is the pattern in which I make progress with my diabetes. The past couple blog entries have been written with a “yes we can” attitude – I have made progress with my diabetes and so has my Papa. But this past weekend I was far from a straight-A student.
My best friend (and maid of honor), Emily, has lived far away from me ever since she graduated high school a year ahead of me and left Orange Country for the forward-thinking, hippie-loving town of Berkeley. Since then we’ve both moved to a few different places but the land distance between us has always been great enough to limit our visits to about 2 (if we’re lucky, 3) per year (with the brief exception of a couple years when I was in Santa Cruz and Emily was in San Francisco). When Emily was accepted to UVA for grad school I was beside myself with the excitement that one of my favorite people would no longer be a full day of airplane travel away, but instead just a 3 hour and 40 minute drive. Last weekend was my first visit to Thomas Jefferson’s old stomping grounds and the first opportunity to celebrate Emily’s relocation to the east coast. Emily and I did what we always do when we see each other: talk, laugh, tell stories, eat good food, go on long walks, stay up late, be merry, and drink bubbly wine and pink cosmos.
My BGLs (blood glucose levels) were awful all weekend. The problems with drinking alcohol are:
- I tend to eat less healthy foods after having too many drinks (this weekend’s most notable digression: frozen yogurt)
- I improperly gauge the amount of carbohydrates in the foods I’m eating
- I delay giving myself insulin – okay, let’s be honest, I forget to give myself insulin, then I remember a little while later – the result is that my BGL has already climbed up before I give myself insulin, then the insulin takes 1-2 hours to take effect. Thus, my BGL remains higher for longer than usual.
- I don’t sleep as well after having too much alcohol. I’ve noticed that my BGL tends to be higher when I have not gotten enough sleep.
- The next morning I wake up with the usual hangover many people experience, in addition to a dosage of guilt that I have just taken steps away from the state of health I usually work so hard to achieve.
Since returning home to Carrboro I have had very little to drink and have obsessively been checking my BGL. I went running last night, had a challenging and yummy yoga session this morning, and plan to take a long run tomorrow morning before visiting the farmers market. These activities make me feel good. I feel clean and brilliant after days filled with fresh veggies, exercise and conscious breathing. Despite feeling calm yet energized from such healthy living, I still find myself craving the fun, loose-lipped, social evenings infused with more than one drink. I don’t want to give up these social evenings but I do want to continue to decrease my intake of alcohol so I need to find a way to experience these evenings without alcohol. Thankfully I have the support of my future husband, Matt, who is also committed to this goal. Tasks are always easier when you have a teammate.
This past week Matt and I hosted two very active and inspiring friends, Jean and Trent. Jean introduced me to Franklin Street Yoga and Lori, the excellent instructor who kicked my asana this morning while speaking words of kindness and love. Jean and Trent encouraged me to sign up for the Outer Banks half-marathon by describing the route as fairly flat and the people as friendly and supportive. When I first heard the term “peer pressure” as a teenager, it had a negative connotation. However, as I have surrounded myself with active, well-intentioned, healthy people, I have found that peer pressure can actually be a very good thing.
This week’s menu is:
Weelicious Spinach Ricotta Bites
http://weelicious.com/2010/07/29/spinach-ricotta-bites/
To cut back on the cheese I: added an egg and used 1/2 cup chia seed jelly and only 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese (instead of ½ a cup) and 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese (instead of ½ cup). Chia seed jelly ratio: mix 1 Tbsp chia seed into 4.5 oz water; chia seeds can be found at: http://getchia.com/?gclid=CJyj7srAyKMCFQ1HnQodBD2Msg
Heirloom Tomato, Summer Peach, and Fresh Herb Gazpacho Salad
Quinoa with Garlic and Onions
http://allrecipes.com/PersonalRecipe/62435725/Quinoa-with-Garlic-and-Onions/Detail.aspx
Steamed Broccoli Seasoned with Butter, Salt and Pepper
nom nom nom nom! Also does peer pressure work with frisbee? =) I love these updates - keep posting.
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