Improving My Diabetes

Evidently my glucose has been falling to dangerous levels at night. I only learned this with the use of this continuous glucose monitor. The doctor is concerned about correcting this.

I have taken to eating a strange bedtime dish. Taking an under-ripe banana (lower in sugar) I slice it into a bowl. Using Peanut butter powder (which is lower in fat and carbs than plain peanut butter) I reconstitute the powder with water and coat the bananas. Then I take a small portion of Breyers Carb Smart frozen dessert and put that on top. I keep thinking I am going to get tired of this routine. then I just remind myself it is part of my medication. If my evening glucose is in the low normal range when I eat this it stays low normal through the night. Amazing. The peanut butter chocolate is my favorite flavor, but the store does not always have it in stock. I have used plain chocolate, vanilla and recently bought the neapolitan though I have not tried it yet. I actually began this while on retreat this summer. I knew there was refrigerator/freezer at the facility that we could use for foods. I found the Breyers at Kroger and thought I would give it a try. No, it is not as good as United Dairy Farmers ice cream, but health-wise I can no longer afford UDF ice cream with regularity.

I have found Sam’s club to be my best source for under ripe bananas (and only $1.47 per bunch). I can also find them at Aldi’s but not all of the time. In the past I NEVER would have chosen to eat an under ripe banana. In fact, I liked them ripe and sweet!

Yep, I have brought my A1C value down and still working to get it lower. If you have diabetes, or know someone who is tackling it, you might want to share this idea with them. Here is a quote from https://greatist.com/health/banana-stages-benefits#benefits

Surprisingly, underripe bananas foster (*wink*) a host of positive effects in the body. These banana babies happen to be extremely high in fiber — even higher than ripe bananas. This is because they contain an abundance of a substance called resistant starch.

Resistant starch results in the usual benefits you might expect from fiber. It can help improve diarrhea and constipation, it promotes a healthy gut microbiome, and it may help with weight loss.

2018 study found that when men who were overweight or had obesity ate more resistant starch at breakfast or lunch, they ate fewer calories at dinner.

Beyond these pluses, unripe bananas’ resistant starch could also be a boon for folks with blood sugar issues.

“Resistant starch is known for blood sugar control since it is not digested in the small intestine, but rather fermented in the large intestine,” says Amanda Lane, MS, RD, CDCES.

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