Going Natural - Part 1

Myth, Mystery, Truth, or Money Grab?

Many of you can tell by my post I am a big fan of doing things the natural way and it has worked for me to a degree.  However, I do it with a lot of research and using some of the products myself.  In this series, I want to explore some of these natural methods to help us control our blood sugar levels and some of the good and bad with the products on the market.

Before getting into that, there has been much going on in my life and I just want you to know that I am in the middle of a struggle to get myself back to my blood sugar control of 4 months ago but I am trying to be a balancer of life and health - not easy and I want you all to know - taking medicines would be easy but they scare me as much as having an elevated blood sugar level.  I am not going to go through everything - just know that I need your support and prayers at this time to bring me strength.

Before going on, we have added many new readers to this blog and again I am blessed you are all here and want to say thank you and welcome.  I am also getting more and more comments and people reaching out to me.  I also want to thank you for that as I want this blog to be my journey but to share with you and hope it helps someone.  We have added readers from Romania, Portugal, Brazil, France, and Spain.  Welcome to all the new readers and you can register to be notified of new posts by putting in your email address - no one uses it and for sure I do not.  Many have reached out and have exchanged emails so we can have conversations and my email address is bob.dant@gmail.com.  Please feel free to reach out for private questions or things you want to say.

If you follow the comments people post you will find out our little group has lost one of those individuals we have been praying for - Dora.  She is a diabetic who lost the battle to this horrible disease but since she was suffering and had lost her legs, I know she is in a much better place and is in a place where there is no more suffering.  I am truly happy for her, but sad as we have lost one of loved sisters.  Along with Dora, who was in a nursing home,  the nursing home also lost one of the care givers to this disease along with the flu.  One of the care givers contracted the flu - went home and had a low and collapsed into a coma and did not recover.  In other words, a young person who was a type 1 diabetic, contracted the flu, and lost their life because the flu illness drove him to a low so significant, he collapsed and died.  We pray for him being in a more blessed place as well and saddened that he went as such an early age.

I also ask that you continue to pray for the passengers of MH370 and that soon and very soon we can solve that mystery.  Please keep these people in your prayers.

Natural Products 

Let me put this in a few simple statements that might outline our dilemma  and what I believe us diabetics must face:

1. We must trust our doctors with our health
2. Most medical doctors do not know alternative medicines and approaches
3. In the USA, a doctor can be sued for not following traditional medical approaches - so they do not take any risks leaving the risks to us
4. Big pharmaceutical companies makes billions off us diabetics - if you think not - look at the stripswe use each day and if you are lucky they are 35 cents per strip - making those items is less than 2 cents.  Want to read more about this market - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769893/ 
5.  Natural products are not regulated by the FDA - buyer beware
6. Outside the United States, other countries participate in monitoring research around alternative approaches and natural products

So for the majority of us it boils down to "Who can we trust?"  The answer is those close to us and those who have tried certain products with success.  That is why I write this blog - maybe a little help from someone who has tried the products.

In this series I will unveil those products and the companies that appear to deliver sold products.

I will also share sources of information that I have not tried and they might not work as well.  However, that does not mean they will not work.  One thing I am sure of in my research - there are many vultures out there will to prey on our bodies, fears, and our disease management program.

I have shared a lot regarding books about drugs and why I changed my course of action.  I will share other articles and information from those I am also learning to trust.  I will leave the rest up to you to decide.

I do caution you that in this series and approach - please read and also make sure you pay attention to my series on listening to your body and testing.  I also encourage you to listen to your doctor and have a good conversation with them if you are going to try something new.

We will discover everyone's claim that they can reverse diabetes and I am not sure what that means - especially now and in the current situation I find myself.  I will also talk about products that help curb our sweat tooth, help our bodies process better, and some research by these natural Doctor's, and yes they are also doctors but practice a different form of disease management.

God, please be with us through this series and help us to discover the truth about our disease and some of the natural methods you gave us in the very beginning to help with this disease.

Bob,

God's Amazing Body and Science - Part 6

The Heart

I am sure this is going to be my last post in this series or matching God and science.  It is fitting to leave the most important for the last and this organ is important to us in many ways.

I was got up late today and did not take my FBS before running off to cheuch.  I have struggled the past few days of staying the course with my eating.  I have a dog who just had surgery and most likely has cancer.  I have a lot of stress still going on at work and the Christmas season is upon us - not that it brings on stress, just a lot of good eating!!! 

Straight forward warning - this will be a long post - happy reading.

What it looks like and does

The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a fist, located just behind and slightly left of the breastbone. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system.
The heart has four chambers:

• The right atrium receives blood from the veins and pumps it to the right ventricle.
• The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs, where it is loaded with oxygen.
• The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle.
• The left ventricle (the strongest chamber) pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The left ventricle’s vigorous contractions create our blood pressure.

The coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart and provide oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. A web of nerve tissue also runs through the heart, conducting the complex signals that govern contraction and relaxation. Surrounding the heart is a sac called the pericardium.

Once again I am amazed that one cannot see it took a super engineer to create such a system of moving oxygen rich life through our bodies.

Heart Conditions

There are many conditions that can effect the heart and are listed below:

Coronary artery disease: Over the years, cholesterol plaques can narrow the arteries supplying blood to the heart. The narrowed arteries are at higher risk for complete blockage from a sudden blood clot (this blockage is called a heart attack).

Stable angina pectoris: Narrowed coronary arteries cause predictable chest pain or discomfort with exertion. The blockages prevent the heart from receiving the extra oxygen needed for strenuous activity. Symptoms typically get better with rest.

Unstable angina pectoris: Chest pain or discomfort that is new, worsening, or occurs at rest. This is an emergency situation as it can precede a heart attack, serious abnormal heart rhythm, or cardiac arrest.
Myocardial infarction (heart attack): A coronary artery is suddenly blocked. Starved of oxygen, part of the heart muscle dies.

Arrhythmia (dysrhythmia): An abnormal heart rhythm due to changes in the conduction of electrical impulses through the heart. Some arrhythmias are benign, but others are life-threatening.

Congestive heart failure: The heart is either too weak or too stiff to effectively pump blood through the body. Shortness of breath and leg swelling are common symptoms.

Cardiomyopathy: A disease of heart muscle in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened, and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart's ability to pump blood is weakened.

Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle, most often due to a viral infection.

Pericarditis: Inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericardium). Viral infections, kidney failure, and autoimmune conditions are common causes.

Pericardial effusion: Fluid between the lining of the heart (pericardium) and the heart itself. Often, this is due to pericarditis.

Atrial fibrillation: Abnormal electrical impulses in the atria cause an irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common arrhythmias.

Pulmonary embolism: Typically a blood clot travels through the heart to the lungs. 

Heart valve disease: There are four heart valves, and each can develop problems. If severe, valve disease can cause congestive heart failure.

Heart murmur: An abnormal sound heard when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Some heart murmurs are benign; others suggest heart disease.

Endocarditis: Inflammation of the inner lining or heart valves of the heart. Usually, endocarditis is due to a serious infection of the heart valves.

Mitral valve prolapse: The mitral valve is forced backward slightly after blood has passed through the valve. 

Sudden cardiac death: Death caused by a sudden loss of heart function (cardiac arrest).

Cardiac arrest: Sudden loss of heart function.

Science to the rescue as always

Science has done many good things for the heart.  There are many tests now that can be run and science has even gone so far as replacing a heart.

Tests that can be run on the heart

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A tracing of the heart’s electrical activity. Electrocardiograms can help diagnose many heart conditions.

Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart. An echocardiogram provides direct viewing of any problems with the heart muscle’s pumping ability and heart valves.

Cardiac stress test: By using a treadmill or medicines, the heart is stimulated to pump to near-maximum capacity. This may identify people with coronary artery disease.

Cardiac catheterization: A catheter is inserted into the femoral artery in the groin and threaded into the coronary arteries. A doctor can then view X-ray images of the coronary arteries or any blockages and perform stenting or other procedures.

Holter monitor: If a doctor suspects an arrhythmia, a portable heart monitor can be worn. Called a Holter monitor, it records the heart's rhythm continuously for a 24 hour period.

Event monitor: If a doctor suspects an infrequent arrhythmia, a portable heart monitor called an event monitor can be worn. When you develop symptoms, you can push a button to record the heart's electrical rhythm.

The first heart replacement

On December 3, 1967, 53-year-old Lewis Washkansky receives the first human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Washkansky, a South African grocer dying from chronic heart disease, received the transplant from Denise Darvall, a 25-year-old woman who was fatally injured in a car accident. Surgeon Christiaan Barnard, who trained at the University of Cape Town and in the United States, performed the revolutionary medical operation. The technique Barnard employed had been initially developed by a group of American researchers in the 1950s. American surgeon Norman Shumway achieved the first successful heart transplant, in a dog, at Stanford University in California in 1958.

After Washkansky's surgery, he was given drugs to suppress his immune system and keep his body from rejecting the heart. These drugs also left him susceptible to sickness, however, and 18 days later he died from double pneumonia. Despite the setback, Washkansky's new heart had functioned normally until his death.

In the 1970s, the development of better anti-rejection drugs made transplantation more viable. Dr. Barnard continued to perform heart transplant operations, and by the late 1970s many of his patients were living up to five years with their new hearts. Successful heart transplant surgery continues to be performed today, but finding appropriate donors is extremely difficult.

The heart and Love

So this thing we call a muscle and is designed to pump the very life liquid through our bodies is also associated with a feeling, and emotion, a little thing we call love.  I am a true believer that God intended this muscle to be important to us and our relationship with him.  It is also the organ that drives our relationships on earth.

Before explaining why I think this is true - let me lead you to another person who has an awesome way of stating what happened to her.  Hillary Pike has a site and the link is http://thedailylove.com/the-awe-inspiring-power-of-your-heart/ .  In her post she writes:

'One of the most powerful moments of my life was when I experienced the love within myself during my Kundalini Yoga teacher training at Golden Bridge. I was in a deep meditation when I had a profound heart opening that took over my entire being; I felt so much love exuding from my heart. It was as if my whole body became a vessel of divine love. In that instant, I felt the true intelligence and power of the heart. I knew in that moment that part of my soul’s purpose in this lifetime to is to help hold a space of love on this planet.'

Jesus gave us two new commandments and they both involved love, love one another and love our enemies.  I think God knew that along with the blood our heart pumps that we would need a special place for our "love" of one another and he placed it in the heart.  That is why he gave us our hearts.

As we move into the Christmas season, I for one need to do a reset on so many things and starting with my heart is a good step.  A reset that involves:

1. Finding and eating good heart healthy foods
2. Taking heart healthy vitamins
3. Intensifying the love in my heart for my wife, children, friends, and even my enemies
4. Strengthening my love for my God - give my heart what it wants 

I ask each of you to think about your heart and over the next year - let's get heart healthy and heart friendly and let's take care of this muscle that pumps our life energy and also brings us joy through love.

God I make one simple request today and that is you give us the ability to make these life altering changes for our heart.  And we thank you for the amazing body you have given us and for the scientist you have allowed to learn about this amazing body and help it when it is broken and needs repair.

We love you and adore you and look forward to this Christmas season for your coming and your birth.

Bob,

What Does My Body Want From Me? - Part 5

The big day - creating a journal

I want to welcome our new visitors and it appears we have picked up someone from Germany.  Welcome to the blog and I hope you get some valuable information from each post.

BS - 101 this morning.  Appears I am at 100.  The following chart identifies where you fall in the spectrum of diabetes:

Fasting Blood Sugar Levels - This is the one taken in the morning
Normal - 70-100 mg/dL
Prediabetes - 101-125 mg/dL (I am on the low side of this and appears to be my level)
Diabetes -125 mg/dL and above

Since I have been as high as 530 and often in the 200s - I was and still am a diabetic.  I have not cured it - I am just managing it through a life style change.

BP - 112/74 (home machine) - HR - 62 still holding good on this.

Whew, the big day is upon on and I feel like we have been preparing for a golf tournament.  Now we just have to execute what we have been working for and make this thing happen.

I am going to ask you to dig deep down inside yourself and make a simple pledge to stay with the journal for 90 days.  I am asking for ninety days for two simple reasons - our A1c measures in a 60 -90 day cycle so it is a nice rhythm to get into.  Secondly, if you do this for 90 days, it will provide a lot of information as to what is going on.  For me - the journal helped me bury in my mind the things that impact me so when it starts to occur again, I can understand quickly how I have gotten out of sync with my numbers.

We have discussed a lot of different things in the past two months and hopefully I will bring them out in this journal again - not to explain but to remind.

I hope you have a computer and can do this on a spreadsheet as it really helps to track and see progress.  I have a VA portal that has some of the tools to help with the journaling but not all of the tools.  You can also use the free one at https://247.diabetes.org/Home.aspx they have some of the basic information you can use.

There are many others and some cost.  I did not find any that measured what I wanted to measure so I created my own.  There are also many meal planners on line but again, I did not find any that was really exceptional.

You can do the research and maybe you will find one on the internet that works for you.

So let's get  started.

For every line item in the spreadsheet I would keep track of calories, carbohydrates, Glycemic Index, and Glycemic Load, Protein, and Fiber.  All of these help monitor what is going on.

I created a daily sheet and then created one for the week's average followed by the monthly averages, and then a program average.  Yes, I know this is a lot but is not your body and health worth it.  It took me 60 years to destroy my body - I guess giving it back 90 days to learn how to repair itself was not all that bad.

What I drink.

I do not consume much alcohol, if any, but I had a line in my spreadsheet for the following items:

Red Wine, Alcohol, Water, Coffee, Milk, Fruit Juices, and Soft Drinks.  By monitoring these I could see what I was adding to my body through drinks and what the impact might be.  After reading about juices and their GI and GL I gave them a toss along with most of my coffee and soft drinks.  Went back to water with a squirt of B-12 flavoring.  I got some taste and pleasures and add some B-12.

What I smoke.

At one time, I smoked so I had that on my chart - how many cigarettes or cigars did I smoke a day.  I quit that habit two years ago so this time around I did not have to log anything in my journal.

Oh, Oh.  I think I just let out a dirty little secret - it appears I have tried the journaling more than once.  Yes I have - as a matter of fact 3 times.  So I am an expert at starting and stopping.  But this time around, I knew I wanted to change and I was going to stay with it.  I was going to journal and test and make sure I knew what was going on.  I succeeded this time and that is why I am asking for 90 days.  I always thought I could do it for a couple of weeks and be done - did not work.

What is my sleep pattern.

Add a line that allows to to register when you went to bed.  Add when you might have actually fallen asleep and another column for when you woke up.  I am a tosser when I go to bed so there might be times I went to bed at say 10:00 PM but did not fall asleep until midnight.  Remember, we are trying to determine YOUR SLEEPING pattern not you in bed pattern.  Rest is good but it is the sleep our body needs to regenerate its energy and strength.

I also added in after a while, my mood or did I feel like I was under any stress or bother.  I had a journal just for my feelings - they play a big part as well.  Right now I am stressed out with some work stuff so I know it is there.  I have the ability to move through it now without spiking my sugar levels.

What medicines and supplements.

I had a line in my spreadsheet for reach medicine I took and when I took it.  I did the same thing for my supplements.  I found that I often missed my medications or did not take them at the right time.  This is important.  Most often I would forget to take them to work.  By journaling, I realized this and it become obvious.

I created myself a little container and took it to work with me on Monday's so I had my noon medications and supplements at all times.

I still do that with my supplements so I stay on top of it all.

What exercise did I do.

There are not many resources out there to help determine the calories you are burning or what exercises are helping you.  Again, there are ones you can pay for but I did not feel it was worth it.  So I simply created a line to show what exercises I was doing.  In the beginning it was walk the dog for two miles in the morning and evening.

Now it is a daily routine added along with the walks.  The important thing - do something.  Logging it will show progress.

What am I eating.

There is no question this one is difficult and consumes a lot of time.  I can only apologize but still encourage you as this one is the big one.  It will tell you a lot about your eating habits, patterns, and how much you are taking in of the important food groups.

Yes, I created a spreadsheet that had basically blank line items.  Across the top I had Breakfast, Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon Snack, Evening Meal, and Evening Snack.  I had a place I could log when I ate.  remember, us diabetics are driving for consistency - our body works better that way.  We want to eat and take our medications about the same time.

For each food I consumed, I had the grams, weight, or measurement.  I am a simple kind of guy so I have the basic same foods so mine was easy.  But I would also list the carbohydrates, fiber, calories, and fats for each food group.  I was into understanding GI and GL so I logged that as well.   At the end of each line and day I would have a total of each number.

I found out some interesting facts about my eating habits and times I missed and times I would not eat enough.   This is just not about measuring over eating - it is about measuring how we eat to fuel our body properly.

How is my blood glucose doing.

This is the big one - this is the one we are after at all times.  I had a spreadsheet to run this and a good meter that had memory in it.  I set my meter and made sure the clock and time was correct so it could help me monitor what was going on.

I tested when up woke up - Fasting test.  This will let you know what is happening to your body at night.  You will also be surprised how your sleep patterns impact this one.

I tested before I ate and after I ate.  Remember, testing after eating has been discussed as 1-2 hours.  I would learn to play and see what works best for you.

This is critical and may be you do not have to do them all for all the days.  I started out monitoring each one everyday.  When I discovered that certain foods did not spike my sugars, as much. I would stop.  Or since I tested in the morning I had a good idea what breakfast would do so I would skip breakfast test.

I did the same for my snacks until I settled in on them.

I often tested at night before I went to bed.

All of this was in my journal and as I started to make my life style changes I could see the results and was encouraged in so many ways to continue on.  It is why I say - give it 90 days.  If you are making changes and serious about controlling your diabetes, then you will see results.  The slightest gains will make you feel AWESOME!

I ask you now to give it some thought, ponder on it.  If you are ready to go on a journey, start your journal.  You know you and your body.  I am very detail orientated and want to know everything so mine was detail - yours may not be.  Make it YOUR JOURNAL for YOUR JOURNEY!

May God grant us one simple thing - the heart to listen to our bodies and change them as he would want us to change.  May we truly make our bodies as the temples he desires.

Best of luck on this one,

Bob,

PS.  You need any help setting up a spreadsheet - just email me and I will help - bob.dant@gmail.com.  If you have a difficult time getting the strips you need, you email me and I will see what I can do.  Do not let fear stand in your way or a shortage of resources - we are here for you.

What Does My Body Want From Me? - Part 1

Knowledge is power, powerful knowledge is a blessing

I did not test this morning as I am running in twenty different directions. Hold on a minute - I will test now while stressed out.

BS - 153 OUCH - I ate 2 hours ago.  I had an Asian wrap and some unsalted french fries.  I know that is bad but I was hungry.

BP - 134/83 (home machine) - Ouch - up from normal reading and it equates to a 110/70 at the VA.  - HR - 63 it also is up.

So what is going on with my body.  I have not done that much to change today from my normal days.

Let me walk through the past couple of days and paint a picture for you, then I will explain why this is all important.

Past three days

Starting Monday I was preparing for the Sr. Olympics Golf tournament so I golfed on Monday and Tuesday and then had to work in the afternoon to make up for golfing.  So I did not do any exercise.  I nearly stayed with my food routine except on Monday I ate late at a restaurant.  On Tuesday I had a box lunch at the golf tournament.

Wednesday I got up early to take off for work and spent an entire day working hard to make up for Monday and Tuesday and then ate again in a restaurant but had a light salad.  

I did not do much testing except in the morning and Monday was 102 and Wednesday was 113 - what caused the spike last night and into the morning.

Today the routine continues but today I got up late and had an early morning meeting.  So I hurried out of the house and did not test or take my green drink.  For breakfast I had a small bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh raspberries and some almond nuts.  Really bland food and not all that bad.

So what is going on.  Before giving you what I think is the answer, let me explain how I think I know the answer.  Understand everything I am going to say - bits and pieces will come from other posts in this blog so you might have to look back but I will keep it to a minimum if I do.

Building Knowledge

You have heard me mention the community within the American Diabetes Association and how we all exchange information.  There are a few themes that come through loud and clear from the experts - not me but them.

Food impacts my body different than yours

We all know that we are diabetics which means there is something a little off in our natural body processes.  We are either making too much insulin, not enough, or our blood cells are not taking in what they need - so they scream for more and the pancreas provides.  Thus the cycle of a diabetic.  This happens in a constant real-time state - meaning it is a perpetual motion event and does not have a starting and stopping point - it is continual.

Therefore, we not only have to understand our bodies but how does diet, exercise, supplements, and medicines impact our body.  Why can I do the same thing each day and get different readings?

This is precociously what needs to happen - you need to know your body at all times and know how to regiment it.  After all, we know that training our body to process properly is the key.  Routine is better than random; meaning eating, sleeping, working, exercising, and all other daily actives when done nearly the same each day will help our bodies and blood sugars be consistent.

How do I know - testing and routine

Testing is our weapon of choice.  How often do you have to test?

I go to the VA and they asked me to test on Tuesday mornings for a fasting reading and on Thursday afternoon after eating.  Much to their credit, they were trying to give me routine.  I followed their guidelines for years but eventually realized, after doing my research, that I needed to test more often during my journey and life style change.  I needed to know how my body would react to food, sleeping, exercise, and even stress since all of these contribute to my blood sugar levels.

I will not go into details on things you can find on the web:

How to Test: WebMD - http://diabetes.webmd.com/how-test-blood-glucose?page=1  This article is a general article on the concept of testing and what it means.

Step-by_Step instructions - http://www.livestrong.com/article/221926-testing-blood-sugar-level-at-home/

When to check - http://www.ehow.com/way_5297172_time-check-blood-sugar.html

Basically you need to know what your fasting level is - that is best taken in the morning after you wake up.  You need to know what it is before you eat and after you eat.  Journal what you ate and what it did to your blood sugars.

Taking it one to two hours after you eat -  and this time can depend on what you have eaten.  The glycemic index of food can make a difference.  I will discuss this in more detail in the next post.  But in a sense, the higher the glycemic index the faster it turns to sugar and the sooner you should test.  So sometimes it is best one hour after and sometimes it is best two hours after.

Know what you test before you go to bed.  Know how you are testing after exercise - what is happening to your body as it burns some of the fat and sugar out of the system.

I hope this quick review makes sense.

What is going on with me?

So now I have some knowledge I can apply to what is happening and I can start to gain some knowledge - powerful knowledge to control my sugar levels.

1. I have not been eating a very consistent meal plan these past few days and my body knows it.  Stepping out one day or one meal is not bad, but four days - I am asking for trouble.
1. I need to make sure I move back to a more consistent meal plan to can some control
2. Each day in the gym I burn about 600 calories and get my blood circulating.  I have not done any of that for three days.
1. Get back to the gym tonight
3. Stress is a big play.  I have stress associated with taking on an additional contract, stress with my current contract, and stress with the golf tournament.  Again, a little stress once in a while my body can handle, but not a steady diet of it.
1. Look to close down or manage something differently
2. Do not set too many expectations that cause stressed deliveries at work
3. Hand some of it off to others
4. No matter what, stress down a little
4. My sleep pattern has been all wrong and it usually is.  However, given all of the above, I am a walking time bomb for now as for my blood sugar levels.
1. Get some rest this weekend

You see, I now have the power knowledge to manage my blood sugar levels.  I did that so I am control of my disease - not the medical industry.  I did that so I could adjust daily not ever six months when I went to the doctor.  I did that - because I want to be a CONTROL FREAK when it comes to my diabetes.

May God grant you the wisdom to test and get to know your body.  Learn to listen to what it is saying.  Give it a chance to scream in your ear - HELP!  God help us gain power knowledge so we can have power over our ailments - end the end this is what you ask us to do with your temple.

Bob,

Diabetes - Sources Of Information

These are the sources I used to find out how to deal with diabetes

BS - 102 this morning.  Not bad but still a little higher than I would like
Did not take my blood pressure today as I was in a hurry.

I thought I would take time to list the great sources of information I used to help me in my journey and still use.  I am now moving into researching minerals which is one of the last steps to take.

Online Sources

WEB MD http://www.webmd.com/, yes, there can be a lot of advertisement but then again, they are putting out a  lot of information - someone has to pay for it.

Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/, they have less advertisement and I have always trusted them as I lived in Minnesota and you get to know just how good they are when treating a patient.

Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/, yes, I am a big fan of Wikipedia and I do know that just about anyone can put something in there.  However, to get definitions and some basic understanding it is a significant source of information.

Books I use

Diabetes without Drugs, The 5 Step Program to Control Blood Sugar Naturally, Suzy Cohen, RPh; http://www.dearpharmacist.com/.  Suzy worked as a retail pharmacist and a consultant to nursing homes.  It is there she developed the passion to look at life without medications.  This book was my number one read and follow as it made sense to me - diabetes management without medicines.

Beat  Diabetes Naturally, Michael Murray, ND; and Michael Lyon, MD.  Michael Murray is one of the world's foremost authorities on natural medicines.  Michael Lyon is one of America's experts on diabetes management.  The book contains a lot of information.

The Diabetes Solution Kit was a kt I received when I ordered the two books above.  I purchased the books from Barton Publishing and Joe Barton is a believer in natural remedies.

Dr. Neal Barnard's Program For Reversing Diabetes, Neal D. Barnard, MD.  Neal has completed several studies on diabetes management through the vegan diet.  His studies have linked lower blood sugar levels to the elimination of diary and meat products.  Both of these products block our cells from processing insulin correctly.  This was my first book and what I tried first but I now realize I was not serious.

The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray, ND.  My son worked for ECHO and they sold the book in their book store.  There was one page on diabetes and it said take cinnamon.  The website for ECHO book is http://www.echobooks.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1851. Just a huge place for information on all sorts of information on nature's food store.  A must visit and please give kindly.

The Healing Foods, Patricia Hausman and Judith Benn Hurley.  There is a lot of good information in this book.

The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program, Dr. Richard F Heller and Dr. Racheal F. Heller.  The book has some great information and a lot of recipes to back up what they say.

New sources

Since I have started the journey I have joined the American Diabetes Association and have a found great information there. http://community.diabetes.org/ 

One of the nice things about the organization is the community message boards.  This is a great place to get information from other diabetics or support members.  The following link is for T2 diabetics and where I am active - http://community.diabetes.org/t5/Adults-Living-with-Type-2/bd-p/Adults-Living-with-Type-2.

In the community there are two people who know a lot and have also created blogs and I thoink they are worth noting:

Alan Shanley -  http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/ 

LizzyLou - http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/ 

May God grant your the courage to look into these sources of information and may he also grant you the wisdom to follow the ideas that make sense for your body and your journey.

Bob,

Neuropathy or Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)? - Part 3

Thank God I may have dodged the neuropathy bullet!

I am still completely blown away by who this blog is reaching.  I am starting to receive comments and want to remind everyone you can also email me at bob.dant@gmail.com with questions or topics you might want to hear about.

I also want to take this moment to welcome some new international friends.  We have picked up two readers from China, 2 from Taiwan, 1 from Thailand, and 1 from Ukraine.  I do want to welcome my internal friends who might be afflicted with this terrible disease or know someone who is.  Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog as it is simply my desire that one person learn from this and have the opportunity to change their life style.

BS - 113 fasting this morning - Not really good but since I have not sleep for 3 days and have missed my exercise routine - I am okay with it.

BP - 119/71 (home machine) - HR 53  All very good signs as far as I am concerned.

Some friends do!

I may have dodged the bullet for now - but I am still a diabetic and I still have tingly feet.  I have something, but for now it does not appear to be neuropathy.  Diabetes is not the only cause of lose of nerve or pain in the nerves.

I have a couple of friends who have pain in their left legs and cannot feel the foot test provided by most doctors.  To hear them talk about their problems just horrifies me.  I also have an acquaintance that has lost the feeling in his feet and can hardly walk and can no longer drive a car.

I was driving to the YMCA for my work out this morning and was thinking about this blog and what I could say about a topic I know very little about.  My car is is a stick shift and Icwas thankful that I could still drive and shift at the same time.  So I just took a moment then and now to thank God for waking me up before I do get worse.

If you have neuropathy, I feel for you and sympathize.  The research I did when trying to find out what was wrong with me was insightful and a little scary - if you ask me.

What is it?

Throughout this blog - I have provided links to some good information.  The following is another link to a discussion about neuropathy: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147963.php  

I will again let the article say it best:
"Neuropathy is not a single disease - instead, it is a complication found in a number of different underlying medical conditions. It can also be seen without the cause being diagnosed, when doctors called it "idiopathic."
The term neuropathy is short for peripheral neuropathy, meaning nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. Only nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord are involved, so peripheral neuropathy does not include nerve damage in the central nervous system.
This Medical News Today information page will give you the essential details about neuropathy - describe what it is and what causes it, who gets the problem and the symptoms they have, how it is diagnosed, and offer an overview of treatment options for people with neuropathy."

What causes it?

You are reading this blog if you have or know of someone who has diabetes.  We know that diabetes is the number one reason for neuropathy.  However, did you know that the following diseases can also bring on neuropathy?

• Chronic liver disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• HIV infection and AIDS
• Long-term excessive alcohol intake
• Vitamin B deficiency and other nutritional deficiency
• Cancer - lymphoma or multiple myeloma
• Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a genetic cause of nerve damage, particularly in the lower limbs
• Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that damages peripheral nerves
• Diphtheria, a common bacterial infection in developing countries such as Haiti and Vietnam, but rare in other parts of the world.

WOW, if your are diabetic and also have any of these diseases - you need to get them all under control.

Are there things to help - besides medicines?

Again, I am not sure but there are some products out there that might help.  PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS AS MEDICAL ADVICE - TALK IT OVER WITH YOUR DOCTOR.  THESE ARE THINGS THAT I READ ABOUT AND ALMOST TRIED.

There appears to be research that leads to capsaicin (chili pepper) that when used in creams will help relieve the pain.  These creams can be purchased anywhere and take a few weeks of using to help reduce the pain.  In addition, this little gem appears to help arthritis in the fingers, elbows, and knees.  I am going to try it for my knees - I have been told by the VA I have arthritis in my knees and they do hurt.

Everyone agrees to back off smoking and alcohol.  Notice excessive drinking may also cause neuropathy.

Exercise - especially walking, was another common topic in the research I did.  The walking helps build some muscle mass around the nerves.  Many where also in favor of yoga.

There is an over the counter topical treatment called Neuragen.  

Finally, I want to bring back Suzy Cohen, RPh book - "Diabetes without Drugs."  This is a must in my mind and just full of other information.

God please help those with neuropathy to help themselves.  Help them understand there are many things out there to help them and not to give up.  

Bob,

Neuropathy or Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)? - Part 1

Wrongly diagnosed?  I do not blame Doc!

BS 98 - Fasting sugar level this morning

BP 110/80 (home machine) - HR 62

BS at 11:00 PM - 107 after working out

BP 115/70 (at YMCA) HR - 81 after workout.

Symptoms

It was during my March 2013 6-month visit when I finally complained to the doctor about the tingling in my feet at night, it would wake me up, and I was starting to have troubles walking around the house without shoes as it felt like to soles of my feet were sore and hurting.  I also complained my feet were always hot and I had to take my shoes off or get very light net shoes to wear.

He gave me the feather and pin test and was puzzled as I felt everything and it appeared my feet were normal.  Being a good doctor, he did not want to take any chances so he prescribed a neuropathy medicine - 300 mg of Gabapentin twice daily.

Within 3 months my feet felt like leather, I could not even walk with shoes on as it hurt the bottom of my feet and I felt like I was walking on rock slate.

I could not take it any more as each day it got worse.  So going against my belief system, I went to the internet to research tingly feet.  I found a lot of material but I will stay with what I found at Mayo Clinic - they are pretty reputable.

Neuropathy

From Mayo Clinic, "Peripheral neuropathy, a result of nerve damage, often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in your hands and feet, but it may also occur in other areas of your body.

People generally describe the pain of peripheral neuropathy as tingling or burning, while they may compare the loss of sensation to the feeling of wearing a thin stocking or glove."

Restless Leg Syndrome

From Mayo Clinic, "Commonly described sensations - People typically describe restless legs syndrome symptoms as abnormal, unpleasant sensations in their calves, thighs or feet. Sometimes the sensations may be in the arms, often expressed as:

• Crawling, Creeping, Pulling, Throbbing, Itching, Pain, Tugging, Gnawing, Burning

Sometimes the sensations seem to defy description. Affected people usually don't describe the condition as a muscle cramp or numbness. They do, however, consistently describe the desire to move or handle their legs."

Mechanics and Doctors - checking vitals

WOW - no wonder they call it practicing medicine - how would a Doctor know from my description which is the root cause of my feeling.  Doctors are like mechanics and our bodies are like automobiles.  I can go into my mechanic and he can hook up to the computer and it will tell him if my car is sick or he can check the fluid levels to see if I am low on any fluids.

Our bodies are like that.  We can go to the doctor and he can take our A1C and get a three month average of our sugar levels - our computer can tell him if something is wrong.

The doctor can take blood, urine samples, and all kinds of other samples to see if our fluids can tell the doctor if something is wrong.  This is like checking our fluids.

Mechanics and Doctors - listening to me

Lets say with my mechanic I can no longer can rely on my car to tell the mechanic what is wrong - I have to do that.  Just recently I had to do that.  My car was making noises in the front end.  So I went in and tried to point to the location, I tried to describe the noise, and I tried to make the exact sound.  Can you imagine an old man standing in front of his mechanic pointing to the dash and squealing like a stuck pig!  My mechanic is a great guy from Jamaica - he must go home some nights and wish he never made the journey to Nashville.  Or he goes home and says - WOW I just got that comedy show for free and better yet - I get to charge him for his stupidity.

So is it any different went I went to the doctor and tried to explain my feet situation.  Holy cow, I am a diabetic - what else would he think.  Just look at the similarities between the two.  Naturally he had to go that route.  He also has to be careful I do not come back and sue him for malpractice.  That can be a post all by itself.

So what have I learned?  Do a little research to discover what is going on with your body.  My wife, the non geek in the relationship - jumps on the internet and starts searching when she does not understand.  I am not one of those men who will not stop and ask for directions - ladies you know what I am saying - but I do not jump on the internet other than for work research.

I have never said I am the smart one in this relationship!  

My point is simple.  Go  ahead and get on the internet and do some research.  learn, study, get to know your body.  Then when you go to the doctor (mechanic) you can help him/her help you.  This makes a lot of sense.  What does not make sense - "Any of us playing Doctor!' This is not like playing house or hospital when we were kids - no one got hurt.  You being your own doctor - do not do it!  If you do not like what the doctor is saying - get a second opinion.

In part 2 and 3 of this series I will discuss what I found with each of these problems and what I did to course correct.

May God grant you and your doctor the ability to listen and learn what is going on with your body and mind.  May he grant us the knowledge to help our doctors help us.

Bob,

Do I Dislike Oral Medications - Part 2

Alternatives to medicines - yes that would be my preference

Before going on, now is the time to welcome our new guests from around the world.  We have added one from France and it appears another individual form Russia.  I must say, I am still blown away by the support and private emails and comments I am receiving.  I truly want to thank each of you for giving this blog the opportunity to reach one person and possible make a difference in their life or give encouragement regarding their disease management.

BS - last night 97 (ran out this morning and did not test)
BP 107/66 (home machine) - HR 62
All of this taken when I returned from the gym.

As a continuation of last night, I want to state a few truths I believe in:

1. Diabetes cannot be cured - reversing to me means I simply changed my life style and have gotten the animal under control (even if for just a short time period)
2. Each of us must learn our own bodies and what works and does not work - I call it "practicing" medicine.  I heard a lot of people on the ADA message board discuss the value of a BG meter.  If you do not have one - get one and use it.  This is practicing medicine in my mid.  You are in control of your disease management.
3. Medicines, supplements, diet, food, or exercise are all proven forms of managing diabetes - a mixture of all might be required

Spirulina studies

University o f Maryland Medical Center research.

Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid).

Spirulina -- like any blue-green algae -- can be contaminated with toxic substances called microcystins. It can also absorb heavy metals from the water where it is grown. For these reasons, it is important to buy spirulina from a trusted brand.
Test tube and animal studies suggest spirulina may boost the immune system, help protect against allergic reactions, and have antiviral and anticancer properties. However, there is no proof that spirulina has these, or any, benefits in people. More research is needed.


Source: Spirulina | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/spirulina#ixzz2hvR5bEmi
University of Maryland Medical Center

Spirulina and How It Cleans the Blood

Spirulina is rich in chlorophyll, and this makes it an incredibly effective blood cleansing agent. In fact, this micro-algae contains more than ten times the amount of chlorophyll per volume than what's found in traditional garden-variety vegetables. The chlorophyll in spirulina helps build red blood cells in the body, while also offering the body a more easily absorbable form of magnesium. This combination of chlorophyll and magnesium helps to remove toxins from the bloodstream while oxygenating the blood.

This is a long term supplement or super food for me.  There are enough indications that this supplement along with my green drink will help my body process foods more efficiently.  There are also studies linking spirulina to controlling blood sugars.

Chromium

I have already put this forward in another blog that this was something import that worked for me.  From PubMed.Gov, this abstract summarizes the findings of 15 studies:

Abstract

Chromium (Cr) picolinate (CrPic) is a widely used nutritional supplement for optimal insulin function. A relationship among Cr status, diabetes, and associated pathologies has been established. Virtually all trials using CrPic supplementation for subjects with diabetes have demonstrated beneficial effects. Thirteen of 15 clinical studies (including 11 randomized, controlled studies) involving a total of 1,690 subjects (1,505 in CrPic group) reported significant improvement in at least one outcome of glycemic control. All 15 studies showed salutary effects in at least one parameter of diabetes management, including dyslipidemia. Positive outcomes from CrPic supplementation included reduced blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and reduced requirements for hypoglycemic medication. The greater bioavailability of CrPic compared with other forms of Cr (e.g., niacin-bound Cr or CrCl(3)) may explain its comparatively superior efficacy in glycemic and lipidemic control. The pooled data from studies using CrPic supplementation for type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects show substantial reductions in hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, which equate to a reduced risk for disease complications. Collectively, the data support the safety and therapeutic value of CrPic for the management of cholesterolemia and hyperglycemia in subjects with diabetes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17109600 

I could discuss AKEA essentials, magnesium, and a host of other natural products that MIGHT BE alternatives to medicine.  When I say alternative, I do not mean to get rid of the medicine - but maybe take less of it.

I think it hard for anyone who takes medicines not to wonder about the side effects.  When given a prescription, you receive a lot of information regarding the side effects.  Trust me when I say that they place these warnings out there - BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED!  Not that it will happen to me, but it has happened.

SO FOR ME - IF I CAN CONTROL MY DIABETES WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING OTHER THAN MEDICINES - I AM ALL UP AND ALL IN.

This does not mean that I think medicines are bad.  Again, I think if there is something from God's medicine cabinet, i will chose it over man's medicines as God's medicines my be appreciated more by my body.

May God bless you in your decisions along the way.  May he give you the strength and courage to move into the journey that works best for you.  And may he lead you on a successful journey.

Bob,

Do I Dislike Oral Medications - Part 1

Medications in my opinion are our best friend and potential enemy

Before going on, we appear to have picked up 2 people from Russia, 1 from Serbia, and 1 from South Korea.  For all you new readers, I hope you enjoy the blog and do get something out of it.  Please share with your friends if you find it worthy of your approval.  Again, please make comments out here you want or you can email me at bob.dant@gmail.com

I also want to apologize as I took yesterday off, it was my 4 month anniversary of my journey when I started my turn around to managing this beast.

BS - 107 fasting this morning.

BP - 110/65 (my home machine) - HR 55

I had many directions I could go today with this blog but want to reward the individual who left a comment wondering why I appeared to be against oral medications.  She is a person who has a lot of good information and I met through the ADA community message board.  The link to the community message board is http://community.diabetes.org/ and I think you will have to be registered ADA member to get a log in.  Please go to the community if you want far more information than I am going to provide in this blog. I have used it and will use some of the information I gain in this blog.

Back to my feelings on medications.  I broke this in to two parts as this could be a lengthy post.  First to explain why my mindset is simply "Better to utilize God's medicine cabinet versus man's" and the second part will provide some research that allowed me to look at more natural remedies versus the oral medications.

As far as scaring me to death - just mention a needle and I am gone.  So when insulin was being discussed - my motivation for change went sky high.

Growing up with a Mom who was against medications

My mother passed away when I was 17 years old.  So my memory of her has limitations but this is not one of the areas.  I was in eighth grade when I was thrown from a horse and landed on my head.  I was out of it for a few hours and hurting for about a week.  Time healed everything - or we thought - until I was in my freshman year of  high school and started to develop migraine headaches - say once every 3 months.  They were so bad I was delirious;  maybe I could use the same argument for why I am delirious now - wonder if I could get my wife to buy into the theory.

Anyway - by the time I was a junior in high school, I was having migraines weekly, missing school, and taking more medications to treat the "symptoms" not the root cause of the problem.  My mother took me to a Chiropractor - talk about a gutsy move in the 70s - and he gave me an Xray to show that my vertebrate had been dislocated and was pressing up against my skull.  Once he got things back in place, I have not had a migraine headache since.  All the time the medical profession was surprised I could be healed.

That was my first experience with getting over an a ailment without using medications and it created the basis for my opinions as they were formed when I was a young man.

Brother who was drugged to make it through Vietnam

My second experience, and one that followed closely behind the first, involved my brother and what the Army did to him during Vietnam.  Jim was a very nervous kind of kid growing up.  I did not know that for sure as he was 7 years older than me.  I heard it from my dad and from Jim.  He enlisted in the Army, like so many of us Iowans do as we think it our duty to server; regardless of the war or circumstances.

To make it through boot camp, they had to put him on medicines to help him stay calm through the training.  He was never to go to combat as his nerves could not handle it.  The title says it all, he was sent to Vietnam and to make it through that crazy war he was placed on heavy duty tranquilizers and other medicines.  When he returned from Vietnam he was a mess with drugs and drinking.

He stayed in the Army and after 10 years of loyal service, they decided he was an addict and let him out.  Maybe the first prescribed addict I met in my life.  I was just heading into the military myself at the time and was very disappointed in the military for the way it treated my brother.  But since I had enlisted, I had no choice but to do my best.

You can rest assured, that when the Marines mentioned any drugs - my answer was no.  I was in boot camp and developed bronchitis and the drill Instructor had to fight me to take medicines.  They worked.  At that time, I was thinking of a career in the Corps.

Medicines that saved my life

Now we can go to the flip side and talk about how medicines saved my life in the time when I needed them most - when my diabetes was at its worse.  There is no question I would have not made it this far without medicines.  So I do owe my life to medicines and thankful they were there.

But in the very end, I am still a believer that God can be the best pharmacist in the world and if there is something natural I can do - then I will do it.  Does that mean my way is right for everyone - NO!  I am willing to say it is working for me and if there is someone who might feel the same, then I hope what I have found that works for me might works for them.

I will carry this conversation on in the next post to discuss some research that helped me move forward without fear.

God bless each of us who suffer with this disease and only by sharing and caring, will we have the support group necessary to make our life easier to manage.

Bob,

Glimepiride - Second Best Friend or Enemy

Keeping me off insulin

Today was another day of rebellion - toke vitals later in the day to see how I am doing.

BS - 86 at 6:00 PM: This to me is great news as I have not had a "lower than normal reading" since going without medicine.  I am hoping this is a sign the journey and diligence is working.

BP - 135/73 on my home machine.  This would be like 110/60 as a reading - still progress and balancing out.  I have to continue to watch this as I move further away from the medication.

HR - 58

I am just blown away by the support I am receiving.  Each of you is one of God's angel when you help me make it though the day and stay the course.  I am still struggling this week as I want to just be normal again.  But it is like my knees, they were damaged in the military and cannot ever be repaired back to when I was young - so I have to deal with this the same way - life long trouble requiring a life long life style change.

I think I will take some time tomorrow to discuss my total support team and how it helps.

But lets get to the medicine as a friend or enemy thought.  In 2009 I could not keep my blood sugars down.  They would spike to 300+ and I was eating good - or at least at the time I thought I was.  I was living in London and pretty much eating salads and a good breakfast.  The evenings were split between eating at the pad or out.  When I would eat out, it was mainly meet and vegetables as you can do in London.  I even would have liver once in a while to balance things.

But this was not helping and I was continuing to slip.  The doctor said I could go on insulin or he would try Glimepiride.  This is a third generation insulin driver (Sulfonylureas).  I was happy as it kept me off shots.  Then I read Suzy's book, "Diabetes without Drugs" and learned that this drug helps stimulate your pancreas to make more of its natural insulin.  It can cause hypoglycemia or sugar lows.  The next 4 years was a roller coaster for me, some days I would be low and running 60 by 11:00 AM and other days fine.  I had to east constantly to try and get a steady flow of diet and insulin.  Now that Kath and I look back on those days - we must have been insane.  No, not really, we were just marching to the beat of the medical world.

Needles to say, this drug is a "mugger" of the same minerals as metFORMIN - I talked about that in a separate post so will not repeat here.  I was beginning to see how drugs help and hurt - the very organs we diabetics need functioning properly.

Suzy recommended adding Hawaiian Spirulina as a food supplement and in a green drink.  I tried it without a green drink and it was HORRIBLE - might as well have gone out and eat algae right out of the ocean.  But in doing so, I see this just like AKEA Essentials - it is a product that helps maintain sugar levels but is more about repairing one's body.

I will let you go to the internet and do your own research and this is a nice place to start:  http://www.hawaiianspirulina.org/Hawaiian_Spirulina_Benefits.html.  Just a couple of points on what it does.

Antioxidant Benefits Antioxidants play a major role in helping to protect the body against cell damage, and Hawaiian spirulina contains a high concentration of antioxidants. On the word of Cyanotech.com, spirulina encloses great concentrations of the antioxidants beta carotene, zeaxanthin, echinenone, myxoxanthophyll and beta cryptoxanthin. As a matter of fact, to back it up, a study issued in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research confirms the attendance of antioxidants in microalgae such as spirulinain addition to the anti-cancer and anti-aging effects related with these antioxidants.
Cholesterol Benefits Because of the presence of beta carotene in it, consumption of Hawaiian spirulina can moreover encourage cholesterol lowering. To back this cholesterol lowering properties, a study implemented at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan has shown that the subjects exposed to beta carotene received suppressed cholesterol oxidation and produced lower blood cholesterol levels compared to the subjects who were not exposed to beta carotene.
Anti-Cancer Benefits Hawaiian spirulina furthermore covers an abundant concentration of an indispensable fatty acid termed gamma linolenic acid. Ingestion of gamma linolenic acid can help in the prevention of certain forms of cancer. The findings in a study executed by the Department of Urology at St. Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth, United Kingdom discovered that presence of gamma linolenic acid had cytotoxic effects on provisional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Anemia Benefits Spirulina holds a high concentration of ironas stated by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Defined as low concentration of iron in the blood, Anemia is the most common form of iron insufficiency which is described by weakness and tiredness. One of the best ways to attend to this problem is by consumption of spirulina as it can boost levels of iron in your body and lessen the weakness and fatigue that escort this illness.
Immune system It also seems that spirulina has the aptitude to encourage the immune system which could be helpful in certain individuals, and theoreticallyunsafe in those who already have an intense immune system or an autoimmune disorder. For that reason, those who have lupus, autoimmune thyroiditis, pemphigus vulgaris, and other such conditions are not recommended to be take spirulina in a regular basis.

For now I hope you are starting to get the picture - no silver bullet in any of this - lots of changes to a life style.

It is not easy and may God bless you on your journey as he has blessed me.  In the end - you still have to do the work.  I just turn it over to him for support.

Bob,

metFormin - Common Diabetes Medicine

How metFormin is our best Friend and potential enemy

Notice I learned how to give each Blog a title!

Today I continued my rebellious attitude and did not take BS or BP in the morning.  However, after lunch I wanted to check as I had a taco salad and wanted to see the impact.

BS - 104!  Amazing taken two hours after I had my meal.  WOW today I could eat normal and still be in the normal range.  I take these small success as "emotional" boosters as they keep me going..

BP - 111/73 (home machine) - still low

HR - 62

Vital signs - all systems go!

Diabetics may have multiple things going on with their body; but, the two most common problems; our bodies produce too much glucose or our cells do not have the proper receptors to intake what we produce.  The most common drug to combat glucose production is MetFORMIN.  So its main function is too slow down glucose in the LIVER.  I was taking 1500 mg / day.

Your can read a lot about metFORMIN at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metformin#Mechanism_of_action.

According to Suzy Cohen in her book; "Diabetes without Drugs", she describes how these drugs work and how they could be "mugging" your body of of valuable natural nutrients. 

metFORMIN is a potential mugger of Coenzyme Q10, acid, VitaminB12, and probiotics.  Reduction in these nutrients can lead to LIVER damage.  WOW, the very thing I need working properly could be destroyed.  I wonder what happens when the liver is damaged?  That will require a deeper dive some day.

It can also lead to confusion, depression, neuropathy, muscle cramps, memory loss, mouth sores, diarrhea, constipation, yeast infection, fatigue, hypertension, and higher risk of heart disease and stroke.  Holy Confusion BATMAN - this feels like a villain and how do I tell the good guy from the bad guy.

Who do I punch or take out?  How do I fight back?  I am confused as I feel these symptoms all the time. These are also the very symptoms us diabetics feel when our sugars are too low or too high.   According to Suzy, I could take more supplements to counteract the medicine.  This started a new goal for me, how do I get off the drug train - please stop here and just let me off.  I choose to pass "GO" and "NOT" collect my $200.  I just want to get off the train!

I think I have said many times I do not want to get anything for this information or sell anything to make a profit.  I want this to be from my heart and a gift to anyone who it might help.  However, along the way, I have had support people and information provided to me by people like Suzy.  I am happy to promote her book and I am happy to promote those that helped me along the way.

Antonia Mclaurin and AKEA Essentials.

Antonia and her husband have an amazing story to tell as well and I hope I can talk her into adding to my blog as a sub writer.   Their story is too much for this post.  However, how Antonia helped me is not.  She knew I was on this journey as I talked about it once in awhile.  One day she come into my office and explained her story.  Then she introduced me to AKEA Essentials, http://www.akealife.com/essentials/.  To help me experiment she gave me some free samples to try - what a sales person!  As I tried it, I also researched it.  I encourage you to go to the site and read about these natural organic foods.  Yes they become a power to add to my morning drink and I also take another one in the afternoon, but none the less, they are organic and natural.

As I studied the foods included, I noticed many were replacing some of the nutrients being removed by metFORMIN.  I was sold right away and started the program.  Like so many things, this one change in my life style was not the sole reason for success - it did contribute.  I am more interested in repairing my body and I know that will take some time - so I think of AKEA Essentials like I do my other dietary foods - a long term player in my new life style.  I did notice right away a burst of energy.

Now for the pitch for Antonia.  If you do think you want to try this product, please email her, amclaurin777@comcast.net  and mention my name.  Again, I get nothing for it but I do want her to know you know me.  Oh yeah, this does not get you any deals either.  She will help set you up so you can take advantage of her discounts.

For now, I hope this helps you understand how one medicine may be our best friend and potentially our worst enemy.  May God bless you and give you the strength he provided me to carry forward - it is not easy.

Bob,