Checking In!

Are you ready to go pig out for Thanksgiving??? I am too. Last Thanksgiving I was recovering from wisdom teeth surgery and this Thanksgiving I have gestational diabetes, so I think I better make up for it next year.

As much as I give those Paleo dieters a bad time (seriously, that diet is nuts) I am kind of sad to report that the foods and recipes that have come from that diet make my blood sugar super happy. DANG IT!

Case in point- I usually eat one hard boiled egg and a green smoothie made with 1 cup of berries, 1 cup of spinach, some water and either a handful of pineapple or 1/2 a banana. It's not super sweet and delicious like some of my other green smoothie recipes, but it keeps my blood sugar right where I want it- 100 or less.

Once or twice a week I opt for a whole wheat English muffin and peanut butter or a whole wheat crepe with some peanut butter or lemon juice. Guess what happens to my blood sugar in the mornings when I eat grains verses fruit- it goes through the roof!

When I eat a green smoothie, it rarely goes over 100. If I have whole wheat toast or an English muffin, I'm lucky if it hangs out around 120. the days when I've tried adding 1/2 tsp of honey to English muffin, it goes into the 140's and I'm not supposed to go over 130. CRAZY!

I'm WAY more insulin resistant in the mornings and by night time I can tolerate a lot more carbs, but my body does not do very well with breads, grains, or white potatoes at any time of day.

This diabetes thing has made me wonder what kind of damage and stress I put my body through when I was restricting my carbs and calories all while punishing it with exercise. I've learned a lot about blood sugar and balance and will probably try to stick to this way of eating.

You would think that fruit would make my blood sugar go higher than a whole wheat piece of bread with no sugar. Whatever is going on, I know I do better snacking on grapes and a string cheese, apple and peanut butter, hard boiled egg and pomegranate, etc. Sounds pretty paleo right? haha! (well, CLOSE to paleo)

I've refrained from baking because I don't have a lot of self control, but I have made some "paleo" desserts using almond flour or coconut flour in place of wheat flour and honey and granulated honey in place of sugar. I'm planning to try my sister's pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe subbing those things to see what happens. I've gotta have SOME kind of treat! Anything with the high fructose corn syrup or refined ingredients makes my blood sugar spike (shocking, right?) so I have to find ways to enjoy a treat without eating those ingredients.

I've gained 14 pounds so far and still have about 16 weeks left in my pregnancy. My first trimester was spent on the couch, exhausted, miserable, and unable to walk. My injured foot kept me out of the gym and my nausea and exhaustion kept me from seeing the light of day! I gained 7 pounds that first trimester! DANG IT.  I gained 5 pounds after all the road trips and dealings with funeral and losing Forte, another disappointment...but the other appointments have only been a pound or less.

I have 6 more pounds to gain over the next 16 weeks so my doctor gave me permission to increase my activity. I've been walking or biking MOST days, but I would like to amp it up a bit. She said it will be really hard if not impossible to keep the weight gain to 6 pounds, but it's really important for me to try.

Moderation in all things, 10-15 minutes of activity after every meal plus some extra walking in the morning, and as few refined foods as possible. That's my game plan!