Nothing screams “comfort food” quite like a hot, cheesy, and utterly delicious slice of lasagna. Unfortunately, though, said lasagna has a tendency to make my CGM scream, because consumption of the carb-laden food usually skyrockets my blood sugar.
On the bright side, a very low carb version of this dish exists, and it is just as wonderful as its starchy counterpart. The ground beef, pasta sauce, and mozzarella-parmesan blend are all there – the only bit that’s different is what’s used in lieu of pasta.
Instead of pasta, use cabbage leaves. No, I’m not kidding.
Cabbage lasagna looks and tastes just like its carb-ier alternative.
The cabbage soaks up the flavors of the sauce, meat, and cheese. As the concoction is baked, the cabbage also takes on the same consistency as pasta. It slices just as easily, and no, you really can’t taste the cabbage flavor (unless you pick out several chunks of it to eat on their own, but honestly, who does that?). It’s such a satisfying meal that I promise you won’t miss the carbs from the pasta.
Besides, if you’re like me and enjoy eating a healthy amount of carbs daily…you can always add a slice or two of garlic bread to your meal. I did just that, and in addition to having a well-rounded meal, I experienced great post-dinner blood sugars: a diabetes win!
One Friday per month, I’ll write about my favorite diabetes products. These items make the cut because they’re functional, fashionable, or fun – but usually, all three at once!
I can’t believe I’m about to admit this on my blog, but…
Diabetes socks are a THING and they’re amazing.
If only “diabetes socks” could be as cute as these mermaid and unicorn socks.
I don’t remember when I first tried a pair. My aunt may have recommended them to my mom or to me, and even though we laughed them off at first, we decided to buy a couple at a local pharmacy.
And we were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they felt. Socks that are marketed as “diabetes socks” are made without elastics to be as non-binding to the foot as possible. This special design is intended to increase blood circulation and alleviate pressure in the foot. I can’t say for certain whether they actually accomplish those goals, but they are like clouds for my feet.
Blood glucose meters serve the sole purpose of checking current levels of glucose in the blood. Pretty self-explanatory, right? And it’s equally obvious that it’s crucial for all meters to generate accurate results so PWD can make the right treatment decisions based on those numbers.
Unfortunately, though, accuracy isn’t always what I get.
The other day, I was running low before bedtime. I corrected with an organic rice crispy treat (honestly, it was a million times better than the brand name kind). I waited nearly an hour for my blood sugar to come up. When my CGM wasn’t showing any progress, I tested: I was 47. It’s rare for me to be that low, so I tested again. 52. I believed it, especially since I was experiencing several hypoglycemic symptoms.
My unicorn bg quickly turned into A Situation.
I chugged a glass of orange juice and plopped down on the couch to wait for signs of improvement. Before long, I was freezing cold – a sure sign I was coming up, because I had been sweating 20 minutes prior. But I didn’t feel comfortable going to bed yet. I wanted to see if my CGM would show an up arrow. When it finally did, I made my way upstairs to brush my teeth and wash my face. In the middle of my routine, though, I decided to glance at my CGM again – and saw the dreaded ??? screen.
I decided then that the Dexcom should be out of commission, a.k.a. not trusted at all, for the remainder of the evening.
I ripped it out and inserted a fresh one, not really caring that it would wake me up in two hours to be calibrated. I would need to set at least two alarms for the middle of the night, anyways, if I decided to go to bed disconnected from my Dex. So it just made sense.
Once that was done, I tested again. I was pretty tired at this point and really didn’t want to have to eat something else, so I did it as quickly as I could. In my haste, I jostled my meter just so – enough that I saw the test strip, already marked with my blood, move slightly as it brushed against my PDM and was placed next to it.
113 mg/dL flashed upon the screen. Normally, I’d be thrilled! But I furrowed my brow. Something just felt…off about that reading. So I tested again.
206.
What?!
I tested a third time – 203. Okay, something was definitely wrong. Either that 113 was wrong (likely) or my meter had just produced two wildly inaccurate blood sugars in a row (less likely).
This is one of the many times that it’s convenient to live with another PWD. I asked my mom if I could borrow her test kit and see what result it generated. Seconds later…a twin 203 popped up on the screen, reassuring me that the 113 was a fluke on my meter.
Relief with the reality and irritation with the technology washed over me simultaneously as I went to correct the high with a bolus. I was glad I wasn’t heading down again, but irked that my meter had failed me. True, it was a bit of human error there, but aren’t we at a point in technological advancements where this sort of thing just shouldn’t happen? I put my life into the “hands” of my meter, Dexcom, and OmniPod. They should produce results that are undoubtedly accurate.
The last lines of the 1946 classic film It’s a Wonderful Life are as follows:
Zuzu Bailey: Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.
George Bailey: That’s right, that’s right.
George Bailey: [Looks heavenward] Attaboy, Clarence.
Those who know my family well are aware that this movie, and three of those above names, hold special meaning to us. Bailey was the name of our first dog. Zuzu was our second dog. Both were Shetland Sheepdogs and beloved members of our family. They shaped two very different parts of my life. I attribute the two of them for getting me through various challenges encountered by my family and me over the years, and I’m grateful that we got to provide a loving home to them. A home that’s been quiet since they left us.
A home that once again will be occupied by a puppy’s presence.
Everyone, meet Clarence:
We are overjoyed that our sweet boy will be coming home soon! And in case you’re wondering what this possibly has to do with my diabetes, I’ll tell you right now that it doesn’t really, I’m just bursting with excitement over Clarence’s arrival.
But I’m also pretty darn skilled at making diabetes connections where they don’t seem to exist.
I’m positive that Clarence will help with my diabetes. I plan on taking the little guy on plenty of walks, which will be great for my numbers. I’d also like to set up an agility course in our backyard for him, because based on my past experience with shelties, they have incredible amounts of energy to burn – so I’m certain that means I’ll be running the course and burning energy with him.
Plus, I’m starting to research diabetes alert dogs. I have no idea if I’ll train him to detect high or low blood sugars, but I’m very interested in the idea. Especially since there are multiple diabetics in my family.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonders he’ll work for my mental health. The calming presence of a pup will surely ease my anxieties as well as make me smile even more than I already do.
Attaboy, Clarence – I know that’s something I’ll be saying quite often and very soon.
I’ve heard the following phrase for just about my entire life:
“There will be a cure for diabetes in the next five years, just wait!”
Uh, I’m still waiting over here. Where’s the aforementioned cure? *Taps foot impatiently*
It’s fun to fantasize about life with diabetes, especially when you look at the numbers like this.
Oooookay, while I sit here and wait for another 20 years of diabetes to come and go, I’ll daydream. Ooh! I’ll daydream about a day without diabetes. What would it look like for me? I have some ideas…
In the morning: I’d wake up feeling incredibly well-rested. That’s because I’d sleep through the night without my CGM going off. After rolling out of bed with a head of perfectly-mussed hair (this is MY fantasy here, so just go with it), I’d head down into the kitchen to indulge in a ginormous cinnamon bun slathered in cream cheese frosting for my breakfast. I’d savor every bite and relish in not having to poke myself with needles multiple times in order to eat the tasty treat.
In the afternoon: After actually enjoying a workout at the gym (cue my Anna from Frozen singing voice) for the first time in foreverrrrrr, I’d probably treat myself to a massage/spa day. But a shower first because a masseuse should never have to deal with a smelly and stinky person. You know what would be awesome about that experience? I wouldn’t be worried about my blood sugar all throughout it and I could just appreciate the act of self-care. And for lunch? I’m not a TOTAL junk food junkie – I’d eat a healthy, balanced lunch that day. Perhaps a smoothie bowl laden with fabulous fructose-filled fruits that WOULDN’T spike me? Maybe a massive salad topped with carb-y croutons? The possibilities are endless.
In the evening: The day would wind down with a sense of accomplishment, because I would’ve been able to run errands without a single diabetes-related complication slowing me down. I’d glam myself up for a night on the town in which I’d consume one or four cocktails, free from wild swings due to alcohol’s effects on blood sugar. And then I’d run into Kit Harrington (Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, A.K.A. an extraordinary man) and he’d sweep me off my feet and we’d take off into a sunset sans diabetes.
Okay, yeah, I’m definitely stretching my imagination as I picture a couple parts of this day…but it sure is fun to think about life without diabetes.
Water is crucial to life. Half of the human body is water, nearly three-quarters of Earth is water, and it’s recommended to drink half a gallon of water per day. Clearly, there’s no disputing its benefits. Especially when it’s a naturally zero-carb beverage – a benefit to people with diabetes, who must keep careful track of the amount of carbs consumed in a day. That’s why it’s usually easier for a PWD to stick with diet or sugar-free drinks as opposed to alternatives.
But let’s face it, water can get boring. Sometimes, a drink with flavor is the only way to quench a thirst. So I decided to assemble a list of my favorite simultaneously diet/low-carb, tasty, and refreshing drinks that I enjoy and are a notch above ole H20:
Diet Cranberry Juice. Ocean Spray makes a classic flavor as well as a variety of blends – my favorite is cranberry lime. It runs at about 2 grams of carbohydrate for 8 ounces, so to curb this, I typically pour 2-3 ounces and fill the rest of my glass with water.
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. A few years ago, I started drinking almond milk with my cereal instead of traditional dairy milk, and I haven’t looked back. It’s both a low-carb and low-calorie alternative that satisfies just as much as other milks.
Seltzer water. Look beyond plain old lemon seltzer water – there’s a whole world of flavors out there! Polar beverages makes a seemingly endless array of seltzers. They even had a unicorn variety over the summer that tasted like cotton candy and rainbows. I love experimenting and trying new flavors frequently, which helps assure that I don’t get tired of seltzers.
My favorite “magical” seltzer water.
Sparklingwater. This tends to pack a bit more of a punch in terms of flavor than seltzer water. I’ve found a bunch of great-tasting bottles at the supermarket, from coconut pineapple to açai blueberry.
Bai drinks. Sometimes, I take a break from the carbonation and stock up on bottles of these antioxidant fusion drinks. They’re made with erithytrol, which is a kind of sugar that has no affect on blood glucose levels. They’re seriously tasty and come in several tropical flavors that make you feel like you’re lounging on a beach. Plus, their advertisers get bonus points because they used a favorite N*Sync song as part of their marketing.
Drink packets. There’s about a million different kinds of drink packets, drops, and mixes out there. Just about all of them clock in at zero carbs, and few to no calories. It can be fun to try all the mixes out there to find out which ones taste the best.
Tea. A great alternative hot drink and another beverage with tons of flavors out there. I drink tea black, and most do not have carbohydrates, so it’s another “freebie” drink option that hydrates as well as warms me up.
Do you have any favorite zero-carb or diet drinks that I didn’t mention on this list?
A couple weeks ago, I was convinced that I was going to go insane.
That’s because my graphs looked a lot like this for several days in a row:
All those red circles represent low blood sugars. The first day it happened, it was annoying. The second day, it evolved into concerning. Seven long days later, I was feeling incredibly burnt out as the low streak finally came to an end.
I have NO idea what triggered these lows. My activity levels were practically non-existent and I cut back on my insulin intake as it grew more apparent that this situation was sticking around for a bit. Besides standard stress levels, I wasn’t experiencing any crazy emotional swings that could cause wacky numbers. It was that certain, ahem, time of the month – but that happens every month, and I’ve never had a series of low blood sugars as a result of it. So what gives?
My honest assessment: Diabetes is unpredictable. You think you know it so well. You think you can have a handle on it when it decides to give you a big, old middle finger, as if to say, “Joke’s on you!!!”
And that’s beyond exhausting. The physical and mental toll that a week of low blood sugars had on me is indescribable, and it made me reluctant to even talk about the experience – because enduring it was enough, why the hell should I bother writing about it?
I write about it because I want it as evidence so I can remember that I can overcome any diabetes obstacle. I write about it because I want others to know that even though I seem okay on the surface at a given time, I actually might not be due to my diabetes. I write about it because I hope that another PWD can read it and say, “Yes, that’s exactly what it’s like!” or “I can relate.”
I write about it to feel less alone, and make other people affected by T1D feel less alone.
I shared the story of how I broke a bone in my arm last month. I was pretty down in the dumps about it, so I’m particularly pleased to say today that I am 90% healed from the injury!
I know I’m lucky: My healing time was relatively quick. I spent just over four weeks in a cast. Others can spend six or more weeks trapped in layers of medical gauze and tape. I had my cast removed one month and four days after the accident happened, and my orthopedist advised me to wear a brace for another week to ten days as my arm got used to mobility again.
Naturally, I decked out the brace with stickers. Peep the cactus.
Yes, the broken bone was a total bummer. It slowed me down, messed up my exercise regimen (and my diet), and made me moody. But the experience may have been the kick I needed to get back on track with my overall health and take the best possible care of myself.
So the road to recovery looks promising. Now, I’m just looking forward to getting clearance to hit the boxing gym again and get reacquainted with my fitness.
Okay, this isn’t a real blog post. But this is a very accurate representation of my diabetes lately. It’s like a moody teenager, filled with sudden ups and downs and likely to sour the mood of everyone around it.
Hey, diabetes? Get it together? Pretty please, with sugar-free sprinkles on top?
Hugging the Cactus 