Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Glycemic Load (GL) is a ranking system for carbohydrate-rich food that measures the amount of carbohydrates in a serving of food.

Foods with a glycemic load (GL) under 10 are considered low-GL foods and have little impact on your blood sugar; between 10 and 20 moderate-GL foods with moderate impact on blood sugar, and above 20 high-GL foods that tend to cause blood sugar spikes.

Glycemic Index (GI) indicates how rapidly a carbohydrate is digested and released as glucose (sugar) into the blood stream. In other words, how quickly foods break down into sugar in your bloodstream. A food with a high GI raises blood sugar more than a food with a medium to low GI.

But the glycemic index does not take into account the amount of carbohydrate in a food. So glycemic load is a better indicator of how a carbohydrate food will affect blood sugar.

If a food has a high glycemic index and a low glycemic load — like graham crackers have a GI of 74 and a GL of 8.1 — how will that affect your blood sugar?

Food ranked high on the GI may represent a huge portion of a food because GI is not based on standard serving sizes. Basically, if a food is ranked high on the glycemic index it has readily available carbohydrate for quick absorption. However, the same food can have a low glycemic load because there may not actually be much total carbohydrate in a given serving of that food. A low GL is the better indicator that a food won’t have much impact on blood glucose levels.

Here are two examples: Watermelon has a high GI of 72, yet a low GL of 7.21. The high GI is based on 5 cups of watermelon, not an actual serving size of 1 cup. The low GL means one serving of watermelon doesn’t contain much carbohydrate, because it is actually mostly water. The low GL indicates that a serving of watermelon won’t have much impact on your blood sugar.Carrots are another example of a low GL food that many people think will raise their blood sugar a lot — but it’s not true. That’s because carrots have a high GI of 71. However, what most people don’t know, is that the GL for carrots is only 6. Therefore, unless you’re going to eat a pound and a half of carrots in one sitting, an average serving of carrots will have very little impact on blood glucose levels. That said, juicing carrots — which means consuming more carrots at once — will have a greater impact on blood glucose.

How can knowing the glycemic load and glycemic index of foods be used to make healthier eating choices?

Everyone can benefit by eating a balanced diet of protein and fat, and foods that are lower on the GL and GI index. Foods with a lower GL and GI typically are high in fiber and nutrients and sustain your energy better throughout the day.

Also, knowing the GL of a food is a better indicator of whether that food will cause your blood sugar to spike. When your blood sugar spikes, the body releases extra insulin to bring down your blood sugar. If your body is asked to release extra insulin on a regular basis, it begins to lead to insulin resistance for many people and diabetes — especially if diabetes is in your family.

Can knowing the glycemic load of foods help people lose weight?

Yes. Consuming low GL and GI foods keeps us satiated longer because these foods are more slowly broken down for glucose utilization. The result is that you feel fuller for longer.

When you consume high GL and GI foods, blood sugar levels spike which causes a short-term feeling of fullness, but then blood sugars plummet which causes you to crave food again and you ultimately end up consuming excess calories, which contributes to weight gain.

This is particularly dangerous for diabetics, when they treat the spike to lower their blood sugar and the spike goes away it can cause a low blood sugar event.

Here are some foods and some values:

Food	GI	Serving Size (g)	GL
CANDY/SWEETS
Honey	87	1 Tbs	3
Jelly Beans	78	1 oz	22
Snickers Bar	68	60g (1/2 bar)	23
Table Sugar	68	2 Tsp	7
Strawberry Jam	51	2 Tbs	10.1
Peanut M&Ms	33	30 g (1 oz)	5.6
Dove Dark Chocolate Bar	23	37g (1 oz)	4.4
BAKED GOODS & CEREALS
Corn Bread	110	60g (1 piece)	30.8
French Bread	95	64g (1 slice)	29.5
Corn Flakes	92	28g (1 cup)	21.1
Corn Chex	83	30g (1 cup)	20.8
Rice Krispies	82	33g (1.25 cup)	23
Corn pops	80	31g (1 cup)	22.4
Donut (lrg. glazed)	76	75g (1 donut)	24.3
Waffle (homemade)	76	75g (1 waffle)	18.7
Grape Nuts	75	58g (1/2 cup)	31.5
Bran Flakes	74	29g (3/4 cup)	13.3
Graham Cracker	74	14g (2 sqrs)	8.1
Cheerios	74	30g (1 cup)	13.3
Kaiser Roll	73	57g (1 roll)	21.2
Bagel	72	89g (1/4 in.)	33
Corn tortilla	70	24g (1 tortilla)	7.7
Melba Toast	70	12g (4 rounds)	5.6
Wheat Bread	70	28g (1 slice)	7.7
White Bread	70	25g (1 slice)	8.4
Kellogg’s Special K	69	31g (1 cup)	14.5
Taco Shell	68	13g (1 med)	4.8
Angel food cake	67	28g (1 slice)	10.7
Croissant, Butter	67	57g (1 med)	17.5
Muselix	66	55g (2/3 cup)	23.8
Oatmeal, Instant	65	234g (1 cup)	13.7
Rye bread, 100% whole	65	32g (1 slice)	8.5
Rye Krisp Crackers	65	25 (1 wafer)	11.1
Raisin Bran	61	61g (1 cup)	24.4
Bran Muffin	60	113g (1 med)	30
Blueberry Muffin	59	113g (1 med)	30
Oatmeal	58	117g (1/2 cup)	6.4
Whole wheat pita	57	64g (1 pita)	17
Oatmeal Cookie	55	18g (1 large)	6
Popcorn	55	8g (1 cup)	2.8
Pound cake, Sara Lee	54	30g (1 piece)	8.1
Vanilla Cake and Vanilla Frosting	42	64g (1 slice)	16
Pumpernickel bread	41	26g (1slice)	4.5
Chocolate cake w/chocolate frosting	38	64g (1 slice)	12.5
BEVERAGES
Gatorade Powder	78	16g (.75 scoop)	11.7
Cranberry Juice Cocktail	68	253g (1 cup)	24.5
Cola, Carbonated	63	370g (12oz can)	25.2
Orange Juice	57	249g (1 cup)	14.25
Carrot juice (freshly made)	43	250g	10
Hot Chocolate Mix	51	28g (1 packet)	11.7
Grapefruit Juice, sweetened	48	250g (1 cup)	13.4
Pineapple Juice	46	250g (1 cup)	14.7
Soy Milk	44	245g (1 cup)	4
Apple Juice	41	248g (1 cup)	11.9
Tomato Juice	38	243g (1 cup)	3.4
LEGUMES
Baked Beans	48	253g (1 cup)	18.2
Pinto Beans	39	171g (1 cup)	11.7
Lima Beans	31	241g (1 cup)	7.4
Chickpeas, Boiled	31	240g (1 cup)	13.3
Lentils	29	198g (1 cup)	7
Kidney Beans	27	256g (1 cup)	7
Soy Beans	20	172g (1 cup)	1.4
Peanuts	13	146g (1 cup)	1.6
VEGETABLES
Potato	104	213g (1 med)	36.4
Parsnip	97	78g (1/2 cup)	11.6
Carrot, raw	92	15g (1 large)	1
Beets, canned	64	246g (1/2 cup)	9.6
Corn, yellow	55	166g (1 cup)	61.5
Sweet Potato	54	133g (1 cup)	12.4
Yam	51	136g (1 cup)	16.8
Peas, Frozen	48	72g (1/2 cup)	3.4
Tomato	38	123g (1 med)	1.5
Broccoli, cooked	0	78g (1/2 cup)	0
Cabbage, cooked	0	75g (1/2 cup)	0
Celery, raw	0	62g (1 stalk)	0
Cauliflower	0	100g (1 cup)	0
Green Beans	0	135g (1 cup)	0
Mushrooms	0	70g (1 cup)	0
Spinach	0	30g (1 cup)	0
FRUIT
Watermelon	72	152g (1 cup)	7.2
Pineapple, raw	66	155g (1 cup)	11.9
Cantaloupe	65	177g (1 cup)	7.8
Apricot, canned in light syrup	64	253g (1 cup)	24.3
Raisins	64	43g (small box)	20.5
Papaya	60	140g (1 cup)	6.6
Peaches, canned, heavy syrup	58	262g (1 cup)	28.4
Kiwi, w/ skin	58	76g (1 fruit)	5.2
Fruit Cocktail, drained	55	214g (1 cup)	19.8
Peaches, canned, light syrup	52	251g (1 cup)	17.7
Banana	51	118g (1 med)	12.2
Mango	51	165g (1 cup)	12.8
Orange	48	140g (1 fruit)	7.2
Pears, canned in pear juice	44	248g (1 cup)	12.3
Grapes	43	92g (1 cup)	6.5
Strawberries	40	152g (1 cup)	3.6
Apples, w/ skin	39	138g (1 med)	6.2
Pears	33	166g (1 med)	6.9
Apricot, dried	32	130g (1 cup)	23
Prunes	29	132g (1 cup)	34.2
Peach	28	98g (1 med)	2.2
Grapefruit	25	123g (1/2 fruit)	2.8
Plum	24	66g (1 fruit)	1.7
Sweet Cherries, raw	22	117g (1 cup)	3.7
NUTS
Cashews	22
Almonds	0
Hazelnuts	0
Macademia	0
Pecans	0
Walnuts	0
DAIRY
Ice Cream (Lower Fat)	47	76g (1/2 cup)	9.4
Pudding	44	100g (1/2 cup)	8.4
Milk, Whole	40	244g (1 cup)	4.4
Ice Cream	38	72g (1/2 cup)	6
Yogurt, Plain	36	245g (1 cup)	6.1
MEAT/PROTEIN
Beef	0
Chicken	0
Eggs	0
Fish	0
Lamb	0
Pork	0
Veal	0
Deer-Venison	0
Elk	0
Buffalo	0
Rabbit	0
Duck	0
Ostrich	0
Shellfish	0
Lobster	0
Turkey	0
Ham	0

Just remember your results as a diabetic may vary, so always test, test, test!

Advertisements

Intermittent Fasts

 

Fasting is nothing new. In fact, we have been doing just that for hundreds of years. And, if you want to go back even farther to caveman times, when we were hunter gatherers, they were many a winter when food was scarce, causing imposed rationing and starvation. The people who made it through these lean times we able to better store energy as fat.

 

For additional information, read this link: https://diabetictreatmentalternatives.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/why-am-i-fat/

And this worked well until the agricultural revolution came along. Then, with proper food storage there was an abundance of food year round. But the genes didn’t forget. And still tried to store food in the form of fat in the body. After all, it was only doing what it was designed to do.

Fast forward to the late 1700’s. when a physician named John Rollo developed a mostly meat diet (reduced carbohydrates) to treat what is now known as type 2 diabetes. Then, in the 1800’s, several doctors started using starvation therapy on their diabetic patients with some success. That is where many of the diets and fads come from today.

When insulin was discovered, and then more and more treatment drugs became available, it was much easier to eat what you wanted and take a shot or a few pills to counteract the meal. Modern medicine forgot about the earlier research. After all, better living through chemistry, right? Some believe that large grain companies, the American Medical Assn., and the American Diabetes Assn. conspired to create and promote easily and cheaply made products that were mostly carbohydrates and just exactly what the body needed to store fat for those long, lean winters. Moreover, it was publicly avowed that carbs were the “perfect” food and everyone needed them to grow and develop correctly. What they didn’t tell us was that those carbs activated pleasure receptors in our brains that were as strong as heroin and cocaine use. No wonder we were set up to fail and that is why it is so hard to get away from carbs and the way they make us feel.

As the years and the decades fled past, whole populations became morbidly obese, with heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes at epidemic proportions. And yet, all the body was doing was what nature had evolved it to do. Store that food for the cold long winter when food was scarce.

Not only those factors played a part, but some began to question and research carbs. As I said earlier, it was found that our brains are so wired that eating carbs actually cause us to crave more carbs, exactly like a drug addiction.

No wonder we are in so much trouble today as a society. Not only does the stuff we eat make us want more, those we have come to believe and hold in high esteem are telling us that this is “good” for us to do, our genes are designed to do what they have been programmed to do and save that fat for a rainy day. No wonder so many people have failed at maintaining their health, their weight, and their diet.

Those of us with diabetes, have developed insulin resistance, either through the inability to produce it (type 1) or not being able to produce enough to handle those high carb meals (type 2). Prolonged bad eating habits and fat storage has made many of us unable to live without insulin and medicines.

Not only the type of food, but the quantity also. Our satiation point (when we feel full) does not happen quick enough when eating to stop us from overeating every meal. Then all we want to do is crawl in a corner and hibernate. Again, nature’s way of making sure we pack on the pounds when the food is available.

So what can we do? It seems that the cards are stacked against us and we are doomed to failure.

We must begin the arduous task of fighting back. We have to find what works for us and outsmart our body and our genetic heritage. We must not take for granted that any group or organization is out for our best interest in the suggestions about food, health, and nutrition. In short, we must become our best advocate for our own health.  I know this sounds like a daunting task, but it can be done. Your motivation is to be able to take your life and your health back. Substantial motivation indeed.

OK, before we get into the nuts and bolts, some cautions. Make sure you work with your doctor when doing anything suggested here. He may grumble a little at first, but when he realizes you are serious about controlling your health one of two things will happen: He will either agree with you and offer his help or adamantly refuse and you will need to find another doctor. Stick to your guns. You are not only doing this for yourself, you are helping to turn the tide for others. We are the pioneers in our own care. Someday, people will look back on all the changes that are occurring right now and say that this was when we started taking back our health. So, not only are you fighting for yourself, your friends and family, you are fighting for future generations that are to come.

The following are things that I have found to help me. Each one of you need to learn what works and what doesn’t work for you. Hope you have good luck with these. They are not in any particular order. Find what works for you!

Evening meals: One of the worst things we can do is eat late into the evening or right before bed. This gives the body an opportunity to convert most of that food into fat. Many say that you should not eat past 6-7pm to avoid this happening.

Pyramiding Meals: It is said that one should eat like a King for breakfast, a Prince for lunch, and a Pauper at Supper. That is a fancy way of eating your biggest meals early in the day and the lightest in the evening. This way you are ingesting the most calories when you are most active.

Fasting: There are many, many different ways to fast. And the one we are specifically targeting here is the intermittent fast. Here is a very good link to learn about the different types you can do:

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/intermittent-fasting-methods/

My experience with fasting has taught me some very important facts about how I lose or gain weight and what are the best fasts for me.

The above chart is a 7 day fast. As you can see on the hunger scale to the left that my hunger peaked about 24 hours in and then started down, making the fast much easier the last 4 days. How much weight did I lose? You would think a lot, but it wasn’t that much.

Our bodies are designed (remember our caveman genes) to slow down our metabolism if we stop eating. It becomes very sparing in burning calories. In fact, if you are not careful it will actually start dissolving muscle and burning it with some fat. The less lean muscle we have the slower our metabolism needs to work. It is a survival mechanism of the body. So a 7 day fast can actually do more harm than good. Now, let’s look at the next chart.

This intermittent fast is a 2-1-2-1-1 fast. I call it the twenty-one-two-eleven fast. For the first 2 days you fast just on liquids. This keeps your hunger level as high as possible. By the end of the second day the hunger level has fallen almost completely off. Day 3 you eat just protein and fat only. This resets the metabolism and the start of day 4 you go back to the liquid fast through day 5, again peaking the hunger factor and starting back down to the sixth day. On day 6 you reset again with protein and fat. This brings you to the free day. Some will call it a cheat day. The solid food you ate on day 6 will quell some of your hunger on day 7 so you don’t completely pigout. After day 7 the cycle repeats.

The important thing here is that you are keeping your metabolism going. You also can tailor a exercise and strength training program (more about that later) to take advantage of the cycle. More cardio on Days 1,2 and 4,5. Strength train on Day 3 and 6 or 7. This allows your body to burn more calories when doing the liquid fast and then build lean muscle when eating the protein and fat.

I am excited to put this into practice. I will write more when I feel the need. Hope this works for you as well as I know it will work for me!

 

The Diabetic Whiplash Effect

If you have ever played whiplash in school you know that slight movement at the head of the line can cause some crazy movement at the end of the line. It is no different in managing your diabetes. Factoring in the absorption of nutrition, how the liver stores it, and the pancreas tries to stay up with everything, I am surprised we don’t have more trouble than we do.

Some days your morning numbers are up and you have no idea why based upon how you ate the night before. The fact that liver is our wild card in the management of our diabetes have confused many. It is extremely efficient and converting and storing glycogen to be dumped into the blood stream when the body thinks it is starving. And trying to balance the exact amount of nutrition eaten each day is like walking a tightrope with no feeling in your feet and being blind. It just cannot be consistently done.

That is why the Low Carb / Mod Protein / High Fat is the only thing that works in the long run. Before the creation of insulin this WOE was the best way to manage diabetes. With the creation of insulin and all the meds now available, our doctors moved away from this because it is a lot easier to write a prescription or two then try to teach people how to eat. I feel this is where they missed the mark. Probably through arrogance (looking down their noses) at us and thinking we aren’t capable of eating a controlled diet. I like the better option of using their meds as needed combined with our WOE. Now, how to do that?

80/15/5 – That number is a macro number that most low-carbers shoot for each day. 80% Fat, 15% Protein, and 5% (or less) carbs. Individual adjustment will be required to convert you from burning glucose to ketones. This is called ketosis, or ketogenesis. 

(More later)

Emergency Plan for the Diabetic

No matter whether you have high blood sugar or it drops low, you will eventually ride what us diabetics call our special roller coaster of highs and lows. Knowing what to do when either situation happens is critical, especially for lows, which can cause coma and eventual death. It is said that hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) will kill you slowly with complications or stroke and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can kill you quickly with unconsciousness, coma, and death.

That is why it is critical to have an emergency plan. Decades ago I managed a small apartment complex in Phoenix, AZ. 99% of the residents were elderly, many in their 80’s and a few even in their 90’s. Without getting up in their business, but still being concerned for their welfare, I talked them into a buddy system. Them and a neighbor would pair off and each morning they would open up their living room drapes about 6″. If anyone’s drapes weren’t open by a certain time, we would do a welfare check. Only lost a couple of them in the 5 years I was there.

You doctor may or may not have explained the dangers of taking meds that are designed to lower your blood sugar. If you take insulin, either Basal (long acting insulin) or Bolus (fast acting to cover meals) you may occasionally miss judge the amount and end up being too high or too low.

Not only that, dietary changes will cause your medicine and insulin needs to change. Most of the Bolus shots are for carbohydrates and some protein. If you start doing the Low Carb/Moderate Protein/High Fat WOE (Way of eating) it will eventually lower you insulin demand. As you get better with lower natural numbers, you will need less and less medicine and insulin. This is exactly what every diabetic longs for. To be as normal as possible. Even though we can’t eat many carb laden foods, if we can manage our diabetes with little or no medicine or insulin, that is considered a victory.

So, back to the emergency plan. First, we will discuss symptoms. They are numerous and here is a very complete list of lows, the most important of the two.

https://diabetictreatmentalternatives.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/signs-and-symptoms-of-hypoglycemia/

Hyperglycemia (high sugar) has it’s own set of symptoms and usually will not need an emergency plan, just a long term approach to lowering it. You can research here at this link:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS565US565&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=hyperglycemia+symptoms

The following is a checklist that your emergency people you have designated need to know. Probably be a good idea to have them read this several times.

Low Blood Sugar: Emergency Care – Topic Overview

This information is for people who may help you if you are too weak or confused to treat your own low blood sugar from diabetes or some other health condition that can cause low blood sugar. Make a copy for your partner, coworkers, and friends. If your child has diabetes, you need to provide a copy for teachers, coaches, and other school staff.

If the person has type 2 diabetes and is taking medicine that can continue to cause low blood sugar, stay with the person for a few hours after his or her blood sugar level has returned to the target range.

• Make sure the person can swallow.
  1. Lift the person’s head so that it will be easier for the person to swallow.
  2. Give the person ½ teaspoon of water to swallow.
• If the person can swallow the water without choking or coughing:
  1. Give him or her 4 fl oz (118 mL) to 6 fl oz (177 mL) of liquid (juice or soda pop) from the list of quick-sugar foods.
  2. Wait 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. If a home blood sugar meter is available, check the person’s blood sugar level.
  4. Offer the person more quick-sugar food if he or she is feeling better but still has some symptoms of low blood sugar.
  5. Wait 10 to 15 minutes. If possible, check the blood sugar level again.
  6. When the person’s blood sugar returns to normal, offer the person a snack (such as cheese and crackers or half of a sandwich).
  7. If the person becomes more sleepy or lethargic, call 911or other emergency services.
  8. Stay with the person until his or her blood sugar level is 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher or until emergency help comes.
• If the person chokes or coughs on the water:
  1. Do not try to give the person foods or liquids, because they could be inhaled.
  2. Give the person a shot of glucagon if one is available. Follow the directions given with the glucagon medicine. View a slideshow of steps for preparing a glucagon injection  and a slideshow for giving a glucagon injection .
  3. After you give the glucagon shot, immediately call 911 for emergency care.
  4. If emergency help has not arrived within 5 minutes and the person is still unconscious, give another glucagon shot.
  5. If a home blood sugar meter is available, check the person’s blood sugar level.
  6. Stay with the person until emergency help comes.
• If the person is unconscious but not having a seizure:
  1. Turn the person on his or her side, and make sure the airway is not blocked.
  2. Give the person a shot of glucagon if one is available. Follow the directions given with the medicine. View a slideshow of steps for preparing a glucagon injection  and a slideshow for giving a glucagon injection .
  3. After you give the glucagon shot, immediately call 911 for emergency care.
  4. If emergency help has not arrived within 5 minutes and the person is still unconscious, give another glucagon shot.
  5. If a home blood sugar meter is available, check the person’s blood sugar level.
  6. If the person becomes more alert, carefully give a quick-sugar food or liquid.
  7. If possible, check the person’s blood sugar level again.
  8. Stay with the person until emergency help comes.
• If the person is unconscious and is having a seizure:
  1. Get the person in a safe position, such as lying flat on the floor. Turn the person’s head to the side.
  2. Do not try to give him or her anything to eat or drink or put anything in the mouth.
  3. If glucagon is available, give the person a shot of glucagon when the seizure stops.
  4. After you give the glucagon shot, immediately call 911 for emergency care.
  5. If emergency help has not arrived within 5 minutes and the person is still unconscious, give another glucagon shot. Stay with the person until emergency help comes.

Those of you that live by yourselves need to take special care and plan for the inevitable lows. Create a buddy program with several people that you can call that can get to you quickly. You might want to give them a way to get in in case you are unconscious. Diabetic Internet groups are wonderful in the fact that someone is always on and has probably had an emergency themselves. There have been several times that I have helped someone with a low and there have been times when I have been helped with a low I was having.

I will say this; usually when you try to bring your sugar up you will be like someone dying of thirst in the desert. You will gobble or chug whatever you can to get back up where you need to be and usually will go straight from a low to a high by taking too much in. Take a small amount, wait 15 minutes, test. If you are still low, then repeat the process. You will eventually start coming back up.

We are planning on an emergency response sheet for anyone wishing to sign up. That way, no matter what time someone will be able to call your contact list or an ambulance for you. This will take a while, so I suggest that you mentor with someone on the board that has been here a while, give them your emergency contact information, and at least have that plan in place.

And as always, I like to say, “Until there is a cure all we have is each other!”

Binge Triggers

As diabetics, we have learned that if we reduce our carbs, it will lower our numbers. Easy, right? Easy in concept, anyway. Since I am recovering from a big slip yesterday and the yucky feeling, high numbers, and being lethargic are still fresh in my mind, I want to write about things that may cause you to slip as you walk farther on the low carb path. Pictured above is a ketostick. You use them to test your urine to make sure you are burning fat instead of glucose. The darker the reading the more ketones you are burning. Sunday, my ketones were somewhere in the range of the two darkest on the right. Today, because of my carb binge, I am about as far to the left as I can go.

It is tough getting into ketosis, and it will probably take me 3-4 days to get back into it fully. Why do I want to be in ketosis? The body can burn either fat or carbs for fuel. When we eat an extra amount of carbs that we don’t immediately need, (and this amount will vary by individual, activity level, etc) the body takes the extra fuel and fills up the liver with glycogen, then converts the rest to fat and stores it on the body. The liver is the unknown factor in controlling diabetes. We have dawn phenomenon to deal with, if we skip a meal the body thinks it is starving to death and will do a glucose dump. If you can get the glycogen depleted from your liver you will start having more stable and lower numbers.

However, if you eat a heavy carb meal, you go right back to square one. Where I am at today. It will not be quite as bad for me. Since me body is used to it, it will adapt back pretty quickly. There is where many people fail. Going into ketosis, especially the first time is tough. You can get an upset stomach, mild to bad headache, nausea, and a host of other symptoms. These symptoms can last from days to a week or two. Here is the key to the transition that I have found. The more carbs you can initially cut, the faster the liver will be emptied, and the shorter the transition will be. If you eat enough carbs to just barely start draining the liver, it can go on for quite a while.

Protein is another factor that has to be considered. The body is such a efficient producer and converter of energy, that we have to work within it’s guidelines. Fat can only be burned for fuel. It cannot be converted into fat. Let me say this another way; eating fat will not make you fat. What does the farmer feed his cow to get a better price at market? Grain. Grain will turn into glucose and what is not stored in the liver will then be converted to fat. The process that concerns protein is not very efficient, but the body can convert part of it into glucose. That is why a snack of meat at late night may cause a higher morning number. While you sleep, your body is converting the meat to fuel an any excess into some glucose.

The best balance is to eat very low carb, moderate protein, and high fat. You will need to figure out what your percentages are. As you change your body fat percentage (losing weight), you will need to adjust accordingly. This is much easier for the diabetic to do than try to mind read what the liver is going to do.

Triggers can come in all kinds of shape and sizes. It will vary from individual to individual. As I stood in the garage yesterday debating on whether to try and throw up on not, I realized that some carb-laden foods are like crack cocaine to a druggie. And they are.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/18/brain-imaging-confirms-food-addiction.aspx

The above study found that some foods were more addictive than cocaine. So, craving them is not your fault. Keeping them away from you is your first step in defeating the craving.

COUPLES – I hear of a lot of couples that struggle with having carb food around. There needs to be an understanding of the dangers and consequences to the non-diabetic spouse. Educating them that “a little piece of cake” won’t hurt you is totally wrong. If they had any idea of the struggle us diabetics go though every day, or the complications that little piece of cake might cause, they would understand better.

FAMILIES – “When are you going to stop that fad diet and eat some good food? That’s all that is wrong with you.” Again, it comes down to how knowledgeable they are about your disease. Some will want to listen and some won’t. You need to learn to pick your battles. The ones that won’t budge need to be neutralized. Ignoring them or acting like you didn’t hear them are a couple of ways. They should get the idea and back off after a while. Be prepared for the, “I just don’t understand why John has to eat THAT way.” This said to a third party, trying to draw them into the conflict and re-open things. Don’t fall for THAT trap.

GET TOGETHERS – This is a tough one. Not only is all the food that you shouldn’t eat around, you are with the people that were around you when you were eating it before. If nothing else, the body loves patterns. That is so why it is so easy to fall back into an old groove. That’s what happened to me yesterday. I couple of ways to combat that is to bring your own food or even eat a large meal of the correct food before getting there.

EMOTIONS – When we get upset, our bodies naturally want to feel immediately better. Binge carb eating is one way to do so. The sad thing is, you don’t feel better for long, if at all. The carbs cause a crash that totally wipes us out. Even today, 24 hours later, I can still feel the effects slightly. The point is you need to treat your body as a younger and immature you. It does not know what is best for it. You need to maintain control. That is key. Keeping your emotions in check will help that a bunch.

DEHYDRATION – Hard to believe, but sometimes a hunger or craving feeling is miss-read and is actually a call to hydrate. Experts say that instead of eating when you suspect you are getting hungry, drink some water first. Give that a little bit. See if it was hunger or thirst. Over time you may learn to distinguish the difference.

IN GENERAL – The NA program (narcotics anonymous) have a saying, “If you keep going to a barber shop, you eventually will get a haircut”. What they are meaning by this is that if you keep running in the same circles, having forbidden foods around, have friends and family constantly trying to draw you away from the way you need to eat to keep from damaging your body, there is a good chance you will fall off your horse. You need to remember that if your friends and family realized just how important to your health your way of eating is, they would change their attitude 180 degrees. And I hate to say it, if they don’t you may have to separate yourself from their influence for as long as you have to. The following video was created to show what happens when diabetes is uncontrolled. Might try showing that to your friend or loved one. I can attest the impact of it and I am the one that did the final editing of it.

https://diabetictreatmentalternatives.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/self-hypnosis-to-stop-carbohydrate-craving/

Learn to experiment with what keeps you away from carb binging. And most important of all, if you fall off your horse, dust your britches off, straighten your hat, and get back on that horse and ride! You can do this! Join a group of other individuals that have the same problems. Some days you can give them strength, other days you may need some from them! Good Luck!

Delayed Stomach Emptying

Gastroparesis is a condition in which your stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion. It is caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which regulates thedigestive system. A damaged vagus nerve prevents the muscles in the stomach and intestine from functioning, preventing food from moving through the digestive system properly. Often, the cause of gastroparesis is unknown.

However, the causes of gastroparesis can include:

• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Gastric surgery with injury to the vagus nerve
• Medications such as narcotics and some antidepressants
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rare conditions such as: Amyloidosis (deposits of protein fibers in tissues and organs) and scleroderma (a connective tissue disorder that affects the skin, bloodvessels, skeletal muscles, and internal organs)

How your stomach works 

Most people don’t know that the stomach lies high in the left upper abdomen protected by the lower rib cage. Empty, the volume of the stomach “pouch” is less than one-half cup. As you eat, the stomach’s muscular wall can relax and expand to hold about three pints of sustenance. The stomach’s job is to liquify solid food preparing it for digestion and absorption in the small intestine. This is done by mixing the food with powerful digestive juices for several hours. To hold the food within the stomach there are two valves. At the top of the stomach is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which prevents backsplash of stomach contents upward into the esophagus. At the bottom of the stomach is the pylorus which controls the “drain” of the stomach. 

Once these two valves are closed, muscular contractions called peristaltic waves ripple through the stomach squeezing gently in the upper part (fundus), more powerfully lower down (antrum). These contractions are controlled by a stomach pacemaker, much like the heart, and travel through the fibers of the vagus nerve. When the pacemaker fires, this muscular churning motion mixes the food particles with powerful hydrochloric acid and the enzyme, pepsin. Produced by the stomach, these strong chemicals convert the food to about the consistency of cream of potato soup. 

Eventually the pylorus relaxes slightly, opening the stomach’s drain. The stomach muscle contracts and the now liquefied food is pumped a little bit at a time through the valve and into the small intestine where the digestive process occurs. 

Pump failure 

When all is working, the fullness we feel after eating a big meal gradually fades as the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine. After a few hours, the stomach is completely empty and ready for the next meal. 

What if the stomach pacemaker would slow or the pump fail? Then the stomach would drain much more slowly and not empty completely between meals. With the next meal, you would feel bloated and perhaps nauseated. There would be no room for more food and vomiting of undigested food might occur. Each meal would be an ordeal. You might be afraid to eat and begin to lose some weight. This is what patients with gastroparesis have to put up with each day. 

What is gastroparesis? 

Gastroparesis (gastric = stomach; paresis = paralysis) literally means stomach paralysis. It is a condition in which the stomach muscle becomes slow and weakened. Following a meal, it takes too long for the stomach to empty its contents into the small intestine. 

What are the symptoms? 

One problem in identifying gastroparesis is the fact that the symptoms are often vague. Most symptoms occur because the stomach doesn’t empty completely. Some residual food is always present. This may cause excessive fullness after meals, frequent burping, acid-reflux, nausea, and abdominal distention. Vomiting of undigested food often occurs 1 to 3 hours after meals. Individuals often complain of early satiety – feeling full before the meal is finished. Eventually, fear of eating may lead to unplanned weight loss. Persistent vomiting can cause low blood potassium, dehydration, and malnutrition. Diabetics may have complications because of poor blood sugar control. 

What causes gastroparesis? 

The cause is not known, but gastroparesis is a common complication of Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes occuring in about 20% of patients – especially in those who have developed other signs of nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) such as numbness or burning of the feet. People with Type 2 diabetes get it also, but less often. Diabetic gastroparesis can be a vicious cycle since diabetes causes nerve damage which leads to gastroparesis. And gastroparesis can worsen diabetic control since delayed stomach emptying makes digestion unpredictable which results in uneven blood sugar levels. Gastroparesis may also be a complication of stomach surgery for ulcer disease or weight loss. Some systemic disorders such as kidney failure, lupus, Parkinson’s disease, sclerodema, and thyroid disorders can also delay gastric emptying. Up to 30% of individuals with gastroparesis are idiopathic, meaning that there is no identifiable cause. It is felt that some of these may be due to an acute viral infection. Lastly, some medications such as anticholinergics (antispasmodics) can worsen the situation. 

How is gastroparesis diagnosed? 

Not everybody who is bloated has gastroparesis. In fact, most of the time, bloating and exessive fullness is caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). But, when symptoms are severe, the possibility of gastroparesis must be considered, especially in diabetics. Of course, prior stomach surgery, certain systemic disorders, and offending medications must be ruled out. 

If gastroparesis is suspected, blood tests are usually done to assess diabetic control and nutritional status. In addition, three imaging studies are available:

• An Upper GI Series x-ray with barium may be done to obtain some information about the size of the stomach and determine if any retained food is present when fasting. Occasionally, a bezoar is found. This is a large ball of undigested vegetable matter that is trapped inside the stomach.
• In most cases, a Gastroscopy “scope” test is performed to rule out more serious conditions such as a blockage due to ulcer disease or stomach cancer.
• The most important test is a radioisotope gastric-emptying scan done at the hospital nuclear medicine department. The patient is given a meal that contains a radioisotope, a slightly radioactive substance that will show up on the scan. The dose of radiation from the radioisotope is small and not dangerous. After eating, the patient is asked to lie under a large geiger counter that detects the radioisotope and shows an image of the food in the stomach and how quickly it leaves the stomach. The test takes 2 to 4 hours. Gastroparesis is diagnosed if more than half of the food remains in the stomach after 2 hours.

What is the treatment? 

As yet, there is no cure for gastroparesis, but in most cases, symptoms can be improved with treatment. Regardless of the cause, treatment programs are fairly similar.

• Diet
  Changing how and what foods are eaten is helpful. It is best to eat six small meals a day, instead of three large ones. Liquid dietary supplements are often recommended since liquid meals pass through the stomach more easily and quickly. Avoid high fat foods that naturally slow gastric emptying and foods high in fiber like citrus and broccoli because the indigestible part will remain in the stomach too long.

  

• Medications
  • Propulsid (cisapride) was developed to treat this condition and was of benefit to thousands of patients. Unfortunately, it was linked to about 300 cases of heart rhythm irregularity including 80 deaths and was taken off the market in 2000. With the removal of Propulsid, an older drug, Reglan (metoclopramide), has again become the drug of choice. It has been shown to be effective in the acute management of many gastroparetic conditions, but often loses its effectiveness over time. It can be given by mouth, intravenously (into the vein), subcutaneously (under the skin), and rectally. Unfortunately, side effects are common including drowsiness, loss of menstrual periods, impotence, and muscle spasms. With prologed use, some patients develop a Parkinson’s-like tremor. Benadryl can limit some of the side effects but worsens the drowsiness.
  • Erythromycin has become the gastric prokinetic of choice for those patients who fail to respond to conventional agents. This antibiotic also acts to stimulate the muscles of the stomach to contract. It can be given intravenously and by mouth.
  • Domperidone (Motilium, Janssen) is another drug that improves gastric emptying and may have less side-effects. It has been available overseas (and even over the counter in Europe), but is not FDA approved in the US.
  • None of these drugs are totally effective and without side effects. Research is ongoing. Two new drugs that may possibly be helpful are Zelmac (tegaserod), a new drug for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation and Viagra (sildenafil), which is marketed for male erectile dysfunction, but has also shown some benefit. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that part of the delay in stomach emptying occurs as a result of lack of nitric oxide in stomach tissues. The same basic molecular problem causes impotence in men. Experiments have shown that in mice Viagra reversed gastroparesis. Human trials are underway.
  • When nausea is a predominent symptom, a separate anti-nausea drug is often added such asCompazine (prochlorperazine) or Trans-Scop (scopolamine patches). But, again, side effects are common. In severe cases Zofran (ondansetron) may be used, but is very expensive. In milder cases of nausea, accupressure wrist bands are a non-invasive method that most patients tolerate well.

  

• Surgery
  Surgery is seldom done for gastroparesis, but in severe cases, a feeding jejeunostomy tube can be placed surgically. This thin plastic tube goes through the skin of the abdominal wall and directly enters the small intestine far downstream from the stomach. Special liquid nutrition given through this feeding tube bypasses the mouth, esophagus, and stomach and is delivered directly to the small intestine for absorption.

  

• Gastric Pacemaker
  On April 8, 2000, the FDA approved a stomach pacemaker called Enterra (Medtronic Corporation) for “compassionate use”. This electrical device is implanted in the abdomen and functions much the same way a pacemaker works in the heart. Enterra is indicated for the treatment of chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis when conventional drug therapies are not effective.

Summary 

Gastroparesis is a common condition that may affect anyone, but most often is seen as a complication of insulin-dependent diabetes, especially in those who have other signs of nerve damage like numbness of the feet. Up to a third of cases have no identifiable cause. Gastroparesis causes early fullness, bloating, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and contributes to poor blood glucose control. In severe cases, it can affect nutrition. Treatment is available, but, as yet, there is no cure. Treatments include changes in diet, better control of blood sugar, oral medications, and, in severe cases, a jejunostomy. Research is promising and new treatments may be just beyond the horizon.

Now, that is what the experts say on the subject. I feel I have had this condition for many years and it either contributed to my diabetes or my diabetes contributed to it. I have been testing several procedures for about 6 months and I have found a great deal of promise in what I am doing now. Follow this link for an explanation of what I am doing currently.  

https://diabetictreatmentalternatives.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/potato-starch-experiment/

What I have found is that:

I now have lowered my blood sugar to almost normal.

I now am experiencing a great deal of energy.

Even though my weight remains close to the same, it is easy to see that I am burning body fat up as it is showing visibly.

Eating as I have been, I do not get very hungry at all. I do run out of fuel and I now that is time for a capsule, my solution, and a coconut oil medallion.

For the one meal I have in the evening, I have found that I can eat limited amounts of foods that as a diabetic I wasn’t able to eat before.

I feel the cayenne capsule stimulates and aids in my stomach digestion. The DE is cleaning colon and small intestine plaque so that the small intestine can absorb the nutrition better. The potato starch is 70% resistant starch that is indigestible in the stomach and small intestine. In the colon it converts into a super food for the friendly flora that complete the digestion process. This gives me more mileage for the food I eat and allows me to go 24 hours between actual meals.

In closing, I would like to say I am very encouraged by my results so far. A very good possibility that others may be able to do this way of life (WOL) also.

Water Calculating

As diabetics, we don’t realize the true importance of drinking enough water everyday and how it can impact our blood sugar levels, our health and weight loss efforts. According to experts in a recent study, drinking just 2 cups of water, which is smaller than the size of a bottled soda, before meals helped dieters lose an extra five pounds yearly and help you maintain your weight loss. Additionally drinking the right amount of water daily can actually speed up your metabolic rate and help to curb overeating when your body confused hunger and thirst. But how much water is enough? And what about the temperature?  Here is what is said about the temperature of the water and how that might effect your weight loss and hunger issues throughout the day!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/521032-does-drinking-cold-water-help-speed-up-your-metabolism/

Here is how to calculate how much water you should drink a day for both health and weight loss benefits.

1. Your weight: The first step to knowing how much water to drink everyday is to know your weight. The amount of water a person should drink varies on their weight, which makes sense because the more someone weighs the more water they need to drink. A two hundred pound man and 100 pound woman require different amounts of water every day.
2. Multiply by 2/3: Next you want to multiple your weight by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily. For example, if you weighed 175 pounds you would multiple that by 2/3 and learn you should be drinking about 117 ounces of water every day.
3. Activity Level: Finally you will want to adjust that number based on how often you work out, since you are expelling water when you sweat. You should add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out. So if you work out for 45 minutes daily, you would add 18 ounces of water to your daily intake.

To make it a littler easier to calculate how much water to drink everyday, here are the recommended amounts for a range of weights. Remember to adjust for your activity level.

Weight	Ounces of Water Daily
100 pounds	67 ounces
110 pounds	74 ounces
120 pounds	80 ounces
130 pounds	87 ounces
140 pounds	94 ounces
150 pounds	100 ounces
160 pounds	107 ounces
170 pounds	114 ounces
180 pounds	121 ounces
190 pounds	127 ounces
200 pounds	134 ounces
210 pounds	141 ounces
220 pounds	148 ounces
230 pounds	154 ounces
240 pounds	161 ounces
250 pounds	168 ounces

Tips for Reaching Your Daily Water Goals

So now that you know how much water you should be drinking everyday, let’s talk about how to make sure you actually get enough. Drinking over 100 ounces of water may seem impossible at first, but with these easy tips you can reach your goal in no time.

• Drink 2 cups (16 oz) of water before every meal: Science has proven that drinking 2 cups of water before every meal helps you to eat less during meal time and lose weight. If you do this three times daily – at breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you have already consumed 48 ounces of water.
• Morning and Night: Get into the habit of drinking one glass (16 oz) of water when you wake up and another 8 oz glass before you go to sleep every night. This will add another 24 ounces of water to your daily intake. The easiest way to do this is to keep a glass or container of water at your bedside, that way as soon as you wake up and start your day, you can begin drinking water.
• Keep Track By Your Container: One thing that has proven to help people consume enough water daily is to buy a special container for their water and set a goal of how many times they will fill and drink the container. For example, if you buy a 16 oz container and need to drink 80 ounces of water a day, your goal would be to drink 5 of those daily. Need to drink more water? Try a larger container.
• Infuse Your Water With Flavor: Water doesn’t have to be boring and infusing your water with fruit, herbs, and other flavors can make it much easier to reach your daily goal. Try adding cucumber, strawberries,lemons, limes, and fresh herbs to create flavorful water.
• Bubbles: Consider carbonated and sparkling water in addition to regular water. Many people find that adding sparkling water and 0 calorie flavored water makes drinking water throughout the day more fun. Find yourself drinking lots of expensive sparkling water? Consider buying a sodastream and make your own delicious sparkling beverages at home.

Beginners Links

When we have new people first join the Diabetic Treatment Alternatives site on Facebook, they are immediately ready to make changes and ask, “Now that I am here, where do I start?” We have compiled a list of links that will help get you going! And as always in the group, ask questions!

First off, let me tell you a little about how our group works and how to get around. We have things categorized to make it easier on everyone. We have a DAILY ROLL CALL, DAILY CHATTER, ANYTHING GOES, DAILY EXERCISE CHALLENGE, and BLOOD SUGAR TUNE-UP. Roll call is where you post your fasting BG numbers. Daily chatter is where we talk about what is going on in your life. Anything goes is our blow-off thread where you can vent. Daily exercise challenge is where we are held accountable to try and exercise more consistently. Blood sugar tune-up is where you request for help. It is perfectly fine to introduce yourself and tell about yourself as an independent thread. We encourage you to use the categories we set up daily and if you are needing help, especially the BS tune-up.

Each day the catagories are reset to keep things fresh. If a question you posted was not answered or you need more information, post again in the correct days’ category. If you see THREAD~CLOSED~THREAD~CLOSED~THREAD~CLOSED, please do not post after that as it causes a great deal of confusion. Thank You!

Since we are such a small staff, we cannot guarantee a response from us unless it is posted in the proper areas. Also, since everyone has a different theory about what works for them, it may be dangerous to take advice out of our categories. And as always, we suggest you speak to your doctor about anything you learn here before trying it.

Here is a link to the history of diabetes:

Article Link (click)

 

Start with this video. This Doctor is speaking the truth that is the basis for this board.

 

This link is one of the first that is very informative and detailed. There is a huge amount of information here. Make sure you go into the different links and learn what many mainstream diabetic never knew!  Lots of good info!

Article Link (click)

 

Dr. Richard Berstein has compiled a series of videos to help the diabetic!

 

Diabetics experience severe pain in some cases and this link gives information about techniques and herbal remedies. A very good read!

Article Link (click)

 

Every diabetic longs to manage their diabetes so well that they are able to stop taking any medicines or insulin. Many of us are successful to some degree in doing this by this WOE. Many times when we first start, our levels are so high and we need so much medicine or insulin that when we change our diets and eat as we should we begin to experience the roller coaster of highs and lows as we become adjusted to the lower levels. This link has very good information that will help you to take precautions in case this ever happens to you. I have personally been down in the 40’s before and that is indeed a scary place to be. It becomes very hard to think and function. Having a plan is essential!

Article Link (click)

 

Is our way of eating safe? Any why do all the main stream people suggest otherwise? Here is a link that will show why they were wrong about fats and our health.

LINK (CLICK HERE)

 

This is a typical food pyramid for low carb/high fat. As you can see, very small amount of fruit and nuts and a great deal of fats and oils.

 

Before you begin keto, you should read this link about stuff you will probably run into.

False Hypos and Carb Flu

 

Food choices are always a concern when going keto and Pinterest has many very good articles and recipes. Here are several links:

KETO LINK

LC/MP/HF LINK

BULLET PROOF COFFEE

 

Dehydration is a very real problem with many diabetics. Some have dropped their numbers by as much as 20-30 points by staying hydrated. use the convenient chart to calculate how much water you need in a 24 hour period.

Article Link (click)

 

This goes into brief detail what benefits the LC/MP/HF diet does. There are also links to dig in deeper.

http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1jqgav/in_ketosis_vs_ketoadapted/

Article Link (click)

 

Why you need to do a food journal

Article Link (click)

 

You need a plan of action when you sugar is extremely low. Planning ahead can save your life!

Article Link (click)

 

Since we have literally exploded with new members recently, and many are struggling with their numbers and carb craving, I though it would be a good idea to add a link that explains different programming methods that has helped many people with these problems. There is even a video at the end that the group helped to create that shows typical craving foods, “places a “toxic” or “poison” sign on top of it, then shows actual pictures of what having uncontrolled diabetes have resulted in. I will warn you ahead, these are not pretty, but we don’t have a pretty disease. Not only does watching this change your look at it, it also will help to let your body know eating these foods is causing damage. Very effective. I still have cravings when I see all the pretty carb-laden packages at the grocery and I practice “seeing” a poison sign floating on top of the food. It has helped a great deal and our hope is that it will help you also!

Article Link (click)

 

You will learn about glycemic load (how a particular food affects your blood sugar). This link will give you an idea of 100 common foods. Just remember that many restaurants will add sugar to it’s products to make them taste better and for you to crave them more.

Article Link (click)

 

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Article Link (click)

 

Pancreas and Beta cell burn-out

Article Link (click)

Fat Fast Firsthand

Since some members in our diabetic group are planning on doing a fat fast in a couple of days, I thought it might be a good idea to do some actual leg work while writing about it to make it easier.

Here are some links to help you get jump started and to help reduce the Keto Flu symptoms.

http://www.bulletproofexec.com/rapid-fat-loss-protocol/

http://eatketo.com/preparing-for-ketosis/

http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/04/16/Keto-flu-and-Sufficient-Intake-of-Electrolytes

 

4/14/14 – I started my fat fast today after midnight and so far about 15 hours later I am doing pretty good. So far today I have had about 80 grams of fat in the form of 1 oz. plain coconut oil medallions. I had a bit of coffee with a splash of heavy whipping cream. I also have been taking my PS and DE solution, and have taken 2 doses of it. I also am taking charcoal capsules to adsorb some of the toxins that will come out as the fat comes off. Hopefully, that will help with the nausea that I get from doing a fast. I also have added Himalayan Pink Salt and Trace Minerals to my water several times a day. This makes a poor man’s saline solution. It has greatly helped my transition from glucose to fat burning and I have hardly had any keto flu symptoms.

I did a full workout earlier today (about 900 calories) including 30 minutes of elliptical that really gets my heart beat up. I did not notice much lack of strength, as I am still working off of glucose stores. Depending on how much I have in my liver will determine how quickly I get back into ketosis. I checked with keto strips several times today and the first ones showed some fat burning, but the last check I made I was completely out of ketosis.

I would like to talk about hunger waves. That is really all I can do to describe them. I can feel them start to crest and I have found that it helps to concentrate on them and use positive reinforcement while going through them. I have been saying to myself that in order to get my health back I need to lower my blood sugar and lose weight. The only way I can do this is to cut out my carbs, eat very moderate protein, and eat high fat. My body needs to learn to use fat as fuel again.

This has seemed to work and ease going through the waves. From experience, I can tell you that the first 24 hours are the hardest. It gets easier after that.

4/15/14 – I am now 24 hours into the full fast. I will be doing it until I have exorcised out all of the glucose and am burning fat as fuel. My liver has different ideas, but I am the boss. If I let my body be in charge it would be candy and sweets until they started hacking parts off. I have to make a change.

4/16/14 – Finally starting to win the battle with my liver. As long as I eat very little protein and hardly any carbs and keep my fat calories up, I should start having mostly low numbers. Those of you that are just starting this, don’t give up! You got this!! Have a buddy or a group that can give you support. My house is my trigger. I get home and get comfortable, pop on the TV and start eating. After I am full I don’t feel like doing anything but setting there, which is exactly not what I should be doing. Tonight I am getting up and immediately starting a massive workout. Stay bike, Elliptical, and treadmill! Change up you pattern! Figure out what your triggers are and eliminate them. More later…..gotta get busy!

4/17/14 – Day 3 Fat Fast – Awesome day today! Light work at the shop so I was able to exercise a total of three times. My numbers are dropping more and more. I posted my lowest number a little while ago at 70. The combination of what I am doing is working well. I burned almost 1200 calories with exorcise today. That is just about the total fat calories I have eaten today.

4/18/14 – Day 4 Fat Fast – I am noticing a change in sleep patterns. I seldom sleep longer than 4 hours at a stretch. It is kind of nice to catch a quick nap in the later afternoon before the evening workout. I weighed in and lost another 2 lbs. nd my first BG reading was 77, which are excellent. I am noticing that I am more interested in music instead of TV. I am able to be up and moving instead of sitting and doing nothing! I cannot stress the saline solution enough. It has helped tremendously! More later…heading to the treadmill. Here are a couple of pictures that show the Electrolyte Tabs I am adding to my water and the other one shows I am fully in ketosis.

 

4/19/14 – Day 4 Fat Fast – I know that weight will fluctuate daily and if you try to micromanage it, it will drive you crazy. I finished out the day at around 800 calories yesterday and I feel that was not enough. I struggled most of the day, had aches and pains that weren’t normal. The key to this Fast Fat is to find our zero calorie point (this is the point where you neither gain nor lose) and reduce it slightly to keep your metabolism moving, yet still losing weight. This is an elusive point, as it is based upon how much energy you require and that carry vary daily. Not only that, but as you lose weight, that will change the formula also.

If for nothing else, my blood sugar has been excellent! I was not above 100 all day yesterday and posted an 81 this morning.

4/19/14 – Well, I figured out that trying to stay under 800 calories was a mistake yesterday. My body almost shutdown; I had intense muscle soreness this morning. I ate a bit of protein and that passed rapidly through my system. I did not do any exercise today. I have learned that you must listen to your bodies’ signals and today it was rest and recover. I was able to handle some more protein later in the day and it sat well. I am feeling stronger and my muscle aches are 85% gone. I will get back on the Fat Fast tomorrow with the knowledge I’ve gained that I must eat at least 1200 calories. Checked my BG a little while ago and it was 103, which is good considering I ate about an hour ago. Interested to see what my morning reading is in the AM!

4/21/14 – Day 1 (reboot)  – Missed checking in yesterday. Busy day. I was able to do the Fat Fast until about 7pm last night and I had to eat some protein and a few carbs. My numbers were a little higher this morning, but not bad and I still am in ketosis. I am thinking of doing the Fat Fast throughout the week and take a break on the weekends. Either Saturday or Sunday or both. I continue to loose inches and I know the weight will not be far behind. Lowered glucose levels will reduce water retention. So may proposed pattern will be either 5 days FF 2 days REST or 6 days FF and 1 day REST. We’ll see how it goes. The transition back and forth is very hard. You body will fight tooth and nail to continue eating rather than go back into the FF. After the first 24 hours on the FF, it will become easier. I think after time you body will eventually get adjusted. Just had a thought since today is a transition day to full Fat Fast I am going to try to add extra fat calories today to stave off the hunger waves. We’ll see how I do. Had a good day to recap. I ate some steamed vegetables in some wonderful butter. We’ll see how my morning numbers are. Util tomorrow.

4/22/14 – Day 2 – Had good numbers this morning (99) and am now back on the treadmill. My knee pain is almost gone. i think the bicycling last week got me. Different muscle group and I was riding hard into the wind. I need to ease back into that. I have been craving steamed veggies today, so I ate about a cup with butter on them at lunch. I am thinking that if I eat earlier in the day (on the days I eat), that should help to digest the food better. I have been eating (when I eat) after 9pm and that is not enough time to digest the food before going to bed. We’ll see how that does. Also have a thought that it will keep my metabolism moving better.

I’d like to take a minute to talk about incidental carbs and protein. These are stuff that tag along with the food we eat. As an example, I got a container of no-sodium beef bullion that has 2 carbs per tablespoon. I’ve got to ask why, but I am thinking that it must have something to do with the flavor. I just don’t worry about those incidentals. I keep track of them, and use my carb or protein allotment on them instead of not counting them, but have figured out there really isn’t anything to do about it.

4/23/14 – Day 3 – Numbers just a little higher than I like. Like to stay below 100 if possible. We have had a cold snap here and it has really made me hungrier than usual. I ate some steamed vegs yesterday at lunch which caused my metabolism to really kick in. Had to eat a lettuce wrap about 8pm last night. I am trying to reach a happy medium in eating a little to keep from going into starvation, yet not so much that I lose the ground I have gained. Finished out the day pretty good! I ate a bunch of calories, had to. I had a major front end repair that required about 7 solid hours of forcing bolts loose, using 3lb short hammers and even had to break out the 8lb long handled sledge. Very intense. Tomorrow should be marginally better; have to install a transmission. After my late evening exercise my BG was 84.

Experiment concluded.

 

 

 

Pecan Fat Medallions

Pecan fat medallions. Many of us are struggling with our numbers and I thought I would post these. They are very ultra low carb (less than 1/4 gram per and have excellent healthy fat (14 grams) and very low protein (1/5 gram). About 130 calories per medallion. Directions: Liquefy your coconut oil of your choice and use bakers’s pecans halves (unsalted). In a plastic 1 oz. candy mold, place one pecan in and measure out 1 oz of coconut oil in each mold. Freeze and then keep refrigerated.

(We put ours in a ziplock baggy) I pop them in my cheek and let them dissolve, then eat the pecan as a treat. Very easy to do portion control and this will aid in digestion with no blood sugar spike. NOTE: Different coconut oils will give a different flavor. I prefer Walmart’s LouAna due to cost and taste. Enjoy! Also, this is the perfect midnight snack to help reduce the dawn phenomenon.