Thursday, May 13, 2010

NO HFCS!

Diabetes blog week day 4

I could probably ramble on for a long time about food, but bottom line for me comes down to one thing we try to avoid at all cost, and one thing I find very helpful.

We avoid:

It is like poison to my little diabetic. I am constantly amazed at how hard I have to work to avoid this junk! Does anyone remember the commercials that were out a while ago trying to prove that high fructose corn syrup was actually good for you! The first time I saw the ad I seriously thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit.

On a positive note, the thing I find helpful is Dreamfields pasta.  S is a big fan of pasta so early on we had some tough times with that. First of all, the pump made pasta easier to deal with and then along came Dreamfields. Now I would consider pasta manageable. We are able to avoid that big blood sugar spike.

Like I said I could go on and on about food , but I'm certain that most of what I would say will come up in a future post. Besides the one ingredient of high fructose corn syrup, we try to live with the everything in moderation mind set.
Yvette

5 comments:

Meri said...

I saw those commercials and they honestly made me sick. :(

connie said...

I about fell off my chair the first time I saw that commercial for HFCS!!!

I'm going to try that Dreamfields pasta, my girls love spaghetti and it is a tough one on their numbers so I don't cook it as often as they would like me to.

Thanks for the tip on the pasta :)

Wendy said...

BUT CORN IS NATURAL!!!!!!!

Whatever :)

I have to be honest though..we don't bother with the HFCS stuff. Maybe we'll cross that path one day, but I've been so caught up in carbs, proteins, fats...and FREAKING GLUTEN, that I don't care about it right now.

When I don't feel like I'm drowning trying to figure out every ingredient that doesn't contain some sort of wheat, barley, rye or contaminated oats...well...then I might take up the HFCS cause :)

Did you know that Rice Krispies contains gluten -- WTH???? Dang that steams my engine!!! Freaking malt flavoring derived from barley. Who knew?

In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight and sharing whatever knowledge you come across...Lord knows I need all the help I can get!

OH, and thanks for letting me vent!

Wendy said...

Thanks for the supportive celiac comment. I know I need to be more in tune with HFCS -- I just don't feel like it.

(now imagine me stomping my feet and folding my arms across my chest like a toddler)

Ah. Feel better :)

So, the exercise thing...

Well, the liver stores glucose...it spits out little bits of glucose all day long to maintain an even blood sugar. If it senses adrenaline -- RUSH! If it senses a little hypoglycemia -- SWOOSH!

Mr. Liver lives in a perfect world, and assumes that everyone else is doing their job too, so he doesn't realize that the pancreas is broken.

Spit - spit - spit --- he's doing SUCH a good job of maintaining a nice even blood sugar, don't you think?

Mr. Liver is the reason for basals and long acting insulin.

Enter exercise.

MOVE MOVE MOVE -- shiver if it's cold -- shake and shimmy -- kids being kids!!!!! It all uses glucose for energy and insulin is the key to turning it from a carb into a fuel.

Except...all along, Mr. Liver is using those reserves. He does a good job, remember? Rush Rush Rush...sensing a little low there -- MORE, MORE, MORE!!!!

Fun times.

Until the tank runs dry.

So, you've got a kiddo who has played her heart out all day, and a liver that's good and tired...oh, yeah...and a mother trying her best with insulin from a bottle to be a perfect pancreas.

So, that night, the liver tends to be low on gas. It doesn't spit out as much -- or maybe not as often -- whatever it feels. Mr. Liver has worked hard all day and needs a little break to refuel.

But, at night, your kiddo isn't eating. So....Mr. Liver isn't replenishing those glucose stores.

No overnight glucose input from food + not much to offer from the liver + basal insulin because, yes, the liver will continue to spit out something...

EQUALS

Overnight lows :(

I read somewhere that exercise induced lows can continue for up to 24 hours while the liver refills it's tank.

Anyway, I'm no doctor, but this is the best way my sleep deprived brain understands it.

Hope it helps shed some light :)

Unknown said...

We too, avoid HFCS...hate the stuff!!!