It's a recurring question - I try this or that but just can't seem to lose weight, what can I do?

Today while working on a presentation for the Diabetes group I work with I was gathering information on something called a "Basil Metabolic Rate" (separate discussion), but basically what a BMR is the number of calories each of us would burn if we simply had a "couch potato" day.

Calculating your BMR will tell you how many calories you need to survive and not look like someone on a hunger strike… read more

I use Nutritionix app, but it does not have a section for sugar alcohol nor Erythritol, I have to deduct these on my own and keep track of them. Since I had a tooth removed yesterday I am trying to track my Net Carbs as mostly eating some of the soft Keto snacks I have so they are high in fat also, I am not used to eating mostly Keto foods but out of options for now. I had stopped using apps and restarted recently as part of my 21 day challenge to myself. It would make it easier to be able to at… read more

According to data demographics in the USA.

We have been told that the diabetes incidence of the general population of the USA is almost 12%

Diabetes is much more common in the 65+ age group than we were led to believe.
29.2% of all adults 65 are diabetic.
By age 75 it is almost 35% diabetic.

So as diagnosed with diabetes, we are not alone. We are almost 1 in every 3, 65 year olds as diabetic.

In my church, there are 11 of us 65 +. All but 3 are diabetic
How have I obtained this… read more

Metformin is the most common diabetes medication on the planet.

Some hate the stuff, others question it, some can't tolerate it, most of the rest simply take it and get on with their business.

Since just about all of us have at least heard of the stuff, I put together a piece on it to shed some light on this medication.

The source of today’s Metformin is a traditional and natural/herbal remedy that was first medically researched in 1918 - so if you want "natural" this is it.

The plant was… read more

Generics were mentioned in another discussion so I am going to do a piece on what is available out there if you just can't afford that great new med that does everything including make your morning coffee for you

I may get a little long here, so may be a part 2 or 3 to this

I also will not get into a discussion about greed or why drugs cost so much in the first place. That may be a discussion that needs to be had but that won't help "today" if you can't afford the cost of or the copay even if… read more

I go to bed with a reading of 5.4. and I am over the moon with this. Next morning I take a fasting reading and its at 6.8.🤬 My last meal was yesterday's lunch so I am thinking its the dawn phenomenon of increased cortisol thats adding the extra 1.5 mmol/l to my reading. Its seldom that I see it come down at all before I have eaten my breakfast and pretty much I am super hungry by then. After all its been 18 hours. If I dont do the fasting I dont get the evening value down to below 5.8. I have… read more

Bit of a public service announcement for the Canuck's in the group.

I posed the question to both my family doctor (yesterday) and my Pharmacist earlier this afternoon (who I give far more weight to then any Doc - after all a Pharmacist is an "expert" in medication of all types).

If you have been following the news we are getting conflicting views from Health Canada, Chief Medical Officers from the various provinces and even the Regional Health officials.

I asked specifically as a Diabetic… read more

I don't know if there is an "official answer" to my question

What I do know is the EASD (EU's version of the ADA or the Commonwealth's "Diabetes XX - (UK, Canada, South Africa etc) recommends that Pre-Diabetics treat with low dose Metformin (typically 500 mg)

Their studies have shown that it delays onset of Type 2 by "greater than 10 years" IF the patient ever gets over the threshold at all

So I can only talk about what "I" plan to do

I was diagnosed in Aug of 2016 and was in Clinical… read more

Hi, I just started metformin today. My A1C was 7.1. It's 500mg two pills twice a day. I'm just wondering if this is the norm to start, I have IBS and am nervous. I only took one this morning even though I'm suppose to take two. Anyone else started on two pills twice a day? Thank you.