{"id":46984,"date":"2017-05-10T11:40:04","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T15:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=46984"},"modified":"2017-05-11T11:17:29","modified_gmt":"2017-05-11T15:17:29","slug":"the-diabetes-guide-i-wish-someone-had-handed-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=46984","title":{"rendered":"The Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Adam Brown, diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, serves as senior editor and columnist at diaTribe and Head of Diabetes Technology & Digital Health at Close Concerns. Adam writes an acclaimed column for diaTribe, Adam\u2019s Corner<\/a>, and speaks extensively about diabetes and chronic disease. His new book, Bright Spots and Landmines<\/a>, is one of the wisest\u00a0<\/em>diabetes books I’ve come across. It’s a rich, honest, first-person account of living\u00a0with diabetes that’s full<\/i>\u00a0of\u00a0actionable advice to help you succeed, not just in diabetes management, but in life. If you don’t have a positive mindset about diabetes when you begin this book, you will be wholly changed by the end. <\/em><\/p>\n

Below is an excerpt from<\/em> Bright Spots and Landmines, The Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by Adam Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n

I first encountered the idea of \u201cBright Spots\u201d in the masterful book on behavior change, Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath. It\u2019s radically different from what we typically do in diabetes: find problems and focus on what\u2019s going wrong.<\/p>\n

DIABETES BRIGHT SPOTS<\/strong> are positive behaviors and choices I want to replicate as often as possible. They are the things I\u2019m doing right that I should try to duplicate: what helps keep my BGs in range, improves my mental state, and if repeated consistently, would improve my health and quality of life? Most of this book is focused on these Diabetes Bright Spots, such as eating fewer carbohydrates at meals (I aim for less than 30 grams), remembering why in-range BGs benefit me TODAY (I\u2019m happier, more productive, in a better mood, and a kinder person to loved ones), walking after I eat, and getting at least seven hours of sleep.<\/p>\n

DIABETES LANDMINES<\/strong> are the mistakes I make over and over again that drive my BG out of range, ruin my mood, or make life more difficult; I want to find ways to stumble on them less often. I first wrote about Diabetes Landmines on diaTribe after I noticed something important: I tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly, such as overeating treats to correct low BGs; eating white bread and potatoes; and asking unproductive questions like \u201cHow is this possible?\u201d or \u201cWhy am I so terrible at this?\u201d Clarifying these Landmines upfront has helped me develop a plan of attack: What safeguards can I set up to avoid them? How can I build routines that reduce the chances of stumbling onto them?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s easy to come up with a vague list of things I \u201cshould\u201d and \u201cshould not\u201d do, but Bright Spots and Landmines need to be useful. That means hitting three criteria:<\/p>\n

SPECIFIC AND ACTIONABLE<\/strong> | \u201cEat healthy\u201d does not count as a Food Bright Spot \u2013 it\u2019s too vague. \u201cFill half my plate with vegetables\u201d is much clearer.<\/p>\n

REALISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE<\/strong> | \u201cNot eating\u201d does not count as a Food Bright Spot either \u2013 it\u2019s impossible to sustain. \u201cEat slowly and stop before I\u2019m 100% full\u201d is more realistic.<\/p>\n

IN MY CONTROL AND CHANGEABLE<\/strong> | \u201cBad weather\u201d is not an Exercise Landmine \u2013 it\u2019s out of my control. On the other hand, \u201covereating after exercise\u201d is a Landmine that is changeable \u2013 I can find ways to avoid it.<\/p>\n

\"Adam
Adam Brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BRIGHT SPOTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN LANDMINES, BUT WE DON\u2019T PAY ATTENTION TO THEM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bright Spots outnumber Landmines in this book by more than 2:1. That\u2019s intentional, because Bright Spots are so overlooked, so undervalued, and have had such a huge impact on me.<\/p>\n

Many psychology books talk about the brain\u2019s survival instinct, which looks for things going wrong and zeroes in on problems. In diabetes, this inevitably leads to negative self-talk: \u201cI screwed up,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m terrible at this,\u201d \u201cI can\u2019t do anything right.\u201d It also leads to finger-wagging advice from others: \u201cDon\u2019t do this,\u201d \u201cStop doing that,\u201d \u201cYou’re\u00a0unmotivated,\u201d \u201cYou just don’t care,\u201d \u201cYou\u2019re lazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After my girlfriend and I adopted our dog, Sencha, I was surprised to hear only one piece of training advice from the shelter: use positive reinforcement to encourage good behaviors. In other words, focus on Bright Spots \u2013 what is the dog doing right that should be reinforced and encouraged? What a radically different approach from what we usually do in diabetes: focus too much on those negative Landmines.<\/p>\n

Research from Dr. Barbara Fredrickson (author of Positivity) suggests that a ratio of 3 positive emotions for every 1 negative emotion is critical for human flourishing. 3:1! Focusing on Bright Spots is key for any of us to live well, and for me, they have redefined my daily journey with diabetes.<\/p>\n

This is not to say we should all live in a land of false positivity \u2013 sometimes the best way to improve is to look at what\u2019s not working and do less of it. Indeed, Dr. Fredrickson points out that a 3 positive to 0 negative emotion ratio is not in touch with reality \u2013 we all experience challenges. My approach has been to find and focus on Diabetes Bright Spots as much as possible, but not to ignore Landmines. This book is organized accordingly.<\/p>\n

HOW TO IDENTIFY BRIGHT SPOTS AND LANDMINES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflect and question:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I often try to ask myself, \u201cIs this behavior a Bright Spot I want to encourage or a Landmine I want to avoid?\u201d It also helps to review my day or week: What did I do well for my diabetes and how might I do that more often? The questions at the end of each chapter and the end of the book will help you identify your Bright Spots and Landmines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n Check BG more frequently (if possible):<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to know what works and what doesn\u2019t \u2013 particularly around meals and exercise \u2013 without knowing what my BG is and how it changes in response to different choices. Using a BG meter more frequently or wearing CGM helps find cause-and-effect relationships, and therefore, identify Bright Spots and Landmines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I do ____, what happens to my BG?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m painfully aware and frustrated that not everyone has the resources to check their BG more often. This book does not assume most readers are on a CGM, and I know insurance companies still make it difficult to access enough BG strips. This is criminal, as more frequent glucose data truly saves lives. If this applies to you, read the tips in chapter one on getting more strips.<\/p>\n

Ask loved ones and friends to observe me:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I have in-range BGs after a meal, what did I eat? What foods do I eat when my BG goes high after meals or when I become moody and grumpy? What stresses me out and what helps me relax? What happens on days when I\u2019m super motivated and take care of my diabetes?\u201d<\/p>\n

A free download<\/a> of Bright Spots and Landmines is available here<\/a>. Also available in paperback and on Kindle<\/a>. Or enter to win<\/a> a free paperback copy.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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