Diary of a Diabetic 1: Coming to Terms

At age 50 I discovered that I had become a diabetic.

I didn't really realize what it meant to be a diabetic, only that my blood sugar level was "higher than the norm".

What I understand from the underpinnings of many subsequent consultations and conversations with my endocrinologist, is that once a diabetic, always a diabetic.  My goal should be to control the blood sugar levels from reaching extreme highs.  Yet in the course of D-days ( diabetic, that is), as I struggle to maintain some form of equilibrium, it can happen that blood sugar levels can drop precariously low as well....  So perhaps the right way to phrase it is that my goal should be to control the blood sugar levels from reaching extremes, highs or lows, period.

Sigh, the horror stories of severe diabetes.  From possible blindness to amputation due to gangrene and cuts that wouldn't heal, from renal failure to kidney transplants to death due to multiple organ failure and cardiac arrest....

Sigh, the paradox of diabetes. Weight gain...is it a symptom or a result of the condition?

Diary of a Diabetic 2 : A New Hope Named Rico

 A friend and colleague invited me to the launch of a new product, touted to be perfect for pre-diabetics, diabetics, and weight watchers. It is called RICO Corn Rice.   It is an alternative to rice, with more nutrition than rice itself had, and none of the conditions that too much consumption of rice could cause.

As a rabid white rice lover and eater, this pronouncement left me incredulous and unbelieving.  I began to dismiss the notion, saying colored rice is tasteless.  If it ain't white, it ain't right!

I had tried brown, red, black, and purple rice, and even a combination of these.  Each spoonful was a mouthful, devoid of the aroma and the flavor of polished, unhealthy rice.  The thought of giving this up filled me with rebellion...if I had to die anyway, I would rather die happy, rather than healthy but miserable.

My friend said this was different, and that I had to try it before passing judgment. 
What it is....

RICO Corn Rice, as the name claims, is rice shaped corn, made from 100 per cent Philippine grown corn, "fortified with iron, calcium," naturally rich in beta carotene, and lutein.  It looked like rice, tasted like rice, but was really corn, with all the nutritional features and advantages of corn, namely, that it was cholesterol free, rich in fibre, and had low glycemic index to control and balance blood sugar.