Blood sugar and it's Long Reaching Effects

One of the reasons I looked into Trim Healthy Mama was for blood sugar stabilization.  I've been intrigued by what makes it go up and down, how important (or unimportant) it is, and how it affects our overall day.  So, I'll try to sum up in a nutshell what I've learned from the book, from their facebook page, and from my own experience.

Maintaining stable blood sugar is probably the most important thing to healthy lifestyle and ideal health.  Fluctuations lead to diabetes (uncontrolled blood sugar in pregnancy or not), heart disease, tooth decay, and many other ailments.  It's why we crave carbs or sugars when we're feeling low energy or tired.  The sugars give a quick boost of glucose which gives an instant "high" but then we crash and need another if we don't back that up with something more substantial (protein).  Many women on the THM facebook page have eliminated or greatly reduced their blood sugar meds since starting on the plan (and lost weight too).  So encouraging!

So, the more stable we can keep our blood sugar, the more we can prevent these highs and lows. 
This is one of the main reasons of lack of weight loss in those trying (become familiar with the term "insulin resistant").   This is also especially important in pregnancy where blood sugar more dramatically goes up and down (too much up leads to gestational diabetes, big babies (much higher rate of C-section) and lack of energy in the mother).

How can we prevent blood sugar ups and downs and create a more stable environment?

-Eat low-carb breads/pastas instead of refined carbs (strictly limit white flour, white pasta, white sugar, white "veggies" (potatoes, corn)) and eat ones with more fiber.  Fiber reduces the glycemic index (how fast your blood sugar goes up), so always try to add fiber if you are eating carbs.

-Always eat protein with your carbs.  If you want bread, eat some nut butter or a fried egg on it/with it.  If you eat apple pie, eat a piece of cheese with it, or eat it after a meal.  Never eat carbs without a lot of protein.

-Drink kefir or yogurt instead of milk.  Culturing dairy eats up the lactose (milk sugar) which also raises blood sugar, as well as it makes the vitamins and minerals more available.

-Use healthy non-sugars to replace sugar.  Start experimenting with stevia, xylitol, erythritol and other sweeteners that don't raise blood sugar (not Splenda or Aspartame or other artificial ones!).  Honey and maple syrup are natural but are horrible for blood sugar.  Use in small doses.  Don't be fooled by agave nectar either.  Sounds healthy but it's more highly processed with chemicals than HFCS.

How does blood sugar fluctuations cause tooth decay?  When our blood sugar fluctuates, our body has to pull calcium, magnesium and phosphorus out of our bones and teeth to stabilize the sugars in our blood.  When this is done many times each day, you can just imagine the results.  Yep, gum disease, cavities and bone loss.  Most American's use up more of those minerals than they ever replace, leading to many types of health challenges.  Here's an excellent article that explains it further.  http://health.tipsdiscover.com/how-can-blood-sugar-affect-your-teeths/

One of the best ways to avoid the high blood sugar vicious cycle is to make sure you get enough protein each day.  When your body is nourished with good protein, the need for carbs and sugars goes way down.  Getting a good protein meal or snack every 3 hours (2 if you're pregnant or nursing) is a great start.  When your body is getting sufficient fuel from protein, those carb cravings go away (and your energy will be sustained rather than high and low) and you'll gain less weight.  I like to loosely follow the Brewer diet during pregnancy, as many complications can be avoided by following it.  You'll be surprised at how much protein they recommend, but I've known numerous moms who have been able to lower their blood pressure and sugar by following it. (And gotten off of bed rest which they thought they were destined to).

http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id96.html   You'll also see a good amount of healthy fats added in there too.  Good fats also stabilize blood sugar, so make sure you're not avoiding them!  (coconut oil, fish oils, butter, olive oil, etc)

I've also found that having a protein snack before bed (and in the middle of the night often too) is necessary while pregnant.  Growing a baby is hard work, and we need all the nutrients we can get (without too much extra poundage which comes from carb intake without protein!)

Sources to reduce carb intake in breads/pasta:  make/buy sourdough (the real deal, not just flavored that way, as the sourdough eats up the quick burning carbs), Dreamfields pasta (sold at Walmart, has extra fiber added to make it low glycemic, low-carb tortillas (most stores carry them, look for 6-10 net carbs, add oat fiber or coconut or almond flour to baking to bring up fiber and protein and reduce carb intake, soak old-fashioned oatmeal overnight and then boil (no quick or instant; the longer the soaking/cooking, the longer it takes to burn)

Any ideas you'd like to add?  What works for you?

New baby ponderings

We have recently made it known to family and friends that we are expecting baby #5.  Although the feedback has been positive, I realize that we're entering "big(ger) family" territory.  And that many people are uncomfortable with this (especially those not used to many children).  I've started to wrap my own mind around what will become the new normal, and am finally getting used to the idea myself.  

To be honest, I've never been a baby lover.  I'm not one of those people that just HAS to hold everyone's baby.  I don't get "baby fever" as some women claim.  Nor do I even enjoy the first year of their life at all.  Well, maybe I would if they didn't cry all.the.time. Like mine seem to do.  I actually find those first 2 years very stressful (until they sleep through the night and all molars are in), and feel like I'm on 9-1-1 alert all the time.  I'm frazzled and feel even more inadequate than I do at other times, and then my husband and children get the brunt of that.

So, why have more?  I hold onto a few thoughts that sustain me and give me perspective when things are rough.  First of all, it's not about me.  It's not about what I want/don't want/like/don't like/think I can handle/ or anything that slightly resembles my desires.  It's about serving my God and living a life for Him and reaping the blessings He bestows on me, which in this part of my life is children.  Each child He has given us has helped me to be more patient, more loving, more compassionate, less judgmental, more self-less.  In all, more Christ-like (which is what I want to be).  I still fail many times each day.  I still have to learn to die-to-self each day.  I still have many doubts and fears and lack of faith that plague me every single day.  I still have to remember that Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  But, I can see that I've grown in so many ways through the trials that have come along this journey the past decade.

Second, my husband nor I can see how it's our right/decision/perogative to decide what is best for our life.  Isn't that God's job?  If we trust in Him, and know that He will give us what's best, shouldn't we trust Him in ALL things?  Not just some things?  Finding Biblical support for any decision is necessary, so no matter what we think, we need to back up our opinions with Scripture.  And the Bible supports having children in every aspect that I can find.  We know that God "visited" women like Sarah, Hannah, and Mary and gave them children.  He also visits us today when we conceive.  Why would we want to limit our visits from God?  Let's not let the worldly trends influence us, but stick to God's Word and His design.

I also (for some unknown reason) think often of a story that my Grandma used to tell about an old lady she used to visit.  This lady shared a room in a nursing home with another old lady.  The first old lady had ~10 kids who visited her regularly.  Someone was always stopping by.  She was never lonely.  The other old lady had only one child, who rarely came to visit.  One day one of the old lady's children (the one with many) said to her mom, "I sure feel bad for that old lady, no one ever comes to see her and she's so lonely."  The mother replied, "I wouldn't feel too bad for her.  Back when I was having all of you kids, she often made fun of me for having so many children." (they lived in the same small town).  I think the story mostly reminds me that we all reap what we sow.  It would be much easier to limit children for material, financial, or even selfish reasons ("I just couldn't handle more" is what I hear most of all), but we will also limit future blessings when we do.  It's not even the number of children one has, but the time spent that we invest in those we have.  I pray that my vision for our family could be generational, not just temporary.  

God sees the big picture, when we only see little parts of a very small picture.  What better way to spread the Gospel than to raise up many faithful followers?  In the U.S., the average Christian family has 2 kids (same as unbelievers).  The Muslims have 6.  They are going to outnumber us in 20 years at that rate.  And then take over our own country (they plan to have one of their leaders in the White House within that time).  Pretty scary stuff.  I want my kids to at least have each other, should tough times come in their future.

Although my own family (and Greg's) are average size, our parents all come from bigger ones.  Where I grew up, everyone had 4 kids.   Where he grew up, they all had 3.  (strange how that was, since I had 4 kids in my family, and he had 3).  Anyhow, we both always thought more kids in our family would have been much more fun.  I knew one family with 6 kids that we visited occasionally (they were the biggest family I knew), and their house was always great fun.  Who knows how many we'll end up with, but whatever it is, I know that God will provide the funds, strength and whatever else we may need.

Next, fertility is not something to be taken for granted.  Our childbearing years won't last forever.  Many, many people struggle with infertility, and this should not be taken lightly nor selfishly.  In this last year, I've read many books on nutrition.  In all of them, fertility is held in high esteem.  New mothers-to-be are given special food (healthy meats and oils mostly) for healthy babies, they wed at certain times of the year to ensure proper nutrition for mom and baby, and exercise is promoted for an easier delivery.  In our society, people take little care for proper nutrition (except a prenatal pill), "plan" their families to fit their lifestyle as if a child is a toy for them to play with or a new pet rather than an eternal soul, and those with many children are often looked at as irresponsible.  How backwards we've become!

The last thing I think of is a quote from my Dad.  When something new was on the horizon, he'd always say, "Give it 20 years".  What he meant by that was, are we willing to see how this choice will affect us in 20 years?  Will we be blessed by this decision, or will we regret it?  What are the long-term implications of what we're doing?  So, I try to always look beyond what may be difficult (even insurmountable) now, and see what another 20 years will look like.  That makes everything more bearable, more doable and more encouraging to stay the course, whatever maybe thrown in my path.

Inspired? Hardly...(April, May, June update)

Lately I haven't written much (if you haven't noticed).  I've felt pretty uninspired in every sense of the word.  I have no idea of topics, nor even my usual birthday updates for the kids or our latest vacation.  But, since this blog is somewhat of a documentary of our lives (since my journal went bye-bye about 8 years ago (the day our eldest son was born in fact)), I do like to keep some facts recorded now and then.  So, here goes (all in one fell swoop)...

April 27- Elise turns 4.  This little girl brings so much excitement to our lives.  Often in the form of singing and loving on us all (much to a certain little brother's disgust, as he wants to run and play), but also often in the form of crying and carrying on many times each day.  She keeps it lively and keeps me humble, that's for sure.  She has lately been always wanting to help me wash the dishes, so I try to encourage that (maybe then I can get out of it sooner, since it's my least favorite chore!)  She got a "new" bike, and has been mastering it with much proud-ness.  She wants to do everything the big boys do (read especially), and we have to remind her to wait longer.  She kind of gets stuck in the middle, as she's not big enough to always keep up with the boys, but doesn't want to be a "baby" either.  Recently I tried to take her out for some mommy/daughter time, and she didn't like it at all.  "Isaac will miss us too much", "I don't want to go with just you, then I'll have no one to play with", etc.  We ended up having a good time (in my opinion), but she wasn't convinced (even though we bought new matching shoes together).  I think I'll have to work on that one a bit!

April 29- James turned 6.  This guy is chomping at the bit in every way.  I can't believe how his skills have improved over the past year.  He went from little boy to big boy...just like that!  He is now so responsible, takes initiative (sometimes), has gotten rid of many of his fears, is growing like a weed, and even looks like a big boy now.  Thankfully he still has that dimple that is so cute! (which isn't really a dimple but a scar from an incident involving a bike and a deck post)  Last summer we had him on a treatment plan through our Naturopath, which helped him a lot.  His eczema is pretty much gone, although we are still dealing with environmental allergies.  His food allergies are pretty much gone too (although I try not to overdo any certain ones).  He is such a sweet, thoughtful boy, but also very curious and sometimes mischievous.  When the kids become teenagers, he's my biggest concern!  He likes to push the boundaries and has to know "why" for everything.  He gets hurt many times a day from his experiments,  but then is back trying them again, a few seconds later.  Yikes!

James' latest: (before bed one night)  

J: Mom, what would you do if a raccoon came in our house?

Me:  I'd probably freak out.

J: Hmm...ohhh...I didn't know that moms fweaked out... (pondering)

The next day we had our back door open to let in the cool breezes.  We were eating supper and my back was to the open door.  James looked down the hallway and announced in a sing-song-y voice, "Mom, guess who's in our house?" I quickly turned around and found not a raccoon, but our neighbor's dog walking down the hall.  Thankfully, I didn't have to "fweak out".  (we're working on pronouncing those 'r's!)

May 28- Luke is 8.  Luke had an upside-down kind of birthday.  We were in Arizona for vacation, and spent his birthday driving from AZ to San Diego where we flew home.  So, he got burgers at In-N-Out, lots of trail mix and dinner at a strange restaurant in a strange town for his celebration.  And a long ride in a rented van (just like ours, but nicer and newer).  We had a cousin's party at Grandpa &; Grandma's the night before we left, so he got cake and all that while we were there.  

Luke is our wealth of knowledge.  His nose is in a book most of the time, which is a blessing and a detriment all rolled into one.  He's missed a lot of conversational information as he's so absorbed in his books, but then he knows so much about other stuff from them.  I do try to limit his reading, as I want him to have lots of time playing, interacting, building Legos (which he loves too), creating projects and such too.  There are so many aspects to having a well-rounded (and grounded) child!  

The other night was a scene I've been waiting for for years.  It gave me a glimpse into the future as to how bigger families work and gave me hope too.  I was trying to get Isaac (22 mon.) to go to sleep.  Normally he's no trouble, but for some reason he wanted me to fill an endless list of requests (milk cup, rocking, blankets in certain positions, rubbing his back forever) and would cry if I didn't jump through his hoops.  I was tired and not up to the shenanigans, since I'd already spent much time with him.  Luke jumped in and said, "You can go to bed, Mom, and I'll rub his back until he's asleep".  I could have cried.  Well, I may have and just can't recall.  So, Luke got out of bed, sat down by Isaac's crib and talked calmly to him and rubbed his back until he was asleep.  So awesome!

Here's one of Luke's 8 year old humor lately:

Greg: We should paint the goat shelter this weekend.

Me: We could have the kids do it, they love painting.

Greg: Well, I'd rather have it done uniform.

Luke: Does that mean we will put buttons and pockets on it?

So, as previously mentioned, we went to Arizona in May over the Memorial Day weekend.  We've decided that camping isn't our thing that early in the spring.  So, we went to Arizona instead.  We found some reasonable flights to San Diego (since we only had 1 week, which isn't enough time to drive) and then rented a van and drove the final 5 hours.  It was a great trip.  We stayed in Greg's folks' trailer while there and just soaked up the heat and sunshine.  The kids did great (Well, Isaac wasn't sure what to think of the heat. He kept tugging at his shirt as if to say, "why is this so sticky?" and wasn't sure what to think of all the new people.) and we enjoyed our time.  On our way back, we spent our last night in San Diego, and we had hoped to do something fun, but ran out of time so ended spending that last morning just swimming in our hotel pool (Can't beat that anyhow, can you?  Who needs Sea World?)  Anyhow, that's our trip in a nutshell.  Just mostly visited family and friends and let the kids play with their cousins (who recently moved to Florida, so who knows when we'll see them next...although we'd love a trip down there!)