Diabetes podcast Episode 6, Feb 2024

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, whichever applies to you.

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Prevent and Reverse Naturally Type 2 Diabetes podcast

I am your host, Mark Ashford, I am a Type 2 diabetic.

This is episode 6, For February 2024, let’s start with an update

February 2nd, I gave blood for a follow up with my doctor. On Feb 6 my doctor agreed I can continue without medication. I have a follow up in 3 months, until then, no Metformin. Yeah! 

The other tests, urine to monitor kidney function were “very good.” Of course, like everyone else, I need to maintain my water intake at approx. 2 litters per day to keep flushing the kidneys and system generally.

We disused options for getting enough blood for the A1c home test kit. The finger pricker/lancets I have are not producing enough blood for a test. The amount required is not huge, but it is more than required for Blood Glucose tests familiar to Type 1 Diabetics or any finger pricking to take a blood glucose reading using a separate monitor.

We discussed trying different locations to obtain the blood required. 

My doctor has available to her a Diabetes coach, a resource who can help diabetics with their questions and practices. If I still have problems, she will set me up with the coach. 

This highlights the importance of raising issues and questions with your medical team and understanding what resources they have available.

Monitoring Blood Glucose with my CGM has been effective in maintaining and understanding my body’s reaction to foods without Metformin.

There have been no big swings in glucose readings.

I have noticed that when there is a peak it remains within the green range of 3.9 to 10 mmol/L. 

The shape of the peak is a little different to when I was using Metformin. 

The peak is reached quickly and falls equally quickly which means my bodies reaction to the blood glucose is improving. 

When I do have a peak reading, in or out of range, there is no plateau. The Blood Sugar reading does not remain high.

There continues to be issues with the Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 app.

·       The app has been consistently reporting an estimated A1c of 6.0 but the blood test for the doctor shows 5.6. I have had two blood tests with my doctor showing 5.6, the error seems to be systemic.

·       Recently, there have been issues with the High and Low Blood Glucose reporting.

o   The Glucose in Range chart has shown Low Blood Glucose readings, but there is no record in the Low Glucose event tables. I have no symptoms of Low Blood Glucose.

o   The upper Glucose in Range threshold is 10 mmol/L, above that I am in the “yellow zone.” 

o   I have experienced “Yellow Zone” reports but later in the day, say after 1 or 2 hours, the chart no longer shows this exception. The Time in Range chart either does not show a count of the incident. The Daily Patterns chart shows no transit into the Yellow Zone.

My book, Prevent and Reverse Naturally Type 2 Diabetes has been updated and expanded again. It is now 301 pages.

For me one of the most interesting things was what I call “A Day of Eating.” In this chapter I am trying to capture my daily habits and what they could have contributed my current condition.

I have added chapters on “Sleep” and “Stress.” Until I started researching the habits, I was unaware of how these affect our hormones and the body. Insulin is a Hormone BTW.

For many years I had gotten by with 4-5 hours sleep a night, every night, and I had often been complimented on how well I managed stressful workplace stations. Looking at the new information (to me) I can see how both factors significantly affected my body and together with diet may have contributed to my current diabetes.

It is now available on Amazon.ca and other Amazon book market places.

That’s it for now!

See you next time.

Music from Epidemic Sound - Langvaga – by Strom

·       The Amazon links are:

Paperback – 

https://www.amazon.ca/Prevent-Reverse-Naturally-Type-Diabetes/dp/B0CJ4B47G3/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1VG81EANVVUK2&keywords=prevent+and+reverse+naturally+type+2+diabetes&qid=1705774163&sprefix=prevent+and+reverse+matutrally+type+2+diabetes%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-2

eBook – 

https://www.amazon.ca/Prevent-Reverse-Naturally-Type-Diabetes-ebook/dp/B0CJ6S1TN1/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1VG81EANVVUK2&keywords=prevent+and+reverse+naturally+type+2+diabetes&qid=1705774163&sprefix=prevent+and+reverse+matutrally+type+2+diabetes%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-5