Mistakes Made in Blood Glucose Testing

I admit that I can make mistakes, but I don't understand some of the mistakes I see other people make. Yes, I occasionally forget to wash my hands after handling food, but when I see the reading, I know it is not correct. I stop, wash my hands, paying extra attention to the finger I will be using, then dry my hands carefully. Then when I retest, I see the reading near what I was expecting and know the correct amount of insulin to inject. It is probably because of the insulin that I am more careful not to make as many mistakes.

Allen has lost a friend because he did not care to do his testing correctly and sometimes not at all. So when Allen called me to meet him at the restaurant that we frequent as soon as possible, I went. When I arrived, he was seated at a table and carefully pointed out the fellow sitting at a window table. The fellow had dumped out a vial of test strips onto a less than clean table and was testing. He picked up his lancing device and pricked his finger. Then he dug his meter out of his pocket, inserted a test strip, and pushed it into the blood.

When the reading came up, he shook his head and removed the test strip. Allen said that he had followed the fellow into the parking lot and seen him remove the vial of test strips from the dash and the same with the meter and shove the meter into his pocket. Allen said he had his testing equipment with him and we should move to the table where this fellow was sitting. I said I would join them after getting an ice cream cone.

When I arrived at the table, Allen was telling the fellow that he should wash his hands with soap and water and when he returned he would test his blood glucose. When the fellow left, Allen started gathering up the test strips and left four on the table. They had been in water on the table, had absorbed water into the strip, and would no longer be useful.

When the fellow returned, Allen took one of his test strips out and inserted it into his meter. The fellow lanced the place he wanted tested and after blood was available, Allen inserted the test strip into the blood. In a few seconds, the reading was 111 mg/dl. The fellow said that looks correct. I said that he would never receive this reading from the test strips he was using and the four still on the table would give him an error message. We both could see the puzzled look the fellow was giving us.

He pulled his meter back out of his pocket, picked up one of the test strips, and inserted it. I don't remember the message number, but Allen said this was because when he dumped out the vial onto the table, they had absorbed water that was on the table. Some of the others may have slid through the water as well ruining them. Allen said that the number of strips you used figures about 15 dollars and the rest in that vial is probably another 40 dollars and they will not give you reliable results because you dumped them on the table and exposed them to sunlight and water that may contain food particles, which can cause them to give erroneous readings. In addition, he had them and your meter on the car dash in direct sunlight, which caused them to heat up. The meter you stuffed in you pocket and it probably picked up lint and will cause errors when used.

I picked up Allen's testing pouch and said he keeps everything in here and out of the sunlight. If he is out in the rain, he has a waterproof pouch to carry this in. When he tests like he did on you, he only removes one test strip and uses it within 30 seconds to obtain an accurate reading. We do not pretend that lint can't get in the meter, but we work to prevent this and carry our testing supplies in the case they come with to prevent loss from sunlight and heat.

I asked where he stored his test strips at home and he said in the bathroom. Allen said he would accompany him to his home if he would allow this and show him where to store the test strips and if the air conditioner failed like mine has, how to protect them in a cooler and use a cold pack. The fellow said you would do this. Allen answered we always help when we can.

The fellow said he would like to have something to eat before they went anyplace. Allen said okay, and I left to go home. Allen called later and thanked me as he felt we had helped the fellow. He would continue to work with him and see how he was doing.

Fat Is Not Our Enemy – Part 2

In this blog, I will discuss the rest of the oils. First, olive oil is a favorite of mine. This oil if a relatively stable mono-unsaturated fat that keeps well. For storage, it is best to store olive oil in a dark place to stop oxidation. Some people warn against using olive oil because of the 12 percent of saturated fat it contains. Others argue that this is beneficial.

Homemade mayonnaise is tasty and heart healthy. It is healthier that what you can buy in the store because you know exactly goes into it and there is no need for preservatives. You can keep it for up to a week if stored in the refrigerator. The recipe that can be found at this link is different from what I use, but is still a good idea.

Some tips:

• Use cold pressed, organic versions when possible; quantities can be small so won't hit the wallet too hard and this ensures they are as fresh as possible, before being stored in a cool dark place.
• Add assorted nut oils such as walnut and hazelnut for taste won't hit the wallet too hard and this ensures they are as fresh as possible, before being stored in a cool dark place.
• Add assorted nut oils such as walnut and hazelnut for taste.

Always avoid oil. The relative degree of saturation of the fatty acids in a oil will give an indication as to whether an oil is resistant to oxidation, at high or low heat. Saturated and mono-unsaturated fats are those most resistant to heat, reducing the chance of oxidation. This provides another important reason to limit polyunsaturated fats such as seed oils to use in mayonnaise and salad dressings.

After a period when the world fell in love with margarine and told us that saturated fats like butter, lard and coconut oil were bad for our hearts, there is growing evidence that saturated fats and oils (liquid fat) are in fact good for us.

Dietary fat, which is also a constituent of many of the foods you eat, is crucial to the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, particularly vitamins A, D, K and E. It’s the ability of these vitamins to dissolve in fat that allows for their absorption, moving across the cell walls of the small intestine and into the body's general circulation. The vitamins progress through the intestine, into the bloodstream and then to the liver, where they are stored until the body needs them. Without enough fat in your diet, your body cannot effectively absorb these essential fat-soluble vitamins.

Dr. Fred Kummerow analyzed the arteries and blood of patients who had undergone heart bypass operations and found elevated levels of oxidized cholesterols, called oxysterols.

“These cholesterol derivatives are the real culprit in the development of heart disease”, Kummerow said "and frying foods in overused oil or smoking cigarettes can oxidize cholesterol, creating these derivatives.”

Fat Is Not Our Enemy – Part 1

You may need a magnifier to read some of the products mentioned in the image below. However, you can read about each item here. I would urge you to read this as well on Facebook.

Which fat is for frying? Don’t use the typically large bottles of cheap vegetable and seed oil such as sunflower and corn oil. They contain a high proportion of Omega-6 fatty acids of which most of us already get too much in our diets and some of the commercial processing methods are questionable. The ‘least bad’ of these big bottle solutions is probably rapeseed oil, sometimes marketed as colza, though remember that it is highly processed, purified and bleached before it passes through a de-odoriser to take away the 'cabbagy' smell, although admittedly, it is richer in Omega-3. These seed oils also emit unhealthy elements into the air where you are cooking when heated so - be careful with them.

Martin Grootveld, professor of bio-analytical chemistry and chemical pathology at De Montfort University, was asked in 2015 to investigate the "healthiest" oils to cook with for the BBC series Trust Me I'm a Doctor. We know that when fats and oils are heated the molecular structure changes, producing chemicals called aldehydes that have been linked to heart disease and cancer even in small quantities. But what his team discovered surprised even him. They found that sunflower oil and corn oil produced aldehydes (which are toxic compounds) at levels 20 times higher than recommended by the World Health Organization. Many people are not aware of the aldehydes and their toxic nature.

• Saturated fats are good for you so it’s quite OK (even beneficial to your health) to use beef dripping, butter, coconut oil and goose fat!
• ... Especially coconut oil, sometimes labeled as coconut butter, is heart-healthy. It doesn’t go easily rancid and has a high smoke point, so it’s great for frying. Some people say it has too much taste but in it’s mostly the distinctive smell that reminds you of its origins.
• The cheaper olive oils have a relatively high smoke point but they go rancid more quickly than the above-mentioned fats and oils so keep in a cool dark place. Extra virgin is better kept for salads.
• Ghee - make your own clarified butter to allow for higher cooking temperatures and store it, for months if needed, in your fridge; Ghee is both delicious & nutritious.

Aldehydes = Any of a class of reactive organic chemical compounds obtained by oxidation of primary alcohols, characterized by the common group CHO, and used in the manufacture of resins, dyes, and organic acids.

When it comes to fats and oils, there are three degrees of saturation. Your cooking choices are: saturated fat, mono-unsaturated fat and poly-unsaturated fat; although you won't find that on the label. Importantly, the first two are much more resistant to heating.

The third group, poly-unsaturated fats deserve our attention because they can be so rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which the body needs because it cannot make them itself. As a general guideline, our diets have become too rich in Omega-6 so we need to seek out as many ways of ingesting Omega-3 as possible… preferably through fresh foods rather than pills. On this message, all nutritionists agree, but not necessarily when it comes to reducing Omega-6.

Walking a Dog Is Good for Your Health

This article is interesting and could be just what is needed. The missing information in this study is the cost of pet ownership – vet fees, pet food, leashes, cleaning supplies, insurance costs, city licensing fees, pet care when on vacation, and shelter costs.

Having grown up with dogs and cats, I love them, but I very happy that the apartment I rent forbids them. Therefore, I have none of the costs and maintaining a pet in the city can be expensive. Many insurance companies will not issue insurance on certain breeds.

The research suggests that walking the dog may be a healthy activity for older Americans. Dog walking helps cut back on excess weight and the overall need to visit a physician while raising overall moderate and vigorous exercise levels among the over-60 set, investigators found.

Strong emotional bonds are formed between the owner and pet creating social benefits. This also encourages increased contact with other pet owners.

Study lead author Angela Curl, says, "There is a wealth of evidence that walking is beneficial for people's physical health." She is an assistant professor in the department of family studies and social work at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio.

What makes dog walking unique is the relationship between people and their dogs, as well as the ways dogs can motivate walking behavior. Other studies have shown dogs' needs provide a motivation to get out and walk. Our findings illustrate that the emotional bond people have with their dogs may play an important role in getting out to walk.

Curl and her colleagues discussed their work in a recent issue of The Gerontologist. The authors noted that in 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all adults, regardless of age, rack up a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. Walking happens to be the most frequent exercise activity among adults 60 and up.

To explore the impact of dog ownership on that, the investigating team analyzed data involving a nationally representative sample of 771 men and women (50 years old and up) collected in 2012 by the Health and Retirement Study. That investigation was conducted at the University of Michigan, with funding from the U.S. National Institute on Aging. Just over a third of the participants (271) owned at least one dog. Pet ownership involving other types of animals was not considered.

A portion of the dog owners group was asked questions to gauge pet "bonding," including whether they considered their dog a friend, and whether they talked about their dog with others. Frequency and overall time spent walking was also assessed, as were overall walking habits, walking speed and total distance walked per week.

The result: While owning a dog was not directly associated with having better overall health among those 60 and up, it was associated with a lower body mass index (a measure of weight and obesity status); fewer physical limitations; less frequent visits to a doctor; and more routine exercise. The study didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship, however.

Secrecy about Diabetes Not Good

It has been a few days since the woman with type 2 diabetes was released by the hospital and Brenda called today and said she was back in the hospital and still in very poor condition. She said that this time is was hyperglycemia and she had not been okay when her husband left for work and he had sent the children off to school before he left. He did go home at noon and found her unconscious and called the ambulance.

Brenda would be picking up the children today and taking them directly to the hospital per the doctor's instructions. The husband had objected, but the doctor told him that his wife may not recover and he felt the children should see her before something happened. He then agreed and said he would allow this.

Sue said that after the children arrived and saw their mother, they started crying and between tears asked their dad why they were keeping everything a secret when something was wrong with mom. The father asked the nurse to come over and explain what was the matter with their mother. Sue said the nurse asked the doctor if this was okay and he said he would as soon as he checked on their mother.

After he returned from that, he sat the children down and spent about 20 minutes answering their questions and then he had the nurse continue while he checked on their mother again. Brenda said both did an excellent job of answering their questions and the nurse showed them some slides about diabetes and explained what each slide meant and what they should be watching for when their mother was released from the hospital and then what steps to take.

Brenda said that the eldest then asked her if this was serious. Brenda had to think before she answered. She told them that it was serious as long as her mother would not talk about it with her and thought that she still had a secret from them. If she started talking to them about her diabetes and what she may need when they were not in school, then it could be less serious. The daughter then asked about what she had done the first time by calling 911 and if that was the correct action. Brenda said under the circumstances is was the correct thing to do. This is what should have been done that morning, but their father had not realized how serious it was since she could still talk.

The father came out then and asked if Brenda could take the children home. The two put up some resistance and Brenda said she would take them to her house until their father picked them up.

The next morning, Brenda called more of us together and said the two girls had asked many questions and asked to see the medication she was taking. The eldest said that was the same as they had seen in the refrigerator at home and asked how she took it and many more questions. Brenda said they were very patient and when they asked about saying something at school, Brenda said she advised them that this would not be something wise as this time. She said that this was the reason her mother had not said anything to tell them about her diabetes.

Brenda did say that she told them about the horror stories other children would tell them and while the two hospital stays by her mother were serious, they would only add to the horror stories other children would tell them. Most of this was because of misinformation that the other children had been told about diabetes.

Brenda said she would give us additional as she and Sue learn about it. She stated that this situation is scary and she hoped the woman does not lose her life over her desire for secrecy.

Avoid Foot Amputation in Diabetes Patients

A Mexican study has importance about amputations. Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and National Autonomous Mexico University develop techniques to treat diabetic foot syndrome with special insoles with silver nano-particles. The techniques help to fight ulcers appearing on feet in diabetic patients, facilitates their healing and disinfection, reducing the risk of amputation.

Silver preparations being developed by Tomsk Polytechnic University jointly with Novosibirsk and Mexican counterparts are able to reduce such risks.

"The research has shown silver's antibacterial properties facilitate rapid healing of ulcers and suppurations in patients with diabetic foot syndrome. Together with colleagues from Mexico, where the problem is particularly acute, we are working to create special insoles for diabetic patients. The development has passed clinical tests. In patients who had used the insoles impregnated with silver nano-particles, foot ulcers healed up, the risk of amputations significantly reduced," says TPU Professor Alexey Pestryakov, Head of the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry.

Diabetic foot syndrome is one of the latest and most serious complications of diabetes. Due to the large amount of sugar in the body, there are changes in peripheral nerves, blood vessels, skin and soft tissues, bones and joints of the patient. Infections, ulcers, suppurations and so on are emerging. Up to 15% of people with diabetes have the risk of developing ulcers on their feet. In the advanced form, diabetic foot syndrome can lead to amputation.

A team led by the scientist develops pharmaceuticals based on silver nano-particles having universal impact on viruses, bacteria and fungi. The scientists have cooperated with Mexican colleagues for more than 10 years.

"We have got a contract with the Mexican government, gained large grants for research. Built a serious team consisted of scientists and doctors. Together we work to improve the quality of our products, we carry out joint research and experiments," says Prof Alexey Pestryakov.

Now the big question is will this find be exported to the United States? For some reason, I expect scientists here will develop a comparable product and market it for more profit.

What Do You Eat When Bored?

When you are bored, what to you eat and why? Think about this for a while. I was surprised as I don't turn to food, but I do drink more water or caffeine free diet Coke. A few years ago it would have been just diet Coke. The extra caffeine I realized was only making my blood glucose remain elevated and sleep was not what I needed.

Dull times lead to unhealthy choices, including chips, sweets and fast food, studies find.

If you find yourself reaching into a bag of chips and you know you're not hungry, maybe you're just bored instead, new research suggests. British researchers conducted two experiments to see how boredom affects people's food choices.

In one trial, the researchers asked 52 participants to fill out a questionnaire about their food preferences before and after repeatedly copying the same group of letters. After completing that boring task, the participants were more likely to say they preferred unhealthy fare such as chips, sweets and fast food.

In a second experiment, 45 people were offered a number of healthy and unhealthy snacks while watching either a boring or a funny video. Those who watched the boring video ate much more of the unhealthy snacks.

The findings were presented at the British Psychological Society's annual meeting this week. Research presented at meetings is generally viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The researchers then suggest that these results are in line with previous research and this suggests that we crave fatty and sugary foods when we are bored. Sandi Mann, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire says this strengthens the theory that boredom is related to low levels of the stimulating brain chemical dopamine and that people try to boost this by eating fat and sugar if they cannot alleviate their boredom in some other way.

Mann said this information could be helpful for people designing public health campaigns. If they want to encourage healthier food choices, they need "to take boredom, including boredom in the workplace, into account. Bored people do not eat nuts," she said in a society news release.

Therefore if you have type 2 diabetes, are bored – remember to be careful about what you consume during this period.

A New Diabetes Forum Now Available

Since I joined this diabetes forum, I do not know how this forum will go, but several of the members are avid low carb high fat promoters from the prior forum and this is their stated goal of maintaining a forum for low carb high fat (LCHF) discussions and having the discussion limited to this.

In the rules section, this is clearly stated and people, who are promoting other ways of eating, are asked to go to other forums that want these discussions. I think this is more than fair. This politely and clearly states the desires of the forum.

“Since we are a serious LCHF forum, I think that & our philosophy "Eat to your Meter" should be our principal points,” says Shyam, a principal in the forum site.

Membership is naturally low at this time. I would like to participate in a more active manner, but my cataracts are getting worse. I have had one eye operated on now, but I see no improvement, if fact worse improvement in that eye. I will need to have the second eye operated on by the end of the month – if I pass all the other tests.

I do not understand the reason behind all the tests as I see them as duplicates of the tests before the first eye operation. I can appreciate the concern for my well being, but if the second eye operation is delayed, I will become very agitated with the doctors.

Membership is not growing very fast and this may be a good thing. The LCHF way of eating is the way people on this forum manage their diabetes. It works for them and many other people. Many of these people maintain a ketogenic state and are burning fat for energy. I don't know the amount of weight the current members have lost, but I would estimate the pounds lost is more than many of would estimate.

Much of the discussion on the forum is historical in nature at present. This means fasting readings, an experiment by one member and the daily posting. The recipe section is taking off which provides great LCHF food ideas for members. I seldom use many of the recipes as I am working my carb intake even lower.

Because I float between several forums, I do see many of the members on several of the same forums. Participation seems to be holding fairly stable on these forums and new membership is accelerating on one I had thought might be in trouble.

If you are looking for a diabetes forum that promotes LCHF, then consider joining this forum.