Food Diary Template

If you would like to food journal with me, use the food diary template and post your results in the comments below. It is a fun, interactive way to keep each other accountable.  This is not about what is online-worthy. Don't overthink it.  The idea is to identify your eating habits and correct them if necessary.  It works well together with other types of health diaries. The guide explains how to use it.   I currently use a hunger scale to measure how hungry I am, and found it useful to record my Before Breakfast, Before Lunch, Before Dinner and Before Bedtime readings here as well: 
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Before breakfast BgL:

Breakfast:

Total carbs:

Time:

Scenario:
Hunger Scale:
My Feelings:

Before lunch BgL:

Lunch: 

Total carbs:

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Snack:

Total carbs: 

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Before dinner BgL:

Dinner: 

Total carbs: 

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Before bed BgL:

Total carbs for the day:  

T2D Testing Checklist

This is a checklist to keep track of the different types of routines tests you should be having as part of your diabetes management. This is your TESTING CHECKLIST.  Blood sugar testing is the one everyone thinks about but there are tests that are essential to managing your diabetes.

• Glycosylated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) blood test. This blood test, combined with the log from your daily self-testing, provides a picture of how well your diabetes has been controlled over the past three months.
• Other blood sugar tests. When you are first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or at times when your treatment is being re-evaluated, your doctor may order a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test.
• Urine testing. It is important to look for signs of protein in the urine. If your urine protein number is more than 30, it means you need to control your blood pressure and blood sugar better.
• Blood lipid testing. Because type 2 diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, you need to have your blood lipids (fats) tested at least once a year. It’s important to check both cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Blood pressure testing. Both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure increase your risk of stroke and heart disease. Your blood pressure should be checked at every exam.

T2D Healthcare Services Checklist

This checklist is to help you keep track of and plan appointments you should be having with your healthcare team, and what you should be doing to manage your diabetes in between appointments. This is the HEALTHCARE BASICS CHECKLIST.  Take this list to your primary doctor, and start ticking the things off you already have an appointment for. The doctor can help you with things you still need help arranging. Most should be covered by your insurance if not all.

• Blood glucose test (HbA1c test)
• Blood pressure check
• Cholesterol check (for blood fats)
• Eye screening
• Foot and leg check
• Kidney tests
• Advice on diet
• Emotional and psychological support
• Diabetes education course
• Care from diabetes specialists
• Free flu shot
• Support with any sexual problems
• Help to stop smoking
• Specialist care if you are planning to have a baby.

Why Use Lists

Keeping a list of tasks you need to perform is like taking notes when you are listening to a lecture. When you take notes, you need to filter external information, summarize it in your head, and then write it down. Many studies have shown that note-taking helps us distill the information we hear and remember it better than we would if we had just heard or read it 

Lists are easy to read, organize information, provide structure, help you arrange things in order, and prioritize the important tasks. They help accomplish goals, avoid repetitive behavior, and are excellent tracking tools.  The mind loves lists. The brain decides which pieces of information to hang onto for later, partly as a result of how much work you do to them upfront – so the more you mentally manipulate a piece of information, the better you will remember it. That’s why it is surprisingly easy sometimes to remember what is on your to-do list even when you are not looking at it.

Anyone with a full schedule and no structure will struggle to cope. Anyone with a full schedule, who is managing their diabetes is going to struggle even more.  A system is needed – and scribbled notes or sticky notes everywhere are not going to cut it. 

To-Do Lists
One of the most important reasons for keeping a to-do list is the organization. Organizing your tasks with a list can make everything much more manageable and make you feel grounded. Seeing a clear outline of your completed and uncompleted tasks will help you feel organized and stay mentally focused.  The list should be clear and to the point to help get the task done and prioritized.

Checklists 
Checklists will help ensure that important steps in your daily routines are not missed. Even with a routine it super easy to forget something when you have a lot of moving parts.  Checklists reduce the number of things to hold in your head.  Even when you have a routine, it is very easy to miss a step, Checklists map out actions and that reduces stress. Whether checked off or not, your mind will remember more easily.

Using a planner to record appointments, reminders, and notes is essential.  I personally enter appointments, write notes, and preplan my paper planner and enter reminders and recurring appointments in my electronic calendar.  Find what works for you and helps keep you sane.

Diabetes Management Checklist

The is a preplanning checklist that provides guidelines and principles on how to manage your diabetes for a lifetime.  

1.           Plan what you eat and follow a balanced meal plan.  See your dietitian at least once a year.)

2.           Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Talk to your doctor so adjustments can be made to your medicine schedule or meal plan, if necessary.

3.           Follow your medicine schedule as prescribed by your doctor.

4.           Know what medicines (brand and generic names) you are taking and how they work. Always keep a list of your medicines with you.

5.           Test your blood glucose regularly, as recommended by your health care provider. Test more often when you are sick.

6.           Try to continuously keep your blood glucose level at the recommended range. If your blood glucose is less than 70 mg/dl and you have more than one unexplained low blood glucose reaction a week, call your doctor. If your blood glucose is greater than 160 mg/dl for more than a week or if you have two consecutive readings greater than 300 mg/dl, call your doctor.

7.           Contact your doctor when your blood glucose is over 300 mg/dl. Test your urine for ketones if recommended by your doctor.

8.          Record your blood glucose and in a recordkeeping log. Bring your logbook with you to your doctor's visits.

9.           Keep your scheduled appointments with your health care providers. See your doctor at least every three to four months for regular check-ups if you are treated with insulin. See your doctor every four to six months if you are treated with other diabetes medicines or if you are managing diabetes with diet and exercise alone. More frequent visits might be necessary if your blood glucose is not controlled or if complications of diabetes are progressing. Make sure your health care provider checks your blood pressure and weight and examines your feet and insulin injection sites.

10.       Have a glycosylated hemoglobin test (HbA1c) at least two times a year or more frequently as recommended by your doctor.

11.       Have an eye exam (including a retinopathy screening test) and urinalysis test once a year, or as recommended by your doctor. (Your doctor might request that you have these tests more frequently.)

12.       Have your cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked (lipid profile test) once a year

13.       Have a dental exam every six months.

14.       If you have any signs of infection, call your doctor or health care provider.

15.       Practice good foot care and skincare.

16.       Manage stress as best as you can. You might think about attending a stress management workshop, exercise, get enough sleep.

17.       Discuss your travel plans with your doctor. Make sure to bring enough medicine and supplies with you on your trip. Keep medicines, syringes, and blood glucose testing supplies in your carry-on bag. Do not check these supplies in case your luggage is lost.

18.       Continue learning about your diabetes to maintain and improve your health.

T2D Daily Checklist

This is a self-care planning list to be included in your morning and bedtime routines. Some of the to-do items on this list seem obvious but trust the process. Writing the tasks down or entering the routine into your calendar gives your mind more space to think about things that are not routine; those things you do not have to remember every single day for the rest of your life. Once you have a static list, you can just refer to it, and literally and mentally check it off as done. That is a very satisfying feeling.

• Take your medication. (I know. I know. Write it down anyway.)

• Inspect your feet. (Catch problems early due to nerve damage early and/or poor circulation and get them treated right away. Amputation can come from simply not caching a problem in time.)

• Brush and floss your teeth. (The higher your blood sugar level, the greater the supply of sugars and starches — and the more acid wearing away at your teeth.

• Stay active. (Do not overthink it. Park far away from the store entrance. Do housework. Dance. Ride your bike.)

• Eat healthy meals and snacks. (Have a snack before bed. Remember to bring lunch      and snacks with you when you are out and about so you are not caught off guard when you get hungry.)

• Protect your skin. (Wear a good sunscreen during the day.  Moisturize your skin before bed.)

• Get a good night's sleep. (Go to bed at the same time every day. Turn off the lights. Listen to ambient noise or better yet nothing. Whatever will help your mind and body turn off.)

Meal Planning 101: Set aside time to plan meals.

"When you follow a healthy meal plan, exercise regularly, and take your medicine as scheduled, you’ll successfully manage your diabetes without a problem." I read that and I want to scream.  It is partially true, but it is also incomplete, shallow and simplistic.

The issue is not lacking desire, willpower, or drive.  It is not due to self-pity. Let's just get that out of the way once and for all.

The challenge is the logistics of it all.  If you have a partner, it helps but it still frustrating in the best of circumstances.  How does a person with a full-time job find the time to prepare healthy meals? The last thing on your mind when you come home from work is finding a healthy recipe, all the ingredients, preparing it, cooking it, and then cleaning up.

Throw family and their needs and wants into the mix and it is enough to make anyone order a pizza and call it a day. In the United States, fast food is abundantly available at any time of the day or night, ridiculously cheap and extremely accessible and convenient.

That is where meal planning can offer very real, very practical help.  It is an essential tool in managing diabetes.

Because what we eat, how much we eat,  and even when we eat  - all play an important part in managing our blood glucose levels, meal planning helps create optimal conditions for your body to work better.

The key is to plan far enough in advance so that you anticipate what you are eating, are well prepared for the meal, keep the meal preparation and cooking as easy as possible, and train others to respect that by keeping to your plan.

Stick to what you know in the beginning.  If you want to plan a meal outside of the routine, prepare for that meal by jotting it down and any ingredients you will need you do not already have, and schedule time for the day you want to cook that particular meal - preferably on a day off.

Remember: The hardest part is the logistics.  Set aside time to plan meals.  Meal planning does require some time but it time well spent. Try to give yourself 30 minutes once a week to think about what meals to make. If you need more or less time that's okay.

It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by planning ahead for meals. Start with planning dinner meals only and instead of 7 meals, cook 3-4 meals and plan for some leftovers and free days.

Current  Menu Planning Checklist:

1. Try to plan on the same day every week. 
2. What meal will you cook? (Center meals around the vegetables instead of around the protein.)
3. What ingredients do you need? 
4. How much time does it take to prepare the meal? 
5. How much time does it take to cook? (I prefer recipes with a cooking time under 30 minutes unless it is the weekend.  
6. What day do you plan to cook each meal?
7. Are you cooking enough to have leftovers? (Make leftovers into another meal by adding something else.)
8. Create a grocery list based on the ingredients needed for the next week or two.
9. Adapt recipes to taste.  Here is where you can get creative without feeling overwhelmed.
10. Stick to the plan.

Why I Want to Meal Plan

Meal planning consists of three basic steps: 1. Selecting your meals for at least a week. 2.  Shipping for the ingredients based on the meals you have selected.  3. Setting aside time to prepare the upcoming meals you chose.  I like to add 4. Entering it all in my paper planner (pen to paper makes me happy).

Most people know that meal planning can help save money, lose weight, simplify the cooking process, and reduce the stress of "what's for dinner?" Those are all common reasons that many choose to have a meal plan.

For me, it is about finding that sweet spot between meal planning and getting to eat spontaneous meals from time to time. It is about avoiding foods that are slowly poisoning me when someone else prepares the food without feeling remorse afterward or beating myself up because I made a poor choice or made someone feel awkward, rejected or slighted in some way. Saying no at a restaurant is simple; you order what you want from a menu and skip what you do not want. Rejecting a meal specially made meal when you are invited as a dinner guest in someone's home is an entirely different, much more delicate matter - especially among Latinos.

I have gone to both extremes: coming up with a reason to cancel, or accepting the invitation and eating whatever I was served; neither of which I recommend.  The more consistently I meal plan, the less anxious I will feel about occasionally indulging in a meal made with love at a friend's.

Meal prepping can involve eating the same dish or types of food a few days in a row.  It is not for people who prize variety and freshness above all else.  I do not mind leftovers, I would even say I enjoy them. What I want is options and simple recipes for everyday meals. I want sanity and peace.

I will not stick to fancy dishes or the time and effort they take on a daily basis. I do not always want to start from scratch or spend hours perusing a cookbook.  That is just not for me.  I want to be intentional and mindful about what I eat, understand how it fuels my body, be aware of how it makes me feel, and enjoy the company I am with. I am not fascinated with or entertained by how unique or special the dish is.

Cooking is the means to an end for me. It is not a passion of mine, although I love cooking for loved ones, I am not a foodie or an epicurean by any means.  I love a well-prepared meal and enjoy it most when in good company.   I need to enjoy meal planning and to keep it simple for it to be sustainable.