I would like to talk a little bit about indoctrination. Specifically, edification in the world of diabetes. When I was first diagnosed, and for the first six years of my life, I didn’t really understand what it meant to have diabetes. My doctor told me to change my diet, exercise, and that I might eventually need medication. Having been involved in yoga and healthy living since I was 19 years old, I have been taught that drugs are always a last resort and should be avoided at all costs. That’s why I was so scared to start taking insulin. When I got my first shot, I almost passed out, but for the next few weeks I had severe anxiety every time I got a shot.
I finally get the point. Insulin saved my life. When I reached out to online diabetes communities to learn more about managing insulin through diet, I was recommended to read several books that emphasized something called the Law of Decimals. The less insulin I took, the less I had to worry about. In addition to that, my primary care physician recommended that I go on a ketogenic diet.
I’m someone who likes to be in the driver’s seat while protecting my health, so I followed everyone’s advice. I wholeheartedly embraced low-carb living. I did everything by the book. I restricted my diet, took as little insulin as possible, and exercised intensely. From the outside I looked happy, my health was perfect, my blood sugar and HBA1c were perfect.
Internally, my rigid regime and lack of flexibility was slowly eating away at my confidence. Eventually my body started saying, “Oh my god.” Endless digestive issues, insulin resistance, and a sense of hopelessness when it came to food, to the point where I stood at my local health food store staring longingly at everything I knew was beyond me. It reached its climax. I rushed back to the Facebook groups that supported me, seeking familiarity and reassurance. Despite my disappointment, they told me to “get over it.” Donuts are feminine!
Edification 101: If you think it’s true, there are probably plenty of other people who also think it’s true. Fact and fiction become factions.alienation and Exclusive It’s a cornered state with no way out other than to keep banging your head against the same proverbial wall. Until you bleed too much to miss.
That was the turning point for me. No matter how much you want to believe that restricting yourself is the way to avoid all the pitfalls of living with diabetes, there are many people living with diabetes who manage their blood sugar levels just fine without restrictions. I couldn’t help but notice this. How did these guys do it? What was their secret? Why didn’t they shout about it from the rooftops? Because those guys moved on with their lives. And happily.
I also wanted to be one of those people, but now Reach out and get support I needed to be one of them. There are no fancy diet methods or tips. Don’t try to instill a different diet. You just make decisions based on understanding how your body responds to food and exercise. Lots of experimentation, lots of failures, scary moments of stepping out of my comfort zone, and lots of acceptance.
I eat toast and avocado and sweet potatoes and potatoes and watch the flat line come back on the meter. By creating recipes and trying foods I thought I would never eat again, I gained confidence and became much more comfortable in this state.
With great respect,
RAkel
