Tale of Two People (with apologies to Dickens)

It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.  And, so the story starts.  For so many faced with the diagnoses of Diabetes or Prediabetes it is the worst of times.  I know the feeling.  And, I know the very real fear.

What happens as a result of the diagnoses is in your hands; it's your choice.  It's all in how you react and what you do, or action you take.  Let me tell you about Dave and John.

I learned about them during the same day last week and since I am not a big believer in coincidence, I thought I'd share their stories with you.  I learned about David when he left a comment and then sent me an email and will let him tell his story in his own words...

Ten years ago I was in prediabetes -- not surprising at all since my father is a diabetic and I weighed in at well over 260 pounds and seldom did any exercise. As I looked at my father and saw him deteriorating before my eyes, I decided to do something about my own health (I couldn't get him to even listen to his doctor). I took up cycling and lost over 60 pounds. I now ride around 7,000 miles a year. At my last physical my BP was 100/58, my resting pulse was 52, and my fasting blood sugar level was around 65 mg/dL.

When I took up cycling I also started the Atkins Diet -- got rid of ALL refined sugars, white bread, etc. Whole grains, lean protein and fresh fruit are the only things I eat now.

Now, I am not going to suggest that you start cycling 7,000 miles a year.  But, take a look at David's blog about his adventures and product reviews.  You might decide you want to take up cycling or bike riding as a form of exercise.

What I do want to point out is that he took action and overcame a diagnoses of Prediabetes.  What did he do?  Diet.  Exercise.  And, as a result he beat diabetes!  Good going David!

Now, John (not their real name; I could just as well have used Mary, Fred, Barney, or Lucille) faced diabetes in a different manner.  They did nothing.  Or, at the most very, very little.  What's happened?  Pretty much what you would expect.  They are in their mid-50's, on dialysis three times a week and have six to eight months to live.  They won't live to see their grandchildren or their birthdays.  Why?  Because they did not fight to control the disease.  John did not fight to win the war.

John's story did not have to end that way.  A little exercise - 30 minutes a day.  A change in diet.  Take prescribed medications.  And, who knows how long John would have lived?

I hear less dramatic stories all of the time.  But, make no mistake - Diabetes has one goal and that is to ravage your life.  If you have diabetes, your single goal should be to ravage diabetes, and you can do it!

You can control diabetes!  You can beat Prediabetes!

If you have no faith, you've lost your battle. ~Bill Cosby
You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. ~Magaret Thatcher

You Can Win the War...You Can Be In Control!

I have found there is so much in life I really can't control.  If you work, there are aspects about your job you don't control.  If you are married, do you think you can control your spouse?  Can you control how much homework a teacher might assign?  Heck, I can't even control how long it takes me to drive somewhere due to traffic.  Think about it.

There are so many health related concerns you can't control.  Cancer.  A failing back.  Even getting a cold is something we can't seem to control.

But, there is some good news - YOU can control diabetes.  I know I have hammered this home before, but it's worth doing again and again.  You can control and manage diabetes.  What does it take?  A few simple steps.

Form you team.  The best way to fight diabetes and win the war is to have an engaged team.  Your team should include your doctor, pharmacist and you.

Take your medication.  This is so simple.  Do not miss a dose.  Take what your doctor prescribes, when he prescribes it to be taken, how it's prescribed to be taken.  This is such an easy step.  But, in order to take your meds, you have to have them.  My pharmacist tells me about 30% or prescriptions that are filled don't get picked-up.  30%!  Please, be part of the 70% and pick-up your medication so you can take it.

Diet.  And, by diet I mean what you eat.  This probably has to change.  My big diet change was to limit the carbs I would have during a meal to 55 to 60 carbs.  This means eating different foods and less of them.  As I look back, I must have been having 150 to 200 carbs per meal.  No wonder I am a diabetic. Now, I normally have about 50, and sometimes less.

Let me tell you that a lower carb diet helped me to lose about 60 pounds and dropped my sugar levels.  I went from an AIc of about 13.0 to 6.1.  My lowest A1c was 5.9 - so I know it's attainable and it my next goal.  That will probably require a change in my diet to both low carb and low fat (basically it means I will have to start counting calories).

Exercise.  I can't stress this enough.  There is something about exercise that makes it easier for your blood cells to receive sugar - glucose.  And, what will that do?  Lower your daily glucose reading!  And, you will lose more weight if you exercise than if you just try to do it by reducing what you eat.

Form your team.  Take your medication. Change your diet and realize it will be a way of life. And, exercise.  You will be on your way to controlling diabetes instead of it controlling you.  You really can do this.

A great way to get started is by downloading and using the Food Diary Plus to act as a reminder and keep track of your progress.

I know, that was a shameless plug, but it's your Food Diary that will form the basis for your fight.  You will gain so much information and will know how your body is responding.  And, it's a great way to keep track of what you eat and the effect it has on your blood sugar.

Are you ready?  You can battle the disease and win your war with diabetes.

Fight on!

The Food Diary - At Last - The Download

The first Food Diary Plus is immediately available for downloading!  Get it while it's hot!

Seriously, I have mentioned the importance of a food diary so m any times, but could not figure out how to make one available for downloading.  Finally, I discovered how.  It meant starting a blog on Wordpress, then giving you a link to the file I have there.  But, it works and now you can begin to create your own food diary, if you would like the structure of a pre-made form.

The Food Diary Plus covers one week from Sunday to Saturday.  Not only does it give you space to list what you are eating - and list everything - it provides space and reminders for:

1. Glucose Test Recording
2. Medication Reminders
3. Exercise Reminders
4. Weight Recording for beginning and ending of the week
5. And, so much more!!!

If you download, print and use it for a few months, you will be creating your Ultimate Diabetes Control Book.  What?  Yes.  Really.  You will know what is working and what doesn't work.  And, you only know that from maintaining records which, (cue the sound of trumpets) you can do with the Food Diary Plus.

In order to print or save the Food Plus Diary:

1. Click on the link 
2. Then click on Food Plus Diary
3. Right click on the image
4. Choose Save, or
5. Choose Print, or
6. Go BIG and do both

So, go get it.  Use it.  And, you will be on your way to controlling your diabetes.

I am really excited for you.  It's going to be great.

Fight the battle and win the war!!

Prediabetes Can Be Beat!

Yesterday I spent the day near the ocean.  It was one of those gorgeous days where the sky was crystal blue; ocean was incredible with the perfect breeze blowing.  The day was...well, I don't have the words to describe it adequately.  Then, because I love watching people, I started  watching them and noticing the food they were carrying - it was all either deep fried, sweet, or deep fried and sweet.

Late last night I was looking at yesterday's Los Angeles Times and came across an article with this headline: " Clothing lines embrace plus sizes."  People are getting bigger and need bigger clothes.  Do you think there is any correlation between what we eat, getting bigger and clothing manufacturers making larger sizes?  Nah, couldn't be...could it?

There are 75,000,000 to 80,000,000 Americans who have Prediabetes.  This is a condition where they have high blood sugar readings and will most likely be diagnosed with Diabetes sooner or later.  Take a look at what the American Diabetes Association says about Prediabetes.

Let me tell you - you do not want to be a diabetic.  Your life will change if you take the disease seriously.  And, if you don't, you will pay a heavy price.  Am I scaring you a bit?  I hope so.  I wish someone had scared me when I was told I had Prediabetes.

If you are told you have Prediabetes there are steps you can take - steps that mean you probably will not get Diabetes.  What do you need to do?  Talk with your doctor.  Find out the immediate things to do.  Chances are it will be a short list (I like short lists).  You will need to educate yourself and take action.

So, what might be on your 'to do list?'

Change your diet.  You can always go to a lower carb diet as a first step.  If anyone had really told me, or if I had taken the time to find out instead of being in denial, I would have found that a lower carb diet was not a bad thing at all; in fact, it's pretty good.


I look back at how much I used to eat and I am amazed.  I ate much more than I needed to eat.  Why?  I just love the taste of food.  How it looks.  How it smells.  How it tastes.  I just love everything about it.  If a plate of pasta is good, two plates are better.  Am I right?  Well, I was wrong.  If I had made a few changes and understood that I only needed to eat the food I would need for fuel, I would be much better off today.  But, it's not easy to change how one eats until they are forced to do so.

Don't become a diabetic statistic.  Start thinking about what you eat; how much you eat and the effect it has on your body.


You might need to lose a little weight.  Guess what, if you go to a lower carb diet, you will probably lose a little weight.  I know it's not easy - really.  There is no magic potion to take or a magic pill to take that will make you lose weight permanently.  It's about changing habits.  Changing eating habits.  But, if you can change that habit, you will change your life! I know I will be writing about this sometime in the future.

Change your diet...Maybe lose a little weight...anything else?  Yes, exercise.

Exercise.  You don't have to spend two hours in the gym to exercise.  You are not going to six-pack abs here.  You just want to get healthier.  All you need to do is to get 150 minutes a week of exercise.  Did you know that cleaning a house or apartment is considered exercise?  Chances are you are already do that.  Maybe you can walk for 30 minutes a night.  Just 30 minutes a night to keep track of what's going on in the neighborhood and it's exercise!

If I sound like I am begging you to take action, I am.  I would much rather hear about someone beating a Prediabetes diagnoses than progressing to full-blown diabetes.  It can be reversed and YOU can do it.

A Test You Can't Fail - Part Four - What Does it Mean?

You have done your tests and have your results.  What in the world do they mean?

First, understand that while your numbers will fluctuate, the ADA refers to ranges.  The American Diabetes Association has a good article on glucose levels.  Again, because I love simple, think in terms of the following ranges as goals to achieve:

Fasting Glucose Test - This is your first test of the day: 70 to 120 is the target range.  This range is the goal.  The Goal.  You may not be seing these numbers.  I remember my first test in the middle of the day about 30 minutes after I had lunch.  My number was over 300.  I had no clue what that meant.  Now I know it was way, way, way too high.  My first morning reading was 297.  Again, very, very, very high.  Now my morning readings are 85 - 95.  Rarely do they go above or below.

As I started my way to gaining control over diabetes, my morning readings started to come down 10 and 20 points a day.  Sometimes they went up from one day to another, but I was learning what I could eat and not eat.  But, when you look over a week's or month's time period, there was a downward trend.  These morning readings are a great indicator of where you are in your battle to control the disease.  If you are only going to test once a day, this is the one to do.

Evening/Night Test - This one was a challenge for me.  Think in terms of a range of 110 to 140.  I, again, want to stress I am not a doctor, this is just what I found to be about right when I test at night as I was gaining control.

Diabetes control is a journey - remember that.  When I first started testing at night after I started medication, I was happy to see anything around 160.  Due to eating changes, exercise and medication, that number came down pretty quickly to around 130.

I just did a test and found that I was at 91.  I ate about 2.5 hours ago - so it was low even for me.  Most of the time I my tests show 95 to 125 - there are a lot of variables such as what did I have for dinner, how long ago it was, and have I had anything to eat since dinner.

After Eating - This test is done two hours after you start eating a meal.  This is important enough to repeat - two hours after you START a meal.  For me, start means when I take my first bite.  The goal here is less than 180 for a Type 2 Diabetic.

You can control diabetes.  You really can.  I know in the beginning it might not seem so easy, but it's all about a series of choices.  The better choices lead to control and lower test numbers.  Other choices lead to higher results.  But sometimes you don't know how certain foods will effect you.  sure, there are guidelines, but we are all different.  You only learn how a food will effect your body after you eat it - and you learn through testing.  If you get a higher number, it's a food to avoid.

I started with very high numbers - VERY high.  Through diet, exercise and medication I am controlling the disease.  Do I miss apple pie, french fries and cheese cake?  Well, yeah.  But, I want control of the disease because I have respect (fear) of what it can do to me - the complications can be severe.

Remember, you cannot fail this test; you can only fail to test.  Even getting a high number provides a lesson.  If you are just starting treatment, you want your readings to trend down.  If you have been under treatment for awhile, you want fairly level readings near or in the normal range - at least that's the goal and it's one that is attainable!

Here is a good article from Diabetes Self-Management on glucose levels.

Don't let diabetes win. Battle and control it!  You can do it...I know you can.  Keep your food diary and learn from it.  If needed, lose weight.  Take your medication.  And, TEST.

Helpful Folks - Diabetes Writers - Part Two

I read other blogs several times a week to learn what others are writing about and I ame across another blog that is helpful: http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/. Rather than having a single author, there are multiple authors providing several points of view on different topics with the one goal of helping you manage diabetes.

So many tips and great information.  I especially like Amy Campbell's series on how to prevent diabetes.  You know, not only are they great steps to take to prevent diabetes, they are a good guide for treating diabetes: Eat less and exercise.  There are direct links to her other diabetes prevention articles at the bottom of her entry.  But, to keep it simple, and you know I love simple, here are the other posts:

Preventing Diabetes: A Window of Opportunity
Preventing Diabetes: Steps You Can Take
Preventing Diabetes: More Steps You Can Take

Continue to fight diabetes.  Remember, your life is not defined by the disease; it's only a part of your life.

The Ultimate Diabetes Book

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes I tried to find one book that would tell me how to manage and control the disease.  In order for me to save you time, let me tell you, there isn't one.  Why not?

I really wanted to find that ultimate guide.  That one book I could refer to over and over and over that would guide me through the pitfalls and dangers of diabetes.  Oh, I looked.  At my local bookstore.  On Amazon.  Google Books.  Just about any where I could think of to look, I looked.  I reviewed a lot of books to find out none of them offered solid guaranteed-to-work steps.

Don't misunderstand me, there are some great books for understanding diabetes and they offer guidelines on what you can do.  And, in some future blog, I will list some of the ones I found helpful.  But, there is no one-size-fits-all book.

I even toyed with the idea of writing one, but did not know enough.  I mean how hard could it be?  You have diabetes?  This is what you do.  Wrong.  And, now, I know I can't write a guide for you.

I was wrong because we are all different.  Blame it on our body's chemistry.  What works for me may not work for you; or will be less effective.  There is no single diet - for which cookbook writers and publishers are thankful.  No single medication - do you think drug companies are happy about that?  Of course they are!

There can be strategies for victory.  There can be guides.  But no one way works for everyone.  It's just a fact of life.  And, why this blog is called Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes.

I have told you about my food diary.  In it I wrote down everything I ate or drank, exercise and glucose readings.  Not only do you become more aware of what you are putting in your body, you are charting your body's response.  Morning glucose reading goes up - not so good.  Morning reading goes down or is where it should be - good, keep doing what you are doing.

What you are really doing is creating The Ultimate Diabetes Book for yourself.   So, it seems as though I was wrong.  There is one Ultimate Diabetes Book and you create it for yourself.  It doesn't get any more custom that that!

I learned very quickly what I could eat and what I couldn't eat.  It's right there - in 'black and white.' How long does it take each day?  If you really stretch it out - five minutes, maybe.  Even now if I see a higher glucose reading than I think should exist, I re-start my food diary immediately.  Within a day, and sometimes sooner, I can see what the problem is and fix it.

Notice, this is my diary I complete - nobody else can complete it.  You have to take responsibility for your care and this is probably one of the single best things you can possibly do.

You are creating your own reference piece that will guide you, the owner and operator of your body, to control of diabetes!  You can do this.  You can keep a food diary and by doing that simple step, you will be working to manage and control your diabetes.

This is really, really important to do.  It will take less than five minutes a day - that's all.  Five minutes a day to create The Ultimate Diabetes Book for yourself.  In 30 or 60 days you will have your own book completed.

What do you list?

1. Your morning reading.
2. Your morning weight (I had to lose weight, so I listed it.)
3. Everything you eat or drink by meal or snack.
4. Exercise - length and what you did.
5. Evening reading.
6. Medication
7. Repeat for 30 or 60 days.

It really is easy and incredibly useful. 

You are going to win your battle with diabetes.  You will control and manage it.  Start by writing your own Ultimate Guide.

As always, thanks for reading!

Posting Schedule - New and Improved!

There is just so much I want to write; so many things that I learn or have learned, or have learned for the 100th time.  (Not a quick learner here, sometimes.)   I am constantly coming across new things, looking back in my logs, and/or experiencing something new that I think you might benefit from.

So, two things - there is a little box on the right.  See it over there?  Put in your email address and you will either be notified when there is a new posting, or it will be sent to you.  Not real sure how it works right now.  My privacy policy is very simple - Nobody gets any information from me for anything.

And, I will only post three days a week - Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

I hope this will make it a little easier to keep track of the blog for you.

Thank you for reading.

Just Saw This...

A Test You Can't Fail - Part Three - How to Test

During the last few days I have been reading instructions on various sites about how to test using a glucose meter.  Most of them are pretty good and get the high points really well.  However, there are a few things they miss, which can make all of the difference in the world when testing.  So, here is the process I follow for testing.

When do I test? I test when I first get up in the morning before I eat or drink anything except water, and then at night before going to bed.

The steps I always follow are:

1. I wash my hands carefully using plain soap; soap without any fragrance.  I found scented soaps would effect my readings - make them higher.  The last thing I ever need is a fasle higher reading.
2. Dry your hands using either a clean hand towel or paper towels.  I use paper towels because I know they are not putting anything on my fingers.  If you paper towels are scented, do not use them.  (Heck, I don't even know if scented paper towels are made, but I thought I'd hammer the un-scented thing one more time.)
3. Give the hand you are going to test on a few shakes to get blood into the tips of your fingers.  This might be more important for you to do in the morning than the evening.
4. Get the lancet ready.  Do whatever you need to do like inserting it, or cocking the lancing device.  Just make sure it's ready to go.
5. Insert a test strip into the meter.  For me, the insertion of a strip turns the meter on, so I have never had to physically turn a meter on with an extra step.
6. Lance the side...the side of your finger.  It's less sensitive than your finger tip.  I have no clue why every picture I have ever seen of someone lancing their finger shows them using their finger tip.  It hurts far more than using the side of your finger.  In fact, I don't even feel the lance about 50% of the time on the side of my finger.  By the way, I have used one of two fingers on the same hand for the last few years - I don't vary it.  Do what's best for you, though.
7. Squeeze your finger a bit so a drop of blood appears.  It doesn't take much to test - far less than a drop.
8. Apply the testing strip to the drop of blood.  It will pick up the blood it needs through capillary action.  Be careful not to touch your skin with the strip - it could pick-up contaminants that will effect the reading.
9. Rinse the blood off of your finger as your meter gives you results.
10. Dispose of the lancet properly - in a medical sharps container.  DO NOT put it in the trash.
11. Dispose of the testing strip in the same manner.
12. Record your reading on your log.
13. Put your meter and supplies away.

I know supplies can be a bit pricey, but use lancets and strips only once.  That's important so I will repeat it - use lancets and strips once and then discard properly.

You have done it!  You have taken the test you cannot fail.  But, will fail in your battle on diabetes if you do not test!

There are so many meters on the market, that I won't get into any one brand right now.  If you do not know what your meter is capable of, or the information you can gain from it - learn.  Read the directions that came with the meter, or find them on the internet at the manufacturer's site.

As always, thank you for reading.  Fight the good fight and you will win your war with diabetes.

"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting." ~Napoleon Hill

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~Philo

Helpful Folks - Diabetes Blog Writers - Part One

There are just so many folks writing about diabetes from so many points of view.  Some write about their personal experiences and frustrations - and we all know about frustrations as we work to control and manage diabetes!  Some explain more of the science behind diabetes so we better understand what's going on with our bodies.  And, there are others who do product reviews.  So many viewpoints and all have one goal - to help you.

I have started to list some of the ones I find that are really helpful and write from the heart.  The first on my list is Kate.  You can see a link to her blog right there on the left - Kate's Sweet Success.  She is sharing from the heart - victories and defeats.  And, even when feeling defeated, she continues her fight.  What an inspiration!

As I find more blogs and the list grows, I will let you know.

I know you can manage your diabetes.  Your diabetes?  Yes, because each one of us is just a bit different due to body chemistry.  What works for me, may not work for you and vice versa.  There is no one solution; no one size fits all.  There are some universal-type guidelines to use as a starting point, though.  And, with all of the information and personal experience being written, you can find out all kinds of things to do to manage your diabetes., and find your route to success.

The important thing is that you manage it instead of diabetes winning the war and managing you.

I think I have told you about a dear friend of mine who has diabetes.  He let it get the upper hand and lost feeling in his feet.  He stepped into a very warm hot tub and as a result nearly lost both of his feet.  His diabetes was managing him with horrific results.

You can do better than my friend had done.  You can manage and control your diabetes.  If you have not started, please start today.  I want you to have the best life possible.

Thank you for reading, and God bless.

A Test You Can't Fail, Part Two - The Dawn Phenomenon

Remember, you cannot fail your daily glucose test; you can only fail to test!  There is so much more to testing than we are sometimes told, I am going to have to make this a three-parter.  This entry is about the Dawn Phenomenon - a topic every testing diabetic should know about.

You are doing your twice daily tests - maybe even more often.  One of your tests should be in the morning after you get up and before you eat or drink anything.  This morning test theoretically provides a fasting glucose reading - provided you have not had a midnight snack.  If you have a midnight snack, it will likely elevate your glucose, and it will show up in your morning reading. Common sense, huh?

And, you are keeping a record of your test readings, or they are being kept in your meter.  Over a few weeks you see them go up anywhere from 10 to 20 points.  Why?  Welcome to the Dawn Phenomenon (DP because it's easier for me to type).

 The DP happens sometime in the early morning.  For me it's sometime after 6:00 am - others might find it happening earlier or later.  What does it do?  Well, it's your body's response in getting ready to get up and moving - it releases some sugar to get you going.  Why does that matter?  Your blood sugar reading goes up and does not provide an accurate morning reading.  So, if you test before it happens, you get a lower score; if you test after, your reading will be higher.  There's not a whole lot you can do about it, either.  It just happens.  I will tell you that I try to test in the morning before 6:00 so I see my lowest reading.  Want to know more about DP - read it here.

I learned about the DP because my late night readings were suddenly higher than my morning readings.  I couldn't figure it out.  I thought it was my meter.  I was wrong.  It seemed that I was testing a bit later in the morning AFTER the DP had taken effect.

All you can do is to just be aware of the DP and how it might effect your readings.

That you are testing at least twice a day is great - good job!

A Test You Can't Fail, Part One

The whole idea of having to test my blood twice everyday was a huge challenge to me...just the idea of lancing my finger to get a drop of blood kind of made me a bit scared.  Looking back on it, I don't know why it was like that, but it was.  I just did not want to prick my finger.  Why make yourself bleed?

Why indeed?  Well, first, I have to tell you that pricking my finger was no big deal.  Yes, there is a bit of pain, but if you read the directions on how to use your glucose meter (which I strongly suggest you do), you will learn where to use the lancet so it really isn't painful.  I won't kid you, there is just the tiniest bit of discomfort once in awhile.  But, if you prick the side of your finger - yes, the side, and not the tip, you may not feel a thing.

Wait, that's important enough to repeat - prick the side of your finger!  Somewhere between no pain and very, very, very little pain.  Got it?

And, while I am at it - you only need a little drop of blood.  The scientists have figured out how much you need to give up and it varies from meter to meter.  For me, it's just a bit bigger than the head of a pin.  I'm serious.

Meanwhile back at glucose testing - which is what you do at home with your meter - it's suggested that most Type 2 Diabetics test twice a day.  Once in the morning just after you get up and then once at night before bed.  That's it.  Twice a day.  Now, when I was just figuring things out in the beginning, I was fortunate because my doctor prescribed enough strips and lances so I could test three times a day.  The truth is sometimes I tested three times, other days two times and sometimes even four times a day as I was learning how to manage diabetes.  I got so much good information from doing this.

I tested in the morning, before lunch, two hours after lunch or dinner began, and at night.  I knew what my body was doing when; I knew about what my glucose reading would be within 10 points after a few months even as it was going down and stabilizing.

What did I do with this information?  I wrote it down in my food log.  Learning what I ate and seeing my reading gave me invaluable information and immediate feedback.  I very quickly learned what I could and could not eat.

For example, some folks can eat wild brown rice.  Not me.  Any rice no matter the color or type causes my readings to go up.  And, I loved rice!  But, I learned that if I wanted to control diabetes, rice did not love me and became a 'has been' in my diet.

then, again, I learned that a basic (stressing the word BASIC) hamburger really didn't hurt me.  You know the kind - a basic hamburger from In N' Out.  Not a lot of dressing and the bun is not huge.  Although, I found that any number of french fires - any number - were off my menu.

How did I learn this?  By frequent testing and comparing the results to what I ate.  Recording everything - food and test results in the food diary helped me so very, very much to begin to gain some sense of control.

The message here is clear, I hope.  Test.  Test often  Keep a food diary.  And, use the results to learn how to best manage diabetes.  That is the first step to gaining control.

Remember, to manage diabetes you have to give yourself a glucose test at least twice a day; more often during the first few months if possible.  It's a test you cannot fail, but you will fail to manage diabetes if you don't test.

RAKs, You and Diabetes

You know it's so easy to become self-absorbed in how you are dealing with diabetes.  Just a reminder - diabetes is not your life.  It's a part of your life that you must manage, but it does not define you.  Look, chances are pretty good that your grave stone will not read, "Here Lies A Diabetic," right?

So, how do you insure you keep your life in perspective?  Look outward.  See what you might be able to do for others.  There are so many folks who just need a bit of help - and you can give it to them if you watch for opportunities.

Think about doing a weekly random act of kindness (RAK).  A RAK can be spontaneous and is almost always an easy thing to do by it's very nature.  The great thing is that it is totally unexpected by the receiving party.

What qualifies as a RAK?  Well, the list is endless, but a few ideas might include:

1. Helping someone carry a box.
2. Offering to do a simple errand.
3. Buying the next person in line's coffee or even lunch.
4. Getting someone a simple gift just because - just make sure it's something small that they will use. (Example: I know someone who loves pink.  I happened to see a pink pencil, got it for them and put it on their desk.)
5. Reaching for a product in a store for a person who is too short to get it.

What do most of these have in common?  You have to be watching and be observant.  You would be surprised at how many opportunities you have to do little things for others everyday.  And, if you are looking outward, you will be too busy to be centered on your diabetes.  As a result, you will be happier and probably more successful in your war on diabetes.

Helping others and helping yourself - does it get any better than that?  I don't think so.

A RAK a day will keep diabetes at bay.  Okay, that might not be 100% right, but it rhymes. I know it won't hurt you to brighten another's day.  There is a power in a RAK that is incredible and life changing - discover it for yourself.

I'd sure like to hear about any RAK you do.  Remember, it's not the size of the act, but the fact you acted that will transform.  

You can read about RAKs here...it's uplifting and inspiring.

New Numbers!

I just came back from dinner with my in-laws.  Okay, is that blog worthy?  Probably not.  But I never, ever thought I would spend a meal talking about doctors, lab tests and other medical odds and ends.  Never in my wildest imagination (and I can imagine a lot!) did  I ever see myself talking about medical issues during dinner.  But, we did and it seemed okay to do so.  In fact, there were several times when we laughed pretty hard. 

Did you notice my great segue into lab work and medical stuff, there?  Should I repeat it so you can enjoy it again?  Don't worry, I won't do it.

I have just gone through my semi-annual lab work and my report card came back.  I won't bore you with cholesterol numbers, because you don't really care about those.  But, in the spirit of transparency I will tell you two numbers.

Blood pressure is 114/81.  And, A1c is 6.1.  That A1c is not great by a lot of diabetic's standards, but it means I am managing the disease pretty well.  Can I get a bit lower?  Yes - my goal during the next six months is 5.8.  I am developing a plan to meet it and will share it with you when I have the plan finished. 

I mention this because I consistently see room for improvement in what I do and how I do it.  And, if I can do it, I know you can, too.   It's a matter of setting a goal and making a plan to achieve that goal.  The steps are pretty simple.  In fact, you probably already know what to do.

1. Set a realistic goal.  
2. Develop a plan to achieve that goal. 
3. Then, follow your plan. 
4. Monitor your progress.

Simple, huh?  It really is and can lead to your triumph over diabetes.  You can, and will, win the war.  Does it get any better than that?  Not in my little world.  I want everyone to know they can win the war and control diabetes.

In the next blog I will take a look at these steps.  Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to New Numbers!

And, as always, thank you for reading.

What Stress?

Recently I have had some odds and ends go on in life that caused a bit extra stress.  I learned first hand what stress does to glucose readings, they go up!  So, since stress is a fact of life, what can you do about it?

You already know there are a couple of types of stress - Mental and Physical.  I know, I know...you are  probably thinking, "Well, duh."  But both kinds of stress can effect you.  The American Diabetes Association has a pretty good article about stress here.

First thing to know - not all stress is created equal.  There's the stress of missing a turn while driving - not really a big, big deal in the scheme of things and quickly passes.  Then there's the stress of dealing with an ill loved one, caring for a parent, or death of a family member.  Or, you can have multiple things happening.  It's this kind of stress - the mental stress - that can cause longer range problems for a diabetic.

So, physical stress might come from being ill or having surgery.  Hopefully, but not always, there is an end to it.  That kind of stress is not so hard to deal with for a lot of people,  but it's still stress and still might effect you daily glucose readings.

Mental stress is a whole other ball game.  Almost anything can cause stress - anything.  It just depends on what is going on in your life and how you deal with it.

This lesson was driven home to me yesterday.  Several things have happened in the last week to people I love.  We also had a party that 80 people attended yesterday.  And, during the final preparations for the party when I was out getting things, the car broke down and had to go into the dealership, which I really did not need yesterday morning.  Heck, even as I am telling you what happened, I can feel an increased heart rate and my body going into stress mode.  Deep breaths.  Deep breaths.

So, when I checked my reading at night, what do you think I found?  Well, if you guessed an elevated glucose reading, you'd be right.  All of that stress is mental stress and can be insidious - we can live it over again and again in our minds.  Kind of like I have just done.

But, I did not think it was stress that caused my readings to go up.  I mean, I didn't feel any extra stress so I started looking at what I ate during the day - and there were no red flags.  It came down to just good ol' stress.  I looked back on the day and realized I had shown some other classic signs of stress like getting a bit short with a few people - most unlike me.  I should have figured out I was under stress, but sometimes you can't see the forest because trees are in the way!

What can you do about it?  Well, there's nothing specific, but you can:

• Exercise a bit more
• Start a hobby
• Volunteer

Do you see what these have in common?  Freeing you brain by distracting it.  Maybe it's not quite tricking yourself into being happy, but it does distract your mind from other things that are going on.  It allows your mind to take a breather from other stuff.

Look, you are never going to be stress-free.  It seems as though we humans aren't built that way.  But, you can work to control it and in turn, you will be doing more to manage your diabetes.

Thank you for reading.  And, God bless.

A Smile Can Help Win The War

As you know I take diabetes very seriously; I have a "take no prisoners" attitude.  But, I have found a little laughter once in a while can go a long way in winning the war.  Hope you enjoy.

Diabetes Week Two

I made it through the first week of diabetes.  My life changed in the same way you turn a light on - within a moment.  Was I still scared?  Oh, yeah.  In fact today, almost three years later I am still scared of diabetes if I was being completely honest.  I have a deep and abiding respect for what the disease can do if not managed and controlled.

The good news is that it can be controlled with a bit of effort which was my big "AHA!" during Week Two.

Anyway, back at Week Two.  I had begun to take my meds - Metformin twice a day 1.000 mg each time.  Pretty standard starting treatment.  And, it was just the Metformin.  I know many may have two pills to take, which for some proves to be very effective.  It's kind of like a one-two punch and when you are in a war with diabetes, you want to throw as many punches as possible to get your glucose, and subsequently your A1c, down somewhere in normal range.  If you need to see the a chart for A1c values and how they compare to your blood glucose readings, look here for a pretty easy to read chart.

Remember not to use one reading, but look at your average reading.  Even then, it depends on when you take it.  More on that at some point in the near future.

Again I got a bit side tracked.  Week Two - I had begun my walking.  Every evening for 30 minutes.  I know I have written here before I don't like exercise, but we were talking about my life here.  So, that walk became one of my best friends.  I didn't try to walk fast or go very far at first.  I used shoes that were about five or six years old and just walked.  One foot in front of another.  For 30 minutes - which seemed like forever the frist few days, but by the time Week Two started, the time seemed to go a little faster, but not much.

And, I was getting more ideas of what I could and could not eat.  Think about it, we get near immediate feedback with our glucose readings.  If it's not the right food, up it goes.  If it is the right food, it dips a little bit.  Take your readings twice a day, more often if your doctor will authorize it, so you will know what your blood sugar (glucose) is doing.  You should be on a steady downward trend.  And, keep a record of your readings as well as diet (everything you eat and when) in a food diary.  You will really learn what is working and will be able to spot trends faster.  If you spot the trend, you can make adjustments.

Me?  I just liked seeing the numbers go down.  I started with seeing glucose numbers of 300+.  It was an exciting morning when I hit 297.  During the second week I saw it get down to 275.  I was making progress!  Fear was gone because I was taking action.  I knew the meds would not make me go too low - fat chance when you are in the high 200's.  Things were beginning to work and I felt empowered; that I could get this disease under control. Hey, I even found I lost my first couple of pounds during Week Two,

What was I doing?

Meds.  Diet.  Walking.  Testing.  Recording.  If I was really bright, I'd come up with some sort of catchy acronym, but alas and alack, I am not that bright.  I am open to ideas, though.  You know what my meds were.  I was on a low carb diet.  I was walking 30 minutes a day, six days per week.  And, I kept records.  All of this really began to come together during the second week.

You can do this.  It's all about little steps that collectively make a journey.  You can take the small steps without fear - a lot of folks have gone before you.

Your Best Friends in the Kitchen

If you are at all like me, after being diagnosed with diabetes, you are kind of afraid of the ktichen.  Afterall, that is where it might have all happened.  there is no need to be afraid of the ktichen - it's one of the best rooms in the house to win the war on diabetes. 

I remember before I heard those words, "You have diabetes." I loved kitchen tools.  Why?  I had to make sure I was putting enough sugar in the cookies...and butter.  Can't forget the butter, can I?  I am not kidding.  Measuring cups were used most of the time to measure sugar.  In just about everything.  I even found out a little bit of sugar made pasta sauce better!

Well, now I have new uses for the measuring cups, spoons and even a scale - to make sure I am getting the right portions.  I know, you can eyeball what three or four ounces of meat look like without a scale (kind like a deck of cards), but if you have a scale you will know exactly.  Okay, I am going on about a scale, but to tell you the truth, I learned the visual clues on some items, which can be found here.  I am actually a bit too lazy to weigh my food.

However, I have used measuring cups from Day One for a lot of foods like berries and cereals.  Look at cereal boxes to determine what a real portion size is - or at least what they use to base the nutrition information.  I have found it to be somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup.  Measure it out and put it in a bowl - and that's it besides a bit of milk.  You don't get to add more cereal.  Add a piece of whole wheat toast (I never, ever thought I'd be advocating whole wheat anything!), if you need to add food, or add a 1/4 cup of berries.

Whatever you do read labels, know what you are getting nutritionally and get in the habit of measuring everything until you can eyeball it.  But, beware of CREEP.  What is creep, you ask?  It's when you subconsciously make the portion sizes bigger as you eyeball portion sizes.  I found I need to check the portion sizes every couple of weeks just to make sure I am still adhering to the portion guide lines.  It's way too easy to make them bigger than they should be if you aren't using a measuring cup.

I can hear you now, "I don't have a measuring cup."  Go out and get one either at a Target or Walmart, or you can even go to your local thrift store.  Wherever you get your measuring cups and spoons, make sure you wash and sterilize them prior to using.  Yes, you will need the spoons, too.

Learn the portion sizes.  Use measuring tools in the kitchen - they will become your new best friends.  Learn visual clues to portion sizes.  Learn carb counts of the foods you eat.  Lots of learning going on, but it will pay-off very quickly as your glucose levels and weight drop.

You are in a war - make you sure have the right weapons.  Your fight starts in your kitchen.

And, if you eat out often, learn what you can eat at the places you enjoy by looking at nutritional guides that most places have easily available.

This is such an exciting time for you as you start your battle in earnest.  You can win the war and control diabetes.



Measuring cups. Measuring spoons. Maybe a scale.

Steady As She Goes...

Do you remember watching all of those movies about WW II naval battles - especially the ones about submarines?  In every movie - EVERY movie, I heard the phrase, "Steady as he goes."  Now, I am not sure what it means in Navy-speak, but to me it means stay straight and true.  Do you think there is a lesson somewhere in there for diabetics?  Especially Type 2 Diabetics?

This all comes to mind because I was reading posts in a couple of diabetes forums.  I literally hurt for the person who was writing that she walked for 30 minutes one night and tried to eat right, but found she had gained  a little weight and her glucose reading was a bit up the next morning.  That's not to be totally unexpected, really.  Why? Because it's just one day.

You see, fighting diabetes is a long term fight.  It's a war of incremental victories that build on one another.  One little victory leads to the next leads to the next, etc.  Don't expect to see much of a difference the first day you walk for 30 minutes or as a result of the first day you really eat right.  It's going to take several days, at least.  And, remember, that everyone's body chemistry is different - so each of us will react differently as we exercise and eat right.  Remember, YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary!

The thing to remember is that most of us did not get diabetes in a day.  It might be the result of years of poor eating habits with very little exercise.  So, it might take a few days to begin for your body chemistry to catch up.  And, it might take months and longer for your A1c to get normal.  But, never, never stop fighting the good fight.  Never give in.  Fight to win the war and know it's going to be a long war.

I was dismayed that the person who posted the entry in June about being discouraged did not have any encouraging comments.  Nobody stepped up to say give it a chance.  Nobody said give it a bit of time.  I would have, but it wasn't clear to me how to leave a comment; I will really have to go back and look at the site to figure it out.

In the meantime - Fight the good fight.  Each day you eat right and exercise is a victory and will lead to controlling and managing your diabetes.  I know you can do this...I know you can win.

Thank you for reading this.


"The fight isn't over until you win." ~Robin Hobb


"Fall. Stand. Learn. Adapt." ~Mike Norton

Carb Revelation! It's Not Just About The Carbs

I lost about 60 pounds between diet and a bit of exercise.  My diet has been one of basic carb counting - not too difficult to understand or track.  But, and this is a revelation from yesterday during my walk - counting carbs is not enough; you have to look at the fat content!  What a concept, right?

For me, it was pretty basic diet - about 55 or 60 carbs per meal with snacks not to exceed 15 carbs.  That was it.  I just could not fully understand that diet in which you can exchange this for that to equal a number.  It just seemed a very difficult way to figure out what I could have to eat.  My carb counting was pretty easy once I knew what the carbs were and the portion size.

So, I get close to where the doctor wants me.  I had a BMI of 25.0, as I recall.  He wanted me at 24.9.  You remember about good ol' BMI's right?  Body Mass Index.  If you are above 24.9, you are overweight.  Need to check your BMI?  Look here.  And, if you want to understand more about BMI, read this article.

As I write this, I have a BMI of 25.3 - not great, but not too bad either.  And, it seems as though I have been unable to get much below 25.0.  Kind of frustrating for a guy who thinks he knows how to lose weight, right?  Well, I have to begin to learn more about fat and fat content, which I have never paid attention to in the past.

I mean, catbs turn into sugar so if I counted carbs, I would not only lose weight, but manage the diabetes.  How great is that?  And it worked for a long time.  If you are just starting out, I think carb counting is a good way to begin to manage and control diabetes.  But, if you want to make that breakthrough to getting to the right weight, you may have to look at fat.

Perfect example: I eat granola-type bars for snacks.  I found one very low carb bar - I mean it was like 9 net carbs - nice and low.  And, I sometimes use another type of bar in which the total carbs is about 18, or so.  Much, much more.  But...and this is an important but...the fat content was double in the low carb bar.  Double!  So, my current solution is to just eat about half of the higher carb, lower fat bar.  I emphasize current, because i have to look at the labels and might find a better balance.

Yes, there is a lot to think about when you have diabetes and it comes to your diet, but it soon becomes second nature.  You begin to look at the labels on all foods to find out what is good for you to eat.  I imagine I should do a food label explanation pretty soon.  That might be a good idea, huh?

So, I keep counting carbs.  But, now I am beginning to count fat - and I am sure I will come back to fat in a future blog because even I know there are different kinds of fat.  I will try to de-mystify and simplify fat when I blog about it.

I will continue to let you know about my adventures in weight loss.  By the way, when my doctor told me I had to 'lose a little weight' my BMI was 32.55.  Of course, I had no idea what a BMI was at that point, or I think I would have been discouraged.  But anyone can lose a little weight, right?  Sure glad that my doctor did not tell me I had to lose about 67 pounds, total.

As always, thank you for reading.

This Morning...Met Expectations

I thought I'd let you know my morning reading since I listed a couple in last night.

So, last night two hours after I began eating I had a reading of 147 - kind of high for me.  Thirty minutes later it was 120 - closer to acceptable.  This morning it was 74 - pretty normal for my morning reading.  So, my body reacted in a pretty normal fashion. 

Avocados are still off my menu, I think.  For you they might be great...for me I am not so sure.  If you are going to control diabetes, learning becomes a way of life - and you can beat diabetes...You Can!

Thanks for reading.

Update...I Had to Look!

Okay, I have to admit it.  I was not pleased with the 147 two hours after I ate.  It was just higher than I expected.  I re-checked just now, and it had dropped 27 points in 30 minutes - not too bad and closer to what I kind of expected earlier. 

Learnings: Avoid avocado and exercise.  Not like the exercise is a new learning.  But, I did not do it tonight and look what happened.  I credit my little exercise with glucose drops of 10 to 20 points - for me that means something.  I went into the benefits of exercise in a previous blog about (I know you won't believe this - exercise).

Just wanted to give you an update.  I don't know where you are in you efforts to manage diabetes, but I hope you find success.  That's the whole reason I am writing - to encourage and try to help you.  Along the way you will learn about my successes and learnings (they are not failures - just lessons on what to do, and not do).

Thanks...and keep fighting the good battle.

You Never Stop Learning!

You know, I check my blood glucose level twice a day, most of the time, and sometimes 3 times a day.  As a result, I pretty much know where my glucose level is at anytime within about 10 points.  Tonight I got a surprise.

It was two hours after I began to eat dinner and I did a quick blood check.  I thought I would be between 110 and 120 based on what I had eaten and my experience.  I had not walked - got home way too late to do that.  My glucose level was at 147.  Still good for a diabetic, but not good enough - and 20 to 30 points higher than I expected.  By the way, form what I have been told, under 180 is good for a diabetic two hours after a meal is started, just not my goal at this point.  By the way, my fasting glucose was around 300 as I recall when I first started measuring about three years ago.

So, I have to go back and look at what I ate - duh.  The only thing out of the ordinary was about 1/3 of an avocado.  I had not had any avocado in...well, since I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I just learned I need to stay away from them - or have a slice, or make sure I have time to exercise.  Yes, exercise helps that much.

My point is that when you think you know, you are shown you don't.  I know I have to make a little change and I will make it.  You have to stay aware of what you eat, how it effects your glucose levels and learn what you can, and can't eat.  You only get that through checking your blood glucose at different times of the day.

Someone put it very well when they were referring to how the body breaks down food - everyone's body chemistry seems to be unique.  They said the basic rules are great as a starting point, but remember, "Your Mileage May Vary."

Thanks for reading.

(See, I will share all of my lessons!)

Prediabetes - What Does It Really Mean?

I wish I had taken control of my diet and exercise when the doctor told me I had 'Prediabetes.'  I equated it to Pre-Algebra and nothing to really be worried about.  Was I wrong!

I clearly remember not worrying when I was told by my doctor that I had prediabetes.  I didn't think it was anything to worry about and that it would just go away while I gained another 10 or 15 pounds.  I was warned and didn't even get the warning; I was clueless and plain STUPID.

So, what is prediabetes?  My strictly non-medical definition is that it means you are a likely candidate for full-blown diabetes if you don't make some changes.  I know that now - a bit too late.  In more of a medical definition it means that you have elevated A1c levels.  Elevated?  Yes, it means that when you had that wonderful blood test for which you had to fast, the results came back with your A1c being between 6.0 and 6.4.  Some scales even go as low as 5.7 and include that and higher as prediabetes!!!  While those numbers are considered high, they are still more or less normal. But the closer you get to 6.5, the more damage that can be done to your body.

Want to know more about prediabetes?  You can read about it here, here, and here.  As always I have gone to the best sources I can find.

Most measurements indicate full blown diabetes at an A1c of 6.5, or higher.  I went big, and when I was diagnosed, I was at 13.1.  But, if you have been reading this blog, you already know that.

So, don't be like me and ignore it when you are told that you have prediabetes.  Make the changes - losing weight, exercise, diet - that will prevent full-flown diabetes from developing.  By the way, the changes you should make are pretty much what I have written about in this blog.  And, will write more about in future entries.

So, take control and make the changes if you have prediabetes.  You really do make the decision as to what will happen.  Are the Big Macs, Shakes, Fries, Pies, Cakes, Fried Foods and on and on worth it?  Are they worth losing a limb over?  Or, blindness?  I am not trying to scare you, just letting you know the possible consequences.  Are they worth a life-time on medication? 

For me, I wish the answer had been no.  You really can do something about it - so please, please make the necessary changes.  Change to a low-carb diet or diet that will work for you; find time to sxercise; and lose weight, if you need to.

As always - thank you for time and for reading.