Stress - How I Manage

Breakneck speed world we live in causes high sugar levels

I want to take this moment to welcome our new followers from India.  Welcome to my blog and hope you can find some good information in the blog.  As always - add comments or email me - happy to get to know everyone.  

Also for my loyal readers, sorry I took yesterday off, it was a very event filled day with presentations, looking for new contracts, and getting work done on the contract I am on.

FBS - 110 this morning (stressful day yesterday along with late night snacking - bad combination)

BP - 121/65 (home machine - I have to get a new one) - HR 62

My life with stress

I live in a high powered world - technology.  I have also been a senior player in companies as the CEO and COO which comes with a lot of stress.  My wife has always said you are stressed and need to calm down.  But I am convinced of one thing - God did not gives us men ears to listen to our wives.  Must have been one of his big humorous moments. It takes a doctor's study to convince me stress has something to do with my diabetes.

Back to the wife for a moment.  I would argue and say my job does not cause me stress.  You see, I used to think being stressed out was the same as having stress.  Not the same and the following study does a much better job of explaining how stress impacts diabetes.

http://diabetes.webmd.com/features/stress-diabetes 

Stress and Diabetes

From the article "When you're stressed, your blood sugar levels rise. Stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol kick in since one of their major functions is to raise blood sugar to help boost energy when it's needed most. Think of the fight-or-flight response. You can't fight danger when your blood sugar is low, so it rises to help meet the challenge. Both physical and emotional stress can prompt an increase in these hormones, resulting in an increase in blood sugars."

The article goes on to say "When blood sugar levels aren't controlled well through diet and/or medication, you're at higher risk for many health complications, including blindness, kidney problems, and nerve damage leading to foot numbness, which can lead to serious injury and hard-to-heal infections. Prolonged elevated blood sugar is also a predecessor to cardiovascular disease, which increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes."

Intervening wife

As my wife has always done, she brings things into my life as subtle changes and under a direction I can accept.  Being stubborn is one of my strong traits - notice I did not say string suit.  For instance, I did (maybe still do) suffer from road stress - not road rage but at times I could really tell the driver off in the other car; while my windows were up.

So to help, we were driving in her car and it had Christian music on.  We started talking about it and she mentioned how it helped keep her calm when she was driving.  Next thing you know, I have all my radio channels turned to Christian music and I listen to nothing else but Christian music.  It helps me going to work and it calms me down when returning from work.

Oh yeah, the road anger; still there, but when it flairs up - I quickly let it go.

In our church group, we mentioned last year listening to Christian music.  One of the members this week says she has kept it up and it works wonders for her drive.

Removing life's boombox

I have also taken a step - not by accident - by removing the TV from my home office.  I am and can be very frustrated by our political system; regardless of the party.  My blood is already going just talking about it.  I used to listen to political talk shows all of the time.

When not doing that, I like high-action movies so I was spending time trying to focus on work and have that in the back ground.  Needless to say my life was 24x7 constant on.  

By accident means the cable company raised my rates to a point I could not justify the payment I had to make to watch the shows.  So, I took the TV out of my home office.  It is so quiet in there now and I focus on work.  Oh yeah, I now listen to Christian music over the internet.  My blood gets stirred from a different direction.

Turning out for a few minutes a day

At the office, I will take periods where I will go to my car and just sit in silence and try not to think of anything and just let my mind and body be still and quiet.  Christians have something we call Centering Prayer and that is like a deep meditation with God.  I go on that journey sometimes while at work.  It does wonders for the mind.

I do not want you to mix the concept of being still for a moment and taking a nap.  A nap is good, and probably does remove the stress, but it is not giving you techniques to turn out loud volume stress.

So if you are "NOT STRESSED OUT", that does not mean you do not have stress.  Having stress and being a diabetic is not good.  As the article points out, even an injury causes our bodies to have stress.

I hope you can use some of the techniques in the article to reduce some of your stress.

May God grant each of us the opportunity to "Be Still And Know That He Is God" as he desires us to know.  May he give us ways to find stillness in this world that screams in our ears, mind, and hearts loudly 24x7.  May he grant us the peace we need to heal our bodies.

Bob,  

When Good People Say Bad Things

Unloading my feelings today - sorry but I have to say something

I continue to be blown away by the response to this blog and the support I am receiving.  When I started, I thought, OMG, this is going to take time and really be a drag.  Little did I know that God was just adding to my support team with people who have amazing stories themselves.  I find it encouraging, as I want to continue to be successful in my journey and days like yesterday when I struggle - you guys lift me up!!!  Just amazing and all of these years I could have had friends to help.

BS - 102 fasting - not bad as they were high last night at 133 before going to bed - was bad all day and I knew it

BP - 90/60 (home machine - I think I need a better one) - HR 52

Good things said

My wife and I belong to a bible study group - actually two of them.  In one group, my wife just mentioned to one of our friends about what I had accomplished.  Well, it was announced to the group and many of them wanted the link to my blog as they have issues or know people and just wanted to learn what I have done along with my support team.

Last night, we were in another bible study group (different group) and I had just mentioned in casual conversation the week before to the leader how I had reversed my diabetes trend and was off medicines.  It was actually my answer to why I was not taking a home made peach pie that someone brought.  Yeah I turned down a peach pie - that and ice cream are my death from above for me.  Anyway, back to the story.  Last night he took it upon himself to announce to the group what I had done and asked me to share.

It is hard for me to share in public as I do not like attention.  I do not celebrate my birthday - just how I am.  But it turned out okay, as there are people in the group who suffered diabetes and also individuals that have loved ones who have diabetes and they are concerned for them.  So maybe all of this is just God knowing I need to be better at the face-to-face discussion of what he and my support team have helped me accomplish.

So it was one of those rare times in life that my #1 support person got a chance to share her feelings, her frustrations in trying to help me, and how she realizes I just needed to hit rock bottom with this thing and then seek help and assistance.

On the way home, we shared the experience how she was talking to a small group and I was with another group.  She then explained how many times people would say something to her that really hurt and she would have to bury it because she was afraid of hurting me.

 Bad things said

As she related to what she heard over the years, I was saddened to think she had to suffer so when I was the one being the jerk and not taking care of myself.  Her pleading, prodding, sending emails, delivering little articles, and cooking right - was not really working.  I WAS JUST DEFT AND DUMB IS ALL I CAN SAY!

Some things that she would have to endure that are just mean - no matter the intent.  

"Well, you know you better get involved, you do know what is the first thing to go!"

From my doctor, "Kathleen, it is your responsibility to manage what he eats!"  This just made it her responsibility from the beginning.

"Do you know what it is going to be like to push him around in a wheel chair later in life.  Tell him to straighten out!"

I am positive all of these people meant to help.  But can you all imagine the tremendous burden the world was laying at my wife's feet?  WOW, she is really a saint - but I have always known that.  Sticking with me for 40 years!

"Lack of Knowledge" things said

I could be one of the biggest offenders of this section.  I say I have reversed my diabetes.  Many ADA community members take this statement seriously and can be "set back" - for lack of better terms - by it.  I did not mean anything by the saying but it does lead people to thing I mean I have cured my diabetes.

I was not aware this is how some people would take my statement.  I am a diabetic.  I will always be a diabetic.  I will always stick my finger to check my sugar level.  I will always have to watch what I eat.  The only thing, I reversed the course I was on and now I can control my sugar levels as I did when first diagnosed; diet and exercise.  So I have turned back the hand of times in my mind.

I have also had people disagree that I have done this and I am just out there to sell something.  Again, not sure why they would feel that way, but it is not knowing my journey and my intention that causes them to say and feel the way they do.

So what is the moral of all this ranting?  If we truly want to help each other, love each other, and be friends; then we need to be a little sensitive to what we are saying.  Here are a couple of little rules we should live by in my mind:

1. Any success story; regardless of how big or small, is that, a success story and deserves a pat on the back or a high-five.
2. This disease belongs to the individual and is their responsibility to manage.  Support teams can only support and do their best - but in the end; we diabetics must take full responsibility for our results.  So when speaking to a support team member, ask them how they are doing and how they feel.  Do not criticize them or make them guilty.
3. Simple golden rule - Love one another as I have loved you.  Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.  If what you are about to say would hurt you - then it is not from the heart and needs to stay where it is at - in the mind.

Thanks to all of your for supporting and for letting me rant.

To my lovely wife, sorry you had to hear those things and hold them inside.  I am glad God took us to this new study group or we might never have had the chance for you to share your trials through all of this.

May God put wonderful people in your life as he has mine.  May he grant you the courage to change the things you can, strength to accept those things you cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

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,

God Knows Best

When our higher power helps us

BS - 133 this morning ( I had a very weak moment yesterday at the festival - proves I am still a diabetic)

BP - 107/68 (home machine) - HR - 52

BS - 101 before evening meal

BP - 110/70 (home machine) - HR 65

Since this is Sunday, I am going to try and talk about what God does for me and what he has done for me.  It is to him that I owe for the courage to change and it is he who put my support team together.

There are times however, I get amazed how he helps in a strange way and then it turns out for the best.  

Before getting into my story - I want all of my new support team in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to know this starts out a little negative towards the ADA - but is the ultimate "God Knows Best" story that has happened to me in a while.  I think it needs to be shared for all of those diabetics who might have been like me.

My father was a diabetic, as I am, and he gave to the ADA as I did in my younger years.  We were a big supporter of the ADA.  Then I was diagnosed with diabetes and started looking into the ADA and how it made its money; and what was it doing with the money I sent or my father sent.  Needless to say, I was not all that impressed and was left with the impression it had a two track mind; low carbohydrate diet and medications.  This just left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Being the stubborn person I am, after my success I was going to get inside the organization and see how it makes sausage - so to speak.  I was at a Senior Health Fair about a week later and was passing by a booth that was sponsored by the ADA.  I was reminded about my mission to get inside and see what was really in their kitchen.

They were asking people to "Step Out" against diabetes in Nashville and I thought "WOW - here is my chance."  So I immediately joined up and now had my first step to infiltrate the enemy.  God must have been laughing out loud - I do remember hearing thunder that day!

Little did I know I was going to receive an invite to have my own personal web page, make a movie about my step out; but more importantly, I had to join ADA to complete my mission.  I had to give them some information and they found out I had diabetes.  So that lead to some more information on things I could get involved with.  Finally, I found a message board where a lot of diabetics would ask questions and people would respond.

This group is FANTASTIC!  My eyes have been opened to an entirely new world of people struggling with this disease.  Here is an example of the miracle it brings into my life - just when I thought I would not need it.  All of this in less than one week.

Yesterday I reached out to ask a question about the abrasions or sores in my mouth that my dentist says are cancerous cells.  It has been haunting me for a year and I am finally going into the doctor this week to get it checked out.  Anyway, my new support group - provided links to studies on what it might be - leukoplakia.  At least now I have a name and a place to start with my doctor.

Another support member, who is professionally trained, mentioned many of their patients had sores in their mouth that would not heal and there was a mouth wash they prescribed that appeared to help.  Once again, I received some excellent advice.

In my world, I am always amazed at what God does for me.  So as my heart was hardened to something - he opened a door to an entire new world and I have meet some wonderful people who care.  It has added a lot to my little support team.

God bless each of you and try www.diabetes.org - it has help for everyone.

Bob,

Set Goals - Be Realistic

What is a goal and how do I manage them

Before going moving on, I am still blown away by the number of readers showing up.  Yesterday, we added a new country - Australia.  To our friend in Australia, welcome and hope you find some interesting material in the blog.

I am easy to find on the internet but if anyone wants to email a question directly - bob.dant@gmail.com is the way to do that.  I will try to respond during my night time hours.  Everyone is welcome to email - this is my goal and intent - Make a difference to this community.

BS - 97 fasting this morning (this is amazing and awesome).  Just one month ago I was bragging to the doctor I was getting close to 115 as a fasting level.  Now I am averaging 100.  That is down 57 points from when I started in March 2013.

BP - 107/72 (home machine) - HR 52

In my professional life, I am a consultant who has helped companies turn around, I have invented technologies, and I have managed thousands of people.  I have helped companies establish visions, set goals, define measurable objectives, and put in place tactical plans to deliver on the vision.   I have helped many people establish career goals and then develop a plan to get there.

But in my daily life, it is difficult to apply those thought patterns to help me change - and many of us diabetics do have to change.  So I thought I would take this post and see if I can make this simple and explain how I used my professional knowledge to help me drive my life style change.  Again, if you have specific questions - go ahead and email.

Long Term - What (Vision)?

I think this is the most difficult for a diabetic.  Long term, you are and will be a diabetic.  There is no cure, we can only manage or make it better.  There are other diseases out there that are like this - we are not alone. Some of them are deadly and take lives.  With us, we can control and make life style changes that will add to our life; but it is an everyday struggle.

So our long term feels like it will never come.  So my suggestion is to think of your life and managing your disease  in 3-5 year stages as a business does.  Bill Gates did not set a vision to own and run a 90  billion dollar company of Watson did not set out to build IBM.  They went there in stages and you must as well.  So pick something that is out there on the horizon that you can enjoy and make that your vision.

A vision is something that we can see in our mind's eye.  Your mind is a mighty weapon in all of this or it can be your worst enemy.  It has the ability to allow you to see into the future and see your self in a happy place.  Let it do that.  Sit back and say - 3 years from now here is something I would want to do that I would really enjoy.  Sit quietly and allow your mind to work its wonders.

What was one of my visions - I want to be able to play a competitive round of golf as a super senior.  When I am age 65, I can play in that category and I know I will enjoy it because I play golf and I loved playing competitively.  Now I am smart enough to know I cannot just wake up when I am 65 and play golf again.  I need some goals, objectives, and a plan to get there.

Here is a vision or goal I think we should be extremely careful with as it can set us up for quick failure - I need to loose 40 pounds.  I think this is disaster waiting to happen.  I will discuss why this dis not work for me and another thought that did.  But that will be in a later post.

Goals - Milestones we can reach

To move forward then I had to start developing goals for myself.  Goals are just places we want to be in the future.  It is not a measurable item, just a state that we can check in on once in awhile and see how we are doing.  So what were my goals:

• Be fit enough to allow me to play three consecutive days without getting tired during a tournament
• All of this while under the stress of winning or doing well
• Develop a swing that provides consistency and can hold up under stress
• Develop a short game to get me out of trouble when I get into trouble
• Develop an eating style that allows me play and focus on golf - not what time is it and when is my next eating to take place.  Or better yet, eat some higher carbohydrate foods that help provide energy. WOW, a diabetic eating high carbohydrate food and not experiencing a sugar high then a low - what a lofty dream. 

These were just simple break downs that I could check in on, say every six months, and do a gut check if I am doing better.

In case you are reading other material like goals and objectives - know that these terms have often been exchanged for each other.  I like saying goal as it feels to me like it is a place I want to be.

Objectives - Measurable progress

Each of the goals are broken down into objectives that help drive to a completed goal.  At this level I must start thinking about things I can measure that will provide activity monitoring and making sure I am moving forward.  You see, the mind's eye can be your best friend or enemy.  It can give you the perception things are going well when they are not.  So to keep a check on it, we verify and measure with objectives.

So how do I break my goals into objectives.  Well let's just take being fit.  When I am 65, I will be ridding in a cart so you do not have to walk long distances. But I need to have my knees in shape and my heart strong enough so it does not get tired and I do not want to run out of energy so I have to work on stamina as well.

My objectives are simple - these are just a couple:

• For my knees, I know I have to be around 120 pounds of leg lifts of 3 sets of 10.  One of the things I work on in the gym daily.  I am at 90 pounds now - so I can break it down on a monthly basis and see if I am improving.
• Be able to walk on the treadmill for 2 hours with 15 minutes of that at an incline of 3 and a pace of 4.  I am at 35 minutes on the treadmill and can do 5 minutes on my goal.  I can measure this monthly and see how I am doing.

 Making it work weekly to keep you going

Now for the real trick, or the secret I use to keep myself up each week and try to stay positive and reach my vision, goals, and objectives.  I see where I am at mentally, emotionally, and physically and try to break the week down like a vision, what do I want to be able to accomplish this week. 

With my new swing change, I am struggling and my scores going the wrong direction.  Sound familiar.  So instead of quitting and being discouraged, this week I am working specifically on my hand action at impact of ball.  I have a tendency to cast versus swing through the ball.  So instead of worrying about my score or how good or bad I am playing, this week I have made it a mission to develop a good feeling for the proper hand action. I need short term steps to keep myself on the journey.  It is too easy to quit and say the vision was too much to achieve.  

I do this same thing with my diabetes and life style change.  I find myself being up and down and could not figure out why - I should feel good all of the time - I have gotten myself off medications.  But it is not that simple, I need to establish new goals as I have reached some of my old ones.  I needed something to help me stay focused on this disease and not ride the emotional up and down.  My new goal was to get involved and make a difference to this community. That is a nice vision and then I had to break it down into some goals.  One goal - start a blog.

This blog is my diary and journal.  I am in control and can say what I want - it provides a release valve.  I am also encouraged by the many readers - I am amazed at how many people felt alone like I did.  I do not know your faces, names, or who you are - but I do see the count of readers daily.  It makes me feel a part of a community of caring people.  I can once again develop a vision, goals, and objectives around my disease and manage it daily without losing hope.

May God bless you in your journey and help your mind's eye give you a journey you can see and enjoy achieving.  

Bob,

Reversing or Cured?

Have I cured my diabetes?

Evening readings

BS - 93

BP - 124/74 (home machine) - HR 54

I get asked questions and often asked how I cured my diabetes.  Let me say this LOUD AND CLEAR - there is NO CURE FOR DIABETES!  If I come up with a method or process to cure diabetes, then I will not be writing this blog - I will be outselling my magical cure and I will hire someone to write my blog while I sit on a beach.

I have recently joined the American Diabetes Association community and there we can post questions and gain responses.  There are people who can and do mix the terms.  I am not one of them.

Remember in a previous post I mentioned how our body processes sugar (carbohydrates) is the issue, not the sugar.  So my belief would be, I would have to actually change how the chemistry of my body would function to actually create a cure.

I do not want anyone to think the process I went through and going through is a CURE for diabetes.  But I have REVERSED the direction I was heading and how diabetes was controlling my life.  I do not even think you can REVERSE diabetes, although there is much literature out there that touts that as well.  Again, if you can completely reverse if then you "in reality" have cured it and I do not think that will happen in my life time.

So let me review what I mean by reversing or reversed my diabetes - from the top.

Taking drugs to control my blood glucose level:

I used to take prescribed medicines to attempt to keep my blood glucose level between 7.0 and 8.5.  Some of my highest levels were at 9.2 when I was on medication.  These medications do have side effects.  Now that I have found natural products or organic food that also helps control blood glucose levels, I was able to get off medications.  By coming off medications, I think I am also slowing down the effects they were having on my body.  My A1C is running about 6.1 off medications - that is a reversal in my mind.

Eat 3 meals plus 3 snacks:

I used to run on a high / low roller coaster regarding my eating and blood glucose level.  I now eat three meals a day - like most people - and I do not experience lows.  Therefore, I do not have to run around and find something to spike my sugars up.  I am currently experiencing more times in the day when my blood glucose level is between 90 and 110.  That is very normal.  I can also go out and eat food I would have never had before.  Most often after eating I am at 120 when I used to reach spikes in the 200s.  Again, to me this is a reversal of the process.

I have lost 40 pounds:

This is probably the big winner.  By losing 40 pounds my blood glucose is naturally going to come down.  By losing the weight I am going to fell more energetic and  thus allow me to feel like going to exercise more where I am strengthening my body and burning calories and other things that need to be burned out of our bodies.  Going from a couch potato to spending 1-2 hours in the gym each day is definitely a reversal.

So when I say I reversed diabetes, I simply mean I come off my roller coaster ride and I am now enjoying a more "normal"  approach to life.   Do I think it will last forever - nope!  The disease is in me and will not come out or go away.  It is waiting for the day I go to sleep again and not on guard - it will come back like a category 5 hurricane!

So may you see controlling or reversing your diabetes as a temporary and enjoyable state.

May God help you get there as he has me and help you stay the coarse as I prey he will help me.

Bob,

Food Supplement Program

Too Much - Too Little - Just Right

I took my vitals again this evening versus in the morning

BS - 97

BP 125/75 - HR 70 (home machine)

I am really blown away by everyone's support.  By that I mean the number of people who enter each day and read this blog or have subscribed to getting the email.  We have reached people in 5 countries - that is right - this is going international.  I hope someone there will benefit from this and that is all I can ask.

I have made many changes to my life style and one of those is the amount of supplements or food additives I now take.  I realize the chart below may be difficult to read but enlarge your browser and it should work.

I have no idea if I am taking too much, too little, or just right.  What I have found is the FDA is willing to establish a MINIMUM required to sustain a healthy norm - whatever that means.  But they will not tell us when we might be taking too much.  As I did my research - no one has to identify what % sugar meets the required minimum - I find it odd they have not established a minimum or maximum

In addition to the items below, I take a One-A-Day (mainly out of habit), 2 baby aspirin, and biotin.

About three months ago I discovered, a doctor in California that works to manage diabetes naturally.  She has developed a supplement that appears to do very well for managing blood sugar levels.  I think it really helps me but I am doing so many things it really is hard to tell if there is one magic bullet.

As you can see, I get the most bang for my buck out of the spurilina and Akea essentials.  I add one tablespoon to my green drink of the spurilina and one scoop of Akea Essentials.  Then in the afternoon, I have another Akea Essentials in my afternoon water.

So without FDA guidelines to help us figure out if we are taking too much, we are left to manage as we always do - by monitoring and getting to know our bodies.  I suggest talking it over with your doctor as well. 

As always, may God bless each of you and thanks for the support.

Bob,

I Crave Sweets

Must I stop sugars all together?  Bummer I love sweet things!

Before Supper - Did not take in the morning

BS - 85

BP - 124/74 (home machine) - HR 60

Instead of talking about the vitamins I take - which I will do tomorrow - I thought it important to share some things I have learned through my research and over time about sweeteners and sugars.

I must love sweets; I have loved my sweet wife for 39 years - closer to 40.  But let's keep that our secret or it will go to her head and then I will be in trouble. 

Oh course we all love sweets in different forms - we are diabetics.  So to tell us to stop all our carbohydrates, candy bars, cakes, ice cream, and oh yeah - Grandma's pancakes with lots of syrup; IS JUST WRONG!

What I wish someone would have told me along time ago, that has taken 20 years to learn, not all sugars are bad - that would have been nice.  So I am going to take a shot at informing you on what I have experienced and what I have learned.

Myth number one - sugar is the bad guy in sugar diabetes.  WRONG!!! We need sugars to help us think, for energy, and is a natural requirement of our daily nutrients to function.  Diabetes is really about how our bodies react to sugar and its inability to process it properly.  Add to that the bad sugars we have been consuming for years and you get - DIABETES!

So let's talk about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in relationship to sugars.  The ugly part is the refined sugar that we have been living on for years.  We buy this by the 5 pound bags and use it in cooking, drinks, and on top of cereal.  It is heavily processed and is a lot sweeter than Mother Nature's sugars - the ones we were meant to consume - not the ones from a factory.

I was fortunate and I left that refined sugar behind a long time ago because of  my sweet wife and carrying about me.  I also had a father who was diabetic and used a lot of artificial sweeteners.   So many years ago I switched to artificial sweeteners knowing they may be bad for me but better than  processed sugars.

So if processed sugars are ugly and artificial sweeteners are bad, what does good look like?  Well, good really does come in three flavors and is in the eyes of the beholder - I would say my experience on this is to try them out and find the one or two that satisfy your craving and give it 21 days to become "OKAY" with you and your body.  Next thing you know you will have created a habit or life style change.  JUST MAKE SURE YOU DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR!!

Good sweeteners are Turbinado Sugar (raw sugar), fruit juice concentrate, evaporated cane juice, and agave syrup.  I could spend a blog just discussing each of these sugars.  The "raw sugar" is mainly found in Europe and is called "Brown Sugar" when you are there.  It comes from sugar cane and is slowly boiled down and still contains the good product - molasses.  I would use this while I lived in London and found it did not spike my sugars as much.  It was not until I did my research that I found out it was actually good for me - I just thought it another form of processed sugars.

The agave syrup I tried as well.  It had little or no effect on my blood sugar level.  I found it to be very sweet and it can be put on a lot of things.  My problem, it was a lot like honey and a little messy and hard to take with me.

Better sweeteners can be 100% pure maple syrup  (be careful when buying - many knock offs), brown rice syrup, and naturally honey.  Many people use local honey because it is supposed to also help with allergies.

Then my daughter introduced me to the Best sweetener group and it includes coconut sugar, muscovado sugar (unrefined sugar cane), and Stevia.  Do not mix this one up with True-nevia or other artificial sweeteners.  Stevia should go to the head of the class and I will spend one blog talking about it.  It is plant based and tastes great, sweet, and many naturalists know about it - why not us diabetics.  

To end then with the UGLY DO NOT CONSUME sweeteners -  any artificial sweeteners, xylitol, and brown sugar made from sugar cane - still refined but not as refined as white sugar.  And the most ugly sugar of all - yup - high-fructose corn syrup.  When you see this on a label, run - do not walk away from the product - run fast and hard the other way.

Today I end with this.  A very nice young woman at work told me both her parents have this dreadful disease.  This is my dream to bring this out in a close circle of friends and talk about it.  I hope her parents will read my blog and learn something to help ease their pain.  I will add them to my prayers and ask that you do the same.  It is for them I write this blog and anyone else out there wanting to do something about their situation.

May God put each one of you on a journey that works for you as mine has for me.

Bob, 

Going Green - Super Food Spirulina

My favorite meal of the day - not!!!!

Fasting BS - 101 (WOW) Nearly normal in the morning.  I did not eat late again late last night.  There might be something to this eating pattern.

BP - 108/66 (my home machine) - HR - 62

Evening BS - 97

BP - 125/80 (home machine) - HR 64

When talking to people they say "oh yeah, I do one of those drinks in the morning."  Then I ask what they have in it.  Fruit, almond milk, berries, other supplements.  That is a smoothie - not a green drink.  A green drink is based on plant foods that are often called "super" foods.  They provide amazing levels of the nutrients our bodies desire and they make it easy to get our daily intake of vegetables.

I do not care what anyone tells you - green drinks are not tasty.  They are based on some very high nutrient plant food and nothing that tastes like McDonald or Dairy Queen ice cream.  To me it tastes horrible and I use Dr. Ox's recipe that most people on TV tasted it and said it was good.  Only on a TV show!!!!

So what goes in mine?  Before going there, I should mention that Amy, a colleague recommend a Nutri-Bullet  They are easy to clean, I can make the drink myself, and it finely slices so all of the fiber stays in the drink - something very important to us diabetics.

My drink is spinach based so starts with a handful of spinach.  Then I add my tablespoon of spirulina (algae), then my scope of AKEA Essentials (47 powdered "things"), and a scope of Whey Protein powder.  I add 4-5 half sticks of celery and then add 5-6 slices of a cucumber.  I then add half a green apple (less sugar than red ones), a squeeze of lemon, and a squeeze of lime.  I then fill up my Nuti-Bullet with almond milk.  

I blend all of that up into a "yummy" drink, head down stairs to check my vitals and check my email and blog to see how many people have read it over the night.  That is my morning routine and my breakfast.  Like I said - not Grandma's pancake breakfast.

I have talked a little about AKEA Essentials and I am hoping I can get Antonia to blog about her success and AKEA Essentials.  In this post, I would like to talk a little more in depth about the spirulina and a study about green drinks.  Before doing that two other super foods can be used with or to replace the spirulina - chlorella (another algae) and barley grass that was been used by the Ancient Egyptians.

Spirulina is a single-celled blue-green algae that has been around forever.  The green comes from chlorophyll and the blue color from an exotic pigment called phycocyanin, which is known to help stimulate the creation of other stem cells.

Spirulina is an incredible source of minerals needed to support pancreatic health and insulin sensitivity.  The amount of minerals delivered by this one super food is out of this world! I will take a post and put forth all my supplements so you can have a laundry list of all of the minerals and nutrients I take daily.  As I have stated before, these things helped me short term but I see them also the process by which my liver and pancreas can help themselves heal.  With the right "food", then maybe they can function properly, along with my blood cells taking in the proper insulin, as close to normal as I can get.

A major study, published in the Journal of Medical Food in 2001 was appropriately called "Role of Spirulina in the control of Glycemia and Lipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus."    After two months of receiving spirulina supplements, the study participants had an appreciable lowering of fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose (after eating).  In addition, their A1C was lowered meaning the super food helped short term and long term blood sugar management.

The group also had slightly lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and a slightly higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

I do not know about you, but all these things sounded good to me.  As I mentioned, shortly after taking the chromium, I added the green drink and the spirulina was the first super food I added.  I truly believe the research and what it said about the short term and long term effect of green drinks and spirulina and the importance of them in managing my blood sugar level..

After all, my fasting BS is still coming down and I can eat now without my BS spiking.  My A1C is also lower.  I am doing so many things and hard to tell - but I do believe the drink was one of the big players in lowering and sustaining my blood sugars.

For you non-diabetics; do not get confused BS is not something produce by a bull, it is your blood sugar.

If you really want a treat - do what I did.  When you get your spirulina, waste a scope and try adding it to water and drinking it.  First you will be amazed at how much it resembles the dark blue ocean waters and secondly, you will most likely look for the first place to dump it.  The "let me try it alone" was what lead me to the green drink - I just had to do it to be able to take the stuff in.

I hope you can find a green drink - there are now hundreds of recipes on the internet and many swear they helped someone's diabetes.  And you know, I now believe them!

May God bless you and keep you safe.  May he give you and your loved ones the ability to see all of this coming early.  I know if I had done this in 2000, I would have saved my body 13 years of ups and downs.

Bob,

I Hate Exercise

Get up, get out, and do something (Set a Goal)

BS - 114 Fasting this morning.  94 tonight after exercise at 9:30

BP - 114/70 my machine at home HR - 55

BP - 4:30 at Kroger machine - 110/60 HR - 52

BP - 9:30 110/70 my machine HR - 72 after exercise

I continue to be blown away by your support.  The amount of people reading this blog is going up and we are reaching numbers that indicates we can help one person.  please keep up the support by spreading the word.

Yesterday was a difficult day.  I was seeing spots in my eyes at church and when I would stand up I would feel like I was going to faint.  My blood pressure machine was reading lower than normal and I had to run down to the local clinic to test my blood pressure.  Everything turned out okay - just something a little strange but numbers are okay.

I want to make sure everyone knows the difference between exercise and playing sports.  I love to play sports.  When I was a kid I played all kinds of sports and would play tennis hours on end.  Even to the point my Dad would have to come to the park and "coax" me home for supper.  For those of you who know my Dad, you know what the word "coax" stands for! 

I also loved to run.  I would run to check the cows in the pasture versus taking the truck.  I would run just to go somewhere.  When I joined the Corps, I loved them, they wanted to run everywhere.  I even enjoyed putting on the 60 pound pack and running.

I picked up playing handball, racquetball, softball, and golf in the Corps.  I played handball and softball for the Hawaiian Marines, racquetball for the Okinawa Marines, and golf for the Camp Lejeune Marines.  When I was stationed in Hawaii, I would run from Camp Smith (the one over looking Pearl Harbor) to Kaneohe; a beautiful run over the Pauli and the through the rain forest.

Then my world started to change.  I developed runner's knees and could not even run three miles to pass the fitness test Marines have to complete twice a year.  I was given a no running chit and placed on remedial physical training.  Can you say OMG.  I hated it.  Standing in a room of smelly people lifting weights and working on machines - I thought I was in Hell!  I would not go, I would get into trouble, I would show up, I would not do what I was supposed to, and I would get into more trouble.  It was vicious - but in the end - I won!  I got so bad with my knees they just put me on permanent no running and I did not have to take the fitness test - problem solved!  By the way, 30 years later, the Government now recognizes I was disabled and they send me a little check each month.  Not bad - only took them 30 years.

I continued to try and play racquetball and my knees got worse until I damaged them so bad I had surgery and could not play any more.  That left me with walking the golf course as my only exercise.  As long as you can walk and play it is good exercise - then all of that stopped as well.

Roll it forward 20 years and you still are looking in the face of a man who just hates to exercise.  My wife and kids have tried everything from stretching, to swimming, to walking.  I liked the walking, especially with my wife.  It is like playing a sport - I feel like I am going somewhere.  Walking is good and better than sitting on a couch - but you are not working the very organs in your body that need to stay fit; your heart and your blood supply.  Both need to be increased to carry more oxygen and to be able to regulate blood sugars.

So after losing the weight and settling down with all my other life style changes, I added exercise to my life style change.  I started this about 6 weeks ago and I am now up to 45 minutes on the tread mill and 30 - 45 minutes on weights.  I end the day by sitting in a steam room.  I am lucky as a YMCA is only 4 miles away.

You might asked how a man who hates something so bad is willing to do it.  We learn that sticking to something for 21 days can make a life style change or become habit.  Well, to get myself past the 21 days, I set two goals for myself.  Remember how I discussed setting goals in a previous post.

My two goals were:

1. Have and retain a more active life with my wife into our future years.
2. Be able to compete in a super senior (Age 65) golf tournament.  I loved golf and the competition

They do not seem like much but they have sure kept me going.  Now my body wants to be there and release tension, get the blood stirring, and make it feel alive again.  A very nice by product has been lower stress levels and I think it has really contributed to my lower blood pressure.  I think my blood sugars continue to go down as I am forcing more oxygen through the blood.  In the end it will all be good.

Oh yeah - did I tell you I still hate it!  The real motivator - it is the gym or the couch and watch the sugar levels go back up.  No thanks - I am choosing the exercise - makes more sense.

May God bless you on your journey and be able to help you identify some activity, regardless of what it is, that will help keep you moving and getting some form of exercise.

Bob,

My support team - Get one

Those that care about me the most

Fasting BS - 110 (WOW) this is low for me in the morning.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post - I am going to also add not eating at night before I go to bed and see how this impacts my morning blood sugars.  Since I had supper at 6:30 and did not eat after that - I think this is a positive step.

BP - 99/70 home machine - still too low and monitoring closely

HR - 60 (I am wondering why this is increasing as I am adding a lot of exercise) - my resting should be better.  No complaints as this is normal but mine has been lower.

How important do I think a support team is?  I am not sure how anyone could make this journey without one.   When you are up you want to share and when you are down you want someone to care.  When you are being bad you need someone to remind you that your are a diabetic and what you are eating will take away from your life in the end.  Of course this all has to be done in a supportive way - not a nagging way.

My support team consists of my God, immediate family (wife and children), birth family (brother, sister, and cousins), friends, co-workers, and men's club.

God

The most important support team member is my God.  My God is the father of Jesus Christ, father of Abraham, and the God we put on our money in the USA, and the one we used to be able to speak about freely.  As a Christian, I then get Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help me along the way.  As a Catholic Christian I have learned there are many other Saints that can be called upon along with Mary; mother of Jesus.  

I do not care if you do not want to pull your support from my God; but, I do encourage you to pull support from a higher being.  AA, Celebrating recovery, and many other groups have you pull on the support from a higher power.  A higher power does many things for you, but most importantly I think a higher power is someone you can draw hope from, someone to hold you when you feel alone, someone to be there when it feels no other person cares or understands, and someone to provide you the support you are doing okay and moving forward in your journey is good for you and your higher power.

Immediate Family

Here on earth, this is by far and away the team that needs to support you the most.  I am so blessed to have a family who is there and who has taken the time to provide some tough love regarding my disease.  Without that, I would not be writing this blog today - I would have nothing to say to the world.  My wife is my greatest support and I have often made it difficult for her.  I have several people I know who are diabetics and I see their mood swings when sugar levels are up and down.  I am the same way.  I can also get tired, want to sleep, just be lazy.  So when she would try to move me in a positive direction - I could be cranky.  Now that I am feeling better and mood swings are not as dramatic - I wish I could take all those times I was cranky back.

My daughter Sarah was the one to step forward with some tough love.  She has been on her own health journey and in her golf business, she works with people to understand how their mind and body can be limitations to improving their golf game.  I am so glad she was there to kick me where I sit and put my head back on my shoulders.

My son Brian has always been a friend and is one to say gentle things to move me along.  Lydia, his wife, is a nutritionist and  together they have tried to encourage health and eating.  When we visited them in Boston this year - they were good enough to go to places where I could eat a nice meal and not feel left behind.  Brian has always been the gentle support moving me forward knowing I am pretty stubborn at times and head on is not the best approach.  His role has been valuable in many areas of my life.

Others

My birth family is there every step of the way encouraging, challenging, and making sure I am doing everything I can to get better.  Even when Sharon, my sister, was down visiting us she was encouraging what to eat, going to the doctor, and sharing what she has learned.  James, my brother, is always there to listen to his little brother.  He keeps me grounded on God and what Jesus has done for him.  Sometimes his special relationship with Jesus makes me jealous; but, I am extremely pleased he has done so many things with his life as well and God has really brought him back from the brinks of Hell.

I have cousins that have reached out to me and warned me if it looked like I was making the wrong move or encouraged me to share what I have been doing.  Even though distant and we communicate through Facebook, our bloodline is shared and we all know we have the wrong genes when it comes to diabetes.

My friends and co-workers are unbelievable.  They are there to ask how I am doing, to share their experiences, to lend a hand anytime I need it.  They make up this huge safety net that is difficult to fall through.  When falling, there provide so many arms to hold you up.  The other day at work when I was finally taken off my high blood pressure medicine; they were genuinely excited for me and asked for my blog.

Finally, I am in a men's club; St. Matthews Men's Club, and these guys are great.  During the October meeting, one of the members, Joe White, had been talking to me about my diabetes and I have kept him posted.  That night was the day after the doctor took me off my high blood pressure medicine and I shared with Joe I was finally medicine free.  That evening we were lucky to have our Sgt. of Arms, Randy Howington, back as he was near death from heart failure and diabetes.  We all naturally welcomed Randy back and was glad to see him back in health.  Joe then took it upon himself to announce to the group that the club had a member who was beating diabetes - medicine free and that I would be too proud to share with the group.  He took it upon himself to share my success story and wanted the club to appreciate my efforts.  I was blown away and honored.  A few guys came up afterwards to discuss my story and then in the email containing the meeting highlights, they told my story again and shared the link to my blog.

Without this support mechanism, in my opinion you must be struggling.  I just could not imagine walking with this disease and not having crutches along the way when my legs are tired of the journey.  I can only prey to God that he keeps these crutches in my journey for the rest of my days.

If you do not have a support team and you are reading this blog, let me know, I will become part of your support team.  No one should fight this alone!

God bless each of you as the number of reads on this page are going up and up.  Means I may reach my goal of helping one individual slow down their march to insulin or even a worse fate with this crazy disease.  

Bob,

Eating Myth or Truth

What to eat and when to eat - that is the question?

I have been taking my blood sugars at different times now just to get some idea of how I am doing.  Today I played golf and had a snack bar and a Payday after the round.

BS - 126 (2 hours later)

BP - 107/75 home machine

HR - 60

I was going to discuss my support team today but decided since tomorrow is Sunday and God is a major team player, I would wait and give him credit on his day.  So today, I want to discuss something else I have learned along the way and think it is helping.

When I first got this blasted disease - or when the first doctor told me - I was running ups and downs because I would not eat.  I would fill cravings with something but I never really felt hunger pains so I would go all day without eating.  The doctor told me this was the main reason I was having the problem and I should eat six times a day.  So I started the routine, breakfast (45 carbs - check), morning snack (15 carbs - check), lunch (45 carbs - check), afternoon snack (15 carbs - check), evening meal (45 carbs - check), and night time snack (15 carbs - check).  I was just eating to check boxes.

As medicines were changed, I was having lows right after breakfast and taking my morning medicine.  I would then snack early - drive it up, lay back on carbs at lunch, then try to manage the rest of the day.  This also required the traditional prick in the finger to test the blood.  As I have said - DIABETES, MY FREE ROLLER COASTER RIDE!  It did not matter I just kept trying and getting farther behind the fast moving train.

I did some research and it was confirmed by Suzy Cohen in her book, "Diabetes without Drugs", identified several studies that argued for eating balanced meals three times a day not the constant eating.  In summary, it boils down to how the pancreas and the brain work - each time we eat.

• You eat something
• Blood sugar rises after a meal - insulin is released from the beta cells of the pancreas
• Bad news - your cells resist the action of insulin
• Excessive sugar in the blood stream causes the pancreas to release more insulin as your blood cells are still asking for it
• Excess insulin stimulates your fat cells to keep releasing leptin
• Your brain and pancreas start to resist the "feel full" feeling
• High insulin levels from leptin cause insulin resistance throughout the body
• Your body stuffs more fat into your fat cells - can you say spare tire!!

Many researches agree that eating at regular times is the right thing to do and eating at irregular times does cause spikes in blood sugars.  But meals should be spaced out and not eat 6 times a day but 3 times and let the body work naturally.  They also recommend low carb meals - no matter what.  We diabetics know this but we are always encouraged to eat the "right" amount of carbs.

Finally - do not eat after the last meal of the day - give your body 10 - 12 hours to work quietly.  I am still working on that one.  My fasting blood sugar level is always my highest of the day - in the morning.  So I have been trained to eat a little at night.

This is one of the first things I did, stop stuffing when I did not feel I needed to eat.  

My wife and I have discussed this recently how we no longer feel we must get to some food and watch the clock.  It is a small freedom all by itself.  The regular part is something we still struggle with at the evening meal - we try to get in an hour of exercise each day along with a 2 mile walk with the dog.

I now eat three times a day and working on the no snacks at night.

Hope this, like all the blogs, helps and makes some sense.  Many of the things we are told to do - just might not be good for us.  As usual - check with your doctor.

For now, God bless you and help us all through this political storm of a government shut down.

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,

 

Roller Coaster Emotions

Diabetes - my free roller coaster ride

Today I had a bad day and my emotional roller coaster ride (diabetes) was just that.  So I thought I would step back from all my exciting stuff and share the difficult times as well that will occur on this journey.  So once again, I am going to hold off on drugs and what I found out and talk about the emotional ride and swings I go through.

Yesterday was one of those days that capped a week long return of good news and positives about what I am doing.  Dropping my high blood pressure medicine was the ultimate.  I was so pumped up I had to leave work as my mind was every but there.

At the same time I was at the doctor's office I was getting my first testosterone shot - I have had 3 visits (18) months of having low T and the VA only gives shots.  But I was so excited I just never gave it a thought.  Today, it bothers me that this too will be a life long event.

This morning I woke up to start may day as usual, take blood sugars, measure blood pressure, and then make my green drink for breakfast.  Then the "I am still a diabetic" attitude set in.  I decided not to prick my finger one day and be a rebel.  Along with that, forget putting my arm in compression and seeing what my blood pressure is - forget it all, I am taking a day off from being a diabetic.

 Then the day got really bad, I had to make my green drink.  So no matter what you hear or read - I say breakfast is not a green drink.  I started thinking about when I was a kid and stayed at Grandma's house and Uncle John was home from the Navy.  We would have a pancake eating contest.  I am positive everyone knew I would lose but Grandma made some pretty good pancakes along with eggs and some sort of meat.  Now that is a real breakfast and I do not remember how I felt losing but I do remember the smell of her breakfast as if I was there now!

Later in life, I worked for a farmer and Adeline, his wife, would make breakfast for everyone after I completed choirs.  She had 2-3 kinds of meat, eggs, french toast, coffee (that I hated), milk, fruit, and about everything else you can add to a breakfast feast.  Now that is a real breakfast feat.

Somehow getting up and loading spinach, cucumbers, celery, almond milk, lemon juice, lime juice, a third of an apple, algae from the ocean, and a hole bunch of natures best condensed into a power into a blender, just did not feel like it was breakfast.  Lucky for me, I decided, this one activity I need to keep up with and make sure I get some good things in me that will help me stay where I am.  I then was a good boy and took my supplements as well.  Not a breakfast I will remember or a smell that will linger - well maybe, as algae smells pretty bad!

At lunch time I met an old friend from a previous job just to catch up.  He does not have any real health issues that I am aware of and he was able to look at the menu and "PICK" what he wanted.  Me, I had to look it over, think in my mind what is good for me, what will keep the sugar levels down, and how it is prepared.  It is like watching Halloween 14, a never ending stupid serial - diabetes feels like that to me sometimes.  I am forced to get up each day and watch the same stupid movie as yesterday.  Maybe I should see it more like Groundhog Day!

Diabetes is something that cannot be cured, just managed.  There are so many diseases like that and most often I am happy my affliction is only diabetes.  But today was not one of those days - I felt angry at everyone and anything.  

Well, good news is I stayed the course and hopefully will pick back up where I left off yesterday - as far as excitement and progress goes.  For today, I thank each of you for listening and letting me vent.

I also want to thank God for giving me the courage to stay the course.  Along the way, when you are in the bottom of your roller coast ride and life is just kicking you in the teeth, find comfort somewhere - this disease can be maddening most if not all of the time.  Find a good support mechanism like I have.  This too is part of the journey.

Just remember, this is your disease - not your support group.  It is also your responsibility to manage it - not your support group.  In the end - you must own it and manage it!

May God help each of us move through this together.

Bob,

Medically Close to Death

My diabetes - when it and I was bad!

Today my fasting BS was 122

BP was 99/65 (Doctor's office) and HR was 57

The doctor took me off blood pressure medicine so I am now totally free of all prescribed medicines.  What a six month journey it has been!  But as you will soon learn - it is not just the six month journey that is the real story.

I know today I said I would discuss what I learned about the drugs we take and how they can be our best friend and our worst enemy - love/hate relationship.

But today, with so many people asking me questions and wanting to hear more, I thought this was a good time to discuss my entire journey with diabetes and how I was most likely near death just 8 years ago.  So please be patient and I will get back to the research in the next blog.

In 2000 I was diagnosed as pre-diabetes, meaning I had to watch it and monitor it with diet and exercise.  I never really ate meals or food and that was supposedly my big problem - I would go 1-2 days without eating.    You might think I have a bad wife; but, when I was on the road all the time - she could only ask and I would say "I forgot or did not have time."  So the change I made was to teach myself to eat more regularly.

In 2005 I had a gig in Cincinnati and I would come home on Friday and drive back on Sunday night.  I was losing weight and feeling pretty good about myself.  But my wife, was not seeing it the same way.  I later learned she was extremely distraught by my weight lose and the fact I had a gray color to my skin.  Later I found even my neighbors were concerned by my color.  They all knew I was not really healthy.

Anyway, God sent her to the YMCA one day and the YMCA had a health fair going on.  At the fair, a doctor was looking for people who had diabetes, was not taking any medications, and who had an A1C between 7 and 11.  She got me all of the information and talked me into registering and going in on Monday before going back to Cincinnati and get into the two year program.

I thought great - diabetes (check), no medicines (check), and A1C between 7 and 11 (check - especially since I was losing weight).  Monday I fasted as we diabetics know we have to and went in to get enrolled in this magical 2 year program that would provide free medical support for 2 years.

After taking the tests, I was asked to stay around and if I passed the tests, then he could enroll me in the program.  After waiting an hour, I was getting impatient and was going to leave.  But something (God) kept me in my chair that day to stick it out.

The doctor called me in and said he had two levels of bad news. I could not join the program as my A1C was 13.3 and my fasting sugar level was 530.  I thought I was going to faint as I become so scared I did not even know what to do.  Then he dropped the big one on me that he was not my doctor and could not prescribe any medicines until I had a full physical.

There I was, near death from this crap, and I had to drive to Cincinnati to get back to work.  I had to tell my wife and leave her worrying about me.  We discussed what I needed to do and that was basically cut out everything but meats and good vegetables.  I was so scared and felt so alone.  But she was there that week and I would call her from the grocery store to ask her about products or how to cook something.  This continued for 6-8 weeks.

Then we received a call from the doctor saying he had great news - he had another study that had the same requirements except you had to have an A1C over 11.  I was really excited and drove down just to get into the program.  After taking the tests, I blew it as I had starved myself so hard that my A1C had dropped to 10.9.  He felt so bad he asked me to sugar up a little and used my daily sugar level and got me into the program.  I hope his drug company never finds out - TOO LATE!!!

For two years he took care of me and I took care of my diet.  The only bad news - I started the slow death march of some checkups being good and some being bad.  Sometimes he would add medicine and other times take it away.  It was a study paid for by a drug company - what else should I expect.

Anyway - after the two year study he was at his patient limit but made an exception for me as we had become friends over the two years.  He said he would take me on as a patient if I promised to quit smoking, lose some weight, and work on lowering my blood sugars.  I never really did any of that and finally I started going to the VA for other medical reasons.  I do need to get back and see him - I think I will do that this week.

With this story now out there, you can understand why my family was extremely disappointed and alarmed when my March doctor visit was so bad and I was now looking at insulin.  The battle was being lost and my daughter did not want me to give up.  She laid out the ultimatum that I described in my first blog and that started this six month / life changing journey.

We had already received one scare that this disease was doing its thing and now another one.

Once again I can only thank God for the interventions he has had in my life through my guardian angels - it has been an experience over the past 8 years.

Anyway - now the truth is out there and I can get back to the six month journey and what I have been doing to change my health.

I am off to the YMCA to work out.  May God grant you peace and help you with your health journey.

Bob,