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| Sometimes, Keto is best for lifestyle changes other than weight loss! |
I can't believe I have to say this on an "after" low-carb blog, but I went back to Keto last week.
I'm not doing it alone this time, though. Both hubby and I had a traumatic wake-up call.
While shopping for groceries, hubby said that he needed to test his blood glucose level because his feet have been hurting him lately, and he was afraid that he might have pre-diabetes.
My brother-in-law has lost toes and part of a foot due to diabetic complications, and hubby doesn't want that happening to him.
"If I'm pre-diabetic, I want to know now, so I can make the necessary lifestyle changes."
Blood Glucose Results
I am already pre-diabetic but have managed to keep my blood glucose levels under control through low carb and moderate-carb diets. The blood glucose meter I had, however, was out of strips, so we went to Walmart and picked up a newer model.
The first test we ran on hubby wasn't all that bad.
I made a gluten-free pizza, since it has lots of carbs, and his numbers were under the danger zone. That was a big relief to me. But when he continued to eat chocolate chip cookies and candy throughout the evening, I thought I better check his fasting glucose level.
I tested him the following morning, and just as I suspected, the fasting blood glucose level was way too high.
As in -- diabetic high.
Apparently, hubby's body does okay taking care of the glucose produced from moderate-carb meals, but not from all the sugary drinks and high-carb snacks he was eating around the clock. And it's those drinks and snacks that will eventually lead to diabetes and diabetic complications like neuropathy if he doesn't act now.
But he wasn't the only one in trouble.
Way worse than they have ever been.
In fact, they were just barely under the level at which you are diagnosed with diabetes.
So Back to Keto We Go
I started making Atkins Induction meals for the two of us right away.
I then switched out the homemade gluten-free chocolate-chip cookies and candy hubby had been eating (the trash can loved them) with colorful sweet pepper strips and Ranch Dressing for dipping.
I also whipped up a few deviled eggs and cut my own cheese sticks. We already had several containers of Kroger brand Carbmaster yogurt in the refrigerator.
Hubby also switched from Power Ade to Power Zero and Crystal Light, since he won't do water or diet soda.
We were still using a flavored coffee creamer, Kroger brand, this past week because that's what we had in the house, and hubby is very picky about his coffee. He's also pretty attached to Angry Orchard's Crisp Apple apple cider, so he limited himself to one a day.
Those apple ciders cost him 30 carbs each, so it would be more accurate to say that he was doing low carb (70 carbs a day), while I was doing Keto (40 carbs, or less) this past week.
These numbers are higher than Atkins Induction or the Keto community that you'll find at Reddit, due to the 10 carbs in the coffee creamer. However, after a couple of days, I started dumping my coffee once hubby went to work, so I was only getting maybe half of those 10 carbs at most.
Except on the weekends, of course.
The blood glucose results after doing a week of Keto and Low Carb were amazing!
Both of us have completely normalized our blood glucose levels, even with the sugary creamer in the morning and hubby's one apple cider.
We are very grateful to know that we have not "broken" our endocrine systems and that diet adaptions will be enough to manage the glucose problem.
Going back to Keto honestly wasn't what I was expecting to do when I created this blog. I had walked away from low-carb diets and wanted to focus on moderate-carb plans, which would be helpful for low carbers at maintenance, as well as those who wanted to diet in a more balanced fashion.
I was even thinking about using the Old Weight Watchers Exchange Plan as a basic template, once things calmed down here in Texas, but at the moment, it looks like moderate carb diets are out.
And most likely, forever it seems.
I really can't afford to have my blood glucose levels degenerate to the point of diabetes, and I was really super close to that this time.
So there are major lifestyle changes coming!
UPDATE: The body suddenly started rejecting the flavored coffee creamer, so I ended up switching to Torani sugar-free syrups and heavy cream in my coffee. Blood glucose has settled down again, and I'm able to eat about 30 carbs a day now.
Hubby also switched from Power Ade to Power Zero and Crystal Light, since he won't do water or diet soda.
We were still using a flavored coffee creamer, Kroger brand, this past week because that's what we had in the house, and hubby is very picky about his coffee. He's also pretty attached to Angry Orchard's Crisp Apple apple cider, so he limited himself to one a day.
Those apple ciders cost him 30 carbs each, so it would be more accurate to say that he was doing low carb (70 carbs a day), while I was doing Keto (40 carbs, or less) this past week.
These numbers are higher than Atkins Induction or the Keto community that you'll find at Reddit, due to the 10 carbs in the coffee creamer. However, after a couple of days, I started dumping my coffee once hubby went to work, so I was only getting maybe half of those 10 carbs at most.
Except on the weekends, of course.
Blood Glucose Results after One Week on Keto and Low Carb
The blood glucose results after doing a week of Keto and Low Carb were amazing!
Both of us have completely normalized our blood glucose levels, even with the sugary creamer in the morning and hubby's one apple cider.
We are very grateful to know that we have not "broken" our endocrine systems and that diet adaptions will be enough to manage the glucose problem.
Going back to Keto honestly wasn't what I was expecting to do when I created this blog. I had walked away from low-carb diets and wanted to focus on moderate-carb plans, which would be helpful for low carbers at maintenance, as well as those who wanted to diet in a more balanced fashion.
I was even thinking about using the Old Weight Watchers Exchange Plan as a basic template, once things calmed down here in Texas, but at the moment, it looks like moderate carb diets are out.
And most likely, forever it seems.
I really can't afford to have my blood glucose levels degenerate to the point of diabetes, and I was really super close to that this time.
So there are major lifestyle changes coming!
UPDATE: The body suddenly started rejecting the flavored coffee creamer, so I ended up switching to Torani sugar-free syrups and heavy cream in my coffee. Blood glucose has settled down again, and I'm able to eat about 30 carbs a day now.
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