Tag: wdd

Sixty Three + Blue Friday + Veterans

Today is November 11, 2011. Written out at 1111112 without the "/", the ones look like a binary number - decimal 63. I don't know of anything diabetes related to 63 but today is also Blue Friday and an opportunity to promote diabetes awareness.

UPDATE: Ken Kotch’s, writer for the Broken Pancreas website, just let me know that his BG was 63 this morning.

Blue Fridays is an initiative to bring attention to World Diabetes Day and to advocate and bring awareness for diabetes and the people living with it.

I'm wearing a blue polo with blue jeans today along with my "Act on Diabetes Now" blue armband. My employer is encouraging employees to do the same. Today also as good a time as any to take the Big Blue Test.

Friday is also Veteran’s Day, of course, and thus imbued with solemn significance. The First World War ground to a halt at 11 a.m. local time on the 11th of November 1918. This, then, will be the first time the world has ever gathered to remember the fallen at a time when every last number on the clock — including the two-digit year — is 11. (via Mashable)

Routine

Blogging about diabetes is hard. What do I write about a disease that has become a "normal" part of my life? Poking, [testing](http://www.bigbluetest.org/), carb counting – all are part of daily routine. Yes, routine. And routine is boring. Boring!

Or is it? I had something exciting happen to me this afternoon. Diabetes related. I lanced a hole in my finger (routine), and then squeezed. Normally I get a small drop of blood (routine) but instead I got a squirt of blood – NOT routine. Blood all over my hand. Fortunately none of it got to shirt. Cleaning up was easy.

That's it. Enough excitement for one day.

Blue smoothie

I want to improve my health given that my cholesterol is high (255) and I have type diabetes. I've stepped up my exercise (pun intended) and made some adjustments in my diet. No cheese or meats for me for a while. Today, my wife made me a smoothie dinner consisting of some spinach, a lot of blueberries, walnuts, and a banana.

It's pretty good and I think I could have one every morning. It's low glycemic and chock full of vitamins and minerals. Blueberries contain pterostilbene, a compound that is known to lower blood glucose, lipids and cholesterol. At least in laboratory animals.