This post is the first in a series and will be a little different from what you’ve read on Scofflaw’s Den in the past. It is a very personal issue to me and I want to share my thoughts, concerns and fears with those of you who wish to follow along. I know that there may be some people who want me to stick to cocktails and will probably want to argue about several things I write in this series. However, I hope that this series can be informative and create some dialogue among out readers.
On January 22, 2013 I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.
This diagnoses was a bit of a shock at first. However, once I was able to think about it, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. I’m 36 years old and my weight has fluctuated between 210-220 for about the last year. The icing on the cake (damn . . . maybe not the best analogy in this story) is that my father was diagnosed with type II diabetes in his mid-to-late fifties. My grandfather had the diabetus as did his father who lost his sight from the disease. Obviously not a family tradition I’m keen on continuing.
My blood glucose was about 100 points higher than where it should be and there were indications my kidneys were not working at 100%. My cholesterol was okay though. The good news is that my doctor firmly believes that with weight loss and a change in diet my numbers will go down and I can reverse the disease by making these changes.
So here’s the deal. I’m going to use this space as a chronicle of my battle against the diabetus. I know from talking to some other folks there are more than a couple of people in the spirits industry who is either in the same boat with me or are standing on the pier. It is certainly tough to be in this industry, with the drinks, rich food and general conviviality and watch what we eat, drink and take care of ourselves. To be frank, I’m not going to cut alcohol out of my life. For the love of pete I’m trying to build a business based on cocktails and spirits. It is simply unrealistic for me to cut something out of my life that I am building a life around.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the dangers of over-indulging with a disease like diabetes. And that is the crux of the issue, at least for me — over-indulging. Not even with alcohol per se, rather it’s the food that kills me. I’m constantly eating carbs and general food-types that are not healthy for me. This series will be, in part, a way to share what I’m eating (and drinking) in this fight. So, my wife and I have decided to follow a modified paleo diet where we eat almost all lean meats and vegetables. Most processed foods are being eliminated from our diet. We have been eating this way since Tuesday January 23rd and I’m happy to report that at my last weigh in I was 208 pounds. Positive moves indeed.
As far as drinking goes, I’m going back to a rule I had for myself about a year ago. The rule is that from Sunday through Thursday, no alcohol. I’ll only have drinks out or at home on Friday nights or Saturdays. I still plan on writing about delicious spirits and interesting events so you’ll still see that on these pages. (Especially, the Chartreuse VEP I got as a wedding gift!)
You probably won’t see me talk about food, recipes, etc. too awful much. There is this thing called the interwebs where you can look up paleo recipes, see how I’m screwing it up and probably find better ways to eat than me. However, if I do find an interesting recipe that seems to fit the bill for a cocktail party or a dish that seems to fit something you can order while setting at a bar, I’ll probably discuss it.
Bottom line, this series will be a work in process and I’m not 100% sure how it will go. It will be, by nature, very personal to me and my family. The only thing I can wish is that by sharing my story and what I’m going through somebody else will be inspired to get checked and make changes to have a healthier life.
After all, the longer we live the more wonderful spirits we can taste and enjoy.
Cheers!
Yay Paleo! My favorite website is Mark’s Daily Apple. One thing that struck me about what you said was “lean meats.” For me the biggest change going from “dieting” to Paleo was embracing fatty meats and other fats. It made a big difference in terms of me feeling full, having energy, and not feeling restricted and diety. (I also lost more weight when I added fat.) Good luck!
Marshall, You’re incredibly brave and smart to be facing – and conquering – your diabetes and your fears through your lifestyle changes and this blog. You challenge and inspire me! All the best for you and Sylvie. Looking forward to more chapters as you progress.
I’m glad you’re doing this. I have health concerns of my own that are driving me to rethink what I eat and drink. Also, I have a toddler who watches my every move.
There has to be a space in this field in which people can write honestly about drinking and health. It’s not a binary thing — you don’t have to choose between hedonism and AA. But that’s the way everyone seems to want to frame the conversation. You’re healthy, or you’re a drinker. No in-betweens.
But few people in our sphere seem to want to talk about this. I’m glad you’re stepping up.
Holy cow, Marshall! I am sorry to hear this! But it sounds like you’re getting off in the right start and handling this well. Best of luck and best wishes for you!
Scott
My father-in-law dealt with this. The major concerns were overdoing drinking for he stopped caring about blood testing and giving himself insulin on a regular basis, and that there couldn’t be an accurate read on his blood sugar if he had alcohol in his system.
Don’t know what to recommend other than instead of packing in all your drinking on two nights to spread it out into a lower per day amount over several nights.
Thanks for all your well wishes folks. It certainly makes this trip more bearable knowing you have support and, in a sense, a cheering section.
Fred, on your point I think it’s a great topic for a full post. Do you mind if I use your comment in a post?
Mike, I think you’re 100% correct this isn’t a binary situation. Unfortunately a lot of people see it that way. Some people can be 100% carb, smoke, alcohol, smog, drugs, ear-worm free. That’s great but I know I can’t be one of them without sapping a significant portion of happiness from my life. There has to be an in-between that people in the industry and other enthusiasts can fall into. Hopefully this will help. Also, Sylvie and I want to start a family and we want to be as healthy as possible before we do. So I can see what you mean about your son. (BTW, your Viking/milk glass tweet cracked me up!)
Cheers!
Use at will.
“That?s great but I know I can?t be one of them without sapping a significant portion of happiness from my life.”
This was the way my f-i-l lived his life, and even if it cost him some time at the end, the years he had were plenty full.
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[...] a comment to my first post, my friend Fred?brought up his father-in-law. Fred said, My father-in-law dealt with this. The [...]