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We joined a gym in late July and my diabetes management habits have been noticeably different since then. Combined with lower-carb eating (roughly half the time), I have noticed a dramatic difference in my blood sugars and overall diabetes management and health. Sure, there are days when I feel so much more tired. Because workouts can be physically demanding and energy-draining. But most of the time, even after working out and when my muscles are whining, I feel invigorated and more on top of my game. My diabetes data (and habits) show it's working: Insulin Use:  During the height of my gym-workouts over the past several months, I noticed that I was using roughly a third less insulin than before -- both my Tresiba basal dose decreased every 24-36 hours, and my monthly box of Afrezza inhaled insulin is lasting noticeably longer and even impacting how often I need to refill my Rx for it. BG Range: Yes, my average glucose has dropped from the low 200s into the high-100s. It...

  When Christine Fallabel in Colorado noticed the long list of ingredients for "all-natural turkey" at a national sub sandwich shop, her first impulse was a reactive " yuck ." Soon after, she began plant-based eating. That was at age 14, two years after her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes in 2000. Ever since, Christine's been eating "clean" and hasn't looked back -- especially when it comes to life with diabetes and balancing the never-ending glucose roller coaster. Meanwhile in Oklahoma, longtime type 1 Ryan Fightmaster began eating a plant-based diet a few years ago, mostly out of curiosity after hearing about general health benefits. What he found was that eating this way knocked his insulin needs down by roughly a third and led to better BG levels, so he's kept a up a "whole food" diet with fewer carbs. Say hello to a trend that many in the Diabetes Community seem to be turning to: plant-based eating for better hea...

A month ago, I decided to step away from my Medtronic insulin pump. This was long overdue, a needed change that I needed to revisit in order to get my diabetes back in line. Yet, I had been putting this off and it wasn't until Medtronic's business decision to screw with patient choice and access that I made the final personal decision to disconnect from my pump and go back on injections like I've done a few times in the past. My first pump vacation lasted for about five months in 2010, and led to a 1.1% drop in my A1C. The later vacations also saw smaller drops, but still they helped me re-focus on D-management. And so, that's what I set out to achieve in the here and now.  After my first month of this #PumpHiatus , my BGs have been phenomenal compared to how they were before. Glucose variability is hella better, and my A1C dropped from 8.4% in February to 7.6% in early June! This was also down from my A1C last Fall where it rang in at 9.1 -- so progress conti...

Welcome to the Diabetes Community, Paula. Though it’s a bittersweet welcome, one that no one deserves or hopes for, I’m grateful that your Type 2 diabetes diagnosis announcement comes at a time where you don’t have to be alone. Where you can find some friends who “get it” and know what you’re going through. I applaud your courage and willingness to share your health story, especially in such a public way. On your own terms, your own timing. Confession: I’ve never watched your show. Yes, I knew who you were before all this news materialized. And maybe once or twice, I’ve caught a glimpse of your cooking and personality while flipping channels or when passing through a room where you happened to be on the screen. No offense to you or your southern-creations – just not something I’ve ever embraced. And it has nothing to really do with the food types or ingredients, it’s just not something I’ve ever really paid much attention to. Even though I'm certainly a fan of food. Now that yo...

Bolus. Eat. BG Monitoring to follow. Rinse & Repeat. Just like I have for a lot of years. Simply enough, right? Not so much for me, apparently. At least not lately. My newest habit appears to be forgetting at least one of those two important parts, totally throwing off the third leg of that three-part routine. The monitoring part doesn’t exactly turn out the way it should, thanks to the lack of one of those key influences that makes the numbers go up and down. Usually, it’s the first. Taking insulin for breakfast before I head out of the house in the morning, and then walking out the door and forgetting to grab the toast, pastry or mini-muffins I’ve already bloused for. Bolusing ahead of time for that morning trip to Starbucks and then, upon seeing a long time-stealing line at the drive-in and being too lazy to go inside, I cancel the plan despite. Planning to make up for my earlier forgetfulness by grabbing a vending machine snack at work, yet realizing I have n...

Yes, I CAN eat ice cream. Loved this hot fudge sundae, with a cherry on top... (SWAG = 50g -> I'll leave your mind working on how that D-Math worked out...) Take THAT, Wendell! And THIS... See that window to the right there? I believe that's the office of a certain publisher... So, Take THAT Southside Times... Even on your own FRONT STEPS, I have no problem eating ice cream. And so can the rest of the Diabetes Community . Not matter what you say or write, those of us Living With Diabetes are more than capable of eating ice cream even as we do what we do in managing our D-Lives and overall health effectively. DON'T tell us otherwise, or pretend to know what's best for OUR worlds. This is what I think of your writing... Thanks for playing.

Updating what I wrote a week ago, the 22nd Annual Ice Cream Social in Indianapolis on July 8 was a huge success! Consider this update the "official" public relations-friendly account of the vent, rather than the past post expressing my disgust at one's critic's response to the ice cream social. Put on by the American Dairy Association of Indiana, this event on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis is reportedly the state's biggest ice cream social and takes place as part of National Ice Cream Month. Not to mention it happens in the Hoosier State, that produces the second-highest amount of ice cream nationwide. ( Some fun ice cream tidbits can be found over at this blog , such as the history of ice cream dating back to 4 B.C.! ) For only $3, visitors could enjoy a bowl of Edy's "good stuff" light ice cream with various Smuckers toppings - including sugarfree chocolate, caramel, and strawberry. This has been going on for more than 20 years...

The 22 nd Annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle is happening Friday! Sponsored each year by the American Dairy Association of Indiana, this event celebrates National Ice Cream Month and recognizes the Hoosier State’s #2 ranking in U.S. ice cream production. It happens on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For just $3, guests can indulge their taste buds with gigantic sundaes made from Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream and drizzled with Smucker’s chocolate, strawberry, caramel, or butterscotch syrups. Sundaes will be served by more than 30 “celebrity” scoopers that include local media personalities, sports notables and business dignitaries - including Tony Hoard of America’s Got Talent . All the proceeds this year go directly to the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, which runs the only D-Camp in Central Indiana and supports, educates and encourages young people with Type 1 diabetes. ( Disclosure : I am a DYFI board member. ) So, if you ha...

"Always know if the juice is worth the squeeze. " Yes, it's a quote. From philosophers, I'm sure... but I heard it first in a movie called The Girl Next Door. Mulling that quote on little sleep and high stress levels, I offer a Friday message for any Person With Diabetes who might be hitting scary-productive levels of awesomeness or just simply trying to tread water effectively until a life boat arrives. "Always know if the Boost is Worth the Bolus. " As I said, lots of work + too little sleep = A NEED TO KNOW WHEN IT'S WORTH CLOSING YOUR EYES, OR WHETHER YOU CAN KEEP RUNNING ON CAFFEINE AND FUMES WITHOUT A.) CRASHING OR B.) OVERLOADING. Yes, I take that much for 82g between these pair of energy boosters. Worth it? I mean, that is a lot o ins'lin for those 2 drinks there...   Yep. So totally bolus-worthy! All gone. Oh, so sad... :( Please don't ask why there's a used syringe, lancet, and two test strips in this empty bott...

Seriously, I wish this was an April Fool's joke. But sadly, it's not. This is the one where we get to once again explore how stupid and worthless some medical and health studies are, in exploring questions that don't actually need to be explored. I've ranted and raved about this concern of mine before, touching on studies that have found "Sedentary behavior linked to high blood sugar" and "Active Self-care Improves Blood Sugar Control." That March 31, 2007 post  was entitled No Shit, Sherlock and I ended up recycling it last summer, but now it comes to this again as a new mind-boggling study has been spearheaded by inquiring minds in the Diabetes Research Community. Apparently, Sherlock Strikes Again. Oh, and here's a shout-out to DiabetesMine that has a great look today at another stupid waste of a study, this one also over in Europe. Side note: What is it about this time of year? Is this the Season of Senseless Studies, a time whe...

UPDATED : Came home from work on Valentine's Day to a special Heart Day Gift:  #BluntLancet shirt, along with candlit Valentine champagne glasses & chocolate hearts!  This was the second #BluntLancet shirt , a result of the first one being the wrong size. CafePress was cool about it and offered to send a correctly-sized one, but also allowed us to keep the original! So, now we have two! Below, you'll find my original Heart Day post as it was before this mail delivery update... Total Carb Count = 80g Yes, seriously. I'm not lying... You may disagree, but for me, this milk chocolatey goodness is totally bolus-worthy!!! Enjoy whatever treats you may enjoy or whoever your Valentine is for 2011. Have a Happy Heart Day!

Living With Diabetes is tough. Constant blood sugar checks. Invading thoughts about what the numbers mean and whether that'll impact your day or task, and how so. Balancing snow shoveling or dog-walking with BG levels and what type of quick-acting sugar you might need to haul with you. Frustrations with insulin pumps, from low battery or refill alerts to wondering about whether the little speck of red near a cannula is hindering the insulin flow and causing your mood swings. Beeping Continuous Glucose Monitors. Math equations every time you consider putting food into your mouth. To put it mildly, those daily routines can be overwhelming at times. We can drive ourselves nuts. Diabetes doesn't give us a break, but sometimes we need a mental vacation - if even for a few hours every once in a while. My slacking came on Tuesday, after a long day at work that only forecast what was expected to be an even longer deadline-heavy latter part of...

You might say I'm a beer lover. By no means am I an expert, connoisseur, or stuck-up sipper of the hops and barley brews. Simply someone who enjoys and appreciates a good beer, particularly those of the micro-brewery genre. Though I very much enjoy a good domestic bottle or name-brand beer any day of the week, I also love to explore new tastes and beers, and find it fun to not only try new ones that haven’t crossed my palate before but also talk about beers with those who share in that enjoyment. A friend and I regularly talk, a mix of joking and seriousness, about starting our own microbrew someday. We’ve even come up with the brand name, and just have to put it all into play. With all of that said as background, I recently found myself in the mood for a good brew. Exploring all the options and deciding against a light pale domestic choice but also not wanting to venture into any exotic or adventurous territories at the time, I narrowed it down to a pair of contenders: a...

The other night, I wanted some hot cocoa. But spending money on some single cup at a coffee shop or finding some of those hot cocoa singles didn't seem appealing. So, the choice was made to grab some of the yummy Hershey's chocolate syrup from the local grocery store. ( Read: Wal-Mart, as we try to conserve money as much as possible .) On the store shelf, we saw various options - regular, lite, calcium added, sugar free. As well as the Wal-Mart brand of Sugar Free. There were also crazy flavors like Strawberry and Dark Chocolate and all kinds of others, but my focus was on simple non-fancy chocolate syrup. Being a carb-counting diabetic, my eyes went from the yummy pictures on the front of the squeeze bottles to the backsides where the nutrional information was listed. Those carb counts were as follows, for a 2 tablespoon serving: Regular: 24g Strawberry/Dark Choc: 23g With Calcium: 23g Lite: 11g Sugar Free: 5g Generic Brand SF: 4g Determined to have a combinati...