- Fitness and Fatness. What's worse, to be fat or to be unfit? I wasn't sure myself until I read the new research that I review here.
- The Simple GlucoMON. The GlucoMON is an automated, long-range wireless blood glucose data monitoring and transmittal system. Sound complicated? Not at all. It's simple.
- Setting Slack Standards. Since our culture as a whole sets such low goals, it's not suprising that the targets our esteemed diabetes organizations set for us are so slack. It's up to each of us to set healthy individual targets.
- Two Hours from Fit to Fat. Dr. James Levine and his associates just published one of the most encouraging studies of the effects of exercise ever. This new study elegantly and precisely shows that the difference between being lean and obese is that lean people walk about two hours per day more. People who are obese simply make shorter walks, not fewer or slower walks.
- Meter Accuracy and Precision. If you ever checked your blood glucose with two meters at the same time, you may have been dismayed with results that differed a lot. If so, you might be interested in this review of the accuracy and precision (consistency) of some of the major meters.
- Eggs Improve Cholesterol. Do you feel a twinge of guilt when you enjoy your bacon and eggs for breakfast? I sure used to. But now I know that this is a great way to start the day.
- Music to Move Mountains. When I hike in the mountains, I prefer the sounds of nature to those coming from my iPod. But when we move our mountains of flesh on indoor exercise equipment, it helps to listen to music that has a strong beat. Here's how to find it.
- Children with Diabetes Joins J&J. One of the biggest and best websites for people with diabetes just sold out. It's a good thing.
- The Maxima Meter. This new blood glucose meter from US Diagnostics is indeed maximal in at least one way. Its minimal price.
My First Radio Interview
My First Diabetes Support Group
During the past 14 years since a doctor diagnosed my diabetes, I have participated in many support groups. Several of the Internet groups are excellent. I highlight some of my favorites on one of my web pages.
But until now all of the local groups that I participated in disappointed me. If they didn't become purely social, they remained practially superficial. I always felt that most of the people present at these meetings came because they had to -- because their doctor or there spouse told them to come -- not because they wanted to learn about how to control their diabetes.
So I started my own group.
The group grew out of occasional meetings that I had with two friends who are completely committed to controlling their diabetes with the best nutrition and exercise. I got such pleasure from working with them that I decided to invite more people to meet at my apartment every month.
The first of these groups met this Saturday. We started with five people, and nine is our maximum group size. That's the maximum for the technical reason that larger groups don't give people as much time as they need to discusss their individual questions and for the practical reason that I have only nine chairs.
The second limitation is that all of us have to be committed to controling our diabetes. I know first-hand how uncommitted people can drag down the level of the group.
The third limitation is that we are all men. Diabetes is such a personal subject -- including sensitive areas like libido and erectile dysfunction -- that us men are better off discussing it among ourselves. Women can and do form their own groups.
The fourth limitation is geographical. To participate in a local group you need to be local. In this case, you would need to be in or near Boulder, Colorado, where I live and work.
I determined from the start to make this group free. After the first meeting, one of my friends encouraged me to charge for it, saying that he and others must be getting a lot more from it than I do.
It is true that people value what they pay for more than what they get free. But I don't want the money. Maybe some day I can charge for these meetings with all of the money going to a worthy and appropriate cause, if and when I can think of one.
For now, I know that I will be getting as much out of the group as the other participants. Already I see at least two areas where the group is helping me. When I try to describe something, I sometimes find areas where my knowledge is weak, reminding me to brush up on those areas. And when I listen to the issues that interest group members, I get ideas about articles that I need to write.
If you happen to be a near neighbor of mine, have diabetes, are determined to control it, are a man, and would like to participate, please call me at (720) 319-8423 or write me at [email protected].
If, however, you don't live near me, go ahead and start your own group. Or convince one of your friends to do that. You will all benefit.
Dr. Bernstein's Webcast
If you have any interest in controlling your diabetes by low-carb eating, one of the best resources is Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's monthly webcast. It's an hour of excellent diabetes education.
Dr. Bernstein's next LIVE Tele-Seminar is Wednesday, April 30, at 8:00 PM EST, 7:00 PM CST, 6:00 PM MST, and 5:00 PM PST. You can click here to register: http://www.diabetes911.net/askdrb/index.php. It's also available as a LIVE Webcast both on the Internet and by phone.
Announcements:
The Health Central Network continues to get better and better. It will now notify you by email of new articles (SharePosts) by me or anyone who posts at HealthCentral.com. Just click on “Subscribe” on my "Profile" page. The new software also now permits threaded replies to comments. So you will see more replies from me than I have posted since the major site revamp on March 1.
Each month I describe and link my new Health Central articles here. But you can also use a blog reader to keep up with my articles more quickly. I use Bloglines, as I describe in my article, “Reading Health Blogs.” Go to bloglines.com, click on feeds, click on add, (both in left pane), then in center pane enter at “Blog or Feed URL” click on www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/rss/. Alternatively, you can subscribe to my new articles at Health Central by taking your browser to http://www.bloglines.com/sub/http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/.
Diabetes Update keeps you up-to-date with new articles, Web pages, and books that I have written about diabetes.
I list and link most of these on my at Diabetes Directory and in the site’s menu at the upper left of all my Web pages.
From time to time Diabetes Update may also include links to other Web pages of special interest.
I send out Diabetes Update email in HTML format, which all Web browsers and most modern email programs can display. HTML has live links to all the sites named in the text so that with a simple click of a mouse you can connect to the site you have just been reading about.
This newsletter:
- Is and will remain free.
- Will never include advertising (except targeted Google ads at the bottom of the web page and not in the email newsletter).
- Nor will I ever sell, rent, or trade your email address to anyone.
- I will link sources of information.
- I will disclose any conflict of interest.
- If and when I learn of any errors of fact, I will correct them.
Archives:
- I now send out Diabetes Update once a month. Previous issues are online:
- Diabetes Update Number 1: Diabetes Genes of December 10, 2000
- Diabetes Update Number 2: DiabetesWATCH of December 18, 2000
- Diabetes Update Number 3: Starlix of January 3, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 4: Native Seeds/SEARCH, Tepary Beans of January 17, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 5: Insulin Makes You Fat of January 31, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 6: Available and Unavailable Carbohydrates of February 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 7: Dates of March 1, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 8: Quackwatch of March 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 9: The Cost of Insulin of March 30, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 10: Sof-Tact Meter of April 2, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 11: iControlDiabetes of April 16, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 12: Cinnamon, Tagatose of May 2, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 13: Glycemic Index of May 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 14: Eat Your Carrots! of May 31, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 15: Glycemic Load of June 21, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 16: Homocysteine of July 2, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 17: Chana Dal Tips of July 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 18: Lag Time in AlternativeLand of August 2, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 19: Fiber of August 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 20: How Diabetes Works of August 30, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 21: Insulin Resistance of September 14, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 22: Trans Fats, Honey, CU of October 1, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 23: Pedometer Power of October 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 24: Is Glycerin a Carbohydrate? of October 31, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 25: Kill the Meter to Save It of November 15, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 26: Protein, Fat, and the GI of December 1, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 27: Insulin Index of December 14, 2001
- Diabetes Update Number 28: Fructose of January 4, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 29: Aspirin of January 14, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 30: Stevia of January 31, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 31: Gretchen Becker’s Book of February 19, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 32: The UKPDS of March 4, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 33: Financial Aid of March 18, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 34: Pre-Diabetes of April 1, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 35: More Glycemic Indexes of April 15, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 36: Gila Monsters of April 30, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 37: Is INGAP a Cure? of May 15, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 38: Native American Diabetes of June 3, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 39: FDA Diabetes of June 19, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 40: Diabetes Support Groups of July 1, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 41: New GI and GL Table of July 15, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 42: Diabetes Sight of August 1, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 43: DrugDigest of August 18, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 44: Hanuman Garden of September 3, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 45: Guidelines of September 16, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 46: Trans Fat of October 4, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 47: Nutrition.Gov of October 16, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 48: Our Hearts of October 31, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 49: Our Kidneys of November 15, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 50: A1C<7 of December 2, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 51: Diabetes Searches with Google of December 16, 2002
- Diabetes Update Number 52: e-Patients of January 2, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 53: Email News of January 16, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 54: Third Generation Meters of January 31, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 55: Hypoglycemic Supplies of February 14, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 56: Food Police of March 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 57: Vitamins of April 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 58: Lancets of May 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 59: Accurate Meters of June 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 60: Chromium of July 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 61: Traveling of August 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 62: My Book of September 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 63: Hot Tubs of October 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 64: Home A1C Testing of November 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 65: Detemir of December 1, 2003
- Diabetes Update Number 66: Erectile Dysfunction of January 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 67: Acidic Foods of February 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 68: Net Carbs of March 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 69: Glycemic Index of April 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 70: Dreamfields Pasta of May 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 71: Cholesterol of June 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 72: Meter News of July 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 73: Pill Splitting of August 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 74: GlucoMON of September 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 75: Coding of October 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 76: Sleep Apnea of November 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 77: Keynote Address of December 1, 2004
- Diabetes Update Number 78: Mangosteen of January 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 79: Noninvasive Dream of February 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 80: Pelikan Sun of March 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 81: Medtronic Monitors of April 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 82: ExtendBars of May 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 83: GlycoMark of June 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 84: My British Book of July 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 85: Disintegrating of August 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 86: Meter Research of September 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 87: Evaluating Meters of October 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 88: When to Test of November 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 89: Blogging of December 1, 2005
- Diabetes Update Number 90: RSS Feed of January 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 91: An Uncommon Doctor of February 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 92: More Blog Entries of March 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 93: Talking Meters of April 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 94: Navigating of May 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 95: Measuring Sweat of June 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 96: The Future of Pumps of July 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 97: Pumping in Real Time of August 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 98: The DexCom Sensor of September 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 99: GlucoTel of October 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 100: Discovery of Byetta of November 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 101: My Diabetes Blog of December 1, 2006
- Diabetes Update Number 102: Stress of January 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 103: UltraMini of February 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 104: Salt of March 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 105: In Memoriam Catherine of April 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 106: Eating Locally of May 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 107: Avandia Anxiety of June 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 108: Pigs of July 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 109: Continuous Testing of August 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 110: How Byetta Works of September 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 111: Is Diabetes Progressive of October 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 112: Gary Scheiner of November 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 113: Karen LaVine of December 1, 2007
- Diabetes Update Number 114: Low-Carb of January 1, 2008
- Diabetes Update Number 115: My New Book of February 1, 2008
- Diabetes Update Number 116: The Low-Carb Vegetarian of March 1, 2008