Well, the bad news this week is that Harry’s got diabetes. The good news is that Harry knows he’s got it.
Now, after many years of dietary excess and an all too frequently sedentary daily routine, correcting and/or managing the problem is a bit of an uphill climb. It remains to be seen how much damage has accrued. At the moment, adding daily exercise to rather modest changes to my diet seems to producing good results, bringing my glucose levels back into a more normal range. Whether or not they can be maintained at normal levels without medication is still an open question.
It is interesting to note that I had begun making changes to my diet almost a year ago. These included the usual improvements needed for an overweight 50-year old: cut portion sizes and add fiber. What I did wrong, however, mostly since I didn’t really believe that I was at risk for diabetes, was to over-compensate whenever I felt my blood sugar felt low. So, even though I’d never been much of “sugar junkie”, as I began losing weight I felt entitled to occasional treats. Some, like a month-long splurge of large daily servings of fresh squeezed limeade, proved more than my system could handle.
It turns out, of course, that even though my blood sugar “felt” low, it wasn’t actually low. I’d merely become so accustomed to higher levels that any dip felt low, producing a “hangover” of sorts. Under the stresses of a revised diet (which may have actually increased my average glucose levels over time), periodic “corrective” injections of “stimulus” began to produce a whole host of unintended consequences. Fortunately, these symptoms presented an opportunity to actually diagnose the root causes of my condition and, now, to do something about them.
It has been my purpose in this blog to address any and all issues that relate to the pursuit of “a reasonable life”. As often as not, I have tended to focus on economic issues, a hazard of my profession, I suppose. Still, it is my belief that “truth”, whenever it might be found, is almost always universal, meaning it tends to have broad application in life. This new personal learning experience, however painful, has that quality.
We might, for instance, apply these basic principles to almost any dysfunctional part of our personal, societal, economic, and political lives. Not surprisingly, the ongoing deficit/debt debate practically screams for attention here. And, if there ever was an obese, over-eating, lazy, good-for-(almost)-nothing, sedentary, sugar-addicted diabetic, our Federal government and the culture of dependency it has spawned is surely it.
Of course, in due time, these habitual excesses, left untended, will surely kill the American taxpayer. As past (and upcoming) posts have demonstrated, there is very little time for corrective action. And, unfortunately, it may already be too late. Responded to in a serious and timely fashion, however, these debilitating diseases can be usually be remedied, especially in regenerative bodies like the economy.
My initial responses are producing really positive effects, which gives me some personal hope that my last days won’t be overly problematic. There will be other challenges coming, to be sure, but if we have any hope for “a reasonable life”, it will most likely come as a result of a wide range of “universal principles” such as moderation, frugality, diligence, reverence, sincerity and hard work…not to mention real “hope and change”.
HT
A Reasonable Life 
Just Another Blood Sugar Hangover
Well, the bad news this week is that Harry’s got diabetes. The good news is that Harry knows he’s got it.
Now, after many years of dietary excess and an all too frequently sedentary daily routine, correcting and/or managing the problem is a bit of an uphill climb. It remains to be seen how much damage has accrued. At the moment, adding daily exercise to rather modest changes to my diet seems to producing good results, bringing my glucose levels back into a more normal range. Whether or not they can be maintained at normal levels without medication is still an open question.
It is interesting to note that I had begun making changes to my diet almost a year ago. These included the usual improvements needed for an overweight 50-year old: cut portion sizes and add fiber. What I did wrong, however, mostly since I didn’t really believe that I was at risk for diabetes, was to over-compensate whenever I felt my blood sugar felt low. So, even though I’d never been much of “sugar junkie”, as I began losing weight I felt entitled to occasional treats. Some, like a month-long splurge of large daily servings of fresh squeezed limeade, proved more than my system could handle.
It turns out, of course, that even though my blood sugar “felt” low, it wasn’t actually low. I’d merely become so accustomed to higher levels that any dip felt low, producing a “hangover” of sorts. Under the stresses of a revised diet (which may have actually increased my average glucose levels over time), periodic “corrective” injections of “stimulus” began to produce a whole host of unintended consequences. Fortunately, these symptoms presented an opportunity to actually diagnose the root causes of my condition and, now, to do something about them.
It has been my purpose in this blog to address any and all issues that relate to the pursuit of “a reasonable life”. As often as not, I have tended to focus on economic issues, a hazard of my profession, I suppose. Still, it is my belief that “truth”, whenever it might be found, is almost always universal, meaning it tends to have broad application in life. This new personal learning experience, however painful, has that quality.
We might, for instance, apply these basic principles to almost any dysfunctional part of our personal, societal, economic, and political lives. Not surprisingly, the ongoing deficit/debt debate practically screams for attention here. And, if there ever was an obese, over-eating, lazy, good-for-(almost)-nothing, sedentary, sugar-addicted diabetic, our Federal government and the culture of dependency it has spawned is surely it.
Of course, in due time, these habitual excesses, left untended, will surely kill the American taxpayer. As past (and upcoming) posts have demonstrated, there is very little time for corrective action. And, unfortunately, it may already be too late. Responded to in a serious and timely fashion, however, these debilitating diseases can be usually be remedied, especially in regenerative bodies like the economy.
My initial responses are producing really positive effects, which gives me some personal hope that my last days won’t be overly problematic. There will be other challenges coming, to be sure, but if we have any hope for “a reasonable life”, it will most likely come as a result of a wide range of “universal principles” such as moderation, frugality, diligence, reverence, sincerity and hard work…not to mention real “hope and change”.
HT
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