Glucose Checks and Baby Pics

 

Not to turn Source One into Jodie’s diary, but I do want to give you a quick update since last week’s post. First, I received great feedback and a lot of support and it is greatly appreciated!

I have been checking my glucose 4 times daily: fasting, 2 hours post breakfast, 2 hours post lunch and 2 hours post dinner. Thus far, all have been well under the goals of <95 for fasting and <120 for 2 hours post meals.

I began being VERY strict, as in basically not eating any carbohydrates. Therefore I have found that I actually needed to add back in some carbs to each meal in order to not only receive much needed nutrients, but to ensure that I am consuming enough calories.

You may recall my post from several months ago A1 See? Balanced Carb Diets for Diabetics Can Be Easy in which I discussed that when diagnosed with diabetes a common thought is “ I have to stop eating carbs completely.” I went on to talk about how this is not necessarily the case and that the type of carbohydrates and quantity consumed should be the main focus.

Upon my diagnosis of gestational diabetes I did just that, cut out almost all carbohydrates. I knew that this was not the ideal plan; rather it would not be the long-term plan throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. However, I have found that it has been beneficial in order to gauge how I respond to certain types of foods.

 
By initially going almost cold turkey, I was able to discover where I absolutely needed to add carbohydrates, what types and in what amounts in order to keep my blood glucose at optimal levels throughout the day. All of this proves the all or nothing approach is not healthy nor is it sustainable. Zero carbs is not beneficial to your body and certainly not for your sanity. 

In an upcoming discussion I will go into more on the “on the wagon/off the wagon mentality” and look at how different dietary approaches affect how people relate to food.

So, things are going well and we had another ultrasound last week where we actually got a pretty good little peak at Baby P, here he is!

Again, thanks so much for all of the feedback and support of Source One Nutrition!

Getting Real: Gestational Diabetes

The last few weeks have been a struggle; they’ve thrown me for a loop. I started the third trimester of my pregnancy and as soon as that happened it’s like the flip was switched, back to no energy.

I’ve also been going back and forth on the direction of Source One, the blog in particular. Debating whether to keep the post strictly professional/informational or adding a more personal touch with stories, examples, insights from my own life. I was leaning towards adding some personal aspects, but how much is too much? How much did I want to share and how much do you want to see?

I am taking one recent event in my life as a sign to go for it, to share more. One of my ultimate goals is to connect with my audience, inspire, relate, and be real. I don’t eat perfectly everyday, I don’t exercise everyday and I’m not ALWAYS positive, upbeat and optimistic. Like everyone, all of my days are not all filled with sunshine and smiles, or kale and quinoa :)

In the 29^th week of my pregnancy, I went in to the doctor for a routine appointment with an ultrasound. My husband and I were so excited to see our little boy, as we had not done so in 2 months. We really didn’t have any good pictures of him, as at the last appointment they were all pretty alien looking. We were looking forward to seeing him, his growth, and maybe getting a better idea of some of his features. Well, he had different plans. He was all smooshed up against me, had his hands on his face and possibly in his mouth. The doctor said, “I guess we will have to wait until he is born to see what he looks like.” I was pretty disappointed.

That appointment also involved the infamous glucose screening test. I got in my car that morning, 50 gram glucose flat orange soda like concoction in hand and headed to the doctors office. I chugged it 45 minutes prior to my appointment time as directed. (Side note: I had to leave the house an hour and 15 minutes prior to the appointment to get there on time even though it’s about 18 miles away, but it’s Atlanta!)

The nurse came in at one point during the ultrasound to draw my blood, right at the one hour mark after I had reported finishing the drink. This was not done as a finger stick with instant results, much to my dismay, but it was going to be sent to a lab in New Jersey to be analyzed and then I would get a call about the results.

The appointment was on a Thursday and the following morning I got a voice mail from the office stating that I had FAILED the test and would need to come in for the 3 hour test. I knew this was a possibility as both Type 1 and gestational diabetes run in my family, but it was still a punch in the stomach.

Not only did I not want to have to deal with going back in, drinking more of the dreaded sugar concoction, sitting in the office for 3 hours, and having my blood drawn 4 times, I just didn’t want this in my chart. Throughout the entire pregnancy thus far, everything was normal. The concerns area in my chart was empty and I wanted it to stay that way. I didn’t want this red flag to limit my choices or force me into a direction that I did not want, in regards to labor and delivery.

I scheduled the 3 hour glucose tolerance test for the following Tuesday morning, just wanting to get it out of the way. The night before, I ate dinner at 7 and had nothing to eat or drink afterwards. I went to bed hungry and woke up ravenous. It was a morning of terrible storms, so I left home really early. It took almost an hour and a half to make the 18 mile trek and let me tell you, you want nothing to do with a pregnant lady that has had zero calories over the last 12 hours that is currently having to maneuver through Atlanta traffic, in the rain.

I make it to the office, have my fasting blood glucose drawn and drink the 100 gram glucose drink. Not only did I get double the sugar this time (on an empty stomach) I got to choose my flavor! I told her I would get crazy that morning and I chose the punch flavor over the orange flavor. I was then sent to the waiting room and would be summoned after an hour to have my blood drawn again. I’ll spare all of the details of the events that transpired over the next few hours because there aren’t many, none exciting anyway. I was just told not to have water or gum and not to walk around. After the final tube of blood was drawn I was sent home, again being told the blood was being sent off and I would hear back about the results.

The next day, I get another voice mail from the doctor’s office, “You have failed the 3 hour test; you are a gestational diabetic.” I cried, and I cried, and I cried. I’m not sure it could be called crying, bawling maybe? I was so upset, I felt defeated, I don’t know what I felt…

Again, this runs in the family and I was aware that it was a definite possibility. Also, as a dietitian, I knew every intricate detail of what it meant, what I would need to do, etc. But, at that moment I wasn’t a dietitian. I was an emotional, hormonal, mom-to-be.

Not long after the news was received, it was lunchtime. I was hungry, but I thought, what am I going to eat?!? I felt that the news received only moments earlier severely limited my choices. I opted for some protein and vegetables that were already cooked and waiting in the refrigerator. Shortly after, I headed out for a walk.

On this walk, I calmed down and began telling myself that it was going to be OK. I even talked to the baby and told him that it was going to be OK; that I knew what to do to keep him healthy and that that’s what I was going to do.

I’m still overwhelmed by it and wish it weren’t so. But, I have all the knowledge that I would ever need in order to keep the baby and myself healthy for the remainder of the pregnancy. I’m going to pass on the ice cream (my only pregnancy craving) and walk after every meal, because I know that’s what works for me.

Again, I am taking this one personal event as a sign, as the push to start sharing more with the audience of Source One. In hopes that one day you might come across something that you can relate to, maybe even something that inspires you.

Have you gone through a similar experience? Please feel free comment below or send me a private message at Jodie@sourceonenutrition.com.

Also, there are SO many Brene Brown quotes that I love. Read more here : Brene Brown Quotes

Best Fall Soups and Stews

 

Fall is the time to dust off your crock pot and start making hearty, healthy soups and stews. When the temperatures fall a warm bowl of soup is what many of us crave. And what's better than coming in from the cold to a delicious smelling house with warm meal waiting for you?

 I love being able to throw all of the ingredients in and let it “do it’s thing” while I take care of other things on my to do list. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites!

Slow Cooker Lentil and Quinoa Chili | Aggie's Kitchen 

Thai Butternut Squash Soup | Energy We Bring

Curried Coconut Corn Chowder | An Avocado a Day

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup | Gimme Some Oven

Chicken Pot Pie Soup | Shugary Sweets

White Bean Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash | Foodie Crush

Cauliflower Chowder | Damn Delicious

Crock Pot Beef Stew | Baking Blond

Stuffed Pepper Soup | Cooking Classy

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup | Cooking Classy

Butternut Squash Soup | Our Small Hours

Italian White Bean, Cabbage and Sausage Soup | Bare Feet in the Kitchen

Have you broken out your crock pot or slow cooker yet this season?

Fall Foods to Fight Cold and Flu

Happy Fall Y’all! Fall fever seemed to start early this year with pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that all over the place, before we even hit the first official day of fall. Now that it’s October, I’m all in.

Along with all of the fun activities that this time of year brings, there is also a downside, more sniffles and sneezes. With the declining temperatures, comes a rise in the incidence of colds, flu, allergies, and other weather related symptoms and conditions.

So what can we do to fend for our families, ourselves and keep those dreaded issues out of our homes? Incorporating some specific foods in our diets this time of year can assist in the battle and the great news…they are fall friendly foods you may be craving anyway!

Soup: We’ve all heard of the old chicken soup for a cold remedy and there just may be something to it. One theory is that hot soup raises the temperature in the nose and throat, which creates an unwelcoming environment for viruses that thrive in cool and dry places.

Pumpkin seeds: Packed with vitamins, amino acids and minerals, including zinc. Zinc helps the immune system by acting as an antioxidant and minimizing damage to cell membranes from free radicals.

Blueberries: Contain very high concentrations of antioxidants to help fight off flu viruses, in fact, they have been found to have more antioxidants than 40 other fruits and vegetables.

Garlic: Raw garlic has compounds called allion and allicin, which have direct antiviral effects. If you can’t bear the thought, let alone the taste of raw garlic, throw it in your soup or another cooked dish. Cooked garlic has sulfur-containing compounds, which have anti-microbial activity.

Ginger: Can alleviate cold symptoms and clear nasal passages.  For the most potent version, try steeping slices of fresh ginger in hot water for a soothing drink.

Spices: Turmeric, cloves and cinnamon are packed with antioxidants, which help improve the function of the immune system.

Eggs: Egg yolks are a good source of selenium, a powerful mineral that supports a healthy immune system.

Fall is prime time for colds. There are over a billion colds in the U.S every year, according to the National Institutes of Health. Enjoying some of the foods listed above can help you kick a cold or stave it off in the first place all while allowing you to indulge in your desire for all things fall!

Do you have any home remedies or tips that work for you? Please share.