Checking in and Hemoglobin a1c Update

[Kari]

Hi friends,

I haven't posted in a while, but have kept up with a lot of your messages. I know that some of you are going through a difficult time lately, and my heartfelt thoughts go out to you for a speedy recovery.

Also, a warm welcome to all newbies - you have stumbled upon a wonderful group of knowledgeable and compassionate people, which I'm sure you have quickly realized. Don't know what I would have done without all the kind support I've received from everyone here on my road towards MC remission.

As for my latest news, I finally worked up the courage to retake the a1c test (it was elevated when I took it 4 months ago), and was elated to find out that the measure has gone from 5.8% to 5.5!!! I thought I would share with you what I have done to bring it down:

Stopped taking vitamin C
Stopped drinking coconut water (which is high in carbs)
Decreased the amount of white potatoes
Switched from white to brown rice and decreased the amount
Made sure to have protein with every meal
Increased amount of nuts for snacks

I did not do a carb count, but started paying extra attention to the carbs in food. I also did not decrease the amount of fresh fruits and berries I ate, nor did I worry about the kinds of fresh veggies I ate.

So for maintenance, I plan on continuing with what I'm doing. As time goes by, I am gradually moving towards a more paleo like eating plan. Some of you may know from previous postings that I'm having a very difficult time getting used to eating more meat (Sheila, if you read this, I totally relate to how you feel:)). However, I'm starting to eat more seafood, which helps with upping the protein, and is more palatable for me.

Love,
Kari

P.S. Polly - if you read this update, I'm curious to know how you're doing with your eating plan???

[Sheila]

Kari, fooling around with GF diets and paleo diets is time consuming, frustrating, interesting and finally starting to show some improvement for me as well. I'm eating meat at almost every meal but not a LOT of meat. Because of continued weight loss I've added homemade GF bread a couple of times a week, Chex cereal for some breakfasts together with a paleo muffin. Fish is something I'm trying to include more often, too. There is a recipe for sweet potato crusted fish filet that is great. If you're interested just google the recipe. Shrimp and scallops aren't heavy and I could eat them a couple of times a week.

It is so helpful to read about what you and others are doing. Thank you for sharing.

Sheila W

[Lesley]

Sheila - where is that recipe?

Kari - congratulations. I agree with Sheila. Figuring out what to eat is so time consuming!

[tex]

Kari,

Congratulations! I agree with you about carbs. I don't believe that carbs in fruits and vegetables are a problem -- it's the carbs in grain that do the most damage, and cause the major health risks.

Thanks for the update.

Love,
Tex

[desertrat]

Kari,

I'm confused. Why did you cut out the vitamin C? How does that relate to a lower A1c?

Mandy

[JFR]

Kari,

Congratulations! I agree with you about carbs. I don't believe that carbs in fruits and vegetables are a problem -- it's the carbs in grain that do the most damage, and cause the major health risks.

Thanks for the update.

Love,
Tex

Kari - That's great that you've got your A1C down.

Tex - I think that the kind of damage done by carbs when they cause prolonged high blood glucose levels is different than the damage done by grains. Fruits tend to be much higher in carbs than most vegetables and can raise the blood glucose levels to unsafe levels, especially for those with diabetes. It can be really hard to balance all the competing dietary needs. The best any of us can do is gather the most accurate information, pay attention to our bodies and make our choices accordingly.

Jean

[Kari]

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/1999 ... se-levels/

Mandy - above is a link to an article I read after trying to figure out why my a1c reading was elevated. I had started taking daily vitamin C supplements a couple of months before my test (to help with histamine issues), so it seems plausible it was part of the reason for the spike in blood sugar. I've never been able to take supplements, as my body is highly reactive to anything in pill/powder form. The vitamin C I took was a powder called "Royal Camu" (a pure fruit extract), and it did not seem to bother me MC wise.

All - thanks for your notes.

Love,
Kari

[Sheila]

The recipe for sweet potato crusted fish is very long. It involves preparing a salad and dressing as well as the fish. I don't have time right now to type out the whole thing. I'm getting ready to leave to visit my grandchildren.

I found it by Googling "sweet potato crusted fish recipe". The dish is served at a local restaurant and one of the patrons figured out how to make it. If you can't find it, I'll type it out when I get back home. For the fish, it was the technique that was hard to figure out.

Sheila W

[tex]

Sheila,

Is this the site that you are referring to:

http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/2011/05/swe ... rette.html

or is it this one?

http://www.phillyphoodie.com/2012/01/re ... -with.html

Tex

[Sheila]

Tex, both are the ones I found on line. I used the one from "mylifeasamrs". I just substituted almond flour and followed the rest of the recipe for the fish. I didn't make the dressing or eat it as a salad. One suggestion, don't use all of the grated sweet potato they call for. It is too much and is kind of wet. Blot the grated sweet potatoes with a paper towel before placing in the frying pan. Use a thin layer of sweet potato, cook it until it is almost blackened and then flip it, same on the other side.

Thanks for doing that Tex. I haven't figured out how to copy and paste, or whatever you do, to get information from one psite to another. Duh

Sheila W

[Polly]

Kari!

Thanks for the update, and congrats on your success! That's really impressive!!! I haven't had my Hb a1c rechecked yet, but when I do, I will post the results.

You asked about my eating plan. It seems always to be a work in progress. Sigh. Not too long ago you may remember I tried to go very low carb in order to address the a1c problem. Within a short period of time I had lost about 8-10 lbs.........down as low as 107 (I'm 5'5"). I had plenty of energy but was concerned about the non-stop weight loss. Also, I had resumed working with weights. So, I decided to add more carbs back in. I have even added a little rice at times now. I am not worrying about veggies but am limiting fruits. I also eat significant protein at every meal, as well as for snacks. I have been making meat muffins and turkey/chicken sausage from scratch. And, I finally made the famous paleo muffins (see my post in Dee's Kitchen). What a treat! They have helped stabilize my weight. I haven't gained but have stopped losing.

Not sure why I was so worried about the weight loss. I would imagine that wherever the weight stabilizes on the paleo diet is "meant to be" and should cause little concern. I guess I was concerned that lifting wgts. to build muscle might draw protein away from healthy organs like the heart. We always seem to be between a rock and a hard place, eh? One thing I do know. I feel significantly better, have endless energy, and sleep more soundly whenever I limit my carb intake, at least somewhat.

Love,

Polly

[Kari]

Hi Polly,

Thanks for your update. It's interesting to follow your progress, as we seem to struggle with similar issues. With the modifications in your eating plan, I have no doubt that your a1c reading will show improvement .

Love,
Kari