Morning Coffee Musings: Bernstein Edition.

It is totally okay if you have no idea what is going on with the image above this text. First of all, I finger-sketched it on my iPad and added text - that's why it looks unprofessionally done. But it is the birth of a new feature - Morning Coffee Musings. I went on a rampage yesterday pinning coffee, people drinking coffee, places where people buy coffee, contraptions in which you brew coffee, coffee on tables with magazines. It's not that I am obsessed or addicted to drinking coffee. I like to have a cup in the morning like the next guy. These images evoked such positive emotions in me. Coffee, to me, signifies productivity, introspection, and coziness. It makes me want to contemplate the mysteries of the universe, organize my planner, wear sweaters that cover my hands, and breathe in the crisp air. So, basically, Morning Coffee Musings will entail a brain-dump of what is on my mind when coffee gets the creative juices flowing. Want to see what pins inspired me? Check out my Java Jubilee Pin Board. 

Now that you have been properly introduced, let us begin. Yesterday, I re-read Dr. Bernstein's novel Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. When I first read it, I was deep in the world of insulin shots and carb-counting. I found the novel so demoralizing and felt it advocated loftier-than-necessary ideals on how to manage Diabetes. Imagine limiting yourself to 6 carbs at breakfast, and 12 carbs for lunch and dinner (each). For those of you keeping up, that is about 30 carbs per day. He gives you recipe ideas and various ways to prove to you, the reader, that it is possible. Now that I am on oral meds, managing Diabetes through my diet feels much more important. As opposed to insulin shots to cover the carb-content of your choosing, I have one pill that is supposed to do its job all day. So, the blood sugar spikes after a meal can be directly traced to my meal's carb-content and not to insufficient insulin dosing. The fewer carbs, the tighter the control. Easier said than done, yes. After all, carbs are what make me feel full and satisfied - or so I have been trained to think. I just had a two-egg ham and cheese omelet for breakfast. I am drinking coffee with a splash of milk and Truvia. I am confident I can walk away meeting the goal of 6 carbs or less. What's the trick? Protein. According to this book [and logic], it is ideal to have your blood sugar back down to a "normal" [debatable as to the meaning] level before the next meal. For example, if I eat a carb-heavy breakfast at 9:00AM with my fasting blood sugar around 80 mg/dL, my blood sugar may still be around 130-140 mg/dL by the time I am ready for lunch. That means I am starting out a little high and my eating a sandwich would boost me up even higher, and the cycle would likely continue for dinner. So, I have decided to give this "diet" a fair shot for a week and log the blood sugar levels. If I feel amazing and the levels are ideal, then I may try to make this a lifestyle. My goal, as with the goal of Dr. Bernstein, is to keep Diabetics who may be producing insulin [honeymooning] in that honeymoon phase indefinitely. He believes it is possible with proper control and medication. And honestly, what do I have to lose?