Saturday = Grilling Party!

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So…remember that time when Seth was at sea and I tried to light the grill and almost blew myself up? Me neither. But I feel like my grilling skills are improving.

I decided last Saturday I’d try again. Grill lighting, went perfect, but even better was the food (crazy to think this is all for me, hahahaha). But hey, I’ve been eating leftovers for lunch and breakfast all week long…which makes life a whole lot easier. Plus, I get to be outside on a Saturday evening in my backyard (which is newly landscaped), with my awesome next door neighbors and their amazing kids! Sounds like a win for me 🙂

I grilled 4 veggie boats: 1 with purple potatoes, white onion and garlic; 2nd with eggplant and carrots; 3rd with tri-color peppers, mushrooms and garlic; and last, I decided to put the rest of the large bag of whole garlic cloves I had into it’s own foil boat and see how it came out. Hands down, the garlic became so sweet and slightly charred, I can’t wait to do that again. It also was really good smeared on my steak!! So I ate all of that, that night. Ooops.IMG_4690[1]IMG_4691[1]IMG_4696[1]IMG_4693[1]IMG_4728[1]

I also grilled a prime filet from a local butcher shop, Iowa Meat Farms (shout out for Iowa, my home state that I miss dearly!). I complimented that with a side of grassfed butter for “sauce.” Don’t fear the fat.
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Diabetes Blog Week Day 5 – Diabetes Life Hacks

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Our Friday #DBlogWeek topic is one I find really fun – Diabetes Life Hacks.  Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes, everything from clothing modifications, serving size/carb counting tricks to the tried and true Dexcom-in-a-glass trick or the “secret” to turning on a Medtronic pump’s backlight when not on the home-screen (scroll to the bottom of this post). Please remember to give non-medical advice only! (Thank you Rachel of Probably Rachel and Kelley of Below Seven for this topic suggestion.)  

Non-medical: I’m paleo. I didn’t transition to the lifestyle because of diabetes, but for other reasons and much to my surprise it completely transformed my life with diabetes and overall health. As a result, I ended up becoming super passionate (curious and fascinated) about food, and what it does to our bodies. I blog about it, guest blog/write about it, and am inundated with emails about it. I can’t tell you the last time I counted food, calories, or saw crazy up and down swings in blood sugar. Not to mention, it really helped me lose weight even while supplementing insulin, and with another auto-immune disease that adds more difficulty. Totally awesome!

Diabetes Blog Week Day 4 – Mantras and More

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Today we are getting back to the positive with our topic Mantras and More. Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s share what gets you through a hard day? Or, more specifically, a hard diabetes day? Something positive you tell yourself, or mantras, or what you fall back on to get you through. Maybe we’ve done that and we can help others do it too? (Thanks to Meri of Our Diabetic Life for suggesting this topic.)

I have to think positively about diabetes. It isn’t always easy, and for a long time I didn’t. I don’t really have a go-to or fall back, it’s just been changing my thought patterns and views on living with diabetes. Being controlling and focusing on all the hiccups that come with living with this disease, did far more harm to my physical and mental health, than I thought. Once I relinquished that need to control, and just accept the tough times, things drastically improved.

It is what it is, it won’t go away, so I’ve accepted it 🙂

Diabetes Blog Week Day 3 – What Brings me Down

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Our topic for today is What Brings Me Down.  May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope? (Thanks go out to Scott of Strangely Diabetic for coordinating this topic.)

What brings me down with regard to diabetes? Honestly? Quite a few things, but probably not what most would first think.

One: Diabetes drama in different groups/clubs/networks, etc. It isn’t about what kind of diabetes you have, how you manage it, how involved you are, we all have diabetes, can’t we all just support one another? Why is it a competition? I absolutely hate the finger pointing, the negativity, attacking. Quite frankly, it’s discouraging to me.

Two: I get really fired up, once or twice a year, when I get stuck in the “my disease is a business” mindset. It’s a very unique position to be in when you’re diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 25, are very involved with JDRF (in many capacities), work in the diabetes industry, and try to navigate the intricacies of DoD insurance. I continue to devote time, effort and money to varying organizations that are helping to improve technologies, and ultimately, find a cure. However, diabetes is one of the BIGGEST businesses in this country, and when our society continues to be reactive with regard to health, rather than proactive, I get very discouraged that a cure will be found at any point, because our economy would take a huge hit. Sad, but really, true. Again, this only crosses my mind on occasion and it’s usually short lived, but still. Ugh.

Three: I do not get depressed from the physical aspect of having diabetes. What I do get depressed about, is the mental and psychological aspect that we as individuals with diabetes live with on a non-stop basis, and will for the rest of our lives. Nobody really sees or understands diabetes, a very big portion of the time. It’s carrying that constant burden of such demand that really is just fucking depressing! My numbers, are great. I know how to manage my stress, fine. But my brain? It takes a beating.

Diabetes Blog Week Day 2 – Poetry

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Our topic today is Poetry Tuesday.  This year, Diabetes Blog Week and TuDiabetes are teaming up to bring out the poet in you! Write a poem, rhyme, ballad, haiku, or any other form of poetry about diabetes. After you’ve posted it on your blog, share it on the No Sugar Added® Poetry page on TuDiabetes, and read what others have shared there as well!

I wrote a haiku inspired by a couple traumatic low blood sugars I’ve had – when the air was so heavy I couldn’t breathe, and sat in a puddle of sweat wondering if I’d make it through to the other side:

Confusion sets in.
Air is heavy on my shoulders.
Blood sugar 39.