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It’s no secret that weight has a direct relationship to controlling diabetes.

A whopping 95% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. This is especially true for those of us who are in the 40 to 65 age bracket as well as the young people diagnosed with type 2.

It has been documented that weight loss equals better blood glucose control…but we all know that losing weight is HARD!

You should know by now that I do not promote commercial products or services unless I feel they will be beneficial to my readers. With that in mind I would like to introduce you to Apple Patch Diet.

This all natural diet product contains hoodia which has been proven to reduce an individuals hunger and desire for food. My wife and I have been trying Apple Patch Diet and have been favorably impressed with its effect.

Apple Patch Diet:

1. Will not cause that shaky feeling often associated with weight loss drugs
2. Will not cause that “wired” feeling
3. Will not cause sleeplessness or make your heart race
4. Will not raise your body temperature
5. WILL NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS!! **
6. Is 100% natural
7. Has NO side effects
8. Effectively & quickly suppresses hunger
9. Is a natural mood enhancer & energy booster
10. Has been promoted by the likes of Oprah, Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes, and the BBC.

If you would like to try Apple Patch Diet…I will give you a no-questions-asked 30-day money back guarantee AND for a limited time only I will offer my readers a BOGO…that’s Buy One, Get One free. Try it for 30-days and if it doesn’t help you lose weight, return it for a full refund…no questions asked.

To find out more about this incredible product…and to start your weight loss program simply click on one of the highlighted word links or here…

http:www.applepatchdiet.com/jc86074

Until later…

Jimm

P.S. Be sure to check out the testimonials on the Apple Patch Diet website. Pay special attention to the testimonials from people with diabetes!

** As we all know diabetes affects each of us differently…for that reason you should always consult with your physician before starting any diet program or taking any medication/herbal remedy.

Hey, readers…just a quick note to let you know that I finally received my free Aviva glucose meter ”skins”…and they are SO COOL!!

I ordered the “animal” package and quickly applied the leopard skin on my Aviva. It made such a difference in the appearance of the meter that I was amazed.

I was also surprised that the enclosed memo invited me to order MORE skins, so it’s not a ”only one set per customer” deal.

Check out my May 8 posting to get all the details of this offer. Hope you enjoy your skins as much as I am enjoying mine!

Jimm

I recently read an article regarding mood swings and diabetes. A concerned parent had written asking if diabetes could explain their teens mood swings. For any of us who have had diabetes for any time at all the simple answer is “DUH!”

I don’t know about you, but personally mood swings are one of my little “uh-oh” indicators. When I realize that I have snapped at someone for no reason, plunged into deep depression, found myself crying for no reason or getting angry over nothing…I know that my blood sugar is off. The only thing worse than experiencing the mood swings is NOT realizing what’s happening.

That’s where it is a good thing to have a spouse, partner or friend who is aware of these warning signs and who will promptly take you aside and say “I think you need to check your blood sugar!” So, be sure that those people you come into contact with on a daily/regular basis know to watch for these signs. It could save your life…or at least save a relationship!

If you are experiencing severe mood swings it might be a good idea to let your doctor know what’s happening. He/she may be able to prescribe medication that will help you control the peaks and valleys.

SPECIAL NOTE: This does NOT mean that having diabetes gives you license to “go off” on your boss, spouse or partner! The “oh, I guess my blood sugar must have been off” excuse will only work once or twice. So, use it with caution! LOL

I guess that’s all for now…

Jimm

If anyone has ordered one of my no cost diabetes recipes books…and NOT had it delivered…PLEASE contact me at diabetesauthor@diabetesauthor.com and I will email the book to you directly.

It appears we have had a glitch in the automated delivery system, therefore many people who ordered did not receive the recipes. This is a GREAT diabetic recipes book and I want to share it with everyone…so once again…PLEASE CONTACT ME if you did not receive your recipe book.

Thanks

Jimm

Okay, here’s a subject that I have touched on several times since starting this blog…the importance of wearing medical alert devices. Whether you have diabetes, take prescription medications on a regular basis, have allergies, or have some other serious health condition…you NEED to be wearing a medical alert ID of some sort. Your very life could depend on it!

I know some people are going to say they won’t wear a medical alert because it openly advertises that they are “sick”. Maybe so, BUT…people DIE every day from being given the wrong medications and/or from having a vital  health condition overlooked during treatment. A simple little necklace or bracelet could have saved their lives because medical personnel could have been alerted to their potential problems.

First responders, EMT personnel and ER doctors/nurses are trained to watch for medical alert IDs on trauma patients…especially those who are unconscious or who can’t speak for themselves. Oh, I know you think you’ll never be involved in an accident or faced with a medical emergency like that; that it will happen to “the other guy”…but, that’s exactly what EVERYONE thinks! What if you ARE the “other guy?”

 The biggest problem with traditional medical IDs is that they only have room for about 5 or 6 lines of information. Personally I have at least TEN different pieces of medical information that SHOULD be listed on my Medic Alert brand bracelet…but there’s not room for it. I have to pay an annual “subscription” to Medic Alert so they will store my info and make it available via an 800 number if the need ever arises. If I don’t pay the annual fee the five lines on my bracelet have to speak for themself.

So, cost-wise I spent $75 for a stylish Medic Alert bracelet and now have to pay $35 per year for Medic Alert’s back-up services. Then I discovered MedFlash…

MedFlash is a 128MB USB-driven flashdrive that’s expressly designed for the storage and retrieval of medical information. It’s only a little over an inch long, holds ALL of my medical information, hooks on my keychain and eliminates the need for any further back-up services/expense. Any first responder with a laptop onboard or ER doctor/nurse with access to a computer can pull up ALL my pertinent medical info in a matter of seconds.

MedFlash is a brilliant piece of technology!

Does this kinda sound like a MedFlash commercial? Well, in a way it is because I am in the process of making arrangements to offer the $34.95 MSRP MedFlash units at a discount to my readers! I should be announcing the exact cost and availability within the week, so stay tuned.

In the meantime you can check out all the technical information on MedFlash…and comparison shop the current market pricing by checking out the following websites:

http://www.med-flash.com

http://www.independentforlife.com

http://www.allegromedical.com

http://www.american-medical-supply.com

http://www.elderluxe.com

I fully expect that I am going to be able to offer MedFlash to my readers for around $30, probably a little less. But, more on that later…

Questions?

Contact me directly at diabetesauthor@diabetesauthor.com or leave your comments here and I’ll get back with you ASAP…

Until then…

Jimm

Just a real quick post to let you know that Accu-Chek is offering…for a limited time only…FREE “skins” for your Accu-Chek Aviva glucose meter!!

That’s right…now you can personalize and/or customize your Aviva meter with a set of FIVE cool skins…and you have a great variety of patterns from which to choose. For instance:

Animals Set: Fish…Cats…Peacock…Dogs and Cheetah

Color Set: Lime…Fuchsia…Teal…Periwinkle and Orange

Flowers Set: Pink…70’s…Tall…Smileys and Mosaic

Groovy Set: Cammo…Planets…Guitars…Smiley Faces and Blue Spheres

Cool Set: Bright Pink…Blue/Black…Orange/Yellow…Lady Shopping and City Scene

Patriots Set: Cammo…American Flag…Fireworks…Blue Fighter Jets…Sunset Jets

Sports Set: Biking…Basketball…Football…Baseball and Soccer

These skins will really dress up your Aviva meter…and you can change them depending on your mood.

To grab your free set of Aviva skins…while supplies last…go to:

www.accu-chek.com

and look for the free skins offer. Way cool!!

Jimm

If you have been reading about diabetes and its potential complications you have read a lot about blindness, amputations, sexual dysfunction and more….BUT….today I am going to draw attention to a potential complication that doesn’t get a lot of exposure. I am talking about Bell’s Palsy.

Bell’s Palsy is caused by a viral infection of the CN-VII or cerebral nerve #7 which controls the facial muscles and taste buds. Bell’s can cause temporary loss of control in the facial muscles that control the mouth and eye lids as well as a loss of taste. Bell’s ranges in severity from an inconvenient lisping and slight sagging of the eye lid to complete loss of control over the facial muscles on one side of the face.

The onset of Bell’s can be sudden or gradual and is often mistaken for the symptoms of a stroke. Only timely neurological examinations and testing can determine the difference. I’d like to note here that IF you experience ANY paralysis of the facial muscles…or any other muscles…get immediate medical assistance!!The sooner a diagnosis is made, the sooner treatment can start…potentially lessening the effect of the paralysis and speeding recovery time.

According to the latest statistics Bell’s Palsy effects about 40,000 people in the U.S. annually…with a disproportion amount being people with diabetes who don’t have their blood sugar under control. We know that people with diabetes have a high risk factor for nerve damage, therefore our risk of Bell’s is about 4-times higher than the general population.

Surprisingly very little is known about the condition or its treatment. My own doctor admitted that “treatment of Bell’s Palsy is somewhat like voodoo…we don’t really know why it occurs and why certain medications work…or don’t work.” As a general rule Bell’s can be treated with strong antibiotics (acyclovir) and steroids (prednisone) which can result in complete or near complete recovery. Ironically though there are numerous cases that have recovered just as well with NO treatment!

Many sources say that recovery from Bell’s Palsy takes from 7 to 10 days…but…this is seldom the case unless the attack is extremely minor. Realistically recovery time is measured in weeks, if not months.

Why am I focusing on Bell’s Palsy today? Well, to quite honest it is a subject close to my heart right now because my own wife…who does not have diabetes…was diagnosed with Bell’s recently. She went to bed on a Friday evening feeling fine and awoke Saturday morning to discover that the left side of her mouth wasn’t “working right” and that her left eye lid was sagging.

As of this writing she is about 3 weeks into recovery and seeing very gradual improvements. Her doctor says that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst impact, my wife is about an 8 so she expects it will take a few months to see full recovery…if then.

For in-depth information on Bell’s Palsy I respectfully refer you to www.bellspalsy.ws please note that this is a .WS extension.

Later…

Jimm

Here’s a chance to get one of my favorite glucose meters…FREE!!

Accu-Chek is once again offering the Aviva blood glucose meter kit free of charge to anyone with diabetes….who uses insulin. Please note this stipulation. You MUST fill out their online form stating that you have diabetes….AND…that you use insulin.

I sincerely doubt that they are going to come to your home or contact your personal physician to VERIFY that you actually use insulin. So, let your conscience be your guide.

The Accu-Check Aviva which retails in the $45-$50 price range is a compact glucose meter that uses a tiny blood sample and which gives extremely accurate results in a matter of about 5 seconds.

Also included with the kit is their newest Multiclix lancing device….which utilizes a six lancet cartridge instead of the traditional individual lancets. If you don’t like handling, loading and disposing of individual lancets, this is a real plus! On the other hand, the price of the replacement lancet cartridges can be more than the cost of traditional lancets.

Personal Note: I have used the Aviva meter for nearly two years and I LOVE it. However, I don’t especially like the MultiClix lancing device so I continue to use my “old” lancing device with traditional lancets.

If you act fast Accu-Chek is also going to include a FREE tube of 60 test strips with your new Aviva meter.

To take advantage of this offer go to www.freeaviva.com or call 800-585-9191 for further details.

Until later…

Jimm

I am coming to you today with a proposed project…and I need your input.

I have been inspired to create an online “memorial garden” of sorts that would honor family and friends we have lost to diabetes. I scouted around on the internet to gauge the practicality of doing this and found that there are already a few places where you can post a memorial to loved ones and friends who have been taken from us by this diabolical disease….but quite honestly…for the most part they are pretty shabby.

My idea is to create a quality site with three tiers of memorial to choose from:

Tier One…would be a no-cost option where you could post the name of the deceased, date of death and the name(s) of those posting the memorial. It would be a simple, no frills memorial and would look something like this:

Joseph Jackson…..4/19/2007….remembered fondly by his friends & co-workers

Ellen Howard…5/24/2004…missed by family and friends

Tier Two…would be a step-up and would provide an individual page(s) for your family member or friend. It would have plenty of room for you to list a person’s birth/death dates, the name(s) of those left behind, personal comments, poems and/or an obituary. There would be a token fee associated with this level.

Tier Three…would be the deluxe memorial page. I envision this as having top quality graphics and perhaps a musical background option. In addition to all the previously listed features you would be able to add picture(s) and more. A fee would be associated with this tier as well. All fees would go towards maintenance of the website.

Another service/feature that I have envisioned would be the ability to purchase special “tributes” from time to time say on their birthday, death day or other special occasion. Think of it as being able to place a virtual bouquet on their memorial in remembrance of the good times.

So…What do you think??

Would you like to be able to honor your loved ones/friends in a tasteful online “memorial garden?”

Please let me know your thoughts in this matter either by making a comment here on the diabetesauthor.com blog site or by dropping me an email at diabetesauthor@diabetesauthor.com. Your input is greatly appreciated!!

Jimm

It’s no secret that we are deep in the heart of colds and flu season. While colds and flu are miserable and inconvenient for most people…they can be especially dangerous to those of us with diabetes!

I have touched on the subject of diabetes and sick days in previous posts, but I want to put the spotlight on it one more time this winter…largely because I am still trying to recover from a monstrous, nearly two week long bout of what my doctor eloquently termed “some bizarre form of the crud.” We’re talking fever, chills, loss of appetite, lack of energy and a horrendous hacking cough. Sound familiar to anyone?

Colds & flu can be especially dangerous to people with diabetes because:

 a) Infection tends to cause an increase in blood glucose

b) They tend to create a loss of appetite, vomiting and/or diarrhea which can lead to unstable blood glucose levels

c) We tend to stop checking our blood glucose levels like usual…when in fact we should be checking it more frequently 

In addition, most of the over-the-counter medications for colds & flu contain sugar, alcohol and/or other ingredients which can cause blood pressure and blood glucose to rise! Be sure to check labels before taking cold/flu/fever medications and avoid those that contain significant amounts of sugars or alcohol. There are a few sugar-free, alcohol-free and diabetes-friendly over-the-counter medications on the market.

Doctors advise that anyone with colds/flu keep plenty of fluids passing through the body which is especially true for those of us with diabetes. Many people tend to gravitate towards sugary carbonated drinks and fruit juices when they are sick…we need to go more with water, teas or broth to avoid stacking on even more sugars. The only exception to this rule would be if your blood glucose levels were running too low. In this case a 1/2 cup of milk or apple juice can be helpful.

At what point should a person with diabetes seek medical help? That’s pretty much your call, but here are a couple of guidelines. Contact your medical professional if:

a) Vomiting and/or diarrhea continue for more than six hours

b) Fever lasts more than 24 hours

The best way to avoid colds & flu are to get flu vaccinations early. It’s also a good idea to get a pneumonia shot. The general rule of thumb for pneumonia shots are get one before age 65 and one after age 65.

Another step you can take that has been proven to go a long way towards controlling and limiting the effects of colds/flu is…wash your hands frequently with an antibacterial soap.

I hope this is the last time I need to write on this subject this winter because after all….spring is just around the corner!! If it’s any encouragement to those of you still battling snow and cold, take heart…I saw a flock of robins in my SC front yard late last week, so these traditional harbingers of spring are headed your way!

Jimm