2021 Diabetes Meal Plan (Updated)

It has been over 10 years since I published my Diabetes Meal Plan so it seems appropriate to update this blog to show how I have progressed.  This had been one of my most popular posts!  It is still relevant and easy to understand as well as follow for those that are seriously trying to improve their health through diet.  It is easy to adjust to one's personal calorie needs and food preferences using the chart from the 2011 post.  It had been a guide for me to get to the initial goal I set for myself and what was acceptable by my health care team.  It was followed for one year.  After that, I returned to it when I got off track for an extended time.  For me this was many times!

There are several factors that can cause this to happen.  My nemesis is mainly stress along with the nature of this chronic disease to progress no matter what I do.  I am fortunate to live in a time of life that allows me to retire comfortably from the stress of making a living where my time was owned and controlled by others.  I am also very fortunate to live in this time of amazing medicine and a health care team that helps me manage diabetes the best way possible with hope that I will continue to have a long and fulfilling life ahead! 

As the theme of this blog implies, I intended to live my life trusting my intuition in my retirement years.  Intuition can only be trusted after trial and error of experience combine with current knowledge.  I am very pleased to report that my Endocrinologist has congratulated me on a good job of managing my diabetes just yesterday at my yearly appointment!  

I have reached and maintained my weight loss goals which puts me in the range for a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).  My blood glucose is in the good range as are my cholesterol numbers..all at the same time!  Even my body fat and water ranges are good as I use the Weight Watcher's Scale once a month to keep track and do my calculations.  Starting the first of the new year (2022) I will begin using a new blood sugar meter by OneTouch Verio Reflect.  It personalizes guidance and encouragement utilizing my new iPhone 13 which I just purchased last month for the first time by using blue tooth technology.  I also will use some food nutrition/calorie calculation apps to make the work easier when I need to get back on track.  I have a recommended list of useful apps from professionals to check out.

I am in a good place now and want to share my current knowledge with others.  There is nothing that I cannot eat.  It is all about eating what you want and wanting the right foods in the right portions.  It takes time and practice but it can apply to everyone who wants to fuel their life and live it fully.  You can adapt this chart to your own numbers by knowing your BMI.  The calculations below will help to customize the rest.  These numbers are for me.  Weigh yourself.  It takes 15 calories times body weight to maintain that weight.  If you want to lose weight, try reducing those calories to lose a realistic 2-3 pounds per week.  Always apply the total percent range of carbs, proteins, and fats daily. Exercise helps to build your muscles which is a good tool to burn calories.  Exercising to burn calories just makes you hungrier so watch that. 

My Vitamins and Supplements include: 

Alpha Liponic Acid - decreases insulin resistance while augmenting the body's antioxidant  defenses for any degree of metabolic syndrome and/or Type 2 diabetes.

Biotin - for a healthy energy metabolism as well as healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Calcium-Magnesium-Potassium - nourishes muscles including heart to function at optimum level.

CoQ10 - ubiquinone, produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the body, antioxidant; statins severely        deplete the body's natural levels of C0Q10 which supports an aging heart, boosts energy and stamina, supports cognitive function, healthy vision, hearing, and oral health.

Multi-Vitamin - High Potency; iron free for me.

Reveratrol Complex - source of flavonoids: red/purple pigments that recycle and extends the antioxidant power of vitamin C & E for age-related diseases.

Fish Oil - Omega-3s are naturally loaded with EPA & DHA which benefits the brain, eyes, cardiovascular system, joint health, and other vital functions.

Super B-Complex - contains high levels of vitamins B, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Folate, Biotin, Niacin, D-Calcium.

Tumeric - Curcumin blocks rheumatoid arthritis, a potential glucose lowering agent and antioxidant for Type 2 diabetes management.

Vitamin D3 - prescribed by my health care professional for general health.

Vitamin E - Mixed tocopherols.

Green Tea - 4 cups/day

Black Coffee - 1-4 cups/day

Various Herbal Teas as needed to drink 

Essential Oils applied or infused as needed

Water - 8-9 cups/day

My Current Medications Include:

Rosuvastatin

Aspirin

Metformin

Ozempic

Invokana

I have been advised that I may be reducing my meds in the future should I maintain my good numbers for a reasonable time to be reviewed by my Endocrinologist each year.  My new med update has eliminated the Invokana because my insurance just notified me that they will not cover it after the first of the year 2022 and have advised several other similar meds that my Endocrinologist says are just as good.  As a matter of fact, I will be replacing the Invokana with one that combines with the Metformin which will eliminate my taking it twice a day to just one time a day and the amount of Metformin will be less.  I am a little anxious about changing what works well but that's part of this game where the path to useful meds includes winners and losers.  

I have even been told that it may be possible to manage my diabetes without any meds sometime in the future if I keep up the good work!  I could use some prayers for that but it does give me some hope and motivation to go on!

I hope the reader finds this information useful and adaptable to their personal situation.  Health care is up to the individual to manage to the best of their ability seeking knowledge and professional help when needed.  There's so much helpful information available now that it is easy to be overwhelmed.  I hope you are in a position to trust your intuition and discernment as I am.  Do the work for yourself because you are worth it!

2021 10th Anniversary of My Retirement (Revised)

 

View from my front yard

The dawn of a new decade begins as I come upon the 10th Anniversary of my retirement after working 30 years as a General Certified Real Estate Appraiser and Ratio Study Manager of the State Tax Commission of Missouri.  I had far exceeded any goals I made in my career and have wrote about those extensively in this blog in various posts since I created this blog about six months before my actual retirement date of 12/1/2011 when I was 56 years old.  

The main purpose of this blog was to use the experiences and skills I developed during my career to help me prepare and enjoy my retirement.  I hope my journey to get to this point has been an inspiration to others or at least entertainment.  I very much have enjoyed the process and now look forward to many more years of an active interesting life.  I may continue to add posts on this blog at least until the end of 2021 or as I feel the need to update old posts.  There will be no more notices when a new post is completed so check back at least at the end of the each year if you are still interested.  This blog and all the posts will stay here forever as far as I know although many of the links have disappeared over time.  There continues to be regular views worldwide as people Goggle different subjects that may have key words in my posts.   There has been 43,900 views!

Rainbow on Veterans Day

2021 - Settlers Village Harvest Festival

I became a Missouri Master Gardener in May of 2012, the first Spring after I retired.  I participated in all the classes required initially and all the required continuing education hours each year after.  This program is sponsored by the University of Missouri at Columbia.  

According to the bylaws:

Purpose

The purpose of this Association is exclusively for horticultural education to supplement the effort of the University of Missouri Extension Program and thereby provide education and information on horticultural and environmental stewardship to the residents of Missouri. The Association will:

1. Support local Master Gardener Chapters.
2. Provide a centralized method for information exchange among the members.
3. Facilitate Missouri Master Gardener educational opportunities, partnerships, training sessions, fundraising efforts, conferences and association meetings; as well as coordination with other agricultural associations, gardening associations, and public and private gardens as determined by the board.
4. This organization is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Hickory County Chapter has various community projects throughout the county located on public property and is mostly about beautification.  The greenhouse and vegetable garden projects at the McCarty Senior Center in Wheatland are one of many outside sources that the center uses to feed the elderly of our community.  Primarily, the greenhouse is used to grow plants for a fundraising plant sale each spring.  Funds are used mostly to support the greenhouse expenses and provide what the other service projects may need.  

I have always considered the Settlers Village in Wheatland as my primary service project and my husband joined me after he qualified in 2014 and had more time for it after he retired in 2019.  This is what we do together and it is just the two of us as we have made it low maintenance over recent years.  There is another organization that takes care of the restored log buildings and the landscape in this city park as we do the gardens only.  My purpose has always been to replace the established non-native plants with Missouri natives and pollinator-friendly plants to establish and support a variety of bees, bugs, and butterflies.  Together my husband and I have made this project one that is basically self-sustaining and low-maintenance that is primarily to improve the natural community while pleasing to the public.  We especially try to choose plants that will be in bloom during the fall festival in early September which is also the best time for monarch butterflies!  

May of 2022 will be my 10th year.  I will no longer have to complete the required service project or continuing education hours but will be allowed to retain the title of Missouri Master Gardener as an honor with emeritus status.  I will support my husband as the project manager until he gets his 10 years completed and then we will see if we are still interested.  We have much satisfaction with our own home landscape and that may be enough in our Golden Years!

I have included many posts in this blog over the past 10 years about my service with the Master Gardeners.  It is easy to search using the tools provided to see the progression. Just type in search words such as Settlers Village and Master Gardeners.  Below I have included the 2021 Fall Harvest Festival event from September that coincided with the 20th Anniversary of 911 so it was a larger participation from the public this year than recent years.  Photos show what we had in bloom mostly at that time.  I find most pleasure these days chasing the butterflies which are plentiful and fun to photograph!

This area faces the north city street and Hwy 54.  It is out of the way of most of the foot traffic.  It is basically my project and I enjoy a large selection of native plants and annuals to support mostly the bees, bugs, and butterflies.  

Overview of Settlers Village at the corner of the north city street and the east city street; basically the city square park area.  We've lost a few buildings over the years but I think there's about 8 now still standing.  They were originally built around 1840s and were moved and reconstructed on this site from the area about 20 years ago.

Mid-view of the native garden area I maintain mostly by myself facing the north city street.

A very showy native aster!

Highly fragrant vine next to these gardens that joined us on its own.  I think it must be related to wild jasmine.
 

Central garden area between all the log buildings

American Beauty Berry

Flag pole area is located in the middle of the center garden 

Blue salvia 

Mexican Sunflower in with the blue salvia

Various annuals are planted from the excess greenhouse plants.  Many have reseeded themselves such as marigolds and zinnias.

American Beauty Berry is my favorite!

This 3rd central garden Has had non-native crepe myrtles in the center that are in the process of removal this year because they are very high maintenance.  They are Japanese beetle magnets and grow too tall for the security cameras.  There's some ajuga ground cover and succulents remaining.

A pleasant surprise found this year are several honey vine milkweed plants showing up on their own in this 3rd garden.  It is a host plant for monarch butterflies!

So hard to choose just a few of the many butterfly photos I took this day!  This is the time for the monarchs to come through and I'm so happy to have what they want to help them on their long journey south!

Getting ready for the parade on the main street of Wheatland is showing a larger crowd than in recent years.  Population of this town is less than 400.  

To each there is their season...young and old alike!  Good to come together in a place that allows time to stand still for a little while.  Time moves forward and nothings stays the same but the memories are what you make of them when you capture a moment.