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Should lactose intolerant people drink milk?

I bet your answer is HELL NO.

So.

Let me ask you this: should people with diabetes eat pasta?

A little more hesitant perhaps? You know, because I’m asking, the answer should be no. But what about all you’ve heard and all the advice you’ve gotten from health professionals?

I took a stand 2,5 years ago.

During my education as a nutrition coach, I was taught how the body digests different foods, what happens in the body as a result, and how to best avoid unwanted effects. And this was for healthy people, without diabetes or other chronic diseases.  I was shown, and I swear I saw it in slow motion, how insulin reacts in a healthy body when you eat sugary and starchy things. When you use this process too much (aka eat too much sugar and starch), it puts a tremendous amount of stress on your body. I quickly transferred this into my own body, that happens to not even produce insulin. At all.

And there the fundamental question was born: why the hell am I being advised to eat 60% grains with every meal when I can’t even produce the hormone that converts it into energy?!

I felt cheated. I felt lied to. I felt sick.

I wasn’t even given the chance to respect my body enough to be able to take care of it as well as I possibly can. Because that’s what it is about for me, respect. Respecting my body and my disease and keeping it as manageable as possible.

So I drew the following conclusion that I still swear by to this day: if having diabetes means your body can’t process sugar and starches very well (if at all) and using common logic, you should stay away form something you can’t process properly.

That’s the moment I cut out all grains, sugar and processed crap (also known as “food” 😉 ) from my life. And I have rarely looked back.

When you feel like shit for a long time, it becomes your new “normal”. When you’ve been made to feel like shit for 25 years, starting to feel better feels crazy weird. (This happens when I do look back and “treat” myself to something I know I shouldn’t have. I feel like shit.)

Starting to feel better is a long journey that only you can do for yourself, if you have the willpower, the desire and are only a little scared of what awaits you. And in many cases you need to try out different things to see what works for YOU. But although you are ultimately responsible for your own transformation, you’ll still benefit from supportive people around you, perhaps even someone who has gone through this transformation themselves.

If we stick to the example of diabetes, although similar changes can benefit everybody, whether you have another chronic condition or are perfectly healthy, and we shouldn’t be scoffing down pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, grains, sugars and sweets, what should you do?

Go back to the roots. Go back to the pre-1970’s idea of not being afraid of good, healthy, beneficial fat sources. Because that’s what happened when the whole low-fat and light BS “food” came about – the fat was removed from the food and substituted by a bucketload of sugar. And I certainly can’t deny that things like avocado and olives impact my blood glucose readings differently than pasta and bread.

Cutting grains out of your diet is no miracle cure, as a diabetic you would still use insulin. I do too. But it makes it that tiny bit easier to manage. There is no magic formula to keep your blood sugar fully at bay. But there are ways you can minimise the bumps as much as possible. Does this mean my values are always perfect? Definitely not. Not by far. But mine are one heck load better than they were when I was still eating cereal and grains.

But hold up!

What about the holy grail of “health” – whole grains? Now that IS healthy and everyone should be eating it, right? Well. No. Not everyone. It still has a huge impact on your blood sugar, it just takes a slightly longer time.. So if you do have problems with elevated blood sugar – stay away from that too. In my world of number crunching and guesstimating, whole grain is the same as wheat – same shit, different name. 

If it was as easy for me (and every diabetes is different. its a very individual disease) as to eat whatever i want, count the carbs and then inject insulin for it to have relatively stable numbers I would definitely do that (although because I know the science of what sugar etc does to you body, I’m not sure I’d do it every day. But i’d definitely treat myself to things more often!) But it’s not. And I can’t. Also, why should I add to the already numerous chances I take every day with adding some serious guesstimation work in terms of dosages and food choices? (A carb is not always a carb either, just like a calorie isn’t a calorie.)

It’s essentially all about finding smart substitutions for foods that you used to eat. I, for example, found an amazing recipe for a grain free bread that barely impacts my blood glucose levels at all. (Would you like the recipe?! Comment below!), I use zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta. And you can see all of this in my virtual food diary over on Instagram. Or, you can get an idea of what I eat by signing up at the top of this page to get 11 recipes I frequently use!

 

 

When big pharma companies and nutritionists tell us to eat starches, grains, rice, bread and pasta with every meal, it is really like telling a lactose intolerant person to drink milk instead of water. And who would want to cause that pain on a person whose body can’t break down lactose?

What about you? Are you eating something you know you shouldn’t? Or would it be time to thoroughly go through your eating habits?  Maybe  you have questions about diabetes and carbs? Please leave a comment below!

What defines you?

I had something completely different in mind for today’s blog post.

But then I stumbled upon a TED talk that I just couldn’t ignore.

It hit me right in the heart. My soul summersaulted, and I couldn’t look away.

It’s just so amazingly impressive.

And although you may have already seen it, I ask you to watch it again. It’s 13 minutes better spent than scrolling Facebook, that’s for sure.

This is Lizzie Velasquez TED talk. She was named the world’s ugliest woman.

Just listen to the power in this amazing woman.

 

Wow.

“Can I scrub this syndrome off? It would make my life so much easier if I could.”

 

I don’t want to draw parallels to my diseases from Lizzie’s. She’s going through something completely different, and I don’t want to even try to claim that our situations are similar in any way. For one, most of my stuff isn’t visible, so they go unnoticed easier by people I meet. But: there are similarities in the personal perceptions and reactions toward the conditions.

She brings up a super valid point, that it’s important to take a step back and look at the benefits of your disease with some distance from yourself – what have you gotten from your condition that no one else has?

For me, it’s the courage to say when something doesn’t feel right. To realise that I’m so much stronger than I ever thought I was. I’ve become so good at always being on time. That I can help people in similar situations. I very rarely forget to so or bring something somewhere. That, until recently, I had no problems jabbing myself with a syringe in the middle of a restaurant (now I’m on an insulin pump, significantly lessening the jabbing incidents). To mention a few.

You do have to acknowledge the difficulties too, though.

It’s  a roller coaster life, but that’s OK (But I don’t enjoy them much at amusement parks, either.). And scary things have happened. And that’s OK, too.

And for a really long time I’ve let all of what’s going on on the inside of my body define me. I’ve been defined by a number, a value, most days even several different values a day. Judged by doctors and caretakers, saying it’s “not good enough”. Dreading the next check up, blood test and “what if’s” and “oh no’s”.

It took me an even longer time to realise this. And do you know what helped me? What made me see that I’m so much more than some diagnoses on a piece of paper? My top 3 is:

  1. Acceptance. Accepting that this is part of my life, and will most probably always be so. It’s given me a sense of freedom, to keep fighting and to never give up.
  2. Ignoring smirky caretakers. The number of times I’ve swapped doctors because I want to be taken seriously is not few. (Just did it again this week, actually, after a particularly rude doctor didn’t do his job well enough.) It sounds really harsh. But, I do expect the doctors that treat me to do their job properly. Especially in this part of the world.Building my awesome dream team of doctors, nurses and yes, even receptionists, ready to help me, has helped me so much in realising that yes, this is part of me, but it’s not ALL of me.
  3. Eating properly. My values are volatile as it is, and I really do not need to complicate everything further by eating a menu full of BS that has been fed to me by aforementioned (and “fired”) care takers. That’s why I’ve come up with my own solution, that doesn’t clog up my system as much. That leaves me feeling better, with more energy and a happier perspective on life. (And if you want, I can teach you how to do it, too!)

You have to be able to mourn a bad result or a flare up; you have to trust that you’ll pick yourself up again after a set back or break down. That’s part of having a chronic condition. But it’s up to you to choose to accept it as a part of you and decide where you want to go in life. You can use the negativity to make you better, just like Lizzy says.

I really take my hat off for Lizzy, whilst giving her a standing ovation. For having the immense courage it takes to talk about yourself in such an amazing, authentic and open way. For not giving a damn rats ass about what people think. For being a fighting spirit and so crazily strong. And for being an incredible inspiration. If she can, so can you and I.

“My goals, success and achievements define me, not what i have.”

The world’s your oyster and the sky’s your limit.

Chronic Revolution

Are YOU ready for it?

I’ve been so eager to tell you about this for the longest time. Or at least it feels like it.

But the timing hasn’t been right. And then came Christmas. And New Years.

Now that we’ve both moved past those, let’s take a good look on what 2014 will bring!

I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, especially not those fuelled by a few (too many) glasses of champagne on New Years Eve. On the other hand, I think setting goals can really help you develop as a person. There’s a big difference between those two, though.

So, your current goal is to finally get your chronic disease on track, right?

I’ve got the answer for you, right here.

Let me introduce to you my newest offering, fresh of the press, especially for you:

Chronic Revolution 

This is a program that lies very close to my own heart. As you may remember, I’m fighting a few myself.

So what can you expect?

The results vary from person to person and obviously it depends on the energy YOU invest, but here are some results you can expect:

Alleviating symptoms, like sky high blood sugars, or blood pressure, head fog and bloatedness, to mention a few.

Become more confident and secure about the control of your health  (no more hiding your results from your care team!)

  • Get super supermarket confident
  • Know what YOU need to feel better
  • More freedom
  • Have a longer, more qualitative life
  • More stable blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure
  • Take less medication
  • Get restaurant cocky
  • More joy
  • Get more energy
  • Become a brunch goddess
  • Less stress when it comes to food
  • Have more time left for things that matter, more fun!

And how do we get to all these fantastic things?

Your Chronic Revolution is a 60-day online program for you, if you live with a chronic disease and want to turn your life around, as well as take back your health with the help of proper nutrition (and without further medication.)

It’s all about changing your life in easy steps. A fun take-you-by-the-hand mentoring program, leaving you hopeful about your future.

It’s completely tailored to your needs, no cookie-cutter approach because we’ve learned that two people with the same chronic disease will still have completely different challenges to cope with.

ChronRev

So, if you’re a fun-loving person with a chronic disease (such as: diabetes, thyroid problems, Crohn’s disease, celiac, arthritis, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, osteoporosis etc) with a positive attitude who are ready to feel empowered in your health, read more here!

Are you tired of terrible and agonizing advice that only confuses you more? Jump on board! Are you also willing and eager to do the work to get clarity and more energy, then this is just for you.

You can read all about it right here!

 

Even if you don’t feel ready for this just yet, it’s ok too. But stick around for more great information, fun facts and fantastic ideas! 🙂 You can also schedule a Pay What You Want call with me to figure out questions or thoughts you have. (Or forward this to someone who might be ready for it.)

I’m so glad I’m able to offer you this amazing opportunity – it’s helped me so much to go through this and I know it would help you too.

 

Supplementation Station (& sneak preview!)

The debate about whether or not you should take nutritional supplements is boring. Fact.

Different people have different needs, which is why there is no such thing as “one diet for all” or “one size fits all” for that matter. You have completely different needs to me in terms of nutrition. And that’s actually a great thing.

In today’s post, I wanted to show you what supplements I take on a daily basis.

With my previously mentioned auto-immune issues comes a few extra needs that you might not have. A few substances my body craves, that I can’t get from the food I’m eating alone.

“But wait, if YOU’RE a nutrition coach, shouldn’t you know what to eat in order to get everything you need from the food?” you’re asking yourself now.

And the answer is simply no. No, there isn’t a way I can get everything I need from my food alone. Mainly due to that I can’t eat that much quantity-wise, but also because some vitamins and/or minerals just don’t exist in food in the way I need them.

There is of course a big difference between having a daily multivitamin from the supermarket, and more goal oriented supplements focused on your individual needs. Most of the time, the multivitamins you buy at the supermarket is just a fast way of buying yourself extremely expensive pee.

So, what do I take to make my life a little easier? And how do these things help me?

 

Vitamin D3

Your body actually produces this on its own, from the previously rumoured life-threathening cholesterol in your skin. But only when in direct sunlight. With a SPF less than 8.

Living where I do, this is not possible at all times of the year. So I have to supplement it.

Why is it that important, though?

There is a myriad of things Vitamin D is good for in the body, especially in chronic auto-immune diseases, and it’s almost impossible to detect a deficiency. It’s been shown to help regulate blood glucose, it lowers inflammation levels in the body, it helps the immune system, weight management, prevents heart attacks…. And so on.

Honestly, I can’t see a reason NOT to take it!

The one I take is a Vitamin D3 oil, by Wild. I use an oil based one, as vitamin D is oil soluble, it’s easier for the body to absorb.*

 

Omega 3

Omega 3 is fish oil. What importance does this fatty acid actually have?

Well, the main one is that omega 3 fights inflammation in the body. It lowers nasty triglycerides in your blood. It can help recovering from depression. It can ease arthritis pains. And it might even help prevent dementia.

It’s really not a bad list of positives. If you ask me, vitamin D and omega 3 are the two very essential supplements (almost) everybody should take, whether you have a condition or not.

The one I take is Krill Oil by Alpinamed.* What’s krill, you say? It’s tiny little plankton that are eaten by fish, and they are the purest form of animal based omega 3 fatty acids there is. I choose animal based, as this form (DHA & EPA) is easier to absorb than the vegetable counterparts.

 

Thyronyl

I also take a supplement that is full of yummy things that keep my thyroid in check.

Tyrosine, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B3 (amongst other things) are what keep my thyroid from freaking out. All of these help different functions of the thyroid and its hormones, in their own way.

This is the only thing that has so far kept me off of hormone replacement therapy for my lazy thyroid (it’s underproducing hormones).

I take Thyronyl by Bonusan. I like them because there’s no funny stuff in their products, only what is promised.

 

Supergreens

Superduper greens are super duper good for you!

Containing high levels of fibers, vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, digestive enzymes, and are even rumoured to heal tissues. Due to the high level of nutrients, they give the immune system a kick, reduce inflammation, and detoxify the body.

I use the pre-packaged super greens from Amazing Grass. * It’s easy, because it’s portion packaged and easy to take along.

 

Others

At the moment, I’m also doing an intestine-recovery program. This means that I’m building my intestines up from scratch. I’m doing this because next to our skin, nose, eyes, ears and mouth, the intestine is one of our biggest sources of immune system.

If the immune system isn’t covered in all places, including the intestine, there might be things (virus, bacteria, yeast….) that slip by, through the intestine and attack the body. Another reason is that without a full immune system on hand, the immune system can start attacking the body’s healthy tissue (also called auto-immune disease).

This means I’m additionally taking pro-biotics, L-Glutamine and Vitamin B. These work together in re-forming my intestine, kicking my immune system up a notch. Pro-biotics to create a better bacterial environment in the gut, Glutamine is what the intestine cells feed off of and vitamin B because this process needs tons of it.

 

So there you have it.

In addition to my daily mediations, I’ve also created a combination of really awesome supplements that help my body keep up the great work.

Now it’s your turn; do you take any supplements? Why? Or why not?

Ps. I’m super excited to give you this SNEAK PREVIEW!! Please check out my NEW OFFER for you here! Let me know what you think?!  🙂

Ps2. Have you seen my free holiday guide yet? If not, find it here!

* I’m not affiliated with any of these companies, these are just the ones I use. There are many more fantastic ones out there.