Freedom From Type 1 Diabetes

Yes, Freedom.

Yes I still take insulin injections, and I still test my blood, and I still eat low carb. 

But I don’t spend hours on the phone waiting for people to give me what I’m asking for. 

I don’t spend hours awake every night. 

I don’t spend so much on my diabetes that I don’t have enough money to enjoy my life. 

I don’t live with frustration about my physical condition. 

I do spend under $100 a month on my type 1 diabetes treatment

I do have a non-diabetic A1c currently at 5.1. 

I do seek happiness every day. 

I do meditate every day. 

I do engage in physical exercise every day. 

I do eat under 30 grams of carbohydrate every day. I practice a low carb ketogenic diet. Some people have called this diet Low Carb High Fat Moderate Protein Diet. 

I do eat fermented foods every day to nourish my gut. 

I do shop for good deals on type 1 diabetic supplies. 

I do spend a lot of money though, on supplements that keep me not only healthy, but also 

so that I am insulin sensitive and am able to live on less medication. 

I do buy most of my food from local farmers and eat absolutely no processed food, so that my wellness stays at a high level. 

I use St. Clair’s Organic Peppermints to correct my blood sugar when needed. 

i do keep a Daily Logbook in which I record all blood sugar results, amounts of insulin, and food consumed. I periodically record lists of supplements, exercises, activities, feelings and sick days, or headaches. 

Now for the details: 

Insulin, I buy from Walmart. NPH for my long acting insulin and R or Regular for my meal time insulin. These I buy for $25 per vial, and just to be on the safe side, I replace them usually once per month. 

Syringes, I buy on line for a very good price and I have a lifetime prescription for them. I used to get them from Walmart, but the last time I tried to buy them they were unable to procure the particular kind I wanted. 

Meter and TestStrips, I order these on Amazon. I use ContourNextOne and believe it is one of the better meters, and it works very well and is very accurate. I test anywhere from 3 to 12 times a day. These cost about $25 per 100. And each hundred last me about 10-20 days each.

A1c tests, I test my a1c at home one time each month, just to keep track of my progress. Even though this test shows your average blood sugar over 3 months time, I like to test each month just to monitor the direction it might be going. 

This is the basis of living with Type 1, yet things do come up. I choose to avoid insurance in order to be free to make my own choices, which is why I choose to pay for the minimum requirements to keep my diabetes managed. And these are MY choices and certainly not recommendations for anyone else.

It can be done for less. Less expense, less stress, more freedom, that’s all. 

My home A1c

My Typical Breakfast

My Delicious Supper of Butter Mashup and Brazil Nuts

A Typical Lunch

My Delivery of Syringes

My Supplements

An Example of Fermented Vegetables: Daikon Radish Pickles

My Meter Showing What is Considered a Perfect Blood Sugar

St. Clair’s Organic Peppermints that I Use to Raise my Blood Sugar if it Goes Too Low

My D-Bag that I Carry With Me at All Times, Meter, with test strips, insulin, syringes, my Peppermints, lip stick and eye drops.

My Daily Logbook

my Insulin, both R and N for a total of $50 

How to Stay Well this Winter and Always

I have a new scientifically proven plan to stay well this winter. I’ve discovered using these three products together have helped me gain confidence in my wellness. I’ve been exposed to colds a few times this winter and as soon as the first symptoms arise usually a sneeze when chilled, followed by the beginning of a runny nose, if I can remember these 3 products often the symptoms will slow down and drop out all together. Am I contagious while this is gong on? I actually don’t know, but I feel good and don’t get worse. 

And here, I just want to mention that this amazing protocol doesn’t affect blood sugars at all. So good, right? 

Ok, I’m not a medical professional of any kind, I’m just a person who’s been studying what makes people healthy for about 40 years. Selfishly I pay attention to what makes me healthier and choose to share my knowledge with you, my readers. That was my disclaimer! 

As soon as I feel a symptom I’ll take 1 dropper of D3 Serum by Premier Research Lab, 1-3 droppers Sovereign Silver under my tongue, and a swig of Garlic Cayenne Vinegar by Three Lily Farm. When the vinegar runs out, I’ll just use regular Apple Cider Vinegar, but I really like the bite of the garlic and cayenne. 

First of all, Sovereign Silver. In a really good article by Dr. Axe  https://draxe.com/colloidal-silver-benefits/ he explains that Colloidal Silver is antibiotic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. The Sovereign Silver is the same as colloidal silver except that it is made of smaller molecules, as is my understanding.

Next Vitamin D3, in an article by Dr. Mercola, https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/04/why-this-vitamin-is-better-than-any-vaccine-and-improves-your-immune-system-by-35-times.aspx

explains that Vitamin D 3 strengthens your immune system and guards against autoimmune disorders.  Vitamin D3, which also a hormone rather than an actual vitamin, is cited as an antimicrobial.

Really? Apple cider vinegar? in an article by Kris Gunners https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar it is explained that apple cider vinegar is antibiotic, and has many other scientifically proven benefits.

i recommend reading these mentioned articles because your belief in a strategy helps it work better for you. In addition to using these three products: 1 dropper of Vitamin D3, 2-3 droppers of Sovereign Silver and a teaspoon or two of Apple Cider Vinegar either as a swig or in a small glass of water.  

Also when hoping to stay healthy, always drink more than adequate water. Try first 3 quarts per day. And try to keep your attention off of anything negative. News programs, scary or negative movies. Instead look towards uplifting news stories, comedy programming, and continue to notice positive aspects of your daily life.  

As Abraham-Hicks has said, “If you want to change the world, watch the Big Bang Theory”. 

And remember, have fun! 

Low Carb Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo

Low Carb Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo.

Before the very end of the year I’d like to share my recipe for Shrimp Gumbo.

First of all, I’ve never in my life measured anything about this recipe except, of course, knowing how much shrimp I bought. So what I’m saying is, these are all guesses and measurements don’t really matter anyway.

I remember years ago before we moved from Louisiana to Maine, MawMaw, my husband’s mother, showed me how to make gumbo in her Hammond, Louisiana kitchen. She always made shrimp gumbo for our Xmas Eve family celebration. Then we moved to Maine, and I started making shrimp gumbo at every Xmas celebration. And then, years later, I became the MawMaw and now we have MawMaw’s Gumbo every Xmas.

So here I will attempt to tell you how to make gumbo, and how to serve it low carb, grain free and deliciously perfect.

Remember these are all guesses and there’s got to be some magic in there!

Sauté in 1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a large stock pot:

2 chopped onions

1 whole large bulb garlic, chopped

When tender add 3 pounds okra sliced in half inch slices

Stir until all veggies are soft.

Add:

2 quarts chicken or turkey broth

2 teaspoons good quality salt, I use Himalayan

2 large cans whole tomatoes along with the liquid, I smash these in my hands separately while adding to the pot

Cook for maybe half an hour, then add

4 pounds whole shrimp and stir til they turn pink.

Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne,

2 teaspoons chili garlic seasoning

2Tablespoons gumbo filé

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Stir in seasonings, taste and correct seasonings.

Let cook on stove until all the seasonings blend, probably for about an additional hour.

The rest of my family likes rice in the bowl along with their gumbo. I eat my gumbo like the delicious soup that it is, no rice of course. Sometimes I add a good hot sauce to the bowl.

You Miss Bread and Cookies?

There are many reasons to embark on a ketogenic diet. The Ketogenic diet is a low carb diet with added fat. I've been on a low carb diet for over 20 years, which I started following because of wanting to reclaim my health after living with type 1 diabetes for many years. About 40 years ago I decided I would search for the best healing diet and protocol to heal the type 1. So I began an intense self study of nutrition, which about 8 years ago led me to whole heartedly embrace the what I now call the Locavore/Ketogenic Lifestyle. So I eat mostly locally grown food, low carb and healthy fat. 

The ketogenic diet was first used in the 1920's for epileptic kids to quell their seizures and would have probably been useful for diabetic children (back then there wasn't kinds of duabetes known besides obese adults and young children diabetics)  but the discovery of insulin and its manufacture virtually stopped any further nutritional exploration for the condition. 

In my healthy fat section of my ketogenic diet, I like to use local fats mostly, non-factory made fats like locally produced lard, made from Pork fat and butter, made from cream of local grassfed cows, fats that I actually make in my own kitchen. I would try to include in this list duck fat and tallow, but they are not easily procured for me. I also used coconut oil in my diet if desired, but of course it is never local as I live in Maine. I bend my rules when I feel like it.

To the recipes! Every once in a while, not very often, I want some bread or cookies, I don't often miss desserts because I find what I eat so satisfying! But, I get it, first of all it's bread, what about bread?

Totally Simple Low Carb Bread 

Ingredients: 

2 cups Almond flour  

1/2 cup golden flax meal, or just grind your own

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt, I use Himalayan, use any high quality salt you like

4 whole eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil, you could actually use any oil you like, I might try butter or even lard the next time I make this recipe

1/2 cup water

Steps: 

Preheat the oven to 350 F  

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl

Add eggs, oil, and water. 

Stir well  

Line a leaf pan with parchment paper. 

Pour batter into lined pan. 

Place in oven for 50 minutes, that's how long mine took. You know your oven so check periodically to see how yours is doing. I took mine out and let it cool on the counter then lifted it out to slice. It's pretty soft but tasty and delicious with fresh butter. 

Really Low Carb/Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or other high quality salt

1 teaspoon Stevia Powder, I use @Now Brand Better Stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

2 ounces butter

2 teaspoons Coconut Butter, I use Nutiva Brand

1/3 cup Pascha Chocolate Chips, I love these. Pascha are totally unsweetened and organic . They take getting used to, but I love them and I do much better with them.  

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix butter, egg, coconut butter , vanilla in medium bowl. 

Stir together dry ingredients, flour, soda, powder, salt, stevia.

Add dry ingredients into mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. 

Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Drop cookie dough bu Tablespoons onto cookie sheet. 

Bake cookies at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. 

Whatever your reason for eating low carb or Ketogenic, whether it's type 1 diabetes, or type 2, or candida in your system, or manafesting weight loss, or becoming a fat burner, or simply plannng for longevity, I'm hopeful these simple recipes will bring you JOY! 

Eat Fat Eat Butter and Cauliflower Tater Salad

"High carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality. Total fat and types of fat were not associated with cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas saturated fat had an inverse association with stroke. Global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered in light of these findings." 

Beautiful local raw grassfed butter. You too can find raw local butter. Ask around at your local farmers market, someone will know. 

This is a quote from The Lancet from an article they published on PURE, the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study. I ready the summary and even though it was fairy technical, the conclusion was pretty simple. We can eat Fat. A high carb diet increases death. A high fat diet increases life. Not only that, but eating saturated fat helps prevent stroke. Here's a link to the article: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32253-5/fulltext

I've been researching the high fat, low carb, moderate protein diet for years and have been following it, eating 85-100% locally grown food for over 7 years. I have never felt this good! So I knew it was working for me, but in the back of my mind I was wondering, is it really for everyone? 

Ok, so now there's backup. 

My new favorite recipe right before I add the last bit of Homemade Mayo. Cauliflower Tater Salad

Cauliflower Tater Salad 

Break or cut 2 large hands of cauliflower into small bite sized pieces. Sauté the cauliflower in a cast iron skillet with a few Tablespoons of bacon fat that you've been saving from all that bacon you've been eating. 

Boil 6 large yard eggs for 10 minutes. While they are cooking you will have plenty of time to prepare the other ingredients.  if you add a Tablespoon of vinegar and a few pinches of salt to the water they will peel easier.

Slice about 6 green onions into small pieces and place in large bowl.  Chop in large pieces 4 real fermented pickles and add. Chop the boiled eggs by slicing in both directions with a slicer or chopping by hand, with a knife.

Make the Mayo 

Add to the blender: 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt(I use Himalayan salt, but you can use your favorite) 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar . And blend.  Next measure in one glass measuring cup 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup MCT oil. Slowly pour the oil while the blender is still going. Voila! You've made mayonnaise! Once you know how you can add all sorts of fun spices or herbs or garlic to make delicious dips or salad dressings.

Add the mayo to the salad, maybe even all of it, I did. It's delicious.  

Salt to taste.  

This dish is a wonderful addition to any potluck. At the last potluck we had, we quickly ran out!  

Here's a lunch we had recently, Cauliflower Tater Salad was really the main dish served with a pork/beef burger, with a tomato slice and a dollop of mayo and some butter Pesto as a dip for the radishes.

It was during this recent lunch that my husband, a potato salad lover, said Cauliflower Tater Salad is better than any potato salad! Success!

Eat with Pleasure!