The other night my wife, kids, and I went over to my sister's house for dinner.

Upon arriving we realized we had forgotten a crucial ingredient for the dish my wife was bringing. (Cheese-if you are wondering!)

My wife and I took a quick trip to local grocery store to pick up the cheese and possible get something for dessert. This was not the original plan but it seemed like a good idea to me!

We went into the store and quickly found the cheese she needed.

"Alright, let's go," my wife said assuming we were done!

"Um, I was thinking we should get dessert." I said it with that smile she cannot resist or at least, she makes me think so.

"Alright, what do you want?"

And this is when I freeze up. I have no clue what to get.

"Maybe just some cookies. That sounds good." (READ MORE)

My grandmother once told me that she'd be happy if she never had to eat again, that if she could just take a pill four nourishment instead of eating she'd be fine.

I, frankly, thought she was nuts. I love to eat. The textures, the tastes. There's something so intoxicating about food, especially the ones I'm not supposed to eat. Maybe it's more a case of the forbidden fruit.

Nevertheless, I've started thinking lately that my grandmother (who is also type 2) has the right idea. If I could just lose the desire to eat nonstop I'd be in good shape. If I had to essentially force myself to eat I think I could make healthier food choices more often. Or, more likely, not eat as often. (READ MORE)

Sometimes diabetes really does come in handy in school. The knowledge I have obtained throughout more than fifteen years of this disease leads me to information overload. All this information gives me insight into the psychology of chronic illness, the details of diabetes, an overview of complications, and the added bonuses of nutrition, exercise, and all that jazz.

The two health classes that I have taken are prime examples of this information overload. When we reached the chapters covering diabetes, I didn't even have to study to pass that part of the exams. I already know the warning signs of type 1 and type 2, the treatments, and the list of complications. It's easy and saves me some time that I can devote to other diseases.

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In my last post, I addressed some of the issues involved in achieving an accurate picture of one's dietary intake based on the nutrition labels on packaged foods. I touched on the discrepancies between measurement by weight and by volume, between the approximated number of servings on the label and the number of servings based on posted content weight, and discrepancies between posted net weight and both real and usable content weight.

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On Tuesday, I noted that Scott's trouble with canned soup was just the tip of the carb-counting iceberg (or should that be "the lowest climbs on Everest" for the math-challenged?), looking at discrepancies in a product's own label as well as between what is stated on the label and what can be measured in the kitchen. Yesterday I looked at errors introduced by the processes of cooking and serving food, the canard of "free foods", and upscaling issues. Today I hope to conclude the series with issues of variation between individuals with diabetes (or an individual with diabetes). In short, Your Carb-Counting May Vary.

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It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that just because I don't have to take a pill to control my Type 2 diabetes, I'm "cured". After all, that's what so many people in my condition were told, so many times, over the past half-century. Some are still told that today. And given that most of the time, my blood glucose levels stay between 85 and 120, with the occasional high postprandial excursion (which occasionally -- like, when I'm low and having dinner at a restaurant -- will lead to a high fasting reading the next morning), there's nothing to alarm the unsuspecting practitioner that back in 2002, at fifty pounds heavier than I am today, the doctor's meter read 170 mg/dl after a ten-hour fast, with an HbA1c of 7.8. Or in lay terms, "I had diabeetus".

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