Diabetes and Mindful Eating

Successful New You Resolutions in Ten Strategic Steps

By Michelle May, M.D.

Whether you are setting health goals, personal goals, or professional goals, the key to successful New Year's Resolutions is to create a strategic plan. The following steps will guide you through the goal setting and achievement process.

The Goal Setting Process

1. Assess Your Starting Point: Take an accurate and detailed assessment of where you are presently relative to the goal you would like to achieve.
   
   
2. Consider Your Values: Goals based on your core principles and values will form a passionate attitude!
   
   
3. Dream: Go for areas that inspire and challenge you. Project yourself into the future and write down your ideal scenario.
   
   
4. Define and Clarify: Narrow down your goals to those that inspire you the most. Make them so clear that you can see them, feel them and measure them.
   
   
5. Write it Down: Write your goals in positive terms using detailed words and/or pictures. Put them in a place where you will see them often.
   
   
6. Develop a Plan: Set long and short goals, including a timeline with deadlines. Be flexible and open to new opportunities and paths to your goals but be careful of detours.
   
   
7. Identify Obstacles and Possible Solutions: Expect setbacks and learn to recover from them.
   
   
8. Create a Support Network: Consider identifying an accountability partner to encourage continued progress.
   
   
9. Make it Happen: Periodically assess your progress, adjusting your approach and/or modifying goals as necessary.
   
   
10. Reward Yourself: Small and large incentives will keep you motivated to reach your short and long term goals. Keep in mind that the greatest reward is in knowing that you have done your best!

Best wishes for a healthy and successful 2012!

Guilt: An actual email exchange about blood glucose monitoring

 By Megrette Fletcher, M.Ed., RD, CDE

I got an email today from Will, my 52-year-old patient who started on insulin last week. One evening he made a note that he “ate really bad stuff.” This was followed by a comment on the morning blood glucose reading: “Remember… I ate really bad stuff last night.”

I cannot stress how helpful blood glucose logs are. They piece together three types of information: medication, diet, and activity. Blood glucose logs offer objective information about how these three parts of your diabetes treatment work together.  Unfortunately, these numbers too often create blame, shame, or guilt.

I get a lot of blood glucose logs like Will’s. These are logs that are submitted to me like evidence found at a crime scene: proof of guilt. I analyzed Will’s blood sugars, adjusted his insulin and wrote back with the following comment.

Megrette: “Excellent! This is very helpful information.”
Will: “Thanks. I’m thinking once I get the diet and exercise working it should continue to improve. Seeing my doctor tomorrow before work. Tell him I’m behaving.”
Megrette: “I will tell him that you are trying. That is WAY better than behaving :>)”

When blame, shame, or guilt arrive, they stir up painful emotions, making it difficult to know what change would be effective. In short, blame and guilt do not motivate a person to change, they do the opposite. The following expression sums up this concept perfectly: “The beatings will continue until morale improves.”

So, if the holidays are driving up your blood sugar, stop beating yourself up. Renew your intention to use mindful eating to help manage your blood sugar. Savor that holiday delight instead of feeling guilty about eating it. Check in with your physical hunger versus eating out of habit or responding to the many environmental cues. It is this gentle and consistent effort that brings lasting success because it allows you to enjoy the present moment. 

Handling Holiday Eating and Stress: A Recipe for Success

By Michelle May, M.D.

The holidays can be a stressful time, especially when you are trying to manage your diabetes and holiday eating in the face of all the busy-ness, stress, and food! By undertanding the ingredients that set you up for overeating, you can create the perfect recipe for success and healthy, happy holidays!

Recipe for Overeating

Ingredients:
1 batch, bag, box, or large plate of food
2 tablespoons of deprivation
1 heaping teaspoon of guilt
Sprinkle of shame
Optional: fatigue, stress, resentment, loneliness, boredom

Directions:

1. Run yourself down physically by not sleeping, exercising, eating when you’re hungry, consuming nutritious foods, or checking your blood glucose. Alternatively, wear yourself out by working too hard, being all things to all people, and trying to make everything perfect.
2. Place emotions on medium-high. Cover and simmer; do not allow steam to escape.
3. When you crave something you love, remind yourself that it's bad, fattening, or high in carbs.
4. When your cravings grow stronger, tell yourself that you're bad for wanting bad food.
5. Wait until an influential person such as your grandmother or co-worker insists you eat that food anyway to please them. Alternatively, sneak the food when no one is watching.
6. Sit down in front of the T.V. or choose another activity to distract yourself while you eat.
7. Before eating, garnish the food with guilt. If it’s still enjoyable, stir in some shame to ensure that the food is completely ruined.
8. Eat as quickly as possible to avoid tasting or enjoying the food.
9. You're done when you feel sick and uncomfortable.
10. Repeat steps 1-9 until can't stand it anymore. Try the Recipe for Instinctive Eating.

Recipe for Healthy Eating

Ingredients:
1 or 2 servings of food you love
2 tablespoons of hunger
1 heaping teaspoon each of intention and attention
Sprinkle of trust
Optional: pleasure, enjoyment, celebration, tradition

Directions:

1. Care for yourself physically by getting adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
2. Create a self-care buffer zone by regularly nurturing your body, mind, heart, and spirit.
3. When you’re hungry, consider what you want, what you need, and what you have to eat before choosing food.
4. Decide how you want to feel when you're finished eating; serve yourself accordingly (or adjust the portion if someone else served you).
5. When the food you crave isn’t particularly healthful, omit all guilt and shame and include the desired food in your meal plan. Remind yourself that all foods fit when you practice balance, variety, and moderation.
6. Sit down to eat and minimize distractions.
7. Savor the appearance, aromas, textures, and flavors as you eat.
8. Eat slowly and mindfully for maximal enjoyment from every bite.
9. Stop when you feel content and energetic.
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for the remainder of your life.

Learn how from our new book: Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes: A Mindful Eating Program for Thriving with Pre-diabetes or Diabetes (available 04/01/12). Happy, Healthy Holidays!