I have shared my belief in exercise to reduce Blood Glucose Levels quickly in social network forums. I know of no quicker way to lower blood glucose levels in a healthy way. These last three weeks verify for me that daily exercise is a very important component to my renewed health. Recently my last HbA1C was 5.5 and my daily finger prick tests were 105 in the morning and 85 in the early evening. Pretty good I thought. It been that way for a year.

Yep, I got lazy! Three weeks ago I went on a business followed by a week’s personal trip to New Mexico.

Well my discipline has been so good I thought I could slide a little. So I indulged a little on my business trip. More importantly even though I brought a pair of walking shoes I sat on my duff the whole week. I usually walk 4 miles a day to work rain, snow or hot sunshine. Well my daily finger prick numbers creeped up 20 points.  Not to worry I thought.

The next week I was in New Mexico with family. First, my cousin owns a wonderful little restaurant in Chimayo. Wonderful food and late dinner. How good? My meter read 200+ for the first time in a year and half.  Then lots of home cooking with more cousins while I am busy with a family real estate deal.  Worse of all my butt is still glued to the chair the whole week going over family history. I am in the high mountains near Taos and the weather if cool and crisp in the morning. How dumb can I be?

After two weeks I am home and safe. So I thought. Well, it was hard to get the my diet discipline. It took two whole days. My daily numbers are still 25 points to high. But, now I am walking daily again.  For three weeks I wondered if I would ever recover back to my old renewed health position of 5 weeks earlier. At first I’ll admit I did not walk the full 4 miles each day. Personal business after work cut into my walk home. Then two weeks later my numbers begin to lower back to what I am used to. I paid close attention to my afternoon walk. I walked with purpose to increase the effort. The last walk of the day is 1.5 mile up hill. I gain over 200′ in elevation during the walk.  I noticed that is was the last .75 mile that I gain the real benefit of the walk.

Well my discipline is back as are my daily finger prick numbers. I have learned my lesson. Exercise does have a sizable impact on my diabetic discipline to renew my health today. Remember all I do is walk. I don’t visit a gym. I take stairs at work rather than the elevator. I walk to visit associates down the hall or down stairs rather than use the phone. We are about to change office buildings this year and I am looking forward to my new 5 mile walk to work each day. You see exercise is good, but routine makes the body lazy. That is you need to change you exercise every 6 months or so to gain the best benefit. Just changing effort is enough to make a difference. I jogged most of my life, but walking is easier on the knees and I get the same aerobic benefit. Sometimes you will have to change your routine completely.

Now I walk at least 5 days a week year round rain, snow or hot sunshine. I have a down over coat for the cold snowy days. I really enjoy the walk rather than drive to work. I will make sure this happens even on road trips.  I think the small effort is well worth it for renewed health today. Life a mild health nut is GOOD! But, read my whole blog site.

As a side effect of high glucose levels in my blood I has lost 47 pounds in less than 30 days. Unfortunately, most of that loss was muscle. Naturally, I did not have any energy. I was shuffling rather walking. Except for the last few years I had been a life time jogger and bicycle rider. My life style had been very active and aerobic in nature.

I was scared and understood I had to build my body up. I had to renew my health. But, I could not find any time in the day for an exercise program. Then I consider taking the bus and train to work. But, I was so weak I had to swing my feet to move the heavy walking shoes I bought to provide support for the mile and half walk from my house to the bus. From the train to my office was a half mile walk. So in a day I would walk 4.0 miles. So somehow I converted the fear of being diabetic and all it complications into a driving discipline.

Today I still take the bus and train to work nearly everyday possible; hot sun, rain or snow. Since I can dress appropriately, I have walked by choice in a few heavy snow storms. I no longer disire to drive to work. The difference is walk close to 5 miles per hour rather than the less than 2 miles per hour a year ago. As a life long jogger I understand that walking can be as aerobic as jogging without the related strain on your knees, especially at my age (now 59).

Over the last year and half I have become aware of my friends who were diabetic did not exercise because I seem to recovered better than they have. My health has improve faster. I am still and always be diabetic. This I know and have accepted. I use my condition as a wake-up call to take better care of myself.

 The pay off is my last visit to the doctor resulted in a HbA1C of 5.5, a heart plus rate of 68, cholesterol normal, more athletic blood pressure and most importantly an positively impressed doctor with the better results.

So, try a small change in your diabetic and stick to it. You may fall short once in a while, but keep to it. IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT!

 I could not have been more mis-imformed.I found that I before I had developed diabetes that I actually was living a boring tastless life with the meals that were not very creative and were not very healthy.

I found if I eat better meals moderately and snack inbetween meals wiselyI enjoy a wonderful life of near gourmet healthy meals and a mental outlook of a long healthy life as a type II diabetic. If I were suddely not longer diabetic I would continue with my improved diet because it would be the smartest life style I could live.

 Breakfast - egg or not

Egg Omlete

2 eggs or 1/2 cup of egg beaters, three sliced mushrooms, chopped yellow onion, chopped green pepper. Sauteed green pepper and onion first, then add mushrooms; add eggs. Use two table spoons of olive oil.

Toasted Bagel

1 good sized water bagel (5 to 6 inches) cut in half and toasted to taste, spread  peanut butter.

Lunch

Wendy’s - Mandarin chicken Salad

Fast food restaurants can be OK. Control how much oriental sesame dressing you use

Two-Cheese Sauage Pizza

1 lb. sweet italian turkey sauage, 1 table spoon olive oil, 1 small red onion thinly sliced, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 small green bell pepper cut into thin strips, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 cup pizza sauce, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzrella cheese, 8 pitted ripe olives

Preheat oven to 400 F, Remove sauage from casings. Pat into greased 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 10 minutes or until sausage is firm. Remove from oven and pour off fat. Set aside

Heat oil in large skilet. Add onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cook and sir medium-high heat 10 minutes or until vegetables are very tender and no long give off liquid.

Combine pizza sauce and tomato paste in small bowl, stir until well blended. Spread over over sausage crust. Spoon half of vegetables over tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining vegetable, sprinke with olives. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Dinner

Salmon Broccoli Waldorf Salad - 4 servings

16 ouncs cut broccoli, 1 large Red Delicious apple (chopped), 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, 1/2 cup ranch dressing (dressing to your liking), 1 can or 14 ounces of salmon drained and flaked. Cook broccli until still firm; drain and rinse in cold water. Toss together broccli, apple, onions, and dressing first then gently stir in salmon. Add pepper to taste.

I did not try to provide meals for more than one day, now. I will add more meals as time goes by. My goal was to show variety that a diabetic can enjoy.

My last HbA1c reading was 5.8 and prior to that I have had readings of 5.5 for the last two tests. My daily glucose reading are around 110-115 in the morning and mid 80 in the early evening. These numbers are wonderful, but it took me some time to learn how to relate these numbers to renewing my health today.

Everyone with diabetes should know their HbA1c score . The HbA1c test measures your average blood glucose levels over the last three months.  This test will tell you how well you have been controlling your blood glucose levels. Your daily blood glucose reading by finger prick blood tests assists controlling your daily glucose levels as you discipline your diet to maintain a relative steady level of  blood glucose.

The HbA1c test score is given as a percentage of glucose in your blood, ranging from 6% to 12%. Most of the time the % sign is dropped for conversation. Here’s how that relates to average blood sugar levels:

Both USA and Canadian readings

If at all possible, you should aim to get your HbA1c score down into the range of 6% or less, where people without diabetes are. I have had HbA1c below 6% nearly a year, but I am and will be diabetic the rest of my life. I know of no cure for diabetes. However, my life is better. I live a somewhat disciplined life of eating better food, moderately and daily exercise. I have renewed my health today!

Another important factor is how you take your diabetes medication. Follow directions carefully and don’t skip doses. Skipping doses often results in worse blood sugar control and added complications from the diabetes.

Last November I was diagnosed a Type I diabetic and placed on a regiment of 10 units of insulin in the morning and late afternoon. At an age of 57 a diagnosis of Type I diabetes is not the norm. My HbA1c was 12.1 and my initial daily glucose readings were off scale, 600+. Those kinds of readings could only express themselves if my pancreas has stopped producing insulin. I was literally floating in glucose. My young inexperienced doctor knew that I had to quickly reduce my glucose level. Insulin was prescribed to do eliminate excess glucose from my system.

The insulin injections would assist my red blood cells absorb glucose to be carried to starving body and organ cells throughout my body. This would arrest the self feeding weight loss. Without the use of insulin my red blood cells could not deliver glucose and other nutrients to my body. In response my body drew necessary energy and nutrients stored in living cells. My body was in starving self feed in condition.As a result my liver and kidneys would be less stressed to eliminate excess glucose. My pancreas would be able to initiate a recovery which most fortunately it did.

Every two weeks I increased my insulin 10 units up to 30 units. My doctor was pleased with my body’s response to insulin so I was counseled to reduce my insulin in take 10 units every two week to 10 units. My daily readings dropped to the low 200s. After six weeks from in initial insulin shots, I was prescribed 500 Mg of Metformin ER during my dinner meal in place of insulin. My pancreas has recovered reasonable production of insulin.

The diagnosis of Type I diabetes may have been incorrect, but the treatment was correct to reduce my glucose build up quickly. I feel extremely fortunate that my pancreas rebounded to reasonable production of insulin. My current doctor has informed me that the rebound effort by my pancreas is normal; however, the amount of rebound is very fortunate as quickly as it happened.

However, I cannot give full credit for my renewed health today to wonderful medical care alone. As I began my prescription of insulin I also began take dietary supplements to assist my body repair its self as it did when I was many years younger. Even my current more experienced doctor has remarked my renewed health today was very encouraging. The only change I have introduced in to my daily discipline of healthier eating, exercise, and medication is my intake of dietary supplements.

There are many complications of a diabetic condition that overtly express themselves to greatly reduce a diabetic’s quality of life. I have experienced many complications, but fortunately not all complications. In the articles to follow I will share how I feel I have overcome those complications due to my favorable diabetic life style discipline and my intake of specific dietary supplements. I have seemed to overcome one or two conditions not directly related to diabetes, I credit the intake of dietary supplements.

In early October 2006 I was buying Dr. Pepper by the 24 pack and consuming up to 4 cans a day. I was over eating as a way to deal with job stress. Most of the time I was eating convenient food. I was tired at the end of most days. I hadn’t exercised for a least a couple of years.

Near the end of October I was eating more, but beginning to lose weight as well beginning to drink larger quantities of fluids. In this case it was Dr. Pepper. I had lost interest in sex and the ability to perform sex was waning. I has noticed a more callus build up on my feet. I was eating more and yet I was hungry before the next meal. I was also making more frequent trips to the bathroom. Worst of all I was unaware of the obvious early symptoms of diabetes.

From early November to mid November I was becoming aware that I might be diabetic. My diabetic symptoms obvious even to me and were getting worse. I was drinking 16 ounces of water a time with little relief of thirst. I was having trouble controlling urination. Even though I was eating full meals, I was loosing a pound to a pound and half a day. My big clue of awareness was sticky urine. My father has been diabetic at nearly the same age. I remember the sticky toilet bowl at home.

Then I made a dangerous decision to allow the weight loss to continue until I weighed 210 pounds. My eye sight has gotten worse. I needed glasses only to read at first. Now I needed stronger glasses to read and to drive as well. My acid reflux has gotten worse. I walked with a shuffle, I couldn’t sleep through the night, and I didn’t realize I wasn’t standing up straight any more.

Near the end of November I finally saw a doctor and was diagnosed a Type I diabetic. My HbA1c was 12.1 and when I got a glucose meter my twice daily glucose levels were off scale, over 600. I was placed on insulin. I started with 10 units of insulin which was slowly increased to 30 units until mid December.

My daily glucose readings were falling dramatically so my doctor instructed me to reduce my insulin doses. By the first week in January 2007 I was back down to 10 units of insulin. By mid January I was diagnosed a Type II diabetic and taking 500 Mg of Metformin. My next HbA1c test was 6.1.

It is now January 2008, my HbA1c is 5.5 and my daily glucose reading are around 115 in the morning and mid 80 in the eveing.  After a year coping with a diabetic life style I believe why I developed diabetes.

I was 57 and my body was slowing down due to my age. My body was converting most glucose to fat since my intake was more than I needed for daily use. Remember I was obese. Since I had stopped my exercise program my need for daily energy was much lower. Daily stress was not helping either. I believe my body reached a form of critical mass and began a shut down. I believe the production of insulin slowed down dramatically.

Very fortunately for me with the aide of proper in time treatment my body began a rebound. A rebound in some form does happen as a course of nature. I was extremely lucky that the rebound was strong enough for me to have Renewed Health Today at the age of 58.

Your daily meter glucose reading is a spot reading. It is the level of glucose attachment to your red blood cells at the exact time you took the measurement. A test result is measured in milligrams of glucose per deciliters of blood. A test result of 70 mg/dL - 140 mg/dL is considered a normal level. If you don’t eat and take sample every 15 minutes for the next two hours it should drop. Eat something and it should climb again.

Try taking you daily meter glucose results for about a two weeks the find the simple average. Now you have an idea of what your HbA1c is all about.

Your daily reading can vary wildly day by day, say from 120 to 400. Now you know why the HbA1c test is more reliable indicator of a diabetic condition.

You daily glucose readings are good in helping you discipline yourself in a daily fashion. You should be able to verify the days you slip or cheat by getting a higher number. Then you correct you intake expecting a lower reading. Its good way to find out if your carb count is what it should be per meal.

Work the glucose reading with discipline of diet and exercise and you almost don’t have to worry about you HbA1c reading every 90 days.

Today I am a 58 year old man who has renewed his health. A year ago my glucose levels, measured twice daily, were off scale (more than 600). Today my glucose levels, again measured twice daily, are 110 - 115 in the morning and the 80 - 85 in the late afternoon. I take a pill once a day (500 mg) to control my glucose levels along with a much better diet plan as a Type II diabetic. My goal is to make small changes to my every day eating habits and life style to eliminate the once a day pill for an improved positive focus and small changes to my life style. I believe that it is simple and loosing 20 more pounds. Although I will need better discipline to loose those 20 pounds. This is the counsel of my mature, diabetic wise family doctor.

I have been told my renewed health today is fantastic. I realize I will be diabetic for the rest of my life. However, by accepting my condition and changing my life style to manage life as a diabetic, in many ways I am healthier today than I have been in years. I have shared with friends who are struggling to understand and cope with life as a diabetic. I dedicate this blog to helping you and my friends interested in managing life as a diabetic with common sense. I live a full active and rewarding life again. Now with a diabetic wake-up call, I live a healthier life style. My goal is to share with you, my friends, each those complications of diabetes I mentioned earlier that are now either reversed or under control. I follow the advice of my mature, diabetic wise family doctor along with the counsel of my naturalist friend. I will  share my Renewed Health Today experience with you each day or so.