Class

I went to a diabetes management class held by Kaiser.
They taught us what diabetes was, how to manage, how to use our machine, a dietitian came in and talked to us about what we should eat and what a portion size is.
It was a 2 hour class.
Currently i take my sugars 4 times a day before each meal and i am usually high, meaning i am over 150 at times i have hit over 200 I can't seem to get them done to the normal range.
**Well the first thing i learned is that i should take my sugars 2 hours after eating.
**Never take your sugars when you have lotion on your hands
**check you machine to make sure that it is reading right. Yes use the solution in the kit and do a test strip based on the strip bottle to make sure your meter is right.

The most important thing i learned is that 2 hrs after a meal your sugars should be below 160 and your blood sugar should be 130/80 ... i have a blood pressure cuff i will start using that .. .but the reason of this post is to tell you that i hit the right sugar level both times today.
I took it 2 hours after eating and had awesome sugars, so i think that i am going to change to after meals! :)

I will share the meal plan in the next blog post for now i am off to dinner with hubby!!!

An answer

to my question posted earlier

Why must the finger pricker thingy HURT so bad?

the nurse said that you were barely suppose to feel this ... BOY oh BOY i am doing something wrong. I changed the location of the prick, i am now doing it on the meaty fat side of your finger near the nail and not the pad part of my finger seems to have made a tad bit of difference. BTW the pricker thingy is called a penlet!

I fell off the wagon

I had not had a drink of mountain dew since Nov 10. Well last night i drank about 4 oz of the refreshing beverage and to my great surprise it didn't quench my thirst and it didn't taste very good ... oh what a sad day!!

It did i think play havoc on my sugars as this morning they were back up above 180.

There are some things that i just dont' understand yet

Why for instance if i have given up mountain dew is my sugars still 168.
What can i really eat for breakfast?
Why must the finger pricker thingy HURT so bad?
What can i do to bring the sugars down (i have changed my diet)???

***SO many questions so few answers***

Rosemary Grilled Beef

Great grilled beef with a rosemary garlic rub ***sorry no pictures***

Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt substitute seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
1 lb Beef, top sirloin steak, lean, raw 1 tbsp olive oil

1 Combine rosemary, salt, garlic powder, and parsley in a small bowl. Mix well.2 Brush both sides of steak with oil. Sprinkle with herb mixture, pressing onto steak. Grill or broil steak 15 to 20 minutes or until desired doneness, turning halfway through grilling time.

This rub is also great on lamb or pork.

***It was quick tasted good and i added cabbage and corn on the cob and small helping of potato's which i can happily say i didn't finish)

CINNAMON

Okay i was doing some reading and came across this comment over and over and over and i will ask my doctor in 2 weeks ...

Cinnamon has been determined that it helps to regulate blood sugar.

http://diabetes.about.com/od/whatsonthehorizon/qt/cinnamon.htm

There has been a lot of talk these days about cinnamon. According to some studies, cinnamon may improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. The results of a study from 2003 in Pakistan showed lower levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol after 40 days with levels continuing to drop for 20 days after that.
The study was made up of 60 people with Type 2 diabetes who were divided into 6 groups of 10. Three groups received cinnamon in the form of capsules totaling 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon a day. The other three groups received placebo capsules. The capsules were taken three times a day, after meals. All three levels of cinnamon showed results, leading researchers to believe that as little as 1 gram a day of cinnamon may benefit people who have Type 2.

Your THOUGHTS ...

i would love for this to be true as i hate eating BLAND oatmeal

Chicken Quesadillas

SERVES 6 (a Serving Size is two halves)
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each 4 ounces
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup smoky or hot salsa
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 flour tortillas, each 8 inches in diameter
1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut each chicken breast into cubes. In a large, nonstick frying pan, add the chicken and onions and saute until the onions are tender and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the salsa, tomatoes and cilantro.

To assemble, lay a tortilla flat and rub the outside edge with water. Spread about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla, leaving about 1/2 inch free around the outer rim. Sprinkle with a spoonful of shredded cheese. Fold tortilla in half and seal. Place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Lightly coat the top of the tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake until the quesadillas are lightly browned and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cut in half and serve immediately.

****This makes a lot of food! Tim was able to have left overs for 4 nights and i still have some chicken stuff left. Hints instead of baking i think next time i will use in my george foreman grill and not spray the tortillas. I think that the meat needs to have a seasoning even though we added the salsa it was still bland. Otherwise another successful meal and even tim liked it!

Zesty Pork Chops with Salsa

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

1/2 tsp vegetable oil

1 (6-oz) lean pork chop, boneless

1/4 cup medium salsa

2 tsp canned, diced green chilies

Pinch of cumin

2 tbsp frozen corn

1/4 cup long-grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions without salt or fat

1 tbsp onion, chopped

1 tbsp red bell pepper, chopped

1/8 (15 1/4-oz) can red kidney beans,drained

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
In a small skillet sprayed with nonstick vegetable cooking spray, heat 1/2 tsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chop and cook for 3 minutes on each side to brown. Combine salsa, green chilies, cumin, and corn in skillet. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. In another skillet sprayed with nonstick vegetable cooking spray, over medium-high heat, add onion and red bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add kidney beans, salt, and pepper. Stir in cooked rice and mix well. Serve pork chop with rice mixture.

**I also had a small dinner roll**
Serves 1. ( i have been doubling so that tim can get a taste too)

***I did not have beans, onion or bell pepper so i omitted those. I also recommend cutting the fat off the pork chops and using that instead of oil.***

**These were very tasty and had a great bite

*Tim took for lunch today so his review is forthcoming.

A lifestyle Change that i never thought ...

Would be possible.
On Monday November 10, we were no where near a location that carried Mountain Dew. Now this is my drink of choice and my total downfall when it comes to controlling sugar. Many times i would rather drink a dew and give up eating (this isn't' healthy). But i was not in a hurry to drink one on this morning and i didn't' get the caffeine withdrawal headache, see ladies and gentlemen i drink and have drank almost a six pack a day some days more some less since high school ... i am old so i have been drinking like this for the better part of 20 years! YIKES!! Well, i didn't get the headache so we went on and never bought a soda. Tuesday morning came and it was time to go to work and for sure i thought that i would have a horrible headache and a yearning for my dew, not having one int he refrigerator at home helped me not to have one, and at lunch with hubby i ordered water and the place served DEW (wow that takes some serious courage). Day THREE without a dew and honestly i want one, i have a minor headache but am not going to cave i am on day three .... can i go longer .. anyone care to set a wager on this ....

Chicken Kabobs with Fettuccini

Yesterday's dinner

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1(4-oz) chicken breast, boneless, skinned,cut into 1" pieces

1/2 medium onion, cut into 2 wedges

1/2 medium zucchini cut crosswise into1/2" slices

3 medium mushrooms, stems removed

2 large cherry tomatoes

1/8 (13 3/4-oz) can water-packedartichoke hearts, drained, chopped

1 tbsp low-fat sour cream

Pinch of salt (i am not allowed salt so i didn't add this)

Pinch of pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl dissolve the bouillon granules in 2 tbsp water. Add the balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, basil, and oregano. Set aside. Thread the chicken, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes onto metal skewer, alternating chicken and vegetable pieces. Place in a baking dish. Pour the balsamic vinegar mixture over kabob. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes (turn occasionally). Transfer kabob from baking dish to a broiler pan and broil 6 inches from the heat source for 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is done (turn once under broiler). Toss fettuccini noodles with artichoke hearts and low-fat sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Serves 1.
484 cal

2 oz fettuccini noodles, cooked according to package directions without salt or fat

***this was very tasty and i confess i didn't put my veges on the skewer as simply i don't' like those veges and i prefer cold tomatoes so not sure if it was close enough to the recipe but it was good none the less ***

**I used pre-cooked chicken and cut the baking time in half**

*Tim said it was okay but he doesn't like white meat*

Snacks and Good food to eat

that are both low in sodium and sugar --- thanks ANDREA for sharing

All of these foods are under 200mg of sodium per serving and most have very low sugar content:
sugar wafers
no salt popcorn
jello
tuna
100 pack Oreo Thin Crisps
Dried Fruit
Kelloggs Corn Flakes
Nilla Wafers
Minute Rice
Del Monte Peaches
Deviled eggs
Flour tortilla chips (homemade of course) without salt
Buttered pasta


****believe it or not i actually like most of these things****

Doctor - and the lies we tell him or her

As we all know to get a diagnosis we have to go to the dr. I found this interesting article on line and did some editing as it was super long about the lies we as woman tell our doctors ... lets all make a pact to LIE NO MORE TO THE DOCTOR

HERE IS THE GREAT ARTICLE (wish i had saved the link)

It's normal to fib about some things. "So sorry we won't make the outing – my husband is sick." You promise your mother or friend you'll call. But the one person you should never, ever lie to is your doctor. Yet we do. AS POSTED on AOL by REDBOOK
The Danger

A national survey recently revealed that 52 percent of women routinely stretch the truth when they talk to their doctors -- exaggerating how much exercise they get, lowballing how much they smoke or drink, even hiding sexual behavior. We lie, mainly, because we know we're not being as dedicated as we should and we don't want to feel judged or endure a lecture we've heard before.

Other lies just...slip out. It can be hard in a short visit to bring up behavior we might be ashamed of (even if there's no reason to be -- docs have seen and heard it all before, and worse). We figure, what's the harm in omitting a few minor details -- like that STD we had in college, or that one time we forgot to take our birth control?

In fact, more than a quarter of the women in the survey didn't believe their lies were a big deal. But lying to the one person who really needs to know the truth -- and is bound by doctor/patient privilege and federal law to keep that info private -- can be a very big deal. When you tell even a fib, your doctor can't diagnose you correctly, which wastes your time and money and may keep her from giving treatment that could save your life. So the next time you're tempted to make like Pinocchio with one of the following falsehoods, here's the truth about why you should tell nothing but.

OTC MEDICINES: The lie: "I'm not taking any medication."
This one's told so often, doctors say, that they always dig deeper when they hear it. Sometimes it's an honest mistake: "People don't classify over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol, herbal supplements, or vitamins as medication," says Gillian Stephens, M.D., an assistant professor of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University in St. Louis. "But they are." Women also keep mum, though, when they've "borrowed" an Ambien from a friend or bought Hoodia online to lose weight.

Why you should come clean:
If you tell your doctor your medication isn't working, or has side effects, he can find one that suits you better (which is what Alicia's new doc eventually did). But if you don't use it correctly, you could end up even sicker. Take a typically misused drug like a routine antibiotic: "If you lie and say you finished your antibiotics, but you're still sick, the doctor will assume the first drug didn't work," says Maurice A. Ramirez, D.O., Ph.D., an emergency-room physician at Florida Hospital-Flagler Division in Palm Coast. "So he'll change the antibiotic. Meanwhile, the bacteria become resistant to the drug we normally use, and they crank along unimpeded, and you can go from a bladder infection to a kidney inflection to a blood infection."

FLOSSING: The lie:"Of course I floss!"
"When I was in practice, I heard this lie every day," laughs Paula Jones, D.D.S., now president of the Academy of General Dentistry. "I'd ask, 'How often?'" And the truth would start to come out. "They'd say, 'Oh, a couple of times a week' or 'I only do this one tooth where food gets caught.'"

Why you should come clean:
Neglecting to floss leads directly to tooth decay, gum inflammation, and gum disease -- and a growing body of research suggests that gum disease may contribute to cardiovascular disease.

STDS: The lie: "I've never had an STD."
"Many women are embarrassed about having had a sexually transmitted disease," says Dimino. Jessica, 37, never let on that she'd had chlamydia and HPV in college because she was afraid she'd be denied health insurance when setting up her own business.

Why you should come clean:

Hiding that you had HPV may put you at higher risk for cervical cancer if your gyno doesn't think you need annual Pap tests. Keeping quiet may also put you at risk for pregnancy complications.
For instance, if your doctor knows you've had gonorrhea or chlamydia -- especially if you also developed pelvic inflammatory disease -- she'll watch more carefully for ectopic pregnancy, since both can scar the fallopian tubes, preventing a fertilized egg from reaching the uterus. And telling your ob that you have genital herpes when you're pregnant may help you avoid a predelivery flare-up -- and a C-section as a result. "If you tell me you have it, even if your last flare-up was ages ago, I can put you on medication to suppress an outbreak before delivery," says Dimino.

DRINKING: The lie: "I'm not a big drinker."
Doctors have an unspoken rule: Whatever you tell them you drink, they double it. "Lots of women claim, 'I drink once a week,'" says Rakhi Dimino, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Woman's Hospital of Texas in Houston. "But then they drink six or seven cocktails in an evening."

Drug and alcohol interactions are very common. If your doctor knows that you imbibe, even a little, she can prescribe meds that won't mix badly with a glass of wine. She can also counsel you on alcohol's risks for women. For starters, having one to two drinks a day can raise your risk for breast cancer; heavy consumption is linked to liver disease, brain damage, and stroke and can put you at risk for assault and car accidents.

SEX: The lie: "I'm monogamous."
Cheryl, 48, went to see her gyno for what she thought was a yeast infection -- and was shocked to learn she actually had trichomoniasis, an STD. She didn't want to admit she was juggling four guys, so when the doctor asked how many partners she had, "I said one, of course," recalls the accountant from Knoxville, TN. The doctor gave Cheryl enough medication for her and her partner. But Cheryl kept seeing the other guys too.

Why you should come clean:
Your doctor doesn't ask about your sex life to judge your morals. What does concern her is that sleeping with more than one person may increase your risk for STDs. Delayed STD treatment can mean a more entrenched pelvic infection, fertility problems -- even cervical cancer. "If your gyno knows you have several partners, she may recommend you have an annual Pap test and get screened more frequently for STDs," says Dimino.

EXERCISE: The lie: "I watch what I eat and exercise."
"I have patients who swear they're exercising and sticking to the calorie count," says Bonnie Davis, an advanced registered nurse practitioner in Largo, FL, who helps administer a weight-management program. "Yet they've put on 5 pounds while taking an appetite suppressant three times a day. That's impossible."

Why you should come clean:
If your blood pressure and cholesterol are high or you're borderline diabetic -- all factors that can boost your risk for cardiovascular disease -- diet and exercise can help, which is why your doctor asks about them. But if you're not really making either lifestyle change and your numbers don't get lower, your doc may put you through a battery of pricey medical tests and/or prescribe a range of medications to lower them for you.

SMOKING: The lie: "I don't smoke."
When Pamela Douglas, M.D., a cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, asks women if they smoke, she often hears a little moment of hesitation before they say no. "They believe you need to smoke two packs a day to be at risk," she explains. "They say they don't smoke them all the way down or they're not really inhaling. If they've only been smoking a year or two or they don't smoke every day, they think they're not really smokers."

Why you should come clean:

Reality check: If you light up, even if it's only one on the weekends, even if you just bum a drag from your friend, you smoke. Beyond an increased risk for sinus and upper respiratory infections, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, and, yes, lung cancer, lighting up -- even occasionally -- raises your risk for blood clots and stroke if you're also using hormone-based contraceptives (pills, patches, rings).

SUNSCREEN: The lie: "I use sunscreen every day."
"Along with 'I'm not tan -- this is my natural skin color,' this one's at the top of the list of lies we hear all day," chuckles Bank. "We ask every patient whether they use sunscreen every day, and about 10 percent to 20 percent of the responses we get are false or exaggerated."

Why you should come clean:
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States; since 1980, the rate of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) has jumped by 50 percent for women between the ages of 15 and 39, according to new research from the National Cancer Institute. If you admit you're not slathering on sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher, applied liberally to exposed areas), your doctor may schedule more frequent screenings -- this way, if skin cancer does develop, it'll be caught early.

PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: The lie:
"I'm taking my medication the way you prescribed it."
Alicia, 31, often used her asthma inhaler up to five times a day, despite her doctor's warnings. When he noted her trembling hands and pallid face, "I swore I wasn't abusing it, because I was afraid he'd take it away," says the Orlando, FL, day-care teacher. "I didn't care about the risks as long as I could breathe."

Why you should come clean:
Your doctor may adjust your dosage of a drug if he knows you're taking something else that could alter its effects. "Hearing that someone's taking ibuprofen, which is a weak blood thinner, is useful if you're adding other thinners," says John H. Alexander, M.D., a cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center. Not to mention, what he doesn't know could kill you. It's not unusual for doctors to realize that you've taken something you didn't tell them about only after they've given you another medication--and the combination has caused you to stop breathing, have a seizure, or go into cardiac arrest.

CONTRACEPTION: The lie: "I always use birth control."
"The lie I hear day after day is, 'The condom broke,'" says Millicent Comrie, M.D., vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. "Women often say that when they get pregnant by accident and don't want to admit that they didn't use a condom." Sound familiar?

Why you should come clean:
There are tons of contraception options out there these days. If you fess up to messing up with birth control, your gyno can suggest one that might suit you better. "If you hate to swallow pills, you have oily skin and the patch keeps falling off, or the ring comes out when your partner pulls out, I can give you something else," says Rosenzweig. "But if you don't tell me, I can't make the appropriate recommendations."

Coming clean with your doctor only stands to help you in the long run, as difficult as it may be in the moment. So answer her questions honestly -- and even bring up issues that she may be forgetting to ask about. When it comes to your health, there's no such thing as TMI.

Reprinted Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally published: The Lies Women Tell Their Doctors

***I will say that this time around i lied about nothing to the dr. i even confessed that i eat fast food for dinner and lunch up to 5 times a week)

Crispy Baked CHICKEN

Okay armed with a list of ingredients that i will need to start this new "healthy" lifestyle. I stopped by Vons grocers last night and wondered the stored looking for the things that i would need. Fruit, veges, spices, seasonings, bread, meat, seeds and a few other things and water ... now i am not a big spice cooker so i am going to be learning as i go along.
I found a great website (http://www.changingdiabetes-us.com/Tools/MenuPlanner/Setup.aspx )that will help me meal plan based on the amount of calories that the doctor said i can have.
Armed with my renewed I CAN DO ATTITUDE and a recipe that has items that i can eat.
I decided to bake this CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion powder
Dash of paprika
Dash of pepper
Dash of salt
Dash of dried Italian seasoning
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp water
1, 6-oz boneless, skinned chicken breast
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice, cooked according to directions without salt or fat

INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS
Crispy Baked Chicken Crispy Baked Chicken
Preheat oven to 350°F. Crush crispy rice cereal in a bowl and add garlic
powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
Whisk egg white and water in a shallow bowl and coat chicken breast with
egg mixture then coat chicken in crushed cereal mixture. Place on a baking
sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake uncovered for 1
hour or until done. Serves 1.

***my thoughts, i used precooked chicken (i had some boiled and stored in the freezer) so the cooking time wasn't as long as 1 hr, it didn't seem to effect the topping. I did omit the onion powder as all i had was onion salt (i think that it would have been better with the powder)
I also sliced the chicken breast in half and cooked for 2 and it was quit filling.*** **tim thought that it was a tad dry (he usually only eats the dark meat) but he said it was good**

Why i started this blog!

This blog will be a continuation of the blog post on a little bit about scrappinauntie ( http://scrappinauntie.blogspot.com/2008/11/healthy-wealthy-and-wise.html )
On Wednesday november 5, the doctor gave me the news that i have type 2 diabetes.
He gave me some medication to help fight this disease but the main thing that i have to fight is to fight a lifestyle change.
SO with that in mind and armed with a Internet full of knowledge and the hope that i can lose weight (i stand now at 211) and reduce the cholesterol and high blood pressure that I maybe able to come off the metaformin.
This blog will host my battles with the changing lifestyle