Category: Health & Well Being

That White Powder Is NOT Cocaine, But It May As Well Be…

Sugar. Ahh, my old nemesis… Since I was diagnosed as a Type-1 Diabetic at the chaotic age of 4-years old, I never really got to experience that sweet side of life throughout my childhood. In fact, on the few, rare occasions where my blood dropped and the only recourse was to enjoy a regular Dr. Pepper or have a good old fashion candy bar, it would usually make my week. I made it past my teen years before having anything sweeter than fruit became possible. Since carb-counting wasn’t a thing in my household, the total and complete elimination of sugar in my diet was one of the key ways that my parents dealt with my condition.

It’s no secret that sugar has a measurable and real effect on the body, whether you have Diabetes or not. This has been proven time and again, and there have been studies that I’ve read that show that sugar has been shown to have an addictive effect as well as many others, on the body.

According to an article posted by WebMD, the average person consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is significantly more than the recommended 12 teaspoons. Granted, that’s an American statistic but I’m sure it still applies to the majority of the Western world. And since the population seems to be hell-bent on consuming copious amounts of sugar, let’s examine some of the effects it has on the body.

According to that same article, eating sugar causes a release of dopamine, which is the “feel-good” hormone. Because of this, you’ll be likely to want more and more sugar in order to continue riding the dopamine train. This will cause the “sugar high” that my son seems to love using as a weapon of mass destruction, followed by a sugar crash, which can adversely affect your mood and make you feel down. This, in result, will cause you to seek out more sugar to counter the crash. Wash, rinse and repeat.

In addition, sugar consumption has been linked to dental issues, joint pain, skin issues, liver and heart disease. And it’s no secret that excess sugar consumption has been linked to weight-gain. And if I have to explain the issue with eating excess amounts of sugar if you have any type of Diabetes, then you probably need to go back and read some of my previous posts. Which you should be doing anyway. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

There have been some studies that have shown that sugar can be as addictive as cocaine (hence, today’s title). I tried my damnedest to find the studies I read, but I couldn’t track down the one that referred to it. But there’s no denying that some people enjoy the dopamine release and the short burst of energy that sugar can bring, and have difficulty staying away when it isn’t present. This is why you’re likely to grab a donut on your afternoon break as opposed to carrot sticks.

Can sugar have an addictive component? Yes. Granted, it often depends on who you talk to. The idea is not to try and completely eliminate sugar from your diet (whether you have Diabetes or not), but to consume in moderation in the same way as you would do with everything else. It can also be difficult to truly know how much sugar you’re consuming since it can be labelled as so many different things that you may not even know that you’re eating sugar! Modern Diabetic therapy has made it possible for people to eat in the same way as everyone else, provided they test their blood sugars regularly and adjust their insulin levels. ☯

The Need For Speed

Low blood glucose is probably my biggest pet-peeve in terms of Diabetic symptoms. I’ve been fortunate enough that with the exception of a bit of Diabetic Macular Edema, I haven’t had to deal with the more extreme Diabetic side effects. But given that I’m a fitness enthusiast with just a hint of crazy, low blood sugar is definitely one of my most-visited Diabetic symptoms.

So, how does one best treat a low? The standard answer is the rule of 15/15. Provide 15 grams of fast-acting glucose and wait 15 minutes. If your blood sugar is still low, then repeat. This isn’t always feasible, since you may be in the middle of a 60-kilometre bike ride with no place to rest or take shelter, and you need to boost your blood glucose NOW! So what’s the best answer for getting some fast-acting glucose into your system?

For myself, I like to use regular jellybeans. The ones usually put out by Dare or Ganong. They usually sit at about 2 grams of carbs per jellybean, so wolfing down about a dozen usually does the trick. I find they work the fastest and the best for me in particular, especially in the middle of the night. Grabbing two handfuls puts me at just over a dozen jellybeans, which allows me to safely go back to sleep.

Every body is different, and every Diabetic will be just as different. What this means for you is that you may need to experiment and try a few different sources of fast-acting carbohydrate to figure out what works best for you. Maybe jujubes will be preferable over jellybeans, or maybe it’s apple sauce, like one of my fellow bloggers prefers.

What you want to try and avoid, is any source of glucose that is high in fat, like chocolate. Although chocolate will have the desired effect, it’ll simply take a whole lot longer since the body will need to break down the fat before getting to the glucose. And since chocolate is essentially a brick of sugary fat, your blood may continue to drop while your body is trying to process the fat before giving you what you need.

Glucose tablets can be ideal, although they don’t seem to work well for me. I usually have to eat the entire package before I feel or see any noticeable difference. And that’s the thing: what works for you depends on your metabolism, how low your blood sugar may be and how quickly you need it to rise. If you’re lounging at home, binging Netflix, chocolate may be a perfectly acceptable option for you. It’s pretty subjective.

At the end of the day, monitoring your blood sugars through a CGM or by testing via finger-prick multiple times throughout the day is an absolute must to ensure you maintain good blood glucose levels. But if you’re suffering a low and need to get yourself up there a bit faster, be sure to chose a fat-free option that can be easily and quickly consumed. ☯

Full Disclosure Does Not Mean Full Exposure

Most people are not prone to revealing their medical conditions to people. And I can’t say I don’t understand where they’re coming from. Some people are fearful of how others will act and react around them once they know. Others feel that perhaps they’ll be treated differently at work and potentially get passed up for promotions and special duties if certain medical conditions are known.

In Canada, the Labour Code and the Charter of Rights prohibits such discriminatory behaviour on the grounds of a medical condition, but if you were to strap your boss’ appendages to a polygraph and ask if that was the reason, you might be surprised. And in some cases, most cases I would think, this stems from ignorance about conditions such as Diabetes. So in a way, employers may think they’re protecting you as well as their business by ensuring they don’t put you in a position where you could bring harm to yourself.

Truth be told, I’ve always been of the opinion that full disclosure on what’s going on with me is the best policy. This simplifies matters, especially in cases where I need to request time off for something like my eye injections. In addition to that, I’ve been in a position on more than one occasion in my youth, where I’ve suffered Diabetic issues and the people around me didn’t know what was going on. Not a pleasant situation to be in.

So this begs two question: How much should you tell your employer/friends/family? And what should these folks do in a situation where you are having a Diabetic episode? The answer to the first one may be my opinion. The answer to the second is common sense and SHOULD be observed, regardless of what environment you work in.

First, let’s make something clear: you are under no obligation to share your medical information with an employer. The Labour Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are reasonably clear on that. But you can click on the links to research that on your own. But should you choose to disclose your Diabetes to an employer, it can be a life-saving choice, as we all need some help every once in a while. I’ve been in situations where although I’m conscious and able to speak, I was sure grateful to have someone get my glucose to help me out. This can be an important consideration and you should bear it in mind before deciding that you don’t want to bring up your Diabetes.

The next point, and I’ve been asked this more times than I can count, is what to do if you find someone suffering from Diabetic symptoms (extreme high or low blood sugar). This is what would be referred to as hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Both are pretty terrible and carry their own set of complications, and there are differing opinions on what you should do if you come across someone you believe is suffering from either.

What I usually try to explain to people is that they’ll always be faced with one of two scenarios. Either I’m conscious, in which case I’ll get them to help me get what I need, or I’m unconscious. If a suspected, Diabetic patient is unconscious, I don’t care what literature you’ve read that says otherwise, DON’T TRY TO GIVE THEM ANYTHING!!! If you can’t ascertain if their blood is too high or too low, trying to treat them blindly can cause more damage.

For a while, there was a school of thought that said to give a Diabetic some glucose as you would either treat a low or if they were running high, first responders could treat it when they got on scene. Are you kidding me? If they’re in rough shape from high blood sugars, the amount of damage you can do to them by giving them additional glucose would be catastrophic.

If you’re familiar with Diabetes and the equipment we use, you could potentially test their blood. Most glucometers are reasonably fool-proof these days. Just stick the test strip into the slot and the meter will tell you what to do anyway. In this way, you can ascertain if they’re running too high or too low, and this can be of great help to first responders and you’ll know if providing glucose would be a good idea or not. But if you blindly give glucose, you could cause issues like DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), organ failure, nerve damage and even heart attacks and strokes. Not a chance I’d want anyone taking with MY life if they were there.

If you were on the ball enough to call 911, first responders will be there in due course to deal with matters. The best option is to keep the person safe and clear of any danger and make sure to pass on whatever symptoms you may have documented to first responders so they can best do their job. And if you work/live with someone who has Diabetes, ask some questions. Most of us will gladly answer them as we not only prefer to clear up any confusion, most of us understand that it could be of great help to us in an emergency.

And if you HAVE Diabetes, consider letting your employer know. You may not HAVE to, but doing so could potentially save your life. And let’s be honest; there’s no shame in having Diabetes. Contrary to how it’s sometimes portrayed in the media, having Type-1 Diabetes is not your fault and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A little food for thought on your Wednesday morning. ☯

It’s a HIIT…

It’s no secret that I love a little variety in my fitness routines. I’m pretty sure that I’ve tried it all… Cardio, Zumba, Tai Chi, Weightlifting, Cross-fit and many others… I’ve never been afraid of trying anything new and/or different when it comes to my fitness. After all, one could potentially discover a new fitness routine that’s loaded with fun, health and fitness benefits.

Enter: the HIIT workout. For those of you NOT in the know, HIIT stands for High-intensy Interval Training and features (as the name suggests) intense intervals of cardiovascular exercise mixed with short rest periods. These workouts usually let about half an hour, although some of them have been known to last a bit longer, depending on one’s endurance and fitness levels.

HIIT workouts can have a number of benefits, including fat burning, muscle gain and improved blood sugars. But I’m going to focus on 7 benefits of High-intensity interval training as discussed in an article posted by Heathline.com:

  1. You can burn calories quickly in a short period of time: This is one that’s come up in most of the articles I’ve read on the subject. And the general consensus is that you can burn more calories in less time during a HIIT workout than you would with something traditional like cycling or weight lifting;
  2. Your metabolic rate remains high for hours afterwards: an increased metabolism will lend a score of benefits that I won’t bother covering in this post, but a HIIT workout will do it for you. In fact, it will do it more effectively than other traditional workouts;
  3. The fat-burning benefits: Okay, I’ll be the first one to admit that fat-burning is not only one of the most sought-after benefits of any fitness regiment, I’ve often written about how no matter what “gimmick” workout you may doing, there is only one way to effectively burn fat: to burn more calories than you take in. However, a study named in the article I linked above showed a 17% reduction in visceral fat, or the disease-promoting fat surrounding your internal organs, when doing HIIT workouts;
  4. You could gain muscle: Alright, I won’t touch on this too much because the reality is that any consistent and intense workout regiment will help you gain muscle. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. And a “high-intensity” workout would be no different…;
  5. It could improve your oxygen consumption: In this regard, they’re referring to the fact that HIIT workouts will help your muscles to use oxygen more effectively, and will do so in half the time of a traditional workout;
  6. It can reduce heart rate and blood pressure: This has been shown to be prominent mostly in overweight and obese individuals, but it’s an important health benefit nonetheless;
  7. It can help reduce your blood sugar: Seriously?! Woohoo to that! being a Type-1 Diabetic, I’d rather have to consume carbs than burn them. Research has shown that HIIT workouts can not only be extremely beneficial to those with Type-2 Diabetes but can help to improve insulin-resistance.

The good thing about HIIT workouts is that it allows you to reap the benefits of most standard workouts in only half the time. Like any workout, you should consult your medical practitioner before starting ANY fitness regiment, and pay close attention to how a change in fitness routine affects your blood sugars. After all, variety may be the spice of life, but Diabetes will keep you seasoned with complications. ☯

No Use In Getting Angry With The Wind

Last Monday was a Civic Holiday (Saskatchewan Day for us), and most of the city was quiet and businesses were closed. My wife had the day off and since the temperature seemed pretty mild, I thought it would be an ideal day to try and achieve 70 kilometres on the bicycle. I had discussed this plan with my wife a few days prior, and given the amount of time that it would take me to reach this distance (I cycle at about an hour for every slice of 20 kilometres, give or take) she suggested that I leave during the early morning hours in order for it to be cooler outside and so that I wouldn’t lose the majority of the day to my trek.

I decided to take her advice and set my alarm for 6:30 am. I probably could have gone a bit earlier, but COVID has made me a bit lazy in my old age, and getting out of bed is a definite “not like” for me. My CGM sensor was scheduled to need replacing in the next four hours and I knew I wouldn’t be home in time, so I opted to remove it and simply run without for the duration of my trip. I loaded up the satchels on my bike with cereal bars, protein sticks, electrolytes and jelly beans. I checked the inflation on my tires and I took to the road at about 7:30 in the morning.

The first leg of my trip went flawlessly. My goal was to take a 35-kilometre route to a local community called Lumsden, stop for a light bite to eat and make my way back. My plan was to use secondary Highway 734, since it had a paved surface but would be quieter than the busy, four-lanes Highway 11. It also takes a roundabout route, allowing for a longer mileage. I had tunes going, my mileage was being tracked by my Runkeeper app and I even achieved 10 kilometres in 20 minutes, which was a speed goal I had been trying to achieve the week prior.

My view of the bright, yellow Canola fields along the highway

I managed to reach Lumsden in just short over an hour, but the route I used only took 29 kilometres! You’d think this would be a good thing, but it meant I’d have to find a different, longer route in order to get home otherwise I’d have to spend time lapping my neighbourhood streets in order to hit my 70. I examined the map and decided on a route that should have allowed me to reach my goal.

I had plenty of company on the road, despite the light traffic. Between prairie dogs, horses and cattle in the fields and the dozens of caterpillars walking about the road surface… Since it was a fairly chilly morning, the caterpillars are drawn to the asphalt’s heat, which it absorbs from the morning sun. But before I go off on a tangent, let’s get back to the ride…

One of the many fuzzy companions I encountered

Not only was I sitting on cloud nine from the speed I had used to reach Lumsden, I was pretty confident that I would be able to get back home in roughly three hours’ total, which would have signalled a whole bunch of achievements in terms of time and distance. But as I often say, life doesn’t care about one’s plans. And in this instance, nature and technology had a much different idea of how my morning would go.

First, I experienced the AWESOME pleasure of climbing the Lumsden hill on a bicycle. In case my sarcasm isn’t quite oozing through my typed words… It was ridiculous. Then I hit the top of the hill into the open area and got hit by wind. Directly. Into. My face. It was the kind of wind that brought me to a complete stop as soon as I stopped pedalling.

I know that a lot of people joke about how flat Saskatchewan is, but does there seriously have to be this much wind ALL THE TIME??? All the time I gained during the trek towards Lumsden was blown out of the water by trying to ride against the wind over the next three hours. It didn’t take long for me to become exhausted and with the lack of CGM, I was curious as to how my blood sugars were doing.

I stopped on a quiet stretch of highway and tested my blood. I was sitting at 4.1 mmol/L, which isn’t a HUGE issue but since I still had about 20 kilometres to go I thought it would be a good time to stopped for a snack. I texted my wife to let her know I was still alive and stuffed my face, followed by some electrolytes. I got back on the road and kept struggling against the wind.

Then, right in mid-song, my phone went quiet. I stopped and checked on it, only to find the the battery had died. This struck me as odd since I’ve often cycled for four hours or more and still got home with a charge. So now, not only had I lost my ability to track my progress, I also lost any means of communicating with my wife (or emergency services, if need be). There’s a certain psychological effect to recognizing that you’re in the middle of nowhere with no means to call for help, if needed.

I made my way home and realized that as I was angry at the fact it was windy. And then I realized? Is there any point to being angry at the wind? After all, the wind is a natural occurring phenomenon. It serves a number of purposes in nature. It wasn’t INTENTIONALLY making my ride tougher, despite the fact that I kept asking ti to “give me a break.”

And this is an important aspect in everyday life. We’re often faced with naturally-occurring obstacles that we have no control over and aren’t set out to make our lives difficult, despite the fact that they often do. Life doesn’t care about our plan and we have to work through or work around those obstacles accordingly. Ultimately, I managed to reach my 70 kilometres. It sucks that the phone stopped tracking at 58.9 kilometres, but at the end of the day, I still reached the mileage. So it wasn’t a wasted day, despite how blasted I was when I finally got home. ☯

International Beer Day 🍺

There are no shortages of “holidays” out there, and some of them are pretty far out of left field. I’ve written about a number of these before, and holidays surrounding beer are no exception. Today is International Beer Day, not to be mistaken for National Beer Day, which is celebrated on April 7th. Unlike the latter, the former was founded in 2007 and is celebrated on the first Friday of August. Since its creation, the holiday has come to be observed and celebrated in over 80 countries.

This particular holiday is intended to allow people to “unite” under the banner of beer and celebrate all the different brews offered around the globe. It’s observed by enjoying beer, buying rounds for those celebrating with you and acknowledging the people responsible for the creation of beer. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it might have been just another excuse for people to get together and slam back a few cold ones. But honestly, does one really need an excuse for that?

Both holidays were founded n the United States, but this one is kinda cool because it’s observed in many countries all over the world. In the interest of today’s most boozy of holidays, I thought I would re-share my post about beer facts from my National Beer Day post from last April. Here we go…

Beer holds a particular interest for me. And unlike the average consumer, I enjoy consuming it for the different flavours and different blends, as opposed to the intoxicating effects (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). I’m an odd duck in comparison to my counterparts in Canada, as I only start drinking beer when I was 23 years of age in Japan of all places, as opposed to early in my teens like most of my friends. This is mostly because of beer’s significant carb-count and effects on the waistline.

Depending on what history book you read, the first beer is thought to have been brewed by the Chinese almost 9,000 years ago. But beer as it’s brewed today (or close to it) is believed to have been started by the Mesopotamians around 3,500 to 3,100 BCE. Although some scholars think it may have been accidentally discovered when grains used for bread fermented, some postulated that not only was it brewed for its intoxicating effects but also as a dietary staple.

Regardless of who did it first, beer is here and most of us couldn’t be happier. And believe it or not, beer may have some particular health benefits in addition to being the beverage of choice for guitar-playing teens sitting by the fire on a beach. I found an article on a website called EverydayHealth.com, which lists 8 ways that beer is good for you. Here are the ways…

  1. Beer Fights Inflammation. The article suggests that some of the hops used in beer can contain bitter acids that help fight inflammation;
  2. Beer Aids Digestion. Those same bitter acids can also help with the release of stomach acids, essentially helping you to digest;
  3. Beer May prevent Some Cancers. Beer contains Lupulone and Xanthohumol, which have shown promise in fighting tumours. Most of these are just in the study phase;
  4. Beer Builds Bones. Beer contains silicone, which is said to be important for the building of strong bones. The article suggest India Pale Ale (my favourite) as the best source for this;
  5. Beer Is Heart-Healthy. A study in 2012 apparently links the consumption of one or two beer a day as beneficial for the prevention of heart issues, and the prevention of further issues in those who already have them;
  6. Beer “Polishes” Your Teeth. Beer apparently beats out tea and other methods of eliminating the biofilm that accumulates on your teeth if you haven’t brushed for a while, according to another study done in 2012 (were we all just drinking THAT much in 2012?);
  7. Beer Protects Brain Cells. A 2015 study from China describes some benefits in this regard. Finally, a study that WASN’T done in 2012;
  8. Beer Prevents Kidney Stones. Some studies have shown that consuming beer may help prevent the formation of kidney stones.

So there you have it! Beer isn’t all bar fights and hangovers but can actually do some good for you. As with all things, the idea is moderation. Too much consumption can lead to the reversal of some of the benefits listed above, and can also include increased blood pressure and weight gain. So the idea isn’t to down a twelve-pack thinking you’ve found the secret to eternal life! And bear in mind that the average can of beer can be anywhere between 11 to 25 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the blend and size of container. So, know what you’re drinking and how to bolus accordingly.

I’m lucky in the fact that the city I live in has a number of local breweries with their own specific blends of beer. Most of the dispensaries in the province sell a lot of these brews, so there’s a lot of opportunity to try some of them out. So if you have the opportunity to celebrate this holiday, as with all things in life, drink in moderation and be responsible if you happen to be out with friends (which you likely shouldn’t be, since social distancing regulations are still in place). ☯

Push Without Moving

There’s certainly no lack of different exercises and fitness routines out there. And I usually like to try them all. I’m not saying I stick with everything I try, but variety is the spice of life and what successfully works for one person may not be effective or successful for another. This is why it’s so important to keep an open mind and try different things. This is why the focus of today’s post is an exercise method used by one of the world’s most well-known martial artists: Bruce Lee.

Even if you’re not into martial arts, the safe bet is that you’ve at least HEARD of Bruce Lee, who can be recognized for his speed and martial arts prowess as well as his lean, muscular physique. Lee was a practitioner with very much the same mind set as my own, that the martial arts is a fluid and evolving thing and one needs to keep an open mind and try different things. One of his preferred methods of exercising, besides all the extra stuff he did, was isometric exercises.

In case you’re unfamiliar, isometric exercises are exercises that are performed by contracting muscle groups without moving the specified body part. And example of this would be to place your closed fist against a solid wall and pushing hard. The muscles on your arms will contract and flex without any full movement of the arms (unless your wall caves in, in which you’ve got bigger problems to worry about than fitness!)

Isometrics is an interesting concept, especially if you want to do some strength training but don’t have the room in your home for a weight gym and/or can’t afford a commercial fitness centre’s outrageous monthly fees. For myself, I especially like certain isometric exercises, because they allow me to get some rudimentary strength training in, considering my propensity for selling and/or eliminating all my belongings.

But like everything else in life, there are pros and cons to isometrics, and that’s what I’d like to cover today. I’ll start with the pros, since it’s always more fun to start with the positive:

  1. You can strength train with minimal space: Like I mentioned above, isometric exercises allow you to flex and contract your muscle groups without moving your body. You can do this with the majority of your body’s muscle groups, and you can easily find a batch by searching Google for “isometric exercises”;
  2. It strengthens your muscles rapidly: Isometrics essentially forces you to keep your muscles contracted for a longer period of time than a traditional weight exercise. This means that your muscle is providing a maximum effort for a longer period, which is what causes the muscle damage needed to increase strength. You may only have a second or two of “max effort” during a traditional exercise, but if you hold the pressure during the isometric equivalent for 8 to 12 seconds (which is what’s suggested on Bruce Lee’s workout website) you increase that max effort tenfold;
  3. Isometrics can be done while injured: Now, take this one with grain of salt… I often mention that I’m not a doctor, and I am NOT advocating that you work out while you are injured. But given the nature of this type of exercise, it can be performed without any movement, thereby ensuring you don’t aggravate the injury while continuing your strength training.

Now that I’ve covered off some of the pros, let’s look at some of the cons behind isometric training. I found most of this on the Mayo Clinic’s website, with some of my own thrown in as well.

  1. Isometric training provides limited strength range. Because your limb is sitting in only one position, it’s only strengthened in that one position. One would need to perform isometric exercises in various positions with the same limb in order to improve your strength throughout its full range;
  2. Isometric exercises ONLY improve strength. According to the Mayo Clinic article, “since isometric exercises are done in a static position, they won’t help improve speed or athletic performance.” This means that it’s extremely important to include other types of physical exertion in order to ensure you gain the full benefits of working out;
  3. Isometric exercises can raise your blood pressure. Isometric exercises can increase your blood pressure, and can cause a dramatic increase if you already have high blood pressure issues. So you either need to exercise at a lower level of intensity or check with your medical practitioner before getting too deeply into it. Of course, you should consult your doctor before starting ANY radical change in your workout routine.

There you have it; some good and some bad. A balance, if you will. As should be the case with all things in life. Isometrics looks pretty interesting, and I look forward to trying it out in conjunction with my other stuff. It’s particularly good for people who work at a desk over long hours. It’s super easy to tense, hold and release your abs, gluten, arms and legs while sitting at one’s desk.

The arms might be a bit problematic, especially if you have to, you know, consistently type and stuff… One of the best aspects about fitness is that there’s always something new to learn and try. Everyone is different, so it’s important to find something suited to your likes and needs. ☯

Fruit Juice Is Bad For You!

Wait, what??? How can juice be bad for you? It’s natural, made of fruit and contains all sorts of vitamins and stuff, which last time I checked, was SUPPOSED to be good for you. Right? Well, maybe those particular aspects are good for a person in general. But for someone with Diabetes, fruit juices can be less than ideal because of all the sugar they contain. And despite the fact that I titled this post in relation to juice, this applies to a number of different foods, sometimes without the consumer even realizing it.

I was recently caught by surprise when my mother decided to send me a couple of packages of “No Sugar Added” sugar wafers (yes, I still get care packages from my mommy, they’re mostly for my kids!) First and foremost, the fact that they’re called “sugar wafers” should have set off some alarm bells in my mother’s head. But bless her big heart, she’s still stuck in the 1980’s mindset where words like “sugar-free” actually mean, well… sugar-free!

When examining the wafers’ nutritional facts on the back of the package, I realized that three of these wafers, which is what they consider a “serving size” contained about 24 grams of carbohydrates. Somewhat significant when you have to take bolusing insulin into consideration. Since that’s about the same amount of carbs contained in most store-bought cream cookies, I found myself asking where the benefit was.

Out of curiosity, I purchased a couple of regular packages of sugar wafers from my local grocery store. These were run-of-the-mill and had no indications of being reduced sugar or “no sugar added.” To ensure I didn’t hit a fluke, I bought more than one package, in different flavours. To my surprise, the regular sugar wafers showed a portion size of 4 wafers at 22 grams of carbs. Yes, you read that right and it isn’t a typo.

According to new math, the “no sugar added” alternative sits at 8 grams of carbs per wafer, with the regular ones sitting at about 5.5 grams per wafer. I was somewhat taken aback to realize that the “no sugar added” wafers had a higher carb count than regular ones. The problem is that if they eliminate sugar from their recipe, most companies will need to find an alternative to replace the lost sweetness. And that alternative can sometimes add to the overall carb count.

Another issue I once ran into was something I thought was carb-free when it really wasn’t. I bet that most people who measure and monitor their carbohydrate intake would be of the opinion that vegetables are carb-free, right? I would certainly think so. Have all the carrots, broccoli and brussel sprouts that you can handle, my friend. Those will certainly be carb-free. But did you know that many vegetables are pretty carb-loaded?

Just one cup of corn kernels contains 36 grams of carbohydrates! I learned this the hard way when I decided to have a “carb-free” meal of vegetable soup, only to have a blood sugar spike soon after. There was corn in the soup. Frickin’ corn!!! I also recently purchased a bag of lentils to try out in some recipes, since they’re packed with protein AND the recipes were sitting on my Endocrinologist’s coffee table.

But the bag of green lentils I purchased show that only half a cup of lentils contain 35 grams of carbohydrate! That’s a pretty significant jump, just to sass up my burger patties or add a little something to my soup. And there are a number of foods that fall under this category that one would tend to assume would be low or carb-free. This is why it’s so important to check the nutritional information on everything you eat and keep a close eye out.

I tried explaining the issue to my mother when she asked me how I had enjoyed the wafers. Her response was, “That’s impossible. The package clearly says No Sugar Added!” My mother still lives with a mindset that all Diabetes means is “don’t eat sugar and take insulin,” and everything will be peachy. The concepts of carb counting and anything other than sugar causing an issue doesn’t compute. But it’s certainly something to keep an eye on, especially if you want to maintain reasonable blood sugar levels. ☯

Worth Its Weight In Platinum…

Do you have friends? Sure, you do. Most people do. The number of friends one has is relative to their stage in life, age, social status and personal beliefs. I’ve known some people who have claimed to have “no friends” but ultimately they still have people they hang out and associate with. And maybe one would be inclined to believe that this isn’t REALLY a friend, but a friend is defined as “a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.” So basically, someone who isn’t your partner or a member of the family that you spend time with BECAUSE YOU WANT TO.

Friendship is an important aspect of any one person’s life, because it allows you to have someone you can share in the good times with, discuss and vent about the bad times and allows you some much-needed time outside the home (which everyone needs on occasion, whether they choose to admit it or not). As children, we usually have tons of friends. When I attend an event at my son’s school, EVERY kid he points at is one of his friends. And it’s usually just that easy for kids. Everyone within the same environment and basic age range can be a friend. Childhood is simple. Wish I’d had one. But I digress…

The point is, friendships are beneficial for both parties as they can help you to cope with the difficulties of life, traumas, illnesses, death in the family… They can also be there for the good times and share in your successes, your victories and your good times. And cracking a few cold ones while sharing some idle chatter? Don’t even get me started! Friends also help you develop a sense of belonging.

So how many friends does one have? And no, I’m not referring to social media followers… Well, depending on what source you consult, the average North American adult usually maintains four or five friendships. For the purposes of this post, I refer to a friendship as a relationship where you speak and/or hang out with the person in question at least once a week or more. Anything less than that falls under the category of casual acquaintance. As a young person, that number might have been significantly higher.

I bring this up because in a recent application, I was asked to provide twenty references who are not family or related. TWENTY! I don’t think I had that many friends even when I WAS a youth. I mean, whatever happened to the good ol’ days of two professional references and two personal references? I’m not sure why any employer would be of the opinion that they need twenty people as reference for one single applicant, but what do I know?

It got me to thinking… I keep a pretty tight social circle. I mean, REALLY tight. I don’t maintain many friendships, and even the long-term friendships that I’ve had for decades are on the other side of the country so we don’t exactly catch up over beers every week. I spend the majority of my free time with my wife and children, which if one consider the true meaning of wealth, makes me extremely rich. But I’m lucky enough to have two or three people that I call friend. And since real life isn’t a rom-com where people do cheesy things like telling each how how important they are to one another, I hope those couple of friends know how important they are to me. Friendship is a genuine gift, worth its weight in platinum! ☯

No Use Getting Violent Over Spilled Coffee…

That title was supposed to say “spilled milk,” but I’m much more partial to coffee than milk, so there you have it. Trust is an important commodity. It’s something you definitely need to have in others, both in your professional and your private life. Without it, you’d never be able to work side-by-side with anyone or let anyone into your life. Just think: when was the last time you met someone new and just immediately trusted them?

Some people can definitely engender a sense of trust in you the first time you meet them but for the most part, trust has to be earned over time and through the words and actions of the other person. It’s almost always a difficult process, especially when it involves trusting the other person to do something in your stead. A good example would be watching my five-year old pull a carton of chocolate milk out of the fridge.

Nathan rarely gets chocolate milk. Yeah, I know… I’m a cruel daddy. But we have chocolate syrup that I use for him on occasion so a carton of actual chocolate milk is a rare treat that he gets when he’s been behaving well (so he rarely gets any). Recently he got a small glass from a 500mL carton, which left the remainder in the fridge for later consumption. During the following morning’s breakfast, he asked if he could have some, to which I replied that he could.

Then my genius son, in all his glory, chose to pull the carton out of the fridge by gripping the very top lip of carton, using nothing but his index and thumb. I could see his tiny wrist trembling from the weight and the visible struggle on his face, and my every instinct was to grab the carton from him and bring it to the counter myself before it inevitably fell and splash all over the kitchen floor. I was surprised when I took a breath (and held it) and allowed him to complete the task, thereby preserving his dignity and allowing me to trust him.

But it was forced and difficult, and I usually find that this is a difficult thing regardless of who or what I’m dealing with. For a lot of people, myself included, it’s a control thing. Most people dislike and/or are uncomfortable with the prospect of letting someone else do a particular thing when they know they can do it faster/better/more efficiently… For others, they’ve simply been doing things themselves for so long that it feels distinctly odd to have someone else do it for them.

Allowing yourself to trust can relieve a great deal of pressure in your own life. Nobody should be expected to carry the burden of life on their own, and we can all agree that any load is much easier to bear when it’s weight is shared. This is something that I feel I need to work on, for my own self-development. Had Nathan dropped that chocolate milk, sure it would have made a mess but it would have been a teachable moment (especially since I’d have made the booger clean it up himself). But it allowed me to let go a bit and trust that he could do it. And he did. What would happen if he’d ever spill my coffee is a conversation for another day… ☯