Cleaned Out The Cupboards
By maddysmommy
@maddysmommy (16230)
United States
January 29, 2008 11:51am CST
After my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes last Thursday, I spent Saturday afternoon cleaning out our cupboards and fridge and getting rid of foods that are not supposedly good for Diabetics. It's amazing what you do find when you actually take time out to look at the labels and see how much fats, cholesterol, sodium etc one consumes from each product. I had two big paper shopping bags to give away to our friends when they visited us that afternoon.
We spent Sunday grocery shopping and finding foods that were either "0" or low cholesterol, fats, sodium and such as well as high in fiber. It was very time consuming because we had to read each label and then decide whether it was OK or not and whether he would eat it. I have no problem changing our diet as I already drink and eat a lot of low fat products including eating veges and fruit(which my husband rarely eats), so it's not a major change for me, but it is for him.
His Dietician meeting is scheduled for Feb 4th, so I think we did OK shopping wise.
The fact that he is trying really hard makes me feel that we can get through this "together". The medication and diet changes seem to be working as his blood glucose levels have dropped from 270 mg/dl to 213 mg/dl. Even though it's still very high, we know we are on the right track and are determined to beat this.
Thanks for your support and prayers!! If you have any diabetic recipes or information you would like to share with me, please do. Thanks again!
1 person likes this
9 responses
@wrongway (277)
• United States
30 Jan 08
My partner was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few months ago. We always thought we were eating healthy as we eat a lot of organic foods, grow a few of our own veggies, and watch the amount of fats and carbs in the foods we ate. However the diabetes has changed our diets. We too read labels more closely now and I think that although I have no health problems our new diet is good for me too.
One of the meds prescribed was giving my partner some problems so we talked to the doctor and ask if we could try something. Dr. R is a wonderful doctor and willing to listen to ideas so he said to give it a try. We now take cinnamon pills every day. We take 2 in the morning and two with supper. They are available in stores in the vitamin section and they have really helped lower the sugar level. The doctor cut one of the meds prescribed in half due to the effect of the cinnamon on the sugar level. I also told a friend about the cinnamon and she tried it and her doctor wanted to know what she did cuz her sugar was really down from what it normally way. Just a thought but why not try some cinnamon tablets for a few weeks and see if it helps your husband too.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
I ran your comment by my husband and he said he is willing to try anything. We are going to buy some this pm and see how it goes. As soon as I told him he did some research online and found that:
"Recent studies have determined that consuming as little as one-half teaspoon of Cinnamon each day may reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels by as much as twenty percent in Type-2 diabetes patients who are not taking insulin"
from the WebMD site http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20031205/cinnamon-helps-type-2-diabetes
so thanks for bringing that to our attention. Really appreciate this wrongway :)
@wrongway (277)
• United States
30 Jan 08
Glad to help. We ue a lot of natural herbs and spices for different ailments. We have even started our own line of herbal lotions for cuts, rashes and other skin issues. It is absolutly fantastic for diabetic skin problems. All our lotions contain beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin E and act as a moisturizer too. In doing research we came across the cinnamon and it worked well on the triglicerides and sugar so I am more than happy to pass this information along. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
1 person likes this
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
30 Jan 08
Dear Maddy
as i told u that dont worry
just change ur life style
go for exercise/walk
quit/reduce smoking
and eat balanced diet
dont stop eating sweets or other things but just look at quantity
and sure u can go as family
its just adjustment
Take care
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
Thank you cupid :) I will try not to worry or stress about it :)
@disvachic (10117)
• United States
29 Jan 08
Hey there maddysmommy.Thats good you cleaned out the cupboards and fridge.Its really good your husband is really trying and care about his health.I'm not a diabetic but it runs in my family on both sides.I wish your husband luck.take care
disvachic
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
29 Jan 08
Thanks disvachic! Appreciate your comment and your kind wishes :) hope all is well with you, take care!
1 person likes this
@lpetges (3036)
• United States
29 Jan 08
that is so great he has you for his wife! many people just don't give their spouses support in the diet department., and its such an important part of our lives. its easier when we have someone to watch out for eachother! good luck to you both!
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
Thank you lpetges. I know he won't be able to do this on his own and so if I am there with him every step of the way, we can support each other and get through it together. I am willing to do whatever it takes for him to be healthy again and have his blood levels and cholesterol back to normal so he can be with us for many more years. Thanks again!
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
30 Jan 08
I guess that's what many people do when they are diagnosed with diabetes. One simple approach is to cut down on carbo. For a start, take half the serving of carbo. Have 2-3 servings of leafy vegetables (boiled only) and steamed or boiled fish. Take egg whites and avoid the yolk. More important is walk daily. That's what my mother had to go thru following the dietician's recommendations.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
Thanks whyask for those suggestions. Fish is another food that he does not eat much of so we have added that to his diet and cut out all meats except chicken. Whole grain breads and cereals is what he is eating now, since he never ate breakfast at all and in smaller portions. Thanks again!
@squaretile (3778)
• Singapore
30 Jan 08
i think fruits are definitely the way to go. natural sugar is better than any processed sugar.
also, small regular meals are better than few but heavy ones. perhaps eating every 2-3 hours would suit your husband. all the best, i'm sure you'll be able to get through this together, and the whole family will start eating more fibre foods too!
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
I feel a lot better now that we have changed our diet and eating more healthier. He is doing so well and trying really hard. The thing we have to work on is his smoking and may need our Doctors help for that. 20 years of smoking is a long time and its not easy to just give up.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
29 Jan 08
Thanks Terryz! Its a start and we're heading in the right direction. Thanks for your support and prayers - Hugs!
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
29 Jan 08
I think it will help him so much with you there supporting him and helping him like you are. I'm glad he will meet with the dietician in February to kinda figure out what all he can have and everything. It is time consuming when you have to read labels. We do that too because we eat a lot of low fat foods and we have to watch the cholesterol on things now too since my hubby is on medication for that. I could live off veggies and fruits...they are my favorite and my hubby likes to eat them too so we have veggies and some kind of fruit several times a day (usually with our lunch and with dinner). Does your hubby take his lunch to work with him? If so, maybe you could pack it for him each day and that would help him too. I pack my husband's lunch for him each night (for the next day) and he does so much better than if he packed it himself.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
29 Jan 08
I suggested that I make and pack his lunch for him yesterday but for some reason he is too embarrassed to take his lunch to work and I don't know why either because I know many of his work colleagues do that - I use to when I worked seasonal.
I encouraged him to take fruit (apples, grapes and oranges)with him today and he took them hesitantly. I will keep encouraging him though.
Thanks sweetgirl!
@mummymo (23706)
•
29 Jan 08
Well done to you sweety and to your husband - it must be so hard for you both and it is great to know how hard you are both trying and that his glucose levels are heading in the right direction! I did have a book with some good recipes and things in that I used for my Grandad but I haven't seen it for a while - if it isn't at my Grans house it should be at my sisters, I think she 'borrowed' it when she was diagnosed, I will see if I can track it down and let you know. Keeping you both in my prayers as it is hard and takes time to adjust! Great to hear how well you are both doing! xxx
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jan 08
Thank you Mummymo for your support and prayers. Another poster suggested Cinnamon tablets so we might try that. He is scheduled to see his Doctor tommorrow so we will talk to him about it and also about helping out with his smoking.
