If you haven't already,
click here for the intro to the plan,
and here for Phase One.
Phase Two: Inside the bubble
(Days 11-20)
Day Eleven:
- Eliminate the following oils from your kitchen: corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, vegetable shortening, hydronated oils and margarine products.
- Add good fats to your diet.
'Good' fats and oils are high in HDL (High-Density
Lipoprotien) and 'Bad' Fats and Oils are high in LDL (Low-Density
Lipoprotiens,) Cholesterol, saturated fats and trans-fats are generally bad for
you, while polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good for
you. The above is oversimplified and not a complete explanation; I will be expanding more on this
concept in a separate post. (link needed)
Extra credit:
- Eat more omega 3 rich foods like flax seed, walnuts, salmon and other sea food.
- Add whole grains and fruit back into your diet.
Note: Diabetics have to look at fruit differently then everyone else does; sugar is still sugar, no matter what the source is. Whole fruit is best, because of the fiber content. Fruit juices are still off limits. Home made smoothies are good in moderation. Don't have plain fruit by itself, add some protein instead; for example, an apple and some cheese.
Extra credit:
- Make a ten day breakfast menu, and shop for the ingredients (on a full stomach).
Day Thirteen:
- Walk everyday for 15 minutes.
- Walk every day for 30 minutes.
- Find a walking buddy, and decide on a regular time and place that you'll walk together.
Day Fourteen :
- Gradually increase the amount of beans and legumes in your diet, until you are having them with every meal.
- Add other Resistant-Starch foods to your diet, like bananas, potatoes, yams, barley, brown rice, and whole corn.
- Go to the store right now and buy the foods listed above. Now would be a great time to go for that fifteen minute walk we spoke about.
Day Fifteen:
- Reduce your stress levels.
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Meditate.
Day Sixteen:
- Take a high-quality multivitamin everyday. Take a Vitamin D supplement. (With your doctor's consent)
- Forget the vitamins, and get all your nutrients, including vitamin D, from your food (and the sun). This won't be easy.
Day seventeen:
- Talk to a friend.
- Take a walk.
- Get un-depressed.
- Lose the blues with a blue berry smoothie.
Extra credit:
- If you feel you have chronic depression, then talk to your doctor about these supplements: Tryptophan, 5-HTP, Fish oil, Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid (otherwise known as Folate)
Day eighteen:
- Do yoga.
- Add one pose a day and become a yoga master!
Day nineteen:
Though this was mentioned for day 15, it deserves to be mentioned again. Your sleep is that important.
- Get enough sleep.
- Wind down 20 minutes before going to sleep.
Extra credit:
- A melatonin supplement might help with readjusting your sleep schedule.
- Try chamomile tea before going to bed.
- Stop using electronics a half hour before going to bed.
- If you can't sleep because your anxious, then ask your doctor about Valerian Root tea.
- Be more physically active.
- Buy a pedometer and aim to take 10,000 steps every day.
- Walk to nearby places, and park a little further than usual.
Extra credit:
- Get a gym membership and use it.
- Add 60 minutes per week of weight training. (20 minutes on 3 non-consecutive days)
Note: With diabetes, it is possible to exercise too much. If the duration or Intensity level is too high, then your blood sugar levels can get too low (,which will cause your liver to break down glycogen into glucose resulting in a blood sugar spike. in general moderation is the key to success.)
It would mean a lot to me, if you would share your thoughts, questions, experiences, success, and/or struggles that you have had with the plan.
thanks,
Mendy
