This question in one form or other seems to come around again and again.

Weight control is important to Diabetes Management for two reasons.

First off for every point our BMI is above 25, our insulin resistance gets worse.

Second off for every point our BMI is above 25 it puts extra strain on our heart.

Now I'm not going to get into a big discussion about Positive Body Image or Healthy At Any Weight or how some have a Slow Metabolism.

You need to hide those crutches in an unused closet when… read more

Most days we will see that question posted up a number of times

There is no SIMPLE Answer

If you are Type 2 you have a Metabolic Disorder so there is no "list" that applies to all or even most of us, but that doesn't mean you don't have somewhere to start

If you are looking for a "basic list" then it's easier to say what you Shouldn't Eat

If you are looking to lower your Blood Sugar DO NOT EAT:

French Fries or any white potato, no white rice, no white pasta, no white bread, no muffins… read more

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

Over the past couple of weeks I have read a number of posts where people are hesitant to take a diabetes medication that was prescribed because they read of the potential side effects and are somewhere between uncomfortable or outright afraid

Your concerns are valid and you should discuss them with your doctor but you should also know that the Doc didn't "just decide because" when they wrote the script and it was in response to your blood work that showed you "need" the meds to manage your… read more

(2 parts and comes with one of those "viewer discretion" warnings)

I will answer that but just want to forewarn that some may find this post a little “harsh”

I work with two different Diabetes mentoring programs – a “regular one” and a “Bootcamp”

For any that have Served and had the pleasure of Basic Training they would recognize our Bootcamp technique – it’s fashioned the same way – you are told what to think and what to do to try and teach you what you need to know

To do what is expected… read more

I have seen many post up this concern when they woke up to a high fasting number.

I never, as in never-ever, skip breakfast because of a high fasting number

Why?

Because as I have posted many times, Fasting Numbers are the result of sugar released by the Liver when we are not eating for extended periods (sleeping, more than about 5 hours between meals).

There is a number of reasons why the Liver might get a little too generous with the sugar supply BUT the only way to "turn it off" is to eat… read more

Potassium is one of the main electrolytes we need for proper function.

The other main ones in the bunch are Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium

As Diabetics we tend to blame every little ache, pain or hiccup on Diabetes (and assume most with a chronic condition tend to be the same - over the years my wife has blamed her Parkinson's for just about everything)

But we need to be careful not to simply pass off a condition or symptom that may have nothing to do with our condition

The 10 most common… read more

That comment totally baffles me

You either control your blood sugar however you have to do it OR

You are not really/truly concerned about it at all

Now, if you mean you Promised your Doctor you would eat better, get some exercise and work on your weight and you haven't quite got around to that yet - news flash - you are NOT trying

If you were prescribed medication and you don't take it as prescribed, on time all the time without excuse - again, NOT trying

If despite your best efforts and… read more

The other day I was watching some show, characters were all excited when one said “Slow Down – you need to manage your expectations”.

I got thinking - does this apply to Diabetics?

The day we get our Diagnosis our Life changes Forever.

I see many who seem to think their next 10, 20 or 30 years have gone down the drain now that they are “Diabetic”.

Whether we choose to ignore it, jump right in with both feet or settle somewhere in the middle Diabetes will be with us for the rest of our days… read more

One of the most significant changes to Glucose Management in the past 100 years (Insulin was discovered 103 years back) is the development and use of CGM's or Continuous Glucose Monitors

There is two basic types of the device - the "continuous" models like Dexcom that are "always" tracking your blood sugar number, measured in the interstitial fluid around your cells and the "intermittently scanned" models like Libre - the Libre 2 now records a reading on a graph once a minute (if you use the… read more