A little bit of Kim

Good Morning! So I figured I'd go into a little more detail about some things I mentioned in my first post. I had mentioned that I have a love for fitness and eating healthy. I am a huge gym go-er and 6 days a week do all different activities from running, spinning, yoga, and weight training. I was always active growing up since I was a figure skater, but around my senior year of high school it really became a big part of me. After I had to start eating gluten free (because of Celiac Disease) I really began paying attention to what I was putting into my body. With some determination I was able to drop about 15lbs and 2 sizes! (Sometimes 3 depending on the brand...I like those brands hehe) However like anything else it came with some obstacles along the way.
Something that I deal with everyday is Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). People find that surprising because you would never be able to tell just by looking at a person...but that is the thing, T1D does not discriminate against anyone. Often people get it confused with Type 2 Diabetes because the media discusses it much more because it is more easily preventable with a healthy diet and active lifestyle. T1D is an auto-immune disease which means there was nothing I could have done to prevent getting it. It was in my gene makeup and it was diagnosed almost 10 years ago on August 15, 2003 when I was 11 years old (One thing you will see is that I have an EXCELLENT memory as far as dates and remembering little things!) So basically my pancreas which secretes insulin to control sugar levels (or at least is supposed to) does not. Therefore I must check my blood sugar with a meter and inject myself with the necessary insulin (No I do not STAB or JAB myself with needles..it isn't that dramatic).






 So this all sounds pretty straight forward..haha think again. What is so frustrating is that this is not a science. It is not as simple as taking an injection and being done for the day. Everything I do from what I eat, how much activity I have had, if I am sick, stressed, hot, cold, etc. can affect my blood sugar. So what may work one day may be completely different the next day even if what I ate is the same. T1D is like walking on a balance beam and just trying to do the best to keep it in control. One thing I do want to stress is that Type 1 Diabetics can eat anything a person without diabetes can eat. It is all about counting the carbs in the food I eat and taking insulin for it. What makes it difficult is that we have to continuously be on top of it whereas someone else's body will correct their levels automatically. It has NOTHING TO DO WITH SUGAR. So the next time you want to pick up a "sugar free dessert" for the diabetic at the party, don't! Its just a money maker! Although the thought is appreciated, sugar free things most of the time have more carbohydrates than the regular items. So as I continue to blog you will get to see what really goes on behind the scenes. The highs, the lows, the frustrations, etc. My goal is to raise awareness to something that I feel is misunderstood. There is a lot of ignorance about it which I blame a lot on the media because many times they do not distinguish between Type 1 or Type 2.
In case you were wondering, Celiac Disease is also an auto-immune disorder. A lot of times T1D and CD come within a few years of each other.
Well I am off for a fun Saturday to watch my brother walk at his MBA graduation...the sun is shining too which just makes it that much better! :)