Admittedly I’ve never used Levemir, a basal insulin from Novo Nordisk. I used Lantus for a long time and now use Tresiba, which frankly I love. Flat profile, once a day, just works for me. That said, maybe it’s never been truer than when a medication goes away, YDMV — Your Diabetes May Vary. What works for one may not work so well for another.
I wanted to post this article from diaTribe today, “Switching Away From Levemir: What Are the Options?” for those who use Levemir. I can imagine your distress. It’s ridiculous, potentially harmful and uncaring for pharmaceutical companies to always let their bottom line weight more heavily than their morality.
That said, as the old Chinese fable of the farmer tells us, some who will switch from Levemir to something else will actually find a benefit in having to do so. No matter which camp you fall into, I wish you well.
Join me for an utterly conversational, yet paradigm shifting talk below. I had the pleasure to kick off Diabetes Sisters‘ Lifestyle Webinar series with a half hour look at flourishing with diabetes.
You’ll learn how our treatment approach for people living with diabetes evolved. How it’s aimed at coping rather than flourishing. Why you can’t control your blood sugar. What you can do instead to better manage your numbers. And why you’re responsible for your effort, but not your outcome.
If you live with diabetes it’s time you took yourself off the hook. If you’re a health professional, you’ll see you need never put your patients on one.
“I just thought your presentation was absolutely wonderful, and I think everybody, everywhere, needs to watch it. Not just PWD, but family members and medical professionals. Your insights give a wonderful and positive perspective on something that’s a serious topic.” Anne Dalin, Type 2
To find out why controlling blood sugar is a myth, check out my recent articles in Diabetes Sisters’ newsletter and diaTribe.
Drs Edelman and Pettus share important information about glucagon from its early days up to the much easier remedies that came out a few years ago. What’s exciting for me is at the end, hopeful news about glucagon mini dosing so you don’t have to eat everything in the fridge when you have a low.
This article ran in today’s New York Times, “10 Nutrition Myths Experts Wish Would Die.” If you have access to the Times, you can see the full article. For those who don’t I thought I’d do a brief summary.
Myth No. 1: Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen or dried varieties.
Non fresh can be just as nutritious, sometimes better if fresh isn’t so fresh. One caveat: they can contain added sugars, saturated fats and sodium so read the label.
Myth No. 2: All fat is bad.
This myth was published in the 1940s when experts found a correlation between high fat diets and high cholesterol. In the 1980s everyone reported a low fat diet could benefit everyone even though there was no solid evidence. Food manufacturers replaced fat with sugar, remember SnackWell’s? (I do!). Now the experts say while saturated and trans fats (red meat, cheese) can increase your risk for heart disease, monounsaturated fats (nuts, fish, flaxseed, avocados) can decrease it. Don’t assume “fat free” means healthy.
Myth No. 3: ‘Calories in, calories out’ is the most important factor for long-term weight gain.
Yes and no. Follow the above and you will lose weight for the short term, but not the long term. Stay away from refined carbs (cereal, starchy snacks, crackers, baked goods, soda) they digest quickly, raise your blood sugar and turn into fat in the body. Eat healthy overall, quality over quantity.
Myth No. 4: People with Type 2 diabetes shouldn’t eat fruit.
Everyone benefits from the nutrients in fruit — fiber, vitamins, antioxidants. Even people with diabetes. Always choose fruit over fruit juice.
Myth No. 5: Plant milk is healthier than dairy milk.
Not true. Cow’s milk has more protein. (Still, personally, while I do put light cream or half n’ half in my coffee, I drink almond milk for the lesser carbs.)
Myth No. 6: White potatoes are bad for you.
Yes, they can spike your blood sugar, but they are rick in vitamin C, potassium and fiber, especially consumed with the skin.
Myth No. 7: You should never feed peanut products to your children within their first few years of life.
Surprise! Experts say it’s best to introduce kids to peanut products early on – unless your baby has eczema. Also feed baby a diverse diet the first year to prevent food allergies.
Myth No. 8: The protein in plants is incomplete.
All plants contain all the amino acids necessary for building protein. But to a greater or lesser degree. So eat a variety of plant based foods every day. Most Americans get more protein than they realize or need.
Myth No. 9: Eating soy-based foods can increase the risk of breast cancer.
While isoflavones found in soy stimulate breast cancer in animal studies, it’s not been verified in humans. So for now, scientists are not linking the two. Instead, soy products may be protective toward breast cancer.
Myth No. 10: Fundamental nutrition advice keeps changing — a lot.
Dr. Marion Nestle, food guru and professor of nutrition, points out that in the 1950s people were advised to stay away from saturated fat, high sugar and salt products, and that hasn’t changed. Author Michael Pollan says in his book Food Rules (which I loved) “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” and Nestle agrees.
Join me tomorrow at noon, EDT. It will be my pleasure to share with you how we ended up with our current treatment approach, which is aimed at coping, and how we can flourish instead. If you have diabetes, type 1 or type 2, pre-diabetes, a loved one with diabetes, or are a health professional, you’ll learn something valuable.
Register here. If you can’t attend, a recording will be sent out afterward.
This webinar kicks off Diabetes Sisters new Lifestyle Webinar Series.
Join us March 21, noon EDT. I’ll be giving you a short but impactful look at why our treatment approach to diabetes is set up to help us cope, and not flourish, and how we can do so. Whether you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, are a loved one or health professional, join me bringing you this insightful look with the wonderful peer support group organization, DiabetesSisters.
Shift Your Perspective: Discover why the current diabetes treatment paradigm focuses more on coping than flourishing and how to change that narrative.
Practical Strategies: Gain valuable strategies to cultivate flourishing, whether you’re directly affected by diabetes, caring for someone, or treating people with diabetes.
The Myth of Control:Â Discover how people with diabetes are set up for failing rather than flourishing and how to reverse this.
Okay, call me crazy, I really don’t care. But every time I have this I say to myself – this tastes like vanilla ice cream! So I figured I’d tell you. Pour unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a glass. Add a few drops of stevia to taste for a bit more sweetness. Drink.
No, it’s not the consistency of ice cream, but if you just want an absolutely clean treat it can’t be beat. There is 1 carb in a glass of the milk, 1 gram of protein, 2.5 grams of fat and 30 calories. There’s 0 carbs, 0 protein, 0 fat and 0 calories in the Stevia. I get these both at Trader Joe’s. Enjoy.
I wonder if there’s any synchronicity between Facebook crashing today and so the article I have pushed tirelessly to get published, which did get published today, I couldn’t even link on Facebook. Ah, man plans and God laughs.
That said, there’s a back story worth noting I think. It took more than four months, pitching to three organizations, push back, rejection, and numerous rewrites before these two articles were published. That’s not anyone trying to give me a hard time; that’s the power of an idea that is so entrenched, even though it is not true.
You see the sentry that stand over this myth believe that if we tell people with diabetes the truth – that we can’t control our blood sugar – that we will set our hair on fire. That we will be so dismal, disappointed and depressed, so frustrated and disempowered, that we will give up entirely on our management, and ourselves.
What I know is that when we tell people the truth, they feel validated, un-wronged and seen. They feel more powerful. Every time I tell someone that they can’t control their blood sugar, that they are responsible for their effort but not entirely responsible for the outcome, they practically cry in my arms from relief.
We’ve heard “control” and “blood sugar” in the same breath for so long so often, it’s so obsequious in the language of diabetes, that no one thinks to question it. I questioned it and I’m telling you, outright, it’s not true, and its falsity is supported by science, particularly neurobiology and complexity science.
Read the article and share it. I hope it takes you off the hook too many people, with all good intentions, have hoisted us upon.
All I know is when I was diagnosed in February 1972 I was told, “There’ll be a cure in five years.” I know, you were told that too. And, “Your lifespan will be fifteen years shorter than average.”
Well, this week marks my 52nd ‘diaversary.’ The medal from Joslin, above, I received two years ago when I crossed the 50 year threshold. Due to Covid I didn’t get to go to Boston and attend any kind of ceremony. Still, it’s nice to look at.
As to the second prediction, recent studies show that people with type 1 diabetes, who take good care of themselves, tend to live longer than the average American. I’m assuming that average American is eating a relatively poor diet of processed foods and not physically active.
In some ways the more years you live with type 1 the easier it gets. You know your patterns better, you get used to doing certain things like ordering medicine and supplies, and if you’re lucky, you have a few friends, or just one, with diabetes. At the same time, it gets harder. More tiresome, maybe some complications have come and there are a pile-up of endless, countless days you wonder, “How did that happen?!”
Still, at an age when I’ve already lost friends to other conditions, I’m grateful I’m still here.
In two days, February 22, I’ll be “celebrating,” well acknowledging, 52 years with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Since I got it at 18, I have lived with T1D much longer than not. In reality, I have no memory of what it’s like to live without eye-balling carbs, checking my CGM, thinking ahead what and when I’ll be eating, will I be walking, oops that was stupid, etc, etc, etc.
If you think I have tons of wisdom to offer having lived 52 years with this, maybe I do. It would probably pour out of me if we were having a conversation. But since this is a one-sided conversation, here are my nuggets. Yes, they’re purposefully spare because it’s easier to remember a few things than memorize a living encyclopedia:
Use a CGM if you can. If not, check your blood sugar before and two hours after meals and activity. Look for patterns to know better how to dose.
Don’t beat yourself up for your numbers. Few will tell you this truth: You can’t “control” blood sugar. The body’s biological functions are not within your control, and life is unpredictable. You are responsible for your effort, but not your outcome.
Make diabetes friends. No one else will “get it” the way they will, and those friends will put a little self-love back into your heart.
Acknowledge T1D is tough, constant work. You don’t get any days off. In fact, you don’t make any progress, you just work hard not to digress too far. Not a pleasant thought, but the first time I heard it it rang so true. Given that truth, do the work and go easy on yourself. Celebrate the wins and see yourself in a constant experiment mode.
Yes, you thought there’d be five points, but those are the four that strike me this Tuesday afternoon. And here’s my ‘one thing I know for sure.’ When I change my routine, even after 52 years, it’s like I know nothing. Eating and exercising similarly day to day is definitely my special sauce. Case in point:
Routine
Whereas my recent trip to Costa Rica where my eating and exercise, being different and unpredictable, challenged all my “best” decisions
Closing thought, no matter where you are on this road, you’re still here. That’s a testament to all you’ve done.
Diabetes Stories 