Category: Diabetes

Lean, Mean, And A Few Things In Between…

One’s health and fitness has many moving pieces and sometimes it can be difficult to navigate the vast plethora of bullshit that you can find online nowadays. I say this with the firm understating that I’m reaching you now through an online medium, but I stand by my statement. Even if you set aside all the misinformation or pseudo-science that can be found online, it’s important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. What’s more is, doing things wrong may cause more harm than good.

This seems like a good time to remind everyone that I’m not a medical practitioner, dietitian or have many formal training. This post is intended solely as my opinion, based on my own experiences. talk to your own doctor before contemplating anything mentioned here. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s talk diets and fitness. For most people, dieting generally means either cutting the amount of food you eat or eliminating certain food groups that one may have read contributes to overall weight gain.

The problem with the former, is many people believe that cutting the amount of food they eat will automatically make them lose weight. Although this can occur in some situations, it can also have the opposite effect. Because the human body is programmed to keep you alive no matter what, eliminating your food intake or starving yourself, will usually result in your body hoarding away what you DO eat as fat, which it will then use to sustain you should there be another long period without food. Depending on your metabolism, one should rather examine HOW one eats as opposed to trying to eliminate HOW MUCH they eat.

Another big problem is depending on the almighty scale. People tend to measure progress on the number staring back at them from a scale, but that can be deceiving, as well. The problem includes the fact that if you’re building mass as a result of exercising more frequently, that scale may not be your friend. The whole “muscle weighs more than fat” concept is total bullshit! A pound of fat or a pound of muscle is still one fucking pound. I will die on THAT hill.

But even if you’re waistline is slowly getting smaller, your muscle mass may be getting bigger, which could be why you aren’t seeing the results you want. It’s important to remember that you need to incorporate ALL factors into your fitness journey, including what comes in, what comes out, your weight, your diet and your exercise routine. Each person is unique and even though your neighbour has lost tons of weight from fasting doesn’t mean that will work (or is safe) for you.

I happen to be dealing with my own weight-loss journey at the moment, where I’m dealing with that very scenario. A certain change that one of my martial arts counterparts has tried showed great success and seems to be working for me, as well. More on that in the near future but the important thing to rememher is if you’re dieting, be sure to control aspects such as portion size, frequency of meals and HOW you consume your food. People don’t seem to recognize the amount of damage one can cause by simply trying NOT to eat in order to lose weight.

For example, there’s a reason you need to consume food. Carbohydrates provide a primary source of energy for the body. You know, energy? That thing you need to stay alive and do ANYTHING??? Completely cutting carbs prevents that. Other aspects, like include proper levels of finer and protein, to help with the proper growth and repair of muscle tissue and the normalization of your elimination systems. This means that if you do something du,b like eat nothing but protein, you’ll stop yourself up like a loaded subway car during peak hours in Tokyo. Not pretty…

The key to it all, is balance. Just like you should be taking regular breaks from fitness to allow the body to heal, you also need to find the means to control your portion sizes and still get all the food groups and nutrients you need in order to stay healthy. Fad diets are usually just that; a fad. The complete elimination of entire food groups should be avoided, unless done on the advice and guidance of a medical professional. And for light’s sake… Don’t STOP eating in order to lose weight. To somewhat quote The Mandalorian, this is NOT the way…

Take A Break Before You Break…

Maintaining one’s fitness is an ongoing battle, usually with absolutely no end on sight. Usually and for the most part, people develop and maintain a routine for themselves that isn’t always conducive to proper fitness. one of the big realities, and the one people tend to overlook the most, is that rest is just as important and integral to one’s fitness journey as staying consistent and committed. And foregoing appropriate rest can have some nasty effects on your overall health as well as your fitness goals.

When you have Type-1 Diabetes, proper exercise and maintaining one’s fitness becomes an entirely different kind of fight. Without proper, consistent exercise, blood sugars can run amok, your health will decline and your condition will be all the harder to manage. Granted, some of that can happen even if you DON’T have Diabetes, but I do, so I tend to focus on that. The problem is that you can go past consistency and slowly stray into working out TOO much.

Our bodies are designed to respond to physical exertion in a number of different ways. When it comes to building muscle, growth is achieved by exerting the muscle tissue to the point where micro tears occur. Through the healing process and the proper consumption of protein, fibre and water, the muscle tissue grows back at an increased size to compensate for the level of exertion the body noted during the previous workout. This only part of the aches and pains that one might feel after a significant workout.

The issue comes into play when those aches and pains grow severe enough that you lose mobility or use of those particular muscle groups. For example, if you had a wicked leg day and the following morning, you can barely walk, this means that you’ve over-exerted yourself and you should consider taking a period of rest and treating the affected area with heat and/or cold to aid in the healing process. To continue to work out and exercise in those circumstances can lead to injury, which would require longer recovery time and some circumstances, medical intervention.

So, what can or should be done in these types of circumstances? Well, some people rotate the muscle groups that they exercise. This means that if they do leg exercises today, they may do arms and chest tomorrow. That kind of thing. That’s a good practice to have, regardless of the level of exertion that you put yourself through, especially since you should work towards developing the body as a whole and not necessarily focus on only one aspect. But it’s important to bear in mind that resting one particular part of your body isn’t always enough. N o matter you’re level of commitment or your goals, you sometimes need to allow the body as a whole to get some rest.

A strong, consistent fitness habit will help to ensure better health, better weight management and better overall blood sugar control. proper exercise contributes to better blood pressure, better sleep habits and has been shown to improve one’s overall mood. Although having a fixed routine doesn’t always work for every person as each of us is different, there’s always a way to work towards something that works for you. Just remember to drink plenty of fluids, get adequate rest and don’t push your body beyond the warning signs it’s giving you. You’ll recover faster and although you may think that working out none-stop will get you to your goals faster, it’s good to remember that sometimes, slow and easy wins the race. Food for thought… ☯️

A Little Perspective…

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve had to put up with a lot of misinformation and “helpful” suggestions from friends and family regarding how to better manage my Diabetes. Over the decades, I’ve had people try and tell me how to adjust my diet, my exercise regiment and even my insulin and medication dosages; all in the interest of trying to help. Surprisingly enough, 99% of the time, this unsolicited advice has come from folks who are neither Type-1 Diabetes themselves, nor do they have someone close to them who is (besides me, of course).

One of the big problems with how I’ve managed my Diabetes throughout the decades is that I almost have an invisible illness. People don’t assume I have Diabetes to look at me. I have sight in both my eyes, although the injections don’t make that easy, all my organs are clear and function normally and I have all my limbs and appendages without ever requiring amputation. Admittedly, this is pretty rare for someone who was diagnosed over 40 years ago and has suffered through some of the complications I have, as a child. This can make it pretty easy to assume that your granola-crunching ways may hold the key to healing me. But it doesn’t.

For example, quite some years ago I had someone I was associated with, who tried to convince me that if I switched to eating only vegetables (not becoming a vegetarian, mind you. Simply eating nothing BUT vegetables) I would no longer be Diabetic and would no longer require insulin injections. I can just read my tombstone now: “Here Lies The Blogging Buddhist. Died With A Turnip In His Hands…” Cue the sad music… This approach obviously wouldn’t work, for a wide variety of reasons. But it’s a good example of how I’ve often received “advice” from people who know nothing about the condition I live with. Here are a few more…

I Have This Diet That Will Heal You! First and most importantly, there is no diet that heals or reverses Type-1 Diabetes. This is often a common beliefs because in some rare cases, diet and lifestyle changes can help reverse the effects of Type-2 Diabetes. The problem is that Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes are significantly different conditions, basically only similar in name. My body’s own immune system is attacking my insulin-producing cells, resulting in my condition. There is no diet that can repair or reverse that. Keep your tofu, natural diet alternative shit off my plate! I’ve already taken insulin for the carbs.

Can’t You Just Exercise More And Eat Less? You Wouldn’t Need Insulin Then, Right? Ah, the age old question… If insulin reduces your blood sugar levels, can’t you just consume less sugar to keep it from rising and exercise more to balance it out? No. No, I can’t. There are many reasons why this can’t be a thing and why people who became Type-1 Diabetic usually never survived beyond two weeks, prior to the 1920’s. Insulin is hormone and it performs several functions within the body.

The main functions and the important ones, include controlling your body’s blood sugar levels by helping sugar enter your cells to be used for energy. Energy… You know, that shit you need in order to stay alive? Yeah, that. Insulin also helps the body to store the excess energy for later use and helps to balance out your body’s weight and metabolism. Without insulin, a whole mess of nasty shit starts happening inside your body, resulting in a slow, painful way to die. So, no, Karen! I can’t just exercise more and eat less.

It can be easy to misinterpret or misunderstand someone else’s condition, especially if you’ve never experienced it or had a family member who has. What’s important to realize is that most people with Type-1 Diabetes have received professional medical care for their condition and know what they need to do. Some random diet you’ve found in a magazine or fitness ideas without the benefit of how the condition actually affects the person’s body won’t be helpful. And believe me when I say, we’ve heard them all before. Food for thought… ☯️

On The Run Doesn’t Have To Mean Without Fun…

Growing up, my household had a bit of a wash, rinse and repeat approach to meals. For the most part and being raised by a French Acadian mother meant that feeding a group of people involved tossing meat, potatoes and veggies into a giant pot and boiling it until it became mush. usually served with dinner rolls and pickled beets, this was also the ONLY meal my grandmother ever served; a testament to a leaner time when wartime families had to feed a dozen people or more at every meal.

As grateful as I am for having had the opportunity for a warm plate on my table growing up, there’s no arguing that it seriously influenced how I choose to consume my meals now, as an adult. Throughout school, I was always burdened with the same ol’ peanut butter sandwich without the benefit of adding jelly, due to the sugar content. It became tedious and boring and i usually dreaded lunch time as something to get through as opposed to a period to sit, enjoy a meal and contemplate the events of the day. Things have changed…

As an adult, I find myself dealing with the same challenge of bringing lunch for myself that doesn’t involve something generic and won’t throw a significant curve ball against my blood sugars. I usually have breakfast AND lunch at work, which allows me to get to work a bit early so that I can get a jumpstart on my day. This morning for example, I had a leftover boiled egg from yesterday’s potato salad. carb-free and filling enough to get me through my morning, it was a good option.

So what about lunch? The big problem I had during my youth is that the classic sandwich poses logistic issues that, from a flavour standpoint, can’t be ignored. If one makes their sandwich first thing in the morning and includes all the constituent parts, t you run the risk of having things sit and meld together in a way that may cause your bread to get soggy or the flavours of certain ingredients to change, once they absorb some of the others. Refrigerating a sandwich over several hours will also tend to alter the flavour and let’s be honest, who really thinks a cold sandwich is tasty?

The alternative is simple; be willing to do some assembly DURING your lunch hour. I’ll use yesterday as an example. I packed a large, flour tortilla into a sandwich bag. provided they’re fresh, they’ll be plenty flexible and will fold nicely. Then, pack some shredded cheese and your preferred sauce in small, reusable containers. Then, I chose my meat, which on this occasion was some very lovely slow cooker chicken that my wife had prepared the day before. Keeping all these ingredients separated prevents the flavours from mixing with one another, come lunchtime. Another thing you prevent is needing to heat the meat portion of your meal with condiments that likely shouldn’t be nuked. Ever try reheating fries that already had ketchup on them? It usually doesn’t go well…

The benefit with allowing yourself some time to assemble your meal at lunch time is you’ll get a better, fresher tasting meal and you have the opportunity to heat up your protein without heating up your wrap or condiments and sauces. This can apply to a number of different meals. Today, for example, I’ve brought a small bowl of homemade chili with a container of cheese. Sprinkle a bit of buffalo sauce in that bad boy after heating it up, mix in the cheese and allow the heat of the chili to melt it just a bit and you’re off to the races.

So, this all rather feels like a first world problem and it begs the question, why am I bringing it up? Well, for a number of reasons. The first being that just because you’re having a meal at work doesn’t meal it should be an enjoyable experience. Fast meals intended to be jammed down your gullet so you don’t starve during your shift shouldn’t be the norm. I say this while fully acknowledging that some folks only have a brief window for meal breaks. I, myself, never had a scheduled meal break while I was a police officer.

That being said, and something I learned a long time ago, is that a rushed, stressed meal period will also affect one’s blood sugars. Although every meal can’t be a pageant, being able to take the time to actually consume your meal without rushing and having a hot alternative in front of you can have a significant impact on one’s blood sugars. Given everything else that’s affected by Type-1 Diabetes, it should be no surprise that event he way you consume your food can have an impact. Just something to consider. Food for thought, pun fully intended…☯️

Mellow Out With Some Melatonin…

This is one of those posts where I need to be very clear in that I am in no way a medical professional and everything outlined below is strictly my opinion and what I’ve noted from my own experiences. It’s important to consult and discuss any new supplementation with your doctor or medical practitioner before starting to take it. This is especially true of anyone with Type-1 Diabetes since, as you know, just about everything affects us in some given way, shape or form. Moving on…

I’ve had some recent experiences with Melatonin supplements and I thought I would share my personal findings, since it seems to be all the rage these days. I say these days, but Melatonin has been researched for decades and first started to be used as a nutritional supplement in the 1990’s, with it becoming licensed for use in Canada in the early 2000’s. You can find some at just about any pharmacy and many retail outlets and it will usually come in gummies or pill form.

So, let’s start with the basic question… What the fuck is Melatonin? Simply put, it’s a hormone that’s naturally produced by your oft. When it gets dark out, the body is triggered to produce Melatonin, which signals your body to sleep. This is why you read so many sources that tell you to stop staring at screens at least half an hour before bed; because light reduces your body’s Melatonin production. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be discussing my use of Melatonin supplements, which are artificially created and packaged.

I recently had the opportunity to try Melatonin after my wife purchased some from a local distributor. She had been having troubles falling asleep and thought to try them herself. One night, when I found myself wide awake and on a night off, I decided to give one a try. Hers were in gummy form and contained 2.5 milligrams of Melatonin. I took one about half an hour before I planned on going to bed and spent the majority of the night up. It had done nothing. The following night, I took two gummies, which gave me 5 milligrams of Melatonin. The difference was amazing. I fell asleep nicely and not only did I get a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep, I woke up refreshed and without any grogginess or sluggishness.

Being cognizant of my responsibilities during the day, I chose not to repeat the attempt the following night. That came later, during the next weekend. However, 5 milligrams now appeared to have no effect. I made my peace with the possibility that I had built up a resistance to it, which would be problematic of a hormone one’s body produces naturally. It wasn’t until some time later when I was shopping at a local retailer, that I found over-the-counter pills for 10 milligrams of Melatonin. I grabbed a bottle and brought it to a pharmacist to discuss. We went over the medications I was on and finding no complications or interactions, I bought the bottle and brought it home.

I took a single, 10 milligram pill about half an hour before bed and found myself once again drifting off to a solid night of uninterrupted sleep. It was glorious. As it was the weekend, I had the benefit of repeating the experiment the following night, with the same results. Apparently 10 milligrams is my sweet spot. I’ve made a point to stay away from taking some every night but it’s been very effective for me in helping to reset my proper sleep cycle and get a good night’s sleep. A couple of nights of taking it consistently at the same time and I now get tired and feel the need to go to sleep on my own, even without it.

The important thing to remember is the same as with all supplements. Be mindful of your uses, side effects and any possible interactions with other medications you may be on. WebMD, one of my favourite medical websites, has a great article that covers many of these aspects. You can read it here. Personally, none of the medications I take appear to interact with the Melatonin and my blood sugars have remained consistent. I haven’t experienced ANY of the possible side effects listed for short term or prolonged use. I will note that the instructions on the bottle recommend short-term use.

All in all, I’m reasonably satisfied that the supplement is doing its job; resetting my sleep cycle and allowing me to get a good night’s sleep. It’s also the first supplement I’ve ever taken that doesn’t appear to require continued use to enjoy the effects. I usually only take them on the weekends but my sleep during weeknights appear to be more consistent now. I don’t know. The rest of you will have to try and judge for yourself, considering every person is different. But I have to say that although I hadn’t even heard of this stuff before my wife brought it in the house, I’ll admit that I could have used it to help with sleep cycle years ago. Just remember to be cautious and check with your doctor before getting too far into it. ☯️

A White Gi Is Useless…

I chose this title carefully, as practitioners of traditional arts that use a white gi might take offence to such a statement. But it can apply to many things. White sneakers are also useless. Dusty weights serve no one. Take your pick, they’re basically all the same and have the same meaning. It basically refers to the purchase and/or use of equipment of any sort that usually just ends up sitting there and is neglected or rarely used. My biggest pet peeve is when someone buys a decent pair of training shoes and worries about using them for fear of the white parts becoming stained or coloured. To do so is to prevent the intended use of that equipment. This is especially true for a gi.

I have a karate gi from years ago that I purchased when I achieved my brown belt. I remember the odd comments I got from other students, asking why I would pay so much for a uniform when I had not yet achieved my black belt. Up until that point, my dojo usually purchased thin, loose-fitting gi from a Canadian company called GeneSport. Based in Montreal, Quebec and having opened in 1969, Sensei purchased everything from there; karate gi, punching bags, sparring gloves… you name it. Their equipment was an inexpensive option for beginners and intermediate students (a standard gi would cost you $40) and they were close enough to our Northern new Brunswick location that getting an order took only days. Unfortunately, they closed permanently in 2017.

My point is, my dedication and commitment to my training was as such that I felt I needed something thicker, stronger and of better quality. I ordered myself a Tokaido, which is a high-quality gi made of thick, sanforized cotton. I used that uniform for years. Over the course of those years, I sweat heavily into it, causing its pristine whiteness to slowly gain a light, yellowish hue. Further, several missed techniques resulted in bleeding noses or bleeding fingers and toes. For those who are not aware, blood does not come out of white cotton easily, especially if it’s left to sit there for the remainder of the class and well into getting home. Really seals in the colour. I still have that gi and occasionally use it. The crotch is worn out and the stitching has frayed. But those decades-old bloodstains certainly make for conversation starters when seen.

the same can be said of any and all fitness equipment, not only martial arts uniforms. I know so many people who purchased weight sets, exercise machines or equipment, only to have it sit for months, unused. The dust that gathers on them speaks volumes to their neglect of use and also speaks to the owner’s lack of commitment and dedication to what they’ve intended to accomplish. I feel the urge to get out on my bike as soon as the snow has left the ground, usually. I have weights and a variety of equipment that I have at home and usually LOVE incorporating them into my workout routines. Our recent renovations have forced most of my equipment into an unusable corner but once I can clear up some floor space, I can guarantee it’s all coming back out.

Staying on track can be difficult and tedious. Between keeping one’s motivation going and finding time (and having one’s children getting in the way), keeping the dust off one’s equipment can be difficult. It’s important not have goals but one should not bite off more than one can chew. There’s no point in paying thousands of dollars for an elliptical machine, for example, if you’re just going to use it to hang your sweatshirts on. And if you do take the opportunity to get some equipment or clothing, don’t be afraid to get it dirty. Use it, stain it, tear it, restitch it… All of this tells a story of one’s fitness journey. And that story should be yours to show and share. ☯️

The Toronto Odyssey, Day 4

Yes, I skipped a day. Yesterday was a mixed bag and Toronto has been something of an experience. While my first day here boasted lovely meals that were provided, a comprehensive and quasi-useful day of meetings and a lovely, arranged dinner with the other participants, my evening and carry over into the next day was a bit more difficult. Being in an unfamiliar city has its disadvantages, including having everything available but being certain of nothing.

Monday evening saw me walk to a local pharmacy to grab a couple of travel items I didn’t chance dragging onto the plane, including a razor and shaving cream. With the weather sitting at 25 degrees, I was a horrible, sweaty mess by the time I got back to my room. To make matters worse, the heat sapped the battery in my insulin pump and I needed a replacement. One good thing about the hotel I stay at when I go for my eye injections, is that they’ll bend over backwards to help. Such was not the case, here. Despite explaining my situation, they basically told me to go shopping. Oh, well.

Monday evening’s meal

Monday evening was fun, with stories and laughs shared by all with a certain commonality among all of us by virtue of working in the same industry. The next morning, however, was a bit rougher. It was tough getting out of bed yesterday morning, with my blood sugars askew from a late evening of food and drink. I made my way to the meeting venue for our second day, fully expecting some eggs and meat options for breakfast as we had received the previous morning. My hope was for a low carb but filling meal, so that I could limit the amount of insulin I needed to get through my morning. Instead, I found crescent rolls and fruit.

I know that despite the fact I try to keep things simple, I tend to have quite a number of first-world problems, which is why I was happy to hear I wasn’t the only one displeased with the lack of spread. One of the attendees commented that there wasn’t even enough to be considered a continental breakfast. had I known I’d be lacking food, I could have had breakfast at the hotel. When lunch came, they served dry sandwiches as opposed to the beef and chicken options we had the day before. Like I said, first-world problems. But I digress…

Our second day actually ended around noon, which posed a logistical issue since my flight home wouldn’t be until the following afternoon. Given that I was struggling to stay awake, was underfed and basically just wanted to go home, I had difficulty stomaching the couple of folks that every meeting has. You know the ones; those two or three people who, despite everyone wanting the meeting to close out, just won’t shut the fuck up and keep talking and posing questions? Those guys? Yeah, fuck those guys!

Monday night’s venue! A book lover’s wet dream!

Despite meetings closing out during the lunch hour, any earlier flights would have cost me nearly half a grand more. As much as I would have enjoyed getting home sooner, I didn’t think it was financially smart to spend the extra money. Instead, I indulged in a two hour nap, followed by a shower and visit to the movie theatre. Interestingly, I was able to book a ticket in a VIP theatre that had fully reclining seats, a full food menu and “adult” beverages. I watched the new Flash movie, which was reasonably good, despite some of the online negativity.

I woke up this morning at 5 am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I grabbed a shuttle and made my way to the airport, where I’ve been for the past two and a half hours. I’ve had some breakfast, streamed some Netflix and tried to change my seat to an earlier flight without success. I can’t wait to get home. Toronto is a beautiful city, in terms of the buildings and the history. But I have to admit that walking through the mass crowds on Yonge Street and inhaling the constant assault of weed fumes and the smell of urine was more than my PTSD-laden brain could handle. Suddenly, Regina doesn’t seem so bad at all.

I guess I’ll find a plug-in and patiently wait air out the next four hours. Patience is a virtue, right? Tomorrow is back to the grindstone and return to the office. I never realize how much I miss my routine until I find myself out of it. It’ll be good to sleep in my own bed, see my family and get back to my routine. ☯️

Out Of The Pond And Into The Ocean, Toronto Odyssey Day 2

My evening was spent walking the streets of downtown Toronto, as I tried to find something I could use as fast-acting carbs, should I experience a low. Almost every street was lines with restaurants of every ethnicity, with the occasional smattering of a Subway or Denny’s buried in the middle. I eventually found a Circle K, which is the equivalent of a convenience store, where I overpaid for a bag of sour patch kids, a couple of energy drinks and som Slim Jim’s.

As I walked, i started to feel overwhelmed at the size, congestion and scope of the buildings around me and the population of people. Considering making my way through crowds in Regina tends to trigger PTSD symptoms, this was significantly difficult. Regina has a population of roughly 250,000 people. Toronto sits at just under 6.4 million. But I did manage to locate my venue for today’s activities and the short walk it would require. I ended my evening by grabbing a quick beer at my hotels lounge, which cost me about as much as three beers would have, in Saskatchewan. Welcome to the big city!

The meetings of the day went as well as one could expect, with my attempt at maintaining my level of consciousness by consuming copious amounts of caffeine. What do you expect from someone with diagnosed ADHD and a propensity for getting bored? The day ends out with me heading to my room and switching out my CGM sensor before it could expire. Then, I ventured out to my nearest shoppers drug mart, which was over a kilometre away.

I sweat up a storm, so I grabbed a shower before installing the new CGM sensor. Lo and behold, the battery in my pump was dying. I could have grabbed some while I was out. Instead, I had to ventured out again to grab some AA batteries. Once I had them, I was able to replenish my pump before heading back to the RCMI for supper with my brother and sister regulators.

It was an excellent meal of stories, shared stories and networking. It was nice to speak to some like minded people and and have a meal among peers. It was my first realization that this trip was worth my time. I walked back to my hotel room feeling satisfied. There are lessons to learn but I’m too exhausted to acknowledge them. Tomorrow is another day and I need to be fresh. ☯️

Depend Only On Yourself, Toronto Odyssey Day 1

Most who know me on a personal level know that I tend to let my patience run pretty thin and one of my biggest pet peeves is waiting on others. It continues to amaze me how, even when I plan ahead, others individuals and services tend to run late and remain unreliable. that’s why over the years I’ve come to develop a “plan B” for anything I’m planning or assuming. It’s saved my butt more times than I can count, from a time-saving and obligation standpoint.

Today sees me travelling to Toronto, Ontario for work purposes. Without getting into the weeds regarding the reasons, my posts over the next few days will be about the journey, not so much the destination. When I booked my flights a couple of weeks ago, I had the foresight to book a pre-arranged taxi can to pick me up and bring me to the airport. I planned for an early enough pick up that would allow the transit to the airport and get me there a couple of hours prior to my flight, to deal with any unforeseen circumstances. This is me. Of course, there were unforeseen circumstances…

With my departure to Toronto scheduled to take flight at 8 am, I booked my cab to pick me up at my home at 5:30. This would allow for the 15-minute transit across the city to the airport, incorporating any issues we may encounter (construction, collisions, etc). Unfortunately, in my haste to book the cab, I missed a very important notice on their website that states pickup and drop off at the airport was currently unavailable. Fuck. Me. I only discovered this hiccup when I brought their website at 5:30 this morning to figure out why they hadn’t shown up, yet.

Realistically, some of this is on me. If I wasn’t in such a rush to schedule everything, I no doubt would have seen the notice and moved on to a different company. No harm, no foul. THIS is why I always plan for a bit of a time cushion. I called a different cab company and had a car dispatched to me location, explaining I was headed to the airport and in a hurry. I was assured a car was coming immediately. Only after I schedule second cab did I receive a phone call from, you guessed it, the original cab company o booked. To clarify, they hadn’t arrived. They were calling to see if I still NEEDED a cab. After passive-aggressively explaining I had scheduled to be picked at that very minute, I declined their services.

They gave me a surprising amount of attitude over the phone despite the fact it was their doing. But I should have guessed something was up when I didn’t get a follow-up text or email when I booked them. Luckily, the cab that did show up was quick, efficient and knew his routes so I got to the airport just minutes after 6 am, which was what I had originally planned for. Whenever I fly, a minimum of two hours is always taken prior to boarding. My reason for this is quite simple; checking through security is always a longer process for me, requiring a physical examination by virtue of my insulin pump.

The only way to start a morning

Luckily, the screening staff were on the ball and I found myself with plenty of extra time. So I treated myself to a Men’s Health magazine and can of energy drink, which cost me nearly three times the amount that I would have paid at my corner store. No wonder airports don’t want you bringing outside food and drinks! But a guy’s gotta have his caffeine, am I right? It’s always interesting to see the array of folks that wander through an airport. The differences in mood, haste and temperament make for some interesting “people watching.”

The flight was uneventful but I have to admit that I could have cycled my way to the hotel faster than the cab the brought me. I checked out where the venues will be tomorrow and did a bit of the tourist thing. I’m now chilling in my room, enjoying some air conditioning after a much-needed meal. Perhaps tonight will see me hit up the lounge or take a walk around city hall. Who knows? I’m here for three nights, so I should try to NOT be my usual self and actually enjoy the experience. ☯️

Mind Your Food: A Review…

As I’ve occasionally mentioned in the past, I usually stay away from providing my opinion on SPECIFIC products or services, by virtue of my job and given the fact that my blog was never intended to be used in such a way. But once in a while, I cross something, a book, movie or other product, that I either feel deserves to be mentioned or that lends itself to a more educational piece as it relates to some of my blog’s topics, so here we are!

I’ve been no stranger to changes and transitions in recent months. What with our home being under heavy renovations (a post about that to come later) and all four of us camped out in our basement for the duration, to the heat of summer starting to strike the Prairies and having no room to workout consistently, to noticing a reduced appetite and basically having to force myself to eat in order to stay alive… That last one has been a particular thorn in my side, as finding the means and the motivation to ingest three balanced meals on a daily basis can be a challenge for someone in general, let alone a Type-1 Diabetic.

As a result, I’ve been trying a number of different things to try and nip this problem in the bud. Although I’ve been happy with some of the weight loss I’ve been seeing, losing weight as a result of not eating is never a good thing and one needs to acknowledge that some of it comes as a result of loss of muscle mass, given that my bench and weights are currently buried under a pile of my shit in the basement. For the most part, I’ve taken to gulping down a low-sugar bottle of Ensure every morning, which some of you may recognize as a meal-replacement supplement.

Ensure has always fascinated me, because I’ve noticed that if I’m actually hungry for breakfast and I drink one, I’m actually not hungry afterwards. I guess if it gives you what the body needs, the body no longer sends out hunger signals. Who knows? What am I, a doctor? The point is, it’s a handy go-to for a person who’s on the go and doesn’t necessarily have time to prepare something comprehensive, first thing in the morning. However, one cannot simply live on meal replacement shakes, alone…

Flash forward to a few days ago when, while doing some grocery shopping, I happened to fall upon some frozen “breakfast bowls” that caught my eye. Since I don’t like getting sued and don’t want to be accused of defamation of a product, I’ll keep the name of the specific brand off of here, but it’s basically a frozen tv dinner, but in breakfast form. They take less than five minutes to heat in the microwave, boast only 260 calories (approximately) each and only 17 grams of total carbohydrates. Sounds great, sign me up! I grabbed one of each: a bacon, egg and potato and a steak egg and potato. This morning, I tried the bacon, egg and potato.

There she lies… One of the first things I noticed when I finished heating it up, is the cheese included with the bowl isn’t quite as prominent as it is on the packaging. This probably shouldn’t surprise me to overly much, considering,m but disappointing nonetheless. The other immediately noticeable issue, and you can likely tell from the photo, is the potatoes still look white and raw. And guess what? They fucking were! Granted, every microwave is different but I added several minutes to makes sure the potatoes would cook and soften. Didn’t happen.

Generally speaking, since frozen meals tend to be on the more unimpressive side, they tend to try and jazz it up by seasoning a few things or adding some flavour. They really didn’t seem to do that here. The potatoes were plain and bland, the eggs were, well…eggs, and the bacon was the only thing that seemed to taste good, given that you can eat bacon as is, and it’ll still be fuckin’ bacon. I’ll die on that hill. But it was an otherwise unimpressive meal that left me wanting and disappointed that I didn’t have my Ensure, instead. How sad is that?

Now, it might seem like I’m being a tad negative with things, here. And that’s likely because I am. As with all things in life, there is a balance of good and bad in everything. So, here’s the good. The low calories are a good thing, given my reduce physical activity and the fact I sit on my rump all day at work. The 18 grams of protein it boasts is a nice addition. But as with most frozen meals, its small portion still carries 25% of my daily intake of sodium, which can be detrimental if I decided to make a habit of eating one of these on a daily basis.

One silver lining is that the amount of cabs I needed to bolus for appear to be somewhat accurate for this item and my blood sugars aren’t going haywire. It can be a nice change, when you don’t have time to prepare a hot breakfast but still want something. The only suggestion I would make is to season your meal yourself, before you eat it. A little flavour helps one to get through their day. And mind that sodium; easier isn’t always healthier and as any Type-1 Diabetic knows, sodium levels can wreak havoc. Food for thought…☯️