the dietician should be very helpful!

think veggies and lots of them and lots of variety of them. the colors of the rainbow!

low animal fat, low animal protein, low sugar, low starch. lots of water and drinks without sugar or artificial sweeteners (stevia is ok but that's it for sweetener). i pretty much only drink water, teas, and my "fruit essence water".

i keep a food diary; it keeps me honest.

i did splurge on my birthday, but then right back to my sensible diet.

learn to cook stir fry. i discovered 5 spice powder and now my asian mixed veggies taste like it. a little soy, a little honey, a little sesame oil, lots of garlic and ginger, then whatever veggies you like. also we like to make broccoli, shitakes, and water chestnuts.

cauliflower soup (sauteed onions, chicken broth, cauliflower, herbs to taste (i like thyme, bay leaf - pureed when done cooking) is super easy. i grate a little romano in it when its done.

if you haven't already, discover beans. if i eat salsa, i always put a can of black beans in it. white bean salad, white bean soup, pasta fagioli (without the pasta). no baked beans though, tons of sugar.

start counting sugar. aim for no more than 5-7 grams per meal.

i thought i was doing well eating chicken and turkey (organic) - turns out, according to my doctor that they are just as high in fat as red meats. so i eat even less of those now and more fish and beans (as a replacement). fish, especially fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, sardines are good.

instead of candy, learn to love berries. grapefruit is another good treat. i like cherries for their supposed antiinflammatory properties, but be careful not to eat more than a handful at a time due to all that sugar. its hard for me to get ripe ones most of the year, but the frozen ones work quite well.

learn to like salads; dark leafy greens are important. the hardest thing to get me to eat, i must confess. and no slathering it with salad dressing. i get a big plate of mixed greens and then add 1 tablespoon EVOO/vinegar based dressing.

mostly have fun with it. find a few foods you adore that are good for you. for me i really like teas, good teas. and so if feeling hungry but knowing i shouldn't eat any more, i'll make a good cup of oolong or chai or jasmine pearls green and that, believe it or not, can satisfy me.

but oh how i adore food and love to eat....

so, i understand how hard it is.

i feel like i'm doing all the right things, but still the weight creeps up, can't get it down once its up, and my numbers were getting worse. the statin helps my lipids and liver, but i read it can push the prediabetes into diabetes; i hope not here.

every day is a constant battle.

for me, all of this isn't just bad for my heart and arteries, but is also affecting my liver. so unless i want to end up with liver failure like my grandmother, i have to take this seriously.



sue

Spondyloarthropathy, HLAB27 negative
Humira (still methylprednisone for flares, just not as often. Aleve if needed, rarely.)
LDN/zanaflex/flector patches over SI/ice
vits C, D. probiotics. hyaluronic acid. CoQ, Mg, Ca, K.
chiro
walk, bike
no dairy (casein sensitivity), limited eggs, limited yeast (bread)