Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 130

Meal #1

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 8 oz. tomato
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 179

Meal #2 (trained prior/biked after)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 2 T coconut oil
- 19 asparagus spears
- 1 T olive oil
- 7 oz. baked potato
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 97

Meal #3

- 6 turkey sausage links
- ~ 6oz. leftover garlic mashed potatoes
- ~ 18 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 16 oz. broccoli
- ~ 1.5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 136

Totals: 2800 kcals
  • Fat: 170g
  • Carb: 185g
  • Protein: 157g



Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.8
Glucose: 213?

NOT sure about that reading, may be an anomaly - we'll see what I read after my first meal. I only had to get up once to use the bathroom despite sleeping longer than I have in a few days, so I was expecting a "normal" reading.

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 204 (guess it wasn't an anomaly!)

Meal #2

- ~ 10 oz. chicken breast
- ~ 18 oz. broccoli
- ~ 17 oz. cauliflower
- 1 oz. green beans
- 1 brussel sprout
- ~ 2 T butter
- 4 units novalin

1 Hour: 128

Totals: 2300 kcals

  • Fat: 141g
  • Carb: 113g
  • Protein: 153g

15 units lantus




Monday, March 29, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.5
Glucose: 126

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 T butter
- 1/4 can cocout milk
- 2.5 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz. tomato
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 170

Meal #2

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz provolone cheese
- 8.5 oz. tomato
- 16 asparagus spears
- 1/5 T olive oil
- 8 oz./ sauteed onions
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 123

Meal #3 (Buca)

- salmon with garlic pesto sauce
- garlic mashed red potatoes
- caprese
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 170

15 units lantus


Sunday, March 28, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 100

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 30 oz. mixed veggies
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 105

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 2 T coconut oil
- 20 asparagus spears
- 1.5 T olive oil
- 8 oz. baked potato
- 18 oz. sauteed onion
- 2 T butter
- 3 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 177

Totals: 3000 kcals

  • Fat: 228g
  • Carb: 150g
  • Protein: 116g

15 units lantus




Saturday, March 27, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.5
Glucose: 121

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. mixed veggies
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 121

Meal #2

- 6 turkey sausage links
- 6 slices proscuitto
- 16 oz. tomato
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 158

Meal #3 (not prepared by me so I don't know exact measurements)

- beef tenderloin
- brussel sprouts
- baked potato
- olive oil
- butter
- sauteed onions
- home-made apple sauce with cinnamon
- 2 units novalin

90 min: 147

15 units lantus


Friday, March 26, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 163

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. mixed veggies
- 2 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1 T butter
- 3 units novalin

1 Hour: 153

Meal #2

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 16 asparagus spears
- 8 oz. red potatoes
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 121

Meal #3

- 6 turkey sausage links
- ~ 7 oz. tomato
- ~ 9 oz. broccoli
- ~ 15 oz. green beans
- 2 brussel sprouts
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 193

Totals: 3000 kcals
  • Fat: 214g
  • Carb: 163g
  • Protein: 140g

15 units lantus




Thursday, March 25, 2010

Recent Headlines...

Some recent headlines I thought some of you might be interested in. Enjoy.

Leptin Therapy in Animal Models Shows Promise for Type 1 Diabetes - ScienceDaily.com

"UT Southwestern researchers, using mouse models, found that leptin administered instead of insulin showed better management of blood-sugar variability and lipogenesis, the conversion of simple sugars into fatty acids. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of body weight."

"Benefits of letpin's glucose-lowering action appear to involve the suppression of glucagon. Normally, glucagon is released when the glucose level in the blood is low, thanks to supervision by insulin release from neighboring cells. In insulin deficiency situations, however, glucagon levels are inappropriately high and cause the liver to release excessive amounts of glucose into the bloodstream. This action is opposed by insulin, which tells the body's cells to remove sugar from the
bloodstream."


How Weight-Loss Surgery Reverses Type 2 Diabetes: New Study Offers Explanation - ScienceDaily.com

"It has been thought that reduction of blood sugar, which indicates a reversal of type 2 diabetes, in patients following bariatric surgery was due to post-surgery weight loss," Havel said. "This study, however, supports the observations from a number of earlier clinical studies reporting that diabetes is often improved prior to substantial weight loss. It also suggests that endocrine changes in hormones produced by the gastrointestinal tract may contribute to the early effects of bariatric surgery, in addition to the later effects of weight loss."

"In addition, results from the study also demonstrated that the ileal interposition surgery increases production of bile acids, which are involved in fat metabolism and can increase the production of GLP-1, the hormone that improves insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity," Havel said. "This could contribute to the delay in the onset of type 2 diabetes that we observed in the rats in this study."


New Form of Insulin Can Be Inhaled Rather Than Injected - ScienceDaily.com


Back in the Saddle Again...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 146

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 201 (2 units novalin)

Meal #2

- 6 turkey sausage links
- ~ 8 oz. asparagus
- ~ 10 oz. tomato
- ~ 8 oz. broccoli
- 2 brussel sprouts
- ~ 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 122

Meal #3

- 6 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 4 slices proscuitto
- 21 oz. mixed veggies
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 142

Meal #4

- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 5 oz. tomato
- 2 oz. pickles

Totals: 2840 kcals

  • Fat: 199g
  • Carb: 144g
  • Protein: 152g

13 units lantus




Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hiatus

I will be out of town for a few days and therefore will probably not be posting much - if at all - until next week sometime.


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

You are getting verrrrrry sleeeepy.....

In the past 24-36 hours I have seen a substantial increase in both fasting and post-prandial glucose readings. Only two things have changed in that time frame.
  • Not ingesting my usual ~3g/day of fish oil
  • Only getting ~ 5 hours of sleep the last 2 nights
The fish oil could have a role - although I would believe it to be very minor if anything - due to upsetting the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. I tend to believe that was more at play a week back or so where I had a ~48 hour window of elevated readings after ingesting a serious amount of bacon the few days prior to those readings - but not so much now.
I think the larger culprit may be - hopefully - the lack of sleep I have gotten in the past 48 hours. Then today in my inbox I find this - How Much Do You Need to Sleep Every Night to Prevent Weight Gain? (Mercola.com). The article states:

In one study, researchers found people who received
only four hours of sleep a night
for two nights experienced:
  • 18 percent reduction in leptin
  • 28 percent increase in ghrelin

Well, if such a short period of sleep deprivation can effect these two hormones to such a degree - and knowing how inter-connected the endocrine system is even in our current feable understanding of it - then it's not far fetched that it would also have a marked effect on other hormones such as insulin, glucogon, etc.
Some may see these changes in leptin and ghrelin as unhealthy or some defect at first glance - but maybe not?
If you put stock in the premise that food is medicine - maybe this is simply the bodies' acute response to compensate for the sleep deprivation in order to maintain homeostasis?
"You aren't getting enough rest and repair through sleep, so I am going to increase your appetite to ingest more nutrients to try and make up the difference!"
Just as it is a normal, healthy response by the body to release insulin after ingesting carbohydrates - maybe these leptin and ghrelin changes work in a similar fashion? Maybe it only becomes unhealthy or damaging when we never remove the underlying stimulus for their occurance...and the changes progress from being ACUTE - to CHRONIC?!
And then - Frequent Napping Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Older Adults - ScienceDaily.com. Again, maybe the napping is a natural response to compensate for a lack of sleep? Maybe the correlation with diabetes stems from a variety of factors - ones that would be common in a lifestyle with sleep deprivation?
Too often it seems we mistake and misunderstand the workings of the bodies' responses in terms of acute vs. chronic!
I will be concentrating on getting back to a full-nights sleep tonight and see what happens.


Today's Numbers..

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 189

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 6 oz. red potato
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 3 units novalin

1 Hour: 205


Monday, March 15, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 139

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 1 ear corn on corb
- 1 piece Ezekial Cinn/Raisin Bread
- 1 T butter
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 3 units novalin

1 Hour: 189*

* I seem to have a faily consistent ~50 pt. spike when I have Ezekial Bread. It was the last piece of the loaf, so that may be MY last piece.

Meal #2

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 16 oz. tomato
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 1/2 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 162

Meal #3 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 16 asparagus spears
- 8 oz. red potato
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 3 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 3 oz. pickles
- 2 slices proscuitto
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 128

Totals: 3600 kcals
  • Fat: 279g
  • Carb: 127g
  • Protein: 163g

12 units lantus.




Sunday, March 14, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 138

Meal #1

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 16 asparagus spears
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 1.5 T butter
- 1.5 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 146

Meal #2

- 1 package coleman bacon
- 12 oz. baked potato
- 8 oz. tomato
- 18 oz. sauteed onions
- 4 T butter
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 7 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 3 units novalin

1 Hour: 199*

* double my usual serving of baked potato. the sauteed onions seemed to raise it yesterday as well. some combo of the two at play?

Totals: 2975 kcals
  • Fat: 212g
  • Carb: 134g
  • Protein: 137g

15 units of lantus.




Saturday, March 13, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.8
Glucose: 124

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 14 asparagus spears
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 1/2 T butter
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 127

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 8 oz. red potatoes
- 21 asparagus spears
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 T coconut oil
- 2 units

1 Hour: 102

Meal #3

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 18 oz. sauteed onions
- 2 T butter
- 8 oz. tomato
- 3 oz. pickles
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 150

Meal #4

- 5.5 oz. mozzarella cheese

Totals: 3900 kcals

  • Fat: 299g
  • Carb: 139g
  • Protein: 175g

12 units lantus




Friday, March 12, 2010

Today's Numbers..

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 123

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 18 asparagus spears
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/2 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 145

Meal #2

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 27 asparagus spears
- 10 oz. tomato
- 6 oz. red potatoes
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 1 oz. pickles
- 3 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 128

Totals: 2600 kcals
  • Fat: 202g
  • Carb: 102g
  • Protein: 108g

10 units of lantus tonight.




Thursday, March 11, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 98.1
Glucose: 126

Meal #1

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 14 oz. broccoli
- 6 asparagus spears
- 1 T butter
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 127

Meal #2 (trained 3 hrs. prior/biked 3 mi. to work)

- 3 oz. salmon
- 6 turkey sausage links
- ~1.5 T butter
- ~ 23 oz. broccoli
- ~ 23 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 14 oz. tomato
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 118

Totals: 1900 kcals

  • Fat: 107g
  • Carb: 129g
  • Protein: 125g

Going with 7 units of lantus tonight considering the caloric intake and the addition of 6 mi. of biking.




Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 122

Meal #1

- 1.4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 16 oz. broccoli
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 1.5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 164

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 8 oz. baked potato
- 8 oz. sauteed onion
- 14 asparagus spears
- 2 T coconut oil
- 2 T butter
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 159

Meal #3

- ~ 1 lb. hamburger
- ~ 18 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 10 oz. broccoli
- ~ .5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 128

Totals: 3400 kcals
  • Fat: 233g
  • Carb: 157g
  • Protein: 193g

Going with 10 units of lantus tonight.




Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.8
Glucose: 60

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 1/5 T butter
- 1 unit novalin

1 Hour: 97

Meal #2

- 6 turkey sausage links
- 4 slices prosciutto
- ~ 24 oz. broccoli
- ~ 12 oz. tomato
- 4 pats butter
- 8 oz. baked potato
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 130

Totals: 2250 kcals
  • Fat: 144g
  • Carb: 158g
  • Protein: 114g

Only used 3 units of novalin today; and finishing up with only 7 units of lantus.




Monday, March 8, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 99

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 1 ear corn on cob
- 11 oz. green beans
- 1.5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 87

Meal #2

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 98

Meal #3 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 8 oz. sauteed onion
- 9 asparagus spears
- 6 oz. red potatoes
- 2 oz. pickles
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 2 T coconut oil
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 147

Totals: 3300 kcals
  • Fat: 252g
  • Carb: 145g
  • Protein: 126g



Sunday, March 7, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.8
Glucose: 156

Meal #1

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- 20 oz. green beans
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 160

Meal #2

- 1/2 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 17 oz. broccoli
- 7 oz. green beans
- 7 asparagus spears
- 6 oz. red potatoes
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 131

Totals: 2250 kcals
  • Fat: 144g
  • Carb: 124g
  • Protein: 136g



Saturday, March 6, 2010

"Conventional wisdom has dictated that fat from red meat is a risk factor for heart disease, but ..."

...So starts an article I came across this morning - "Processed Meat May Harm the Heart" - Healthday. The sentence finishes as follows:

"...a new analysis from Harvard researchers finds it's eating processed meat -- not unprocessed red meat -- that increases the risk for heart disease and even diabetes."

Other notable passages:

..."The researchers found that people who ate unprocessed red meat did not significantly increase their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes. However, eating processed meat was linked to an increased risk for the two conditions.

In fact, for every 50-gram (1.8-ounce) serving, the risk for heart disease jumped 42 percent and the risk for diabetes increased 19 percent."

and..

"When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed meats and processed meats eaten in the U.S., we found that they contained similar amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol," Micha said. "In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times higher amounts of sodium and two times higher amounts of nitrate preservatives."

This suggests that salt and other preservatives, rather than fats, probably explain the higher risk for heart attacks and diabetes seen with processed meats, Micha said.

Going well so far. Then...

...Both red and processed meat and other foods, such as butter and cheese, that are high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic disease, Heller said, adding that people should limit consumption of them as well.

"Going low- or no-fat with dairy products helps lower our intake of saturated fat," she said. "Choosing healthy protein sources -- such as white-meat poultry, low-mercury fish, soy, nuts and beans -- and focusing on moving in the direction of a more plant-based diet will help us all live longer, healthier lives."

Gotta take the good with the bad as the saying goes.


Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.9
Glucose: 152*

* Only 7 units of Lantus for the third night in row last night; looks like I will be going back to 15.

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 20 oz. green beans
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 172

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 6 oz. red potatoes
- 10 asparagus spears
- 2 T coconut oil
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 100

Meal #3

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 24 oz. broccoli
- 1 T butter
- 4 oz. tomato
- 2.5 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz. pickles
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 199/172*

* Took 2 readings. First one of 199 didn't seem logical, so immediate second test read 172 - bad still yet a bit more believeable. We'll see how things go in the morning. Back to the usual 15 units of Lantus tonight.

Totals: 3150
  • Fat: 235g
  • Carb: 136g
  • Protein: 142g



Friday, March 5, 2010

Today's Numbers...

Temp: 98
Glucose: 132*

* Only used 7 units of Lantus for the 2nd night in a row.

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 17 oz. green beans
- 1 piece Ezekial Bread
- 1.5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 180

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 20 asparagus spears
- 6 oz. red potatoes
- 2 T coconut oil
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 71

Meal #3

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 3.5 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 32 oz. broccoli
- 2/5 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 140

Meal #4

- 3.5 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz. pickles
- 4 oz. tomato


Totals: 4050 kcals

  • Fat: 303g
  • Carbs: 176g
  • Protein 184g



Thursday, March 4, 2010

Stomaching Diabetes

Just thinking out loud for a bit...

Two articles I came across today:

Georgetown Hoyas' leading scorer has diabetes - ESPN.com

and

Book deal is sweet success for Stacey Harris a local 'Diabetic Pastry Chef' - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

What I found interesting about the above articles is that in both cases the people in question were originally admitted/treated for a "stomach virus", and a "stomach ailment", respectively. Go in for a tummy ache; come out with diabetes. I found the similarity odd, as I have never had a stomach issue in the 3+ years I have dealt with high glucose/diabetes. I have no idea what significance, if any, there is to this...just food for thought I suppose.

UPDATE: Thinking back, I did have one 3-4 day stretch where I DEFINATELY had a stomach bug ( I had the super-flu!) - but it was at least 2 years after I first already had noticed my blood sugar issues. I want to say it was last year actually. It was something passed around at work. That is the last time I remember being sick at all in years; and I seem to remember not being effected as severely as some of my co-workers. Completely un-related in my opinion, but I figured full-disclosure(well, as much as you wanted about the specifics about what happens when you have the flu on steroids) was best.


Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.6
Glucose: 109

Meal #1

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- ~ 12 oz. broccoli
- ~ 8 oz. carrots
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 138

Meal #2

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 1/4 can coconut milk
- 2 T butter
- 2 slices proscuitto
- 6 oz. baked potato
- ~10 oz. broccoli
- ~5 oz. carrots
- ~1 oz. cauliflower
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 97

Meal #3

- ~ 1 lb. polish kielbasa
- ~ 24 oz. tomatoes
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 153*

I have some thoughts about why this reading is higher which I will try to comment on either tonight or tommorrow.

Totals: 3300 kcals

  • Fat: 232g
  • Carb: 142g
  • Protein: 180g

Only going with 7 units of Lantus again after seeing no ill effects this morning.




Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Today's Numbers....

Temp: 97.9
Glucose: 111

Meal #1

- 1/4 lb. grass fed beef
- 1 oz. provolone cheese
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 20 oz. mixed vegetables
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 103

Meal #2 (trained prior)

- 3 egg omelet
- 2 oz. mexican cheese
- 18 asparagus spears
- 6 oz. baked potato
- 1 T butter
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T coconut oil
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 137

Meal #3

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- ~ 12 oz. tomato
- ~ 12 oz. broccoli
- ~ 12 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 4 oz. snap peas
- ~ 4 oz. yellow carrots
- ~ 2 oz. yellow squash
- ~ 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 112

Totals: 3000 kcals
  • Fat: 193g
  • Carb: 162g
  • Protein: 160g

Only going with 7 units a lantus again tonight out of curiosity




Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Are we focusing too much on how MUCH we eat; and ignoring how OFTEN?

Those of you following along for a while have noticed a marked improvement in both my fasting and post-prandial glucose control over the past 3-4 weeks. This despite decreasing insulin use by about 1/3, enjoying potatoes, and ingesting meals that have exceeded 75g of carbohydrate and/or 1500kcals in one sitting. While surely many interacting variables are at play, I strongly believe decreasing the FREQUENCY of my meals has had a significant positive effect.

Specifically, I have been aiming for the following:
  • At least 4 hours between meals
  • At least 12 hours between my last meal of the day and the following mornings breakfast
To recap, I had previously attempted the High Everything Diet(HED) and had not seen much improvement at the time - though maybe mostly because I ended up discovering I seem to be Type I and not Type II. But maybe I was too quick to judge....
A couple of the main tenants of the HED are to:
  • Eat whenever hungry
  • Eat until satisfaction
The key being to ingest REAL, nutrient dense foods - while avoiding processed foods, Omega-6 fats, and large quantities of fructose. Prior to, and throughout the month on the HED, I definately felt the need to eat every 3 hours or less. I was seemingly ALWAYS hungry. A few things were possibly to blame:
  • Prior to HED - Unintentially starving myself while going low-carb. Essentially, not replacing the lost carb calories with sufficient calories from fat.
  • The nutrients I was ingesting possibly not ever making it to their proper destination due to a lack of insulin to drive it home.
  • I question whether I was eating to satisfaction as well as I was eating whenever hungry.
At that point, the idea of going more than 3 hours between meals - or going 12+ hours overnight - seemed unattainable. I decided to bag the HED experiment and begin to use a little bit of insulin with each meal; as opposed to my doctor's recommendations to use it whenever I have a reading >200mg/dl. Not letting it get to 200 mg/dl in the first place seemed to make more sense to me - no I don't know why it took me a month to realize this!
I also began to really focus on eating to satisfaction - regardless of how many calories and grams of protein may have been in the meals. It was also during this time I got turned on to brown rice and coconut milk by Matt Stone of 180DegreeHealth. What I found interesting about both of these foods is that they are outstanding sources of maganese and magnesium - nutrients that even on HED I was failing to meet even RDA levels. I can only imagine how woefully inadequate my intake on these vital nutrients was for years.....decades prior! The reason being they are both involved with glucose metabolism and/or insulin resistance/sensitivity. The role of magnesium was covered wonderfully by Stephen at Whole Health Source recently.
Then....
Suddenly I began to realize I just wasn't hungry near as often. Times in between meals began to slowly grow larger and larger. I was going 4, 5, 6 - even sometimes up to 8 hours between meals! Maybe there was some healing going on during HED afterall?!
It was during this time I also noticed how differently I felt when not sitting as much. The more I sat at work, the hungrier I became. The less I sat - you guessed it - simply not hungry. Just an observation at this point - but interesting nonethless.
Things were occuring in waves. I next came across an interesting mainstream health article(for the life of me I cannot find now; was either through Yahoo or MSN surprisingly). The title of which was something along the lines of "Eat MORE to lose weight?" If somebody can find it; please link!
In this study, the researchers fed two groups of rats or monkeys(can't remember which) EQUAL amounts of calories. One group was allowed unlimited access to the food - allowing them to essentially eat constantly throughout the day. The second group was only allowed access to the food at specific time intervals; up to 12 hours between in some cases. I fould the results interesting. Not because of the group that had unlimited access to the food gained weight, but more interestingly because that same group also developed some negative bio-markers in the liver as well! Remember, total caloric intake was equal between the two groups.
All the while during this time, I could see more and more signs of a healed metabolism. The checks and balances that are so lacking in those weight weight problems and other issues I was begining to see work their magic. All the sudden I didn't feel the need to be ingesting 3000kcals or more to be full that day. I could eat 2300 kcals and be totally satisfied; stuffed even. If I did have a day with a large caloric load, the next day my body seemed to correct itself by just asking for that much less. It was working like it is supposed to! The constant feeling of hunger was long gone.
The waves kept rolling in. Just this week I came across a new blog with some nice content - The Lean Saloon. The entry that struck a chord with me was - "In Response to A Fat-Loss Client" from Febuary 24th. The following passage captures my current feelings...
"As such, I have found long-term success in eating fewer times per day. I also make sure most of the food is nutrient-rich — mostly vegetables, fruits, and meats. This may help to preserve optimal health while in a calorie deficit. Beyond this I still enjoy some sinful food — or what’s the point?!

Our culture is conditioned to eat 4 to 6 meals a day, believing this stabilizes blood sugar, maintains muscle, speeds up metabolism, etc. But no scientific evidence can demonstrate these factors to be different in fewer meals a day.

From a metabolic standpoint, there are no advantages to spreading 1, 2, or 3 meals over more smaller meals throughout the day.

People who eat 5 or 6 meals per day are still overweight. Bodybuilders who eat 5 or 6 meals are still fat in the off-season, and are lean only when they “diet down” for a competition, typically by eating fewer calories. "
And then today... "Snacks mean U.S. kids move toward constand eating." lays possibly even more blame at the feet of more frequent feedings:


"This raises the question of whether the physiological basis for eating is becoming deregulated, as our children are moving toward constant eating."
While my recent experiences may be nothing more than random happenings, closing in on a month of fairly consistent improvement leaves me optimisitic there is more to explore and learn from the specific issues I have addressed today.





Today's Numbers...

Temp: 97.7
Glucose: 105*

* only used 7 units of Lantus last night again compared to the usual 15.

Meal #1

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- 20 oz. vegetable mix(broc/cauliflower/carrots)
- 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 152

Meal #2

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- 16 oz. vegetable mix(broc/cauliflower/carrots)
- 6 oz. baked potato
- 2 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 126

Meal #3

- 7 oz. rotisserie chicken
- ~ 18 oz. broccoli
- ~ 18 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 8 oz. tomato
- ~ 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 158
2 Hour: 141

Totals: 2400 kcals
  • Fat: 120g
  • Carb: 161g
  • Protein: 189g



Monday, March 1, 2010

Today's Numbers..

Temp: 97.5
Glucose 114

Meal #1

- 5 sausage patties
- 1 piece Ezekial Cinn/Raisin Bread
- 1/2 T butter
- 14 asparagus spears
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 slices prosciutto
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 170

Meal #2

- 1/2 lb. hamburger
- 4 hot dogs
- ~ 18 oz. tomato
- ~ 17 oz. broccoli
- ~ 10 oz. cauliflower
- ~ 1 T butter
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 121

Meal #3

- 6 oz salmon
- 1/2 pound sirloin
- house salad
- ~ 1 T oil & vinegar
- 6 oz. broccoli
- 2 units novalin

1 Hour: 86

Totals: 3800 kcals
  • Fat: 269g
  • Carb: 128g
  • Protein: 229g