Hungry even after eating... The 'sleepless nights' of diabetes and the miracle of daikon radish salad
"I just ate, so why am I so hungry?"
Every day spent facing diabetes is a battle against "hunger" that is more intense than one might imagine.
My daughter often complains of hunger right after a meal, or tells me in the middle of the night that she is "so hungry she can't sleep."
In this article, I will share how we have dealt with that insatiable hunger.
I am presenting the record of the efforts and care we tried in our home as a personal experience.
[How to deal with that hunger that is 'not just in your head']
Feeling hungry right after eating.
It is a common occurrence with diabetes, but I hope you will look at my previous article for the reasons behind it.
However, even if you understand the reasons, the problem is how to provide care.
It is easy to end up saying things like:
"You just ate, didn't you?"
"That's just in your head."
"Aren't you being unreasonable?"
But, as the caregiver, please take a deep breath.
Since this is a symptom of the disease, getting angry or scolding them won't help at all.
At first, I also ended up saying, "You just ate, right?" or "It's just in your head."
But saying such things doesn't change the situation.
So, I prepared the following response:
"If you still feel hungry after 30 minutes, let's think about it then."
Then my daughter would obediently say, "Okay."
However, the result was the same.
Even after 30 minutes passed, her hunger did not go away.
So, I julienned some daikon radish, made a huge salad, and had her eat it with a small amount of dressing.
Surprisingly, this was incredibly effective!
Because it was a mountain of daikon, it satisfied her eyes and filled her stomach.
[It also prevents blood sugar spikes! What are its unknown benefits?]
And above all, the effects of daikon are amazing!
The following is what I asked my AI "brother" about daikon salad.
① Aids digestion (for stomach heaviness and heartburn)
・Daikon is rich in a digestive enzyme called "diastase (amylase)"!
・It breaks down carbohydrates and starch, making it perfect for digesting rice and noodles when your stomach feels heavy. This is why "grated daikon" is served.
② Improves constipation and bowel movements
・Rich in **dietary fiber (especially water-soluble)**, which supports intestinal movement.
・Not only does it make bowel movements smoother, but it is also
good for expelling gas and waste from the intestines③ Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties
・The pungent component of daikon, "
isothiocyanate" is said to have antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cancer properties.
・Also recommended for early cold symptoms (the traditional "honey daikon" is an example).④ Diuretic effect for edema ・Rich in potassium, which
flushes out excess salt and water from the body
. ・Perfect for people who tend to get swollen or the day after eating too much salt.I'm sure everyone knows this much, but this is the part I'm happiest about!
⑤ Suppresses rapid spikes in blood sugar!
・Because of the dietary fiber, the rise in blood sugar after a meal becomes more gradual.
・Raw daikon is especially effective.
I had her eat daikon salad because I was worried about calories, not knowing it would suppress blood sugar spikes.
It turned out to be the greatest ally for diabetes.
Having made daikon my ally, I started keeping daikon salad in the refrigerator at all times, and whenever she said she was hungry, I would bring out the daikon.
As a result, her blood sugar levels began to drop.
【What to do when it's past its prime...? Dealing with bitterness and boredom】
However, once daikon radish is past its prime, it starts to get bitter...
My daughter has a very sharp sense of taste, so she doesn't miss even a hint of bitterness.
“This radish is bitter.”
Once she says that, she won't eat it, so I soak it in water, but while the bitterness goes away, the flavor disappears too.
“Is it a no-go...?”
“Maybe it’s past its prime?”
“If anything, maybe she’s just bored of it.”
“So the season (shun) has passed and autumn (aki) has arrived, huh lol. I wonder where summer went lol.”
“Indeed! Give that person a cushion!”
But this is no time to be laughing.
The next move is... should I shred some cabbage? Or maybe tofu?
I try one thing after another, but after a while, she gets bored of those too.
【It’s not just the stomach that needs to be 'satisfied'】
About a month and a half later, my daughter's blood glucose level was hovering between 120 and 130 mg/dL.
Once it reached this point, there was no need to be so anxious.
We started putting staple foods on the table again, and it became a normal dining scene.
By that time, she stopped complaining about being hungry after meals, and
once dinner was over, she would quietly retreat to her room.
However, sometimes
“Mom, I’m still not satisfied.”
She stands in front of me while I’m working, looking pathetic.
At times like that, I respond with a smile.
“I know, right? I thought it was a bit lacking too lol. Maybe dinner was a little small today.”
“What should I do...”
“Don't ask me what to do...”
What pops into my head are the vegetables in the fridge.
(What can I make now that’s easy to prepare...)
Even so, it’s exhausting.
Then my daughter says,
“Can I have some ice cream?”
The ice cream my daughter refers to is ZERO ice cream.
It’s low in sugar, and I think it’s a strong ally for diabetes.
Every year, I keep several ice creams in the fridge, but
since my daughter can't eat regular ice cream this year, after some trial and error,
I started keeping ZERO ice cream stocked.
“Oh, ZERO, huh lol. Sure, maybe I’ll have some too lol.”
“Yeah, let’s eat! Do you have some for yourself?”
“It’s fine, I bought some the other day.”
What I brought out was regular ice cream.
For my daughter, who is always eating ZERO, it’s a tempting treat.
“Want to have just one bite?”
“Yeah, do you want to eat some ZERO too, Mom?”
“I’m scared of what would happen if I took yours, so no thanks lol.”
“That’s not true lol.”
Once our fun ice cream time is over, both her heart and mind are satisfied.
“That’s it for today. You’ll have to hold out until tomorrow.”
Satisfied, my daughter responds to my call with a smile, saying “Okay♪”
and heads into her room saying, “I’m so full now♪”
Perhaps the most effective thing for hunger is the mental satisfaction of not being denied.
【Late-night hunger, sleepless nights】
My daughter often wakes up in the middle of the night.
Then, a sense of hunger strikes.
“I’m hungry... I can’t sleep.”
Even if she thinks about eating ice cream, she’s already had some that day.
She probably feels guilty about eating two.
For times like that, I keep low-GI nuts by her bedside.
What is the GI value, you ask?
This is also something I heard from my AI 'brother' lol.
It stands for **Glycemic Index**,
and it is a numerical value that represents **'how much blood glucose levels rise when you eat a certain food.'**
In other words, if the GI value is low, blood glucose levels rise slowly.
Moreover, low-GI foods have the following effects:
・They cause a gradual rise, and insulin is secreted slowly.・They keep you full longer and are good for preventing snacking.
・They suppress post-meal hyperglycemia and insulin load.
Nuts fall into the low-GI category.
Therefore, my daughter’s emergency kit consists of:
・20g of nuts
・10 roasted soybeans
・5 pieces of dried squid (cut into small pieces)
I put these in a small bag and give them to her.
【The Caramel Incident and Proof of Growth】
Since it's a charm, as the caregiver, I give it to her with the goal that she 'won't eat it,' but
my daughter
'Now is the time!'
is how she sees it lol
Morning comes, and she brings me the empty bag, telling me she ate it and to put more in.
'You ate it...'
'Yeah, because I was hungry.'
'Do you understand it's a charm? (Do you understand the meaning of a charm?)'
'Yeah, I understand. That's why I ate it lol'
My daughter's smile is wonderful, and I can't get angry at her here.
'I see... that's true lol. Since I gave it to you to eat when you're hungry, it's OK, OK!'
I force a smile, while slightly trying to convince myself.
However, inside, I'm letting out a big sigh and worrying about her rising blood sugar levels.
Even so, I kept making the charms, and now she doesn't even ask for them anymore.
But now, she seems to be thinking for herself about what she should eat and is eating in the middle of the night lol
Of course, that is a great growth.
It means she has become able to think about what she should eat and how she can avoid raising her blood sugar levels.
'Checking my blood sugar... oh, is it a bit high?'
'Not at all, it's lower than usual, you're doing great!'
'That's strange, I ate four caramels last night though.'
'... (What did you say?!) I-is that so? lol'
The mother with a strained smile.
'So I guess four caramels is safe then lol'
No, it's not!