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Diabetes Type II is a chronic condition, and it is a serious illness. Lifelong attention to lifestyle, medication, and monitoring is the key to a good outcome. Diabetes Type II can be managed. However, once a person has a form of this disease, they always need to be vigilant in controlling their blood glucose levels. But if you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, your switch to a healthier lifestyle is providing you the opportunity to control this disease either with, or potentially without, diabetic medication.
Sitting for long periods can worsen blood sugar levels
Drink Your Coffee Black
According to a new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking coffee may lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The study found that people who drank coffee were about 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people who did not drink coffee. The scientists believe that the reason for a reduction in the risk for type 2 diabetes could be the effect coffee has on the reducing the amount of inflammation in the body.
Among the coffee drinkers who were considered habitual coffee drinkers, 54 percent of them were less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who didn’t drink coffee. This was true even after researchers took into account lifestyle habits or medical history such as family history of diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, or drinking other caffeinated beverages.
Nerve Damage Occurs when Blood Sugars Rise Over 7.8 mmol/L After Meals
Nerve Damage Occurs when Blood Sugars Rise Over 180 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) After Meals
Regular exercise is important for everyone. It is even more important you have diabetes. Exercise in which your heart beats faster and you breathe faster helps lower your blood sugar level without medication. It also burns extra calories and fat so you can manage your weight.
Exercise can help your health by improving blood flow and blood pressure. Exercise also increases the body's energy level, lowers tension, and improves your ability to handle stress.
Ask your health care provider before starting any exercise program.
People with type 2 diabetes must take special steps before, during, and after intense physical activity or exercise.
If your glucose levels have been high over recent weeks, your hemoglobin A1c test will be higher.
A1C and Blood Sugar A1 с (%) Average Blood Sugar (
| A1C | Blood sugar (mg/dL) |
| 5 | 97 |
| 6 | 126 |
| 7 | 152 |
| 8 | 183 |
| 9 | 212 |
| 10 | 240 |
| 11 | 269 |
| 12 | 298 |
| 13 | 326 |
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends the following guidelines for blood glucose levels for most patients with type 2 diabetes:
| Before meals | 2 hours after a meal: |
|---|---|
| <130 mg/dL | < 180 mg/dL (less than 180 mg/dl) |
A subject with a consistent fasting range above 126 mg/dl or 7 mmol/l is generally have hyperglycemia:
In fasting adults, blood plasma glucose should not exceed 126 mg/dL
The good news is that paying attention to blood sugar control can help keep you healthy and prevent health problems from happening later. Some tips:
Obesity is thought to be the primary cause of type 2 diabetes in people who are genetically predisposed to the disease. A proper diet and exercise are the foundations of diabetic care with a greater amount of exercise yielding better results.
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Jun 28, 2021 | www.cdc.gov
All About Your A1C Español (Spanish)
What has your blood sugar been up to lately? Get an A1C test to find out your average levels -- important to know if you're at risk for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, or if you're managing diabetes.
The A1C test -- also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test -- is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It's one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. Higher A1C levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1C goal is really important if you have diabetes. What Does the A1C Test Measure?
When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everybody has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but people with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin. Who Should Get an A1C Test, and When?
Testing for diabetes or prediabetes:
Get a baseline A1C test if you're an adult over age 45 -- or if you're under 45, are overweight, and have one or more risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes:
- If your result is normal but you're over 45, have risk factors, or have ever had gestational diabetes, repeat the A1C test every 3 years.
- If your result shows you have prediabetes, talk to your doctor about taking steps now to improve your health and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. Repeat the A1C test as often as your doctor recommends, usually every 1 to 2 years.
- If you don't have symptoms but your result shows you have prediabetes or diabetes, get a second test on a different day to confirm the result.
- If your test shows you have diabetes, ask your doctor to refer you to diabetes self-management education and support services so you can have the best start in managing your diabetes.
Managing diabetes :
If you have diabetes, get an A1C test at least twice a year, more often if your medicine changes or if you have other health conditions. Talk to your doctor about how often is right for you. How to Prepare for Your A1C TestThe test is done in a doctor's office or a lab using a sample of blood from a finger stick or from your arm. You don't need to do anything special to prepare for your A1C test. However, ask your doctor if other tests will be done at the same time and if you need to prepare for them. Your A1C Result
Diagnosing Prediabetes or Diabetes
Normal Below 5.7% Prediabetes 5.7% to 6.4% Diabetes 6.5% or above A normal A1C level is below 5.7%, a level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and a level of 6.5% or more indicates diabetes. Within the 5.7% to 6.4% prediabetes range, the higher your A1C, the greater your risk is for developing type 2 diabetes.
Managing Diabetes
Your A1C result can also be reported as estimated average glucose (eAG), the same numbers (mg/dL) you're used to seeing on your blood sugar meter:What Can Affect Your A1C Result?
A1C %
eAG mg/dL
7
154
8
183
9
212
10
240
Get your A1C tested in addition to -- not instead of -- regular blood sugar self-testing if you have diabetes.
Several factors can falsely increase or decrease your A1C result, including:
- Kidney failure, liver disease, or severe anemia.
- A less common type of hemoglobin that people of African, Mediterranean, or Southeast Asian descent and people with certain blood disorders (such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia) may have.
- Certain medicines, including opioids and some HIV medications.
- Blood loss or blood transfusions.
- Early or late pregnancy.
Let your doctor know if any of these factors apply to you, and ask if you need additional tests to find out. Your A1C Goal
The goal for most people with diabetes is 7% or less. However, your personal goal will depend on many things such as your age and any other medical conditions. Work with your doctor to set your own individual A1C goal.
Younger people have more years with diabetes ahead, so their goal may be lower to reduce the risk of complications, unless they often have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, or a "low"). People who are older, have severe lows, or have other serious health problems may have a higher goal. A1C: Just Part of the Toolkit
A1C is an important tool for managing diabetes, but it doesn't replace regular blood sugar testing at home. Blood sugar goes up and down throughout the day and night, which isn't captured by your A1C. Two people can have the same A1C, one with steady blood sugar levels and the other with high and low swings.
If you're reaching your A1C goal but having symptoms of highs or lows, check your blood sugar more often and at different times of day. Keep track and share the results with your doctor so you can make changes to your treatment plan if needed.
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Feb 03, 2021 | www.nakedcapitalism.com
"Diet modifications -- including more wine and cheese -- may help reduce cognitive decline, study suggests" [ Science Daily ]. n = 1,787 aging adults (from 46 to 77 years of age, at the completion of the study).
Here are four of the most significant findings from the study:
Cheese, by far, was shown to be the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even late into life; The daily consumption of alchohol, particularly red wine, was related to improvements in cognitive function; Weekly consumption of lamb, but not other red meats, was shown to improve long-term cognitive prowess; and Excessive consumption of salt is bad, but only individuals already at risk for Alzheimer's Disease may need to watch their intake to avoid cognitive problems over time.Inclination matching neatly with necessity, here!
Dave , , February 2, 2021 at 2:26 pm
I just started limiting wine with dinner to 3 days a week or so, because my doctor said it was associated with age-based cognitive decline–so I don't know what to believe any more. (She is also against cheese.) Whom, if anyone, do you trust for interpretations of nutrition science?
farragut , , February 2, 2021 at 2:43 pm
"Trust the Science (which makes you feel good)!" :-)
I feel better when I eat more cheese and drink more red wine, thus, I shall follow my own science. I would eat more lamb but it's awfully expensive around here.
Chris Hargens , , February 2, 2021 at 2:48 pm
Try checking out examine.com
Katiebird , , February 2, 2021 at 3:04 pm
I read Nutrition Action every month. They seem consistent and reliable to me.
dcblogger , , February 2, 2021 at 3:38 pm
dairy, alas, is loaded with cholesterol and arachidonic acid and very bad for you. I say this as someone who eats cheese every day. but alas, should not.
KLG , , February 2, 2021 at 5:21 pm
What is the evidence that cholesterol and arachidonic acid are very bad for you?
Hepativore , , February 2, 2021 at 6:30 pm
There is always skim milk.
Yves Smith , , February 3, 2021 at 12:08 am
Cholesterol is not bad for you. This is a completely debunked theory. Your body makes cholesterol. And if you are worried, simple sugars are the thing to be worried about.
The total cholesterol level in women correlated with the lowest level of all factor mortality is 270.
And red meat is the biggest source of arachidonic acid.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5331532/
This very wordy discussion of bovine milk consumption in the Netherlands, where milk and cheese consumption are higher than in the US, merely pointed out they couldn't get enough Omega 3 fats by eating dairy. And dairy wasn't the main source of Omega 6s either:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030213003366
Keith , , February 2, 2021 at 3:55 pm
Doctors are not nutritionists; plus, wine and cheese has been around for a long time, so I am with the latter.
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 6:01 pm
Find another doctor!
Janie , , February 2, 2021 at 11:05 pm
Rumpole of the Bailey: Doctor tells him to abstain, She Who Must Be Obeyed enforces the rule, doctor dies suddenly, Rumpole does as he pleases.
ANTHONY WIKRENT , , February 2, 2021 at 6:27 pm
One of my all time fave bumper stickers i still remember from 30 or 40 years ago: "stay fit, eat well, exercise regularly, and die anyway."
polecat , , February 2, 2021 at 6:40 pm
I've been on a pizza-making kick for the last couple weeks, so have had plenty of cheese to go with the other toppings .. with a glass of wine (or mead) as a compliment. I feel cognizance surging through my neocortex with every slice!
I don't feel that I can justify using the term 'smartness' as my culinary creations were not IoS derived.
Jason , , February 2, 2021 at 7:12 pm
"As to the butter versus margarine debate: I trust cows more than scientists."
Knot Galt , , February 2, 2021 at 3:40 pm
It also looks like a modern-day version of the Tower of Babel.
ambrit , , February 3, 2021 at 12:47 am
The Hanging Gardens of Arlington.
"Beside the river of Arlington, we sat down and wept, when we remembered Democracy."
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 6:04 pm
To Amazon shoppers trying to understand where they are, I will use physics here. What would you be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis? Screwed!
Big Tap , , February 3, 2021 at 1:10 am
News is Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO from Amazon replaced by Andy Jassy (AWS).
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/02/bezos-to-leave-amazon-ceo-role-465168
cocomaan , , February 2, 2021 at 2:33 pm
Dammit Lambert, the Amazon logo is ruined hahahaha!
Placing bets now on how many invasive species will be planted on the Amazon penis headquarters building.
My guess, at a minimum, stinky Bradford Pears and various invasive turf grasses.
cocomaan , , February 2, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Also, if anyone wants to get into the occult nature of corporate symbols, Nazis, WW2, Aleister Crowley, and Ian Fleming of 007, check out "Aleister and Adolf", a severely disturbing graphic novel.
wol , , February 2, 2021 at 2:36 pm
"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Opens Up About Trauma in a Moving and Powerful Instagram Live"
And Tara Reade is Memory-Holed.
Pelham , , February 2, 2021 at 5:59 pm
It's kind of breathtaking, what the media did to Tara Reade.
Someday I hope someone compiles a complete list of all instances of memory-holing, non-coverage, use of anonymous resources, repetition of falsehoods, silencing, canceling, censorship, advocacy of dumping the 1st Amendment and the other journalistic crimes of our media over the past five years or so.
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 6:06 pm
Ouch! Good point.
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 9:56 pm
Speaking of Tara Reade -- 'I believe AOC when she says she is a survivor of sexual assault. Why could she not say the same about me?'
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/514415-tara-reade-aoc-sexual-assault/
Tvc15 , , February 2, 2021 at 2:41 pm
The "side hustle" thing makes me want to vomit! Why aren't we questioning why we need one rhetorical question. I wish Dolly had refused this request.
cocomaan , , February 2, 2021 at 3:00 pm
Combine it with the article about the researcher quitting academia. The fact is that anyone who is still climbing in their career (ie, people 50 and under) need to have a side hustle to survive. Virtually no job is safe anymore. If you aren't under pressure on the budget side, you're under pressure to make loyalty oaths in the form of political statements ("I disavow white supremacy" or "I think Trump actually won the election" or whatever). I have family members who are well-credentialed with graduate degrees and certifications who are on one year rolling contracts, or fired/laid off constantly. Few have a stable job.
As someone put it on here about academia, and I wish I could remember their name to attribute, "the older generations kicked the ladder out behind them."
If you're still a worker, you need to hustle every day to reach even a modicum of stability. Welcome to 2021.
a different chris , , February 2, 2021 at 3:34 pm
>"Why I Am Leaving Academia"
The problem this person has, and apparently does not know it -- academia is a lagging adopter of the world they are "escaping" to.
> had to accept that my current job would most likely be the first in a series of short-term contracts in various distant locations. To succeed in academia, I would have to make a number of sacrifices.
Yeah nobody in the non-academic world ever has to move. Nobody makes any sacrifices. Oh boy, are they in for a rude awakening.
Amfortas the hippie , , February 2, 2021 at 5:50 pm
Anecdote on the vibe in north houston 2-3-2021 feels very germane to this part of the zeitgeist:
cousin calls, and says he's coming up same worry in his voice as a year ago, when he came out here to hide from the pandemic and correlated uncertainty. (he stayed til late april).
This time, his worry is civil unrest, violence, insurrection.
He's a self-described "manwhore" never nailed down having numerous women all over texas that he breezes though and stays with for a while when work brings him near(he's a roofer and tree expert and heavy equipment operator with ample talent in all of them). The women in question are all divorcees, and seem happy with the arrangement: playing happy married to a hot guy who leaves before he becomes a chore.
Anyway lately, he's been hanging around north houston where we're both from.
Woodlands, magnolia, tomball, etc.
he lives in his truck on a spread of pineywoods he inherited and gets a hotel room off and on, for a week at a time.
He spends a lot of time in bars, beer joints, dancehalls and clubs.
It is this part of his life where we find the Doom:
he says the clubs, etc are at best ¼ populated and that the ratio of men to women is, at best, 3 to 1.
of course this is the pandemic, and all we both understand that although he chafes at the mandates more than I do.
The scary part is the sentiments of the remaining men in these stag halls: "f&&k it i ain't doing this any more they've screwed us all " etc.
the way he puts it:"they're tired of everything the pandemic, the half-assed attempts at mitigating the pandemic, the economic results of those half-assed attempts, the lack of material support to mitigate the half-assed mitigations and on and on in that vein "
I interject: "so blue balls, combined with hopelessness and angst"
him:"exactly!"
so I ask what he thinks will become of this mood/vibe
him: one of two things are being bandied about in these spaces: 1 run to the hills, and hunker down(essentially the way i've lived for 25 years) and 2." leave as in leave the country"
I ask if there's been any talk of warlordism or becoming land-pirates or marauders .he says no but if the other two options are frustrated, that may well be.
These are working class guys generally white and towards the upper end of working classdom small contractors, parts store managers, guys who made enough pre-pandemic to have a nice truck and a bunch of tools, and maybe a decent little house somewhere many of them had women in their lives, but now do not(i get the gist that this is due to pandemic related economic and emotional stressors)
they feel betrayed and left behind and ignored, and are casting around for purpose and some goal to look forward to none of them(he stressed this part) were all that politically engaged so no trump trains, here just regular guys in their late 20's through late 40's with no prospects and declining chances.
Of course, one wants to berate these guys .their antagonism to taking the dern virus seriously a year ago is a large part of our current malaise, after all(why are they in a bar? -- i'd be avoiding bars right now just as a question of ethics) but such berating and acrimony will only serve to further isolate them.
While we were having this conversation, my mind kept going to Nietzsche and his warning about "200 years of Nihilism".
I, myself, have been well aware of just how broken our Social Contract is for as long as I can remember and it was this same cohort(among others) who berated me for thinking it.
Now that it's come for them, something must be done, obviously,lol.
Cousin says that anything less than a full blown New New Deal will be too little and too late and that it may be too late, any way that the Vibe in these spaces is such that he feels the need to run off to my Hill Country Redoubt, because it feels immanent whatever "it" is.
Some of this, of course, is his own depressive state all the conditions laid out above apply to him(women troubles, no prospects, etc) but he's finding ready reinforcement from the other guys just like him at the various bars, beer joints and dancehalls.
This disenchantment and inchoate anger and nebulous sense of betrayal is almost never reported so when it boils over in some orgy of violence, we're always shocked and at pains to explain it.
My take is that the demparty better get their shit together, cease the bipartisanship fetish and send in bernanke's helicopters full of cash. Start dumping it in the suburbs and exurbs, and expand it from there. It's only money, after all and we can make more if need be, as evidenced by all the repeated bailouts of the rich folks.As for me, I'm ready for the extra labor i have too much to do, and not enough body to keep up with it all.
I'm finally getting the dump-trailer manana, and absconding with 10+ loads(40+ cubic yards) of mulch from the county dump, as a substrate for the expansion of the gardens .bringing me to a whole acre of raised beds.
4 tons of well rotted manure already here, or right down the highway waiting for me and mostly horse goes in top and then I can relax a bit, and resume tinkering and puttering about, in my usual much less frenzied style.
Amfortas the hippie , , February 2, 2021 at 6:58 pm
and here's the Week's resident dour curmudgeon, referencing the cohort i'm speaking of.
"What Trump recognized was that there are millions of Americans who do not oppose or even care about abortion or same-sex marriage, much less stem-cell research or any of the other causes that had animated traditional social conservatives. Instead he correctly intuited that the new culture war would be fought over very different (and more nebulous) issues: vague concerns about political correctness and "SJWs," opposition to the popularization of so-called critical race theory, sentimentality about the American flag and the military, the rights of male undergraduates to engage in fornication while intoxicated without fear of the Title IX mafia. Whatever their opinions might have been 20 years ago, in 2021 these are people who, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, accept pornography, homosexuality, drug use, legalized gambling, and whatever GamerGate was about. On economic questions their views are a curious and at times incoherent mixture of standard libertarian talking points and pseudo-populism, embracing lower taxes on the one hand and stimulus checks and stricter regulation of social media platforms on the other."
https://theweek.com/articles/964006/rise-barstool-conservativesthese are the guys that repair your roof, landscape yer yard, fix your plumbing, or build yer house rather, the guys that yell at the Mexicans doing all those jobs.
wife got the house, alimony and child support are regarded as kafka-esque regimes, everything costs too much, and one night stands are a necessary part of their existence.
ugly and primitive as we might see them, from their barstool, -- or truck stuck in traffic on the way to the job -- , the world has collapsed, and there's a sense of drifting and purposelessness, and an almost total lack of meaning.
again, deploy the helicopters full of $$$.
I sure wish Bernie were president right now.
marym , , February 2, 2021 at 9:04 pm
" opposition to the popularization of so-called critical race theory, sentimentality about the American flag and the military, the rights of male undergraduates to engage in fornication while intoxicated without fear of the Title IX mafia."
So idpolitics and culture wars. Not exactly the basis for a working class movement, is it? I'm for helicoptering in the money anyway, but that's a dismal report from the taverns and traffic jams.
Here are some observations about flags in Trumpworld.
2018: https://harpers.org/archive/2018/07/a-flag-for-trumps-america/
2020 (short threads):
https://twitter.com/JeffSharlet/status/1320189238214799360
https://twitter.com/JeffSharlet/status/1321843659248177154
Amfortas the hippie , , February 2, 2021 at 9:40 pm
my cousin is my only contact with that cohort any more at least to any depth.
i'm a friendly loner and habitual outsider, and keep folks at arms length.
but i observe them all the time from the people working on mom's house here and there, to people i know in town, and see in the hardware or feed store.
cousin allows deeper probings like into motivations, hopes dreams and perceptions.
i try to control for these probings being specifically about him, the individual but i see regularly the same features in these broader contacts.
they are very individualised and small-l libertarian "me against the world" and a warrior ethos.
but if separated from the herd, and with socrates gently applied(asking questions), they generally arrive at some version of new dealism they just don't have the words or the experiences to give it heft so it remains subconscious, and as hidden as the boner they once got in the locker room.
to radicalise them in a class consciousness manner would take a large program of evangelism and i doubt that it's even possible any more(happened with my grandparents generation Great Depression and WW2).
that means that we're left with great piles of cash, and a lot of readily available infrastructure work that pays well and maybe after 10+ years of that, we might be able to talk about class.one thing i get from cousin, and via him, all the people he hangs out with, as well as the local specimens is that they're not Klan .whatever racism is evident in them is mostly habit, learned at the knee, as it were.
and, in spite of his troubles with relationships(married 3(i think) times, 2 kids with different women) and him settling into his "Manwhore" lifestyle he doesn't think of himself as misogynist or even all that sexist.
his often selfish prickdom is both color and genderblind,lol
but he learned no tact or subtlety at that proverbial knee, and has a terrible case of foot in mouth disease and is always shocked when he finds his whole leg down his throat.
the relationship model that he and many of these others had settled into pre pandemic a string of hookup pseudowives, met in bars is another thing that needs to be studied.
I've met and done the socratic druid feral anthropology thing with many of his serial woman friends over the years. all but the first wife seemed clear eyed and satisfied with the arrangement which, it must be stated, was never really negotiated, it just happened.anyhoo like the talking tree thing, we really don't know all that much about so many things that are right there in front of us.
lumping this particular subculture into maga or deplorables misses a lot of subtlety, and allows the too easy writing off of their grievances .as well as our continued ignorance of drives, perceptions and motivations.(it also occurs to me that "socratic druid feral anthropology" should have a place in whatever citizen science happens under a hoped for New New Deal akin to "let us now praise famous men"( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243360.Let_Us_Now_Praise_Famous_Men ) being ignored is, after all, one of the main grievances)
skippy , , February 3, 2021 at 1:08 am
In the early 90s I always remembered driving in and out of Texas when doing big concrete floor coating jobs. The two most predominate *HUGE* billboards were as in order
Get your vasectomy @ here
Followed by a few miles down the road
Get your vasectomy reversed @ here
Then there was the job in DFW on the north west side of the ring road and the only bar near our accommodation was a swingers bar [curse of the light industrial area thingy] but as luck had it they had a small ringed off area for singles, so there us 4 blokes sat to have a draft beer in walking distance
Late Introvert , , February 3, 2021 at 1:38 am
Good to hear from the great Amfortas. You don't know me, long time lurker who appreciates your missives very much.
I am also family adjacent to the righties, but my brother is a former salesman for P&G and other biggies, so it's a different aroma.
Him and I lost close contact around the time he was arguing for "fight the terrrorists over there" in the GWB Shock and Aw Crap! exercise of starting up The Endless Wars. I haven't spoken to him much since.
So I appreciate the socratic druid feral anthropology approach, I will try to apply it to save my own family relations.
Wyatt Powell , , February 2, 2021 at 7:13 pm
An incredible read! Love to hear the local chatter. The situation is much the same in Southwest Missouri.
Thank you, as always, for sharing.
Patrick , , February 2, 2021 at 7:36 pm
In a parallel uni I'd present myself as "extra labor" in exchange for "raised bed" nutrition and campfire conversation. Your report from the nether regions is appreciated and dang that I don't have a small parcel in "hill country".
Terry Flynn , , February 3, 2021 at 4:09 am
I was aware of increasing job insecurity from first postdoc (2001) and had my views vindicated by others posting in early days of nakedcapitalism. Just as well I wasn't bothered about starting a family etc because I ended up having to move from UK to Australia to Sweden to progress to full professor. I was very aware that those ahead of me were "pulling up the ladders" as fast as they could.
In the end it was too much and I got out. I largely had to abandon my previous online identity to stop organisations and individuals from still thinking they were entitled to "free work" from me. Unlike the author, I knew I was in one of the last bastions of the "old system" and gambled that I could "make it" before the drawbridge went up. I was wrong. But I learnt a lot along the way little of it that puts academe in a good light!
ahimsa , , February 2, 2021 at 4:47 pm
from the original lyrics
9 to 5, yeah
They got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you think about it, don't you?
It's a rich man's game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin' money in his wallet9 to 5, whoa
What a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
Tvc15 , , February 2, 2021 at 5:53 pm
Indeed, and the unfortunate side hustle ditty is the antithesis of her original lyrics.
To reiterate Lambert succinct comment NO Dolly!Neil Young and Dylan both sold some of their song catalogues so I guess why not, ugh.
roxy , , February 2, 2021 at 10:45 pm
Also Stevie Nicks.
Arizona Slim , , February 2, 2021 at 8:46 pm
I'll never forget what Lee Camp said on one his live "Redacted Tonight" shows:
"Why can't we just have one [family blogging] job?
Robert Hahl , , February 2, 2021 at 2:53 pm
Tony Bennett's Battle With Alzheimer's [AARP]
I met him briefly in 1982 at a gallery show of his paintings. He was very low-affect even then.
I always remembered what he said about making a life in the arts. He said always work in at least two distinct fields, so that if things are going poorly in one, you can work effectively in the other for a while.
RMO , , February 2, 2021 at 6:11 pm
I remember what he said to Bob and Doug McKenzie: "Andy Warhol said in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. But fifteen minutes isn't enough. You've got to be famous for at least two weeks for the cheques to clear."
PlutoniumKun , , February 2, 2021 at 2:57 pm
"Diet modifications -- including more wine and cheese -- may help reduce cognitive decline, study suggests" [Science Daily]. n = 1,787 aging adults (from 46 to 77 years of age, at the completion of the study).
I think that study will make many people happy, although it raises some immediate questions. The obvious one is that the study is on UK adults and wine and cheese consumption among older people is a strong marker of being educated and higher middle class (and probably white too). Similarly with lamb consumption, as it tends to be quite expensive. I wonder if it could be associated with the Vitamin K content in mature cheeses.
A while back I read Dr. Valter Longo's book on longevity, and he noted that very long lived people generally ate low protein diets during their lives but frequently upped their protein consumption in old age, this may have helped with maintaining muscle and bone strength. He also I think noted an association with goats cheese specifically with long lived populations, but in general dairy is a negative for long term health, including with dementia.
There is, so far as I'm aware, strong evidence that some foods aid with preventing the development of Alzhimers, including blueberries and the broccoli family (through sulforaphane). Most of what I've read thinks that while red wine is better than other alcohols, the amount of resveratrol (seemingly the most beneficial compound in red wine) is so low that its probably not significant.
But all in all, cognitive function is closely associated with overall health and fitness, so the usual rules apply -- plenty of exercise and a diet focused on unrefined plants as far as possible. The evidence for the benefits of that type of diet and lifestyle is pretty much overwhelming. But some nice cheese and a glass of wine is always a welcome addition.
dcblogger , , February 2, 2021 at 2:59 pm
anybody here from Seattle?
Senator Bob Hasegawa, who represents Washington's 11th District (Renton, Tukwila, part of Kent, SoDo, the Industrial District, Georgetown, and South Park), introduced a bill that would create a healthcare trust allowing everyone in the state to access affordable healthcare, vision care, dental, and mental health care.Hasegawa's bill, SB 5204, has six co-sponsors so far.
Keith , , February 2, 2021 at 3:58 pm
I am on the other side of the state. My question is how much will it cost? Dems have been desparate for an income tax here and pushing up spending is one way to get it.
dcblogger , , February 2, 2021 at 5:13 pm
given how much the state already pays for insuring its employees, and pays for its share of medicaid, it will probably cost less. In any case it could be paid for with a payroll tax. Better to pay a reasonable tax that will cover everything, than an inflated insurance premium which comes with deductibles and co pays.
Angie Neer , , February 2, 2021 at 7:55 pm
I live in Washington and we absolutely need an income tax. I say that as a 10-percenter who would presumably pay substantially.
Angie Neer , , February 2, 2021 at 6:53 pm
The article you linked makes a point I wish more people understood: "If you tried to dream up the worst model for healthcare, it would be insurance. And the reason for that is that you buy insurance expecting not to have to use it, generally. Everybody uses their healthcare insurance."
Wellstone's Ghost , , February 2, 2021 at 9:06 pm
Bob Hasegawa is a long tenured member of the Washington Legislature and a fairly progressive one at that.
He has also been a long time proponent of a Washington State Bank(yes please!).
Unfortunately, a lot of Dem's in Washington State are neolib's who will question the expense of universal coverage.
It will be interesting to see how many members he can get to support it.
The Washington Democratic Party fought with the Bernie wing tooth and nail.
On a good note, our Governor Jay Inslee will go whatever direction his wet finger in the air tells him to.
jax , , February 2, 2021 at 10:28 pm
I'm just north of Seattle and boy oh boy, do I support this bill. If we could get WA state residents out from under the thumb of corporate for-profit health 'care' it would make me happy that I've lobbied for single payer universal health care for the past 55 years.
urblintz , , February 2, 2021 at 3:03 pm
"Don't fall in love with your suffering. Never assume that your suffering in itself is a proof of your authenticity." -- Slavoj Žižek
Cuibono , , February 2, 2021 at 6:08 pm
First they came for the cigarettes And I didn't say anything cause i was not a smoker
a fax machine , , February 2, 2021 at 3:08 pm
re: domestic terrorism
A certain President made the quote "when peaceful revolution becomes impossible, violence becomes inevitable".
This situation exists because Democrats and Republicans refuse to confront the problems unrestricted globalism has created. Open door market access has ruined the US economy in many places, causing people to be poor and ruining the environment. Meanwhile it caused the genocides of Tibetans and Uyghurs, soon Hong Kongers as well -- and this is baked into western products if the reports of such chattel slavery in the solar panel supply chain is true. The growing computer supply chain disruption doesn't help. Regular, sensible people reject this.
I beilive Biden has a better grip on it than Obama does though, largely because Democrats got a taste of what their failure results in: Trump and Trumpalike politics. Whether or not he puts words to action is another question.
Another issue is if Democrats pass another Assault Weapons Ban, which is obviously a lightning rod for domestic terrorism. So would be another Waco standoff, but one would hope The People's Champions' in the BATF are smarter now (the successful YFZ Ranch and Amalia raids imply so). One would hope that they'd avoid such an issue for more practical, worldly matters such as healthcare reform -- for which there is now tepid support for on the right as a means to prevent spree/anger shootings.
NotTimothyGeithner , , February 2, 2021 at 4:46 pm
Another issue is if Democrats pass another Assault Weapons Ban,
Its February, and Team Blue hasn't managed to pass a stimulus. They won't deal with the filibuster. They won't force Republicans to vote on issues. This is a political party that sat on its hands after Sandy Hook. I guess Mark Warner went from an A rating to an F rating from the NRA, but the result is the same. He's done as much for gun control since Sandy Hook as he did after Virginia Tech when he had an A rating. Columbine was almost 22 years ago.
The closest will be a stunt next year when their poll numbers aren't great and they are pinning their hopes on Obama and Hillary singing duets on the campaign trail. Even then it will be an absurd piece of legislation banning independent blacksmiths from making guns from scratch or something.
hemeantwell , , February 2, 2021 at 3:29 pm
" On the other, I would want expert testimony on whether traumas "intersect and interact," and how they do. "
I don't think AOC strengthened her case by saying she had been previously assaulted. Dunno if she weakened it, however. The account she gives of the actual situation at the Capitol compellingly establishes that she had every reason to be frightened. Obviously she had a lot of company, including the officer who killed Babbitt.
barefoot charley , , February 2, 2021 at 4:06 pm
I really like AOC, and forgive her crooked path into effective politics. That said, her short-version fear-for-her-life story is "a white man" shouting "Where is she?" again and again, who turns out to be a Capitol cop who, in an angry and aggressive manner, tells her what building to run to. This is not my grandmother's terrorism.
dcblogger , , February 2, 2021 at 5:16 pm
we are critiquing AOC for the way she responds to a lynch mob? it was a scary and confusing situation.
Noone from Nowheresville , , February 2, 2021 at 9:05 pm
No, we are critiquing her narrative. It's very political and extremely well done.
BLM check. outsized militarized response. check. white supremacy. check. little parade styled fence nothingness response. check. electric car. check. having to smile and flirt to charm her way out of a potential dangerous or at least uncomfortable situation. check. dangerous males with pointy sticks with metal ends aka flag poles with spear tips. check. dangerous vibe in her bourge grocery store aka danger on her home turf check. reminder of stop and frisk. check. believes in god and that there's a plan for her. her willingness to be satisfied with what she's done if this is it. check. joy over the Georgia elections. check. electoral thing so out of control. check. old neighborhood. check. 2nd covid shot and videoing it for Instagram for her fans / voters. check. racism. check. dangerous angry aggressive white males. check etc.
AOC's sexual assault strengthened her narrative because it gave her an easily relatable reason to have such a triggered response even though the previous part of her day was so happy go lucky (Georgia we won) and carefree despite the dangerous vibe that had been increasing in the previous days.
Lots of truth in it. But also a whole lot of smooth political speak to her tribe and loyalty to leadership. She's in the "know," uses the right language and does it well.
All that said, I absolutely believe that she's a target.
Still have disconnects with her narrative.
Noone from Nowheresville , , February 2, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Yeah, the narrative disconnects really bothers me the more I think about them. If this were a novel, somewhere after the 53 minute mark is where the book would hit the wall.
Amfortas the hippie , , February 2, 2021 at 6:03 pm
but she'd been previously warned that she was a likely target and her whole time in office has been littered with open threats on her person.
i sympathise, definitely and would if she were a rabid maga person put in that situation, with lunatics in the halls calling for your blood.
one of the reasons i've been avoiding news is that I've been there.
and get triggered by things like the riot, and the rhetoric that surrounds it, even now.
beaten and left for dead, beaten with sticks, buried alive twice once by cops
yeah nobody could have seen this coming,lol .all that was 30+ years ago, and haunts me still. those experiences are my number one reason for studying the american right.
of course, i think a robust new new deal would be a better response than a domestic patriot act, or anything resembling "coming for your guns", but i suppose that too few of the blue check people have so far met the elephant .nor thought too far about what might be behind all of this violence and hate.
angry lunatics, ready and able to burn it all down, are Made, not Born.
EGrise , , February 2, 2021 at 9:48 pm
too few of the blue check people have so far met the elephant
This is an important point. Like you, I've faced the elephant (in my case, in the Persian Gulf War), and I understand that it affects different people differently. The lack of empathy from those blue checks who've spent their whole lives in idyllic safety is both disappointing and unsurprising.
None of them have the humility or introspection or anything else to understand how they'd really react in a similar situation, but it doesn't stop them from chucking rocks from their glass towers.
Peter , , February 2, 2021 at 3:34 pm
For the stealing tips article , the original had a typo of "$61.7 billion" instead of "$61.7 million" which you copied over.
Wouldn't be surprised with them stealing either amount quite frankly
Wombat , , February 2, 2021 at 4:55 pm
I saw that too. What's wrong, the headline or the article text? A factor of a thousand, and I don't know what, when dealing with Amazon-level figures.
Those poor drivers really got the spiraling, vertical forest helix.
Peter , , February 2, 2021 at 5:13 pm
The spiraling, vertical forest helix indeed!
I am fairly certain it is the article text that's wrong. I think total Amazon revenue was ~$600 billion over the past two years so $61.7 billion would be too big a chunk of that.
Very similar to the DoorDash story stealing tips from late 2020.
a different chris , , February 2, 2021 at 3:36 pm
>Please don't. Please don't confirm me in all my priors.
Now wait a second -- he is going to send Rahm Emmanual out of the country ? That cannot be an unmitigated bad, can it?
I'll help pack his bags.
Tom Doak , , February 2, 2021 at 6:09 pm
I hear that Myanmar is in need of some diplomacy this week. Send Rahm there!
flora , , February 2, 2021 at 3:41 pm
re: "Hunter Biden's Guilty Laptop" -- [The American Conservative].
No wonder the Biden admin wants to pre-check WH reporters' questions before press conferences. ;)
petal , , February 2, 2021 at 3:53 pm
Re: The re-working of "9-5". Seeing that makes me sad. I've had to work side hustles(sometimes more than one at a time) on top of a FT job the last several years and am looking at having to do it again. It's humiliating. I wish Dolly hadn't done that.
Re: the $1400-$2000 scam: The jerking around by politicians is soul-crushing for people that desperately need the money, and I think it's intentional. Once you crush any hope that is left, all that's left are zombies that don't fight back anymore. Pretty sure that's their goal. They are getting people used to being abused so then those people have no expectations and don't want to feel overwhelming disappointment again and then the politicians can do anything and get away with it. Does this fall under gaslighting ?
Also, for those interested here is the talk by Glenn Greenwald with the Dartmouth Political Union from last week about authoritarianism in the United States.
Thistlebreath , , February 2, 2021 at 5:07 pm
There's an analogy in horse training (which is really humans educating themselves with horses present) that explains the difference between "learned helplessness" and "cooperative partnership." The latter takes way longer to develop but the former is of great political convenience.
Amfortas the hippie , , February 2, 2021 at 6:06 pm
"Once you crush any hope that is left, all that's left are zombies that don't fight back anymore. Pretty sure that's their goal."
please see my first comment, above.
they're playing with sweaty dynamite, here.
petal , , February 2, 2021 at 6:38 pm
Thank you Amfortas. It helps to talk about it. Your homestead sounds like a piece of heaven, and I hope your family is well. My pennies are on the demparty not getting their ish together(well, for the rest of us). Reckon they're just running a big looting spree and doing their best to keep it going. The rest of us can go die.
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 6:45 pm
I like the phrase 'Never cheat a man who has nothing to lose', but sweaty dynamite also works for me. Thanks for your extensive report above as there is a lot to unpick there and lots to think about.
Michaelmas , , February 2, 2021 at 9:42 pm
petal: Once you crush any hope that is left, all that's left are zombies that don't fight back anymore. Pretty sure that's their goal.
If that's their goal, they're deeply stupid. Masses of people with nothing to live for, except maybe a final jolt by coming at their enemies on the remote chance of payback by turning them into red paste, are not what any sensible ruling class needs. See Amfortas's comment.
Honestly, the U.S. empire, if taken as commencing in 1945, hasn't lasted any longer than the Soviet one.
Amazing how quickly America's Dunning-Kruger elites have trashed the best hand -- an ability to print as much of the global reserve currency as needed in order to pay other countries for their real goods and services -- that any empire in history ever held. The Roman and Brit imperial elites would have had contempt for these buffoons. As China's elites currently do.
Massinissa , , February 2, 2021 at 10:49 pm
"petal: Once you crush any hope that is left, all that's left are zombies that don't fight back anymore. Pretty sure that's their goal.
If that's their goal, they're deeply stupid. Masses of people with nothing to live for, except maybe a final jolt by coming at their enemies on the remote chance of payback by turning them into red paste, are not what any sensible ruling class needs."
That's literally what's happening to India right now. The protesters aren't even being violent, but there's millions of them and the Modi government is struggling to limit the damage to itself. This is what happens when a government purposely tells the poorest half of the country to F themselves and/or go die. I'm not sure we'll see anything this dramatic in the west though. But that doesn't mean popular discontent (non-violent or otherwise) won't be easy for the elites here to deal with either, even if its relatively on a smaller scale.
a fax machine , , February 2, 2021 at 11:49 pm
The end of American Imperialism will look a lot like how it started: leaders won't get the message until Industry has problems and a larger crisis occurs outside of their control. In 1941 it was German and Japanese submarines denying shippers free access to global markets, in 2041 (? -- who knows) it'll be Chinese and Russian ones denying them the Arctic and the Philippines. The multi-polarity of the world will be revealed, and US firms will no longer be able to dictate the terms of trade. At this point it's either tariffs or an expensive submarine war that most people won't support.
The damage is already visible on the homefront. The chip shortage is the most obvious as it prevents the desired EV car transition, meanwhile the entire fight over Chinese-made PPE supplies turned individual cities against each other. Step it up into an energy crisis (say a Saudi civil war) and the same fights instead happen over fuel. Only when Americans cannot get to work, will they realize that the dream is over. A Capitol Fire or similar is enough to ignite people into fascism, and the old system will be swept away.
Democrats are almost aware of this. Decades of allowing Republicans to thwart space spending has created a situation where the US still lacks replacements for the Space Shuttle and ISS. Only the latter remains, and when it is decommissioned it'll be the final end of the unipolar era. Only when China or Russia launches another Sputnik will Washington get the message, and the public's response will probably scare them more than Soyuz at 70.
Samuel Conner , , February 2, 2021 at 3:53 pm
Re: the TAC article on "the laptop", I suppose that one could interpret the final quotation from JB, "my son did nothing wrong", to be an acknowledgement that even when H does "nothing", he gets it wrong. One shudders to think of what may have gone wrong in all the somethings that the article describes.
DJG , , February 2, 2021 at 4:03 pm
I truly wasn't ready for an article about the decline of Tony Bennett. The article, though, goes into detail about his career -- and how he dealt with years out in the cold, which is inevitable in any artistic career.
But I'm still not ready for Tony Bennett to go into terminal decline. There are many lovely details of how he has served as a teacher -- teaching Lady Gaga to sing, now that's something else.
Poor video, but "Here's That Rainy Day" with the divine Sarah Vaughn:
DJG , , February 2, 2021 at 4:06 pm
"Anything Goes": Bennett and Lady Gaga.
Carla , , February 2, 2021 at 5:36 pm
"Amazon didn't disclose the change to drivers, the FTC said, and the tips it took from drivers amounted to $61.7 billion."
Until Bezos is in prison for life without parole, nothing will change.
Carla , , February 2, 2021 at 5:49 pm
Oh, look at this! Maybe Bezos read my comment!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jeff-bezos-ceo-amazon_n_6019c019c5b6c2d891a40050
"Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos To Step Down From CEO Role"
flora , , February 2, 2021 at 5:42 pm
The algorithm strikes again (to the benefit of the MSM, of course.)
THREAD: Hey @YouTube
@TeamYouTube
-now you've taken down @StatusCoup
& @JonFarinaPhoto
's HISTORIC footage from Capitol attack claiming it's SPAM or "advances false claims" of widespread fraud, errors, or glitches in the 2020 election.ARE YOU KIDDING!?!?!? ..
https://twitter.com/JordanChariton/status/1356619502998474762
Nakatomi Plaza , , February 2, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Regarding "Why I Am Leaving Academia," this has been true for a long time now, maybe twenty years or so. The previous generation of university educators didn't retire on schedule (I can't really blame them, tenure and ridiculously light teaching loads) and that, coupled with the rise of adjuncts and funding siphoned off for administrators, changed the nature of academia and the number of available jobs. How did the author not know this? I was halfway through my MA when I understood that a PhD would likely end in economic and professional disaster, so I gave up my dream (or more accurately, woke up). I'm sorry for Herring, but she really should have anticipated what happened. I've read probably a dozen articles and essays repeating her exact experience, and none of them less that 15 years old.
The Rev Kev , , February 2, 2021 at 6:24 pm
That Naked Cowboy must have antifreeze running through his blood. I thought he would be from a place like Michigan but no, he is actually an Ohio boy. Going into his background, he has a bachelor's degree in political science and has run for office a coupla times. He has quite an interesting story and he also participated in the January 6, 2021 demonstration in front of the US Capitol supporting Trump. Wait! What?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_Cowboy
In other news today, Sir Tom Moore, who raised $57 million for the NHS by completing 100 laps of his garden using his walker, has died of coronavirus at the age of 100. R.I.P.
DJG , , February 2, 2021 at 6:38 pm
Hunter Biden's laptop. The article is by Peter Van Buren, who indeed is not a nutcase.
Anyone here ever / currently a free lance? You'll love these details:
"for example, on September 28, 2018, Hunter ordered $95,000 transferred without explanation), a "business" run by Jim Biden out of a residential address. Jim regularly invoiced Hunter for office expenses and employee costs, as well as a monthly retainer cost of some $68,000, plus other fees in the tens of thousands of dollars."
Sure: My accountant would have been ga-ga for that. Then there's this little tidbit in which the CPA seems to believe that paying taxes is voluntary:
"The CPA's concern is that the IRS is sensitive to the fact that some try to conceal income as loans to be written off as expenses later, especially if the amounts are large. This can trigger an audit. If the loans are "forgiven," then they are income. If not declared, that is potential fraud. The same note from the CPA indicates Hunter owes $600,000 in personal taxes and another $204,000 for Owasco and urges him to file a return even if he is not going to pay the taxes."
Oh.
km , , February 2, 2021 at 8:23 pm
Richard Murphy teaches the revolutionary working masses thusly: taxes are obligatory for small business. Taxes are optional for multinationals.
This also applies to the rich and connected, although for different reasons.
freedomny , , February 2, 2021 at 7:08 pm
Really sorry that AOC was scared for her life. Was gonna look it up re how many politicians have been killed by Americans in the past 100 years but .just too much energy.
We've all been traumatized.
45,000 Americans.die every year from no insurance.
This girl needs to get over herself.
David J. , , February 2, 2021 at 8:08 pm
I've been in a few "fluid" situations over the course of my lifetime, one of which included the loss of life. It can provoke a febrile state of mind.
My sister was, to put it politely, sexually traumatized. It has been a defining feature of her behavior for decades.
I respect AOC even if I don't always agree with her. Perhaps, instead of demeaning her natural and well-earned adulthood, it would be better to find charity in our own hearts.
A man who knows , , February 2, 2021 at 10:36 pm
Hear, hear. I (a male) have known several women who have had sexual trauma handed to them, anywhere from significant to unbelievably horrific. Anyone who would say to a woman that she should "get over herself" knows nothing about the lasting impact those moments of powerlessness can have. Just because AOC (or any person) isn't curled up in the fetal position sobbing doesn't mean that they don't carry damage inside them forever.
buermann , , February 2, 2021 at 8:45 pm
RE: the wine and cheese study, "Participants also answered questions about their food and alcohol consumption at baseline and through two follow-up assessments. The Food Frequency Questionnaire"
Retrospective observational analyses relying on self-reported food intake surveys are nothing but noise.
Kevin Carhart , , February 2, 2021 at 9:11 pm
Parton doesn't surprise me. There is an ongoing churn of recuperation at all times. Tom Frank describes an example in One Market Under God, citing Stuart Ewen.
"In 1943 the corporation soon to be known as Exxon hired Roy Stryker, the man who had directed the government's photography project during the thirties, to launch a PR campaign of its own The soon-to-be Exxon wanted to combat its reputation for 'cold-bloodedness,' and New Deal populism was exactly the way to do it "
lyman alpha blob , , February 2, 2021 at 9:56 pm
Another ammo anecdote from suburban Portland ME -- a few years ago someone stuck a live round through a political campaign sign in my neighborhood and left it hanging there. Someone called the police to check it out and I spoke with one of them who had previously worked as a cop in California. He said that based on the residences he'd visited in both states, people in Maine had waaaaaaay more guns than those in California. And this in a pretty liberal area of Maine to boot.
The Rev Kev , , February 3, 2021 at 12:01 am
"AOC on Instagram"
There is a shorter video by AOC linked in the following tweet and I will say this for her. She knows how to project an image. In the video you will see the black borders on either side, a cream background, and AOC dressed in a grayish-black top with her face being the only colour in this 1:37 min video. If these were not her decisions, then she must have a very good media advisor-
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Aug 24, 2020 | www.sciencemediacentre.org
I've seen this site before - they post statements from various medical people on matters of public medical interest, such as the pandemic. Useful for people who want some background on the chemicals involved.
Posted by: Circe | Aug 25 2020 16:14 utc | 29
Yup. Just ran across that piece while searching for anything on Navalny having diabetes. Found nothing so far beyond that. b's source appears to be the only one mentioning any diabetes in Navalny's medical history. Apparently his personal doctor has denied this, saying that the "diabetes" issue appears to have more a "description" of his medical condition rather than an actual diagnosis.
Posted by: karlof1 | Aug 25 2020 17:26 utc | 40 And if he's diabetic or even pre-diabetic, there's a suite of meds he'd need to take daily if not requiring insulin, and those meds must be ingested with food--I know.
Yes, Metformin is the preferred drug. I started on twice a day, then once I lost 45 pounds, the doctor dropped me to one a day. In fact, now I could stop taking it, but I continue to do so because it has alleged anti-aging properties. The only real negative is that it leeches vitamin B-12 from the body - but I take tons of B-12 anyway, so doesn't concern me. Metformin usually needs to be taken with food because otherwise it tends to give you "the runs".
I found an article that says the following:
Russian news agency Interfax later quoted officials in Omsk as saying tests had identified the presence of an industrial chemical in his body.Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs told the agency that since the substance they claim was present is commonly used to increase plasticity in products, "it is possible that it could appear in surface washings through the contact of Alexei Navalny with similar objects, for example, through a plastic cup".
Studies have previously shown that the chemical officials were referring to - 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate - does not have a strong toxic effect on humans.
So it appears from the articles so far that initially the police detected that specific chemical, but medical experts ruled it out as a cause, merely a by-product of having drunk from a plastic cup.
This article discusses the term "metabolic disease", clarifying that it doesn't necessarily mean diabetes.
Bottom line: There is no evidence Navalny had diabetes, although he might well have had either Type 2 or Type 1 diabetes but never diagnosed. However, if he was in a diabetic coma, that should have been detected almost immediately, even by first responders in the ambulance. Beyond that, it appears that whatever chemical was the cause of his condition, it's likely undetectable now.
So another "nothing-burger" which will be seized on to drum up hysteria against Russia. And I've spent *way* too much time on this irrelevant crap.
Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Aug 25 2020 18:52 utc | 63
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Jul 23, 2019 | www.nytimes.com
recent reports have found that regular consumption of sugary drinks heightens the risk not only of tooth decay, obesity, fatty liver disease and Type 2 diabetes, but also of heart disease and premature death, even in people free of other risk factors.
You may have encountered contrary findings -- reports that seemed to exonerate sugar consumption as a health hazard. Companies that produce sugar-laden foods and drinks would like you to believe that ailments linked to sugars result from excess calories, not sugars themselves. Don't believe them; most reports holding sugar blameless are from sources tied directly or indirectly to financial support from the industries that depend on caloric sweeteners.
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The latest findings underscore the advice from experts on diet, health and weight control to avoiding drinking one's calories, except perhaps for a glass of wine with dinner. And, it turns out, serious health risks are not limited to liquid sources of sugar; the sugars found in processed solid foods, including many that do not even taste sweet, can be hazards, too, if overconsumed.
... ... ...
To clarify the effects of our high-sugar diet, I consulted an expert, Kimber L. Stanhope, a researcher in nutritional biology at the University of California, Davis, whose work is free of industry support and funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health. In a comprehensive 34-page review of research published in Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences in 2016 , she linked consumption of added sugar to metabolic disease -- cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- as well as high blood levels of uric acid, a risk factor for kidney stones and gout.
In studies done in her lab among young adults consuming their normal diets, the risk for developing heart disease and kidney stones rose in direct proportion to the amount of high-fructose corn syrup they consumed.
"Fructose and glucose are not metabolized the same way in the human body," which can account for the adverse effects of fructose, Dr. Stanhope said. Glucose is metabolized in cells throughout the body and used for energy. Fructose is metabolized in the liver, resulting in fat production and raising the risk of heart and fatty-liver disease. In addition, she explained, "fructose doesn't stimulate the satiety-promoting substance leptin," prompting some people to overconsume it, especially in soft drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup, and other tempting foods as well.
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Meanwhile, her advice to consumers is to cut their sugar intake by two-thirds: Reduce the current 15 percent average daily calories from added sugars to 5 percent, as recommended by the American Heart Association, easiest if done gradually. Learn to routinely peruse packaged food labels for the kinds and amounts of sugars they contain.
Jane Brody is the Personal Health columnist, a position she has held since 1976. She has written more than a dozen books including the best sellers "Jane Brody's Nutrition Book" and "Jane Brody's Good Food Book."
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May 21, 2019 | www.webmd.com
after meals has a profound impact on blood sugar levels for people with type 1 diabetes , preliminary research suggests.
"We were surprised at our findings," says Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Yogish Kudva, MBBS.
People with diabetes who engaged in basic physical activity after eating had blood sugar levels close to those of people without the condition, the study showed. Those who remained sedentary after meals had elevated blood sugar levels.
"You don't have to exercise a lot. Just walking the dog or washing the dishes after a meal, rather than going straight from the table to the TV, helps blood sugar control in people with type 1 diabetes ," Kudva tells WebMD. "Physical activity enhances insulin action, hence lowering blood glucose concentration."
Exercise and DiabetesAbout 3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes , which is usually diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood. It's an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own ability to make insulin , which is needed to properly regulate blood sugar.
Continue Reading Below you might likeFor the study, the researchers monitored 14 people without diabetes and seven people with type 1 diabetes over a four-day period at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Participants were given three identical meals each day. After one meal each day, participants laid in bed for six hours. After the other meals, they engaged in physical activity. Overall, participants walked at a moderate pace for an average of 3 to 4 miles a day, "about the same as the average American," Kudva says.
The sugars in one meal a day were labeled with a safe tracing dye so the researchers could measure how much sugar from food went in and how much came out.
The findings were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
Checking Blood Sugar LevelsAmong people without diabetes, post-meal blood glucose levels increased an average of 50 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) if they exercised after eating. That is what we like to see in healthy people," Kudva says. Readings increased by up to 100 mg/dL if they were inactive.
ContinuedAmong people with type 1 diabetes, blood glucose levels rose an average of 80 milligrams per deciliter if they exercised after eating and 150 mg/dL if they were inactive.
Most people without diabetes have blood sugar levels in the 70s, while people with the condition aim for a reading of 70-130 mg/dL. The recommended post-meal blood sugar level for people with diabetes is less than 180 mg/dL.
"If a diabetic patient's blood sugar is 100 or higher before eating, an increase of 150 is pretty significant," Kudva says. Over time, persistently high blood sugar can give rise to a host of complications ranging from blindness to kidney problems, he says.
Continue Reading BelowJames B. Meigs, MD, of Harvard Medical School, tells WebMD that there's been a lot of debate about the right amount of exercise for people with diabetes.
"This confirms that a little exercise is better than none. It's the people who are really sedentary who have poor blood sugar control," he says.
These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD on June 27, 2011SourcesSOURCES:71st Scientific Sessions of American Diabetes Association, San Diego, June 24-28, 2011.
Yogish Kudva, MBBS, department of endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
James B. Meigs, MD, Harvard Medical School. © 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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May 21, 2019 | www.doctorshealthpress.com
My friend Paul was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. He was also obese and experienced other common symptoms associated with diabetes, such as blurry vision, fatigue, and an increased thirst and appetite.
Paul decided it was time to change his lifestyle and eating habits -- he understood that type 2 diabetes can eventually lead to kidney disease , nerve disorders, vision loss , hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.
Today, Paul is 30 pounds lighter and has successfully managed to regulate his blood sugar levels.
Key Ingredients for Diabetes Control: Diet and ExercisePaul credits his success to two simple things:
When Should Diabetics Exercise?
- First, he eliminated all processed and refined foods from his diet and focused mostly on foods with a low glycemic index of 55 or less. His meals generally include leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, Swiss chard, cabbage, kale, spinach, and romaine lettuce. He also consumes other low glycemic foods, such as blueberries, onions, mushrooms, quinoa, and walnuts.
- The second recommendation for diabetes control is regular exercise. Paul exercises and lifts weights at least five times a week. As a result, he is now able to regulate his fat and blood sugar levels -- without the side effects of glucose-lowering drugs.
Paul asked me if there was anything else he could do to lower his risk of developing cardiovascular issues associated with type 2 diabetes (such as heart attack or stroke).
I informed Paul of exciting new research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology . Researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that people with type 2 diabetes can more effectively reduce their risk of developing a cardiovascular disease when they exercise after a meal.
The study found that resistance exercise is more effective with lowering blood sugar and fat levels after a meal. The researchers observed 13 type 2 diabetics. One day, the participants would perform resistance exercises before dinner. On another occasion they would exercise for about 45 minutes after dinner. The resistance exercises included abdominal crunches, leg curls, and seated calf raises.
The results? Participants who exercised after dinner saw a reduction in their blood fat and sugar levels, while those who exercised before dinner only saw a reduction in blood sugar levels. All of the participants consumed dinners that had a moderate carbohydrate intake.
Exercise Tips and Tricks for Type 2 DiabeticsBonus: What Should Diabetics Eat for Dinner?
- Ease into your exercise : While resistance training is best for diabetics, it is best to start slow if you are currently inactive. You can start doing any type of exercise, including walking, yoga, qigong, tai chi, or swimming. Start with 10-minute sessions each day and then move up to 30 minutes daily.
- Follow a regular routine : To prevent diabetes complications, like low blood sugar, it is best to exercise at similar times every day.
- Strength train a minimum of twice weekly : Once you are comfortable with exercising, add resistance training to your routine, such as weightlifting, crunches, squats, lunges, or resistance band exercises. Strength training twice weekly can go a long way in improving blood sugar and fat levels.
- Prepare for any activity : Before conducting any form of physical activity, it is best to stretch five minutes before and after your workout.
- Know when not to exercise : Diabetics should avoid exercising when they experience leg pain or numbness, shortness of breath, blood sugar levels over 300 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter), tingling, or if there are ketones in the urine.
What is an ideal dinner to treat or prevent diabetes? Nutrient-dense vegetables, wild seafood, organic grass-fed meats, and chicken are great choices. These simple meal choices will help balance blood sugar and lipid levels to better manage diabetes:
- Enjoy a delicious cup of steamed cauliflower and a grilled chicken breast with a small spinach salad on the side.
- For lunch or dinner, try a sald with mixed greens and a piece of salmon.
- Non-gluten grains (i.e. quinoa) with vegetables, such as zucchini or broccoli, are always great meal options.
Sources:
Heden, T.D., et al., "Postdinner resistance exercise improves postprandial risk factors more effectively than predinner resistance exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes," Journal of Applied Physiology, March 1, 2015; 118(5): 624-634.
"Individuals with type 2 diabetes should exercise after dinner," Science Daily web site, February 18, 2015; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150218123849.htm.
"Glucose Control – Exercise," Sentry Health Monitors web site; https://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/exercise.asp, last accessed July 8, 2015.
Murray, M., M.D., et al, The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (New York: Atria Paperback, 2012), 503-547.
"11 Exercise Tips for Type 2 Diabetes," WebMD web site; http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/exercise-guidelines, last accessed July 8, 2015.
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May 21, 2019 | www.diabetesforecast.org
Does It Matter When You Exercise?
How the time of day you exercise affects blood glucose
By Lindsey Wahowiak March 2015 Fitness , Get Moving
fatchoi/Thinkstock
You've probably heard that exercise aids diabetes management. It's true: Moderate aerobic exercise -- the kind recommended 30 minutes a day, five days a week -- can help you lower your blood glucose.
And exercise has benefits beyond blood glucose control, says Michael Fowler, MD, assistant professor of medicine and director of diabetes outreach at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "[Regular exercise is] highly, highly, highly beneficial in folks with type 2 diabetes ," Fowler says. It lowers risks of cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes. The cardiovascular protection is less well proven in people with type 1 diabetes. "But we know that exercise, for everybody, makes our bodies more sensitive to insulin," he says. That includes any insulin the body makes or that a person injects. Greater sensitivity to insulin helps the body use it effectively to lower blood glucose levels.
You may wonder when to fit workouts in and whether the time of day you exercise makes a difference in blood glucose levels. Let's take a closer look.
Around the ClockWhenever you can move your body -- a 20-minute walk in the morning or playing catch at night -- it's good for you and your diabetes, says Sheri Colberg-Ochs, PhD, a fellow with the American College of Sports Medicine. "The best time is when it fits in your schedule," she says.
Avoiding LowsOf course, during and after exercise with diabetes, some people face the risk of blood glucose going too low. That's more likely to happen if you use insulin and sulfonylureas , which can put you at greater risk for lows overall.
One thing that may help you manage blood glucose during and after exercise is to set a regular time for it. A consistent exercise routine, says Fowler, can help you learn more about how exercise affects you. "What we typically recommend is that somebody does exercise at the same time -- that way things are more predictable. If it's going to cause low blood sugar, they learn how to predict it or adjust to accommodate [that]."
So let's rock around the clock to see what you might expect with regard to your blood glucose and exercise, keeping in mind, as always, that your response may vary -- from other people's and from day to day.
MorningSome people like to rise and shine. And this can be a good time to exercise to combat what -- for some -- are the day's highest blood glucose levels. During sleep, the body typically maintains blood glucose levels by making hormones that tell your liver to release glucose. The body with diabetes often needs help from insulin or other diabetes medications to make sure the liver doesn't produce too much glucose, which can result in high blood glucose overnight and on awakening in the morning. Plus, the dawn phenomenon -- thought to be the result of a normal surge of hormones that the body produces to kick-start the day -- may also raise blood glucose levels.
Non-Insulin Users: Teresa Anderson, 45, of Myersville, Maryland, fits fitness into her schedule by working out first thing in the morning. "It's what I can stick with. That is the key," says Anderson, who has type 2 diabetes.
Insulin and Sulfonylurea Users: Talk to your doctor about what to eat before and after morning exercise and how to adjust insulin dosing and food to avoid lows.
Before MealsWorking out before a meal can be a great way to fit in some exercise. And while you may not see as much of a drop in blood glucose as at other times of day, it'll still do your body good.
Non-Insulin Users: If you don't take insulin, you probably need no extra preparation when exercising before a meal, says Colberg-Ochs. "The main effect of working out pre-meal -- other than breakfast -- may be a slightly lower rise in blood glucose after eating," she says.
Insulin and Sulfonylurea Users: If you frequently go low while exercising, it may help to exercise before meals instead of after meals, when bolus insulin or pills that cause the body to secrete insulin are the most active. Fast-acting insulin injected or pumped for your previous meal takes about four hours to be cleared from the body.
After MealsWorking out increases your body's insulin sensitivity, making it easier for insulin to transport glucose to the cells that will use it. So working out after a meal can be a good way to "use up" excess glucose after eating.
Non-Insulin Users: "I test after I exercise. I noticed that my numbers were definitely lower [after working out]," says Jacquelyn Weller, 37, of Reed City, Michigan, whose after-dinner exercise helps control her type 2 diabetes. "When I saw the numbers, I kind of celebrated a little bit. It really pushed me to make sure that I keep exercising so that I keep seeing those numbers."
Insulin and Sulfonylurea Users: Do exercise safely: Carefully monitor your blood glucose during and after post-meal physical activity to avoid surprise lows. "Generally, if you're really worried about hypoglycemia, avoid exercising within two hours of a meal," Colberg-Ochs says. This tends to be the time that injected or pumped mealtime insulin is most plentiful and active.
At NightAny exercise, no matter the time of day, is a good idea. Be aware, however, that working out at night can interfere with your sleep -- which can affect your diabetes. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School reports that the body secretes the stress hormone cortisol during exercise. That activates your brain's "alerting system." If you want a good night's rest, make sure to finish your workout at least three hours before bed.
Non-Insulin Users: Working out at night should not increase hypoglycemia risk for non-insulin users, says Colberg-Ochs.
Insulin and Sulfonylurea Users: Exercising too close to bedtime can be risky. When you're asleep, you may not feel a low coming on. So, if you're an insulin user who wants to work out at night, you'll want to carefully monitor blood glucose before, during, and after exercise and before bedtime. A snack before you go to sleep may be a good idea. You'll also want to check blood glucose in the middle of your sleep time (say, 3 a.m.), at least a few times while developing a regimen to be sure you're not going too low. Talk to your doctor about the best hypoglycemia prevention approaches for you and your routine.
The bottom line? There's no best time of day when it comes to exercise. Pick a time that works for you and just do it. As Cynthia Zuber, 39, of Minneapolis, has found, consistency is key. She prefers to walk after meals, but the timing is less important than doing it nearly every day. "For me, a walk is the perfect balm," says Zuber, who has type 1 diabetes. "If I walk three miles a day, diabetes is so much easier to manage. I always try to get that movement in."
Anaerobic ExerciseDifferent types of activities will affect your blood glucose in a variety of ways. We've already talked about aerobic exercise, but anaerobic exercise, or strength training, can increase your adrenaline, and that can raise your blood glucose. The same goes for interval training, including workouts such as CrossFit, and activities with short bursts of intense activity, such as basketball or hockey, says Jen Hanson, RKin, MEd, a registered kinesiologist and executive director of Connected in Motion, a Toronto nonprofit designed to get people with type 1 diabetes involved in adventurous exercise. Hanson, 31, lives with type 1 diabetes.
"When you're doing activities that are anaerobic, with short bursts of energy, the body is releasing large amounts of adrenaline," Hanson says. "That signals to your [liver] that it needs to dump large amounts of sugar into your bloodstream. Often then you'll see spikes in your blood sugar." This is because anaerobic exercise prompts your liver to produce glucagon, a hormone that raises blood glucose levels. When your body is being pushed to its limit -- not with gentle or moderate exercise, but real heart-pumping, high-intensity stuff -- its "fight or flight" reflex kicks in. "Your body doesn't want you to go low," Colberg-Ochs says. So instead, it signals your liver to kick out lots of glucose so you have energy.
"Usually, the spikes in blood glucose following high-intensity work come down on their own within a couple hours in non-insulin users," Colberg-Ochs says. "It can help to follow such activity with a lower-intensity cooldown." Insulin users, she says, should talk to their health care providers about whether or not to take insulin to correct post-exercise highs; if you take too much, you're likely to come crashing down later.
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May 21, 2019 | www.diabetesincontrol.com
Why Exercise Timing Matters -- But Not for the Reason You Think Nov 16, 2012 Share
A recent study published online in October 2012 in the British Journal of Nutrition (and reported on in Diabetes In Control ) attempted to address the issue of how timing of exercise relative to meal ingestion influences substrate balance and metabolic responses 1 .
In that study, ten sedentary, overweight men with a mean age of 28 years undertook an hour of moderate walking either before or after eating breakfast with their fat balance and postprandial metabolism monitored afterwards. Not surprisingly, exercising at either time (compared to just resting) significantly lowered insulin responses. Moreover, since more total fat was oxidized during the 8.5-hour period subjects were followed (which included the exercise period) and blood levels of triglycerides (blood fats) remained lower following pre-breakfast exercise in particular, the authors suggested that there may be an advantage for body fat regulation and lipid metabolism gained by exercising before compared with after breakfast.
The conclusions jumped to, based on studies like this, personally drive me crazy, especially when they are assumed to apply equally to people with diabetes (even though this study was done on overweight young men without diabetes). Despite the conclusions given in the article suggesting advantages in fat metabolism and weight loss, in actuality all the differences in calorie and substrate utilization over the ensuing 8.5 hours post-exercise were entirely accounted for by energy use during the exercise sessions themselves, not differences following the activity. In other words, walking before breakfast caused them to use (slightly) more fat during the activity -- not surprisingly -- than walking after their morning meal. When interviewed about these findings, Dr. Gill apparently said that while exercise in itself is good, any done before breakfast may be extra beneficial because it forces the body to rely on its stores of fat for energy.
Urgh!! That study was obviously not undertaken by or reported on by anyone with a background in exercise physiology. Conclusions like these perpetuate the myth that you have to "burn" fat to lose body fat, which is completely and utterly not true. While the loss of body fat undeniably requires a negative calorie balance, the operative word is calorie , not fat. Larger body fat losses result from a greater total calorie use, regardless of which fuels are used during the activity. Using a little bit of extra fat during a pre-breakfast walk is not going to make people lose more body fat -- it's the calorie deficit that contributes to weight loss! What's more, exercising when carbohydrate stores are limited after an overnight fast will likely result in a smaller calorie deficit since you are less likely to be able to exercise hard and/or long without eating first.
For moderate or harder exercise, carbohydrate is the body's preferred fuel, not fat, because the former is more fuel efficient. Having to rely more heavily on fat causes you to slow your pace and/or limit your total activity. Fat, however, is the body's primary fuel during recovery from any exercise, which spares blood glucose for glycogen restoration and amino acids (from protein) for muscle repair and more. Thus, most of the calories supplying your body's basal energy needs during the day come from fat, which is when body fat losses are greatest.
For those with diabetes, engaging in pre-breakfast exercise can actually be detrimental to blood glucose management. Anyone who exercises first thing in the morning before eating prolongs the fasting period and promotes an even greater release of glucose-raising hormones like cortisol, which in particular heightens insulin resistance pre-breakfast. In fact, a usual response for anyone with diabetes who exercises before eating breakfast is an increase in blood glucose levels, not the usual decline experiences during moderate physical activity. I can't tell you how many times I have advised people with diabetes to eat something first before engaging in early morning exercise to prevent elevations in their blood glucose levels!
When it comes to preventing postprandial spikes in blood glucose, exercising after dinner is much more effective than doing it before 2 . Others have shown that for people with type 2 diabetes, a prior meal helps enhance the glucose-lowering effect of physical activity 3 . So, when it comes to both body weight and blood glucose management, exercise done at any other time of day is likely better advice for the person with diabetes than exercising in a fasted state first thing in the morning. Remember, you do not have to "burn" fat during exercise to effectively lose body fat!
References:
- Farah NMF, Gill JMR: Effects of exercise before or after meal ingestion on fat balance and postprandial metabolism in overweight men. British J Nutrition 2012 (Oct):1-11; available on CJO2012 doi:10.1017/S0007114512004448
- Colberg SR, Zarrabi L, Bennington L, Nakave A, Thomas Somma C, Swain DP, Sechrist SR: Postprandial walking is better for lowering the glycemic effect of dinner than pre-dinner exercise in type 2 diabetic individuals. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2009;10:394-397
- Poirier P, Mawhinney S, Grondin L, Tremblay A, Broderick T, Cleroux J, Catellier C, Tancrede G, Nadeau A: Prior meal enhances the plasma glucose lowering effect of exercise in type 2 diabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:1259-1264
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May 21, 2019 | www.mayoclinic.org
For someone who doesn't have diabetes, a normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent. If your A1C level is between 5.7 and 6.4 percent, you have prediabetes (also called impaired fasting glucose), which means you have a high risk of developing diabetes in the future.
A1C level Estimated average blood sugar (glucose) level 6 percent 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) 7 percent 154 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L) 8 percent 183 mg/dL (10.2 mmol/L) 9 percent 212 mg/dL (11.8 mmol/L) 10 percent 240 mg/dL (13.4 mmol/L) 11 percent 269 mg/dL (14.9 mmol/L) 12 percent 298 mg/dL (16.5 mmol/L) An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate occasions shows that you have diabetes. An A1C level above 8 percent means that your diabetes is not well-controlled and you have a higher risk of developing complications of diabetes.
For most adults who have diabetes, an A1C level of 7 percent or less is a common treatment target. Lower or higher targets may be appropriate for some individuals. If your A1C level is above your target, your doctor may recommend a change in your diabetes treatment plan.
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May 17, 2019 | www.webmd.com
The hemoglobin A1c test tells you your average level of blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. It's also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycohemoglobin .
- What Is Hemoglobin?
- How the Test Works
- What's a Normal Hemoglobin A1c Test?
- Setting Goals for A1c Levels
People who have diabetes need this test regularly to see if their levels are staying within range. It can tell if you need to adjust your diabetes medicines. The A1c test is also used to diagnose diabetes .
What Is Hemoglobin?Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells . It gives blood its red color, and it's job is to carry oxygen throughout your body.
How the Test WorksThe sugar in your blood is called glucose. When glucose builds up in your blood, it binds to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. The A1c test measures how much glucose is bound.
Red blood cells live for about 3 months, so the test shows the average level of glucose in your blood for the past 3 months.
If your glucose levels have been high over recent weeks, your hemoglobin A1c test will be higher.
A1C and Blood Sugar A1 с (%) Average Blood Sugar (
A1C Blood sugar (mg/dL) 5 97 6 126 7 152 8 183 9 212 10 240 11 269 12 298 13 326
What's a Normal Hemoglobin A1c Test?For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chance of getting diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.
Setting Goals for A1c Levels
The target A1c level for people with diabetes is usually less than 7%. The higher the hemoglobin A1c, the higher your risk of having complications related to diabetes.
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Sep 18, 2012 | medicalxpress.com
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , an American Heart Association journal.
The study in Brisbane, Australia, is the first in which researchers examined the association between daily average temperature and "years of life lost" due to CVD. Years of life lost measures premature death by estimating years of life lost according to average life expectancy .
The findings are important because of how the body responds to temperate extremes, the growing obesity trend and the earth's climate changes, said Cunrui Huang, M.Med., M.S.P.H., the study's lead researcher and a Ph.D. scholar at the School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia.
Exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger changes in blood pressure, blood thickness, cholesterol and heart rate, according to previous research.
"With increasing rates of obesity and related conditions, including diabetes, more people will be vulnerable to extreme temperatures and that could increase the future disease burden of extreme temperatures," Huang said.
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May 26, 2018 | www.forbes.com
Nothing beats hard work and perseverance when you're trying to lose weight and keep it off, but there are also a few sustainable ways that you can use to drop those first few pounds and keep them off. These 5 steps will have you 5 pounds slimmer by next week.
- Work out first thing in the morning. What do 90% of people who exercise consistently have in common? They exercise in the morning. Working out in the morning more or less guarantees that you'll work out every day, and the benefits carry over throughout your day. For one, exercise in the morning increases your energy levels, which makes you more productive throughout the day and more focused on your work. Also, getting in an early morning workout helps you burn more calories throughout the day. Working out helps to increase your metabolic rate, burning calories for long after you've stopped exercising.
A study done at Appalachian State University found that people who had completed a 45-minute exercise routine burned 17% more calories in the 14 hours following exercise than those that didn't work out. Also, when you exercise, you tend to be more mindful of your food choices throughout the day. You want to carry your new good habits over into the rest of the day, and remember that exercising is NOT a free pass to eat what you like throughout the day. If you're looking to reduce, you need to watch your food as well. And speaking of food...
- Get Bitter about Food. Bitter greens like kale, arugula, mustard greens, collards and escarole are summer diet staples that aid in digestion and de-bloating. Bitter foods are also known to stimulate and support better digestion, as recently outlined in a study by the European Herbal and traditional Medicine Practitioners Association. These dark greens are low calorie (about 36 calories in a cup for greens), and are packed with vitamins and fiber that your body needs to stay lean. For instance, kale is high in iron (per calorie, it has more than beef!), vitamins A, C and K, is great for your liver and for lowering your cholesterol levels. Most bitter greens are also great anti-inflammatories, which can help fight bloating and get you down to your fighting weight.
- Spice Up, Salt Down. High-salt diets lead to water retention. Cut the salt, and you cut the bloat. But it takes more than just leaving the salt shaker on the table. A study reported on by the
American Heart Association found that 75% of American's salt intake comes from the food itself! While you need a little salt in your diet, for most people, everything they need will already come from the food that they eat, and most people will get too much. Cut out processed foods as much as possible and you will drastically reduce your excess sodium. Food items like salad dressings and sauces are some of the worst culprits. For example, per tablespoon, ketchup has 20 calories and a whopping 6% of your daily salt intake. A few squirts of ketchup and you're already at 20% of your daily value, and that's not even including what the ketchup is on! Instead of "secret sauces" that will cause bloating and completely mask the flavor of what you're eating, try spices, especially hot ones. Conversely, spices enhance the flavor of what you're heating, and hot spices that contain capsaicin increase thermogenesis in your body. The latter can help burn more calories after your meal. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper, bell pepper or jalapeno into two of your daily meals and increase your metabolism.- Eat the Whole Thing. Whole foods, that is! You want to give your body the cleanest fuel possible so it can run at maximum efficiency. When you want to shed all you can, you want to avoid anything processed (for salt-related reasons above.) Raw vegetables, fruits, whole grains and proteins like cold water fish, beans, and eggs should be your staple diet if you're working on trimming down. You'll also want to limit your fat intake to "healthy fats" only. This includes fats from olive oil, nuts and avocados. These "good", monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can actually be beneficial to your heart and help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. In fact, research done at Harvard found that while bad fats like saturated and trans fats increased risk factors for certain diseases, total amount of "good" fats did not. In fact, eating "good" fat can help you burn fat. In another Harvard study, researchers found that participants who ate 20% of their calories from "good" fats dropped 5 pounds more after 18 months than the participants who went on low fat diets.
- Deep breaths. It may sound trite, but breathing deeply not only helps you calm down, but it can help your weight loss efforts as well. Deep, calming breaths can actually "trick" your body into de-stressing. While most people take breaths with their chest, you should be taking long, deep breaths with your abdomen. Taking a moment to focus and breathe deep into your abdomen can do wonders for your stress level.
So what does stress have to do with weight loss? Stress increases your levels of cortisol, a hormone in your body that can increase your appetite and lead you to eat more. This response used to make sense in "fight or flight" situations, where we need that energy to defend ourselves. Now, a more common situation is to come home after a long day at work and chow down. Elevated cortisol levels also lower your cognitive functions such as learning and memory, decrease your immune function and bone density, and increase your blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Need a reminder to breathe? Set an alarm for every hour on your mobile phone, and take a few long, deep breaths every time it pings. It'll help your weight and your sanity.
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Mar 04, 2018 | en.farsnews.com
That's the conclusion of new research, and it could revolutionise the way we detect and treat diabetes in the future.
Analysing past studies covering a total of 14,775 type 1 and type 2 adult-onset diabetes patients across Sweden and Finland, scientists have found five different and distinct disease profiles, including three severe and two mild forms of the condition.
The more precise we can be about different categories of diabetes, the better we can understand and treat it, according to the team of researchers from Scandinavia
It might even give doctors an earlier window of opportunity for preventing the onset of diabetes.
"Evidence suggests that early treatment for diabetes is crucial to prevent life-shortening complications," says senior researcher Leif Groop, from the Lund University Diabetes Centre (LUDC) in Sweden.
"More accurately diagnosing diabetes could give us valuable insights into how it will develop over time, allowing us to predict and treat complications before they develop."
Six different measurements were used across four separate studies: age at diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), long-term glycaemic (blood sugar) control, the function of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, insulin resistance, and the presence of specific autoantibodies linked to autoimmune diabetes.
Instead of splitting diabetes simply into type 1 and type 2, the researchers came up with five different disease profiles - one autoimmune type of diabetes and four other distinct subtypes. All five types were found to be genetically distinct, with no shared mutations.
This is enough to suggest we're looking at five distinct diseases that all affect the same body system, rather than the same disease at different stages of progression, say the researchers.
So how did they differ? One of the three more serious forms was a group of people with severe insulin resistance and a significantly higher risk of kidney disease. Another more mild type was seen mostly in elderly people.
You can see how those distinctions could improve the way we tackle diabetes – by identifying the types of patients involved and the complications they're at risk from, doctors could work out more personalised courses of treatment.
Indeed, the researchers found that many in the study weren't being given the right treatment for the particular characteristics of the diabetes they had.
With diabetes now the fastest-growing disease on the planet, more options for dealing with it can't come soon enough. More than 420 million people are now thought to have diabetes worldwide.
Between 75-85 percent of people with diabetes have the more common type 2, where the body can't produce enough insulin to cope with levels of insulin resistance.
The researchers do note some limitations though: there's no evidence yet that these five types of diabetes have different causes, and the sample only included Scandinavian patients, so a wider study is going to be required to investigate this further.
"Existing treatment guidelines are limited by the fact they respond to poor metabolic control when it has developed, but do not have the means to predict which patients will need intensified treatment," says Groop.
"This study moves us towards a more clinically useful diagnosis, and represents an important step towards precision medicine in diabetes."
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Oct 02, 2017 | www.heart.org
Prakash Deedwania, chief of the cardiology division and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine explains:
Drinking a glass of wine is good for the heart in the sense that the main mechanism by which alcohol protects the heart is increasing good cholesterol. The grape skin provides flavonoids and other antioxidant substances that protect the heart and vessels from the damaging effects of free oxygen radicals produced by our body.
This is particularly true for diabetics because they have been shown to have a high production of free oxygen radicals. But we don't have any evidence specifically related to diabetes patients.
A glass of wine can also help individuals relax. The strongest evidence is in favor of wine, but some evidence recently showed beer and other types of alcohol may provide the same benefits related to increasing good cholesterol (HDL) .
In general, alcohol does not seem to have an adverse effect, unless an excessive amount is used -- and it increases calories, among other things. For example, excessive amounts of alcoholic consumption could be harmful by increasing the risk of high blood pressure , for which diabetic patients are already at high risk.
For all people, alcohol can lower blood sugar. So for people with diabetes, it is recommended that any alcohol be consumed with a meal. In all cases, alcohol still contains calories, so remember to include it in the meal plan (one alcoholic drink is 1 fat exchange). If further help is needed, seek the help of a registered dietitian.
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Dec 26, 2016 | news.slashdot.org
(betanews.com) 30 Posted by BeauHD on Tuesday November 29, 2016 @05:40PM from the medical-breakthrough dept. BrianFagioli writes from a report via BetaNews: Diabetic eye disease is caused by retinopathy. Affected diabetics can have small tears inside the eye, causing bleeding. Over time, they can lose vision, and ultimately, they can go blind. Luckily, Google has been trying to use machine learning to detect diabetic retinopathy. Guess what? The search giant has seen much success. Not only are the computers able to detect the disease at the same level as ophthalmologists , but Google is actually slightly better! "A few years ago, a Google research team began studying whether machine learning could be used to screen for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Today, in the Journal of the American Medical Association , we've published our results: a deep learning algorithm capable of interpreting signs of DR in retinal photographs, potentially helping doctors screen more patients, especially in underserved communities with limited resources," says Lily Peng , MD Ph.D., Product Manger at Google. She goes on to say "our algorithm performs on par with the ophthalmologists, achieving both high sensitivity and specificity . [...] For example, on the validation set described in Figure 2, the algorithm has a F-score of 0.95, which is slightly better than the median. F-score of the 8 ophthalmologists we consulted (measured at 0.91)."
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Nov 26, 2016 | nutritionfacts.org
We can also do the opposite experiment. Lower the level of fat in people's blood and the insulin resistance comes right down . If we clear the fat out of the blood, we also clear the sugar out. That explains the finding that on the high fat, ketogenic diet, insulin doesn't work very well. Our bodies become insulin resistant. But as the amount of fat in our diet gets lower and lower, insulin works better and better-a clear demonstration that the sugar tolerance of even healthy individuals can be impaired by administering a low-carb, high-fat diet. We can decrease insulin resistance, however, by decreasing fat intake.
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Sep 16, 2016 | www.nytimes.com
By GINA KOLATASEPT. 15, 2016
A few years ago, Richard Kahn, the now-retired chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, was charged with organizing a committee to prescribe a diet plan for people with diabetes. He began by looking at the evidence for different diets, asking which, if any, best controlled diabetes.
"When you look at the literature, whoa is it weak. It is so weak," Dr. Kahn said in a recent interview.
Studies tended to be short term, diets unsustainable, differences among them clinically insignificant. The only thing that really seemed to help people with diabetes was weight loss - and for weight loss, there is no magic diet.
But people want diet advice, Dr. Kahn reasoned, and the association really should say something about diets. So it, like the National Institutes of Health, went with the Department of Agriculture's food pyramid .
Why? "It's a diet for all America," Dr. Kahn said. "It has lots of fruits and vegetables and a reasonable amount of fat."
That advice, though, recently came under attack in a New York Times commentary written by Sarah Hallberg, an osteopath at a weight loss clinic in Indiana, and Osama Hamdy, the medical director of the obesity weight loss program at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School.
There is a diet that helps with diabetes, the two doctors said: one that restricts - or, according to Dr. Hallberg, severely restricts - carbohydrates.
"If the goal is to get patients off their medications, including insulin, and resolve rather than just control their diabetes, significant carb restriction is by far the best nutrition plan," Dr. Hallberg said in an email. "This would include elimination of grains, potatoes and sugars and all processed foods. There is a significant and ever growing body of literature that supports this method." She is in private practice at Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital and is medical director of a start-up developing nutrition-based medical interventions.
But there are no large and rigorous studies showing that low-carbohydrate diets offer an advantage, and, in fact, there is not even a consensus on the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet - it can vary from doctor to doctor.
"There have been debates for literally the whole history of diabetes about which kind of diet is best," said Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, chief academic officer at Joslin, and no relation to Dr. Richard Kahn. But, he said, "the answer isn't so straightforward."
In support of a diet like Dr. Hallberg's, there is one recent short-term study , by Kevin Hall of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and his colleagues, involving 17 overweight and obese men, none of whom had diabetes. They stayed in a clinical center where they ate carefully controlled diets. The researchers asked what would happen if calories were kept constant but the carbohydrate composition of a diet varied from high to very low. The answer was that insulin secretion dropped 50 percent with the very low carbohydrate diet, meaning that much less insulin was required to maintain normal blood glucose levels.
"Since diabetes results when the body can't produce enough insulin, perhaps it is a good idea to reduce the amount of insulin it needs by eating very-low-carbohydrate diets," Dr. Hall said.
Some longer-term studies , though, failed to show that low-carbohydrate diets benefited glucose control. Even if diets are effective in the short term, Dr. Hall said, "the difficulty is adhering to the diet over the long term." In an analysis of weight loss diets (not specifically for diabetics) published this summer, he and Yoni Freedhoff of the University of Ottawa wrote: "Diet adherence is so challenging that it is poor even in short-term studies where all food is provided. When diets are prescribed, adherence is likely to diminish over the long term despite self-reports to the contrary."
But short-term studies of just a few weeks, which constitute the bulk of the diet studies, can be misleading, said Dr. C. Ronald Kahn. "In the short term, the low-carbohydrate diet sometimes does better on glycemic control," he said. "But as time progresses, the difference mostly disappears. What counts is which diet helps most with long-term weight loss. "
The reason the advantage sometimes seen with a low-carbohydrate diet tends to vanish, Dr. C. Ronald Kahn added, is probably a mix of people failing to adhere to the diets and their bodies' adjusting to them.
Another issue with low-carbohydrate diets, researchers said, is the question of what will happen to overall health if diabetics actually follow the diet for years or decades. (Heart attacks are the major killer of people with diabetes.) Insulin levels may be better, but, said Dr. Rudolph Leibel, a director of Columbia University's Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, "effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on lipoproteins and vascular biology could offset such a 'benefit.'" In other words, it is not clear if a lower insulin level would translate into fewer heart attacks.
Dr. Hamdy, whose recommended low-carbohydrate diet is less restrictive than the one Dr. Hallberg suggests, reports that many patients in his clinic have been able to stay with the diet for as long as five years, losing weight and keeping it off. He presented his study at the 2015 annual conference of the American Diabetes Association and has submitted it for publication. It involved 129 patients. Half were able to lose weight and keep it off, and those who did maintained an average weight loss of 9.5 percent. Their diabetes was much improved.
It is impossible, Dr. Hamdy said, to separate weight loss from the diet's effects on diabetes because people following such a diet - which limits but does not forbid things like breads, pasta and rice - also lose weight.
Advertisement Continue reading the main storyBut multiple studies have found that when it comes to weight loss - the only proven way to help with blood sugar control over the long term - there is no difference among diets that restrict calories, fat or carbohydrates.
Experts like Dr. David Nathan, the director of the diabetes center and clinical research center at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, advise dieting for people with diabetes. But, he said, "when we advise people to be on diets, the major goal is to lose weight."
What matters the most for controlling diabetes, Dr. Nathan said, "is how much weight you lose."
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Sep 05, 2015 | observer.com
Total deaths are projected to rise by more than 50% in the next decade. It's important to remember diabetes can be prevented even if you're at risk because of family history.
Here are three steps you can take today to prevent the disease, which afflicts roughly one million Americas and killed 1.5 million people worldwide in 2012, according to the World Health Organization.
- Leave Sugar Behind
The FDA issued a serious warning in May of this year regarding a new class of type 2 diabetes drugs which may cause dangerous levels of blood acids. One of the problems with diabetes is the medications have many side effects. This leads us to urge patients to focus on preventing diabetes early in life through their lifestyle choices.
And yes, this starts with sugar. A new study actually found that switching out just one sugary soda per day for water, or unsweetened coffee or tea – could lower the risk for type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, by 25 percent.
Americans consume nearly 130 pounds of added sugars per person every year. This includes both sugar and high fructose corn syrup. These sugars lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and can be found in sweetened drinks, syrup, honey, breads, and yogurts. Since the 1970's sugar consumption has decreased 40 percent but this is slightly misleading since there has been an increase in fructose consumption in the form of high fructose corn syrup. With this type of sugar found in most sodas and sugary soft drinks we've discovered the sweetest of all sugars. Fructose leaves us craving more. Fructose consumption triggers euphoric or 'feel good' chemical activity in the brain, similar to a 'reward system' such that when you eat sugar, your brain feels pleasure. The more sugar you eat, the greater your threshold to reach this pleasure sensation is, so you need more and more daily.
A reduced-sugar diet has many benefits including weight loss, reduction in risk for diabetes, and a decreased risk of heart disease. A new study actually found that switching out just one sugary soda per day for water, or unsweetened coffee or tea – could lower the risk for type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, by 25 percent. The findings are based on detailed food diaries from over 25,000 middle-aged and older British adults. When the study started all participants were diabetes-free, but almost 1,000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by study end. Overall, the study found that the more sugary soda people consumed, the higher their risk of developing diabetes. There was an increased risk of diabetes by about 22% for every extra daily serving.
- Preventing Pre-Diabetes from Becoming Diabetes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 79 million American adults have pre-diabetes. As you might guess, pre-diabetes can, and often does, develop into diabetes. Unfortunately, chances are that the cardiovascular damage that occurs with type 2 diabetes is already occurring with pre-diabetes.
The good news, however, is that a diagnosis of pre-diabetes does not sentence you to a diagnosis of diabetes; rather, with some lifestyle changes, diabetes can be prevented.
Exercise!
First and foremost, losing weight is the best way to prevent diabetes. The CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program indicates that people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes can delay or avoid the disease if they lose just 5 to 7 percent of their body weight.
Weight loss and physical activity can improve the body's ability to use insulin and process glucose. One of the easiest forms of exercise is walking – start by taking a walk around the block at lunch time, choose to take the stairs where possible and eventually build up to at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.
Enjoy a Healthy Diet
Consume foods that are low in fat, sugars, and sodium. Choose low or zero-calorie beverages over sweetened drinks. eplace white carbohydrates (i.e. white bread, white rice) with whole grains, brown rice, etc.
If you do choose unhealthy options, eat them in moderation. Furthermore, when you have pre-diabetes, the amount of food you eat is as important as the types of foods you're eating.
Make sure to adhere to recommended portion sizes to ensure you don't overeat. For example, 3 oz. of lean protein (the size of the palm of your hand), 1 oz. of cheese (the size of your thumb), 1 cup of low-fat or nonfat dairy, 1 cup of fresh, non-starchy vegetables, ˝ cup of starchy vegetables, 1 slice of whole-grain bread and 1/3 cup of brown rice or cooked whole-grain pasta.
Make Smart Substitutions When Cooking
Low-fat and low-calorie ingredients can make a big difference when it comes to your health. Some simple substitutions include: zero-calorie cooking spray for butter, milk for cream, low-fat or nonfat options for full-fat dairy products, unsweetened applesauce for oil or butter (only when baking) and sugar substitute for some of the sugar. It is also best to avoid frying foods; instead, try grilling, broiling or baking.
Monitor Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
People with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, respectively.
If you have high cholesterol, take an active role in controlling it: Aim to exercise at least 30 minutes most days, eat a diet low in saturated fats and don't smoke. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends maintaining your blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg to prevent the complications that often accompany diabetes.
Don't Smoke
If you smoke, stop; if you don't smoke, don't start.
Be vigilant of the symptoms of diabetes and speak with your medical provider about testing for pre-diabetes. The ADA recommends testing those over age 45 as well as people who are overweight and have one or more risk factors including high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes or a sedentary lifestyle. Remember, diabetes can be prevented with some lifestyle changes.
- Drink Your Coffee Black
According to a new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking coffee may lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The study found that people who drank coffee were about 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people who did not drink coffee. The scientists believe that the reason for a reduction in the risk for type 2 diabetes could be the effect coffee has on the reducing the amount of inflammation in the body. Among the coffee drinkers who were considered habitual coffee drinkers, 54 percent of them were less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who didn't drink coffee. This was true even after researchers took into account lifestyle habits or medical history such as family history of diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, or drinking other caffeinated beverages.
If you have acid reflux, talk with your doctor. To stay hydrated, in between drinking your 3-4 cups of black coffee per day, drink 1 glass of water. That's what I do every day.
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Aug 11, 2013
A study published last week in the New England Journal suggests that blood sugar levels may be a more important indicator than previously realized for non-diabetics: high blood sugar levels were linked by the study's authors with increased risk of dementia (summary free; full article paywalled). The study followed more than 2,000 elderly participants, and found a positive correlation between blood glucose levels and development of dementia, both for patients with and without diabetes.Anonymous Coward
Re:Proves Bloomberg correct. (Score:1)
1) High Fructose Corn Syrup, the thing used in just about everything is a mixture of about 55/42% fructose and glucose respectively.
2) Fructose is almost immediately metabolized by the liver into glucose, once it leaves the small intestine.
So, it's basically the same damn thing to the body anyway.
DeathGrippe
Brain diabetes (Score:4, Informative)
This is particularly interesting because Alzheimer's is now thought, by many researchers, to be a form of "brain diabetes."
There are clinical data which demonstrate that Alzheimer's can be reversed to some extent with medium chain triglycerides, which are absorbed by cells directly and provide energy which isn't dependent on glucose uptake.
See: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/alzheimers-diabetes-brain [doctoroz.com] and http://w.numedica.net/literature/Reger%202004.pdf [numedica.net] for more info.
erroneus
So imbalanced body chemistry leads to problems? (Score:2)
Okay, so perhaps it is over-simplifying the over-all issue and doesn't recognize the increased understanding of what affects what in what ways. It's important, so I'm not going to discount that value.
But the short of it is always this:
1. The body is a chemical machine. It needs good balance. When people screw with it too much beyond its tollerance, it's bad. We know this already. We hear "balanced diet" all the time. Trouble is, "balanced diets" are mostly a lie and because of human diversity, what is balanced for one person isn't balanced for another. 2. People are constantly trying to cut the head off of the body when it comes to illness. If it's "mental illness" they want to blame something mental. If it's something else, they want to blame the body in some way. It's as if this "blood brain barrier" is a thing that people believe contains the soul and spirit of a person. "Magic" right?
It's just not like that. We're all machines through and through. We know chemicals can affect our mood, our judgement, our response time, out ability to think clearly and some would say even enhance our thinking on some ways (I disagree, but okay...) We know we can affect our minds with chemicals and yet we STILL want to believe the mind is separate from the body.
Everyone needs to stop thinking this. Everyone. Laymen, Medical professionals, Police, Justice, Welfare services, Employers and more. Just Everyone.
I see this as completely obvious. Other people still cling to their ideas which are simply and demonstrably wrong.
toomanyairmiles
This wouldn't surprise most diabetics (Score:1)
I was an undiagnosed Type 2 for a very long time, and since diagnoses it's become clear to me that brain function and mood are very closely tied to my blood sugar levels.
Undiagnosed I would experience bouts of temper or melancholy that came from nowhere in particular, and these have been mostly eliminated since I started to medicate.
When sugars a low it's very hard to think at all, you can't concentrate, and it's hard to coordinate movement. Those that think lows can be cured by simply eating chocolate haven't drunk 10 pints of beer and then tried to find a source of sugar in a three bedroom house!
When sugars are high you can be hyper for a time, before you begin to lose control of your body temperature and the slightest thing can send you into a rage.
Uncontrollable rage is very common indeed in teenage diabetics.
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To obtain meaningful data for treatment decisions, it is helpful for the patient to monitor for several consecutive days (e.g., 2-4 days). In addition to obtaining fasting and preprandial glucose levels, consider obtaining glucose readings 2-3 hours postprandially, as postprandial hyperglycemia has been implicated as an additional cardiovascular risk factor. [1C]
Postprandial monitoring is particularly recommended for patients who:
- • have an elevated A1C but fasting glucose is at target
- • are initiating intensive (physiologic) insulin treatment programs
- • are experiencing problems with glycemic control
- • are using glucose-lowering agents targeted at postprandial glucose levels
- • are making meal planning or activity adjustments
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- Physical activity should be an integral component of the diabetes care plan to optimize glucose control, decrease cardiovascular risk factors, and achieve or maintain optimal body weight. [1B]
- A moderate-intensity aerobic (endurance) physical activity minimum of 30 minutes (min) 5 days per week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 20 min 3 days per week should be achieved unless contraindicated. Activity can be accumulated toward the 30-min minimum by performing bouts each lasting 10 or more minutes.
- A target of 60-90 minutes, 6-7 days per week is encouraged for weight loss if overweight or obese.
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Ian Urbina's front-pager in the New York Times on diabetes is yet another piece of evidence arguing against the notion that the solution to the health care crisis is for the system to treat health care more like a consumer good.
With much optimism, Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan opened its new diabetes center in March 1999. Miss America, Nicole Johnson Baker, herself a diabetic, showed up for promotional pictures, wearing her insulin pump.In one photo, she posed with a man dressed as a giant foot - a comical if dark reminder of the roughly 2,000 largely avoidable diabetes-related amputations in New York City each year. Doctors, alarmed by the cost and rapid growth of the disease, were getting serious.
At four hospitals across the city, they set up centers that featured a new model of treatment. They would be boot camps for diabetics, who struggle daily to reduce the sugar levels in their blood. The centers would teach them to check those levels, count calories and exercise with discipline, while undergoing prolonged monitoring by teams of specialists.
But seven years later, even as the number of New Yorkers with Type 2 diabetes has nearly doubled, three of the four centers, including Beth Israel's, have closed.
They did not shut down because they had failed their patients. They closed because they had failed to make money. They were victims of the byzantine world of American health care, in which the real profit is made not by controlling chronic diseases like diabetes but by treating their many complications.
Insurers, for example, will often refuse to pay $150 for a diabetic to see a podiatrist, who can help prevent foot ailments associated with the disease. Nearly all of them, though, cover amputations, which typically cost more than $30,000.
Patients have trouble securing a reimbursement for a $75 visit to the nutritionist who counsels them on controlling their diabetes. Insurers do not balk, however, at paying $315 for a single session of dialysis, which treats one of the disease's serious complications.
Not surprising, as the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes has grown, more than 100 dialysis centers have opened in the city.
"It's almost as though the system encourages people to get sick and then people get paid to treat them," said Dr. Matthew E. Fink, a former president of Beth Israel.
[Aug. 4, 2011] Blog: Top 10 diabetes myths By Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
192 comments posted
This blog is the first in a two-part series in which we discuss the top 10 diabetes myths.
Hello, bloggers. I've been looking at articles from a number of popular diabetes magazines and other resources about diabetes myths. Each one seems to have its own list of the top five or 10 diabetes myths.
I decided to develop my own list of the top 10 diabetes myths that I've heard as a diabetes educator at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. I'll reveal five this week, five next week.
Here goes (drum roll).
I have borderline diabetes or just a touch of diabetes.
Either you have it or you don't. Two fasting blood sugar readings over 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L); a random blood glucose over 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L); or an A1C of 6.5 percent or higher are all considered diabetes.
I don't know why I got diabetes, I never eat sweets.
Just about everything you eat is converted into glucose - sugar - so for most people with type 2 diabetes, what you eat is not as important as how much you eat. When you overeat, you're adding extra calories your body doesn't need for energy, so your body will convert these extra calories into fat. Being overweight is a predisposing factor for developing diabetes.
I can't eat carbohydrates; it makes my blood sugars go high.
Of course they do - even people who don't have diabetes will see an elevation in their blood glucose after eating. Carbohydrates should be approximately 50 percent of your daily food intake each day. Carbohydrates are your fuel, without them you will have little energy.
If I have to go on insulin; that must mean my diabetes is really bad.
You know, insulin has gotten a bad rap through the years. It's the blood glucose control that determines whether you go on insulin; if diet alone or diet along with oral or noninsulin-injectable diabetes medication(s) is not controlling the blood glucose, insulin is necessary.
Insulin causes complications of diabetes.
Again, insulin has gotten a bad rap. Insulin is a natural hormone and is probably one of the safest medications around. Insulin helps control the blood glucose, which in turn slows down or prevents diabetes complications.
Your thoughts? What are some of the diabetes myths you have come across?
Have a great week,
Nancy
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Controlling Blood Sugar in Diabetes How Low Should You Go - Harvard Health Publications
The sweet spot
Research has modified some long-held assumptions about the treatment of diabetes, and new studies are likely to further refine our standards and goals. Still, some principles seem clear:
1. Diet, exercise, and weight control should be the cornerstone of management for all diabetics. In fact, a healthful lifestyle can prevent many, if not most, cases of type 2 diabetes, and it can lower blood sugar levels and improve the outcome for all patients with the disease.
2. Good blood sugar control is important for all diabetics. Tight control reduces the risk of microvascular complications (kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye disease) in type 1 diabetes. It also helps protect type 1 patients from macrovascular complications (heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death); it may have similar benefits for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and healthy blood vessels, but is unlikely to help patients with longstanding type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Patients who can achieve near-normal blood sugar levels with lifestyle therapy and simple drug programs should do so. Current ADA guidelines call for:
- achieving HbA1C levels of less than 7.0%; this corresponds to an average blood sugar level below 154 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
- The ADA also recommends striving for fasting blood sugar levels below 131 mg/dL
- and peak post-meal levels below 180 mg/dL.
3. Patients who take insulin and others who aim for tight blood sugar control should monitor their own blood sugar levels. They should also learn to recognize symptoms of hypoglycemia, including anxiety, racing heart, sweating, tremors, and confusion, and they should know how to raise excessively low sugar levels and how to get help in emergencies.
While the ADA guidelines remain important, many experts believe that one size does not fit all, that blood sugar goals should be adjusted according to the needs of individual patients. In general, an HbA1C target of 7.0% to 7.5%, which corresponds to an average blood sugar level of about 150 to 170 mg/dL, seems reasonable for many patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Medical therapy should be intensified when HbA1C levels exceed 8%, which corresponds to an average blood sugar level of about 180 mg/dL.
4. Because diabetes is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death, patients should carefully control other risk factors. Current guidelines set targets for diabetics below targets for otherwise healthy individuals;
- these include blood pressure readings below 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and LDL cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL.
- Interestingly, however, reports from the ACCORD investigators suggest that even lower targets for blood pressure do not provide additional benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes.
5. Because special medications can slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease, patients should have regular urine tests for microalbuminuria; blood tests of kidney function may also help.
Regular screening for eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) will also lead to helpful preventive treatment. Foot care is important, too.
Research Connecting Organ Damage with Blood Sugar Level
Nerve Damage Occurs when Blood Sugars Rise Over 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) After Meals
A study conducted in the neurology clinic at the University of Utah examined patients who came to the clinic complaining of peripheral neuropathy of unknown origin. Peripheral neuropathy is the medical term for a kind of nerve damage which causes pain, tingling, "pins and needles" or burning sensations in the hands and feet.The University of Utah neurologists found that patients who were not known to be diabetic, but who registered 140/mg or higher on the 2-hour sample taken during a glucose tolerance test were much more likely to have a diabetic form of neuropathy than those who had lower blood sugars. Even more telling, the researchers found that the length of time a patient had experienced this nerve pain correlated with how high their blood sugar had risen over 140 mg/dl on the 2-hour glucose tolerance test reading.
It is important to note that this study also showed that only the glucose tolerance test results corresponded to the incidence of neuropathy in these patients, not their fasting blood sugar levels or their results on the HbA1c test This is significant because most American doctors do not offer their patients glucose tolerance tests, only the fasting glucose and HbA1c tests that fail to diagnose these obviously damaging post-meal blood sugars.
Recommended Links
Your health care provider may suspect that you have diabetes if your blood sugar level is higher than 200 mg/dL. To confirm the diagnosis, one or more of the following tests must be done.
Diabetes blood tests:
- Fasting blood glucose level -- diabetes is diagnosed if it is higher than 126 mg/dL two times
- Hemoglobin A1c test --
- Normal: Less than 5.7%
- Pre-diabetes: 5.7% - 6.4%
- Diabetes: 6.5% or higher
- Oral glucose tolerance test -- diabetes is diagnosed if glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours
Diabetes screening is recommended for:
- Overweight children who have other risk factors for diabetes, starting at age 10 and repeated every 2 years
- Overweight adults (BMI greater than 25) who have other risk factors
- Adults over age 45 every 3 years
You should see your health care provider every 3 months. At these visits, you can expect your health care provider to:
- Check your blood pressure
- Check the skin and bones on your feet and legs
- Check to see if your feet are becoming numb
- Examine the back part of the eye with a special lighted instrument called an ophthalmoscope
The following tests will help you and your doctor monitor your diabetes and prevent problems:
- Have your blood pressure checked at least every year (blood pressure goals should be 130/80 mm/Hg or lower).
- Have your hemoglobin A1c test (HbA1c) every 6 months if your diabetes is well controlled; otherwise every 3 months.
- Have your cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked yearly (aim for LDL levels below 70-100 mg/dL).
- Get yearly tests to make sure your kidneys are working well (microalbuminuria and serum creatinine).
- Visit your eye doctor at least once a year, or more often if you have signs of diabetic eye disease.
- See the dentist every 6 months for a thorough dental cleaning and exam. Make sure your dentist and hygienist know that you have diabetes.