Farmers Market, yay!

The farmer's market is quite different in summer. They've re-arranged it now that there is fresh produce. Fresh local produce!

I felt like a kid in a candy shop, or transported back to summers working at my aunt's fruit stand. Piles of fresh fruit, fresh veggies. No blemishes or bruises or waxy coating. We got corn, and tomatoes and pale yellow carrots and dark blue carrots. And raspberries, and strawberries. I barely resisted the cherries and the blackberries.

I forget, going to the grocery store, what a difference freshness and a lack of industrial handling makes. There's no picking through for that one apple without an obvious bruise or a tomato that isn't somehow off, or that box of strawberries that hasn't started to get soft or moldy.

Nope, just reach in, pick something up, and enjoy the goodness.

I've only eaten the raspberries so far- most of the rest is for a family dinner tomorrow - but oh my goodness, SO GOOD! Sweet, tart, and seemingly right off the vine. The grocery store ones have lost some vital essence, but these were a reminder of summertime at my grandmothers house. We'd be given ice cream buckets and sent to pick raspberries from the bushes that lined the garage wall.

I think even as a child, if you'd offered me a choice between raspberries and candy, the raspberries would have one. Raspberries would beat chocolate, sometimes!

If there's a farmer's market in your area - check it out some weekend. It'll be worth it!

When to say something

I try not to talk about other people too much on this blog. Even if I don't use names I don't like to discuss people where they aren't aware of it. But I had a conversation the other day that I do want to bring up.

Someone I know commented to me that their doctor was very surprised they didn't have diabetes, given their weight gain over the past couple of years. I nodded along - after all, not everyone gains weight because of diabetes.

I asked what test they'd been given, ready for complaints about that awful orange drink they give you on a glucose tolerance test. And then I hear they were just given a fasting glucose test.

I stared blankly for a moment, then commented "I don't like your doctor". Who diagnoses diabetes based on fasting levels! I tried explaining that the 2 hour test was supposed to be the standard. And that often, by the time the fasting levels are elevated, you've already got a damaged pancreas.

Unfortunatly I don't think they were interested in listening. I'm going to try and lend out my copy of Blood Sugar 101 - perhaps that will make a difference.

It's not my body, it's not my health. But I have to try and pass on some kind of information here!

Salad Day

Wednesday is now 'Salad Day' at work. Instead of ordering in burgers or pizza or sushi or other food, we make salad for lunch.

I love ordering in lunch. I don't have to worry about having leftovers or making a lunch in the mornings. We save money on groceries because work buys it. And I get to eat a variety of things.

Most of those things aren't very good for me. If everyone's eating pizza and I'm eating carrot sticks, I feel deprived. It's really hard to make good choices day after day, and I've completely fallen off the 'lots of veggies' lunch wagon.

Instead, since I know I'm eating something carby, I try to reduce my portions, or order something that is easily adjusted to be lower-carb. Only part of my burger bun, only a few bites of noodles, only 3/4 of my pizza. It's becoming habit, and I think it's a reasonable way to handle things - unless I get a nasty A1C.

Even though I'm being more consistent with dealing with high-carb lunches, I'm happy we have salad day too. If everyone is eating salad and veggies and cold cuts for lunch, I don't feel deprived. And I know that at least one day a week I'm eating like I should!

Updating My Google Alerts

I've got several diabetes related 'google' alerts set up. Every day, they email me new links that match my search terms. While sites like Diabetes Daily are great for feeding me news and updates from inside the Diabetes Online Community, the google reports tend to give me more news and 'outsider' updates.

It also gives me daily links to articles about how exercise can reduce your risk of diabetes. I swear that's the most common topic I get. I really should do a comparison at some point of stories about 'stuff we know already' and 'new stuff'.

During weeks (months) like this one where my life slips into high gear, I get a little backlogged. I have over 100 diabetes related google alerts just sitting in my gmail waiting for me to filter them to find the 'good ones'.

So I've switched to weekly mode. I just can't seem to keep up with the daily ones. I think it'll also help as I continue to add more terms to find more unusual and interesting links. I havn't found a way to roll up the searches so I just get one big email instead of a bunch of little ones for each variation. Generic searches like 'diabetes' don't return much that interest me right now, but 'glucose meter' occasionally returns something new and interesting.

But it's an interesting tool, and quick to set up - just head over to www.google.com/alerts to try it.

CGMS

I received my semi-annual update from Bayer Ascencia today. Every few months they send out these informative pamphlets. This time, there was a large section about how great CGMSs (Continuous Glucose Monitoring System)s are, and a big ad for their Guardian System.

I won't be buying, of course. If I had that kind of money to spare, there are other things I consider more essential - new glasses, some dentist time (you do not want to know how long it's been) on the medical front, some car repairs, some books.. An actual vacation that's more than a three hour car ride away..

I make a good living - and once my husband finally gets his residence card and can work we'll make an even better one - but I just can't see putting out the money for a CGMS. To me that's a win-the-lottery type expense.

Of course, for me it's more a 'I wish I knew what my blood sugar was doing at all times' sort of thing, rather than a 'I NEED to know what my blood sugar is doing at all times' thing. I think what surprises me about seeing those types of ads is that they are needed. To me, anyone who could use a CGMS should already know about them and want one! Anyone who doesn't... this is a medical device you attach to your body, not a impulse buy.

Of course, a lot of people aren't as obsessed as I with reading up and and learning about the technology, so for a lot of people that ad is probably the first they've heard of this thing.

Maybe one day, I'll be able to indulge. Hopefully those who really need this device will be able to get access to it sooner and with less insurance struggles as there is more awareness of the benefits.

Sobey's Whole Wheat Croissont

This is my new alternate breakfast. I've never seen whole wheat croissants before! I was really pleased to see these ones! The label reads 'Whole Wheat and Honey Croissants', and they have that touch of sweetness I associate with croissants. Taste wise, these really stand up to the white version. With some products, I find the whole wheat version good, but the white better. These I like just as well as the white, and they feel like far less of an indulgence.

They come in a pack of eight, and are 190 calories and 22 carbs each. I've been eating them plain, but I'm sure a touch of butter and honey would make them extra special. I'd even use them for some sandwiches - the sweetness isn't pronounced enough to interfere.

So now I've found whole wheat cheese buns and whole wheat croissants. What's next? Here's hoping it's whole wheat garlic bread!

Blackberry Metformin

Every so often the pharmacy refills my metformin in it's original bottle, and I am once again reminded that the stuff is, apparently, blackberry flavor. It strikes me as odd every time.

Blackberry is one of my favorite flavors - a splenda blackberry Yogen Fruz is a favorite dessert. So adding a little more blackberry into my life should be a good thing.

Every time, I take out a pill a lick it, just to see. And it doesn't taste like anything. Neutral.

Today, in the interests of science, curiosity and more blackberry-ness, I've undertaken an experiment. I figured it was flavored for people who have to take the pill crushed. All that tasty, tasty blackberry must be on the inside!

So, I had my husband split me a pill, and I prepared to lick the inside....


Please, don't try this at home. There is no blackberry!

It's just bitter, bitter medicine. Bleeck! Luckily the flavor was easily washed away with milk but I don't think I'll try that experiment again!

Has anyone else run into 'blackberry' metformin? And actually tasted the blackberry?

Burger Inn Bison Burger

I'm back! Recovered from my cold and finally feeling like I have some energy again. Here's hoping I get back on a regular posting schedule again.

I had a ferocious day today, so we ate out as a treat. I had a buffalo burger at Burger Inn. It's a local Calgary chain that specializes in a variety of burgers. They've got beef, but why eat than when you can have bison, elk, wild boar, salmon, pork, ostrich, lamb or turkey?

They offer the burgers on white, wholewheat, or bunless, along with the standard toppings. You can also add ham, mushrooms, pineapple, friend onions, cheddar swiss or bacon. Yum!

They also have excellent poutine - fries with gravy and cheese curds, which I also had tonight. Definitely a treat item - I don't even want to think about the carb count! But it was the perfect indulgence for me today.

One day I'm going to try their milkshakes - they've got great flavors, including root beer, which is one of my favorite milkshake flavors. They've also got raspberry, blackberry, banana, peach and mango in addition to the standard vanilla, chocolate, strawberry.

I don't eat burgers often - but when I'm in the mood for one, I'll pick Burger Inn! Same price as any fast food place with far better quality.

Bah! Sick!

I came down with the nastiest cold on Thursday. It came on like a train wreck - usually colds creep up on me with plenty of warning, but this one had me healthy to miserable in a day.

Ended up taking off most of Friday from work. It is progressing - I think - so while I'm still miserable I'm miserable with different symptoms and hopefully the darn thing will just go away soon.

I want my appetite and energy back, thank you!

Blogging will resume when the darn thing is vanquished by time, rest and cold meds.

A Few years earlier

I wonder what would have happened if I'd been diagnosed earlier sometimes. I figure the insulin resistance really kicked in when I was in university, in the late 90's. That's when the PCOS symptoms really began to show up - though I didn't realize it, of course.

It was masked during my marriage as I was on the pill. When I got off the pill after my marriage broke up and found I was still irregular, I didn't worry about it. Then I moved and didn't see a doctor for a good year or more. Then I go from 'I really should get a checkup' to 'Diabetic-but-not' in a few short months.

I remember reading a billboard about diabetes, back in the day on the way to class. One of those checklist ones. Sedentary lifestyle? Yes. Overweight. Yes. But I didn't have any history of diabetes in my family (I know differently now), I was young - far under 40, and I'm Caucasian. So I had two out of five, and those two were really just being out of shape. I never seriously considered I might have diabetes! And I certainly wasn't going to ask my doctor about it - I'm no hypochondriac!

Of course, I'd never heard of PCOS, or it's connection to diabetes. I figured at worst my irregular cycle meant I might have some fertility problems - and as I've always planned on adopting if I have kids, that wasn't a concern. I had one doctor mention that if it continued, I should get it checked out because it could mean 'something serious', but I assumed that was a reproductive 'serious' not a overall health one.

Hindsight is always clearer of course. And I enjoyed a lot of fine carbs in those undiagnosed years. If I'd taken my first trip to Georgia and not been able to enjoy the fabulous biscuits and creamed potatoes... And I had a lot going on in those years too - having to adjust my diet and test my blood sugar would have been an emotional and financial blow.

Instead, I was diagnosed at a time when I was in a good position to change my diet, I could afford to pay out of pocket for meter supplies, and I wasn't in any big emotional upheavals. I doubt I could have picked a better time to get diagnosed if I'd tried. And as I'm still at a pre-diabetic stage with good numbers, not too much damage was done in those years of minute rice and pizza pops.

I guess, looking back, things worked themselves out pretty well after all.

No Time for Diabetes

Sometimes, the diabetes just gets swept off by the wayside. This is a luxury, I suppose - I'm able to ignore it when I need to. But I don't like realizing I've unconsciously shoved it aside.

I only have so much time and energy, and so can only handle so many things at a time. Heavy deadlines at work, lots of social stuff, taxes, illness, dealing with the government. Any of these pile up, and I just lose the time to test my blood sugar, do my research, worry about the disease.

I am getting better at not tossing my diet aside at these times, but I don't think I tested at all today. It's been a busy few weeks. Crazy at work, a touch of food poisoning or flu on the weekend, three family events in the last couple of weeks, and my husband's immigration was finalized last week as well. I haven't really settled down and relaxed, and I wake up each morning feeling like I've hit the ground running.

I really struggle in these times to let my diabetes management fall by the wayside. It's the easiest thing to drop (well, after exercise), when life gets too busy, too complicated. But there's no guarantee I'm always going to be able to ignore it, so I'm trying to think of a way to balance it.

I'm not sure how to do it yet, but I think I'll try to work on forming better habits, like always testing before and after I eat lunch, so that I always get at least one pair of tests a day.

Breakfast makes a difference

Work has once again gob smacked me, so I'm feeling very behind on my email and blogging and reading. I keep thinking it'll settle down, but somehow it flares back up again. But at least I'm feeling competent and useful and skilled, which all make me feel good.

The continuing appearance of numbers in the high 4 range (85-90) isn't hurting either. I need to get some more iTest strips and run some comparisons - I lost the 4's when I switched to the iTest, but I'm pretty sure the freestyle I'm using now is just as accurate.

So I'm pretty sure these results are not due to meter changes, hormones, or a decrease in caffeine. I think it's breakfast.

I've always been a solid breakfast eater. I don't feel awake until I've put food in my mouth, and I've always been wary of compromising on breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day, right? It's also been my most carb heavy: oatmeal and oatbran have been my staples the last few years. 1/4 cup of that plus some milk gets me about 40 carbs for breakfast.

Over the last few weeks, partially due to the fact that I am REALLY tired of oatmeal, I switched to a single slice of whole wheat toast, slathered (and I mean slathered!) with cream cheese and a tiny smear of jam. I find I end up wanting my mid-morning snack a bit earlier, but it keeps me going pretty well.

And, at the end of the day, say 3-6 pm.. I'm getting lower numbers. I don't notice lower ones in the morning, which boggles me. But I'm definitely seeing a trend to lower numbers in the afternoon that appears to have nothing to do with what I'm having for lunch or afternoon nibble.

I don't understand it, but I like it. Looks like we'll be buying lots of cream cheese in the future.