Category Archives: Uncategorized

There are reasons I adapted the Mediterranean diet for folks with diabetes. the article linked below lists some of them.

“If there’s one so-called diet that is widely acclaimed for its health benefits, it’s the Mediterranean diet. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet No. 1 on its 2019 41 Best Diets Overall list, citing a “host of health benefits, including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control.” More of an eating pattern than a calorie-restricted diet, the Mediterranean regimen emphasizes eating lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, and fish, with liberal use of olive oil, a moderate amount of dairy foods, and a low amount of red meat — a way of eating common in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, noted an article published in June 2018 the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports.”

Source: 8 Scientific Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet | Everyday Health

Front cover of book

DiaTribe has an article on glucose meter accuracy by Jeemin Kwon and Adam Brown. I quote:

Results from the Diabetes Technology Society’s Blood Glucose Meter Surveillance Program identifies only six out of 18 meters that passed. Did yours make the cut?

The Diabetes Technology Society (DTS) recently revealed long-awaited results from its Blood Glucose Monitor System (BGMS) Surveillance Program. The rigorous study tested the accuracy of 18 popular blood glucose meters (BGM) used in the US. These FDA-cleared meters were purchased through retail outlets and tested rigorously at three study sites in over 1,000 people (including 840 people with diabetes). The results were troubling: only six out of the 18 devices met the DTS passing standard for meter accuracy – within 15% or 15 mg/dl of the laboratory value in over 95% of trials.

The devices that passed were:

• Contour Next from Ascensia (formerly Bayer) – 100%
• Accu-Chek Aviva Plus from Roche – 98%
• Walmart ReliOn Confirm (Micro) from Arkray – 97%
• CVS Advanced from Agamatrix – 97%
• FreeStyle Lite from Abbott – 96%
• Accu-Chek SmartView from Roche – 95%

The devices that failed were:  

• Walmart ReliOn Prime from Arkray – 92%
• OneTouch Verio from LifeScan – 92%
• Prodigy Auto Code from Prodigy – 90%
• OneTouch Ultra 2 from LifeScan – 90%
• Walmart ReliOn Ultima from Abbott – 89%
• Contour Classic from Bayer – 89%
• Embrace from Omnis Health – 88%
• True Result from HDI/Nipro – 88%
• True Track from HDI/Nipro – 81%
• Solus V2 from BioSense Medical – 76%
• Advocate Redi-Code+ from Diabetic Supply of Suncoast – 76%
• Gmate Smart from Philosys – 71%

Source: Are Blood Glucose Meters Accurate? New Data on 18 Meters | diaTribe

Future Feed

From Hawaiian Libertarian:

“Food is grown, raised, harvested and processed — and if not consumed while fresh — preserved in as natural and organic a state as possible to keep most of it’s nutritious and nourishing qualities intact.

Feed is mass produced by a few large multinational corporations line using bio-technological innovations to quickly and efficiently manufacture product units ready for global distribution and a near infinite shelf life. Its primary traits are using genetically modified grain products to create a marketable product that is usually adulterated with preservatives and flavor enhancements that give it a long shelf life in airtight packaging and designed in a laboratory to stimulate the taste buds to fool the human body into thinking it’s something good for you.

But above all, the primary difference between Food and Feed can be discerned by this: most real food requires little (if any) corporate mass media marketing campaigns to sell product and expand market shares and waistlines alike.”

Source: Hawaiian libertarian: FEED Inc. & The Corporate Campaign Dialectic

Technological advances aren’t always worth the cost…

“A new randomized study compared insulin pump therapy vs. an MDI [multiple daily injections] approach among current CGM [continuous glucose monitor] users. The results showed that insulin pump users had a higher A1c, decreased quality of life, and markedly higher medical expenses as compared to MDI patients.”

Source: Study: Insulin Pumps Decrease Quality of Life and Increase A1c in CGM Users – Diabetes Daily

From NMCD:

Highlights

•A meta-analysis of 77 prospective studies was conducted.

•Diabetes was associated with a 2-fold increase in heart failure risk in the general population.

•Diabetes was associated with a 69% increase in heart failure risk in patient populations.

•Elevated blood glucose even in the pre-diabetic range also increased heart failure risk.

Source: Diabetes mellitus, blood glucose and the risk of heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies – Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

From Sysy Morales at Diabetes Daily:

“My blood sugar levels have never been better than what they are now. This is primarily due to eating a very low-carb diet. It took me a long time to transition, and this post will outline the reasons why.

Over a decade ago I read Dr. Bernstein’s book called, Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution. When he explained what he calls the Laws of Small Numbers, which refers to how small amounts of carbohydrate are covered by small doses of insulin and this means that blood sugars are more easily managed within tight parameters. He also explained why keeping blood sugar levels within tight parameters is essential to avoid complications. This made sense immediately, and I responded by flinging the book across my bedroom at the wall.”

Source: Reasons Why It Took Me So Long to Transition to Very Low Carb

“Among older patients with type 1 diabetes, those with majority exposure to HbA1c 8–8.9% and ≥9% had increased dementia risk, while those with majority exposure to HbA1c 6–6.9% and 7–7.9% had reduced risk. Currently recommended glycemic targets for older patients with type 1 diabetes are consistent with healthy brain aging.”

Source: Long-term Glycemic Control and Dementia Risk in Type 1 Diabetes | Diabetes Care

“Women with gestational diabetes who were on a Mediterranean diet for 3 months had improved glycemic levels, that were comparable to pregnant women with normal glucose levels, a new study from Madrid, Spain suggests.

The objective of the study was to assess whether Mediterranean diet-based medical nutrition therapy facilitates near-normoglycemia in women with gestational diabetes.

“Medical nutrition therapy based on a MedDiet enhanced with extra virgin olive oil and pistachios, thus with a high-fat content, is associated with glycemic control and with a reduction in gestational diabetes-related adverse perinatal outcomes,” Dr. Alfonso Calle-Pascual, one of the study authors told dLife.”

Source: Mediterranean Diet Linked to Improved Gestational Diabetes Outcomes, Study | dLife

Testosterone is one reason men are better than women at push-ups

I’m running across more middle-aged and older men who are taking testosterone supplements. I don’t know if it’s a national trend or simply a Scottsdale, AZ, phenomenon.

The Endocrine Society in 2010 published guidelines regarding testosterone therapy for men who are androgen-deficient. Here are their recommendations on who should be tested for deficiency, and how:

1.1 Diagnosis and evaluation of patients with suspected androgen deficiency

“We recommend making a diagnosis of androgen deficiency only in men with consistent symptoms and signs and unequivocally low serum testosterone levels.

We suggest that clinicians measure serum testosterone level in patients with clinical manifestations shown in Table 1A. We suggest that clinicians also consider measuring serum testosterone level when patients report the less specific symptoms and signs listed in Table 1B.

TABLE 1.
Symptoms and signs suggestive of androgen deficiency in men

A. More specific symptoms and signs
Incomplete or delayed sexual development, eunuchoidism
Reduced sexual desire (libido) and activity
Decreased spontaneous erections
Breast discomfort, gynecomastia
Loss of body (axillary and pubic) hair, reduced shaving
Very small (especially < 5ml) or shrinking testes

Inability to father children, low or zero sperm count
Height loss, low trauma fracture, low bone mineral density
Hot flushes, sweats

B. Other less specific symptoms and signs
Decreased energy, motivation, initiative, and self-confidence
Feeling sad or blue, depressed mood, dysthymia
Poor concentration and memory
Sleep disturbance, increased sleepiness
Mild anemia (normochromic, normocytic, in the female range)
Reduced muscle bulk and strength
Increased body fat, body mass index
Diminished physical or work performance

We suggest the measurement of morning total testosterone level by a reliable assay as the initial diagnostic test.

We recommend confirmation of the diagnosis by repeating measurement of total testosterone.

We suggest measurement of free or bioavailable testosterone level, using an accurate and reliable assay, in some men in whom total testosterone concentrations are near the lower limit of the normal range and in whom alterations of SHBG are suspected.

We suggest that an evaluation of androgen deficiency should not be made during an acute or subacute illness.”

Harriet Hall thinks testosterone is being over-prescribed.

My wife got interested in the sous vide cooking method in 2016. She gave her original Anova cooker away to someone and replaced it with another brand that broke and shocked her, literally. We just got our new Anova and made this unboxing video. (I’m told that unboxing videos are “a thing.”)

We’ve noticed in our corner of the universe that steaks are getting more expensive. Sous vide cooking allows us to use cheaper and tougher cuts of meat and it comes out very tender. The method often yields foods that are also more flavorful and juicier compared to other cooking styles.