Fasting Blood Sugar: 10.2 (originally 10.5)
Blood Pressure 126/92
Weight: -6 lbs. (Total -6)
This first week has been more of an orientation than anything else. I am not following any one particular program, but crafting my own based on guidelines suggested by the plant-based medical advocates mentioned in my last post. The underlying tenet is that I am eating a low fat, high-carb diet that is mostly fruits and vegetables, raw and cooked, some whole grains, plus a handful of nuts and seeds every day. I am not counting calories and while aiming for selections with a lower glycemic-load, I am not excluding starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn or squash. I am avoiding all meat, dairy, processed food and oil.
So far, so good — A week in, my blood sugar tests fractionally better. At least it’s going down. Blood pressure is also marginally better than usual for me. The highlight is the six-pound weight loss this week.
So what does breakfast look like?
- Steel-cut oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts
- Bowl of mixed berries and a banana
- Whole grain toast with avocado, cucumber and tomato slices
- Green smoothies
Hail to the Green Smoothie as this has quickly become my go-to breakfast, especially when I’m rushing. It’s faster than juicing, nutritious, easy to throw together and I can drink it in the car. Because the whole food is blended, the fibre remains intact and for diabetics, fibre — particularly soluble fibre — slows the absorption of sugar and helps improve blood sugar levels.
There are four main steps when layering up the ingredients into the high-speed blender, from bottom to top:
- Liquids (eg: unsweetened plant milk, coconut water, filtered water)
- Fresh Solids (eg: banana, kiwi, spinach, chard, kale)
- Frozen Layer: (eg: frozen berries, peaches, pineapple, mango)
- Super Food additions: (eg: ground flax seed, hemp seed, chia, moringa or amla powder, spirulina)
If I wake up with no appetite, I just have water with lemon, then nothing until lunch. I’m trying to only eat when I’m hungry, and only until I’m satiated, not stuffed.
Finally, exercise — I have started walking every day and if I can’t walk, I jump on my Bellicon rebounder and try to close the three movement rings on my Apple watch. So far, I’ve been most successful on weekends when I have time to walk further or be more active throughout the day. Goal for next week: try to move more at work.