Blood Sugar Woes. . .

Do you have blood sugar problems? I sure do. If I don't eat some protein or healthy fat every few hours I am exhausted, grumpy, impatient and jittery. I lose all patience for my children and start to blame my problems on the world around me. When in reality I simply need to eat some food!

Ever feel like this?

 I then get on this cycle: blood sugar dips, eat a quick snack, blood sugar rises, feel great, blood sugar dips, eat food and lose patience, blood sugar rises, feel great and happy, blood sugar dips,and that's it. At that point I am too exhausted to deal with every day life.

At first I just thought it was my problem, being grumpy and all. My cross in life. Well, yes and no. I can choose to "offer" it all up and still complain about how hard life is and how tired I am or I can offer it up and do something about it. 

I need to work on uniting my sufferings with Christ' sufferings, but I also need the humility to realize that I can and should do something for my blood sugar problems. This is taking care of myself.

What helps most with blood sugar regulation?

Healthy fats, healthy fats and healthy fats. I can't say it enough. Healthy fats are released slower into your body during digestion, therefore causing your insulin to regulate. If you eat enough with all of your meals your blood sugar will not dip. 

What are my favorite healthy fats? 

Coconut Oil - a super great fat but not everyone likes coconut oil. I understand!

Butter - yes, it's a healthy fat! Full of vitamin A. We eat lots of butter with our veggies. If you disagree, read this article. I used to eat margarine and avoid butter like the plague. It didn't do me any good!

Lard - yup, good 'ol pig fat! Turns out that it's full of vitamin D. We buy ours from a local pig farmer, it's very inexpensive and taste great! Read more about it here.

Nuts, cheese, avocado, extra virgin olive oil - these are the more obvious ones, I have to carry nuts in my purse. Because of that my kids love them!

I havn't always eaten heatlhy fats, in fact I avoided them for so long. Much to the detriment of my health. We had thousands of dollars in health bills those few years! I feel great when I eat better and my energy levels are amazing. Once I jump back on the vicious cycle of insulin rushes I get so down and grumpy, it's no fun! It takes a bit to recover and gain the extra motivation to eat more healthy fats. 

What does our typical day look like?

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, butter and cream. Eggs with LOTS of butter and cheese, bacon, homemade sausages, sauteed spinach in butter.

Snack: Cheese, nuts, avocado, muffin loaded with butter.

Lunch: Leftover meat, some veggies fried in lard or butter,  raw milk.

Snack: Nuts, carrots and hummus, cheese, tomatos in olive oil, raw milk, fruit, full fat yogurt.

Dinner: Meat with all the fat, veggies and tons of butter or lard, rice with butter, potatoes cooked in lard. Beans with sour cream or cheese.

Snack: Popcorn with coconut oil or butter, celery and peanut butter, full fat yogurt and honey, fruit.

Every day is different but what is not different is the amount of fat I need for my blood sugar. Anytime I stray from eating this much fat I can tell a huge difference in my energy level and mood. On another note, butter is so tasty I don't mind eating so much! Just ask Julia Child, she will tell you all about butter!

For further reading:

Stomp The Weight Loss Accelerator Using Coconut Oil - Healthy Home Economist

Good Fats, Bad Fats, and Why I eat plenty of Butter - Keeper of the Home

Why You Need to Eat More Lard - Rodale

Books on the topic:

The Coconut Oil Miracle - Bruce Fife

Eat Fat, Lose Fat: - Sally Fallon and Mary Enig

Let me know your tips on how to deal with Blood Sugar problems! 

If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Do you know what im talking about?? I bet you do! If you are a mother or have a mother you probably know exactly what im talking about. The mother is the heart of the home and if that heart is happy and functioning well, then, so are the legs and arms!

I don't know about you but recently I have learned some huge lessons. One being that I need to take care of myself. I say need because it's not really an option. What I really want is someone to take care of me all the time, darn it! BUT, that's also not my vocation as a mother. We are lovers and givers, continually sacrificing all that we have for our husband and children - so let's address this happiness part.

There are so many ways to make a Momma happy. Take her out, buy her some pretty things, let her read a good book, go on a spiritual retreat, etc. They are all great and very helpful but I am going to address the food aspect of making Momma happy.

 At times I deal with mood swings, low blood sugar, food allergies, painful teeth and extreme exhaustion. DO you have a hard time getting out of bed? Do you have a hard time being cheerful to your hubby in the morning or evening? I certainly do! 

When I don't take care of myself regarding food I have a very hard time being virtuous.

When I put things into my body that harm, rather than help me it affects my spiritual life! When I eat too much sugar or processed foods I don't have energy to do the dishes and forget about that laundry! It's not only the household chores, my patience with the kids goes right out the window. It's very hard to take care of myself in this manner. I simply want to "treat" myself at the end of the day, but it's not a treat in the end!

SO what foods DO make me happy and want to love my family more?!? 

Here are some of my favorite "super" foods that I won't go without:

1.       My number one choice: Coconut oil!  There is SO much information out there about coconut oil and its all good to know but it has helped me with: Blood sugar regulation, clearer thinking (its a brain food), losing weight, (oh ya!) and most importantly it helps with my energy! You can use it in cooking and baking but if you really want a boost just melt it and swallow it, you won't regret it!

    2.  I would say my number two choice: Fermented Cod Liver Oil. I don't know about you but I start to
         get pretty moody without my vitamin D! This cod liver oil is the most usable form of Vit. D (among
         many other good things) there is out there. YES, its super expensive but I swear by it. You will get
        sick less, (what mom wants to be on the couch feeling useless?!)  your hair and nails will be awesome
        and you won't be visiting the dentist much! (I will tell that story later)

   3.  It's hard to pick, but I gotta hand it to: Raw Milk. If you can tolerate cow's milk that's awesome. I
        drink raw goat's milk. Yes, it also is very expensive but this is treating myself. This is taking care of  
       myself. There is nothing more comforting to me than a big glass of milk and a good book. (or blog
       post!)

   4.  This is not a super food but it also makes me happy. Get yourself some good relaxing tea! It does
       calm the nerves and it puts you in a good mood. :)

Here's to a happy Momma!

This post was first shared over here at my dear friend, Kate's blog. Be sure to check her out!