Simply delicious

Awesome meals

Being a Diabetic doesn't mean we can't eat this, and we can't eat that. We just have to be aware of our proportions, and be able to limit the amount of unhealthy foods we put into our bodies. Think of it this way, you're eating much healthier now, and probably better than people without this disease. I even have friends and family that have completely changed their diets because they like what I eat. Feel free to share with people close to you about making better decisions with foods!

Here I want to show you examples of delicious meals, snack and treats you can make, and feel good about eating it.

Tasty...

What is it? Baked chicken with a sweet and spicy bbq sauce, spinach, and I tried something new! They are called Pierogi. I thought of it as an Italian version of empenadas ;).

They were stuffed with potato and cheddar cheese(have you already noticed how much I love cheese? I'm a mouse...)

Any who, down to the carbohydrate counting for this meal would be no more than........................................drum roll please!
.
.
.
 50 carbs!
Awesome.

NEXT

we have: a sandwhich, cherries,
green grapes, sugar free jello, and muenster cheese.

I used whole grain bread, and a few slices of lunch meat that consists of turkey, and ham(2 slices total to be exact). I used light mayo and a slice of Swiss cheese. To add extra carbohydrates into this scrumptious lunch, I have cherries, 8 of them, and 8 grapes to fulfill my carbohydrate to insulin ratio. All that with some blocks of cheese, and the carbs come out to around 50 carbs more or less!

Amazing!

<---This should be your best friend. 

You can literally eat jello all day, and it would do absolutely nothing to your sugar levels. But that's not advice to go and do so! However, I always have jello as dessert, it's delicious and they make different flavors for all of you gelatin lovers to enjoy! Also, they are always super cheap, they don't even have to be on sale. So, that's a great plus for your budget!

Another snack!

Low carbohydrates are the key to our snacks. We need something we can snack on without having to inject ourselves with insulin. Here you have 5 small slices of salami, 2 cherry tomatoes and a few blocks of cheese. The only carbohydrate thing in this plate are the grapes! so enjoy one serving of grapes freely :)

Hello cucumbers!

What you see here: 
8 cucumber slices for a great source of vegetable and water supply :), yellow rice(Your carb) and cooked carrots (great for the eyes). Protein: Steamed fish
Dessert: Grapes

I try to keep my carbohydrate count around the same amount so that I keep my units of insulin at a pretty normal balance all the time.

Total carbohydrates=around 50 carbs

Woohoo!

Now that you've seen some of what I eat on a regular basis, hopefully it will give you drive to expand your stomach and branch out to try new foods. Don't limit your dishes! Let's make this experience a fun one together and share what you eat on a regular basis!

Take care everyone, and feel free to comment with your opinions and shares.

Next post: explaining the importance of the use of your feet, and why it is just so darn crucial to be careful with them.

Express yourself.

How every diabetic feels inside

"Oh, you have the bad type..." 

Over the weekend I have read a lot of articles covering diabetes stories from the elderly, to the very young. I attended an event on diabetes this Saturday that was held by the ADA and was outstanding by the way. But I noticed something. I went with my mother and as I mingled with the crowd it seemed like everyone always assumed she was the one who had it instead of me.

Does diabetes have a certain look?

Can someone tell me what that looks like because I would love to know. Then I thought, this is where the Lack of knowledge comes in. Everyone assumes that because someone is in a wheelchair, or they're overweight, or walking with a cane that they are the ones with the chronic disease. Not the case in diabetes. I have it, and I may not look like the typical stereotype of having this disease, but I do. Oh, but that isn't all, when I let someone know that I have it, suddenly their entire perspective of me changes right before my eyes. They become nervous, and I could see it in their eyes how much they pity the girl with the disease. I even had a discussion with someone who jokingly told me I should get tested to make sure I don't have it, (He probably thought he was flirting) but while I didn't find that very funny, I informed them, that I indeed do have it and I was just diagnosed not more than 2 months ago. Not so funny anymore huh. 

It doesn't matter the type. Diabetes is a disease, and no one wants to have it. So no, we aren't exactly exaggerating when depression is normal among recent diagnosed diabetics!

I wanted to take this time out to share a story about a young diabetic teen who went to a drive in movie theater and was denied admission because he was not allowed to bring outside food into the theater  Here's the link to that story and you guys can tell me your opinion on that....

http://7online.com/news/diabetic-teen-kicked-out-of-theater-for-candy-contraband/264318/

As a person with living with this, we don't need to be reminded everyday, we don't need to be excluded out of things because "we aren't supposed to eat that" we want to feel normal. I want to be normal, and that means we need support. Don't give me a strange look when you hear of my disease, don't say you feel sorry for me, don't tell me it'll be okay, I know. I am still a person that does not discriminate against anyone, and everyone living with this doesn't need to feel bad about themselves. As long as we keep faith and keep pushing, you can master it for those who haven't already. Think of the future diagnosed as our inspiration, who do they look up to when they need advice?

We can still dance, we can still exercise, we can still cook, run, jump, fly(in a plane of course) and much more. If I can do it so can you. And if anyone ever needs someone to talk to you can always email me directly I'll always respond.

Drop some comments on your feelings about the article, I'd love to hear your opinions!

Volunteering

Finding a cure with a helping hand.

 Let's support each other.

Here's what I have been working on for the past few days everyone. I have begun to reach out completely and I am going to participate in a huge diabetes walk with the ADA(american Diabetes Association). I want you all to help me spread the word!

If you are living in the NYC area and want to help me, join my team, the registration is completely free. This is not an Ad for money, I truly support Diabetes, not only because I suffer from it, but because millions of people have it. There are millions of  people who struggle day in and day out. Help us all. It could be your neighbor, your best friend, in the future it could be you, or your child.  Participate in this walk with me and be by my side.

What was the last genuinely positive thing you've done this year?
Have you ever participated in one of these events? Don't worry, It is my first time as well, we can help together. Even if you don't know anyone with diabetes, know that we hate it and we need all the support we can get.

I know at times, having this gets tiring. Why can't we eat what we want when we want? It could be a great opportunity to come out and meet other diabetics. We don't have to feel embarrassed or ashamed of our illness. This disease is often completely overlooked. So let's stay positive, by helping donate, or come out and walk with me.

Also, If you wish to participate in the walk and you don't live in the nyc area, there are other places as well. Just search for ADA(American Diabetes Association) Step out walk, and find one near you!

When?

October 11th @ 10am sharp

Where?

 NYC, pier 84

Why?

That is up to you! Why would you walk? Who do you walk for?
click the link below:

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=team&fr_id=9862&team_id=695667

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=team&fr_id=9862&team_id=695667

Everything sharp

From syringes to the pen.

This time, I am here to talk to you all about needles, the syringes, the pen, the different sizes, injection sites and all. Upon my searching for information across the web, I stumbled across many people stating that they inject themselves through their clothing. Let us get this straight, NEVER EVER do that. There are so many reasons not to.
1.INFECTION
2.INFECTION
3.Do I have to say it again?

Everyone is different when it comes to their preference. If you were to choose between syringes and the pen which would you choose? The syringes are scary to me, just because of how the look and the size doesn't matter.

Needle sizes(syringe):

12.7 mm

8 mm

6  mm

Pen sizes:

12.7 mm

8 mm

5 mm

4 mm

Mainly, people who don't have insurance often choose the syringes. What are the different sizes for exactly?
#1 is comfort at its best of course. #2 is because everyone's body size is different, male and female. Let me show you:

I pulled this picture from google images of skin layers. They say you should insert the needle into your fat, that's why a fatty part is best when dealing with insertion. It's less painful and a proper place for absorption. But look at all those layers it has to go through to actually get to your fatty part in reality. If you are a bigger person sometimes a tiny needle wouldn't be sufficient enough to reach your fat layer, therefore you need a longer needle. Another example, if you are a small child their layers aren't nearly as fully developed as an adult, so they would most likely need a smaller needle. It would be painful for them to have a longer needle and hit a muscle. What's wrong with hitting a muscle? Nothing really, it just really hurts, and the insulin gets absorbed too quickly.

Injection sites

Now that we have gone through skin layers, I want to discuss Injection sites. Here's a picture to provide you guidance as I go through this:

Where do you inject your insulin? The red color on the abdomen is the ideal site. Why? This is because the insulin get's absorbed quickly and starts working very fast. However if you are very slim as I am, it may be difficult to get a fatty part on your stomach. Try pinching the fattest part above or below the belly button and insert. The yellow colored, on the models arms and outer thigh are the next injection site. They are yellow because this is absorbed at medium speed, meaning it will take a little while to start working. The last injection site in on the upper buttox, this is also the slowest absorption speed. I tend to use that area for my long acting insulin at night, and sometimes in the morning. I usually try to do my fast acting insulin in my abdomen. Also to add, you should not keep injecting in the same area, try to do it at least an inch apart if you are. Consistent injections in the same areas cause your skin to harden, and that makes it difficult to pierce through the skin causing more pain(and who want hard skin?).

How do you inject your insulin?

Do you just go straight in? At an angle? You can search all through the web, and they will tell you at a 45 degree angle, at a 90 degree angle to your body etc. How would you know what a 45 degree angle is unless you're really good at angles, or had a protractor with you? Of course you could possibly eye it, I just tried trial and error. Sometimes it hurts me more when I put it at an angle that looks to be about 45 degrees. Sometimes I go straight in. It all depends on you, just don't try to hurt yourself, there are ways to make it hurt as little as possible, to the point you barely feel it. The absolute best spot for me is below my belly button on either side at the bottom of my abdomen. I pinch some skin while sitting to get the rolls out(haha) and insert. I barely feel a thing. 

Hopefully you will think twice about inserting your needles through your clothing next time. Don't worry about people judging you about your injections. This is a part of us now, me and you alike. I feel the same things you do, but don't let Diabetes consume you. Make it your best and only flaw.

Remember, there are other ways of insulin injections such as the pump. I plan to start using it by the end of September because the doctors are telling me my numbers are excellent. But everyone likes their own preferences. Until next time! God bless <3

Also, I almost forgot, if you are in the New York City area please don't hesitate to email me about a Very Large Annual Diabetes walk! I just started a team and I am searching for new members! If you would like to donate, feel free to if you can't make it! A $5 minimun if you do! 

Here are the links to either join my team or make a donation!
My personal Donation page
WWF Team page

The pictures used in this post are for educational purposes only from google images.

Nutrition facts

Do you know how to read them?

I know It may seem like a simple task to you, but to a lot of others it is a very confusing thing. For Diabetics our main focus should always be how many carbohydrates are in the item we are choosing. In order to find that, you need to look at the total carbohydrates to determine if it is in fact worth it. Yesterday I took a trip to the supermarket and I learned a few things about cereal that I never did before. But before we start with that, I wanted to quickly explain the role of carbohydrates for people who are unaware.

Carbohydrates...

is something that is found in almost every food such as some dairy products, rices, pastas, some vegetables, cereals, cookies and many other things. The role of the carbohydrates is to give us e-n-e-r-g-y. Once the carbohydrates are in your system they break down into SUGAR, and from there it does it's duty. This is why us diabetics need to focus on carbohydrates because it transforms into SUGAR once in the body, and this is what our bodies don't have the ability to break down.

Back to the cereal. I know many of you are familiar with the brand "Raisin Bran". This is supposed to be a healthy cereal. Now, I am not claiming that it isn't, however for diabetics it is extremely high in carbs.

Look at the Total carbohydrates: 46g! That's a lot of carbohydrates for 1 CUP of cereal. Remember, when reading these labels these numbers are according to the serving size at the top. & according to raisin bran it's per cup. Then, you would have to add the carbs from the milk, which for me would be and extra 13 carbs. I personally like to add bananas to my cereal and that would be another 15 carbs added. A total of 74 carbs, for a bowl of cereal(cup of cereal in this case). Wouldn't you rather have a much more filling meal for 74 carbs? Instead try a half cup of brown rice, with a cup of mixed vegetables carrots, corns, peas; for protein a nice oz of grilled salmon or chicken(for seafood haters) and some cherries and jello for dessert! And for a beverage, try some diet Gingerale or water. That would equal to a total of about 55 carbs. That's even less for a bowl of cereal...seriously...

Sodium

For those of you who need to be careful of your sodium intake. 210mg. Now I know not everyone knows what that means, I will explain. For someone watching there sodium you want things of low sodium, meaning anything under 140mg of sodium. So, this cereal would not be good for you. For moderate amounts above 140mg to about 400mg. & high would be anything above that. Which rank do you fall in? You should take a look at your cereal nutrition facts.

Potassium

This is simpler because potassium is very good for you.  It serves as a support for a healthy heart function. It's great for your bones and muscles and ensuring a sufficient function of your digestive system. According to many articles getting about 1600-4000 milligrams of potassium daily is a sufficient amount. Fact: Bananas have a high level of potassium!

Total fat

The less fat the better. Although there are some fats that are good for you such as the mono and polyunsaturated fats. These fats help to lower your cholesterol and protection from heart disease! Saturated fats do the opposite! The main idea is to have as low fats as possible!

Calories

I am sure this is the one people are most familiar with! If you are trying to gain or lose weight this is the most important for you of course. Pay attention by keeping a mental note of how many calories you intake daily. Usually the nutrition facts show a calorie diet of 2,000 daily, but that choice depends on YOU.

Now that I have gone over these nutrition facts with you it should be easier to make the right decisions. The healthier ones of course! I know that sometimes it may be difficult to understand why this happens to us, but understand that we can all be here for each  other, and as long as we are healthy we set a great example for those for us who are struggling worse than others. your good day may be somebody's bad day, give a smile and continue on.  If there are any questions of comments please don't hesitate to ask me anything at all via email, google+ doesn't matter, I'll always respond!

Some of the information provided was obtained from other sites. 
http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm274590.htm
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/food-nutrition/nutrients/nutrition-how-to-read-a-nutrition-facts-label.html
Thank you all for reading, any questions or comments please don't hesitate to ask!
Keep pushing :)

Depressed?

Do Something!

Go outside and say hello to a neighbor, volunteer at a charity event. Take a walk through the park by yourself and enjoy the breeze. You get what I'm trying to say, go out there and BE ACTIVE! Depression is something that comes common with disease, but it also comes with other life struggles. Maybe death, or failure, fear etc. These are all natural and very common issues throughout life. Do you know that stress can cause your blood glucose levels to rise? I know this from experience. Just remember what you cannot change do not worry about it. What is meant to be will be...didn't Lauren hill say that?

Other things that can help you relax could be the more you focus on setting a strict and healthy diabetic diet, the e-a-s-i-e-r your life will be. When the doctor tells you not to drink, DON'T DRINK. If they say take your insulin, just take it! You are fully aware and capable of making your own decisions(besides young children) whether to take the right or wrong advice. It is NOT your fault, these things are just o-b-s-t-a-c-l-e-s and make us special.
Let's all share the 

love & support 

between one another going through this issue..........I know I sound like an expert, but the truth is I am not, and yes I am scared to death some times. But I hold my head high every single day, and we all will be alright.

I wanted to share with you my beautiful day at the aquarium with my father. This is the first time this entire summer that I went out and did something eventful since I have been diagnosed. Like many of you who are down in the dumps with this disease, I am trying to conquer it and not let it conquer me. I actually am very afraid of fish, but my experience at the aquarium was a very delightful one! I hope my video and pictures of my dad and I can brighten anyone's day/evening....goodnight!

Feel free to share any stories you would like me to share with other audiences! my email: mposley127@gmail.com. Leave a comment about your great day, believe me writing about it helps :)

Eat 6 times a day--Final

Dinner 

part 3(Final)

Salmon, baked mac n cheese, spinach, and yams

Before dinner glucose level= 76mg/dL

Carbohydrates count:

 Mac n cheese...half a cup 25 carbohydrates.........total=25 carbohydrates

Yams...15 carbohydrates................................................................total=40 carbohydrates

1 cup of juice...8 carbohydrates....................................................total=48 carbohydrates this meal total

Salmon= PROTEIN

Spinach=vegetable

So I had a total of 48 carbohydrates for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! You can still eat what you want, you just have to remember proportions! So if you are used to eating your soul food it is just fine to enjoy; however, go light on the salt. I am going to experiment with other foods, and I can grow and share with all of you as well(we can learn together).

*Also, when having seafood you either want it cooked steamed, baked, grilled anything but fried! Say NO to fried foods. Either way, fried foods aren't healthy for anyone.

Now for the last glucose reading of the day! YAY

The number is(drum roll please)......................................................119 *jumps up for joy*

I will be having my last snack of the night, a cup of my mixed fruits (cherries, grapes, and blueberries)

I was glad to share my carbohydrate counting meals with you today, I hope it helped understand we can eat anything you used to. Until tomorrow, goodnight everyone and God bless!

 Any pictures I post on my blog are all taken with my samsung galaxy note 3.

Eat 6 times a Day cont'd--3 Parts

Lunch session

part 2

Yes, I had pancakes for lunch. They look good don't they? Let's break this down, before lunch I checked my glucose and it read 73mg/dL. It explains why I was feeling a bit hungry, that's a little too close to being under the limit. No worries though, this meal consists of 2 small pancakes a little less than 4 inches in width. that equals up to about 30 carbs. Here is where it gets tricky, I have to take account for the syrup I used on my pancakes. Since I don't have light sugar free syrup here with me, I can only use about a tablespoon of syrup. I used Mrs. Buttersworth and that's 53 carbohydrates per 1/4 of a cup. I only used 1 tablespoon so whats 1 tablespoon worth?  After the math, it's about 7 carbs, this is why sugar free syrup is much better. 7 carbs for 1 table spoon of syrup  is ridiculous! Then I had about an ounce of sliced honey ham which is 3 carbs. So to break it down to simpler terms, That is equal to 30+7=37...

I bet these are the greenest grapes you've ever seen.

I also had a cup of sugar free juice(cranberry by Langers) which equaled to 8 carbs, so that's 37+8, are you still with me? =45 carbs, and finally calculate the large 6 grapes I had. They say 15 small grapes are equal to about 15 carbs, but I had about half of that so I am saying 8 carbs. In total my lunch came out to 53 carbohydrates! That's about the same as my lunch. I try to keep them in the same range so I'm not under or over eating, and may cause my body to act differently.

2 Hours later...

Snack: Banana

I only had half of this Banana, which I stated earlier in my breakfast, it's 15 carbohydrates. I also checked my glucose level before this banana and it was 133mg/dL! :)

Lunch worked out for me, why not try pancakes? But, make sure you use sugar free syrup instead of regular unhealthy syrup like I did!

Any questions/comments, feel free to drop one below!

Stay updated, I am doing dinner later...not quite sure what yet..

Eat 6 times a day--3 Parts.

Breakfast Session

Part 1.

^Blue is my favorite color^

When I woke up this morning the first thing I did was check my glucose level and it was 90mg/dL. My breakfast consists of a certain amount of carbs and I am already on a set amount of insulin intake. Here we have some Kashi Cereal(You can usually find this at your local supermarket) about 3/4 of a cup=26 caborhydrates. Next, is about half of a banana which equals to 15 carbohydrates. Then the milk(you need a great source of dairy per day), I drink Lactaid and there's a full cup in this bowl which needs to be accounted for and that equals up to 13 carbohydrates. So let's add that 26+15+13=54 carbs in total. My insulin intake is different than others, therefore I only need 3 units of insulin to cover these carbs.
(Later I will further explain how to count carbs, as I am still very new to this and am learning as I go. So we will be learning together!)

Hello cherry! Nice up close and personal. Remember what I said about cherries, I had about 4 of these with some grapes and blueberries, about a cup full of them as a snack 2 hours after my breakfast. My glucose level was 107mg/dL. Perfect, looks like i'm doing something right!

I know that my numbers may be a bit intimidating considering the fact that I am still new to this, but during the first few weeks I couldn't get my numbers out of the 200-300s! That is very unhealthy, but I had my mother and others to help me and keep me focused on what needed to be done. I spoke to doctors and they helped explain further about Proportions. I limited my food intake even more, and ever since then my numbers have been wonderful. Although the doctors are extremely happy with my results they have warned me that this may just be my honeymoon phase, meaning my numbers may go up in a few months. But maybe they wont; let's have faith and believe we can all get through this together with no problems.

*There will be an update regarding lunch and the snack following that, think I'll be having pancakes! Feel free to comment and share photos of your breakfast with me and tell me how many carbs are in your breakfast. 

All my photos are taken on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3! I do not use pictures from any other party or site.

Hyperglycemia vs. Hypoglycemia

Keep up with your numbers

Hyperglycemia

If you are like me, I suffered from Hyperglycemia. This means that you suffer more from high blood sugars. And when left unattended it leads to Ketoacidosis (a severely dangerous condition to which your body begins to use fat for energy as supposed to sugar, causing you to lose weight without trying and eventually leading to dehydration. It can be life threatening). When I was admitted into the hospital in June, I had glucose levels as high as 600 ( It should not be more than 180). They had me hooked up to an Iv and pumped 3 bags of sodium into my body, and injected me with about 14 units of insulin. I am very sensitive to insulin so I don't require massive amounts of units. 
What's wrong with having high blood sugar?
Though things may not happen right away, in the long run, it causes extreme hazardous health risks such as but not limited to damage to your nerves, blood vessels and your body organs i.e. kidneys.

Well, how do I keep my numbers down? Just a few foods...
Now, this is only from my perspective. Everyone's body is different so as I eat cucumbers and tomatoes all day, while it may work for me, it may not work for you. But here are some facts on cucumbers if you wish to try it: Cucumbers are made up of 95% water weight, when your sugar levels are high you need water to bring them down, so cucumbers would be a great idea to keep them down throughout the day. Some even say cucumbers are the cure to diabetes. As we all know there is no cure for diabetes, although they are searching!

Cherries: are delicious and nutritious. They contain natural chemicals that actually help to boost your insulin keeping your blood sugar spikes down. You can have up to twelve cherries at a time, what a great snack! I like to mix 4 of them in a cup with Blueberries(which are also great for you) and eat them together. They contain a chemical called anthocyanins. This is what gives cherries their bright natural red color. Also,(yes there is more) the chemicals reduce a heart disease risk, and having diabetes puts you at a much higher risk at catching heart disease, so that's an extreme plus!

Hypoglycemia

This is the total opposite of a high blood glucose level, it is an extreme low. When your blood glucose levels are lower than 70mg/dL than that is no good. You will recognize this feeling by 

dizzy-ness

nausea

shakiness

hot/sweating

lack of concentration

trouble sleeping

weak feeling

What are the dangers of Hypoglycemia?

When your glucose levels go severely low you can lose consciousness and fall into a coma. 

What do you do when you have a hypoglycemic episode? 

Do not freak out, and find something high in carbs to eat. For example: Candy, eat 2 to 3 pieces to quickly bring up your sugar. What works for me is a glass of Milk. I am lactose intolerant, so I drink a cup of Lactaid and have a few candies. However I know people don't walk around with milk where ever they go, so it is best to carry candy, or juice with you where ever you go. A Hypoglycemic episode can happen anywhere at anytime. You need to be aware of the symptoms and act accordingly. Always make sure whoever is around you that they are aware of your condition just in case of the worst case scenario! 
Also! be careful when doing any strenuous activity, especially if you aren't used to working out. Start off slow with a simple walk for a half hour. I like to take a stroll around the neighborhood and enjoy the weather, It's still summer! 
*Never leave your house without your treats, juice, water, and insulin/oral medicine, you never know what can happen even if you just went out for 15 mins.

Don't be ashamed of your diabetes, take charge of it. If people can't except it, then that's just too bad. No matter if you are type 1 or type 2, or any other rare types, embrace it because it is now who you are. 
Do not stress about the things we cannot change in life(this causes blood sugar spikes), carry on with the day and know everyone struggles from time to time. Your strength lifts others, and we are all fighting for the same cause: a healthy and prosperous life.

Some of the information used, came from other sources
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20041223/cherries-may-help-fight-diabetes
http://www.healthline.com/health/hypoglycemia#Symptoms2
Feel free to correct me on any mistakes or anything you would like to add. Drop a comment please! I'll always respond!

Symptoms...

What are the symptoms?

Many people are very unaware of the signs of diabetes as I was also very uneducated. For two months I had an extreme thirst and nothing, not even water would quench my thirst. But I just thought, hey maybe I drank too much alcohol, or it's too hot outside. With every beverage I was in the bathroom urinating it out after 15 minutes. I was also tired, I mean extremely tired right after getting up. Let's not forget the 13lbs I lost within a month without trying. Finally after the last week before my diagnosis, I almost fainted on 3 different occasions for no reason what so ever, in an air conditioned area too! I knew it was time for a hospital visit.
*Also, just to add, Diabetes either runs in your family or it just happens. 

 Here is a list of symptoms you should look out for:

• Extreme thirst
• Hungry
• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Feeling numbness or feeling tingling in your feet
• Losing weight without trying
• Frequent urination

• Deep, rapid breathing
• Dry skin and mouth
• Flushed face
• Fruity breath odor
• Nausea/vomiting, inability to keep down fluids
• Stomach pain

Remember to constantly be in touch with your doctor, and make your annual health visits to stay on track of your body.

Some of these facts come from other party sources on the internet, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000305.htm.

If there are any other questions or any concerns/mistakes feel free to contact me, I will gladly add/remove false information.

Keep checking back for health and food tips! Keep your spirits high! :)

My story.

Doesn't everything happen for a reason?

Often people aren't educated on the dangerous and life threatening effects of Diabetes, whether type 1 or 2. Interesting fact: Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20–74 years.. Diabetes kills more Americans every year than AIDS and breast cancer combined...

I am an average girl, happy, loving and artistic. I've had my heart broken so many times I can't count, but I still love. This girl is confident and I have dreams of being successful, very successful. My mind is driven and my heart yearns for nothing less than the best. It takes a hell of a lot to break me down.

On June 27, 2014 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. At 22 I thought it was devastating news. I cried every day for weeks, I was in denial, I tried to ignore it...

My daily routine: I wake up at 7am every day. First to check my blood, inject myself with 2 different insulin's, a long acting, and a fast acting right before I eat breakfast (which is around 715, 730 am). 2 hours after that I have a snack. At around 12 noon I prick my finger again to test my blood just before lunch and give myself another injection before I have lunch. 2 hours after that I prick my finger to make sure my glucose levels are alright. In a few hours I have another snack. Later, around 630 I inject myself with a fast acting insulin and check my blood again before dinner. After dinner at exactly 7 pm I take my last insulin injection of the day. and last before I go to bed no matter what time, I always check my glucose levels to make sure they are within safe ranges...


........ But God gave me the strength to smile through my tears. Put on that pretty face for my parents (though I was dying inside). My loving family and friends never gave up on me. They gave me hope, they made me laugh. They helped me to see the better, whether through phone calls, funny text messages or just simple hugs and kisses. Things to show they cared and that life isn't over, that things will get better. That I CAN do this.
 I can admit though I do have some bad and some good days, Yea there are some things I may not be able to do, but there are millions of things I still CAN do!  This obstacle makes me a stronger human being and I am ready for anything else God has waiting for me on my plate. Life goes on and we must come to terms with what is given.
I always remember I am not the only one!
...and I hope this influences others to share their story..and live healthier lives!!! :)

-Melody