Extend Nutrition Taste Test

My family is very active. We are always on the go volunteering at many non-profit organizations for which we have personal connections, going to school/work and traveling all over the city for sporting games. So when I was asked to give Extend Nutrition a try, I thought, “Sure, why not?” When I read about Extend Nutrition products and how they help stabilize blood sugar for 6-9 hours I was excited! Our family of 5 consists of two Type 1 diabetics; my girls, Nora, age 14 (diagnosed at 4) and Evelyn, age 21 (diagnosed just before her 18^th birthday).

Nora is my super athlete. She plays sports year round and has delayed lows from all her activity. We have to be careful with how we treat her blood sugar readings as she will have an in range reading before playing followed by a higher out of range reading going into her game as her adrenaline kicks in. She follows her games with a blood sugar check and dinner. Many times we only correct for the carbs eaten as we know the dreading six hour crash will come. Over time we have learned that a single slice of bread spread with peanut butter keeps her numbers in range but many times she grows tired of peanut butter sandwiches. And that’s where Extend Nutrition fills that void.

Evelyn is my full time college student, Nanny to a Type 1 boy and part time employee at a local furniture store. Many times she is leaving one place to go to another and trying to find time to eat something can be somewhat of a challenge. The hectic life she leads makes Extend Nutrition a healthy and smart option.

Extend Nutrition sent us a variety of snacks to try. We had Mixed Berry, Cookies & Cream and Chocolate & Caramel Anytime Bars along with Caramel Drizzle Anytime Crisps. My girls readily went to the Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Caramel Anytime Bars. They were easy to throw in a sports bag or purse and go. I had to taste test too…I mean chocolate, caramel and berries…yes, please! I liked the Mixed Berry Anytime Bar. I am a runner and pace group leader for a local running store. I found that eating the Anytime Bar was good nutrition after my run. It filled me up and kept me from eating the entire refrigerator contents when I came home from my long runs! I loved, loved, loved the Caramel Drizzle Anytime Crisps. I made the mistake of telling my girls they were good and then they were gone!

I could tell you the science behind the Extend Nutrition and how it involves a complex carbohydrate which is not digested fully and converts to glucose slowly but you can read that on the website. What I want to share with you is that the flavors are tasty, my girls (and myself) enjoyed them, they ARE Gluten Free and Kosher. Bottom line, Extend Nutrition does what they say they do…help stabilize blood sugar 6-9 hours and that it works for my girls.

Give them a try! They have many products to choose from and I can easily find them in my local grocery stores and pharmacies.

Continuing Connections

Today is the last day of #dblogweek. It's always a bittersweet time for me as I really like the challenge of blogging everyday. It forces me to sit and write and sometimes I need to that...a release from the crazy days. I am not a big blog reader...I hate to say it but I don't have time to read all the wonderful diabetes blogs out there. And I get a little superstitious about reading them too...I would hate to have a blog influence how I would answer a particular topic before I write it.

But there are a few I do read...I have always followed Meri Schuhmacher at Our Diabetic Life. You can read her amazing blogs here. She has three out of four children with T1D and she was so supportive of me when my second daughter was diagnosed. She has a positive attitude or even on the off chance she had a rough day of battling blood sugars she will say something that just makes me giggle...because I have been down that road too.

I also read Amy Ermel's blog, Mom of an extra sweet insulin challenged girl. You can read her blog here. Amy always makes me smile and is incredibly talented with a knitting needle!! Amy has a great attitude as well. I love the stories that she tells about her daughter and the pictures of her crazy cat! I swear, with some of her stories I feel we must be related!

The writing that both of these ladies so eloquently put together have been the hug that I've needed to feel or the high five I've been waiting for. They have given me hope and cheered me along the way just when I've needed it. While many of us bloggers may wonder if anyone reads our rambling...please know that this blogger reads yours and I look forward to them! Great job ladies and thank you for writing!

Giving credit where credit is due...however, I don't know who to credit for this logo but it's NOT me! 

Favorites and Motivation

Some of my favorite blog posts that I have written deal with "Dear Diabetes". When I can get all my feelings out and tell diabetes what I really think of it. It's ugly and full of emotion but in the end I feel better. You can read it here.

My motivation is easy...it's my girls! My blogging is my journal. If I am able to help one person then I consider it well worth writing. In those first initial months you feel so overwhelmed and alone; so being able to give someone a spark of hope and to let them know they are NOT alone is key. I like to share (or over share) because I know there are others going through the same thing. It's nice to know that we are all in this together and cheering each other on!

My motivation!

Foods on Friday

In our house I try not to ban any type of food. Since diabetes entered our lives in 2005 I have never wanted food to become a battle. It's just not worth the fight or the worry that they would sneak the banned food. There are some foods that love to mess with blood sugar numbers and for those we do a trial and error of pre-bolusing 15-20 minutes before eating and square wave bolus. We try to eliminate or lessen the impact of the rapid post meal blood sugar spike. Most of the time, no matter how hard I try, we don't succeed. So we try again the next time. Then for kicks and giggles, just when we think we may have it figured out, we don't. The key is being open to trying. Now that my girls are old enough they have banned certain foods because they don't like how their blood sugar spikes and how they feel after having a Pop Tart. To them it's not worth it. Sure, they may have an occasional one but in the end they remember why they stopped eating them.

It works for us and you have to find what works for you. I try to treat them as normal teenager/young adults who are always starving and just happen to have T1D along for the ride. Let them eat!

Food flow by pisadeviant 

Changes

I love change. I find it a little nerve wracking but exhilarating at the same time. It's something new and I love to learn. The changes in medical devices we have seen since our middle daughter was diagnosed in 2005 is remarkable. Insulin pump options, CGM sizes, blood glucose meters...all an improvement from 2005. I am excited at the possibility of a market AP (artificial pancreas) and encapsulation. No, none of this is a cure but I firmly believe we need advancements in technology so that when the cure is a reality my girls will be healthy enough for it.

We've come a long way baby!!
Image borrowed from tudiabetes.org