Finally, I got off my butt

Well, not exactly, but I did do some exercise stuff today. Not a lot, but it;'s a start.

Not a lot going on

Rainy weekend just played havoc with my arthritis, so no exercise for this old man. Just sat on my butt and watched TV.
I have increased my fiber intake which may help control sugar a little. Yeah, I know, no evidence exists, but since our body is a cohesive unit, better health comes from when the parts just work better. Removing toxins through fiber has to be, in the words of Martha Stewart, a good thing.

I need to bring my sugar down

It's been a little high lately, and I need to tighten up my food. I control my sugar through my actions (diet and exercise) but because I've been feeling like crap, I haven't been exercising, and am paying the price. Today, I'll start hitting it a little better.

Lasik is not 100% safe

For quite a few years, Lasik eye surgery has been touted as a quick, efficient way to get rid of glasses. But according to a recent AP article, not all surgeries are successful. Some have made the eyes worse, bringing about new problems such as worse vision, severe dry eye, glare, and inability to drive at night. Add to this severe eye pain, and suddenly what has been touted as a safe, nearly painless procedure is not really one.
On a personallevel, my neighbor had the operation years ago. It was less than successful as her vision continued to worsen. It may or may not have been related to the operation, but she was assured ahead of time that the operation had no risk and would help her.
In the long run, it did nothing.


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hm4_Y2gN7uuJFU9yGiiiwV0BWDagD9094FIO0

If losing weight helps

and we all know it can for many diabetics, especially type 2, then this man can work wonders.



He was featured on TLC with a show and he has helped me so far, at least with my mindset. I'm so positive the weight loss will follow, that I highly recommend anyone with a weight loss goal check him out.

http://www.mckenna.com

Still struggling

My recovery isn't going so well. I'm using braces to walk, and they are helping, but the wounds are still there.

Holidays are upon us

My blood sugar was 126 this morning. It is a little higher than I wish, and I blame the Holiday season. Cakes and other goodies are around, and while I should simply say no, I am like a worm of the dust. I have no self-control. I see it, and I want it. Party on, big guy.

That is what caused my problems, but I am so weak willed that I just can't say no to the goodies, Holiday or otherday.

But I am working on it. Tomorrow, I'll have better news, I'm sure.

It's been a couple days

I've been doing ok. Doctor said foot is looking better. Still not healed. It seems that every day I resolve to get my food under control, yet I never do as well as I want to do. For now, good enough, but I need better than that.
For tomorrow, I resolve to do it right, and to get in the exercise that I have been avoiding due to laziness.

Today

Today was another good day. I did some minor exercise, and my sugar this morning was 107. I had pasta last night, so that may be why it was higher than it had been running. But I am still happy with the number.

The Mrs. has been running high, so I am pulling out all stops to keep her off insulin. She is taking the Cinnamon 6, along with all the supplements from Sportron. I also have her taking essential oils topically. She is under a lot of stress, so that may be hampering her also. She has been doing well and has been losing weight, which should help.

Another good day

I got up this morning, and my Blood sugar was 95. I'm pretty happy about that. The only real change I have made recently is that I drink Twinings tea. The cinnamon and cherry flavor. It tastes a little srange but since I started my sugar has become even better. It was pretty good before, but this is a new consistent low for me.
I view my journey to getting off drugs as a 3 step process, so far. The first was that I started getting proper supplementation. While I believe the ones I have are the best, similar results can be attained by others.
The second phase was a major dietary change. I eat a vegan diet 6 days a week. I should probably follow through and do it all 7, but why oh why are the foods that are so bad for me so darn tasty?
The third phase has been the tea. This has brought me way down. Before, my sugars were around 100-120 in the morning, but this huge drop makes me happy.

Just catching up

It's been months since I posted here. I've been hospitalized 3 times, including a visit to Ct that landed me in a UCONN Hospital. I've had a bout with a basal cell carcinoma, and my anemia put me in once in June for 2 weeks. I had a colonoscopy, and of course, I'm using that picture as my Christmas card.

But every day, I'm getting better. My most recent a1c was 5.9, and this morning my blood sugar was 95.

I haven't lost a lot of weight, but I am working on it. Once I am able to exercise, the fat will melt away.

I am going to try to post every day to help keep myself on track.

Natural/Alternative Treatments

The word natural has been used so much that it is nearly meaningless. Just because a product is all natural, it does not mean it is healthy. Even herbal remedies must be carefully monitored for two (at least) types exist. Medicinal herbs and food herbs are the most common descriptions. Medicinal herbs can be dangerous, ma huang is the one that immediately comes to mind. This is usually known as ephedra. And while ma huang is safe when used properly, it is easy to abuse. The one property that it has it it gives tremendous energy. That is why so many people have died from it. The herb gets abused because it is easy to build up a tolerance to it, and rather than go off it for a week, people increase the amount to get the desired effect. That is when trouble starts. No one would double up on presciption drugs without careful monitoring by a doctor, yet because a product is an herb, people just assume it is safe and healthy to use too much ma huang. The result, as we all know, is that it was taken off the market because a few foolish people overdid it. At least that is the story everyone was given. Prescription deaths account for thousands of deaths per year, so it is pretty clear that the removal of ephedra was all about the Benjamins.
Back to the topic at hand.

Since type 2 diabetes is a disease brought on by an unhealty lifestyle, it should be obvious that it can be reversed though a healthy lifestyle. I have been adopting some lifestyle changes recommended in Dr Fuhrman's book Eat to Live available at : http://www.drfuhrman.com/weightloss/reviews.aspx
As of today, I am pretty much a vegan. While not perfect, I would estimate that my meals are vegan around 90% of the time. I do take supplements from Sportron International because they make me feel good. I'm keeping my sugar under control with no diabetic medication. This is pretty remarkable because I previously was taking 4 mg of Amaryl, and it was not giving me sufficient control. I am a major proponent of alternative treatments. One caveat does exist, though, one must do a bit of research first. So many products exist that it is important to understand some of the science behind them. I was taking a supplement that helped lower my sugar because it contained the sugar busters that have been used for centuries. These are cinnamon, bitter melon, gymnema sylvestre, nopal cactus, American ginseng, fenugreek, and chromium. The product, Cinnamon 6, was very good, but did not meet all my needs. It is around $40-$50 for a month's supply. It would probably be good for someone who is a newly diagnosed diabetic who hasn't suffered all the complications yet.
Many simple things are available to help diabetics. For example, just a sprinkle of cinnamon on a bowl of oatmeal in the morning has been shown to help control glucose. Since many diabetics suffer from neuropathy, a simple, inexpensive yet very effective treatment is available.
Using a bucket of warm water and one of cold, simply soak feet in one for 5 minutes, then switch to the other. Repeat 3 times. Cost is negligible, yet it helps so much.
Just be cautious and check the water temperature before putting feet in. Many diabetics have reduced sensation and could cause damage if water is too extreme either way. But doing this every night has brought relief to many.
Also, hot peppers are a good thing for reduced circulation so common in us diabetics. I've been eating them at 2 meals a day, and it seems as if I'm getting a benefit. It may be all in my mind, but at least I feel better.

Happy Valentine's day

Tomorrow is a day when everyone seems to enjoy exchanging gifts like candy. Most diabetics I know either ignore that candy is loaded with sugar, and undulge, or they buy that dreck known as sugar-free candy.
It is like neither one is a good choice.
The choice I make is to use very high content dark chocolate. I don't mean the regular dark chocolate but the really bitter stuff from el rey (I think that's the name) is 73.5%.
It is pretty low in sugar and has an undeniable chocolate taste.
This ain't your momma's milk chocolate.
I find that this "high test" chocolate is very satisfying and I can eat just a little bit of it. I don't need to eat a whole bar. In fact, I buy the discs. These are little discs, similar to coins that are more used for baking. I like them because they are easy to portion control. I hate breaking up bars.

I haven't been around in a while

I haven't been around in a while. I have been shirking my duties. I'll start with an update.
My sugar has been well controlled, but because my wound is in a very difficult place to heal, it hasn't in a year.
In January of this year, I got very ill, and had to have my 4th toe cut off. That's the one little piggy that got no roast beef, for anyone who remembers that old kid's nursery rhyme. I'm trying to recover, but I am more committed than ever to try to help others avoid the pain that I have gone through.
Diabetes has destroyed my health. My feet are scarred. My kidneys are barely functioning. And, career wise, well, imagine what it is like to change careers every few years or so.
I used to be a truck driver, delivering home heating oil, and working on boilers. I could no longer physically do that due to diabetes, so I entered social services, direct care.
I went to school and got my degree so I could do something less physical.
I became a certified teacher. And due to my physical disability (I've been in a wheelchair or used a cane) it has been very difficult to get a position. So, I went back to school and got an even more valuable advanced degree. My health has stopped me from using it, though.
Anyway, I'm back and I hope to keep providing quality information so everyone can make informed decisions about health care.

Tylenol and safety

According to an article in the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, Tylenol and its clones (acetaminophen) now accounts for 42% of the nation's cases of sudden acute liver failure. As reported in the December 2005 issue of Hepatology, 253 Americans overdosed on the painkiller by either taking over the recommended dosage, or due to an interaction with other medications.
While half of these were suicide attempts, the other half were accidental.
Britain stopped selling Tylenol in packages of 500, the largest package is a blister card of 24. This change has reduced the number of liver transplants, overdoses, and liver related deaths by 30%.

The FDA strikes again

Why do so many people consider FDA approval so important? Once again, it has been proven that they are a bogus organization, little more than a trade organization for pharmceutical companies.According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine (and reported in the Star Ledger 1-26-06) aprotinin, a drug widely used to control bleeding during heart surgery, is dangerous. It increases heart attacks 48%, heart failure by 109% and stroke by 181%. The study also concluded that increased side effects from this drug costs $1 billion per year world-wide. Surprisingly, Bayer, the manufacturer of aprotinin under the name Trasylol, has disputed the findings of the independent study. By the way, generic substitutions are available at 10% of the cost that work as well at stopping bleeding without the risks. The FDA is looking into the study.

Alternative treatment for diabetes

I just found out about this. I've heard good things about www.Beanpodtea.com. The product helps to lower sugar levels over a period of about 6-9 months. It might be worth trying it as it does no harm. (Where have I hear that before-1st, do no Harm?)
Anyway, I don't believe that it does as much good as my product, but it is very affordable. While I believe in getting the best possible product, real life dictates that this is not always possible. That's why I drive a Scion, rather than a Rolls, and I'm letting you know about this product.

The FDA and Safety

So many Americans look to FDA approval as some sort of guarantee of safety. I suppose it does limit the sales of snake oil, but beyond that, how can anyone trust them implicitely? Here is a recent report on Ritalin (emphasis added):

Ritalin and other stimulants that are prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should carry the most serious type of warning labels, US experts recommended Thursday.
The Food and Drug Administration committee narrowly voted to call for adding "black box" safety warnings to ADHD drugs. Black-box warnings are intended to alert physicians and patients that a drug may carry significant risks.
There have been 51 deaths among children and adults taking drugs for ADHD in the US since 1999. Other reports described high blood pressure, chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, irregular heart beats and fainting.
"The data is only suggestive at this point, but because of the gravity of the side effect, namely sudden death, physicians need to be made clearly aware of that concern," said Dr. Peter Gross, the panel chairman and head of internal medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

So, in light of this, they are going to issue a warning? And it was a close vote? How many needed to die for them all to be in favor of a warning?

One Foot in Front of the Other

This morning, I was watching the news, and they did a story about a donut shop. My Honey stated that she wishes she could eat a donut. I reminded her that in time we could do that. Right now, we need to get our sugar under control. Day by day, we are doing just that.
We don't take giant steps, we don't take baby steps. We just keep on taking whatever steps we have to in order to reach our destination. In our case, it's good health. And we will get it by doing what we need to do. Approach each day as a new beginning. I can't correct what I did yesterday, I can only live today as well as I can. I put one foot in front of the other and I will get to where I set out to go. It does not matter whether it takes a day, a week, or a month, as long as I keep going in the right direction. Life is not a race, it's a journey.

Diabetics and Nutrition

While the diabetic pack sold at my website (please e-mail before ordering) is, in my opinion, the perfect combination of supplements for diabetics, other ways to help control sugar do exist.
For instance, numerous studies have suggested that simply sprinkling cinnamon on a morning bowl of oatmeal will help lower the need for insulin in certain diabetics. Other natural products such as gemmena sylvestre can also help lower blood sugar levels.
One of the most overlooked aspects of diabetes is in the lack of vitamins and minerals in one's daily diet. I guess that because many diabetics are fat, everyone (the diabetics themselves included) presume that plenty of nutrients are being delivered. Often, this is not the case.
Study after study have shown diabetics to be lacking in several important vitamins and minerals.
B Complex vitamins are often deficient, along with chromium and different omega oils such as omega 3 and omega 6. It is important to find a good quality supplement as we rarely eat properly. And, no, the lettuce, pickles and onion on a Big Mac do not constitute a nutritious portion of vegetables.