Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - Beef Jerky

The Mental Re-build

Bultaco engine exploded view  Some rights reserved by twm1340

This bit about re-inventing oneself is central. To get to the parts that need to be changed, you’ve got to do a fair amount of dis-assembly. There are no instructions. You’ll dive in and stumble across whole sub-assemblies you’ll have to take apart. It’s like on some cars when the mechanic says “as long as I’m in there, I might as well change the timing belt.” And there’s a good chance there might be a few parts left lying on the floor when you’re done.

You’ve got to reverse engineer the diagram of what makes you tick. How are you wired? Where are the switches and junction boxes that control addictions for food or alcohol? How buried is your anger sensor? Odds are you’ve never accessed these compartments, and the screws may be rusty. Just know that you won’t run leaner or on less stress if you’re not thorough in your re-build.

Sometimes I prefer to think of it as trying to repack the footlocker.  I take each item out, making sure it’s something I still use. I inspect it to confirm that it’s not broken or full of holes, or out of date. If I don’t need it, it gets tossed. I can’t afford to carry the weight of half-assed convictions. I’m running light. And I need to be able to put my hands on something easily, without rummaging.



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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

The Daily Gagathon

I was never a great pill swallower. Never would’ve dreamed I’d be taking this pile of pills every day. It’s gotten a little easier over time, but the biggest trick has been to learn to clap my hand over my mouth if it doesn’t go down the first time and force the gag back as a rebounding forced swallow. And it’s not all about size. The big orange fish oil  gel caps go down fine. But the light clear capsules that the GABA and NAC come in float on the mouthful of water and often are still unfortunately in my mouth after I swirl my head and do the open throat swallow thing that mostly works for everything else. And then there’s the odd flat side with sharp edges on the ALA tablet. It can catch and not go down too. Oh well. I don’t know how the hell the people in the movies put a handful of pills in their mouth with no liquid and get ‘em down.

Why am I taking this stuff? Three reasons: each of these things MAY either improve glycemic control, moderate cell damage caused long term by high blood sugar, or boost the immune system. As a LADA diabetic who is controlling without insulin, I need to deal with both the Type 2 blood sugar management and the Type 1 autoimmune attack.

The evidence for some of these is strong. For others, like GABA, it may be no more than a mouse study. My nutritionist suggested some. Others, I spotted in my news feeds from sources like EurekaAlert! All of them were run by my DO to make sure he didn’t see any harm. He didn’t see any good in them either, but was OK with it if I wanted to spend the bucks and gag them down.

So here’s the run down of pills I’ve been taking for at least the last 5 months, during the time of my greatest drop and stabilization of blood sugar:

Metformin - classic Type2 medication, bought me time to rejuvenate my pancreas

Vitamin D - autoimmune - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/cshl-vdl081710.php

Zinc - damage control - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/uom-pdd063011.php

GABA - beta cell regeneration and attack stop - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/smh-cpi062811.php

NAC - antioxidant damage control - http://www.jautoimdis.com/content/2/1/4

Fish Oil - autoimmune inflammation - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2000-10/UaB-Foav-3010100.php

ALA - antioxidant damage control - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1999-11/UoTS-Sutt-111199.php

I use the dosage recommended by my nutritionist for each of these. This list is only pills. The benefits from components of my diet, including cinnamon, flavanoids (berries), green tea, and almonds are documented elsewhere. Once again, I don't know which one worked, or what combination. But if they actually do what they say in terms of damage control, inflammation, or immune system help, then they'd be good for anyone, since cancer, arthritis, MS, and all kinds of chronic and nasty stuff fall in these categories.



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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - the health nuts were right

Captain Russ has to admit it.

Burning My Superman Card

I was fooled because I was Superman. I could eat what I wanted and not get fat. I’ve rarely been sick. Never seemed that much affected by caffeine. Never broke a bone. Have hardly any cavities. I had no reason to think my body WASN’T super human. I’ve always been strong enough to do anything I wanted to do. I’ve always had great balance and 20/15 vision. I’d go large parts of days without food or water if the project or activity seemed best uninterrupted. Being Superman was pretty convenient. Some rules of healthy living could be ignored as Not Applicable. I’d have warning, I figured, and could start drinking less or eating better whenever my body gave me the heads up. And, at age 49, it did.

So I burned my Superman card. It had obviously expired. That meant dealing directly with my body, who I’d so long dismissed as loyal and sub-servient. Fortunately, negotiations have gone well. We have a tentative long term lease agreement for the next 50 years. I have sheepishly accepted its terms with no protestation. During the last 9 months, a trial period, trust building measures have resulted in bilateral de-escalation. Specifically, after I cut alcohol, ate like an angel, and calmed my mind for a few months, my body responded with lower and more stabile morning fasting blood sugar levels.

Life as a mere mortal has been surprisingly good. The pros and cons seem to net out more favorably to the new lifestyle than I had estimated. For example, in this new life I have to make sure I’ve got some almonds and fruit or powerbars in my pack at all times; but, I don’t have to worry about a cooler and beer and ice. I never left home without lugging cold brew in the first term. I’m actually traveling lighter now. And there are other before-and-after zero sum games.



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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - Your Body's Freakin' Out

Captain Russ uses the technical term "freakin out" in this inspirational clip

The Word "Diabetes"

I can’t stand this word. It has always instantly connoted masses of pale sweaty flesh and Victorian-style unhealthy vapors. I’m uttering it more now without so much vomit re-flux, but for a while I substituted terms like “blood sugar issues” or “pancreas problem”.




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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - Rowing

Captain Russ touts consistency as a secret to success.

The Battlefield

photo by brcake

On the oft-forgotten Pancreatic Continent you will find the Islets of Langerhans. And thereupon reside the talented Betacellites who labor tirelessly to produce the life sustaining Insulin, which they freely distribute to the rest of Bodyworld. Unfortunately, the planetary defender, Otto Imyoon, has cracked under the toxic stress of what the Russellverse rained down on him for several decades. He’s delusionally shooting anything that moves, and the poor little Betas in particular are undergoing genocide. Otto orders his imperial stormtroopers, the TH1, to launch daily  sorties, wreaking havoc across the Islets. The planetary legislature has dispatched scores of TH2 envoys, but reports of their efforts range from ineffectual to complicit. And then there’s the shadowy world of the Kevorkian RNAgents, enticing the Betas to suicide.
Will the toxic flood stop? Will Otto Imyoon regain his senses?Can the Betas rebuild? Will they want to? Stay tuned!





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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Be Your Own Spin Doctor

I spend arguably too much time staring at the graph of my morning fasting Blood Sugar measurements. The trend line is my crytral ball to the past, present, and future of how I fare in my battle with diabetes. I can draw that trend line in drastically different ways. Which way do I choose at any given time? To appear positive, of course! Today, as a point in time, is a good example. By changing the polynomial order of the Excel trend line tool, I can tell different stories, although only for recent times. Long term, it’s less manipulable.



Trend Scenario  for 10/16/2011 using polynomial order “3”. This would be the pessimistic view that after the drastic drops in July/August, I’m trending back up to soon be above the “diabetic” line again and toward required insulin use.



Trend Scenario  for 10/16/2011 using polynomial order “5”. This would be the probably overly optimistic tea leaf reading. The spin for this view would be that after a little bump from the stress of the initial going public online with my story, the last couple of days show me trending back down.

Trend Scenario  for 10/16/2011 using polynomial order “2”. In true Goldilocks fashion, the middle of the road interpretation is my choice today. Little up trend yes, but explainable, and sweetened with the observation that daily swings are drastically dampened and stabilized. Yes! This is the view that the Russell News Channel will go with today.



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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - Trading Tastegasms

Captain Russ waxes philosophical about cheesecake.

Whacking the Hornet’s Nest

photo by pellaea

For those only following the blog, let me explain that this post is, in part, a response to the discussions I participate in at diabeticconnect.com and tudiabetes.org. These two large, active communities have been a real eye opener for me. You can check out most discussions without joining, if you want. Over the last few weeks, I’ve started a few discussions with posts from here, and I’ve commented on a few existing threads. It’s sobering to see the number of views I’ve received in the hundreds and commments/replies in the dozens. It allows the teasing out of more detail as questions get asked and stories related. The less controversial lifestyle related posts, like “How Are Your Nuts?” have been huge fun. The discussions about insulin use (i.e. Newly Diagnosed? Question the Use of Insulin!) have been much more serious. There are many people with firm convictions on either side, in addition to many newcomers, who are deer in the headlights, trying to sort it all out. In some circles, though, this aspect of my message is clearly heretical. And though I don’t have to justify myself to anyone, if the goal is to impart information to help people, it makes sense to periodically describe the roots of my voice --

I’m not here to preach THE path to a righteous diabetic cure. I’m just here to relate the facts as I’ve observed and uncovered them. I have no axe to grind, no medical or scientific certificate of any kind to either burnish or defend. There’s absolutely no guarantee that anything that may have worked for me will work for anyone else. I don’t sell juicers, or have any stake in promoting any particular diet, or lifestyle change. I’m just sayin’ that there are some things people have been saying for a long time that appear to be true. And, there are a couple of things I’ve discovered that don’t seem to be on the radar of the health-wise. I’ll give you MY facts, and a few notes on my navigation through these waters. It is up to you to reconcile my reading of data with your own notion of a fact.

I’m on a strict no-conflict diet, so I seek only as much confrontation in these forums as is necessary to keep this alternate opinion regarding insulin, as annoying as it is, visible. When I started looking at all this, I realized that the western medicine Diabetes Establishment’s mantra on insulin was monolithic. I’m focusing on communities like tudiabetes.org that are donation-funded, and therefore separate from direct Big Pharma influence. There is HUGE money in insulin and insulin-delivery. But even in places safe from direct commercial influence, I think it’s worth remembering that all the knowledgeable, giving, well-meaning opinionators are “invested” in their belief. Whether one has chosen, or has had to, accept the extreme lifestyle compromise of injecting or pumping insulin and all it’s trappings, he or she has still had to build an ironclad rationalization and justification of its utter appropriateness in their own mind. How else could they live with it? I obviously rationalize my own path as well, but it’s hardly the same challenge for me to make a case for clean living, minimal medications,  once a day measurements, no lows, and superb health.

I think the main point is that the epidemic is upon us. I know for a fact that all 300 million plus people will not choose exactly the same way to deal with their diabetes.



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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

I am Anecdotal

photo by CannedMuffins

I am Anecdotal
the tangled web of variables I weave
gives shivers to the evidence-based
supplements, diet, meditation, oh my!
which one prodded this pancreas to produce again?
I could say I’m sorry to not have spent the years required
to have double-blind tested
each and every part of my solution...

but I’m not










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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - Excuses

Newly Diagnosed? Question the Use of Insulin!

Photo by Melissa P

If you’ve recently been told you have either Type 1, LADA, or Type 2 Diabetes, there are decisions about the rest of your life that you may want to decide for yourself. First, you have to recognize the points at which options exist. One such fork in the road is when you’re first told you have to start shooting insulin. Some of you will have a pancreas functioning so low at this crossroads that you have no choice. But the heretical point I’m making for the rest of you is, “Why rush?” I’m extremely lucky to have a brilliant, dedicated, strictly evidence-based DO who answered my questions (it’s still up to you to ask). I asked questions like, “if I still have morning fasting BS readings near normal sometimes, doesn’t that mean my pancreas has the ability to produce normal levels of insulin?” Instead of saying, “it doesn’t matter, you must start insulin now, here’s the prescription”, my DO took the time to share his opinion that there’s no evidence that immediate insulin use is shown to have any better outcomes in a case like mine. It’s true he fully believed then that I would eventually have no choice. But he respected my desire to to use this rarely recognized window of time to explore any reasonable options. He warned me that any endocrinologist would disagree with this plan, and would order insulin, period. That was more than two years ago. So far, so good with my holistic approach experiment (detailed in other posts). I’ve trended steadily down to an A1c of 5.5 and am holding steady. Even if this miraculous reversal ended tomorrow, A1c rose dangerously, and insulin was my only choice to live, I would consider the 2 years gained (without shots in the stomach) to be priceless.

If I were more cynical, I’d suspect the influence of big Pharma money in the Diabetes Establishment’s blind spot regarding the knee jerk use of insulin. I particularly wonder about so many Type 2’s being prescribed it when their pancreas is obviously still functioning and they don’t have the extra hurdle of autoimmune destruction to contend with. But, I don’t think it’s really a conspiracy. I think the assumption by so many well meaning healthcare professionals is that you’re not capable of walking the hard non-insulin road. I think the assumption is that you’re weak, and that there’s no point hoping you’ll give up your beer and potato chips. It’s just simpler to save and extend your life with daily shots, and move on to the next one in line.

Are they right?

Following the Iceman

In the stream of medical science and research articles I’ve set to feed to my android phone, I usually look for anything related to diabetes or auto immunity. So when this Science Daily article scrolled by last April, it caught my eye: Research On 'Iceman' Wim Hof Suggests It May Be Possible to Influence Autonomic Nervous System and Immune Response. This guy is mostly known for being able to raise his body temperature. His stunts include: up to 90 minutes buried up to his neck in ice cubes; running a marathon above the arctic circle in just a pair of shorts; swimming under arctic ice, etc. He taught himself a Tibetan form of meditation called “tummo”. Buddhist monks have apparently been doing cold-defying feats using this “fire meditation” for centuries. But the article is about Hof’s claim that he could also affect his body’s autoimmune response. The study, using an immune-response producing endotoxin, certainly looks legitimate. Hof was able to lower his body’s immune response by 50% compared to 240 other subjects by using concentration and meditation.

I thought, pretty darn interesting!
Because in the autoimmune flavors of diabetes like Type 1 and my LADA, it’s always seemed to me that ANYTHING that hints at a way to stop my body’s attack on my pancreas is worth a look. Even the regeneration of beta cells isn’t going to do me much good if they’re just going to get killed again. It’s one of the reasons I avoid insulin. It doesn’t fix the problem or the root of the problem. And I worry it’d damage my remaining capacity.

In reality, the odds that I could actually teach myself the secret tradition of tummo are slim. Hof may have done it, but it’s supposed to take 12 years in a Himalayan temple. Still, the idea of it was still enough of a hook to get me started. And there’s plenty of evidence that any meditation is good for you. Being the typical restless-minded westerner, I’m only managing 15 minutes a day for now. But I know for a fact it lowers my stress. And who knows, maybe this winter I can don a lighter weight parka when I hit the slopes.





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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - testing

"Captain Russ is going to tell it as he sees it." I haven't lived with diabetes for that long. I'm still able to look at it from outside of the box. As for testing, I'm just suggesting a more sane approach.

Diabetes Tips With Captain Russ - alcohol

"Captain Russ knows his IPAs from his ESBs" I think quitting alcohol is a deal-breaker for some. It's embedded in our whole personal and social fabric. But weighed against life and the FSIS, it was an easy decision for me.

So Exactly How Am I Lowering My HbA1c?

My posts and replies so far only give a few specifics. It’s quite a laundry list. I don’t know exactly what’s working. It’s certainly some combination of what's listed below. I have some “science” that supports (for me) each of these things. You can find most of them in my online bookmarks. Everything is intended to either help with the autoimmune (type1),  insulin receptivity (type2), or stress (huge driver for both). But here’s a quick rundown of what I’m doing/taking:

-quit all alcohol (my acupuncturist said stress on liver = stress on pancreas)
-quit almost all caffeine (one study suggested it and saturated fat spike BS)
-quit animal saturated fat (no dairy, fatty meats have to be grilled, i.e. no pot roast)
-other than those, eating the kind of lean, low carb diet you see posted often. Slight differences from some, including limitless fruit and nuts, especially flavanoids like strawberrys and blueberrys, lots o cinnamon.
-eat constantly, every 3 hours or so, nothing after 7pm
-extremely strict adherence to all the above.
-15 minutes meditation daily (besides the stress relief, google Wim Hof - autoimmune)
-weekly acupuncture (stress, getting the pancreas “burner” going)
-perpetual motion (especially after meals, like 20 min walk after lunch, standing at work computer, stairs)
-supplements include: fish oil (autoimmune, inflammation), Alpha-Lipoic Acid (type2, BS control), B complex (stress, biotin source), Vitamin D (type1, autoimmune), NAC (type1, inflammation), GABA (type1, autoimmune - one mouse study showed both beta cell regeneration and reduced immune attack on them), Zinc (type2, amylin prevention)
-still taking metformin, quit the glipizide in August

CAUTIONS: It’s doubtful that any 2 individual’s lists will be the same. My doctor and nutritionist see no risks in this approach for ME. Don’t forget I’m LADA and have to work on both Type 1 and Type 2 aspects. Some things, like the fact that animal saturated fat spikes my blood sugar may be completely unique to my genetic makeup. Nobody else seems to have seen this. Don’t forget that I started skinny and that the activity increase and lean diet try to make me skinnier. I’m eating more fruit carbs along with my pounds of almonds to keep the weight on. Many of you Type 2’s probably wouldn’t mind the weight loss my regimen generates without those added carbs. But that’s mostly a quantity thing.

Please keep asking questions. This conversation will take time to tease all the details out. I believe the hardest parts are the mental changes. Giving up beer was hard, but truly being happy about it is harder. That’s why you here me saying things like “if you play the victim, this won’t work”. Stress is probably my biggest driver. It would take books worth of explaining to get at all of just my issues. Everybody’s different. For me, a lot of the stress was because I’ve a talent for being a bit of an a**hole. Learning to instinctually become a kinder person is MUCH easier said than done.

Is that any help?




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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle

Canary in a Coal Mine

photo by Bill Bouton

The millions of us whose diabetes is not completely hereditary, which would include Type 2 and LADA, have our environment to thank. Some of it we can control, but it’s the same environment that the non-diabetic world lives in. And we die of pretty much the same things as the rest of the world. It’s just that the heart attack or stroke might come sooner because of the diabetes. I have to keep reminding myself that it is NOT diabetes that kills anyone. It’s the complications. We diabetics not only die from the same things as everybody else, we have the same inputs that contribute: stress, diet, alcohol, and activity level.

The onset of the diabetes epidemic is just the harbinger of a dying-too-early epidemic for the whole human race. But unless fate, or the fairly weak set of known facts, lulls us into inaction, we can be the canary that leads the rest of our grubby miner earth-mates to fresh air.

I’m sure people often think it’s just a line when I say, “Diabetes is the best thing that ever happened to me.” But the point is that this wake up call has mandated lifestyle changes that will extend my life. What I’ve done to control my diabetes is the same stuff that would extend anyone’s life. What a claim, huh? You may not know me well enough to know I don’t make it lightly. My assumption that there’s some good to come from this major life-twist also helps my head. And so... I believe I’m a canary, mapping the tunnel-maze, finding a reasonable path to a sustainable life for myself and anyone else.




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Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle