Changing Habits

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Comment by Astrid Lang on November 16, 2009 at 7:50am

Well, it's very nice that you tried this, just to accompany your wife! :-)
I'm trying to get rid of sugar as a first step at the moment, and it works out well!
I think it's always only in our heads. For a long time, I thought it was a tarture to eat no sweets at all, because all of my life I suffered from them being "forbidden", and one of my biggest conflicts in my diabetes therapy I had with people caring for me was about that "food issue".
I had to let go this being important to me, but now I know that it was only myself who THOUGHT that I couldn't go without.
So, great that you've shown that it IS possible to change habits! I think mostly it's not about the stuff itself, but what it means to me.
I've never thought about sweeteners affecting my BS, but I will test this!
And don't forbid something Totally, one coke at a time is no harm ;-)
I still eat cake when I'm invited and it does not turn me around again.

All the best!
Astrid.

Comment by Theodore Quick on November 16, 2009 at 6:50am

Phosphorus is a culprit ONLY in colas BTW, since other sodas don't use any AFAIK.
Myself I gave up on any and all aspartame use since it causes a (more or less) allergic reaction. Tested this in 1986 when I finally realized that my bg went higher every summer when the only real change in habits was to start drinking sodas again in warmer weather. So I went off of aspartame for a month or so, then at a company "picnic" (in a meeting room) at work I tested 121 before lunch, then has 2 cans of Diet Pepsi. Readings went to 307 an stayed exactly there for 7 hours, a totally unusual situation.
Unfortunately the reason this had become important was that in June of 1985 I had blood tests done for the then new Right To Know laws that found me with a 418, leading to persecution by a fellow I worked with. He was miffed because I got recognition for my creative work and he didn't get any for his......regardless of the fact that I was actually WORKING, while he was taking endless time off for "health" reasons, all fake, way beyond company policy.
Interestingly HE was the one who told me and everybody else there what my reading was, the doctor never did, which is clearly illegal. After that I was assigned to run a machine, then the same company doctor said I couldn't be allowed to run it since I'd "faint, fall over and hurt myself" and sue the company. When I asked why I hadn't had any problems like that in the 4+ years I had already worked there he was suddenly deaf......
So I was treated as a "bad employee" for the next 5 years on that job. This was referred to right up to the day I was laid off, totally unlike any other employee.I refused to quite since I refused to let them win. I also became a diabetes activist, which is why I'm still online 23 years later helping other diabetics understand what we need to understand.

Comment by Gerri on November 15, 2009 at 4:09pm

I'm not a soda drinker, but I felt better after giving up caffeine, which wasn't helping BG.

Phosphorus in soda is a culprit, I think. I don't know how or if excess phosphorus effects BG, but it does cause imbalances in other minerals, especially calcium. When there isn't adequate calcium in the blood, it's leached from the bones.