Basically, Stuff and Nonsense
By Jan Chait
Last week, I said I would tell you this week what your doctor should be doing and how often, but it will have to wait another week. Instead of writing, I ended up spending a lot of time trying to get past a software glitch to finish up something that should have been in yesterday. I won't get into the details, but it took hours.
Hey! I reached a goal! I was getting onto my scooter just fine from every place except the desk chair, but I finally cleared that hurdle one day last week. Normally, I get onto the scooter by putting one hand on the seat, the other on the tiller, and lifting myself up to the seat.
Aft...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 27, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Juicing: Is It for You?
By Amy Campbell
Ask people who have diabetes if they drink juice, and chances are they'll tell you that they don't. They may say that juice is "too high in sugar" or "too high in carbohydrate." They may tell you that drinking juice uses up all of their carb choices, or that juice sends their blood glucose sky-high. Ask the same question of a dietitian, and he may tell you that he usually doesn't recommend that people with diabetes drink juice for similar reasons.
But "juicing" is a whole different ballgame for some people. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about intermittent fasting as one of the latest trends. Juicing has al...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 26, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
FDA Sets Gluten-Free Labeling Guidelines
By Web Team
Celiac disease (an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) is an autoimmune condition in which the inner surface of the small intestine becomes damaged, leading to reduced absorption of all nutrients. As many as one in every 133 Americans may have the condition, and people with Type 1 diabetes are 10 times more likely than people without Type 1 diabetes to have it.
If you have celiac disease, or any other form of gluten sensitivity, you'll be pleased to hear that the US Food and Drug Administration recently set a standard definition for the meaning of "gluten free" on food labels: F...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 24, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Nerve Damage and Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
By Diane Fennell
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring updated labeling on fluoroquinolone antibiotics that includes a stronger warning of the drugs' potential to cause rapid, and potentially permanent, development of peripheral neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy, which affects up to 70% of people with diabetes, is a type of nerve damage that can cause symptoms such as pain, numbness, and tingling in the hands, legs, arms, and feet. The condition is a known risk factor of systemic fluoroquinolones, and warnings about the risk were added to the drugs' labels in 2004. After reviewing the FDA Adverse Event ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 23, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
There Is No Right Answer
By Scott Coulter
Diabetes is a game of numbers. Blood glucose running too high, too low, a little a high, a little low, just right. Too many carbs, too few carbs, too many units, too few units, an insulin ratio that's too high, an insulin ratio that's too low. Everywhere we turn, it seems, we have these cold, hard numbers staring us in the face, telling us in very exacting, precise ways whether we "got it right" or didn't. There are meal plans to follow, exercise regimens to follow, dietary guidelines, and much more that I'm not even remembering at the moment.
The point of all this is that as people living with diabetes, w...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 22, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
Should You Rely on Your Doctor?
By David Spero
We gave our neighbor Sylvie a ride to her doctor. In the car, the talk turned to medicines. Sylvie said she was on seven or eight drugs. She didn't remember what they were all for, but said, "I leave that up to my doctor."
I'm scared for Sylvie. She has high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and asthma. She's a wonderful person, but she has a tough life, with custody of her young grandchildren and a part-time job. I can see why she might rely on her doctor to make all health decisions, but in my experience, that plan usually runs into trouble.
Her medicines could have side effects or interactions she doesn't...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 21, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Ads for Aspartame
By Quinn Phillips
Here at Diabetes Flashpoints, we have often discussed controversies related to certain sweeteners, as well as sugar. Sugar, particularly when used in soft drinks, is widely believed to be a major contributing factor to the epidemic of obesity in the United States, while certain other sweeteners are suspected of playing a role in obesity — under the theory that they make people hungry — as well as a host of other health conditions.
Since they rely so heavily on all types of sweeteners, beverage manufacturers have been particularly hurt by the growing suspicion of some sweeteners. According to...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 21, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Doctors, Doctors Everywhere — and We Need Them
By Jan Chait
Now that I'm pretty much recovered from my hospital ordeal (I still have some lingering problems getting onto the scooter from my desk chair), it's time to continue filling out my doctor dance card.
Most importantly, I need to reschedule my ophthalmologist appointment. I have two tiny little pinpoints of retinopathy — one in each eye — that don't need treatment and I don't want them to get any worse. If they do anyway, it's best to take care of the situation early.
My dentist just retired, so I need to make an appointment with my new one, as soon as I figure out who that will be.
And, thanks to my...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 20, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
What's New in the World of Weight Loss?
By Amy Campbell
The dog days of summer are here. Many of us will soon be headed back to school or work (hopefully after a well-deserved vacation). You might be thinking that it's time to try and get back in shape. This week, I'll address a few hot topics related to weight.
Eat a bigger breakfast, drop more weight
All you breakfast-skippers, listen up! If you want to shed a few pounds, it pays to eat a substantial breakfast, according to researchers. In a study published in the journal Obesity, 93 women followed one of two 12-week diet plans. The first plan involved eating 700 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch, and 200 at...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 19, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Back-to-School Checklist
By Web Team
September is fast approaching, which means that the start of the school year is almost here. If your child has diabetes, there are several items beyond stocking up on school supplies that should be on your back-to-school checklist. To find out what steps you should be taking before your child hits the books, check out this piece in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
And if you feel that your child could benefit from a diabetes support group at school, be sure to read this article, by counselor and support group leader Debra Madaris Efird, on how to start such a group.
This blog entry was written by ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 17, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Certain Antibiotics Linked to Blood Glucose Swings
By Diane Fennell
People with diabetes who take a certain class of antibiotics are more likely to experience severe swings in blood glucose, according to new research from Taiwan.
Previous research and case reports have raised concern about the possibility of severe high and low blood glucose associated with the use of fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics that includes ciprofloxacin (brand name Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and moxifloxacin (Avelox). One drug in this class, gatifloxacin (Tequin), was removed from the US market due to the risk of blood glucose fluctuations.
To assess the risk of severe blood gluc...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 16, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
Lessons Learned
By Scott Coulter
I attended a memorial service the other day for a fellow musician, someone I played with for a number of years. He was one of the greatest musicians I've ever had the pleasure to play with. And he was one of the most genuinely kind, good human beings I've ever known. His passing away relates to diabetes only on a broad level — on the level of learning to live gracefully with suffering, as Buddhists would say.
(Side note here: Suffering is actually a rather poor translation — the original word is dukkha, and it's not meant to be sad exactly, as much as to denote the entanglements and impediment...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 15, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
Good Stress
By David Spero
They say good stress can cause as many problems as bad stress. I don't know, but I'm learning, because a couple of weeks filled with "good" stress are kind of knocking me out.
First, is there really such a thing as good stress? "Good" apparently depends on how you respond. According to psychologist Hans Selye, who coined the term "stress," good stress is defined by how one perceives a stressor. Is it a negative threat or a positive challenge?
I guess my stresses are positive challenges. The big thing was my mother's 90th birthday. People came in from Atlanta, Washington, Ontario, Oregon, and the Bay Area. It...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 14, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Food Warning Labels
By Quinn Phillips
Here at Diabetes Flashpoints, we've discussed various schemes that have been proposed to limit the consumption of sugary beverages. As proponents of these measures note, there is compelling evidence that sugar-sweetened (nondiet) soft drinks play a unique role in the obesity epidemic, although they are certainly far from the only cause of obesity. But most major initiatives — special taxes on sugary beverages, as well as proposed limits on their serving size — have failed, as the beverage industry and some consumers rallied against them.
While we can't know how effective these measures might h...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 14, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Banging My Head Over Hubby's Clueless Doc
By Jan Chait
"What are you going to do with all of that extra space after I leave?" my grandson asked.
I had to think. There were no grandchildren when we moved into this house 23 years ago. Now, they're 22 and 20 and — finally — leaving "home." Granddaughter drove off to her college town yesterday morning and Grandson informed us that afternoon he would be moving out September 1. This is after a lifetime of spending weekends, school holidays, and summers with Grandma and Grandpa and, finally, moving in altogether.
Once upon a time, I had a guest room and a room solely devoted to my office. Maybe I can have tho...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 13, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
