Archive for August, 2011

Poor Little Mousies

August 31st, 2011

This one caught my eye because, well, it’s about exercise and heart disease.  Need I say more?  But then I read the article and they talk about mice having heart attacks.

See, this is why I’m not a fan of school.  They try and teach you one thing and you spend the next three days seeing poor little mousies in their little cages with their little wheels having little teensy tiny mouse heart attacks.  And by the time the little code reds or code blues or gee maybe it’s code cheese for mice then I’ve completely lost track of what I am supposed to be paying attention to.

Tell me I’m not the only one who does this.

ANYWHO, so the point is not at all about mice or mousies or little teensy hearts or little
wheels (that in my mind always squeak; do they really always squeak?).  It’s about ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS OF EXERCISE EVER.

Nope, it isn’t being able to fit in my clothes.

It’s PREVENTING HEART DISEASE.

This is sort of new news because this particular study didn’t just re-prove that exercise helps prevent heart attacks… it was able to come up with reasons why, when mice exercised for four weeks, they were (1) protected from coronary heart blockage, (2) had less heart damage if they did have a heart attack, and (3) were protected in the same ways for 1-4 weeks after they stopped their exercise program.

(See, I’m back to smiling at the thought of little mousies being on exercise programs.  I can see the little mouse exercise instructor with a clipboard and towel around her neck in front of all the wheels, cheering the little exercising mousies on.  It’s amazing I get  anything accomplished in my day.)

It all comes down to the endothelial nitric oxide synthase present in the mousies’ bodies when they were exercising.   The more nitric oxide available in your body to help you out during a heart emergency, the better your chances of survival because nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow… exactly what your body needs if you are experiencing a heart attack.

I’m still stuck on the poor little mousies.  Do they feed them poor food choices to have a sufficient sample size of heart attack prone little mice?

I’ll have to go for a run and think about it.

Lucky for me, I can run on the ground and spare myself the squeaky wheel.

To Continue The List of Healthy Options to Feel Good About

August 30th, 2011

I just love that Prevention magazine somehow came up with a percentage by which these changes can improve your health.  I’m betting they have similar percentages for health improvements for taking stairs versus elevators, drinking coffee versus tea, and maybe even crossing the street on a flashing “do not walk” sign.  (Okay probably not that one.)

It’s precisely the kind of article that keeps me buying magazines.  Full of short, fun ideas that just might work.  On this list (there were only 12 on the original list so this is it) my favorites are: 8, 9, and 12.  Which ones look good to you?

7. Keep your doctor on speed dial

Health boost: Slash medical mistakes up to 25%

Don’t assume that no news is good news when you’ve had a checkup: Physicians fail to inform 1 out of every 14 patients whose abnormal test results are clinically significant, according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine; among some doctors, the number of no-calls was as high as 1 in 4.
Delayed diagnoses can be linked to thousands of serious injuries and health crises—and even deaths—each year.

“If you are subjecting your vein to a needle, you have a right to know what the test is for and why it matters,” says Katz. Talk with your doctor about when you’ll hear about results, and if she finds something that requires treatment, when you might expect to hear from her again. You can always follow up with her after that date.

8. Squeeze your [spouse]’s hand

Health boost: Slash stress by 200%

A brief hug and a few minutes of holding your {spouse]’s hand can fend off stress, according to a study reported at the American Psychosomatic Society. Researchers asked two groups of participants to speak about a stressful event, an exercise that typically causes a spike in blood pressure. BP readings of those who did so without holding their spouse’s hand before speaking were more than double those of people who held hands; their heart rates also rose twice as much.

9. Strike a warrior pose

Health boost: Ease back pain by 56%

Spending time on a yoga mat can significantly reduce chronic lower-back pain, according to a study from West Virginia University. Researchers  asked 45 people whose back pain caused mild to moderate disability to do a 90-minute yoga workout twice a week for 6 months. Compared with patients who only continued whatever therapy they’d already been doing, the new yogis reported significantly less pain and better function and fewer symptoms of depression (down almost 60%). They also continued to see these benefits even 6 months later.

10. Grill some fish for dinner

Health boost: Lower risk of dementia by 19%

More evidence that fish is brain food: A study of nearly 15,000 adults  worldwide found that regular fish eaters (those who have it more than once a week) were just one-fifth as likely to have dementia as those who never ate the food. It also found that those whose diets contained the most meat were slightly more likely to have dementia than non-meat eaters. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna) may help protect nerve cells in the human brain and are known to limit inflammation, which is associated with dementia.

11. Drink milk at breakfast

Health boost: Shed 5 pounds

Women who consumed a large (20-ounce) glass of fat-free milk in the  morning ate, on average, 50 fewer calories at lunch, compared with days when they drank fruit juice with the same number of calories, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers say the milk drinkers felt more satisfied and were less likely to overeat at their next meal. Over a year, that translates to a 5-pound loss.

12. Pour a glass of Pinot

Health boost: Live 5 years longer

A Dutch study following 1,300 men for 40 years found that those who regularly drank up to a half glass of wine each day boosted their life expectancy by half a decade, compared with teetotalers. Study authors say the polyphenolic compounds in wine (especially red) may have heart-healthy effects that are probably seen in women as well. “Alcohol raises levels of ‘good’ cholesterol and can increase levels of tPA [tissue lasminogen activator], a protein that helps break down blood clots; both benefits can help minimize potentially life-threatening ailments such as stroke and heart disease,” says Katz. But remember, because even modest alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, if you are a social drinker, keep your daily intake low—no more than one glass per day (men can have up to two).

You Just Never Know

August 29th, 2011

I’m in love with this information. I really, truly am.  For me, it helps to  explain a few questions I’ve had rattling around in my brain for quite some time.  (Not that there was just the one question… every single answer I find gives me just a smidge more peace!)

I think I’ve blogged on this one before: the NEAT principles?  NEAT = Non- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.  (Pretty sure I mentioned my dad lecturing me on thermodynamics?)

Anyway, this is just PRIMO INFORMATION HERE, if you ask me.  This is the kind of information that I think should change people’s lives.  (I think it has already changed mine a little.)

It’s information about the differences between structured exercise and regular, what I would consider largely thoughtless activity.

Turns out, and it’s weird for me to say this, but it isn’t always about the structured exercise we do. A lot of our calorie burn (15-50%) comes from our Non Exercise Activity.

One group looked at 16 non-obese participants and purposefully overfed them 1,000 calories each day for 8 weeks.  That is 56,000 calories!  3,500 calories = 1 pound… so that means the researchers fed these poor participants the equivalent of SIXTEEN POUNDS’ worth of calories.  SIXTEEN POUNDS.  (Would YOU sign up for that one?!  Didn’t think so!)  The study participants were pretty much supposed to keep their structured exercise consistent as it had been prior to the study.

Some of the participants gained only 3 pounds.  Some gained 15.8 pounds.

Why the difference?

It comes down to NEAT.  Those who naturally increased their daily activity as a result of the increased calories were the ones to gain the least amount of weight.  They seemed naturally resistant to weight gain. (How cool would THAT be.)

How did they manage that impressive feat?  It’s NEAT.  They worked just a bit harder to maintain their posture.  They walked up the stairs just that much faster.  They probably stood up when chatting on the phone.  They fidgeted.

Maybe it’s a good thing to have ants in our pants.

Who knows, but it just may make a huge difference.

So Many Healthy Ways to Feel Good

August 26th, 2011

(I wanted to title this “so many ways to feel good” and then I started thinking about the boys I knew in high school and what they would say or do in response to a phrase like that so I had to change it.)

This is a not-new collection of tips from Prevention magazine that explains why you should start to think about adding a few of these activities into your day.  My personal favorites are 1, 3, 4, and 6.

Which ones are your favorites?

1. Giggle

Health boost: Improve blood flow by 21%

A good laugh can be good for your heart. One recent study from the University of Texas at Austin found that those who chuckled while watching a comedy increased the dilation of blood vessels by one-fifth for up to 24 hours; when they watched a serious documentary, the arteries actually constricted by 18%. (Constricted blood vessels can lead to high blood pressure).

“When you’re happy, your body releases feel-good eurochemicals, which can have numerous favorable effects on the body,” says David Katz, MD, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.

2. Brush and floss

Health boost: Cut risk of head and neck cancer by 400%

Take good care of your smile and you’ll have more than just white teeth to show for it. New research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, shows that people with the chronic gum disease periodontitis have a fourfold risk of developing a type of head or neck cancer (which makes up
about 5% of all malignancies in the United States), especially in the mouth and throat. The risk was increased even among patients who never used tobacco. Gum disease occurs when the bacteria that live in plaque infect the gums, so brush and floss regularly to prevent plaque buildup.

3. Brew a pot of tea

Health boost: Cut stroke risk by 21%

Sipping tea may help protect you from a life-threatening stroke, according to a study from UCLA School of Medicine. Researchers there examined data from nine studies detailing almost 4,400 strokes among 195,000 people and found that those who drank at least three cups a day had one-fifth the risk of stroke, compared with those who drank less than one cup. It doesn’t matter if you prefer green or black tea—both are made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, whose powerful antioxidant EGCG epigallocatechin gallate) and amino acid theanine may protect vessels and arteries.

4. Pen a thank-you note

Health boost: Feel 20% happier

Students who wrote letters expressing gratitude to someone special were happier and more satisfied with their lives, researchers at Kent State University found. Other research has shown that expressive writing may improve immune, lung, and liver function; reduce blood pressure; and provide a greater sense of well-being.

But be sincere: “It has to be a heartfelt sentiment showing significant appreciation,” says researcher Steven Toepfer, PhD, an assistant professor of family and consumer studies. Dashing off a quick e-mail or texting a pal might not have the same effect, adds Toepfer, who says taking the time to put pen to paper allowed students to reflect: “Through the process of writing, they had time to think about the links they established between
themselves and others and to count their blessings a bit, which made them feel more grateful.”

5. Hide your TV remote

Health boost: Whittle 2 inches from your belly

When switching TV stations, put down the remote, get up, and do it manually. An Australian study found that people who did the greatest
amount of light activity during otherwise sedentary behavior, such as watching TV, had 16% smaller waist circumferences than those who were inclined to stay put. Even the simple act of getting up and walking around for a minute or so was enough to make a difference, regardless of whether they had a regular workout schedule.

They also had lower body mass indexes and triglyceride and glucose levels, all of which are associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. More ways to break up an otherwise inactive day: Stand up every time
the phone rings at your desk; take the long way back to your desk after a bathroom break; do some stretches before reading a new e-mail.

6. Doodle during work meetings

Health boost: Improve memory by 29%

People who doodled while listening to a recorded message had nearly one-third better recall of the details than those who didn’t draw, according to a study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology.
“Doodling acts as a buffer against daydreaming,” explains researcher
Jackie Andrade, PhD, a professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth in England. “It provides just enough distraction to stop you from drifting off, but you can still focus on what is being said.”

Who Is On Your Dream Team?

August 25th, 2011

It’s common knowledge I think by now that the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) determined in the early 1990s that the tighter control we have over our blood glucose levels the fewer microvascular complications we face.  Woot for that one.

The best control was achieved by those with “Intensive Diabetes Management.”  More specifically, it “requires careful follow-up to monitor progress toward individualized goals and support to reinforce management skills and personal efforts.”

Okay.  So it would seem that one physician requesting I come back in three months and get another A1c done would be far less than the Intensive Diabetes Management I could use to keep me at my healthiest.

Nope.  I need a TEAM!

The successful teams in the DCCT included “physicians, nurses, dietitians, and behavioral scientists with special interest and training in the management of diabetes.”

Why all these people? They say”this core membership reflects the basic requirements of diabetes treatment: nutrition, medication, self-monitoring, and self-management.”

It apparently really does take a village.

Didn’t you kind of suspect that already?

So I’m starting to work on my fantasy Diabetes Dream Team.  Mainly fantasy rather than reality because I don’t think I can afford a real Dream Team, and I haven’t met enough superstar professionals with attitudes I love when it comes to my diabetes.  (Not to mention I’d rather spend my time exercising or reading or shoot nearly anything than sitting in doctors’ offices meeting all potential Team members.)

So I need a Doctor for my Diabetes Dream Team.  I have a couple in the running.  One of them is a type one herself who I’ve known for years.  She’d be great, but I think a little intimidating to me.  That’s not a problem, but it must be considered when it comes to choosing my Dream Team members. 

Another one is all over the bedside manner and inspirational side of things, but I’m not super clear how well he knows the deets of my diabetes.  So maybe I’m shooting for a hybrid of knowledge and personality. 

Next up I need a nurse.  I’m totally putting on some of my friends I met at Bearskin Meadow Camp way back when, before they had even finished their undergraduate degrees.  They’ve lived with diabetes themselves or with siblings or spouses.  They know where it’s at.

Ooh; dieticians come next!  That one may be difficult.  I kind of need a personal chef more than I need a dietician.  Hey; what about that guy from Top Chef who has type one?  Maybe he’d go become a dietician for me and then sign onto the team as Dietician and Head Chef.  Maybe he’d do my grocery shopping.  THAT would be cool.  I’d need a lot of vegetables and not many potato chips and some good lean protein options every day every time I was
hungry or needed to eat.
  I think this one is probably the hardest spot to fill on my Dream Team.  I’ve got to keep thinking.  (And maybe keep saving my money so I can hire a personal chef.)

As for the mental health professionals, that’s probably the easiest spot for me to fill.  I sort of think I’ve personally trained my therapist in living with diabetes I’ve seen her so long and talked about my diabetes so much.  So she’s sort of a shoe-in.

HEY; that means I’ve already got one of my Dream Team spots filled in real life!!  AWESOME!!!

Of course, if I’ve got my Team working on my diabetes, it may leave me some extra time in my day.  I can think of so many things I could do if I weren’t the only one in charge of figuring out my diabetes!

Wait; if I’m living in a dream world I might as well hire Martha Stewart to clean my house.  Then I’d have even more time!

I could get used to this!

Who would you put on your Diabetes Dream Team roster?

Have Some Schooltime Fun! (Yeah; I said it. Fun and School in the same sentence.)

August 24th, 2011

I know.  We’re all sad to see the end of summer.  It usually hits like a ton of bricks… WHAM all of a sudden there are spiders and orange webs in the grocery store and two foot long cardboard pencils in store windows.

Sigh.

So how about making some of those puckerface school lemons into exercise lemonade?  Try out some schoolyard fun after you pick up your son or daughter some afternoon…or a walk over to a schoolyard on a weekend day for a little Family Fun Time!

Everybody grab a soccer ball and put it in between your knees.  (Little kids may fare better with a rubber ball instead.)  Keep the ball between your knees as you play tag!

Head to the high school track.  Bring a whistle you can hear for a good distance.  Your son or daughter gets to blow the whistle as you jog around the track (or field)—when they blow the whistle, you SPRINT until they blow it again.  Great way to fit in some awesome intervals!!  Make up fun and silly ways to walk or run for when it’s their turn to go around the track… you blow the whistle for them as they alternate between jogging and crazy walking!

If you’ve got a youngster learning to read: grab one of their books with at least two repeating words… or a poem.  Something that you can assign a different exercise to each word.  (Sam = jumping jacks; Green = flat on your stomach; Eggs = squats)  When the little one reads the word, you do the corresponding exercise.  You can each read for each other!

For the older ones, make it a competition.  Find an empty basketball court and set a kitchen timer for one minute.  See how many times you can run the width of the court (back and forth) in a minute.  Aim for 18 times in a minute.  While you rest, your kid tries to beat your number!  Try it a couple times and I’m sure you’ll both be sweaty messes.

Really, any time you are spending with your son or daughter and you put THEM in charge of something YOU do is a great time in their world.

We all just love to be in charge, don’t we?  Make exercise FUN for EVERYONE!!

I May Have to Put My Foot Down for This One

August 23rd, 2011

I may have to stand up and request a different name for my disease (currently called type one diabetes) if they end up doing this.

I don’t think we’ll stand a chance to ever clarify in the public’s mind what our lives are really like as we live with type one diabetes if they expand the label of “prediabetes” to include who knows how many people.

Seriously; these researchers looked at patients for several months and determined that of the 14,000 patients who had blood drawn, those with blood glucose levels of 51-82mg/dL had a less than one percent chance of developing type two diabetes.  Those who had blood glucose levels between 91 and 99 mg/dL had a more than three percent chance of developing type two diabetes.  So now the researchers are proposing to lower the threshold of “prediabetes” to 91 from its current 100-126mg/dL.

(If you check your blood glucose you know that you can check at home five seconds apart and get a 90 and a 120 result due to the machine’s margin of error.  I imagine the labs have a margin of error as well.)

It makes me wonder if they are splitting hairs in order to fan the fire of the money-churning machine that is type two diabetes.  The sooner they can call you “prediabetic” the sooner they can get at you and sell you socks, meal replacement shakes, diet meal plans, it’s a wonder they don’t have diabetes cruises by now.  (Okay; the cruise could be fun.)

Here’s my beef: I have type one diabetes, yet the majority of information out there refers only to “diabetes” without clarification.  The origin of
type one diabetes and of type two diabetes are vastly different and by grouping the two under a single umbrella the public stands zero chance of comprehending what’s going on.

We share the name “diabetes” because the two diseases share a major symptom (high blood glucose levels) and similar complications as a result of the elevated glucose levels.  But is that enough to call them both “diabetes”?

To me, sharing a symptom should not be enough to name the disease identically.  (If one disease caused someone to vomit, and a different disease also caused someone to vomit, I don’t think the medical field would say the two diseases should be called by the same name.  So what’s so special about blood glucose?)

For me, I didn’t have any period of prediabetes.  So it’s not a term that makes any sense to me.  It seems like a term doctors are happy to throw around in an effort to scare their patients into changing their habits.

I didn’t get a “pre” period of time to do anything at all about my disease.  I had no chance to prevent my disease.  I got so sick I lost my hair.  I was skin and bones because my body cannibalized itself to find some useable energy.  My body’s pH was dangerously acidic.  I was dying without insulin at the age of ten.

Let me make this clear: I believe both diseases are important and real and difficult to manage and require constant vigilance.  I think people need to do what they can as soon as possible to take care of themselves.

If it takes referring to a blood glucose lab reading of 91 to 99 “prediabetes” well, then, go for it.  More power to you, advertisers.

While those ads are showing and confusing the public, I’ll be over in the corner with my friends, the others with diabetes caused by genetic or autoimmune diseases, maintaining our own sort of constant vigilance.

Dorm & College Life

August 22nd, 2011

For a lot of people, this week starts a new schedule.  Some will have to wake up earlier to get kids off to school on time.  Some will stay up later to complete homework assignments.

Some are starting college.

For those beginning the college trek who also live with diabetes, that is a HUGE transition.  Almost too large to  comprehend all at once, particularly at the age of eighteen.

I’m just saying, while many leaving now for college are concerned with making friends and gaining The Freshman Fifteen and finding classes and managing for themselves without parents in-home not to mention doing laundry for the first time, those with diabetes are also wondering how on earth to manage their disease on top of all of it.

I’m sure a bit of them is somewhat relieved that their parents can’t see what they’re eating, can’t see the meter screen, and thus can’t lecture as often.

It’s a LOT easier to hide from your diabetes when you are on your own at last.

It’s a wreck of a situation: you’re feeding yourself in the cafeteria (where is the package with the carbohydrate count and ingredients listed?), you’re staying out at different times doing fun stuff (shoot what time is it; do I need to take a shot?), you’re maybe drinking with abandon (who the hell cares I think I’m having fun!)  and where on earth did you leave your meter.  Maybe your roommate moved it or covered it with their own stuff.  Shoot.

Oh, well. 

To say that a move to college is a crazy time is an understatement.

I know for myself I had to learn a new way to care for myself and my body; figuring out when I felt sick enough to go to student health, learning when I had the flu that the cafeteria would bring food to my room (score on that one), figuring out where the pharmacy was and what friend would drive me there when I needed insulin or syringes.

It was a struggle, and I wouldn’t let myself see it at the time.  I was too concerned about everything else that was going on with college life to factor in what was going on with my disease!

Looking back at it, it would have been better for me if I had someone who checked in with me maybe a couple times a week, just to see in a nonjudgmental way if there was anything going on with my diabetes they could help with.  It would have been better for me if I could have had insulin mailed to me (score again for almost everyone with pharmacy coverage now).  It would have been better if I kept my diabetes stuff all in one spot and had been able to sit with a friend or roommate for a half an hour and tell them what I needed them to know.

I would have felt better, I know.

I’ve never wanted anyone to feel sorry for me, but I think having a few more people wholly on my team in a way I felt both emotionally and physically is something everyone deserves.  College is tough, and so is diabetes.

We’re all working at this, one day at a time.  There IS a way to get through college with confidence, health, a smile and oh yeah some classroom learning, too.

If you want to talk about more specific strategies for you or your son or daughter away at college, I’m here!

Which Side of the Package Do You See?

August 19th, 2011

Do you look at the front of the package when you decide to buy food in a package, or do you look at the nutritional information label?

You have to love/hate the fact the US Food and Drug Administration works continuously to inform the public about what we have in front of us and how to make “wise choices” about what we put in our mouths. 

They even have a 30 minute video on the FDA website about the food label!

They want you to pay attention to three things on the label: calories, serving size, and percent daily value.  It’s a relatively entertaining video.  (Well, at least the first 3 minutes of it are relatively entertaining… my attention span is not 30 minutes long when it comes to a nutritional label.)  It isn’t a Disney production—it’s more like a video for science class.  But still.

And when was the last time any of us paid attention to only THREE things when it came to food?!

Having lived with type one diabetes for most of my life and having counted weight watchers points for years, me and that label are pretty familiar.

Now, it matters that you understand you have to agree that what the FDA says is true for you and your body before you continue reading this.  If you don’t agree, you need to know that and you need to be willing to discover for yourself what works and is good for YOU.

So getting back to the package: do you look at the information box with carbohydrates, fat, and calories and beyond or do you care more about information on the front, enticing you to purchase?

Sayings like “natural” and “gluten free” and “low fat” and “high fiber”.  Those that sound REALLY HEALTHY and encourage us to buy it and eat it
without thinking much more about it.  The government calls them “nutrient content claims” and “health claims” and “allergy information”… and they have some work to do when it comes to these claims plastered on the box!

The FDA has almost as much work to do when it comes to these claims as each of us have when it comes to making good healthy choices for ourselves and our families.

The FDA did start to require additional words when claims are made, in addition to requiring the claims fit within the guidelines (like containing 51% or more whole grain ingredients by weight per reference amount customarily consumed).  At this point, however, I fear these words are like that certain Surgeon General’s WARNING millions of smokers no longer even see.

Also: 2,000 calories is a LOT of food when it comes down to it.  So making decisions based on the information listed for a 2,000 calorie/day diet when a 2,000 calorie diet is way too much for YOU doesn’t make as much sense.  You have to make a lot of calculations.

But wait; if you live with diabetes, that’s what you’re doing anyway!

Being Excited, Speaking, and Staying Mum on the Subject of Diabetes

August 18th, 2011

I decided to go back to working as a lawyer part-time.  I miss being in an office with other people and I think this job sounds like a lot of fun—very detail oriented, to the point others would probably look at me like I’m crazy for thinking it’ll be fun.  (So I won’t bore you with the details!)

It was pretty interesting, though, to go into the interview and purposefully NOT mention diabetes.  I mean, for me it often feels like I speak only about diabetes all day long!

So when they asked me why I wanted to work part-time, I just said I have a fitness business.  Weird to not mention how diabetes is such a major part of my business and my life!!

I didn’t mention it not because I don’t want to talk about my diabetes—I didn’t mention it because it isn’t the best idea to discuss what is legally considered a disability at a job interview.  If I hadn’t gotten the job I could have wondered if I didn’t get it because they didn’t want a diabetic working there.  I simply thought it was safer for both me and a potential employer to avoid the subject altogether.  Just like kids, spouses, sexual orientation—just because it is safer at a job interview to stay on track—the job and my skills are the important things.

It’s one of those things that logically I know is pretty unlikely.  But at the same time… I also know how much misinformation is out there when it comes to diabetes.  I don’t know what the interviewers’ preconceptions are about my disease.  I do know how complicated life is with diabetes, and I know without a doubt that my diabetes isn’t going to affect my job performance.

So I stayed quiet about that part of Diabetes Outside.

After more than two years of staying anything but quiet about Diabetes Outside, it was a weird experience!  I didn’t even say the name.

Of course, I’m excited to talk about it more now that I’ve been hired whenever the “what do you do when you’re not practicing law” subject comes up.  But they’d better be careful—they will get an earful!

I’m really excited to share my exercise class for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes that starts next month.

I’m excited to tell people about my upcoming talk about Exercise and Type One Diabetes hosted by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on September 27.  

I’m excited to think and talk about a speech I’m giving to a group of Certified Diabetes Educators next month in San Jose.

There is a lot going on with Diabetes Outside!