About Me:
Hi there! My name is Chris aka The Organic Diabetic! Originally born and raised in Woburn Massachusetts (love my Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins!) I made my trek northward to the beautiful state of Maine back in October 2003 after marrying my college sweetheart. We began a family in 2004 and I am happy to say that we have 4 happy, healthy, beautiful children that bring an amazing amount of joy to our lives!
I am also a type 1 diabetic. Diagnosed back in 2006 (out of the blue), at a routine doctors visit. Diabetes has been the single biggest obstacle that I have faced in my life. At the time I had no idea of what a roller coaster ride I would be in for, I mean really, what’s a couple finger sticks a day and a couple shots of insulin for food…this will be easy, I got this! Well 2 ER visits later, I quickly found out that this was no joke, and if I wanted to see my little ones grow up, this was something that I needed to take seriously!
Little by little as we began to digest all of the information that was being thrown at us…fast acting insulin, short acting insulin, lancets, test meters, test strips, ketone sticks, carb counting, food groups, glucagon emergency kits, insulin pumps, glucose monitors…OMG, my head was spinning like a top! Well after a couple of crazy years, I can happily say that I am well controlled and feel absolutely amazing!
Not to be lost in all of this either is the amazing support of my wife. She has been my rock! She has been with me every step of the way, from 2am finger sticks to helping me change out a failed pump in the middle of a crowded restaurant. She truly is an amazing wife and mom and I can’t imaging my life without her love and support- love you babe!
Why The Organic Diabetic?
My mission for The Organic Diabetic is to bring awareness to the type 1 diabetic community on the importance of organic, toxic free living. Diabetes is hard enough, why make it more difficult by consuming food and products that are chalk full of chemicals, toxins, pesticides, and other unhealthy ingredients.
After really taking a step back, doing some research and looking at what I was putting into my body, from chemicals in personal care products to the preservatives, pesticides, and artificial sweeteners that are used in our foods, I decided I not only wanted to make a change for myself but more importantly for my children.
Now don’t get me wrong, I still have my crazy highs, crazy lows, and WTF moments that come with this disease, but from a health standpoint, I’ve never felt better!
Oh and for the record, I love my insulin, Novolog to be precise. Some people see the term “organic” on my website and think I’m not a proponent of insulin ( an assumption on their part…and we know its never good to assume). That
is completely wrong. Insulin is what I use daily, just like all my fellow type 1s, I simply prefer organic foods that aren’t doused in preservatives or artificial growth hormones, so don’t let the name fool you. We all know that there are no miracle cures out there, particularly for type 1 diabetes.
While I prefer a more balanced approach to eating, I do incorporate higher (healthy) fat, higher protein food choices and try not to go overboard with my carbohydrate intake. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bernstein and his book Diabetes Solution. If you haven’t heard of it or checked it out, I highly recommend that you do. Some tips that I have learned from that book have really help stabilize my blood sugars and its chalk full of information that can definitely help you out.
That being said, I also love my veggies and they are an important part of my overall diet and management as they are jam packed with nutrients and so beneficial to your overall health. They are my go to’s particularly when it comes to snacking between meals. I mean, have you ever tried Kale chips? Whoa! I have a fantastic recipe located with my snack recipes, so feel free to check them out. You can do so by clicking here
Lastly, feel free to ask any questions that you may have, newly diagnosed or not, we are all continually learning with this disease. 11 years in with T1D for me and I still don’t have all the answers, and probably never will, but we must press on and move forward. Remember, you are much stronger than you think and are fully capable of living a healthy, vibrant life!
Feel free to share any information on the site and partake in the blog posts! Also, make sure you check out my newly formulated USDA certified, non-gmo nutritional shake, Organic Balanced Meal. It is a plant based nutritional shake that has only 8 grams of carbohydrates and packed with 22 grams of protein. Its easy on the blood sugars, tastes amazing and is jam packed with nutrition to fuel your body without adversely effecting your blood sugars. You can check that out by clicking here 😀
Look forward to connecting, take care!
Chris