Schweppes is a mark, not a drink

I believed, Schweppes is a drink. I compared it a few days ago to CocaCola, and was happy it has no sugar in it and liked its taste.

No more Coke for me! And I do not like the taste of Diet Coke either, so I did buy a few box of Schweppes.

What was my disappointment, to see, I got Ginger Ale, sweet, in small bottles, as much sugar in it as in Coke, and Soda wnoater with no taste, in big bottles, that had not the nice bitter taste.

By that time, I learned to look at the small words, this one I got back finally is Slimline Tonic Water, as the Tonic Water without "Slimline" was full of sugar too.

I begin to see also, when I order online, as I buy very little directly, I can go down and the can see the back, the informations. Just have to take more time.

Experiences, experiences, learning from mistakes.

Different places fat can be located

Usually, upper or lower stomach, I believe it depends also on our sex: male or female. Of course, the important is to loose, at least some of it! 

Even if I believe now only more or less at Weight Watchers, I will go to see again. Every time, I went, I did loose, slowly, well, then... I gained it back. Here are a list of "zero point" foods from WW:

zero point food WW I took from the list, only those I know

DAIRY & EGGS

Hen eggs Yogurt, fat-free, plain (including Greek & Skyr) Yogurt, plain

ALL UNSMOKED FISH & SHELLFISH – FRESH, FROZEN OR TINNED IN WATER

Bream, red or black Cod Crab Dover sole Haddock Halibut Herring Lemon sole Mackerel

Oysters Rainbow trout Red snapper (Red sea bream) Rock salmon Roll mop herring

Salmon Sardines Scallops Sea bass Seafood selection Shrimps Soft herring roe Swordfish Trout Tuna Turbot

Tinned 

Drained Mackerel in brine Pink or red salmon Sardines in brine, drained Tuna in brine, drained Tuna in springwater, drained zero point food WW

DAIRY & EGGS

Hen eggs     Yogurt, fat-free, plain (including Greek & Skyr) Yogurt, plain

POULTRY 

Chicken breast Turkey breast Chicken breast mince Chicken breast, skinless Turkey breast mince Turkey breast, skinless

FRUIT & VEGETABLES – FRESH, FROZEN, PICKLED & TINNED

All fruit, fresh, frozen or tinned in natural juice or water, drained

Most vegetables fresh, frozen or tinned without oil or sugar*

ALL LEGUMES – FRESH, FROZEN OR TINNED WITHOUT OIL OR SUGAR :

Butter beans Chick peas Flageolet beans Fresh beans Green beans Haricot beans Kidney beans Lentils, green or brown Lentils, split red Tinned beans Yellow split peas

Some fruits and vegetables contain SmartPoints values, these are:

Avocados Olives Parsnips Sweet potato

Food, discoveries, testing

That is from a recipe I read just a day ago, scrambled eggs between two avocado halves.

I added to it as dessert half banana, yesterday evening.

This morning, I made myself oatmeal with whole milk, frozen blueberries to cool it, and a small banana cut on the top. Sweetener, in powder. 

Coffee, without milk. 

Obsessed with food? I experiment.

Metformin

I did had to get used to Metformin, and the idea that I will have to take it all my life, probably. The second week was most difficult. Then learned to take it in middle of meal. 

Here is what the UK Diabetes writes about it. And more...

So, information exist. We just have to find it and apply it. Most importantly, get peace with it.

Eat or not eat

Ryan Taylor slides, this is where he begins. He adds to each food tasting great even as we look!

Salmon? I like and I even have one waiting, but till yesterday, I did not realise how good and tasty it can be when properly prepared! Annelise does it on tomatoes, so it becomes as poached, steamed.

Butter? I am still flabbergasted: butter, not at all or eat and use it.

Berries are a bit expensive but great. This morning, I did have grapefruit - not juice.

Brocoli with a bit of cheese, salmon poached in tomatoes

Today, I was offered a great lunch and learned how tasty a meal can be. Just knowing how to.

I also tasted in the morning oats with unsweetened cocoa, ah ah! And my granddaughter offered me a box of it. No added sugar, no sweetened. In the evening I tried some, but without sweetener or salt, it had no taste, have yet to understand how their was a lot better.

It is worth experimenting and learning how to do food that can be also enjoyed.

Red meat or not? Milk or not,?

Eat this, do not eat this! Eat that, oh no, you should not.  All what they say in different places, is confusing.
OK,  all say, berries are good, avocado and carrots and that eating fruit is ok, but not their juice. 

Rye bread better then whole. 

Here a lunch, one egg, salad, vegetables, a very thin slice of olive bread and  some humus.

All berries ok, said some, other wrote, only blue and raspberries.

So, no strawberries? Here three cut so they look a lot.

Butter? Some source wrote better then margarine others don’t touch it. So?

So many kind of fats, saturated and non saturated, good or bad, no fats at all said some source, some fat is necessary other.

Different proteins, some ok, some not. Others say, small potatoes ok, big ones no. Potatoes, cold in salad best then fresh.

All I read begins to be more and more confusing. 

I finally did buy, what one book suggested, some almond milk, which is not milk, but why milk should not be good? And is really "whole milk" best then "skimmed or semi skimmed"?
So many questions! Some are consistent, others confusing. Grains? yes Grains no. Are almonds, nuts grains? I would like, go towards eating more healthy, but what is it?

Smaller portions, ok, I put them in a smaller plate to so they seem a lot! And put on a big plate only when combining lots of vegetables. And learned not to eat all. 

Learning to eat less, well.

I am learning not only to eat less, but stop when no more hungry. And use small plates and cut food or bread, so all seems more. Happy to say that I lost lass month a few kilograms.

This seems a lot, does it not? 

After 14h fast, from 6 pm evening to 8 am morning, this is my breakfast. 1 egg, cut in four.

One olive whole bread cut in four, some olive spread, raspberries and coffee without milk.

This was yesterday, a snack, afternoon.

It was delicious, and for me, satisfying.

By the way, I tried cornflower and potatoes purée yuck! Then next meal I had them separate near each other, that was wonderful.

All proposed is not for me.

Another lunch. 2 eggs on spinach purée.

Anti age discussion, interesting.

So many things to absorbe! Books, advices, different diets proposed, videos. Here a long interesting video, I ended up buying books from both. Even if I learn one thing that helps, a few bucks, and reading on my dwindle or iPad is worth.

Symptoms, some I had

Different symptoms that a diabetes 2 can have, many before the diagnosis.
Did not have ALL these symptoms, but many of them. And was not aware it means Diabetes 2.

How can I read so much, plus write two different blogs posts every day?

Did not vomit.

How could my doctors diagnose it as the UK at least my GP cabinet let me tell only ONE problem at a time?

Recent Kindle books

Just begun to read theme. Do you know any? Did you try? Today, I Also. Spoke about my. Experience. Very well. Received.

Lunch: Sardines in tomato sauce, boiled eggs, no more Coke

Rye bred, Sardines, blueberry and my pill - I begun to experiment. My weight begin. s to go down, slowly.

Portions small, but tasty. Usually, food I like. I did not digest well this last meal: egg was boiled 3 days before, was that the problem ?

I liked, used to like Coke and Sweeps but suddenly the coke seems too sweet so what remains, will offer to be taken away. Instead, got yesterday big bottles of tonic water

How to take your glucose level?

I did buy a glucose level meter and learned the first part. When used well, picking my finger and getting a drop of blood does not feel almost at all. Then what?

I suppose I do not understood yet where to put that blood drop, or how to put the test strip with the drop in the meter. Or to put it before I add the drop or after. It is written 11.2 when I click, and before,  instead a réponse of 5 seconds, the meter displays a drop and noise, as if waiting and waiting.

 I will have to go and let someone show me how to. Pharmacy, nurse. I took today, after ten hours fast and two hours after small breakfast and no chinage. So I that must have come from once a week ago, when it did work.

NIH on diabetes

I worked in the National Institute of Health, 1977 - 1980, as after PHD researcher, Visiting Scientist. Now, it is my grandson studying pre-med in Maine, who send me the links. So many important pages! Here are some of them.

.

go and study, they are open to anyone, many many pages direct, from Bethesda, near DC. My daughter, still lives near it.

Reading about Diabetes 2

Used to read on my Kindle and find books on Amazon, I looked at many and finally chosen to read, first, these three. 

Diabetes for Dummies, a short version, written by a doctor treating patients. I do not recommend, after finishing the 70 pages. Perhaps the big, more expensive book, may be better.
The other two books I begun and love both of them. Not only great information, well written books, but both authors have humor. Humor, I need now. Will also try here. 

I begun with the Can I eat that? Its writer recommended the Type 2 Diabetes book author. Now, I read them alternately as each have different content. Both useful. They are, in my opinion, to be consumed slowly. 

Also went last week, to a longer workshop organised by Diabetes UK, they gave me a folder with two short manuals, just opened it yesterday. So much to read and understand!

A great breakfast today

I read about foods yesterday, understanding that I can still et well, just have to look for sizes and combinations etc.

This morning was a delight.

Still got some rye bread and toasted it slightly. With margarine, one hard boiled egg from my box, the rest of my pear I begun yesterday. The ¼ tomatoes remained from last night. And coffee with a little milk.

In the middle, my Metformin pill.

I begin to understand, varied foods are good to have together. And we are able to learn to enjoy small Portions but great tastes. Have to read, learn more. Then, only will I try again to use my glucose meter that use I did not yet figured really well yet out.

Was told “you have diabetes 2” - What?

What IS diabetes 2? How did I get it at this age? I  Julie, am past 85 years old and no one told me till now! Suddenly, I felt, still feel, as I am sliding in a hole, deeper and deeper.

As soon as I thing that I understand and accept one fact, I get others. Sometimes, event contradictory but for sure confusing. 

Come with me on my journey, tell me yours. Let us be less alone. 

Facts I learned and accepted relatively fast. 

1. Diabetes is hereditary can be alas come from ancestors and go to children and grandchildren.  

2. Diabetes is here to stay, can not be cured, only stopped to get worsening.
Those two were difficult to swallow and took some days. But I knew, till I do not finish thinking about and let go the old, imagined me, I will not be able to go farther.

Now what? 

The transition towards a new life will take long, and will be on the next posts. I got only a few weeks, so much more to learn and experience!