Blood Sugar Issues: What's a Foodie to Do?

Recently, I've been more serious about dealing with my slightly elevated fasting blood sugar levels. I have a strong family history of Type 2 diabetes, and had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my 18 year old daughter, and am overweight, so having blood sugar issues didn't come as any surprise. I don't rise to the level of actual diabetes, but am in the broad, and often undiagnosed, category of pre-diabetic.

Over the last month, through regular testing and experimenting with foods, I've figured out ways to keep my sugars within normal range, which may even keep me out of the pre-diabetic category. I've discovered that I just can't eat at all after 8 pm, If I want to have a <100 morning/fasting sugar level. I've also lost ten pounds in the last month - yay!

As is the case with all diabetics, both pre- and full-fledged, carbohydrates in the diet are problematic for me. This is not to say that I can't eat any carbs at all, but especially since weight loss is a continuing goal, I'm being pretty careful. Fortunately, I like vegetables, and although they do contain carbs, most of them are pretty much "free" food. I also like a huge variety of meats, fishes, nuts, dairy, and shellfish, so it's not all that hard to stick to this way of eating.

The nutritionist at the Bloomington Diabetes Center, and many current recommendations allow up to 45 grams of carbs per meal. For me, 45 grams per meal stops my weight loss dead in its tracks, so I stay below that number. I do obsessively read labels and have a number of calorie and carb counting websites bookmarked, and have confronted this problem as yet another area that I can conquer through information gathering and compulsive record keeping. In other words, it's right up my alley!

So for the next months, I plan to use this blog to share recipes I create, and information I discover. Up front disclaimer: I'm no nutritionist, so I make no claims about exact carb counts, etc. in any recipe; my goal is to share ideas for really tasty foods that are working for me. I also hope that I may keep myself accountable through regular sharing. I ask y'all for your support through this ongoing experiment that is life.