Doable Diabetes

Healing in Harmony

2009-06-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

We all have a wonderful, sacred ability within ourselves for healing and renewal. By reaching into and touching this place of harmony,
we can experience true health in body, mind, and spirit. There are many ways to reach this place of health and harmony; the following meditation, Healing Nourishment, is one of them. You are the only one with the power to heal yourself and you must find the way that will work for you. Healing begins with the desire to heal yourself.

Imagine that you're walking outside on
a pleasantly warm summer day. You feel a wonderful sense of peace and harmony within you. You're completely enjoying being outside and breathing in the pure clean air on this beautiful day.

You notice a few puffy white clouds that have gathered in the sky above you. You know that these clouds are very special because they are filled with liquid drops of healing light. As the rain softly begins to fall, nourishing the earth, you notice how the rain caresses and cleanses the earth, healing and rejuvenating it. The rain feels like warm gentle kisses on your skin and you're completely enjoying this experience of walking in this very special healing rain.

You listen to the gentle patter of the rain on the leaves of the trees and notice how the raindrops cling to the leaves, nourishing and renewing them. You feel the rain gently nourishing and healing you
as it softly touches your skin. The soft raindrops somehow seem to enter inside you--inside your body, circulating through you, cleansing and healing you from the inside out. You feel a wonderful sense of being nourished and completely healed by this beautiful rainfall.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-06-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things for me is giving up chocolate. But then I discovered that you can have your cake and eat it, too! This recipe, from the ADA, is good for you and it has chocolate. :) Plus, it has veggies. Even better.

1/4 cup Smart Balance Light margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites
1 3/4 cups Splenda
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh zucchini grated with skin (about 1 medium)
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven 350ºF.

2. Mix margarine, applesauce, and Splenda together. Add egg whites and beat well. Add vanilla and buttermilk. Blend well.

3. Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

4. Blend together wet and dry ingredients. Fold in grated zucchini. Spray 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake 60 minutes.

Serves 12; Serving Size: 1 slice

Exchanges/Choices: 1 1/2 Carbohydrate; 1/2 Fat

Basic Nutritional Values: Calories 140; Calories from Fat 20; Total Fat 2.5 g; Saturated Fat 0.8 g; Trans Fat 0.0 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 175 mg; Total Carbohydrate 25 g; Dietary Fiber 4 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 6 g

Going Green

2009-03-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

When you think of eating healthy food,
you think of going green. Whole Foods
has a wonderful blog post, Healthy Tip:
Get Your Greens, that can help you eat
green and healthy.

Top Ten Healthiest Foods

2008-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

This list of the top ten healthiest foods is from Healthy Eating. You can read the full article by visiting their site.

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains monounsaturated (good) fats which have been shown to have some excellent health benefits. It's great for sauteéing vegetables and meats but don’t go overboard with this. One tablespoon is 120 calories.

2. Blueberries contain powerful antioxidants which may help lower LDL cholesterol. These antioxidants were rated #1 in a recent Tufts University study that compared 40 fruits and vegetables. We're talking fresh blueberries here, not the kind you find in a blueberry pie!

3. Yogurt contains healthy bacteria which helps boost your immune system, fight infection, and improve your gastrointestinal health. It is an excellent source of calcium and B vitamins. Choose low fat and low sugar yogurts; read the nutrition label. Dannon has a Light ‘n Fit yogurt which is only 3 carbs, 2 grams sugar, and 60 calories.

4. Broccoli is high in antioxidants and loaded with vitamin C, calcium and folic acid. Broccoli is high in soluble fiber and low in calories. I love broccoli and it’s so easy to make. I wrap it in a moistened paper towel and microwave it for about 3 minutes.

5. Spinach is very high in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium and folate. Spinach is one the healthiest foods you can eat. Calorie for calorie, not many foods can match the nutritional benefits and low calorie content of spinach and other green, leafy vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard.

6. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, and have many other health benefits. Tomatoes are packed with vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. Enjoy a salad every day as a snack or before dinner.

7. Apples aid in lowering cholesterol, prevent numerous types of cancer, and have health benefits related to many other conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and diabetes. Apples are high in antioxidants and contain high amounts of vitamin C and fiber. One of my favorite snacks is apple slices dipped in organic crunchy peanut butter. The fat in the peanut butter slows down the absorption of sugar.

8. Salmon is loaded with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Choose wild salmon over farm raised.

9. Sweet potatoes are one of the good carbs for good reason: they're nutrient-rich foods which contain high amounts of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to stabilize blood sugar levels, which helps you feel fuller for longer periods of time.

10. Almonds are loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats and contain protein, fiber, potassium, and calcium. They are rich in vitamin E and potassium and have been shown to lower cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and have cancer fighting properties as well.

It's important to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, not only for your nutritional needs but also to give you food that tastes good. Try to incorporate more of the top ten more often.

Green is the Color of Healing

2008-09-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

I found a new blog last week that has really good vibes. Jules of Golden Reiki wrote a post several days ago about creating an orb of life that is just beautiful. The gist of it is that you imagine a ball and fill it with positive energy. When you sense that the ball is full, you allow the life energies to fill your body. You direct the energy in any way you wish.

After reading his post, I decided to create an orb filled with life energy and the healing color of green and send it to my brother, Don. (See my previous post.) I did this meditation outside where there is a beautiful, healthy tree with a round shape that is flowing with life. I simply meditated on the tree, imagining that all the healing energy of nature and the universe was filling a sphere--a large bubble--with a pure green healing light.

When I felt it was ready, I closed my eyes, saw my brother Don in my mind’s eye laying in his bed at the hospice, and sent the healing ball of energy to him, seeing the sphere gently hover over him and then enter his body and flow through him, renewing and replenishing him. Will this cure him? No, because he has already accepted that he is going to die soon. Will it make him more comfortable? Yes. I spoke with his doctor a few hours after I sent Don this healing ball of energy and the doctor said that he seemed much better, that his spirits were lifted and he was happy.

This is a very powerful meditation which you can use to renew and regenerate your life-energy and to put your natural healing abilities into motion. It is limited only by your thoughts and beliefs. Allow a healing green light to enter your body, mind, and spirit; feel it flowing through you. If you are sending healing to someone else, send it with the thought that this is for that person’s highest good. You can’t heal someone else unless they want to be healed. You can heal yourself if you want to be healed.

This meditation offers you one way to tune into healing energies but there are so many ways to heal yourself. Please use it as a basis for creating your own healing meditations, ones you feel comfortable with, ones you believe will work for you. Or just make up a healing meditation or a visualization. You already know how to do this. You don’t need instructions--unless you feel that you do--because your body knows how to heal itself in harmony with your mind and spirit. Just sit quietly and listen to your body; listen to your feelings; listen to your thoughts, and go with the flow. Healing occurs first in your mind and then in your body. All your body needs to heal is for you to want it to be so, for you to believe that you can heal yourself, for you to allow it to be so, and for you to simply accept the healing within your body, mind, and spirit.

Please Take Care of Yourself

2008-09-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

I got a call last night from my sister, telling me that my younger brother, Don, has only six months or less to live. He was diagnosed with Type Two ten years ago and never took care of himself. He ate whatever he wanted, didn’t exercise, and didn’t take his meds. His diabetes progressed and he required insulin, which he said he couldn’t afford and therefore didn’t use.

His kidneys failed and he requires dialysis three times a week. He weighs 80 pounds and is nearly blind. He can’t move around without help and is now living in a hospice. He is only 52 years old. Much of this could have been prevented or delayed if he'd only cared enough about himself to take care of himself. I’ve already lost my mother, who had Type One and was 47 when she died and my older brother, Doug, who had Type One and was 37 when he died. Now I’m losing another brother to diabetes.

If you have Type One, more than likely you are well aware of the devastating effects of diabetes. If you have Type Two, you may think that only these serious complications affect people with Type One. If you have diabetes, you are at risk for all the serious complications. There are 21 million people in the United States who have diabetes. 16 million people have pre-diabetes, which means they are at risk for developing diabetes--if they don’t take care of themselves. Diabetes kills more people each year than AIDS and breast cancer combined. In ten years, there won’t be enough dialysis machines to keep all the people who require this treatment alive.

My brother doesn’t want to die. He says he wishes with all his heart that he had taken his diabetes seriously and had taken much better care of himself. Please, I implore you, if you have diabetes, care enough to take care of yourself. Many of the serious complications can be prevented or delayed. Ten years down the road, please don’t wish with all your heart that you had taken better care of yourself. Please take care of yourself now.

What's in Your Food?

2008-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Do you want to eat healthier? Want to know what’s in your food in terms of calories and carbs? Spark People has an online recipe calculator which shows a nutritional analysis.

Do you have any healthy recipes you’d like to share? Please leave a comment or send me an email.

Relaxation...

2008-09-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

A very real and very powerful part of healing is simply allowing yourself to completely relax, letting go of all your cares, worries, problems, and fears. Just simply relaxing brings you into harmony with yourself. When you’re in a relaxed state of mind, your body naturally and automatically begins to heal itself. I love listening to the sound of ocean waves. It's very relaxing and peaceful to me, and puts me in tune with my body and my natural healing abilities.

Chicken Marsala

2008-09-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

This recipe offers you a delicious, low-fat, low-carb main dish. If you want to serve it over pasta, choose whole-grain pasta. Watch your portion sizes: A 3-ounce serving of meat is one portion. If you serve this over pasta, use 1/2 cup cooked pasta. Sautéing the chicken in olive oil flavored cooking spray instead of olive oil adds flavor and eliminates the calories.

Olive oil flavored cooking spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 (8 oz.) container sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 T. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Spray a 12-inch nonstick skillet with the cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown it on both sides. Remove and set aside.

If necessary, add more cooking spray to the skillet. (Take it off the heat before spraying.) Add the mushrooms, wine, broth, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape up all the flavorful brown bits from the skillet. (These add so much flavor.) Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Bring the heat up to medium-high. Stir the sauce, then return the chicken to the pan, scooping the sauce over the chicken to coat. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

4 Servings. Per serving: Calories 123.2; Total fat 1.3g; Cholesterol 49.3mg; Carbs 1.9g; Fiber 0.2g; Sugars 0.6g; Protein 20.4g

Does Diabetes Have the Better of You?

2008-09-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Who is in control? Are you in control of your diabetes or is your diabetes in control of you? While it’s important to control your blood sugars through healthy eating and exercise, and sometimes insulin shots, you can help to control your diabetes simply with your attitude. If you feel that diabetes has the better of you or that your diabetes is out of control, then guess what!? You’re right. Your diabetes has the upper hand and is controlling you.

You have the absolute power to choose to control your diabetes rather than the other way around. The way you perceive your diabetes is the controlling factor. If you look at diabetes as a disease, a losing battle, then you will lose the battle and you will have a disease. If you look at diabetes as a condition that helps to make you healthy, then you have the better of your diabetes.

It’s your choice. You’re the one with the power to decide that yes, you can control your diabetes. You can make your diabetes part of your healthy lifestyle. You can choose to eat healthy. You can choose to exercise. You can choose to have a healthy attitude. You can choose to self-empower yourself and be in control. You can choose to change your mind, to have a positive outlook, to make the decision to put the power to control your own life in your hands. This is something that is so easy to accomplish.

Once you take control, once you give yourself the power to control your diabetes, an amazing thing happens. You do have better control over your blood sugars. You do have better control of your diabetes. You have the better of diabetes! All you have to do to achieve this is to simply know that you’re the one in charge. Once you assert yourself and accept your ‘I’m in charge’ attitude and follow through with positive actions, you can be better because of your diabetes.

Spinach Makes You Strong

2008-08-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

I grew up watching the cartoon, Popeye. As a
kid, I totally hated spinach; it was slimy, gross tasting, and looked like worms. My parents would implore me to eat it, saying I would be strong like Popeye. I wanted no part of it. They even went so far as to sing me the jingle: I’m Popeye the sailor man, toot, toot. I’m strong to the finish cause I eats me spinach; I’m Popeye the sailor man, toot, toot.

I found out there is a way that spinach can make you strong and you don’t have to eat it. You can do strength-training exercises with the cans of spinach. Just use the cans as weights. Strength-training builds muscle; it’s an important part of an overall exercise program.

Another thing I discovered when I began to change my eating habits was fresh spinach. I had no idea spinach came any other way except in a can. I know that sounds silly, but I had a hate relationship with spinach for most of my life. Fresh spinach is really good and I love it in a simple salad.

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and shaken dry
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 small cubes fresh mozzarella cheese (or use another low-fat cheese)
1 T. light balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Toss all the ingredients together and enjoy as a snack or before dinner.

Calories 114.4; Total fat 6.8 g; Saturated fat 3.2 g; Polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g; Cholesterol 16.4 mg; Sodium 396.4 mg; Potassium 328.9 mg; Carbs 5.8 g; Dietary fiber 1.3 g; Sugars 0.6 g; Protein 8.3 g.

Spinach contains high amounts of Vitamin A (beta carotene) and is rich in Vitamin E. It's high in the disease-fighting antioxidant lutein. Spinach is good for you and it can make you strong, just like Popeye.

Small Choices = Big Changes

2008-08-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Choosing to live in harmony with your diabetes and having a healthy lifestyle very often means changing your life around to accommodate your diabetes. This can be really overwhelming--thinking about all the changes you need to make. An easy way to deal with diabetes is to make a conscious choice to make small changes every day. Here are some easy food choices:

Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread;
Choose light mayonnaise instead of full-fat mayonnaise;
Choose water instead of soda;
Choose mustard instead of ketchup;
Choose skim milk instead of whole milk;
Choose natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly;
Choose vegetables instead of potatoes;
Choose tuna packed in water instead of oil;
Choose yogurt instead of ice cream;
Choose fruit or nuts instead of candy; and
Choose light margarine instead of butter.

By consciously making small healthy choices, you’ll achieve big changes. This is just a little list; it helped me make better choices when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. I kept this list in mind when I went to the grocery store and it inspired me to read the food labels and make healthy choices. In essence, you’re substituting a healthy item for one that’s not so healthy. What substitutions have helped you make better food choices?

Think Healthy Thoughts

2008-08-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.

This phrase was coined by Emile Coué, a psychologist and pharmacist, who introduced a method of healing based on autosuggestion, which is the suggestions you give yourself or the thoughts you hold in your mind. Coué noticed that he could improve the effects of a medicine simply by praising its effectiveness to a patient. He saw that those patients to whom he praised the medicine had a marked improvement over patients to whom he said nothing. This began his exploration into the power of the imagination and autosuggestion.

Patients with all sorts of ailments would visit him. These included kidney problems, diabetes, memory loss, stammering, weakness, atrophy, and all sorts of physical illnesses. He also found that while his patients were being cured of specific ailments through positive autosuggestions of health replacing previous negative suggestions of sickness, other ailments, illnesses, aches, and pains disappeared. This is because of the words ‘in every way’ in his healthy, powerful phrase.

Patients flocked to him for a cure. Before coming to see him, they had heard about his “magical” cures and most patients came with open and receptive minds. Many patients would achieve immediate success. Coué would clearly explain to his patients that he possessed no power; the power lies within themselves. In short, one is what one thinks. This “magic” is within ourselves. We all have this “magic” ability to heal ourselves through the power of our imagination and the thoughts and feelings we hold in our mind and believe in our heart.

I first heard this phrase when I took a Mind Dynamics course in the early 70s. We were taught how to enter our subconscious mind to open up the innate powers we all have within us. We were given what was called a beneficial phrase to repeat every time we entered our subconscious mind. The phrase was Coué’s phrase: Every day, and in every way, I am getting better and better. This beneficial phrase is a positive affirmation; the more you repeat it to yourself, the more your mind will act on it. This is a very basic premise in metaphysical thought: You create your own reality. What you hold in your mind turns into what you actually experience.

I changed Coué’s phrase to be in tune with my belief that I was already better—in my mind. I didn’t want the ‘getting better’ part; I wanted to be completely better right away so I changed it to: Every day, and in every way, I am better, better, and better. I added the extra ‘better’ because your subconscious mind likes repetition; it acts more quickly on the suggestion and heals you faster. These are very powerful words; simple little words that played a big part in turning my diabetes around. They can turn your diabetes around, too.

You can use any positive affirmation that you feel good about, one that you believe will work for you. My favorite affirmation that I repeat to myself many times a day is, “I’m perfectly healthy.”

Diabetes Food Pyramid

2008-08-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Diabetes Food Pyramid divides food into six groups. The largest group—grains, beans, and starchy vegetables—is on the bottom. This means you should eat more servings of grains, beans, and starchy vegetables than any of the other foods. [Choose the good carbs; the ones with a low glycemic index.] The smallest group—fats, sweets, and alcohol—is at the top of the pyramid. This tells you to eat very few servings from these food groups. Source: www.diabetes.org.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the foods, and the quantities you should eat, you might want to read this article about the Diabetes Food Pyramid.

Diabetes is Doable

2008-08-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Many people with Type One and Type Two diabetes may feel as if dealing with their diabetes is a constant, day-in and day-out struggle. They hate that they have this disease and may feel overwhelmed, especially after being recently diagnosed, and the despair may grow over time. Whether you're new to diabetes or you've been living with it for a while, I'd like to share some of my philosophies with you to show you how I, and many other people with diabetes, have come to see it as a blessing, rather than a curse.

What I'm proposing is not some new-agey, airy-fairy type of program, but rather working in harmony with your diabetes instead of working against it. Even though my background is in metaphysics, I respect that my body lives in the real world. I also respect that we have the power to heal ourselves. It's important to follow the advice of your doctor; what I'm offering is an adjunct to following a medically-sound program. I'd like to show you how you can live in harmony with your diabetes, and perhaps even become more healthy because of it.

I feel very passionate about this subject. I have Type Two and was diagnosed 2-1/2 years ago. At first I was devastated, having watched my mother and brother suffer from the complications of Type One. I thought I was doomed to the same fate, even though I knew that Type Two is much less serious. After I went through all the emotions of denial, grief, anger, depression, and feelings of being completely overwhelmed, I finally reached acceptance.

Acceptance was the doorway that led me into becoming perfectly healthy. Acceptance was the key that showed me how to live in harmony with my diabetes. Acceptance gave me the momentum and propelled me into the desire to take care of myself in a much better way than I had in years. Acceptance showed me how to heal myself. When you accept what is, you give yourself the power to create what can be. We all have this wonderful healing ability within ourselves. I decided to be completely healthy. I began a lifestyle change which incorporated healthy eating habits, daily exercise, positive thinking, and meditative imagery. Today my average blood sugar is 88, well within the normal range.

Because I know and believe that you can turn Type Two diabetes around and improve your health dramatically, I'm writing a book about this and have created this blog to help you manage your diabetes in a holistic manner. The term "holistic" means that this healing program cares for more than the health of your body; it also cares for your mind--your attitude and feelings, and your spirit--the wellspring within you which you draw your inner strength from. Diabetes affects not only your body; it affects your mind and spirit as well.

Through this blog, I'll be offering you suggestions for living in health and harmony with diabetes. I'll be talking about acceptance of your diabetes, which is perhaps the most important part of being healthy. I'll be offering you ways to see your diabetes in a new light--in a positive manner and show you how to incorporate diabetes into a healthy lifestyle. Towards that end, I'll be including recipes, the latest information in diabetes care, exercise ideas, positive affirmations, guided imagery, and healing meditations.

I'd like to hear from you. Please leave a comment; tell me what you'd like to see on this blog or any questions you have about diabetes and how you can make it a doable part of your life. If you prefer, you can contact me at gloriachadwick@gmail.com.