As you might know, I was completely off insulin when I started my gluten free diet. That lasted 4 weeks, and then my morning, fasting blood glucose (BG) numbers started to creep up. They were in the 170’s. My doctor and I thought these were too high so I started taking 1 unit of Toujeo (a slow acting, long acting?) insulin once a day.
This helped my morning numbers making them in the 130’s or 140’s, but it made me so dependent on food and food timing for the rest of the day. I had to be eating lunch by 12:30 (preferably 12:15 or 12) or I would be shaky and in the 70’s. I also needed to be on time for dinner (5:30 at the latest) or the same thing would happen. Even being on time for these meals (with snacks in between!), I would regularly be in the 80’s or 90’s when I tested prior to eating.
I was tired of being tied to food!
So enters my dear friend, Karen, with some more good research. This article was just what I was looking for! I use “looking for” oh so lightly. More accurately, this is the information I needed but lazily didn’t seek on my own!
The article is titled “3 Ways to Regulate Insulin that have Nothing to Do with Food.”
I skimmed the article quickly for the main bullets…
- Exercise? Check. I work out 5-6 mornings a week (I believe I’m in the best shape of my life, believe it or not! It’s amazing what consistency will do to you!).
- Stress? Check. Likely. I don’t live a very stressful life unless you count trying to keep up on laundry. High stress there, folks.
- Sleep? Oh my. You got me there. Being off my even 30 minutes can affect your blood glucose? What? My sleep is all over the board. Maybe this is what I should try…nah…gotta be something else! Something easier…
I just finished watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (another health documentary, this on focused on juicing as a means to resetting the body and weight loss). My take away was “EAT MORE VEGETABLES!” Sigh. I know. I’ve always known. I never eat enough. Never have. Maybe I should try now.
So 3 weeks ago, I challenged myself to provide my family and I with a fruit and a vegetable at every meal. Every. Meal. This is when we started regular green smoothies. Drinking kale and swiss chard for breakfast are so much easier for us!
I don’t notice much of a change in my fasting BG, but I know we’re on the right track. We all need to eat more veggies, right?
In the documentary, one of the experts is Dr. Perlmutter, MD. I check out one of his books from the library (unknowingly checked out book #3…need to go read #1 and #2!).
This book goes a bit into the theory behind the gluten free diet but is mostly how to change your lifestyle to follow his plan. So I definitely plan to read his other two books because this stuff is fascinating! What we eat affects our whole body and the diseases or disorders we face!
My first big take away: “EAT MORE VEGETABLES!” Again? Really? Ok, already on track but realize after 2 weeks of offering a fruit and veggie at every meal that I can pretty easily offer 2 veggies and a fruit. Hm, maybe this won’t be so bad!
My second take away: get consistent and sufficient sleep. Again. Here it is by another specialist. Maybe I should give this a whirl.
I had my last dose of Toujeo Saturday, June 24 at 9am. My morning BG on Sunday was 135, pretty normal but insulin still in my system.
Sunday night I start my new bedtime routine:
- Chamomile tea around 1 hour before bed
- Begin the “to bed” process 30 minutes before official bedtime (turn off phone, head upstairs, nighttime toiletries, etc.)
- Leave phone downstairs and use old fashioned alarm clock…shocker!
- Spend the last 10-15 minutes coloring and praying
- Go to bed right on time
Monday morning my BG was 122. (no extra insulin in my system!)
Tuesday morning my BG was 129.
It’s only 2 days in so we’ll see how this shakes out, but the initial results are encouraging!
**Update: In my rush to post this (read: kids screaming their heads off at me!), I forgot my humorous note.**
I like this doctor’s logic and findings. I will likely be unable to follow his diet though because of this:
The above circled list is the “approved” list of “fruits”. Those, my dear doctor, are not fruits in my dictionary. 🙂
I’m so glad it was helpful! I need to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. I know that’s a key thing that I keep ignoring! While I was reading this, Grant (across the room) said, “What’s that?” I realized I had said, “Awww,” out loud when I read about the coloring/praying aspect. That is a lovely way to wind down at the end of the day and I can definitely picture you doing that!
I am always confused about how to wind down at the end of the day because I tend to read a novel and get into it, or check my calendar and start planning for the next day, or read a spiritual book and get into THAT. It’s so hard to not get my mind going. Praying along with coloring might just be my answer. 🙂
Love it! I actually need too get back on track to winding down before bed. I’m still going to bed on time by more like “quick shut the movie off and jump into bed!”