Timing is Everything! Like You Didn't Know That

You've heard the phrase, "Timing is everything," right?  Sometimes it's used to to explain why something happens.  Sometimes it's used instead of a single word, "Luck."  But, timing is indeed important when it comes to taking medication.

In life correct timing can make all of the difference between success and failure.  And, treating diabetes is no different.  In fact, it's far more important than I ever imagined.

Dr. K will go into the best times to take meds sooner or later, because it does matter when you take them.  (Like how I volunteered you, K?)  Two things have happened recently, and I don't believe in coincidence most of the time, hence this blog entry.  You know, even in this, I guess timing is everything.  That just occurred to me.  Yes, I'm a bit thick sometimes.

The two things:

1. In my quest to lower my glucose readings and eventually my A1c, I started looking at the time I took my meds.  (Yes, I am a bit analytical.) For most of the last three years I took them in the earlier morning before 6:30, and then again late at night - say about 10:00.  It worked pretty well for me since for the last 18 months my A1c has been between 5.9 and 6.2.  But, about ten days ago I started taking the medication at night at about 7:00, or so.  Guess what?  My readings are a bit lower and more consistent, now.  I know, for most of you that's more like, "Well, duh!"  I'm just a slow learner sometimes.
2. The second thing that happened was a comment from a reader about higher readings in the morning two hours after eating than they thought they should have.  I forwarded the comment to Dr. K who explained to me that when the medication is taken is incredibly important because different meds get to maximum effectiveness at different times - some get effective faster than others.

So, in both cases, timing is everything.  You have to know when to take your meds in order to gain the most from them and to maintain a consistent glucose level in your body.  And, since Dr. K is the expert, I know she will address this pretty soon.

Are these two items coincidence?  I think not.  It was a matter of timing - the reader's comment and my changing the time I take my meds in search of a slightly lower number.

Indeed, Timing is everything!

As always, thank you for reading.

Cheerio! And, A Coupon

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast.  And, I normally do not have the time to prepare steel cut oatmeal in the mornings.  Sound familiar?  So, I have had to find foods I like, are light in fats and carbs, and are easy to prepare.  I'm still half-asleep when fixing breakfast - it has to be EASY.

I've had peanut butter sandwiches on low carb, high fiber toast - a breakfast that I truly enjoy, but a bit high in fats.  I have eaten granola type cereals - a bit too high in carbs - and some are really high in fats.  Still like it sometimes, though.  But the favorite day-in-day-out go-to breakfast food is...wait for it...Cheerios.  Low fat.  Low carbs.  Taste pretty good.  Just watch the portion control.  Did the picture at the top of the page give it away?

You might find you like it, too.  So, to make it a bit easier, I found this coupon at the Betty Crocker (another General Mills brand) site.  Go ahead, go get it.  The Cheerios coupon is located in the left column a little way down.  Click on the clip it, then go down to the bottom the the page on the right side and click Print Coupons.  Not a huge savings, but it will help.

The facts: : For a 3/4 cup portion (measure it) there are 22 - 26 carbs (based on flavor) and 1.5 grams of fat.  Not bad. Plus, the family will eat them, too.  It's important to me to eat the food my family eats as much as I possibly can - and it works most of the time.  I don't want to have a separate shelf for 'my food' or separate myself from my family because of diabetes.

You can start with the 22 carbs, add about 6 to 8 carbs for milk, maybe a slice of toast or piece of fruit for another 15 to 20 carbs and a cup of coffee with milk for about 3 carbs.  What does that add up to?  53 carbs at the most.  What do I have?  Cheerios with milk, low carb yogurt and coffee.  Total carbs are under 45.  And, my hunger is satisfied.

How do I know it works for me?  Well, my average glucose reading for the last 90 days taken at various times of the day is 99.  If the Cheerios work for me, they might work for you.  Use the coupon and give it a try.

By the way, I actually called General Mills to find out if there was a coupon I could offer here.  They directed me to the site I gave you a link to above.  Of course, that won't stop me from asking again and again and again when I think you might like some of the foods I eat.  Remember, the goal of this blog is to help you "survive and thrive" while controlling diabetes.  You can.  I know it.

By the way, the coupons change at the Betty Crocker site every month, or so.  Check back. I will try to remember to remind you to do so.

Just a reminder that what works for me might, or might not work for you.  Body chemistry is different.  So, always remember to take your glucose readings to know how you are doing.

As always, thank you for reading.  I think about you everyday and how I might help you.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Just How Many Diabetics Are There?

Well, in a word - lots.  I was amazed to learn how many folks have diabetes.  So, to remove the stress of not knowing the answer, I will let you in on the 'secret number.'

But, before I tell you, that's a map of the population of the United States, not a wireless carrier's coverage map.  White = very few people. Darker red = a lot of folks!  Just thought you might be interested.  Is the suspense killing you, yet?  Well, without further ado...

According to the American Diabetes Association:

25.8 million people have diabetes.  (25,800,000 - looks like a bigger number when written out.)

18.8 million have been diagnosed.  (18,800,000)

7 million are not yet diagnosed.  (7,000,000) Read about the symptoms.

79 million have Pre-diabetes. (79,000,000) And, read about Pre-diabetes.

Total is 104 million.  (104,000,000)

The population of the USA is 311 million according to the most recent census.  So, basic arithmetic tells me that 33.4% have some form of diabetes.  One third!  Look around you.  One person in three has some form of diabetes.  Count off - one, two, three - one of you has diabetes.  That's mind boggling.  We are the biggest 'secret society' in the world!

Why secret?  Because it's so personal for some.  I have read in so many blogs about people getting these looks of pity from others when they found out the person had diabetes.  I have received them!  But, you know what?  I don't care.  Maybe I can help a person or two not become a diabetic, or help them live successfully with the disease.  I know I have never felt better in the last twenty years than I do right now - with diabetes - and you can, too.

So, how does diabetes stack up against, say, cancer?  I am glad you asked.  11.9 million (11,900,000) have cancer.  Got it from the American Cancer Society.  That's all forms of cancer including breast, colon, etc.  For those of you who are mathematically inclined, that's 11.4% of those who have some form of diabetes.

Diabetes is all around you.  The effects of the disease is all around you.  Persistent infections.  Foot and toe removal.  Organ failure.  Look around and you will see it.  If you have diabetes, start taking it seriously.  Live to see your grand children and your great grand children!  Fight it.  Beat it.  Control diabetes, or it will control you because it's a relentless enemy that has only one goal: Destruction.

If you want to know whether or not you have diabetes, get screened.  Sam's Club offers free screenings.

Take heart.  The numbers show you are not alone - not by a long shot.  My name is Phil, and I am a diabetic.  How can I help you?

As always, thank you for your time.

Diabetes Diet Alternative

There was a reader here recently, Somer, who liked several posts.  Somer is another blogger who writes about vegans; the benefits of being a vegetarian.  Now, folks, I am not a vegan, but I know there are some of you who would consider it - and there are a lot of benefits.

What are those benefits?  Very low carbs if you pay attention to what you are eating.  There are a lot of fruits that are high in sugar, and therefore high in carbs, so some care is needed.  Very high in fiber.  Loaded with vitamins and minerals.  As a result, if you choose to be a vegan, your blood sugar should come down pretty fast.  And, vegans can eat out almost anywhere - big plus.

If you think you want to be a vegan, or even if you want great suggestions on how to prepare vegetables, you have to take a look at Somer's blog.  She has a sense of humor that is really refreshing and an approach that is gentle.  Vegetables are probably (should be) going to be a big part of your diet if you are going to manage the disease.  Why not make them as good to eat as possible?

What is Diabetes?

I assumed anyone reading this blog would know what a diabetic is, but I could be wrong.  So, just what is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that is caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood.  You see, for all of the different types of abuse our bodies survive, they are really pretty delicate chemical factories where thousands of reactions are going on every moment of our lives.  If they get out of balance, there can be problems.  One of them is diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when there is too much sugar floating around in your blood and not enough in your blood cells.  This happens because insulin, which the pancreas produces, is  not working like it should, or is in pretty short supply.  Think of it this way, insulin is a key to a door in the cell wall.  If everything is working right, insulin comes along, opens the cell door and sugar enters the cell and leaves the blood.  All pretty simple, right?

But, in diabetics there is either not enough insulin, or the insulin is not working correctly.  If sugar can't get into your blood cells, then it's floating around in your blood causing all kinds of havoc on your organs - not good at all!  Which is why it's really important for a diabetic to control the disease - because it can to lead to so many other problems.

So, now you have a basic idea of what diabetes is.  And, you know that it's caused by an insulin shortage of some kind.  Which will all make even more sense as you read Dr. K's description of the various diabetes drugs being used today and what they seek to do.  Go back and read her post on Metformin - it will make more sense.

This article provides a decent overview of diabetes and how to deal with it in general terms.  Remember, as you battle to control diabetes, not everything will work the way researchers say it will because they deal with large numbers of folks and do not know you or your body.  Your body chemistry might be different, so you will find a lot of guidelines, but fewer hard and fast rules.  The car manufacturers have a phrase for this kind of difference: "Your mileage may vary."

Your fight with diabetes is a personal fight - one that you must win...and CAN win.  I know you can do it.  I know you can beat back and beat down the disease and have a wonderful life.  I know it. My goal is to help you find the tools you need to win the battle.

You can read more about what makes a diabetic here, on a previous post.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Sport Drinks - Really?

Have you ever read the label on a sport drink?  Wow!  I was shocked.  There are enough carbs in one of those to qualify as a meal!  Go ahead and take a look.

In case you don't have one handy, here's a label:

See teh carb count?  42 g!  That's a lot.  But, you have to remember who they were developed for originally - college athletes.  Now, I don't know about you, but I am not a college athlete, and I never was.  Why would I drink a sport drink?

To make me feel like one? Maybe.  Because they taste good?  Maybe. But, whatever the reason, for a diabetic they are not good.  Wayyyyyy too many carbs from sugar.  Sugar.  You have to remember that as a diabetic sugar is our enemy, right?

If you are thirsty, drink water or flavor some water - there are a lot of great alternatives out there if you don't like plain water.

Face it - Carbs hide all of the place - which is why you have to read labels.  In order to take control of diabetes you have to be aware of what is going into your body!

You really can win the fight.  and, if you are new to the battle, you really should be reading labels to find out what's lurking in that drink, food, etc.

As always, thank you for reading

Welcome Dr. K!

When I started this blog, the title Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes seemed to be a bit grandiose.  I knew I wanted to offer practices that I had found to be effective, and share some of my frustrations.  My hope was that I would inspire you to fight the battle against the disease. Now, this blog can offer more to help you fight and win the battle.

I am very pleased to announce that a pharmacist will start writing for you and posting here.  Dr. Katherine King, licensed pharmacist who manages the pharmacy department in a large retail location, will start posting every Sunday.  Her first entries will have to do with the drugs used to fight diabetes - very likely she will review the drug you are using sooner or later.

Dr. K is one smart person who cares about her patients and wants to serve them.  You have become a virtual patient of her's and she takes your success in fighting diabetes very seriously.  In the very near future there will be an address to which you can email your specific questions to her.  Just be aware that she might not be able to get to every question - she does have a pharmacy to run, but she will answer them as she is able within the blog.

I look forward to learning from Dr. K, too.

By the way, Dr. K's posts will be based on her education and experience and will reflect her opinion based on that.  Since she cannot know your personal situation, you should always consult with your physician and pharmacist on treatment matters.

And, as always, thank you for reading.

Some Days I Just Don't Want to Do It!

I got up this morning and I just did not want to deal with diabetes.  I did not want to take any meds.  I wanted to eat waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, muffins...well, just about anything I shouldn't eat.  Oh, and I wanted syrup; real maple syrup.  Ever have a day like that?

So, what did I do?  I opened the cabinet where my meds are all laid out for a week in a pill box (so I am sure if I take them, or not - more on that at some later date), and I closed it again without ever taking the meds out.  

I looked around in the kitchen for breakfast food.  Thought about going out for a minute.  I could just taste donuts!  I did not want deal with diabetes...just did not want to.  

Then, I leaned against the counter.  Gave it a little thought.  Took a deep breath.  And, went about making and eating my breakfast, and then taking my meds.  You see, I am more committed to my health and being around for grand-children and (God willing) great-grand-children than I am to maple syrup, waffles, french fries or donuts.

I know it's not easy.  I know it's not easy to never have (or have very, very small portions of) the foods you really love.  Of course, I don't know about you, but between not exercising and having way too much of the foods I love is what got me in this position of having diabetes.  

My point is that sometimes it's an act of will to do what's right for you and your body.  Why do you think I refer to the fight against diabetes as a battle; a fight; gaining control? Because that's exactly what it is and for some of us it's a daily fight meal-by-meal.

You can fight and win.  You can control diabetes.  It's a tricky opponent, but the alternative of not fighting is possibly a loss of a foot, dialysis, and perhaps even death.  When I think about it in those terms, the fight becomes a bit easier.  And, there are others who would be effected if I didn't do the things I have to do to keep diabetes controlled.

You can win this fight.  Day-by-day and meal-by-meal.  Don't give up. Don't give in.  Be victorious!

As always, thank you for reading.

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!!