Personal Data Collection

Sifting through data can be enlightening. Going through the process of collecting data can be arduous and, at times, a drag. Yet I needed to quickly learn what improved my symptoms and what made them worse. There is only one way for me to gain the kind of insight necessary to achieve my goal of lessening the intensity and duration of my symptoms, and that way is keeping records.

I'm very much into technology and as I always carry my smart phone, I saw no reason why I couldn't find apps to aid me in record keeping. 

First things first, I downloaded the My Symptoms food diary and symptoms app. Within a few days of record keeping, I began to see patterns emerge. I could pinpoint correlations between activities or foods and how my body responded. Specifically, I wanted to minimize or eliminate completely the excessive sweating symptom - that one drives me nuts!

Not long after, I received a blood testing kit (glucose meter). After grumbling a bit at having to use two separate apps to track my personal data, I downloaded the Glucose Buddy app. That was a huge eye opener for me. It was through tracking my blood glucose levels at the onset of any symptom that I made a huge leap in understanding what was happening to my body and what I needed to do to minimize a symptom's intensity and duration. 

While the My Symptoms app gave me correlations and insights, it didn't give me calories or a breakdown of fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. I also wanted a running total of the number of calories I burned while exercising. More data with which to fine tune the positive changes I'm incorporating into my life. 

I was referred to SparkPeople to track my foods and fitness by the facilitator of a pre-diabetes class I attended. Wow! Neat program that links an online interface with apps. So, I can do the bulk of my entries, or define frequently used entries, online, and then enter updates in real time via my smart phone. Pretty nifty. Further, you can sign up for various types of support and network with others who have faced or are facing similar issues to ones with which you may be dealing. I choose not to be quite so connected, as my goal isn't to lose weight, per se, but to be symptom free. Loosing weight just so happens to be a benefit of my goal. 

I track everything, even the three squares of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts that somehow slipped from my fingers into my mouth. Yeah, if I'm not honest with myself and track everything that passes my lips, tracking doesn't help. 

It does take a bit of time and trial-and-error to find the tools that work best for you. I can assure you that becoming an expert on you, your body, and your health is well worth the investment. 

Related Links

• Quantified Self (This is a little over-the-top. The one below is well worth viewing.)
• Show me the data -- becoming an expert in yourself

From Infertility to Family

I always knew I'd be a mom. By the time I was 19, adoption was part of my life plan. I didn't know if I'd be married or not, although I'd hoped that I'd find a partner to share my life with. No matter what, I was going to be a parent.

Little did I know that fertility could be such a fickle thing. 

I remember the joy, anticipation, and excitement that coursed through my veins when the pregnancy test showed positive for the first time. Yep, as I'd planned, just a couple years after marrying my husband, I was pregnant. By the tenth week, I was thinking about possible colleges that might be suitable for the genius who had taken up residency in my uterus. What might this child major in, I wondered. Math? Science? Theater? We had great conversations together, one sided, but nevertheless deeply moving and meaningful. Not a week after these dialogues began, I miscarried. 

I was devastated. 

I didn't "miscarry," I lost a baby, a new love, a friend who I couldn't wait to meet, and never would. I lost three more babies over the next couple of years, and while they were all heartbreaking, none came close to the severe and overwhelming shock and grief I experienced at losing my first baby.

And then, I couldn't get pregnant again. Lots of false positives, which was confusing and distressing. Clearly, there was something wrong with me. Time to hook up with a fertility expert and get this thing figured out. 

Such optimism.

I went to a fertility specialist, because that made sense, right? He put me on a few rounds of Clomid. Now there's a med for you. The hot flashes, the mood swings... and that was just on my husband's part! It was worth it, because I got pregnant. Yay! No more tetemperature charts, no more timing sex, no more chasing my husband down the hall wailing, "come on, hunny! I'm fertile! Please? I'll let you be Little Bo Peep this tiiiiime!" Kidding, mostly, lil bit, not much. 

A few weeks after the positive pregnancy test proclaimed positive, I spotted and lost the baby. 

I switched to a fertility clinic and did several rounds of IUF. Let's just say that we reached the end of our fertility budget. We took a break from all things baby making, except for the fun part, of course. After we took some time to grieve and heal, we moved forward with our adoption plans. 

In a miracle as only Christmas can package, a precious, amazing toddler with dreamy blue eyes came to live with us. There is no doubt in my mind that she's ours, completely and utterly meant to be our daughter.  

Six weeks later, I was pregnant. 

In the majesty of autumn, a strapping baby boy was born with blue eyes, blond hair, and a beguiling smile. 

Two years after that? You guessed it, preggo again. 

Amidst the fragrant blossoms of spring, a blond haired, blue-eyed charmer was born. 

To say I was busy with a baby, a 2-year old, and a 3-year old would be an understatement. 

It wasn't a smooth journey to parenthood, or easy for that matter. However, my dreams of family did come true. 

System Flush

Research cited by the New York Times shows when your body is dehydrated, your kidneys go all Chicken Little on you. No, the sky isn't falling, yet those panicked kidneys retain water and release a hormone that raises blood sugar. For those of us who are tasked with driving our glucose levels down, it makes sense to do what it takes to keep our kidneys from pushing the panic button and releasing that pesky hormone. Fear not, Chicken Little kidneys, we know of a magical elixir that will bath you into calm bliss: Water.

Water dilutes the blood and flushes out glucose, among other things, from your bloodstream. Evidence suggests that drinking as little as .5 to 1 liter, or 17 to 34 ounces, will help you with attaining homeostasis. I drink a lot of water. On good days, my water consumption goes beyond 2 liters, or over 64 ounces. On other days, I stay in the range noted above. I drink water about .5 liter or 16 oz and eat a small protein/carb duo to stave off my blood sugar spike as soon as I get out of bed in the morning. I'm happy to report that this small change has greatly reduced the excessive sweating symptom I talked about in the One Hot Mama and Reverse Symptomology posts.

By chance I ran across a post in a forum that offered a suggestion for when blood sugar levels spike. My signs of hyperglycemia may include:

• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Decreased vision

When I experience any or a combination of the above, I flush out the sugar by drinking 16 ounce water quickly. I wait five minutes and drink another 8 ounce glass of water. Soon after, I'll pee, and my blood sugar levels start to decline. I keep drinking through out the day, as well. Keeping well hydrated has kept me cool and comfortable for several weeks now.

I'm thinking I'm on to something.

Related Links

• Does drinking lots of water and staying well hydrated help with keeping blood sugar levels at a more normal level?
• Does Drinking Water Bring High Glucose Levels Down?
• Five Simple Ways to Lower Your Blood Sugar
• Ways to lower your blood sugar quickly

Size Matters

I'm talking about portion size. What did you think I meant?

There are fact and figures, charts and diagrams, showing how we eat larger portions now than we did 20 year ago. There is considerable fodder out on the interwebs discussing Portion Distortion, and with it a plethora of images describing how to estimate serving sizes using your hand for protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and fats. I'm not going there. Instead, I'm looking at the cause and effect of what I eat and how my body reacts.

I'm noticing what happens to my body when I eat small servings versus large servings, even if it's a salad packed with veggies. If I keep to "dynamic duos" every two hours or so, my blood sugar doesn't spike or stay in an elevated range. My dynamic duos consist of things like Almond butter and a banana, apple and goat cheese, Qunioa and broccoli. Whatever the combination of whole grain, protein, fruit, or vegetable, when I keep it to about one cup, I don't flood my system with large quantities of insulin.

I'm noticing what happens to my body when I eat watermelon. Ohhh, it's so not pretty. Remember in prior posts how I whined about excessive sweating? I get that within 20 minutes of eating watermelon, in addition to brain fog and muscle weakness. I'm about to whine again. First cheese, then coffee, and now watermelon? Say it isn't so!

It's an interesting paradigm eating to nourish my body and minimize symptoms rather than eating to lose weight. I'm thinking that I can use the immediate biofeedback that insulin resistance gives me to continue to eat in ways that is right for me, thus healthy.

Related Links

• Diabetes: Learning About Serving and Portion Sizes
• We eat what we’re served, regardless of taste

Reverse Symptomology

It's time to explore this sweating symptom again. All the medical sites I have searched relate the excessive sweating symptom with low blood sugar. Fortunately, I came across a message board where members talked about becoming hot and sweaty when their blood sugar levels were high. Quite the opposite of what the "expert" sites cited, and exactly what I am experiencing.

Welcome to the world of "weirdness"... Both my sister-in-law and myself seem to get flushed and sweat when our sugar is up a bit. If my sugar is low, then I will get a bit light headed, very pale and might break out in a COLD sweat and get shaky. Everyone is different and I guess you know your own body. ~JJ

I think that it's important to begin with the experts. Absolutely, you should take your symptoms and concerns to your doctor. However, I don't stop there. I want to know what the people who are dealing with any particular malady are experiencing, and how they approach and minimize their symptoms. It's fantastic that there are so many content creators and various technologies to share information and experiences. Sometimes the sheer volume of information can feel overwhelming, and much of the content needs to be examined with a critical eye. Yet sifting through and reading posts, blogs, and forums is invaluable for spotting trends that can shed light on your concerns.

Now that I know I will sweat when my blood sugar spikes, which foods have a high GI, and I have the tools to monitor my glucose levels, I feel much more in control over this particular (embarrassing) symptom.

Similar topics: 

• One Hot Mama
• System Flush

Related Links

• Get Off the Blood Glucose Roller Coaster
• Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar)
• Sweating and High Blood Sugars
• Sweating With High Sugar?

Coffee Calamity

There is quite a buzz out there in the interwebs for those with insulin resistance on the topic of coffee, specifically the caffeine in coffee, giving rise to blood sugar levels.

That's just not okay. I love my coffee! I have great need of coffee. I'm a troglodyte without coffee!

To say that I'm taking this news badly doesn't even come close to my state of abject horror at the thought of no longer partaking in my beloved beverage. There must be some mistake. Surly I can find a loophole somewhere... but no.

I know the truth of caffeine and what it does to me and my blood sugar by the neuropathic response I get whenever I drink coffee, or anything with caffeine, for that matter. I was happy ignoring the symptom. Didn't matter that I have a reaction to drinking my (legal) drug of choice. It didn't matter, that is, until I read the dreaded words on the Glycemic Index. Yup, coffee is listed in the red zone. Not only did I have physical evidence that coffee spiked my blood sugar, (which I chose to ignore), but now I have it in writing, too. Somehow, that just made it too important to ignore.

What am I going to do? I just recently switched to soy lattes because dairy does a number on me. Now I have to give up lattes altogether? Nooooo!

Turns out that while that caffeine isn't a good thing for me, decaf coffee isn't a bad thing. As I switched to soy lattes with nary a second glance, I think I can make the switch to decaf soy lattes, eventually. I'm not saying that I can go cold turkey, no way! Starting tomorrow, I'll ask for a split, or 1/2 decaf soy latte. Eventually I'll get to all decaf, sooner rather than later.

Nothing is certain except for change, eh?

Related Post:  Caffeine Quandary

Related Links

• Does caffeine affect blood sugar?
• Why does black coffee raise my sugars?

Was That Fiber or Fibroid?

What's the difference?

Fiber

Plant material that cannot be digested but that helps you to digest other food.

Fibroid

A growth of fibrous tissue in the uterus, usually a fibroma, fibromyoma, or leiomyofibroma.

Surgery is the definitive treatment, especially for complications such as bleeding or pain, and when there's a suspicion for malignancy.

According to the Mayo clinic, for women who have symptoms, the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Prolonged menstrual periods — seven days or more of menstrual bleeding
• Pelvic pressure or pain
• Frequent urination
• Difficulty emptying your bladder
• Constipation
• Backache or leg pains

While all uterine fibroids are the same, they have special names based on their location:

• Submucosal fibroids are located just under the uterine lining.
• Intramural fibroids lie between the muscles of the uterine wall.
• Subserol fibroids extend from the uterine wall into the pelvic cavity.

As I have three amazing kids, and no plans for becoming pregnant, I'm going for the hysterectomy, or uterus removal.

So, in a nutshell, eat fiber, and remove a fibroid when it's painful, etc.

For the record, this being a woman thing isn't for the faint of hearts. We're rather complicated beings, biologically speaking.

Related Links

• Uterine fibroids
• Uterine fibroids fact sheet
• Uterine Fibroids - Surgery

Agnsty, Not Only for Poets and Teens

I love that word. When I looked it up, I found this definition in the Urban dictionary:

Generally it involves the feeling of not being understood by anyone and that the person is alone in the world.

The Merriam-Webster free online dictionary has this nugget:

feeling, showing, or expressing anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity

My teens are in the former group, which makes total sense, because, well, they're teens. I'm in the latter group, my guess is because I'm neither a poet nor a teen (although there are times when I act like one). Anxiety and its cohort, depression, have been my companions for quite some time. Probably about the time I started infertility treatments. (I am blessed with three amazing kids. More on that story, later.) However, anxiety and depression have been particularly present in the last few years. Probably about the time insulin resistance reared its ugly head, unbeknownst to me. The good news is, now things make sense in ways that baffled me before. The bad news is, I must take better care of myself. I mean, you know, like put myself first sometimes. How bad can that be?

I'm curious, though. How much of my anxiety and depression are health related? As I ease into a healthier lifestyle and continue to put myself first in positive ways, will my depression and anxiety lessen? Will I be in a position where I can cut back on my "happy pills?" These are questions I hope I'll have answers (in the affirmative) to in the near future. It looks like, by continuing down the path of eating healthy and exercising, I could very well reverse insulin resistance and its unsavory symptoms in about a years time. I tend to be a rather goal-oriented individual, so of course I'm writing the goal of eliminating the whole prediabetes thing in gold letters on my bucket list.

I have found that sleeping better, thanks to the CPAP machine, has improved my over-all state of being. I'm positive that exercise is also responsible for helping smooth out my rough edges. Therefore, it must be possible that eating well, and managing or eliminating the massive levels of insulin wrecking havoc on my body, may very well contribute to reducing my angsty depression, as well.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Related Links

• Serum androgens and depression in women with facial hirsutism.
• Severity of depression and anxiety in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
• What's the connection between diabetes and depression?

Teal Ribbon Cysterhood

Yesterday I became an official, card-carrying member of the PCOS community. On the one hand, I feel pretty smart for figuring it out for myself. On the other hand, it's sucks and I'm mad-as-hell that I have a syndrome, which is essentially a catch-all phrase that experts use when they don't have a clue what to do with you. Great, just lump a bunch of us who share similar symptoms together, scratch your collectives heads, and label us with "syndrome." Yeah, that's me throwing a cyber tantrum. Fat lot of good it does, aside from letting off a bit of steam, huh?

Speaking of fat, the experts say that loosing just 10% of your weight can reduce the severity of PCOS symptoms. That sounds easy, yes? Well, as easy as it is for anyone to eat healthy and exercise. Only, with the added challenge that the PCOS syndrome can include that lovely increase in weight. What the heck, what's life without a few challenges, right? So, what exactly can one with PCOS eat, and what are the things that one should avoid?

I explored a cross section of PCOS diets out there, and most all of them agree that becoming the next non-Dairy Queen is the next best thing to sliced bread. This was a bit disconcerting, as I grew up believing that milk has something for every body. Is it possible that the dairy industry lied to me? To us? Shocking! Well, not really, they are in the business of selling milk, cheese, and ice cream. When it comes to cheese and ice cream - oh, and hot chocolate! - avoiding dairy hits me the hardest. I mean, try and order a bean and cheese burrito without the cheese, or a quesadilla, for that matter! I can do pizza sans cheese, but then there's the white flour used in the crust, and white flour is another no-no.

That does make things like eating out a problem. Heck, that makes eating in a bit of a challenge, too.

For me, losing weight and eating healthy means limiting my personal choices, thereby making it easier to shop, prepare, and stay on track. I've taken to wearing a pedometer again, and that helps me increase my daily activity, as I challenge myself to reach 10,000 steps every day. I've hit it a couple of times so far, yay me!

Related Links

• PCOS Diet Support
• PCOS Nutrition – PCOS Diet
• PCOS Support Groups

(non) Dairy Queen

I have crowned myself a non-Dairy Queen. No coronation, ballgown, nor tiara, heralded the occasion. (Curses! Someday I'm going to get a tiara!) I have discovered that keeping dairy off my plate and away from my stomach helps minimize my symptoms. The challenge came when I wanted to find substitutes for cooking with, and adding to coffee, which I talked about in the Critical Mass post. There are lots of alternatives, but which is the best choice, packs the most protein and contains the least amount of sugar? Then, of course, I must ponder what is satisfying, too.

I'm a bit of a show me the data kind of gal, so I searched the interwebs for facts and figures. Wow! There's a lot of stuff out there, from manufacturer's nutrition data to blogger's personal findings, to recipe re-dos using milk alternatives. While all that data can be overwhelming, I slogged through a great deal of it. I decided that I, personally, needed to focus on what works for my lifestyle, digestive track, and personal taste preferences. Oh, and I focused on milk alternatives that are high in protein and low in sugar. Soy has become my go to milk substitute. However, when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth, I head for the Almond milk. I'm not a fan of Coconut milk, not even remotely. That said, I keep it on hand as I can use it to add a lot of sweet to whatever I'm making without inducing a sugar spike.

Beverage	Calories	Sugar	Fat	Protein
Almond Milk	40	0	3.5g	1g
Coconut Milk	50	0	5g	1g
Soy Milk	80	1g	4g	7g

My figures are for the brands I use, based on an 8 oz serving. Your values may vary.

Related Links

• 21 FAQ about Almond Milk
• Coconut Water
• Nutrition Facts: Soy Milk

Grains in Focus

The first thing I did when I realized that I was on the brink of type 2 Diabetes, was figure out what I could eat, and what I should limit or avoid completely. It wasn't too hard to include whole grains. I use a Tabbouleh recipe as a starting point, and then change up the grains and toss in whatever I have in the fridge and pantry for interest and variation. Of the go-to grains listed on the American Diabetics Association website, I gravitate toward the following:

• Brown rice 
  
• Bulgur (cracked wheat) 
• Buckwheat flour 
• Whole grain barley 
• Whole grain corn/corn meal 
• Whole oats/oatmeal 
• Wild rice 
• Quinoa/Quinoa flour

Presently, Quinoa is my staple and I always have a batch ready to add to whatever I'm making. 

I like to stir-fry barley, seasoning it with simply with salt and pepper. My oldest daughter, who is an extremely picky eater, has decided that anytime I make that particular dish, that I must make extra so that she can take it for lunch the next day. Ding, ding! We have winner. 

I've completely eliminated anything made with refined white flour, white rice, and limited my potato consumption. Which is challenging, but doable. Do I look longingly at the chili cheese fries my son makes? li'l bit. Do I salivate when my youngest daughter makes ravioli? On occasion. However, there are lots of ways in which I can enjoy the foods I love by swapping a starchy vegetable or a refined white flour product with a whole grain. I'm thinking I might test out this theory by replacing the fries with barley. It isn't chili cheese fries per se, but I think it might just be a satisfying substitute.

With a little bit of planning, a dash of imagination, and a pinch of surfing the interwebs for recipe possibilities, it's pretty easy to include whole grains in your daily diet.

Related Links

• Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes
• Combating Polycystic Ovary Disease Through Diet
• Diabetes Power Foods: Whole Grains and Fiber
• Grains and Starchy Vegetables