Category: Health & Well Being

No Pain, No Blog Post…

I’m way later than usual on posting my daily blog. Since my wife was off today, I decided to be as smart-ass and see how far I could get on the bike before my legs gave out. I recently wrote a post about how you shouldn’t work out hungry, although there can be some exceptions. Since my blood sugars were normal and I wasn’t hungry, I though it would be a good idea to get some fluids in and head out, since it would be a sustained bout of cardio.

I’s like to say it was a smart decision. I recently signed up for the Conqueror Challenges, an app that allows you to sign up for virtual marathons for a small fee and complete them on your own timeline. I was a little sceptical of it at the beginning, but I’ve recently earned two completion medals with a third one on the way. I was so motivated, I signed up for a fourth, which requires a total of 502 kilometres, I gave myself a timeline of 8 weeks, and the past week was squandered, thanks to rain and inclement weather (and renovating Nathan’s room).

I was all smiles, when I started out…

Since I had to make up some Lowry time, I set out with the goal of reaching 60 kilometres, This would be the first time this summer that I go beyond 20 kilometres, and the first time using my new iPhone 12 to track it through Runkeeper. I made my way over to Winnipeg Street then cut south on Arcola, all the way to the Regina Bypass. The Bypass was built in recent years and circumvents the main portion of the city. It makes for a significant route.

I managed to enjoy some of the walking trails on my way south

I was pretty lucky, There was essentially no wind except for a light breeze, so I enjoyed the benefit of an unhindered ride. About halfway at the 30 kilometre mark, I checked my pump and noted that I was at 4.8 mmol/L and dropping, so I took ten minutes to scarf a granola bar and a half dozen jellybeans. Another 10 kilometres and I had to pause my pump, which I should have done to start with. Or at the very least, I should have used a temporary basal.

So flat and straight…. And I’m so tired…

By the time I made my way around the Bypass and was able to rejoin civilization, I got my first battery warning on the phone. This was a bit of a problem, since I had at least another 15 kilometres to go before I’d reach home. I was listening to music on an iPod and locked my phone screen, to ensure I could save as much battery power as possible. My muscles were lactic as fuck, and it started to feel like my whole body was dragging. It’s warm but not overly hot today, but I was exposed to the open sun.

My time sucks!

I managed to make it home without the phone dying, so I got the total mileage tracked. If you look at the photo above, the total time is pretty damn disappointing, when compared to last year. With only 15 minutes left to the hour, I should have been getting close to the 60-kilometres mark. But by the time I pulled into my driveway, my legs had little feeling left in them and I was only at 5.0 mmol/L despite wearing a suspended pump for over an hour.

I managed to hit 10% of my current marathon’s goal. Theoretically, another 9 days of doing what I did today and I could be done. But I have several weeks left, so I may be able to spread it out a little, especially if karate is expected to start back up. As I type this, I’m sitting in the shade of my garage, drinking electrolytes and relaxing. Not the worst way to spend a Sunday morning…☯️

It Ain’t All About The Caffeine…

Those who know me personally have read title and are thinking, “Who is this person? And what have they done with Shawn?” It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of coffee and caffeinated beverages. I never used to be. I first drank a cup of coffee all these way back in 1997 while attending college. It was a particularly harsh day and one of my classmates suggested that I grab a cup of coffee. Until that point, caffeine had never touched my system (minus whatever trace amounts may have been incidentally ingested, passively). That afternoon, I felt like I could have climbed Everest in record time. My love/hate relationship with caffeine was born!

But the big secret behind coffee and caffeine (I’ll simply say “caffeine” from this point on, as to include energy drinks), is that it’s a stimulant that alters brain chemistry so that you feel less tired. And eventually, that’ll only get you so far. Especially if you’re running the gamut through a day where you’re especially tired. And considering there’s a finite amount of caffeine you can ingest before you cause damage to yourself, So what are some alternatives to help you stave off fatigue and get you through your day? Here are a few ideas…

1. Break Your Routine: If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’re likely surprised by this. But as much as I like structure and routines, breaking those same routines can help get you out of a slump, when you’re tired. I can’t seem to find my source, but I read a research study that showed that monotony can be as exhausting as lack of sleep. If you feel yourself starting to get groggy through your day, switch things up and come back to what you were doing later;
2. Drink Plenty of Water: I know, I know… water isn’t caffeine but considering your body is mostly made up of it and dehydration will leave you feeling increasingly tired, it MIGHT be a good idea to consistently gulp some down throughout your day. you know, BETWEEN cups of coffee and energy drinks;
3. Take a Walk And Get Some Fresh Air: People take this one for granted but in reality, if you don’t subscribe to yoga, meditation or deep breathing exercises, a walk is the next best thing. Not to mention that that whole daylight thing helps to balance out the circadian rhythm and gets that old Vitamin D thing involved;
4. Exercise, Damn You: I think I mention that increased exercise and fitness is a benefit in almost every post. It stands to reason that regular exercise will help increase blood flow, improve blood sugar levels and will stave off fatigue. Speaking of blood sugars…;
5. Monitor and Control Your Blood Sugars: As a Diabetic, nothing quite takes the wound out of your sails like fighting your way back from an extreme blood sugar drop; and last but not least
6. Take A Nap: No need to remind everyone that I’m a HUGE fan of naps. And Japan has already proven that naps during the work day help with fatigue increase productivity and some companies even provide dedicated break rooms for napping, now. I had a supervisor who used to close her door during every launch hour to “meditate” for 30 minutes. Although napping at work can be problematic at the best of times, if you have the opportunity, you should grab a quick snooze. Sometimes, a person genuinely just needs a quick snooze.

There you have it. bear in mind that fatigue, sleepiness and exhaustion should be temporary. If you find that you can’t keep yourself awake, even during critical times, maybe talk to a doctor. There are a number fo conditions that could cause it. But if you’re just having an off day and coffee doesn’t quite seem to be kicking in, switch up your routine, go take a walk, have a workout or grab a nap. Hmm,… a nap sounds like a great idea! Excuse me… ☯️

The Little Things Add Up…

There’s plenty of reading out there that speaks to the fact that your day will play out based on how you start it. For example, if you wake up, walk to the washroom and proceed to throw up, the safe bet is you’ll likely have a rough day. Your stomach may be sore and cramped, you’ll have little to no appetite and you’ll feel like crap, thereby affecting your overall day. This is just one physical example, but the concept is the same for the emotional or mood-related side of things.

Sometimes it’s as simple as having a morning routine. Wake up, stretch, use the washroom and get coffee going. It’s a structured way to ensure that your body awakes and is receptive to the fact that sleep time is over and the day is beginning. But doing a couple of little things at the start of a day can go a long way towards ensuring that the day will have a more positive energy.

One good example is saying good morning. As the decades have passed and people have fallen a bit deeper into the digital frontier, taking a simple moment to say good morning to the people around has taken the wayside. I can guarantee that a good number of people make a point of posting on social media, first thing in the morning. So why not take the moment to actually do that in person? This is one of the first things I do when I get to work, every morning. I stop by every member of staff’s office and simply stick my head in for a quick “Good morning.” Sometimes it evokes a brief conversation about how things are going, sometimes it simply results in a smile and my greeting is returned. But the result is ALWAYS positive.

It may seem like a little thing but as we all know, little things eventually add up. A dripping tap will eventually fill the sink, if left long enough. By the same token, a little touch of positive energy in your day will lead to another and another, until your sink is overflowing with positive energy. And the funny thing about positive energy is that it will influence you. Kind of like being in a horrible mood when that catchy song comes on. You may have been in a funk but then you realize that you’re crooning along with the song and moving your head, while the folks in the car next to you giggle and point at you… But that’s a story for another time. Stay positive, friends! ☯️

You Can’t Walk A Mile In My Shoes, They’re Too Worn Out…

Most people who know me would agree that I can have a stubborn streak. And while dealing with someone stubborn can be tedious and even exhausting at times, there’s a lot to be said for stubbornness. I consider it to be one of the deterring factors that’s kept me alive for as long as I have been. If I were never this stubborn, I never would have overcome Diabetes complications as was child. I never would have reached the level of martial arts training that I have. And I definitely wouldn’t have made my way through basic training and enjoyed a reasonable foray into law enforcement over the past decade and a half.

But there were a lot of nay-sayers along the way. People who didn’t believe that any of those things could be accomplished and that I shouldn’t have been attempting them. In some cases, a lot of cases, I wish those people could be here to SEE what’s been accomplished. But such pride-filled fantasies are not only unnecessary, they accomplish nothing. But it’s always difficult when you have people who seem to want nothing more than to watch you fail. And I’ve seen this happen a lot.

The most classic scenario involves being at the gym. You walk in, change and start working up a sweat. Public gyms have a lot of positives and negatives, as I’ve often written about. But at one point, you look up and see a heavy-set person on a treadmill or elliptical machine. You can see that they’re soaked with sweat, breathing heavily and are doing their damndest to push through the inevitable fatigue that comes with moving a vessel that large. But they’re doing it. And then the inevitable happens: a couple of snooty bitches (male or female) will come by and “subtly” say something about the person on the treadmill. Maybe something to the tune of, “Wow, you can tell that they sure don’t belong here..” or “Why would they let someone like THAT in here? I didn’t come here to see someone fat in my gym.”

I wish I were making those sentences up. But these are ones I’ve personally heard while USING a public gym. It ties into my whole concept about how some people just want to watch the world burn. Folks, obesity and excess weight is no joke. But setting aside the whole concept of body-positivity and loving yourself as you are, excesses weight can have serious health repercussions and shortens your life in a plethora of ways. So, it would make sense that a person in that position would WANT to work towards getting into shape. And last time I checked, wasn’t the POINT of a gym to GET in shape? By that logic, it stands to reason that everyone in the locale isn’t going to look like a bad scene out of Baywatch.

That’s only one example of such a scenario and it’s a classic one. One I dealt with was actually from my parents. Yes, you read that right; the first people I had to deal with being negative about a choice I made was my mother and father. During my childhood, complications resulting from insulin resistance didn’t provide much of a positive outlook on the possibility of living to see my teens. When I took my health into my own hands and decided to join the martial arts, I was told that I was too weak, too frail, to join karate. They’d hit me and hurt me, and I’d never make it through a class without my blood sugars bottoming out. Ultimately, my parents and family at large were of the opinion that it would be contributing to my early death to join karate.

As a result, I wound up doing what a number of people have done through the centuries, in my situation. I joined in secret and did it anyway. The result was not only improved health, reduced insulin sensitivity and a lifestyle I never would have been exposed to otherwise but I went on to excel and teach others. Not too shabby, for someone who was told they could never do it. And that’s something that unfortunately happens far too much. This example involved my family, but I’ve faced this sort of negativity from friends and associates through the decades, as well.

Folks, one of the worst things you can do in this life, is knock down someone who‘a trying to climb. Everyone has a story, everyone has a journey and it’s far better and easier to help lift these folks up than try and knock them down. Imagine if I’d actually listened to my nay-sayers (parents notwithstanding) and stepped aside from martial arts? Maybe I wouldn’t be here today. Or if I was, maybe I’d be in much worse health and unable to enjoy life to the level that I do. I was lucky enough to have people who pushed me and encouraged me. So when you see someone working towards something amazing, be one of those people. ☯️

Don’t Let This Post Keep You Up…

I love my sleep. When I can get it. When I can’t, it becomes my worst enemy; ever elusive, avoiding all attempts at capture and making for a rough ride the following day. I’m going to start by getting the Diabetes aspect out of the way by pointing out that blood sugar levels can affect the quality of your sleep and amount and quality of sleep you get can affect your blood sugars levels. Seriously. It’s an annoying yin yang effect. We good? Because I totally intend on focusing on the sleep aspect and not so much the Diabetes aspect, for a change.

I think we’ve all been there. You spend the majority of your day in a slump, yawning and wishing that your office had a nap pod in the break room. But that’s seldom the reality, and you tough it out until you can get home. You struggle your way through supper, spend some time with the family before finally reaching the day’s finish line and crawl into your haven of slumber. Then, because life doesn’t care about one’s plans, your eyes crash open with the sound of broken glass and stay that way despite your best efforts. No matter how tired you feel, sleep has eluded you and doesn’t seem inclined to come back. What can you do?

I’d love to say I have some all-encompassing solution to these types of problems, but I really don’t. All the articles I’ve read, even from my favourite medical sources, talk about insomnia, which is an actual condition as opposed to simply having a sleepless night. But there are some gems that I’ve gleamed from a few different places that everyone should generally accept as common sense. The first and most prominent one is to cut caffeine intake shortly before supper. Unless your intention is to actually stay awake, you should not consume tea, coffee or caffeinated beverages beyond 4 p.m.

Good sleep habits can help, which include but are not limited to maintaining a routine for bedtime so your body recognizes that it’s “that time,” avoiding smart devices or screens for a period of time before bed and not eating heavy meals for many hours prior to dropping your head on the pillow. Hutu assuming that you’ve done all of that and find yourself glaring at the sheep you were tying to count as they laugh at your inability to close your eyes, what should your next step be? There are a few things that you can try, presuming that your sleeplessness isn’t medically-related…

First of all, don’t try to force your sleep. The harder you try and “force” yourself to sleep, the more awake you’ll become. If you see that you’re awake and simply can’t fall under, make your peace with that and physically get out of bed. Go read in another room until you get tired and can fall asleep. Look out the window at the stars. Try to avoid backlit screens or televisions as these won’t help and will just wake you further. Once you start feeling sleepy, simply make your way back to your bedroom and crash.

Breathing exercises and a white noise machine are usually helpful for me. Given my propensity for meditation, there are a number fo breathing exercises I know that can help lower heart rate, clam my body and make my body receptive to the sleep process. However, this doesn’t always work. White noise machines are a godsend and aren’t very expensive. I use an app on my phone called “Noisli,” which includes variations of white, pink and brown noise as well as a variety of soothing sounds such as rain, thunder, railroad tracks and such. The best part is being able to combine sounds, set timers and even some mild ambient glowing colours to help send you off to Layla land.

I once wrote a full post on the use and effects of white noise and why it actually works. But after almost a thousand posts, I can’t recall what it was entitled and can’t seem to find it. WebMD has some pretty good articles if you search “white noise” in their search bar. But if you haven’t tried to use white noise to help you sleep, take my word and try it. That shit works wonders! Barring those things, make sure your blood sugars are level and that there isn’t anything weighing on your mind. If someone external is stressing you out, it can be more difficult to overcome. After all, stress is stress, despite the fact you should do what you can to reduce it.

Sleep is important. You need it for all sorts of reasons and even though having one sleepless night isn’t the end of the world, you should speak with your doctor if you start to notice you have more restless or sleepless nights than restful ones. Although I’m not an advocate of it, personally, don’t ignore or fight pain. If something in your body hurts, you have a headache, heartburn or stomach pains, take something over-the-counter to help mitigate that pain to help you sleep. Last but not least and as is the case with most things in life, regular exercise and proper diet will go a long way towards helping to stem problems. Diet can help with stomach and heartburn issues that can keep you up at night and regular exercise will improvise blood flow and help tire you out by the end of the day. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go grab a nap…☯️

Don’t Let The Carbs Get Ahead Of You…

It still amazes me to recognize that carb-counting was never a thing for me until I started on the pump. I remember the look on the dietitian’s face when she asked how I count my carbs to account for my meals and my response was, “How do I count what??? I just estimate an insulin amount…”. I think a little part of her soul died. I’d gotten so used to just guessing how much insulin I needed for certain foods that carb counting never entered the equation. It was definitely not something that was ever brought up during my childhood by doctors or my parents. I just always thought it was normal…. Eating a sandwich? Take 6 or 7 units. Going to a buffet? Maybe take a dozen units instead…

I can’t even remember the last time I ate at a buffet. It’s more trouble than it’s worth, considering the combination of different foods can lead to difficulties in the difference between slow and fast-acting carbs, fats and whatever else…. I either bolus too much, despite my efforts to count how many carbs I’m eating, or I don’t bolus enough. It’s bullshit I don’t need, simply for the purpose of making a restaurant owner cry at watching me go up for my fifth plate of food. Not least of which, is the fact that I have historically ALWAYS felt like crap after eating at a buffet. But i digress…

I posted about this a few years ago, but counting carbs involves a bit of math. Most commercially purchased foodstuffs will have a nutritional label on the packaging that should allow you to have a reasonable idea of how many carbohydrates you should be bolusing for. I say a “reasonable idea” because it isn’t always accurate. But what’s more is, you can’t just read the label and bolus for the carbohydrate total listed on the label. The image below will illustrate:

The image above is what a typical nutrition label on packaged food will look like. AT the very top, you’ll notice that they list a “portion” amount. I put that in quotations because, if you’re anything like me, you’re not counting out 27 pieces when eating chips. So, recognizing the portion you’re eating versus the portion listed on the label becomes important so you can add it all up.

Let’s say this portion says 55 grams but the total box, which may be consumable in one sitting, is 250 grams. This means you have 4.5 portions to account for. Whatever total of carbohydrates is listed will need to be multiplied by 4.5 in order to know the total you need to bolus for. Still with me? Good. Next, look at the numbers I’ve circled. Dietary fibre needs to be subtracted from total carbohydrates, as we don’t bolus for fibre. So the actual amount for one portion of this label is 37g – 4g = 33 grams of actual carbohydrates per portion.

Now, even if your head is totally killing from the math, should you decide to consume the entire package of 250g, which is 4.5 portions, this is the math you’d use:

33g (carbs/portion) x 4.5 (# of portions =
148.5 grams of total carbohydrates

That’s a pretty hefty total. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever consumed that many carbs in one sitting. This is mainly to illustrate the math. It works much better when I’m eating something like chicken wings or bites, which are only about 8g per portion. With the same portion sizes as described above, you’d only be looking at 36g total carbohydrates instead, which makes more sense for one sitting. I think the last time I actually tried to bolus for more than 100g of carbs was when I had a full meal of a certain fast-food chain that boasts a creepy smiling clown. Wink, wink…

Estimating how many grams of carbs you’re eating will sometimes be necessary. If someone slaps a plate of rice in front of you at dinner, how will you know the EXACT amount? But knowing how much cooked rice may sit at, you can still make a pretty educated guess. But guessing for the sake of guessing can put you in a position where you may wind up too high or two low. So, it’s important to makes the effort. Yes, it involves a bit of math, but it can make the difference between a balanced day or riding the BS roller-coaster. Anyone else craving a Chinese buffet, now? ☯️

An Experiment That Got A Little Wet…

2015 was an important year for me as a Type-1 Diabetic, as I started a new leg of the journey by starting pump therapy. I remember it clearly; my coworkers were pretty miffed at me, since I had just come back from several months of parental leave after Nathan was born. THEN I start on the pump and my employer’s medical branch opted to throw me on administrative duties for a few months to get acclimated to the pump. It was not well received, haha.

Over the past six years, I’ve gone through a number of concerns and issues as they relate to the insulin pump. Although I can say that I’ve enjoyed some of the best blood sugar levels of my life and my last A1C result almost moved me to tears, it stands to reason that any technology is only as good as the user and the environment that it’s in. And that’s why on occasion, things go a little haywire,

On Saturday, I decided that it would be a good idea to bring my son Nathan to the public pool. My wife and I usually prefer the splash pad, since it allows Nathan not only to run around and burn energy, it just happens to be free. But considering that the temperature was expected to be disgustingly hot and I didn’t want either of us sitting out in the sun for an extended period of time, I opted to pay the entry fee and make use of the actual, indoor swimming pool.

As we got ready to go in, I brought my backpack along with our towels and belongings poolside, where I would be able to indulge in my paranoia and keep a passive eye on them. Among those belongings would be my insulin pump. Despite the fact that the manufacturer boasts the device being waterproof, I wasn’t taking a chance. As I took my first steps into the pool, I had a sudden realization: this would be the first time I entered the water and submerged my CGM. Although that was also said to be waterproof, my Patchabetes adhesive was a mystery and if that came off, the CGM would follow suit. Uh oh…

I started running numbers through my head, how long the current sensor had been attached, how many I had left at home and whether or not I wanted to potentially sacrifice a sensor just to go swimming. Since I’m cheap and had already paid my entry, I decided to throw caution to the wind, suspended my pump (since it would be left in my bag) and hit the water. I checked the adhesive occasionally, and made sure to keep it out of the water when I was in the hot tub.

We were in the pool for about three hours. I had to basically drag Nathan out, he was having such a good time. When we reached the backpack, it had any alarm going off with such volume and frequency that it was a wonder that no one was evacuating! Turns out the pump didn’t like the fact that it couldn’t read my sensor (because I was too far) and had started vibrating, then setting off an alarm, then increasing the volume more and more…

I silenced the alarm, hooked back up and it only took a minute for the pump to pick the CGM up and start monitoring again. All things considered, it was nice that the CGM held on and the adhesive lasted for several hours worth out peeling off. At time of writing this, the adhesive is still firmly in place. So, kudos to the CGM for roughing it out in the water, but also to Patchabetes for lasting through all that, as well. ☯️

It Isn’t ALL Rough Waters…. But Calm Waters Still Require Navigating.

I’m usually a hot mess in the morning…. Until last year, I had the benefit of having a structured method to my mornings. Get up, hit the washroom, grab an energy drink and head downstairs. Once there, I could take my meds, test my blood sugars and begin the shave and shower routine that would get me ready for the day. Of course, my basement still had furnishings back then, which included a home office where I could have everything laid out and ready.

These days, my basement is in mid-renovation, which means that my neatly laid out routine is broken up into smaller, less manageable pieces. I wake up in the morning and pull the pills out of a drawer next to my bed (when I remember to take them) and make my way to the kitchen to grab an energy drink to wash them down. This is before hitting the washroom, mind you. And I think we can all agree that this is usually the first step that the human body screams for, first thing in the morning.

Once I’ve tested my blood (again, when I remember to do so) I may shave depending on my need and then start the delicate process of picking out my clothing for the day and getting dressed in a dark room where my wife may still be sleeping. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed the wrong colour tie to go with a shirt, because I thought it was a certain shade but couldn’t tell in the dark. First world problems, am I right?

My point for this post is that habit and routine are integral parts of a morning. If you have Type-1 Diabetes especially, it can mean the difference between taking much-needed medications and testing your blood, or heading into work without it. Although the meds may not be a HUGE issue, depending on why you take them, knowing your blood sugar levels prior to leaving the house can have an impact on your safety and the safety of others. Speaking from experience, there’s nothing worse than trying to drive when your blood sugar is low.

Once our renovations are done, I will once again enjoy the benefit of a home office where I can lay out my clothing, medications and morning requirements, which will eliminate the chance of forgetting certain key steps to my day. Plus, it’ll go faster, making it more likely that I have time to grab breakfast before I leave the house. Skipping meals is never a good idea. One doesn’t necessarily need a home office to accomplish a good routine. Any corner committed to oneself will do. I simply don’t have any other space in our small bungalow, at the moment.

Even though I’ve had Type-1 Diabetes for the past 38 years, it’s amazing how easily I forgot things I’ve been doing for decades. Taking pills or testing my blood sugars seem to take the sideline, even though I’ve been doing it long enough that I should be doing it on auto-pilot. This is where a good routine and structured habit comes in. ☯️

A Quick Weekend Reminder…

I know a lot of people who reuse needles, whether because of the cost or laziness. I’m guilty of this myself, having spent weeks a a time jabbing myself with the same pen needle over and over before switching it out. Usually, I would only switch out the needle when I was switching out an insulin vial, which meant I could end up using a single needle DOZENS of times before finally realizing that I needed to change it.

I’ve written plenty of posts where I’ve shown the effect of using a needle mu;triple times, but I’ve never shown the effect on actual flesh. The above photo shows the hole that a needle makes in your skin. I fogey where I found the photo, but you’ll notice that it doesn’t indicate whether it was a fresh needle or not. Therefore, one is inclined to believe it’s made by a new needle. Under a microscope, that hole looks substantial. I mean, I can just picture cartoon microbes walking in with their suitcases to set up shop inside the tissues.

This photo shows why it’s important, not only to change out your needles after every use, but to make sure you clean your sites and especially during finger pokes, wash your hands before and after. This will prevent a whole batch of issues that I won’t ruin Saturday morning breakfast by describing…☯️

Hungry For Some Facts?

I was having a conversation with someone from work yesterday who had an unfortunate incident involving his lunch. Since he typically works out during his lunch hour, we were discussing whether he would walk to somewhere nearby and purchase some food or if he would simply go to his workout as usual. The conversation led to the benefits and disadvantages of working out on an empty stomach. And as with all things in life, there’s a case to be made for either one.

Sometimes, it’s more about HOW you do something than the actual WHAT. In this case, there are times when exercising on an empty stomach is fine. In fact, I’ve often heard that exercising on an empty stomach can lead to a better fat burn, since the only energy the body has to depend on is one’s fat stores. Unfortunately, this isn’t correct.

According to an article on WebMD, working out on an empty stomach will cause your body to use a source of energy that’s readily accessible, which may include breaking down sugars from the muscle tissue, followed by the production of sugar by the liver. Fat stores simply aren’t the go-to secondary fuel that many (myself included) believe it to be. By that logic, training heavily on an empty stomach may inadvertently cause you to sacrifice your own muscles in order to fuel them.

The article goes on to explain that if you’re doing a consistent form of aerobic exercise like running or cycling, doing it on an empty stomach can work. But the overall risks of a fasting workout aren’t worth it. The article suggests consuming small portions of low-glycemic, complex carbohydrates, like steel-cut oatmeal, apple slices or whole-grain cereal without the milk. Click on the article link for more of those suggestions. I won’t list them all here.

From the Diabetes standpoint, a fasting workout can be difficult at best. This is especially true since different types of workouts will affect different people’s blood sugars in different ways. Ain’t Diabetes grand??? It’s a wonderful kaleidoscope of bullshit. For example, if I head out on a long bicycle run and may blood sugar is normal, I can expect to hit a high before I get home. Unless my ride is wildly inconsistent in terms of speed and resistance. Then I’ll have a low. Working out on the punching bag or doing heavy weights will almost always make my levels drop. Unless I suspend or remove my pump, then they’ll sky rocket.

See what I mean? And those conditions may be different for each person. So if we add an empty stomach to the mix, it makes things all the more complicated. Not least of which is the fact that hunger can be extremely distracting. Try focusing on lifting weights or working the bag properly when your stomach won’t stop rumbling. It ain’t easy. Plus, hunger can cause fatigue, dizziness and/or nausea, none of which are ideal during exercise.

The next perspective is the martial arts. If your karate classes are anywhere near as intensive as mine are, the last thing you want is something heavy sitting in your gut, sloshing around and making the bile rise in your throat. This is where that small portion of complex carbohydrates comes in. Give yourself the fuel you need to get a more intense workout in, without the risk of throwing up all over the dojo. Contrary to SOME opinion, projectile vomiting is not an effective means of self-defence. That’s a story for another time…

Bottom line, fueling up before a workout will still allow you to burn fat. In fact, that WebMD article linked above indicates that “If you’re doing a killer workout… non-fasting is better. You’ll get to the fat burn because you’re going to deplete carb stores quickly by working out so intensely. You’ll start burning fat within 16 to 20 minutes.” Since I average workouts at 30 to 60 minutes, I’m getting a burn no matter what.

There you have it; empty stomach = not good. More or less. Some people just flat out can’t exercise with food in their stomach, so there are exceptions to any concept, right? For us Diabetic martial artists, eating the right foods at the right times in the right circumstances is all that it takes. Sounds easy enough… (rolls eyes sarcastically) ☯️