Category: Health & Well Being

If you have Diabetes and are anything like me (and hopefully you are, if you’re Diabetic) you work hard towards maintaining your blood sugar levels. While diet, exercise and frequent blood sugar testing are the top methods of ensuring proper blood glucose levels, there are some supplements that are believed to help you along.

I wrote a post last year about the differences in vitamins and supplements, their varied uses and benefits. I re-posted this article in February, called Let’s Boost That System, Shall We? (https://thebloggingbuddhist.com/2020/02/22/lets-boost-that-system-shall-we/)

One of the things that irk me the most about these supplements is that they’re generally described as being the most beneficial for people with Type-2 Diabetes. This is because people with Type-2 generally still produce insulin of their own, if only in small amounts. So their systems use and manage insulin and supplements in different ways than a Type-1’s system would. With that in mind, here are some of the more commonly known supplements that can be helpful…

1. Chromium. This is the one I have something of a familiarity with, since it’s one that my Sensei has been recommending to me since my teens (Sensei happens to be an herbologist and practitioner of Chinese medicine). Chromium doesn’t so much affect blood sugar as it helps to improve the effects of insulin, thereby helping control blood sugar levels. This supplement can apply to both Type-1 and Type-2;
2. Magnesium. This is a supplement that your body uses during normal insulin production. For people with Type-2, magnesium deficiency is often a thing. For this reason, taking magnesium supplements can help improve fasting blood sugars. Magnesium should usually be taken with a meal for better effect, and taking too much can play hell on your digestion and cause unwanted bathroom issues, if you take my meaning…;
3. Vitamin D. This is another one that usually applies to Type-2. This is because Vitamin D is believed to improve the function of the pancreas, which produces insulin. This wouldn’t apply to Type-1. Some studies have shown that most Type-2’s have some level of deficiency in Vitamin D, which is why supplementing can be helpful;
4. Cinnamon. This is the most popular and well-known of supplements associated with Diabetes, although it also applies primarily to Type-2. It helps the body absorb and respond to insulin, improving blood sugar and A1C levels overall. The caution with this one is that excessive amounts of cinnamon can be damaging to the liver, depending on the variety of cinnamon you’re using.

I’ll be totally honest, I kept repeating the fact that most of these apply to Type-2 because I don’t want someone with Type-1 potentially wolfing down supplements, thinking that it’ll fix their blood sugar levels for them. My familiarity with the specifics of Type-2 is significantly less than it would be for Type-1, which is why this is the time where I recommend speaking to your doctor or health practitioner before starting on ANY supplements that could affect your overall Diabetes control.

It would be fantastic if there were a magic pill we could take to maintain our blood sugar levels. Hell, sometimes I find myself jealous of Type-2’s who can control blood glucose levels through the use of oral medication. But for those with Type-2, it’s important to know that there are things you can take to help yourself along. ☯

Water is life. Quite literally. The human body, on average, is composed of about 60% water depending on age, weight and varying factors. Water is one of the simplest things in the world, composed simply of hydrogen and oxygen. It’s odourless, tasteless, inorganic and contains absolutely no calories. Despite these facts, we need to consume a reasonable amount of water ever day in order to survive. But not all waters are created equal…

First of all, let me be clear that I’m not talking about flavoured or sparkling waters, or anything that’s been processed or served into bottles or cans that you might find at your local convenience or grocery store. I’m talking about the differences between distilled and spring water.

Let’s start with spring water, or what one typically sees at the store as bottled water. This is water that has come from a natural source, like the mountains or underground. Although most people tend to consider this water to be the “best” water to drink, those same people don’t realize that this water may or may not have been treated and have no idea what contaminants may be included.

Now, I’m not trying to get myself taken out by an assassin hired by “big water” but I should probably point out that for the most part, drinking bottled water is no better and no worse than drinking tap water. In fact, tap water often has more stringent treatment and purification processes than the water you get in a plastic bottle. in fact, studies performed by the NRDC (Yes, the National Resources Defence Council that Marshall Erikson worked at in How I Met Your Mother) have found contaminants contained in some bottled water (https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap#table2)

Distilled water is an entirely different creature. Distilled water is purified, filtered and stripped of absolutely everything EXCEPT hydrogen and oxygen. That’s why most people consider distilled water to be stale and flat. Because there’s literally nothing in it. You know that one specific brand of bottled water that you absolutely LOVE the taste of? That taste is the result of the minerals and contaminants within the water.

Distilled water is usually what’s used for medical purposes or for people with vulnerable systems. For example, my wife and I use distilled water to make our infant son’s formula, since it prevents the addition of said contaminants. Depending on what you’re trying to do, distilled water can also be used for recipes and such. So distilled and spring water are not necessarily interchangeable, depending on who’s consuming it and why.

At the end of the day, if you have a dedicated drinking water tap at home with a decent filter, that option is perfectly fine and will do the job. You’ll also notice that bottles of distilled water will often cost a touch more than spring water, due to the process required to purify it. if you wonder about the purity of your tap water, check with your municipality’s water board. Depending on where you live, the majority of towns and cities are obligated to test their water frequently and make the results public.

Most importantly, be sure to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated will help eliminate fatigue, stave off unnecessary hunger and help to flush out your body’s systems. Although not all waters are created equal, as long as you keep on drinking it, you can’t go wrong. ☯

I woke up yesterday morning feeling like a dried piece of beef jerky left out in the sun for too long. Since this isn’t a NEW experience for me, it didn’t surprise me. I have this weird thing where my face swells up when I get a cold. Yes, you read that right; I will usually get a small swelling of the upper or lower lip (usually upper) that inflames and doubles by the next day.

And yes, I’ve already had it checked by my doctor on a previous occasion. Apparently it’s totally normal for your face and neck to swell when you catch a cold. This is because a cold will make it easier for your sinuses to infect, causing swelling around the face, eyes, forehead and base of the neck. Fun, eh? Not least of which to mention that it plays hell with the blood sugars. I woke up with 15.7 mmol/L as a waking blood sugar level. Brutal.

It’s already bad enough that everyone is limited to their homes due to quarantine measures, but somehow catching a cold on top of that seems to add insult to injury. I’ve relegated myself to the basement so that I hopefully don’t pass it on to my wife and kids. The part that sucks is that getting some fresh air occasionally helps with swollen sinuses and makes me feel a bit better, and it’s quite cold and windy today. Hmm, if only there was something to help cheer me up a bit… Oh, wait!

I started on this new bad-boy this morning. All pretty and shiny, but it felt weird to load up a pump that wasn’t my usual one. I’m certain that once I get my in-person training (IF I get my in-person training) and start on Continuous Glucose Monitoring, it will make a world of difference in how my blood sugar levels are maintained. High hopes are the best ones, right?

Hopefully everyone is staying safe and healthy. Remember that sitting at home presents a number of problems for someone with Diabetes (doesn’t everything?). Get some exercise, even if it means crushing out a batch of push-ups, squats, sit-ups and jumping jacks in the living room. Stay well hydrated. People have a nasty tendency of neglecting that aspect when sitting quietly at home, but sipping water or fluids consistently throughout the day is still important.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab some cold meds and unceremoniously curl up in the fetal position and pass out (No, I do not have “man flu”). ☯

Ah, Diabetes… Eternal thorn in my side and the “behind the scenes” silent partner that guarantees all the things I MUST do in my daily routine in order to survive. Type-1 Diabetes has been around for a very long time, from its “humble” discovery in the late 1800’s by doctors who recognized the condition developing after removing the pancreas, to the ancient Egyptians mentioning something pretty close to sounding like Diabetes almost 3,000 years ago.

For those who may not be in the know (and who have never read my blog before), Diabetes occurs when one’s own immune system attacks the body’s insulin-producing beta cells created by the pancreas. Depending on when you were diagnosed, T1D may have been referred to as “child’s” Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes. The latter was the term I spent my childhood hearing, since the majority of Type-1’s are often diagnosed as children. So, this raises the question as to whether one can contract this specific type of Diabetes later on in life, such as during adulthood…

The short answer is yes. Although we know that Type-1 is linked to the body’s immune system attacking the beta cells, doctors aren’t entirely certain WHY it happens. Some research suggests that it can have genetic components, and researchers are also of the opinion that it could be triggered by outside components like diet or a pre-existing medical condition. That last one is certainly the case for my father who, in his 60’s, developed Type-1 Diabetes. And before everyone chimes in, no, he didn’t have Type-2 prior to this. But he has been diagnosed with a number of medical conditions, including Degenerative Spine.

The challenge with a diagnosis of Type-1 in adults is that most people (and most doctors as well) tend to assume that an adult actually has Type-2. This can be difficult and confusing, since both types will often have matching symptoms. Although the weight component is the x-factor between the two types, you can easily find Type-1’s who will have weight issues and Type-2’s who don’t. The tricky part is figuring out if your Diabetes is caused by your immune system or your inability to absorb insulin properly.

A sub-type of Diabetes, sometimes referred to as Type-1.5, is referred to as LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults). As defined on a web page posted by the Mayo Clinic, “Latent autoimmune Diabetes in adults (LADA) is a slow-progressing form of autoimmune Diabetes. Like the autoimmune disease type 1 Diabetes, LADA occurs because your pancreas stops producing adequate insulin, most likely from some “insult” that slowly damages the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.”

LADA pretty much embodies the issue I described earlier, where a diagnosis of Type-2 may happen because someone with LADA will still continue to produce insulin for months, maybe even years before insulin therapy will be required. Here’s the Mayo Clinic article, which provides further information; https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/expert-answers/lada-diabetes/faq-20057880

The bottom line is simply this: if you find yourself experiencing excessive thirst, frequent urination, constant fatigue and moodiness as well as fluctuating weight, you should get yourself tested for Diabetes. And if you suspect that a diagnosis of Type-2 may not quite fit, don’t be afraid to consider that you may actually have contracted Type-1 and get a second opinion, if necessary. After all, Type-1 isn’t just diagnosed in children, anymore. ☯

If you happen to be a clumsy ox like me, you’re prone to injury at the best of times. My son seems to have inherited this trait (although he comes by it honestly from both his parents) and we often have “ouchies” that require the occasional bandaid, cold compress or disinfecting agent. I don’t remember the last time I went an entire week without walking into a wall, stubbing a toe or tripping over something that was sitting in plain sight. I suppose it’s weird that when the sparring gloves come on, I’m poetry in motion. But everyday activities make me look like a drunk rodeo clown.

One of the worst problems with injuries is you can often be faced with one that’s bad enough to require some attention but NOT bad enough to require a hospital visit. Or even if it requires a hospital visit, your injury and your mental state may be worsened by the impending wait you’ll face at the hospital. Because I can promise you that unless your skull is wide open and bleeding or you’re having a heart attack, your expected wait time at the ER in Canada can be hours.

For example, Nathan fell down the stairs about two years ago. He had a bruised eyes, a swollen lump at the front of his skull and a bleeding cut. Since he was only three years old and we were dealing with a fall down some stairs, we bundled him up into the car and rushed to the emergency room. We waited for almost four hours before we finally threw in the towel and came home and treated the injuries ourselves. And THAT involved a toddler falling down the stairs. Don’t panic, his energy levels were off the charts and we got him examined at a later time.

This is just one example of why it’s important to keep a properly stocked first aid kit in your home. Although you don’t want to absolutely spend a fortune on your kit (it’s all made of the same stuff at the end of the day), you may not want to skimp on the supplies either. You can usually find decent supplies at most retail outlets, especially if you live in a larger town. If you’re lucky and you have one of the bigger dollar stores, you can even find some decent first aid supplies there.

You can take the lazy route and buy a pre-packed kit. These are usually pretty basic and contain the general items needed to deal with an immediate injury until a medical professional or first responder reaches you. You can, however, put together your own kit. This allows you the option of customizing your kit with preferred items and/or items that may not be included in pre-packed kits. You just need to remember to replace and replenish items that may have been used or expired.

In my line of work, I usually recommended three basic items that HAD to be in a first aid kit: protective gloves, bandages/gauze and a one-way CPR mask. With those three items, you should be able to lend basic first aid to someone with minor to moderate injuries until first responders can reach you. Anything else in your kit is simply icing on the cake. A good pair of angled scissors are a good idea, in case you have to cut away clothing to access a wound or injury.

If you do buy a pre-packed kit, make sure you know what’s inside it before you purchase. For example, you can buy a small 3″ x 3″ plastic first aid case that will contain bandages, band-aids and tape for a little over $5. That’s about as basic as it gets. Or you can splurge on kits that have several hundred items and cost well over $100. It all depends on what you want to have available.

Personally, I have a solid kit that I purchased at my local retail outlet for about $20 and it contains a little over 100 items. I keep it in our cold room with our non-perishable food and supplies. I also took the liberty of purchasing added gauze and bandages, since the kit was in short supply. A small bottle of disinfecting agent is also a good idea, since most kits won’t contain any. I keep a smaller first aid kit, both in my personal car and the family SUV.

You can check out a composite list on the Canadian Red Cross website at https://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/first-aid-tips-and-resources/first-aid-tips/kit-contents?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxo_AxpG56AIV5f7jBx05kQwLEAAYASAAEgLfLPD_BwE

This webpage also provides a composite list for an emergency supplies list, which may not necessarily be first aid related, as well as an emergency car kit in case you become stranded or involved in a collision. It stands to reason that if you have the ability to be trained in basic first aid, you should also do so.

A good first aid kit can be extremely helpful in most environments. Since people with Diabetes have difficulties healing open wounds and are prone to infection, being able to treat injuries quickly and efficiently can mean the difference between a well-healed wound or getting your foot amputated. I’m being mildly dramatic (yes, mildly) but you get my point. ☯