Crouching Sugar, Hidden Glucose

I stumbled on my current eating strategies by accident. I made note of the foods with a high glycemic index, and eliminated them from my diet. I'd like to think it was an insightful move, a new way of thinking! But no, others have come before me; in fact, they've even wrote the book. While I might not be as original in my thinking and strategies as I previously thought, I still feel proud of myself for connecting the dots. Now, had I read the book 20 years ago, and had followed the writer's advice, would I have avoided the insulin resistance portion of PCOS, maybe avoiding it completely? I think the answer to that question is a resounding yes, but...  I doubt I would have followed the strategies, because I was 20 years younger and not really interested in the long-term health ramifications.

Knowing what I know now, and having children on whom to impart my hard-won wisdom, I'm all about showing how the sugar in our diets, not only refined white sugar, but the hidden sugars in whole and processed foods, have negative, long term health affects. Whether or not I read the book, the guiding principle resonates:

"The Sugar Busters diet is a diet focused on eliminating foods containing refined carbohydrates such as refined sugar, white flour, and white rice, as well as naturally occurring carbohydrates rating high on the glycemic index such as potatoes and carrots." Wikipedia

Regardless of the state of one's pancreas, constantly flooding your bloodstream with sugar, no matter the form, places a tremendous burden on one's body. For a teen, who feels invincible, that statement would fall on deaf ears. Heck, I ignored the "sugar is bad" and "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" adages for nearly 50 years! It wasn't until I felt the results of my poor food choices, and had to make changes or face a serious decline in life quality, did I sit up and pay attention.

I think it's high time I read Sugar Busters.

Related Links

• Ask This When Controlling Blood Sugar Levels
• Blood Sugar in Diabetes
• Sugar Busters! - Wikipedia

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