Swimming For Exercise

So the pool pump motors are finally fixed and/or replaced at our local health club in the hotel and I can’t wait to go back and swim every morning for my exercise.  I loved swimming but haven’t swam for so long because the pool was closed for repair and they found that they had to replace the pool pump motors.  And yes, I had been very lazy and haven’t done a lot of walking to replace the swimming but now that the pool is open again – I’m all for going back tomorrow morning for a work out – hopefully I don’t get tire out or get out of breath so easily – since I haven’t swam for months.

Simply For Life

Simply for life had been around town for a few years now and I’ve seen some people who’ve had success with them – but no one wants to talk a lot about it for some reason.  And a customer of ours – who stopped going there – put on weight immediately, so as much as I would loved to try it out – I don’t really know what they are recommending?  just healthy food with no exercises ?  or healthy food with exercises ?  of course, if I don’t go sit for one of their talks – I certainly wouldn’t know what they are offering or how much it is to join right?  so I’m going to make an appointment this week and check it out – stay tuned.

Thank You Gifts For My Doctors

Some of my doctors are very nice here – some not so – and in all my years in Canada there had been some people in the hospital who have made my life a lot easier and encouraged me when I was having difficulty with my health issues.  And because of them – I have had better control of my health now – but what do you give those doctors who have everything money can buy?  I don’t really want to buy some generic thing just because – so the spouse said some cufflinks in a nice gift box would be a really nice gesture.  So knowing that one of them is leaving the town to start a practice in Halifax – I decided to get him a nice cufflink as a thank you gift and hope that whenever he wears it – he will remember me.

Snacks Suitable For Diabetics

Diabetes suxs!  I know and big time – and when you need a snack – you can’t eat a piece of chocolate or a piece of cookie and I can understand it.  Therefore, I’m constantly searching for snacks that diabetic people like myself can eat and then post it online – so that you know that you can snack on this – without worrying too.

I saw these at Walmart one day and took a look at the ingredients and found that it had very little sugar in the packet of cookies and about 100 calories – this definitely beats have 3 tim bits from Tim Hortons.  So check it out – it was ony $2 at Walmart – and it does stop my craving to snack on something in the late morning and tide me over till lunch time.

Spaghetti Squash For Diabetics

Truth be told I didn’t know what Spaghetti squash is – well, not until I learned that by eating Spaghetti squash – you actually cut down on your carb.  But for those who knows me – you know how much I loved my real spaghetti – could eat tons of it – but now I too cut back on them.   But with Spaghetti squash – it is said that it is only 10 % what you would normally eat for your spaghetti and spaghetti squash is pretty good tasting too.

Prepare to be pleasantly surprised when you swap the mildly sweet and nutty flavor of spaghetti squash for regular carb-heavy spaghetti. Packed with vitamins and nutrients — including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and B vitamins — spaghetti squash is a true power food.

Lower Morning Blood Sugar

So you wake up each morning – worried and wondering what is your blood sugar like this morning -  and even though you didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary last night – your blood sugar is still high.  So what do you do?  or you’ve tried everything – and it’s still high.

While many people were told that what you eat affects your morning blood sugar, it is not always true – in fact new studies showed that it could be your hormones that is causing your blood sugar to go up over night. Because when you sleep – you liver and muscles will tell each other to generate more glucose supply since you are sleeping and not eating at all and since you don’t have enough insulin when you are sleeping – you wake up with high blood sugar in the morning.   Sounds pretty logical to me – what about you?    So what do you do?

Some changes in your lifestyle is needed and so is some medication – talk to your family doctor quickly and they can work with you immediately.  Having said that – losing weight I know does gerat for your blood sugar.  So good luck everyone.

Non-Starchy Veggies For Diabetic

So I just learned that eating veggies is not enough for a diabetic – you have to eat and choose non starchy veggies.  Why?  because they contain fewer calories and less carbs per serving.  So what are non starchy veggies?  broccoli and green beans are an example of non starchy veggies and if you are having your meals -  you are asked to consider to take more veggies than meat.  Also you can take veggies for a snack – now that really sucks right?  pretty much – oh well!

Holiday Parties For The Diabetic

So it’s that time of the year again and you get invited to all sorts of parties but most party times starts late because they need to wait till everyone is off work and give them time to freshen up.  So as a diabetic – what do you do?  do you skips your meals and eat a big meal at your holiday parties or do you eat your meal and then eat some more at your holiday parties?  it’s easy to do both because if you don’t eat – you would feel queasy and if you don’t eat at your holiday parties – your hosts may think that you are being a stuck up or worst a party popper.

So what do diabetics like myself do ?  i try and eat something really light and then when I am at the party – I eat light again.  I keep my drinking to the minimum and nurse my drinks as long as I can – and if the host insist on pushing drinks to me – I would just change a glass and make it look like it’s a new glass all over again. And yes diabetic can go for parties too and have fun during the holiday season.

Province Will Not Fund Insulin Pumps

The Liberal Caucus has had a private member’s bill on the order paper since 2008 to get the Province to fund insulin pumps. Neither the previous nor current government has even bothered to call the bill. Here is coverage from the government’s most recent refusal to fund these vital pumps.

Zach Churchchill – MLA

I read on the Chronicle Herald about how the province said they had no money to fund those with Type 1 diabetes – about $6000 for the insulin pumps to keep them alive – this is just so sad.   The cost cannot be justified according to the Deputy Health Minister – Mcnamara *rolling my eyes*

I have Type 2 diabetes and a few years ago – my family doctor insisted on putting me on the needles too – I had flatly refused and asked for a second opinion.  Had I been one of those who are dependent on the insulin – I would be devastated to have to fork out $6000 for the machine.  Now if I had a kid who needed the insulin – and don’t have the device – I would be worried to death as to when they might need the needle and not have it in hand.

I think it is incredibly selfish of the Province not to support the funding for the insulin pumps for these young kids especially – since they suffer a lot more than adults.  I seriously hope they would consider it – especially for the younger kids before 15 – but of course that’s just my opinion.  But I believed it can be done – especially when I hear about the amount the province is spending on parties during Christmas.

I Don’t Wanna Eat

It’s true – I’m usually don’t want to eat – but if I don’t eat something after a few hours – my head starts to hurt or my hands starts to shake.  I often wonder why too – because really I don’t want to eat – not until I read an article online about the diabetic medication that I’m taking can cause my sugar to get low – therefore I have all these symptoms – that makes me have a need to eat something.   As strange as it may sound – check with your doctor – if you are feeling queasy after not eating for a few hours.  Don’t be shy to ask your doctors questions – because if you don’t ask you never know – and for the longest time I had been feeling really bad that I’m eating so much – or feel like I’m eating so much.

Baking Diabetic

One often wonder – can a diabetic eat cakes and desserts right?  I too wonder myself – most times – I do cheat and eat half a cream puff every now and then too – but if you are up to it – you can actually bake your own diabetic cakes and baked goods.  I had been quite gungho with my intake of my sugar when it comes to coffee – I don’t even take a substitute now but when it comes to baking a cake or making baked goods – you have to have some form of sugar right?  Yes!  and for those who’ve tried using sugar substitutes – you will know that it tastes different.  So what do one do?

I was taught to use vanilla in my baking recipes – pure vanilla extract is what i use now – and you can get it from your local health store.  And since I am using sugar substitutes – I need to also flatten the dough before baking as sugar substitutes prevents the cookie dough from spreading.  And if you are making chocolate chip cookies or anything chocolate – use cold brewed coffee – to replace the liquid you need to use in your recipe – thus sharpening the chocolate taste in your cookie. Create volume by using whipped egg whites in place of whole eggs. Use two egg whites for every egg called for in the original recipe.  So there – diabetic baking is a lot harder and more work – but then you don’t have to feel sinful after eating your home baked diabetic cookies.  Yay!

Insulins & Diabetic Medications

When I was told that I had Type 2 diabetes – and insulin was the way to go – I was devastated !  but I didn’t think that my diabetic was that bad – that I had to be dependent on insulin immediately.  I don’t blame you if you feel the same way – but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t take any medication  – in fact I insisted on taking meds right away.

Some people would avoid taking diabetes medication like a plague and hope that it would go away – but in fact – you and I know that it’s not that easy.  Mr Moo’s uncle who refused to take anything for his diabetes – died very young – and definitely not called for.  He left his wife and 3 sons – and one just got married last summer and another this summer.  I for one – wants to see Missy Moo get married and if I needed to do anything to stay healthy I would.  Type 2 diabetes is a progressive illness – and if you refused to take medication or insulin – then you are on your way to your grave.  How sad would the people you leave behind – how painful it is for them – when your kid won’t be able to walk down the aisle with you there.

I know many people have concerns about the meds – like metformin – causing your kidney to fail – or the cost of it – but really these are only excuses.  Promising to lose weight as well as watching one’s diet – don’t really eliminate diabetes – it can help – but not all.  So please talk to your doctor about your concern – if you are worried about the cost – there are programs in Canada – that can help you with it.  No excuses now!

Outdoor Adventures

This year – I’ve done more outdoor activities than I had in my entire life – because of the used ATV that Mr Moo bought for riding around the woods on his father’s 100 acre land -  yes! just like Winnie the Pooh – according to Missy Moo.  But because the ATV is pretty huge – it’s hard for me to go at it by myself but Mr Moo bought the utv power steering to enable me to cruise and steer the ATV easily – so I’m now able to ride on it by myself.  Sometimes, I get Missy Moo brave enough to sit behind me for a ride but other times – I like to do it on my own.

This fall – we have been having a few good days – so I’m taking advantage of it and going out in the woods more often than I would usually do.  And because of all these outdoor activities – I find myself getting stronger and less tired during the day – it makes me feel so much younger.  For those who lives in the country – you will understand why we like to go to the country during the weekend and stay at our cottage – and ride out in the woods.  If you haven’t tried it – you should and now that one can buy the UTV power steering – even for someone who finds it hard to maneuver the ATV before – can do so.

Best Dried Fruit For Diabetics

I for one am always complaining that there is no snacks that I can eat as a diabetic – I’m sure you understand what I mean to – and to only find out that  Sun-Maid Mediterranean Apricots – is considered one of the best dried fruit for Diabetic kinda stumped me.  Why?  I’ve always thought that dried fruits were full of its own sugar – so are you sure we can take that?  or eat it?

According to Diabetic Living – there is no sweetener  added and these apricot are very flavorful  — one can toss them in yogurt or on a salad for a sweet touch. Plus, they’re a good source of antioxidant vitamin A, potassium, and fiber.  Can I just eat it as a snack?  i’m going to check it out tomorrow and update – and see how much sugar is in them.

Preventing Diabetes Type 2

Had I known that eating walnuts – oily fish and flax seed can prevent diabetes type 2 – I would have eaten more of it.  I had thought that Omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed and walnuts are good for the heart but now the experts say that folks with higher concentration of omega 3 fatty acids in their blood had less chances of developing diabetes.  And truth be told before becoming a diabetic – i rarely eat any of the above.  Darn!  So for those who are afraid of getting diabetes – please eat a lot more oily fish – walnuts and flax-seed.

Morning Stretches

Morning stretches makes me feel good about myself – it’s a great way to start the day – I found out.   I stretch every part of morning body – starting with my hands and then work my way down and then even stretch my neck – for about 15 minutes after I wake up – and then I have my breakfast – before doing anything else.   I feel like I have more energy than I did before – plus you don’t need to have any preparation nor wear anything special or buy any special equipment – so  you should try it out in the morning when you get up – and let me know how you make out.

Biking For Exercise

I’ve always wanted a cruiser bike – and not because it’s pretty – but because they are so easy to ride on – and cruiser bikes are not very expensive these days.  What’s missing on my cruiser bike is a basket – for me to carry my doggie with me when I go biking by the beach.   For now we just chuck our bikes into our truck – but I would like to be able to go biking on my own without having to wait for the spouse to drive me to the beach.  So as soon as I can get a chance – I’m getting one of those yakima bike rack for my car – and I can go biking on my own with Missy Moo.  Exercising with my cruiser has never been easier and with the cruiser – I want to go biking so much more – and you know as a diabetic – any form of exercise is great.   What better than to go for a bike ride after supper right?

Exercising With New Ping Pong Table

While Missy Moo was at the Y – last week doing her karate class – i sat at the recreation room waiting to pick her up.  But as soon as she got out – she wanted to play with the toys at the recreation room and one of them was at the ping pong table aka table tennis.  I used to play table tennis in school because the bats were cheap to buy when we were kids – and I played pretty well at it too.  But it had been a long time since i played ping pong but am glad that I was able to give Missy Moo some ping pong tips .  We played for like 30mins and I was sweating profusely – that reminded me that playing ping pong is also a form of exercise and I’ve seen some people selling ping pong tables on the yard sale at home.  So if I do see one cheap enough I might just get one to put in our basement and use the ping pong table as a form of exercise – especially during winter.  Now Mr Moo can’t say there are no games he can play with me – for I refused to play computer games or game console games with him.  I love playing games but just not those you have to sit around and become a potato couch.

Can Diabetic Eat Ice Cream?

I’ve often been asked and often wonder if  diabetic can eat ice cream like any normal people?  And if you have been thinking the same – you are not alone.  I’m sure even diabetic can eat ice cream – but what kind of ice cream is best – and how much can one eat – now that’s another important question to all diabetics.  I’m currently reading an article on diabetic living about the kind of ice cream recommended for diabetics – but it doesn’t tell me how much sugar are in these ice cream – the  Edy’s Slow Churned No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream is said to be the best – because it’s so smooth and it doesn’t even taste like its low sugar.  But please be advised like in anything a diabetic eat – please eat moderately.  I eat some ice cream each time Missy Moo and Mr Moo go for their soft served ice cream down in Hebron – but I take like a little bit from Missy Moo’s small cone and that’s enough for me.  I know a lot of you will  not find it enough but if you eat like that – you won’t be deprived of anything.

Berries Good For Diabetics

If you didn’t know by now – anything ending with berries – are good for diabetics – I learned.  From blueberries to strawberries and raspberries of course – they are all said to be the best fruits for diabetics.  So when the outlaws had raspberries in their garden – guess who was the first to chomp the raspberries down.  So remember – this summer – stay healthy – for berries are good for diabetics.