Listen Up, Not All Calories Are Equal.....

A few weeks or days ago an article about calories was floating around and I happened to take a gander at it, then upon finishing the fairly basic overview of the fact that not all calories are the same I see a young child with CF eating a famous black-and-white cream filled cookie for breakfast, because of the caloric demands CF'ers need.

Here's the thing. Most CF patients do need tons of calories per day. I mean a truck-load of them. And if we're honest all those gorgeous brightly colored fruits and vegetables at your local market do very little in terms of calories. It's not uncommon to hear CF'ers talk about eating a value meal from any of a dozen fast food chains frequently (daily even). Heck, I used to pull my beat-up car thru the fast-food window numerous times a week and I thought nothing of it, in fact I thought I was being "healthy" because my body needed and required those calories.

While growing up I would come home from school to eat an entire box of Frost Flakes. Yes, the whole sugar-loaded-zero-nutritional-valve box of garbage. My mom and I we're happy to see that I could put away so much for the sake of the calorie intact burden I was under each day. My mom would send me to school with a few bucks, because when I reached high school they began putting vending machines loaded with junk in schools, and it was an easy high-dose of calories.

I needed the calories and still need a truck load of calories.

However, and this is a BIG but, not all calories are equal. Just like anyone else on the planet we are only as good as what we put into our bodies. I, probably, better than any parent or non-CF'er understand the burden of consuming those precious calories. I'm here to tell you that as an adult all that junk plays a dangerous role later on. Hey, I'm not here to judge. I've been there, I traveled that route and I'm here to tell you its not as simple as it seems. These habits come back to bite us.

As CF'ers are living longer we're learning more about proper nutrition for us rare breeds and how to get those calories. It should NOT be from cookies, junk food machines but rather wholesome foods. Why?

Wholesome foods (fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, grains) do more than simply help us reach our daily caloric intake. Foods high in dairy promote mucous production, so finding alternatives is highly beneficial. Many foods can help with inflammation, which most CF'ers will at some point suffer from. They can help prevent Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (CFRD), help prevent kidney stones, probiotics can help reverse or ease the negative affects of frequent antibiotic use. And on and on.....

Something that many don't realize is that CF'ers have chronic infections or bacteria growing at rates that the body can't control. What does bacteria eat or need to grow, sugar! So, why are we pumping ourselves full of sugar-laden foods. Not just cookies, baked goods, and candy. But what are we drinking? What about that bag of chips? You don't need to have a medical degree to find this stuff out. A simple search on the internet will give you more information than you probably want or just glancing at the ingredients.

I can tell you first hand that over the past 10 years I have slowly made changes to my eating habits. I'm not perfect. I still enjoy a Dr. P every once in awhile. I still pop a favorite cookie into my watering mouth. But, I do so because its a guilty pleasure and not something I rely on to meet my calorie demands. I make as much as I can possibly muster from scratch so that I can control the calorie levels with supplemental additives. I make smoothies from fresh fruits and add things like coconut oil. I pack along trail mixes and mixed nuts. Ever study the labels on nuts or nut-based butters? They are loaded with calories and are good for you!!! I don't buy milk and use milk based foods sparingly.

So, next time your temped buy the cookies for breakfast think about making a shake packed with fresh fruits, almond butter, a tsp of coconut oil, coconut milk or whatever fancy's you. I promise you'll feel better over-all. Your body will thank you years down the road.

because....

Not All Calories Are The Same!

~Doodlin'

Poking Away at Perfection

Today marks exactly one week since I have started incorporating the new insulin into my routine and I have to say I am doing okay with it. Not perfect but okay. If you missed what's going on, click here, for the backstory.

The new insulin is very quick acting, which is something I am not used to and that has been an adjustment. I started off giving the insulin based on what I was going to prepare, then preparing said meal, only to end up with low blood in the middle of my meal, which if you have or know someone with diabetes you know that it can cause you to eat more because of the way low blood sugar makes you feel. This low blood sugar over-eating causes a spike in blood sugar because you ate more than you anticipated and didn't give enough insulin to cover the additional intake. See the viscous cycle here?

I quickly figured out to make my meal and just before I put the food in my mouth to give the insulin. This method works beautifully if I am home or in an environment I feel secure in. However, if I am not secure or at a restaurant, driving while snacking, immersed in work/school studies, etc I completely forget all together. I am really trying to figure out different ways to "remind" myself to test my blood sugar and then take the insulin based on what I am going eat. Practice makes perfect, right?!

My biggest reward is that my blood sugars ARE starting to be controlled. I am having less really high readings and am starting to feel better. I have more energy, feeling less sluggish after meals and way less moody. I knew I wasn't going to have this perfected immediately and have given my self grace about it. If I didn't I would feel like a failure becoming frustrated resulting in giving up. I have also recognized that no matter how perfect of a routine I follow it might not be enough, our bodies chemistry is at times unpredictable, all I can do is do my best!

If you're new to CFRD or diabetes, don't give up. Continue to work with your care team to figure out what is right for you. You'll feel so much better.

I will continue to poke away at getting this diabetes thing under control and mingled into my lifestyle.

~Doodlin'

CFRD you're a thorn in my side

As of late my CFRD (Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes) has been a real struggle. CFRD is its own class of diabetes and has been a big struggle in my life to maintain since I was 13.

Diabetes in people without CF is known as either Type 1 or Type 2. Type 1 the body can't make insulin, whereas, Type 2 the body lacks normal responses to the insulin and doesn't make enough of it. With CFRD the body can't make or use insulin. Unfortunately, CFRD affects roughly 15% of CFer's. CFRD is also diagnosed and treated very differently than diabetes found in people without CF.

CFRD has some features that are found in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Just as with Type 1 diabetes the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin, therefore, people with CF have insulin deficiency which is most likely a result of scars in the pancreas because of thick mucus. Some people with CF get diabetes because they are insulin resistant, meaning that the cells in the body don't use insulin the right way so more insulin is needed keep blood sugars managed.

My struggle with it is that I really hate testing my blood sugar levels and giving myself insulin shots. I can take oral medications all day long but this diabetes thing has always been a thorn in my side. When I was first diagnosed at 13 I did take insulin with each meal (or least I was supposed to) but I had a difficult time incorporating that with all my other medications and treatments. So, my physicians found an oral drug that  I could use along with regular exercise. This worked for years, probably because of my level of physical activity. Taking oral pill alone stopped working about 7 years ago for which my physicians placed me on a once a day insulin called Lantus which is a long-acting insulin.

Mind-you, my sweet dear physicians were sort coddling me. What I really needed was some good old insulin with each meal sort of a regime. I sort of had to face that with having my G-tube placed because I need insulin to cover the massive intake while sleeping. I began taking two different insulin's at the start of my feeding tube cycle, then the Lantus in the morning and continued with the oral for meals. Over the past few months it has become apparent that the oral is simply not working. I am now adding yet another insulin that must be done with each meal. That take my insulin tally up to 4 different kinds.

I will find away to incorporate this. I must.

~Doodlin'