Low Carb and Ladybugs

Jacqueline and I have been trying to follow a low carbohydrate eating plan. We had originally started with the South Beach Diet in April. We tried to follow this diet, but I soon found that there were only certain recipes that I could make, due to the overall cost of seafood and fish, both of which are used quite frequently. The overall concept of the diet however has stuck with us. We basically try to stay away from anything with white flour in it. This is an easy one, since I have been eating whole wheat bread since I was a child. As a result I have never purchased white loaf bread, only whole wheat. She and I have also given up eating potatoes, which has been more of a challenge. I was raised eating lots of potatoes, especially since this was one of the staple crops we grew to feed our family of 7 when I was growing up. Giving up white rice was another simple step, since I have been buying brown rice instead of white rice for years now. Sugar is another ingredient to be avoided. This is a little more of a challenge than you might think. Many foods contain hidden sugars, which increase the carbohydrate value of a food.

It hasn't been possible for us to make any drastic changes in our diet and eating habits. We haven't allowed ourselves to be hyper-focused on carb content, and as a result we have made slow, steady changes which we hope will allow us to continue to improve our health and lose weight at a steady pace. The weight loss may not be sudden, but if it steadily declines then we will have accomplished our goals. Jacqueline has seen improvements in her blood sugar levels from eating this way. She still experiences swings in her blood sugars that are most likely attributed to hormonal changes of a 16 year old girl, but eating fewer carbohydrates helps to keep those swings to a minimum. She weighed herself yesterday morning, and she has lost 4 pounds. May not seem like a lot to some, but for anyone who has dieted before, any loss is something to celebrate. I haven't gotten on the scale in a while, so I don't know about my own weight, but I have seen some difference in my clothes, which is more important to me.

I was very impressed with a book by Gary Taubes called "Good Calories, Bad Calories". In his book Mr. Taubes explores various studies of diet, obesity and cholesterol. I found the work to be very eye opening and have concluded for myself that much of the commonly believed "truths" about food, diet and obesity are based on what I can only call bad science. I was shocked to learn about the difference in treating diabetes today and before the development of injectable insulin. Before the development of injectable insulin, diabetics were put on a very, very low carbohydrate diet. They remained on this diet until their urine was free of sugar, which meant that their blood sugars were stable. They were to add carbohydrates back into their diets in very small quantities, until sugar was once again present in their urine. Once sugar began to show up in their urine, they had to decrease their carbohydrate consumption to the level it was at before the reappearance of the sugar in the urine. I was never told this information upon Jeremy's diagnosis. The standard diet for diabetics (from the American Diabetes Association) includes high amounts of carbohydrates (53%!). In fact in their Exchange List for Meal Planning, one of their "principles for good nutrition" states "Eat more carbohydrates (starches and breads) especially those high in fiber." The paragraph goes on to extol the virtues of eating more carbohydrates and fiber. Actually, I don't know why this discovery came as a surprise to me. I have long believed that modern medical practices are not all they are cracked up to be. Anyone who knows me well knows I do not have a whole lot of faith in doctors, and none in pharmaceutical companies and their supposed research.

So given the information that I have uncovered, plus being able to see for myself the benefits of eating a low carbohydrate diet, I am attempting to encourage the rest of our family into eating this way. I don't believe Randy will ever be able to truly eat low carb, because he is too addicted to sugar. He will have a really hard time later in life should he develop type II diabetes. Jeremy is also not as cooperative as I would like. He loves bread too much and he is also very fond of sweet things. Since he is not over his ideal weight he seems to have less incentive than Jacqueline to be strict with what he eats. The fact that his eating of certain foods is counter productive doesn't seem to phase him. He is like his father in that respect. I don't know if it's a gender specific trait or if it's age related, but neither one of them can look ahead at the repercussions that will occur tomorrow from their actions today.

Of course they are not alone in being short-sighted. Someone in this area, years ago, thought it would be a good idea to introduce lady bugs in great quantities to aid farmers. Now, several times a year we have lady bug hatches. We are in the midst of one right now. Our house is a pale yellow. Because of the light colored paint, we can see the lady bugs very well. They are all over the outside of the house. But that's not the only place that they are. They find their way into the house through the smallest of openings. They tend to congregate by windows, I suppose in an attempt to get back outside. However they are quite obnoxious. I have several fly strips hanging up through-out the house. I didn't take them down as cool weather approached, since we do still have some very mild days and consequently, some flies. The strips are now covered in lady bugs. I know that lady bugs are supposed to be a gardeners friend, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.