Thinking about our higher purpose and the reason why we are here, can be brought back to one simple answer, our mothers and fathers got busy and we are the fabulous result. As I embark on motherhood, I reflect on my parents journey. Mum had four kids under four by the time she was 26. At 26 I became the State Manager of a construction company in Melbourne, helping build a regional office from a three man team to 13 employees, working 15 hour days and turning over millions. It was hard yakka (that’s Aussie for hard work) being a woman in the construction industry, especially at the top, but I know where my strength and resilience comes from, my mum and dad. In hindsight Mum worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

When dad was 19 he immigrated from the Czech Republic to Australia with his little brother George. They faced many difficulties learning English and fitting in to Australian society. They overcame whatever was thrown at them to gain employment and build their lives in the land Down Under. Ten years later my dad met my mum. Albeit they were pen pals after a mutual friend connected them. Mum (Linda) is from the Philippines and was 19 when dad (Ludvik) started writing to her. I guess the modern day version is sending a friend request, then sending a message. Only Linda and Ludvik waited 7 days for the other to reply (not as simple as hitting refresh hey). According to mum, Ludvik was a romantic poet and they fell in love over 18 months of snail mail. Ludvik made the trek to the Philippines in February 1976 and they got married 3 weeks later. 

Fast forward a few years and they had four beautiful children! I have an older sister Linda, older brother Frank and a twin sister Anna (we were an accident.. the best accident ever!). Without any immediate family living close in Australia, we grew up relying on each other. We had no idea what it was like to hang out with cousins or grow close to our grandparents. 

Our parents raised us to respect others and put others before ourselves. Mum and dads main priority was safety, food in our belly and education. This survival technique brought me up to sometimes put myself last. And through my own fault, I put my diabetes at the very bottom of my priority list. I began my diabetic journey saying to myself I will eat whatever I want whenever I want. Years and years went by where I'd dose up on insulin, eat bags of chocolate then come crashing down later only to need to eat again!

Sometimes I didn't want to believe I had diabetes so I ignored it best I could. I didn't see a diabetes doc for 3 years. I thought it would be impossible to get good sugar levels to be a pregnant type 1 diabetic. Then a couple of years ago (at the prospect of getting pregnant) a friend said to me "imagine what you could do if you gave your body 100%" and she was right. In planning for pregnancy I ate better than I'd ever eaten in my life! I went paleo for two weeks and had PERFECT sugar levels. I remained between 4.0 and 7.7 the whole time. It was unbelievable. I proved to myself that I could do it. I can actually eat better than my limited mind believed. It took a huge mindset shift and a great dietitian.

So why did I talk about my parents? Oh yeah, strength and resilience. I do have it within. And you do too. To do whatever your heart desires. Big or small. What was the relevance of my parents love story? Well, I love telling it. And they just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.


Now the paleo thing didn't last long, BUT my attitude towards food took a 180 degree turn (disclaimer: new attitude allows for the occasional almond magnum.. And I've learnt the exact insulin dose! Winning). That strength we all have within us, is why I'm proud to be 15 weeks pregnant. And have the best A1c since I was diagnosed at 5.7!! (A1c is an average sugar level for the last three months, for a more technical explanation please search the interweb).


Oh and what was I saying about higher purpose? Well that's a whole other blog post. Stay tuned. 


What matters the most is what you feel inside. Do what's right for you. 


Be true to yourself. 

I’ve been soooo excited about this post for 3 months and the day has finally come. There is a little baby 6.6cm (2.59 inches) growing inside me. One trimester into my first pregnancy and I couldn’t be happier. Being pregnant has brought new meaning to life. My husband and I have been planning for a baby for a year. When I say planning, I mean diabetic planning. You see, love making is only one part of a successful diabetic pregnancy. There's a whole myriad of things that need to be orchestrated to create the perfect environment for mum (that would be me yay!) and baby. These “things” consist of gathering a team of health professionals that you trust, feel comfortable with and actually want to attend appointments; endocrinologist, diabetes educator, dietitian, obstetrician, gynaecologist and a psychologist if you desire. In addition to the healthcare team, getting your blood sugar “perfect” or “in range” is like touching wet paint, you know you shouldn’t (eat that donut) but you will anyway. 


When diagnosed I was never told how important I was to managing my diabetes. But that’s just it, you’re never told a lot of things in life. You have to figure things out for yourself. I figured out pretty quickly that I needed to change my insulin requirements daily. But I always thought the doctors would tell me what I needed to know regarding food. It took me 18 years and seeing a dietician (who I love) to ignite my desire for eating less processed food. And what a difference it’s made. You are responsible for educating yourself. You are the director of your life and your healthcare team. You are the CEO, the manager, the day and night supervisor. The team around you matters, like a coach to a star player. That star player is you!! 


I hope sharing my journey, I can inspire and motivate you to take charge of your lifestyle, whether you are diabetic or not. Your lifestyle encompasses so many elements ALL of which affect your blood sugar and insulin levels (diabetic or not). Fine-tuning your choices takes effort, no doubt about it. When there's only vegetables and meat in the fridge and it takes effort to prepare it and all you wanna do is order takeaway, it takes strength to change your habits (clearly I am talking from my own experience). But when there’s a baby inside you, the decision is already made, you muster up the energy, put your Jaime Oliver hat on, and start cooking.


Diabetes is sooooo complicated and can lead to critical self judgement, guilt, blame and regret.. after every time you eat. Think about how many times you eat a day and multiply that by constantly feeling like you just can’t get it right. Then you have a high or low blood sugar as evidence. Exhibit A: the glucose meter or monitor. However I’ve learned by making healthier food choices I’ve made things a little easier for myself. In fact, a lot easier for myself. 


On the flip side, diabetes has gently and forcefully pushed me to learn about carbohydrates and its serious effects on blood sugar levels. Hence, I think very carefully before eating white bread.. or shoving hot, delicious, crispy fries down my throat. Mmmmmm fries. Allow me to digress, a Shake Shack burger is one of my guilty but oh-so-worth it pleasures. Sorry, that’s a double Shake Shack burger. I haven’t eaten one my entire pregnancy (ok, that’s only 3 months, well 13 weeks). Eating healthy involves a lot of work.. but it’s worth it. Rest assured as soon as bubs is born, and I’m in the clear, I will have champagne and Shake Shack (I’m reassuring myself).


You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Recording what you eat and checking your sugar more often or using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is the first step in being honest with yourself. Then you can  moderate or eliminate certain foods to achieve better results. Focus on the good things, congratulate yourself and be mindful when eating (as much as possible). I still eat soooo quickly sometimes and then hope no one was watching me in a restaurant. Like no one. And if they did, I hope they we’re thinking, wow, she eats like me. 


It's an incredible journey and I'll keep you updated the whole way.