This week I had the pleasure to participate as a speaker in the collaborative conference held by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO). This body has been, over the past year, working to create a framework to include the voice of people living with non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions as equal co-creators of policies, programs and principles. I am honored to be part of this esteemed group of professionals who are passionate, committed advocates of public health.
If you care to, you can watch the two day conference using the links below. The two days are a mix of very short presentations and groups working to come up with how to make this “meaningful engagement,” or inclusion of our voices, happen in the most productive and sustainable way:
Two weeks ago I heard Jessie Inchauspe, who goes by the name “Glucose Goddess”, interviewed on the Dhru Purohit podcast. It’s podcast #90 released March 31st of this year. I found the content illuminating. I learned brown rice isn’t necessarily better than white regarding blood sugar rises, and eating your meal in a certain order, particularly not grabbing the bread first thing, can save you a glucose spike.
She also has an interview on YouTube, “How High Blood Sugar Wrecks Your Health.” Inchauspe is a biochemist and has long been studying the effect of food on our health. Of course it all began with her personal story of how she discovered what she ate as a teen was causing various conditions and a broken back at 19.
Much of her learning comes from wearing a CGM (as a person without diabetes) and seeing what food did to her blood sugar. When asked why a person without diabetes should bother about their glucose levels, Inchauspe says she discovered 80% of people with out diabetes do experience glucose spikes and crashes. Her motivation, she says, is to help people who don’t wear a CGM, most of the world, have more insight into how food affects their blood sugar and take actions to help avoid those spikes and crashes.
Here’s the gist, but I recommend reading the article to understand why. Inchauspe also has a book out, Glucose Revolution. I put it on hold at my local library, I think I’m number 37 on the list! Obviously lots of people want to know the details when it comes to what we eat and our blood sugar
4 Hacks
Eat Your Meal in Order (as I mentioned above). “Science shows that if you eat the constituents of a meal in a specific order, you can reduce the glucose spike of the meal by 75%,” says Inchauspe.
Put Clothes on Your Carbs. When eating carbs, eat them with some protein, fiber or fat to help lessen a blood sugar spike.
Beware of Sneaky Spikers. For example, sweetened yogurts and rice cakes.
Move your Muscles. It just takes 10 minutes of movement after a meal to steady the glucose rise.
If you’ve read my blog or articles you know I argue we can’t “control” blood sugar. That said, I’ll take every weapon in my arsenal to make it a little easier to work with.
It’s always an honor when this blog gets recognized for being among the best of the best out there. I was informed it’s been recognized among eMediHealth’s list of 18 best diabetes blogs to help manage the condition.
It’s lovely to see some of my comrades-in-arms also recognized such as Kelly Kunik of Diabetesaliciousness and Christel Oerum from Diabetes Strong. We’ve all been doing this for many years because we feel a personal passion to help others succeed.
I’m grateful to be among the lot, and humbly even more grateful for you who turn up here now and again to learn something new, and support me.
Well, it took me a week to watch this conversation I had with Dr. Char, educator, therapist and type 1 person herself, but that’s my bad. I’m not very good at watching myself.
That said, I was most pleasantly surprised. It’s a ‘cozy girlfriend chat’ (males welcome too) that covers an array of topics from resilience to diabetes friends to a particularly bad boyfriend that changed me.
So, make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, or pour a glass of your favorite wine, and come get comfy with us.
April 12th from 7 to 7:30 pm (EDT) I’ll be sharing the secrets of my success after living 50 years with diabetes. This half hour is being run by Eating For Your Health (EFYH), and I’ll share my story, sources of strength and ’lessons learned.’ It’s free, so please join me.
I’ll also offer a ‘sneak-peek’ of a 5-week diabetes program I’m doing with EFYH in May. It’s called “Nourish to Flourish: How To Live Successfully With Diabetes”. Each Tuesday an outstanding expert will share the latest information on food, activity, medication, and attitude as it relates to diabetes. In the first class, I’ll guide you, as I have done in many workshops, to discover and identify your own personal strengths. Then throughout the 5-week program you will use those strengths, and the information you receive that evening, to raise your health to a new level. I guarantee you this program is unlike any other.
Register here for April 12’s free webinar. Click here to get more information about the “Nourish To Flourish: How To Live Successfully With Diabetes” program. Why wait any longer to have better health?
Diabetes Stories 