I got an email from Jack Lalanne!

Okay, it wasn't directly from him. And...I don't know if he was even aware of my email. BUT, it came from his company and contained a LaLannism customized just for me!

Anybody who knows me knows that I love Jack LaLanne. Which is crazy because of course if he was younger...or I was older...and we both were not married...well, I would be too fat for him anyway, haha. It's like someone who smells chronically of wet dog being in love with the president of the We Hate Everyone Who Smells Like Wet Dog Association.

I had sent him an email a while back, explaining how he was the inspiration for me becoming a raw fooder, how I had already lost 30 pounds and was going for the next 30. I gushed about how much I loved him - even more than Obama Girl loves Obama, lol. I asked when I got to 145 pounds if he would consider having a short chat with me and my members who are following along.

Well, I got an answer today. The email was signed "BeFit Enterprises" - no name. It didn't say yes, but it didn't exactly say no either! It said when I got to 145 I could contact them again, but of course Jack. LaLanne is very busy. I totally understand that, he's one of the hardest working guys out there - literally. Plus I'm sure they want to protect him from crazy women like me.

Oh and it also said "Anything in Life is Possible and YOU Make it Happen!" That's a LaLannism...and it was customized just for me because usually it says "IF" you can make it happen. :)

Hec, I'll even be happy when I make it to 145 pounds and just get an email that is signed "Jack LaLanne!" I think I would frame it!

Anyway, wanted to share the latest crazy little Jack-induced impulse. I'm sure they think I'm nuts, haha.

Is there a cure for diabetes?

When I embraced the raw food diet, it was largely due to reading Dr. Gabriel Cousen's book which answered the question "is there a cure for diabetes" with, "There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+Program."

I have a very dear friend who has lost 65+ pounds the past 3-4 months also due to this book. Like me, she was on a lot of medications and had dangerously high blood pressure. We both lost weight, brought down our blood pressure and were able to stop our medications.

My blood sugar numbers were close to "normal" as long as I was close to 100% raw. Does this mean there is a cure for diabetes? I don't know, because I was having crazy cravings for bananas, so I decided to indulge in fruit and resumed my metformin. My numbers are better than before raw foods, but not as good as when I was 100%.

I admit it is my own fault. The book recommends you maintain low blood sugar levels and remain in the first phases of the diet for a much longer period of time (years) to give your body a chance to "heal."

Maybe with more weight loss I could become more sensitive to insulin and react less to fruit. However, even if I lost weight and maintained 100% raw for a decade, I don't think I would ever be able to eat a banana/honey smoothie without my blood sugar levels spiking. I will still, for all intents and purposes, be a diabetic - I think. Is there a cure for diabetes? Will I be able to eat bananas later if I hold out and lose some more weight?

I once had an endocrinologist who told me that once my blood sugar levels got to 180 mg/dL for an extended period of time, my body underwent cellular changes that could be identified under a microscope. If I remained on raw food for a significant period of time, would those changes go away? It would be interesting if anyone could answer that question. Dr. Cousens?

So I guess the answer to "is there a cure for diabetes" depends on what your definition of "cured" is. For some reason I have a problem with that word. I have such an issue, I have a hard time recommending the book to friends, family, and especially the 4000+ members of my website, DiabeticMommy.com - even though it had a big part in changing my life.

I don't want to appear like the ads that bombard my members with advertisements for potions that will cure diabetes. Another issue, is when I was done reading the book, I felt I really should go to the Tree of Life Spa (which is literally down the road). Would I really have received more benefit going, or would I have gotten the same results and lost money? I don't want my members thinking I'm trying to get them to blow a lot of money either.

So is there a cure for diabetes?

Is there a cure for diabetes? I don't know. Should I recommend this book? Yes, I believe so, but I have to express my reservations. Thank you if you read this post all the way to end.

Diabetic Snacks

Diabetic snacks are a great way to dabble with some simple raw foods. No I don't mean carrots with ranch dressing either. I mean tasty foods that pack a nutritional punch that are easy to prepare.

GUACAMOLE - single serving

*1 Ripe avocado - chopped
*2 Tomato - diced
*1 Green onion - sliced
*1 Jalapeno, serrano pepper (optional and use less if preferred)- minced
*1 small garlic clove. Use half if you don't like garlic. - minced or smushed.
*1 Lime (Can use lemon, but lime is more traditional)
*Salt to taste
*Lettuce, chips, or sheets of nori for dipping or to use as a wrap

Prepare the ingredients. Chop the avocado last so it has less time to turn color. If you choose to use peppers, slice them and remove the seeds and white veins if you don't like it very hot and mince them very small. Be careful to handle them by their outer skin and try not to touch their flesh or you may have burning hands later. You could also use canned green chilis if you want.

Mix everything together except for the lime, salt, and last ingredient. Hopefully the avocado is kind of soft so it mixes well. Slice the lime and put the juice of half or all of it, to taste. Sprinkle with salt and stir.

Play with the ingredients to find the right mix for you. This is a great for diabetic snacks because it is low carb (unless you choose to eat it with chips). However, be aware the avocado has a good amount of fat so don't eat this every day.

PICO DE GALLO FRUIT SNACK

This is also great for diabetic snacks - be sure if you use a very sweet fruit to mind the serving size and count carbs.

This is a popular snack in Mexico. It is traditionally made with jicama, coconut, pineapple, mango, and watermelon. It is often served from street carts with the sliced fruit spears served in a big plastic cup and the extras sprinkled on...from pinched fingertips that resemble a rooster's beak - hence the name Pico de Gallo (Beak of the Rooster).

The ingredients I have suggested below are to keep it lower in sugar. You can play around with the ingredients, but always watch serving sizes and carbs on your diabetic snacks.

*1 Apple
*1 Jicama (about the same size as the apple)
*Small amount of other fruit - mango, pineapple, melon, etc.(optional)
*Chili Powder
*Lime
*Salt
*Agave nectar or sugar

Slice the fruit into long spears or into thick French-fry shapes. Place them on a plate or into a cup. Sprinkle on chili powder and salt to taste. Add a small amount of agave nectar or sugar. If you use sugar, use just a small pinch or two and just sprinkle it on give a little balance to the flavors. Remember to count them as a carb. Then squeeze lime juice over the entire thing. Enjoy!

SIMPLE KALE CHIPS

*Note: These are great for diabetic snacks, but if you are taking the medications coumadin or warfarin, dark leafy greens high in vitamin K will interact with these medications and can cause clotting.

*1-2 bunches of kale - any kind
*olive oil
*salt
*a dehydrator

If you have a dehydrator, it is worth it to break it out. Believe me, this does not sound very good, but it is fantastic for diabetic snacks. I don't use the dehydrator very much, but I love to make these. Plus it's very easy clean-up.

All you do is clean and dry your kale. Tear out the stems if they are thick. If you have large pieces, tear them up to large tortilla chip size. Double the size is good too. If I have flat-leaf kale, I often don't tear it up.

Drizzle on a little olive oil (a little goes a long way) and sprinkle a little salt (this goes a long way too, you'll be surprised). Mix it around so most of the kale gets coated.

Place the kale on your dehydrator tray and dehydrate. Check them after 2 hours. Some of them should be ready by then. I personally use a cheap Ronco dehydrator with no fan - and after about 2-3 hours most of them are done.

They will be crispy like a potato chip. If you have a Bamboo Club in your area and like the fried spinach, this is similar. You can even do this with spinach...but don't eat too much spinach as you don't want to overdose on oxalates.

NOTE

I hope you enjoy these diabetic snacks. I'm sorry my measurements are so vague and not very precise. I used to hate it when my grandma did the same thing...but I find relaying recipes that way and encouraging others to experiment with measurements and ratios is really the best way to get a recipe how you want it. Food can have different flavors according to season and region. So play with it. :)

I also apologize if I have left out something - make sure and let me know if I have and let me know how the recipes worked for you.

Sorry no update the past couple days - sick as a dawg

I've been sick, so no update for the past couple days. I always get sick when the weather changes and the weather here in Tucson is CRAZY.

One day we are freezing, a bitter wet cold. The next day we are almost 100 degrees fahrenheit! The other day we were the hottest in the whole country. Even Phoenix was at least 10 degrees cooler than us! We are about 20 degrees above average right now.

So the weather gets me sick and then my asthma acts up. It's not as bad as it could be. Before I started raw I had to go into the doctor for inhalation treatments on a machine and I could barely breathe at all. Now I might have to have a puff or two of an inhaler before I go to sleep.

Anyway, wanted to let you all know I was still alive and kicking. I'm sure I'll get better soon but pissed I missed the Rodeo Parade they have here every year. :(

As far as raw, it's hard because I haven't been able to get to the store. I had a big green juice when this first started and I felt better that day. Then the next couple days I didn't have very high raw and no juice. Tomorrow I'm making a point to make a big fat green juice with lots of lemon in it and later have a salad with tons of garlic and onion in it. I'll let you know how I feel. :)

That's the nice thing about raw. If I have bad days, if I make up with a lot of really high-raw days afterwards, I'm fine.

My personal raw food diet nutritional data

I eat a "mostly" raw food diet, and I have type 2 diabetes - so I can't get a lot of help from fruits yet. I've been trying to keep track of what I eat and trying to get my diet as complete as possible.

This is what I ate today and the nutritional breakdown from Nutritiondata.com. Most of it is fantastic. The carb, fat, protein ratio is not where I would like it yet. The highest fat thing I ate was an avocado and that really raised my fat intake. I need to lower that without lowering the nutrients I struggle to get (see below). If anyone has any suggestions or wisdom to share, I would appreciate it.

Here is a picture of my daily values chart. The yellow ones are ones I don't want to get a lot of. They are salt (Na), cholesterol (Ch), saturated fat (Sf), and total fat (TF).




I'm amazed at my vitamins and minerals! The raw food diet rocks! The total fat is high, but again that avocado threw me off, and not sure how stressed I should be over an avocado. I haven't had an avocado in a week either.

Tomorrow I could try to omit the avocado. I could also try to omit the nuts & seeds (but I need the zinc from the pumpkins seeds). I could also try to omit the olive oil.

By playing around with this site, I've gotten an idea of what nutrients I have to be especially vigilant about getting because they are harder for me personally to get from fruits and vegetables.

NUTRIENTS I STRUGGLE TO GET ON A "MOSTLY" RAW FOOD DIET

• Vitamin D. (I do get this from at least 5-15 minutes in the sun 2-3 times per week, but wont be reflected on these charts) Good sources are fish, fish oil, sardine, mushrooms, egg yolk.
  
• Vitamin B12 (don't need daily). Good sources are liver, beef, fish, poultry, meat broth, cheese, eggs.
  
• Selenium (Need to find balance, toxic in excess and the body stores it). Good sources are liver, brazil nuts, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, nuts (not peanuts), chicken, mung, red kidney beans, lentils.
  
• Zinc (Little ability for body to store zinc). Good sources are shellfish, red meat, calf liver, poultry, giblets, pork, cheese, yogurt, peanuts, beans, yogurt, pumpkin seeds (most concentrated non-meat source). Many foods have less because often deficient in soil. Diabetes can make zinc absorption harder. Overdosing on zinc is a bad thing too.
  
• Calcium (Vitamin D necessary to absorb calcium). Good sources are broccoli, kale, spinach, oranges, legumes, salmon, sardines, sesame seeds, corn tortillas, almonds.
  
• Vitamin E. Good sources are wheat germ, vegetable oils, whole grains, nuts, peanut butter, tomato puree/paste/sauce.
  

WHAT I ATE TODAY

Breakfast (Juice)
1 apple
2 C chopped celery
1 cucumber
1 tsp ginger root
8 oz kale
juice from 1 lemon

Snack
1 banana

Lunch
1 avocado
1 tomato
raw corn cut off cob
2 scallions
handful coriander
1/2 tsp mesquite meal
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp sunflower seeds

Dinner
5 baby carrots
4 oz canned salmon, bone-in
1/4 cup pumpkins seeds
1 tbsp shallots
1/4 ounce sunflower greens
juice from 1/2 lime
half a head of lettuce
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Dessert
5 dates
4 almonds

BREAKDOWN OF MY "MOSTLY" RAW FOOD DIET

Total calories: 1753

Estimated glycemic load	92 (under 100)
Inflammation factor	1700 (over 50)
Protein quality	120 (over 100)
Ratio Carb/Fat/Protein	50/37/13 (60/30/10)
Calories	88%
Carbohydrates	187%
Fiber	202%
Total Fat	118%
Saturated Fat	57%
Cholesterol	31%
Protein	103%
Vitamin A	2500%
Vitamin C	547%
Vitamin D	261%
Vitamin E	95%
Vitamin K	2640%
Thiamin	113%
Riboflavin	145%
Niacin	160%
Vitamin B6	227%
Folate	147%
Vitamin B12	231%
Panthothenic Acid	151%
Calcium	104%
Iron	101%
Magnesium	199%
Phosphorus	223%
Potassium	177%
Sodium	84%
Zinc	188%
Copper	332%
Manganese	574%
Selenium	106%

Belated BMI calculator dance

I forgot to have a party when my BMI went down. I really never gave it a lot of thought until today when I entered my weight into a BMI calculator. So I'm doing it now!

WOOHOO! CHA-CHA-CHA-CHA, CHA-CHA!

Here are the facts friend:

• My ideal weight is between 114.6 - 154.9. My ideal BMI is under 25
• At my highest I weighed 280. My BMI was 45.2 or extremely obese.
• I got down to 205 for many years. My BMI was 33.1 or obese.
• After juice and raw foods I got down to 175, my current weight. My BMI is 28.2 or overweight. Overweight! Never thought I would be so excited being called overweight, haha.

Want use a BMI calculator? Go here: BMI calculator

Raw food detox noticed by dental hygenist!

A few years ago my dentist said I needed $3000 worth of work on my mouth. I had the beginnings of gingivitis, cavities, cracked teeth, etc. He scolded me for not getting my teeth cleaned for a couple years. When he poked around my mouth to make measurements for bone health, my gums bled. I would have thought detox in this area based on my diet was impossible.

Research is showing a strong relationship between diabetes and oral health. Oral health could also indicate an even higher risk for heart disease - something I have to worry about with diabetes and my family history. So this is something important for me.

I had read that raw food could not only detox your blood and organs, but also improve your mouth, gums, and even teeth. I read about some of these benefits in a Victoria Boutenko book. She is well-known in raw food diet circles.

In fact, when I read this, I questioned whether she was a quack and trying to make the raw food diet seem like it was magic. I brushed it off. It was the last thing I expected to see - raw food detox in my mouth.

I finally went to get that dental work done a couple months ago. I had been on green juice and raw foods for a few months at that time. They did X-rays and poked around my mouth. The dentist said, "Your mouth and teeth look great. You just have a couple cracked teeth and need two crowns." I was like, what? I mentioned what he told me the last time. He looked in my file, and he said hmmm, I don't know what's going on, but I don't see a lot of the problems we listed before.

I got the work done and then scheduled a cleaning with his dental hygenist. I hadn't gone to get my teeth cleaned for at least five years! Bad I know, I'm scared of the dentist! I went a few days ago to get my teeth cleaned. Finally. :)

Usually when I get my teeth cleaned, it takes a long time and requires a lot of tartar scraping. I expected it to take forever. Also part of the regular routine is some bleeding, a report on the state of gingivitis, warnings about my gums and bone health, etc.

She poked around and said, wow, looks great! She said, "Your gums are healthy, your measurements are perfect, your teeth are pretty clean. The only place I see any tartar is on the back of your lower front teeth, but that's common." Then she said I was doing a great job taking care of my teeth and obviously having regular cleanings.

I laughed and said no I wasn't. She looked at my file, and said that's odd.

I told her I was eating a lot of raw food and drinking a lot of green juices. Green juice can eat away at enamel if you don't rinse your mouth out after. I asked if it was possible the green juice had eaten away the tarter. She said no, and that my enamel was fine.

She said she suspected I changed the pH of my body from acidic to alkaline and that changed the chemistry in my mouth and made the tartar go away! What a trip!!! I still can't believe it.

I was out of there in no time. I didn't even get watch the whole episode of Oprah they had playing in the room. It seems so unbelievable, I keep expecting to wake up at any time.

Australia, Diabetes, and Mankinis...Oh My!

I was surfing one day on YouTube and ran into Graham's channel. At that time he was a 500-pound Australian who gained popularity on YouTube running around in a mankini and giving free hugs. Who could help but love him!? Hey, I wanted a free hug too!

I was pleasantly surprised to find he had subscribed to my channel and was interested in what I was doing. Wow! What an honor because he had become an inspiration to ME.

Graham was diagnosed with diabetes recently. He also realized that if an alien from outer space came after him, he was too out of shape to run away! What's a cuddly Aussie to do? He decided to take baby steps toward his goal. Anything was better than nothing.

On January 1st he started his fitness regimen. He was only able to walk around a small rose garden, and had to stop for rests. He had a really hard time sitting down and getting up from benches.

Just 22 days later, he posted a blog, and the difference is AMAZING. He's walking around the whole park, even doing short sprints, and gets up and down with no problem now.

He's stronger! He's fitter! And he's got a scary haircut! Check it out, I'll post the video below. Make sure and watch to the end to hear his song and see this cuddly man go warrior. Check out his channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/GrahamAndFriends

What I've learned about gestational diabetes

I created my website in 2001 as a result of being very dissatisfied with my pregnancy experience with gestational diabetes. I was scared. I felt alone. I had a really hard time finding information.

When I made the site, I didn't think I would find many others like me, maybe a handful. Since then I've been overwhelmed not only with members and posts on the site but desperate emails sent to me by women with all types of diabetes - type 1, type 2, and women with gestational diabetes. I remember what it was like, and I feel for them.

When I got pregnant, my doctor had me see a diabetes educator. She freaked out and the rollercoaster began.

I had so many appointments, pamplets, and lectures, it's all a blur. It was a very negative experience. There was no "congratulations!" or really anything positive. I was told my A1c was too high, and that I had a chance of losing the baby. I was told all the risks, complications, history of diabetes, etc. So that was it. I was going to lose it. I was convinced.

Almost every initial personal email I get from someone with gestational diabetes is from someone in that mindset. They think they are going to lose their baby. They are in sheer panic.

As my pregnancy progressed, I got my HbA1c into very tight control, in the 4's and 5's. I got tested up the wazoo (literally, haha). Because of how I was dealt with, the brief wording and grave faces, I thought the baby had Downs and birth defects. I accepted it and prepared. My husband and I are not naive stupid people. But I don't think caregivers realize what impact their comments have, combined with those of nurses and tech's.

I've had nurses tell me they would rather have cancer than diabetes. I've had tech's tell me it's too bad I'm going to lose a foot. It wasn't only health professionals either. Friends and family who had seen movies like Steel Magnolias were predicting my death. I hear shocking things from the ladies with gestational diabetes who contact me.

When my son came out healthy and normal, I was shocked. My entire pregnancy was a very high-stress experience. Most of it was negative. I was lucky that halfway through I found a midwife who educated me and let me know that I COULD do this and let me know I was doing an awesome job. She was one little glimmer in the sea of images that were like Evard Munch's The Scream painting.

Now that I look back. I realize the doctors and others were not evil. They had a limited amount of time with me, and these are very serious issues and facts they had to get across within minutes. These are very valid issues. However, it would have been nice if they had injected a little bit of happiness or positiveness and mentioned they were talking about risks and statistics...not about my current situation.

When I chat with these ladies with gestational diabetes, I ask if they actually have lab tests or something that confirms that something is wrong. I ask if they've been asked to go in for extra appointments, monitoring, or appointments. It turns out the many of them already have really nice HbA1c levels. When I tell them, it sounds like the doctor is just trying to get these warnings and facts across so that you understand the importance of compliance, I am met with profound relief.

Often a woman with gestational diabetes won't ask her doctor more questions because they are confused, in shock and are afraid to hear more. If they got gestational diabetes in pregnancy, they are sometimes ashamed, feeling they caused it with bad habits. They worry they will get scolded. If they had pre-existing diabetes, they are worried the doctor may be implying they shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place. So they clam up.

It's not uncommon for me to hear that an HbA1c came back at 4.5% and the doctor was still negative rather than telling them good job. They don't understand what they are doing wrong. I remember so well.

When I tell ladies with gestational diabetes or even those who are thinking about getting pregnant that if they have no pre-existing complications, good healthcare, comply/work with their doctor, and get their A1c levels into tight control, they could have about the same chance as a non-diabetic to have a successful pregnancy - the fight begins. They work hard and they are able to enjoy their pregnancy. It's amazing how positive messages can be strong as well.

I realize not all doctors are negative, but I get enough emails to worry.

How do you get protein eating fruits and vegetables?

I'm "mostly raw" myself. I do eat meat once in a while, but I try to eat fish or free-range or wild grain-fed, no-hormone-added chicken or beef. Or I try to get organ meats like liver - those have lots of B12 and your body stores it so you don't need it often.

I also get protein from nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens - but it's a balancing act since I can't have nuts or seeds in large quantities.

Every day I usually have at least (a lot of it juiced):
1 head of red leaf lettuce: 5 g
1 head of kale: 8 g
1/4 cup nut, usually sunflower: 7.25 g
1 cucumber: 2 g
1 head of celery: 2g
1 large banana: 1 g
1/2 cup beans: 6 g

So that's almost 30 g. That's just basic, of course I eat more than that. I usually have more fruit, dark leafy greens, and other colorful vegetables. If you boil or stir-fry the greens, it seems to increase the protein...but I think that's because you can pack more cooked collards into a cup than raw (same as if you juice it).

If I choose to eat cooked food, I try to eat it at night, and separate from meals that contain a lot of raw just because raw food digests better on it's own. Mix them and you can get an upset stomach. If I choose to eat animal-based protein, 3 oz of salmon has about 22 g of protein, a boiled egg has 17g. I also tend to undercook veggies at this time.

I found this list on the About network...it has columns with non-meat-based proteins. Meat, eggs, and dairy make up complete proteins with all the amino acids. The foods below are not complete. According to the About Guide, she says to pick from two or more columns to make a complete protein:

• Grains: Barley, corn meal, oats, rice, pasta, whole grain breads
• Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, soy products
• Seeds & Nuts: Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, other nuts (be careful of nut allergies especially to cashews)
• Vegetables: Leafy greens, broccoli

According to this calculator I need 74 g per day. Some people argue that's too high. This is a very heated debate with some feeling we don't need any, some saying just 40 g, etc. I do what feels right. Here is the calculator: http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp