The Big D!

[Josiah]

No I am not talking about Divorce LOL
But
Diabetes...
I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes March 21 2012. On my Native side of my family, Father, Both Grandparents, and Great Grandparents had or died from this disease. Amputations, insulin shots all become the norm. In my generation my sister was diagnosed last year! So you could say it runs in the family!
Mine was diagnosed during a routine checkup through a simple blood draw. At that time my blood sugar was 275 after fasting for more than 12 hours. My A1C was 11 (normal is less than 6). This morning I checked my blood sugar and it was 110 and 108 2 hours after breakfast my 30 day average is 128. not bad for a Diabetic but here is the kicker: I am not on medication...

Diet alone can control Diabetes! The hard part is sticking to it...
Frybread is a distant memory so is Pepsi or Diet Coke or the endless other drinks that are slowly killing us.

To control Diabetes through diet you must understand what and how your body processes the food and drink you eat.
I met with my Dietitian a week after finding out I had Diabetes and went over not only the things I had already read but things that she helped me understand on how our body functions.
Its important to understand sugar and how our body makes sugar. Armed with this knowledge we can now come up with a meal plan for everyday use including when we go out to eat.

I now think of food in its most basic forms
Carbs
Fat
Protein

I place them in Food groups and no not the one that our School kids eat which by the way If I followed those guidelines my Blood sugar would Explode off the Charts!!!
No my mealplan looks more like this:
2,000 to 2,400 calories a day:
10 starches
2 milks
4 vegetables
5 to 7 ounces meat and meat substitute
4 fruits
up to 5 fats
These are servings by the way
Examples 1 cup of rice is 3 servings!
So armed with this budget you build a meal plan for the day
So here is an example
Breakfast 1 serving of Shredded Wheat (Carb)
1/2 pint 1% milk
1 cup coffee
1 tsp Turvia (Sugar Sub)
Morning Snack: 1 serving dry Almonds (Fat/Protein)
1 serving Low fat Crackers (Found several Good ones)

Lunch: 8 oz Nutritional Drink ( I drink Equate Walmart Brand)
Has vitamins and 1 serv of Fat and 1 Carb

Afternoon Snack 1 apple

Dinner Usually Turkey, or Chicken once a Week Beef
I try to use up Veg and Carb that are remaining
But as I have lost weight I am in surplus everyday
since I don't feel hungry!

I eat every 2 hours throughout the day and evening, this never allows my body to think I am fasting. Which by the way your body conspires against you when it thinks you are fasting, which is why most diets FAIL. However using this guideline I have shed weight and should reach my target weight of 208 pounds by early summer. I am already in a waist size that I have not seen in 20 years! I was forced to donate all my clothes and get clothes that would fit. I will never return to that weight, there is no turning back now!!

As for the future...
Powwow Food is a killer!
It is very common here in Oklahoma that a meal is served during the afternoon break
Meat Gravy
Cornsoup with Pork
Grape Dumplings
Frybread
Cake with frosting
Punch and Coffee
This is a very common meal and loaded with Fat Carbs and Starch!

Well I can have one bite of fried bread
1 very small serving of either Meat gravy or Cornsoup not both
and 1 very very small serving of Grape Dumplings (MY FAV)
no cake and only water for drink

I do it without even thinking about it now...

You can do it too!

[jeraldk]

good info

No I am not talking about Divorce LOL
But
Diabetes...
I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes March 21 2012. On my Native side of my family, Father, Both Grandparents, and Great Grandparents had or died from this disease. Amputations, insulin shots all become the norm. In my generation my sister was diagnosed last year! So you could say it runs in the family!
Mine was diagnosed during a routine checkup through a simple blood draw. At that time my blood sugar was 275 after fasting for more than 12 hours. My A1C was 11 (normal is less than 6). This morning I checked my blood sugar and it was 110 and 108 2 hours after breakfast my 30 day average is 128. not bad for a Diabetic but here is the kicker: I am not on medication...

Diet alone can control Diabetes! The hard part is sticking to it...
Frybread is a distant memory so is Pepsi or Diet Coke or the endless other drinks that are slowly killing us.

To control Diabetes through diet you must understand what and how your body processes the food and drink you eat.
I met with my Dietitian a week after finding out I had Diabetes and went over not only the things I had already read but things that she helped me understand on how our body functions.
Its important to understand sugar and how our body makes sugar. Armed with this knowledge we can now come up with a meal plan for everyday use including when we go out to eat.

I now think of food in its most basic forms
Carbs
Fat
Protein

I place them in Food groups and no not the one that our School kids eat which by the way If I followed those guidelines my Blood sugar would Explode off the Charts!!!
No my mealplan looks more like this:
2,000 to 2,400 calories a day:
10 starches
2 milks
4 vegetables
5 to 7 ounces meat and meat substitute
4 fruits
up to 5 fats
These are servings by the way
Examples 1 cup of rice is 3 servings!
So armed with this budget you build a meal plan for the day
So here is an example
Breakfast 1 serving of Shredded Wheat (Carb)
1/2 pint 1% milk
1 cup coffee
1 tsp Turvia (Sugar Sub)
Morning Snack: 1 serving dry Almonds (Fat/Protein)
1 serving Low fat Crackers (Found several Good ones)

Lunch: 8 oz Nutritional Drink ( I drink Equate Walmart Brand)
Has vitamins and 1 serv of Fat and 1 Carb

Afternoon Snack 1 apple

Dinner Usually Turkey, or Chicken once a Week Beef
I try to use up Veg and Carb that are remaining
But as I have lost weight I am in surplus everyday
since I don't feel hungry!

I eat every 2 hours throughout the day and evening, this never allows my body to think I am fasting. Which by the way your body conspires against you when it thinks you are fasting, which is why most diets FAIL. However using this guideline I have shed weight and should reach my target weight of 208 pounds by early summer. I am already in a waist size that I have not seen in 20 years! I was forced to donate all my clothes and get clothes that would fit. I will never return to that weight, there is no turning back now!!

As for the future...
Powwow Food is a killer!
It is very common here in Oklahoma that a meal is served during the afternoon break
Meat Gravy
Cornsoup with Pork
Grape Dumplings
Frybread
Cake with frosting
Punch and Coffee
This is a very common meal and loaded with Fat Carbs and Starch!

Well I can have one bite of fried bread
1 very small serving of either Meat gravy or Cornsoup not both
and 1 very very small serving of Grape Dumplings (MY FAV)
no cake and only water for drink

I do it without even thinking about it now...

You can do it too!

Good Info.

I don't have the disease myself, but I have seen the Tribal Elders go through it all. Plus my mother recently on the verge of becoming Diabetic.

Another key that will help, which most Natives do not practice is Exercise.

I'm a committed runner, ever since Middle School, I love to run. To this day I try and run 3 miles a day, well weekends I like to give my joints a rest from it. BUT, if there is a powwow, I'll dance all weekend :)

Dancing at Powwows is great exercise. Not only that, it helps cleanse the soul & body.

Thanks for sharing :)
Jerald

[2lineCarrandMorgan]

Josiah,thank you for tell us about how your fighting the problem we also have the d in our house i will follow your post for thinking i can learn on how to help

[AmigoKumeyaay]

Awesome personal testimony Josiah! Fight the good fight.

I filmed some parts of The Longest Walk 3 - Reversing Diabetes last year. A bunch of those Long Walkers actually walked from the Pacific Coast to Washington, D.C. in five months, losing weight while eating within the guidelines you mention, and driving down their Blood Sugar levels.

It works!

[wyo_rose]

I've posted this several times, but I share this with EVERYONE that I know is a diabetic.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/cure-diabetes

It's good that you're meeting this head on. And I agree with the post above that exercise is a MUST for diabetics.

But please read up on some of the latest findings. It's been slow going, but the ADA is finally changing their views on starch/carbs/sugar.

[ac_miss]

For me, diabetes is a scary word. Both my parents and my brothers have it. I was borderline last year, but I cut out soda and my sugars have been in check since. I do know that with a healthy diet and regular exercise, i can combat it or even cure it, but my mind doesn't want to let go of all the starchy foods. If there was a way to trick my mind about starchy foods, then I'd definitely get back into shape, but I'm slowly starting to realize it's not the way I want to be. So, I'm changing my mind set.

Good luck with you, Josiah!

[Josiah]

I've posted this several times, but I share this with EVERYONE that I know is a diabetic.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/cure-diabetes

It's good that you're meeting this head on. And I agree with the post above that exercise is a MUST for diabetics.

But please read up on some of the latest findings. It's been slow going, but the ADA is finally changing their views on starch/carbs/sugar.

Actually that was going to be part of my next post but yes exercise is a very important part of controlling Diabetes!!

[Josiah]

For me, diabetes is a scary word. Both my parents and my brothers have it. I was borderline last year, but I cut out soda and my sugars have been in check since. I do know that with a healthy diet and regular exercise, i can combat it or even cure it, but my mind doesn't want to let go of all the starchy foods. If there was a way to trick my mind about starchy foods, then I'd definitely get back into shape, but I'm slowly starting to realize it's not the way I want to be. So, I'm changing my mind set.

Good luck with you, Josiah!

Thank you very much!
I guess I am stubborn both my Doctor and Dietitian although gave encouragement did not have much hope, They hear this over and over at the Indian clinic. My sister is my biggest inspiration she did it last year and is just as stubborn as I am LOL. She stunned her Doctor cause they never see it controlled with diet at her clinic... IT can be done People!

[muskrat_skull]

Sorry to hear this, Josiah. I've been off a while on health issues. Actually, a return to a more traditional diet, like wild game, fish, buffalo has really great quality protein, home grown vegetables and beans if you can. I only have 6 acres but have rabbits, chickens for eggs, wild grape vines I train and harvest, wild blackberries, wild blueberries, then we garden a little with what we can and I'm getting into some old forms of food seed to grow "heirloom" and even ancient food that might grow a little better where I live. my favorite dish growing up was fried corn meal mush and maple syrup, but now I get deer meat and used to get fish and crab and all that but now they say they are too polluted from mercury from the coal burning electrical plants. Ironic I am saying that in a forum post. Anyway, you can go traditional, but really far back and I think that is healthier.
I have a rare form of liver disease found in many Cree and Coastal Salish, and Ojibwe and some non-Indian people. My ex mom in law told me she thought I had it. It runs on both sides in me but is genetic. one aspect is that I need to have huge supplementation of fat soluable vitamins--vitamin a, d, k, and EPAs like in fish oil. This may be due to the fact that some of my ancestors ate diets that contained huge amounts of these.
Because my disease is rare and I live far from other groups of people that may have this disease, it is hard to find a doctor that understands and knows how to diagnose and treat it properly.
So connecting as best I could with my deeper roots really helped me. My ex told me his mom later was invited into the medicine lodge which she deserved, she helped me alot.

[Josiah]

Just had my Check-up and here are the Numbers:

A1C fasting Before: 11.7
Now: 6.1
Blood Glucose 7 day Avg: now is 120 Before 299
Weight: Before 275 now 235 goal 208

Diet makes all the difference, I reduced Fat, Carbs and Sugar
Notice I said I reduced I am not on a Diet I changed portions
Reducing my daily intake and eliminated large quanties of Sugar and fat. I am controling my Diabetes with Diet Alone!

So no Pepsi or a Supersized Cheeseburgers!!!
Instead I have a Junior Cheeseburger no fries and an Ice Tea
once a week as a treat. It takes learning what each of the foods that we eat on a daily basis will do to your sugar level. Eating what we Diabetics call small meals to even out throughout the day our blood sugar. Skipping meals will cause a spike and eating high amounts of fat carbs and sugar will cause a spike! So smaller meals and snacks that are Healthy. One of the best Snacks I have found is Roasted Almonds! I buy them by the Bulk Raw and Unsalted and roast them myself. They are a great snack and provide protein and fiber without fat.
If I were to live in a Rural setting then by all means of course I would grow and raise the food that makes the best sense!

But since I don't, I have to balance diet with dollars because in my case I am not dieting, then when I reach some goal I go back to what I was eating before!!
No in my case I can never eat that way ever again!
My granddaughter will be 1 this Nov 15th my goal is to be around when she has children!!

[muskrat_skull]

Wish I could make such good progress. Men seem to lose weight easier. I would just like to lose 20 lbs! I am on pills for diabetes, insulin will not work for us because it is the liver causing it and not the pancreas. Glad to hear you are doing well!

Just had my 8 Month Check up and here are the Numbers:

A1C fasting Feb 15th: 11.7
Oct 15th: 6.1
Blood Glucose 7 day Avg: now is 120 Before 299
Weight: Before 275 now 235 goal 208

Diet makes all the difference, I reduced Fat, Carbs and Sugar
Notice I said I reduced I am not on a Diet I changed portions
Reducing my daily intake and eliminated large quanties of Sugar and fat. I am controling my Diabetes with Diet Alone!

So no Pepsi or a Supersized Cheeseburgers!!!
Instead I have a Junior Cheeseburger no fries and an Ice Tea
once a week as a treat. It takes learning what each of the foods that we eat on a daily basis will do to your sugar level. Eating what we Diabetics call small meals to even out throughout the day our blood sugar. Skipping meals will cause a spike and eating high amounts of fat carbs and sugar will cause a spike! So smaller meals and snacks that are Healthy. One of the best Snacks I have found is Roasted Almonds! I buy them by the Bulk Raw and Unsalted and roast them myself. They are a great snack and provide protein and fiber without fat.
If I were to live in a Rural setting then by all means of course I would grow and raise the food that makes the best sense!

But since I don't, I have to balance diet with dollars because in my case I am not dieting, then when I reach some goal I go back to what I was eating before!!
No in my case I can never eat that way ever again!
My granddaughter will be 1 this Nov 15th my goal is to be around when she has children!!

[ac_miss]

My husband recently found out he was diabetic. It was kind of a shock, but at the same time, it wasn't. He was always eating on the go. He drank water daily, but it wasn't enough.

In September, i underwent a liver transplant. Just a few weeks prior to surgery, I was very sick. To me, it happened suddenly. Then next thing I know, i wake up hooked up to a bunch of tubes and monitors all around. It was scary, but after a while, i finally comprehended what had happened to me. As a transplant patient, I have to be careful with my diet as well. Some of my medications make me susceptible to diabetes because it raises my blood sugar. In my previous post, I did mention that I was borderline diabetic once before.

It's encouraging to know that diabetes can be controlled and can go away if you commit to making some healthy choices on diet and exercise. I'm just as stubborn as anyone, but i realize I have to do it for the sake of my daughter. I don't want her to grow up without her parents, so I realize now more than ever, that it's up to us and we have to get healthy NOW.

Josiah, again, thank you for sharing your story! You're my inspiration. :)