas, especially after a stressful day at work.
Alcohol should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as the effects of the alcohol will be exaggerated. The symptoms of being intoxicated and having a low blood sugar are very similar (slurred speech, unsteady gait, or dizziness) and therefore the two can be easily confused.
Mixed drinks (which often contain fruit juice or sugary additives) provide additional carbohydrates, which are often not accounted for when meal planning.
Because alcohol reduces your ability to make good decisions, meal planning may be an issue if you drink too much on a regular basis.
Here are some tips to de-stress and drink a bit less:
- Always test your blood sugar before consuming any alcohol. If your blood sugar is out of range, cut up some lemons and limes and add them to a glass of sparkling seltzer. Sip on this refreshing beverage while listening to soothing music in the background.
- Have your food waiting for you when you get home. Try not to stray from your nutritious meal plan. You will feel satisfied after you eat and able to reduce your alcohol intake.
- If you do have an alcoholic beverage, sip it. Put a lot of ice in the drink. One drink equals 5 ounces of wine or a 12-ounce beer.
- Have a calorie-free beverage waiting for you in the refrigerator.
- Sit outside if possible and unwind before coming into the house.
Bedtime Carbs
Confession: It’s the carbs before bed that do me in.
The research also shows that food consumed in the morning actually satisfies us more than the food we eat at night. Of course, at night you’re tired, you’re sitting around, there’s nothing you have to be doing. And you’ve got all those snacks in the kitchen.
What’s the easiest fix? Get those easy, grabbable snacks out of the kitchen. You’re less likely to engage in mindless eating in front of the TV or the computer if the only food available needs to be chopped or cooked.
Other ideas: Change your night-time routines. Take a yoga class or attend a lecture series at your local library. Anything that gets you out of the house cuts some of your night-time snacking hours.
Take a therapeutic bath once a week (find a spa-type bath product you love — salts, bubbles, oatmeal, etc.) The bathtub is one relaxing place where it’s very inconvenient to eat.
Change your night-time snacks to odd foods that you’re unlikely to overeat: Briney foods like pickles, olives, or veggies dipped in vinaigrette; slow-eating things like beef jerky, or spicy foods like a hot chili or stuffed hot cherry peppers.
— Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Source: Castro, John M. 2004. The Time of Day of Food Intake Influences Overall Intake in Humans. Journal of Nutrition. 134:104-111.
Cheers!
So as you can see, no one is perfect. Even the most experienced person with diabetes has their good days and their bad. The challenge is being willing to admit these slips can happen so that you can find solutions or, at the very least, cut yourself some slack!Any time is a good time to assess your diabetes management and make a positive step forward.
https://dlife.com/diabetes-blog/true-confessions-part-2-habits-that-derail-diabetes-management/
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