With friends and family members participating in the annual JDRF fundraising walk, my wife went online to look for t-shirts.  She is an apparel designer and was pretty disappointed by all of the -what she called, "cheesy designs".  Okay, so her standards are quite high, but still, the options were pretty limited!

She wanted to create a line of designs to be sold that would also benefit JDRF and well as having a younger appeal.  I am going to be adding a collection of other designs to my Zazzle site, but for now I added a couple different Trained by Insulin Logo T's and when you purchase them from my shop, 50% of all profits go to charity to benefit Juvenile Diabetes!  Whats great about Zazzle, is that you can choose what type of shirt you want & color you want.  They have really nice quality american apparel t's that will last forever and only get better with each wash, but if your looking for something less expensive you can choose that as well.  I am trying to think up new tag lines too, so if you have any ideas that you want to share, let me know and we will add them to the site!  click here to view what we have so far!!

Hi All - Hope everyone is enjoying the shift into Spring!  My new move to Vancouver has been great and when the weather is good, probably not a more beautiful city.  Moving to Canada was pretty big for me and as I found out to my disappointment, Dexcom was not available in Canada! In my opinion, outside of insulin, there is not a better way to control my blood sugar levels than the Dexcom G4, so I have been using the 3 month supply I got prior to moving sparingly.  THINGS ARE CHANGING AS WE SPEAK!

I wanted to provide some exciting news I just read on Dexcom's Q1 earnings call yesterday (<-click link to read).  Having used the new Dexcom G4, I am a firm believer in the company, so have purchased shares of the company.  I enjoy keeping track on how they are doing from a shareholder perspective and as a customer.  Exciting NEWS is that they have received approval from Health Canada, so I should be able to start getting coverage for the sensors in third quarter of this year!  Super stoked. 

From Earnings call - "On the international front, we (Dexcom) are pleased to report that we have received approval from Health Canada to begin marketing the G4 system in Canada. Our initial approval is for adults only. However, we expect to file supplements seeking pediatric approval later this quarter. Our distributor in Canada expects to commence a limited launch at the beginning of Q3 with the full launch commencing before the end of Q3."

Also, some great news for parents of diabetic children, they are up to some cool stuff for cloud based, mobile and remote monitoring ability.  Read below!

From Earnings call - "Many of our future generation products, particularly our mobile and cloud-based products will be very applicable to this market segment. In particular, we continue to make considerable progress on the DexCom share system, a remote monitoring system developed to address the unique challenges faced by caregivers in assisting people with type 1 diabetes.
As a reminder, the DexCom share system is a docking station for the G4 Platinum receiver enabling wireless transmission and glucose information such as the patient’s trend graph and alert notifications from the G4 Platinum to designated recipients, allowing the recipient to view the patient’s data on a smartphone.
For example, a parent could receive their child’s glucose information during the nighttime while they sleep in another room, or during the school day while the parent is at work. It will also have non-pediatric applications such as for a spouse while at work or when traveling. We expect to file the DexCom Share System with the FDA in the third quarter of this year."

Hi All - I came across this petition to change the name of "Type 1" Diabetes and "Type 2" Diabetes to more accurately reflect the disease it represents.  I do not know how realistic this process would be, but it doesn't hurt to sign and at least TRY!  I had a facebook post awhile back that was related to the misconceptions (see below).  The petition really brings light to the media's blanket statements of "DIABETES", and Dr. OZ and the Biggest Loser continually talking about the cures for Diabetes.  Please take the time to read the link and sign the petition!

http://www.change.org/petitions/revise-names-of-type-1-2-diabetes-to-reflect-the-nature-of-each-disease

"Most people don't really understand the daily battle people face with this disease or the difference between type 1 and type 2. The disease I have, type 1, where my immune system attacked my pancreas and it no longer works to no fault of my own and is by no means curable at this point unless I get a new pancreas. Type 2 diabetes might be best described as the type your grandma has or typically people that are overweight and have too much stress on their body and cannot effectively use the insulin their body produces. People have been cured from type 2 by diet and exercise. Hope this helps people become more aware."

I heard about wheatgrass a few years ago and started ordering shots from the local smoothie shops, mainly because I know I didn't enough "greens" in my diet.  The  benefit I was seeking was to help increase the alkalinity in my body.  I had also read about all of the other benefits of wheatgrass and it sounded like a magic potion! Everything from increasing red blood cell counts, cleansing the digestive tract, stimulating the thyroid gland, to using as a topical agent for cold sores and skin irritations, so I gave it a try.  I know it's called "Wheat"-grass, but it is gluten free. I really believe in most of the benefits, it might not be a magic potion, but it has so many benefits going for it that you can't ignore.  I found I really did feel much better and it did help my bodies PH levels.  Also, I made a paste from it and used it as a topical agent when I got poison oak and it worked amazing!  You can also apply the paste to cold sores and it will clear it up faster than anything else out there.   

Here is a excerpt on www.Livestrong.com and Wheatgrass and Diabetes - 

"Wheatgrass has a definite role in improving glucose and lipids levels and can effectively be used in the management of diabetes", suggests a research team in a study published in December 2009 issue of Journal of Herbal Medicine and Toxicology. This study was conducted on 30 volunteers and wheatgrass was added to one meal. Glycemic index or GI is a number that measures the impact that a food has on blood glucose levels and diabetics should consume low GI foods. The researchers found that adding 15 g of wheatgrass to certain foods significantly lowered the GI of those foods and thus improving blood glucose levels. The blood levels of some fats called triglycerides were also improved in the participants who consumed wheatgrass. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these clinical findings.

I felt the benefits of it pretty quickly so I looked into ordering my own.  I read some reviews and found out that there were a few different reputable options, but ordered with a company called, Dynamic Greens.  They were out of Canada & they flash freeze the Wheatgrass and it shows up on your doorstep in a ice-packed cooler 2 days later.  Throw the packs in your freezer and defrost in a shot-glass each morning.  Really, it's easy & great, even though it basically tastes like someone mowed the lawn in your mouth, but it is GRASS so what do you expect?!  You can also mix it in with juice for better flavoring.  
 
We recently received our first order since moving to Canada and below is the info that comes with the package, all good knowledge.  Just Google wheatgrass and you'll find all the benefits.

Came across this pretty cool video showing what 2000 calories looks like, puts your meals into perspective.

So I had decided last minute to compete in the 2013 Crossfit Open, after some convincing from my coach.  There are something like 130k people signed up to compete. Basically, each week for five weeks a random workout gets announced and you have to complete it within 3 days of the announcement.  Typically it is as many rounds and/or reps you can do in a designated time. Sounds FUN huh? I will not be anywhere near the top of the leaderboards, but good experience and helps me stay focused to get back in shape.

I wonder how many type 1 diabetics are competing? Im sure there has to be more than me? There are a lot thing to think about with the  diabetes logistics, sugar low, sugar high,  but  I had my wife there to actually watch my sugars with my Dexcom G4 and let me  know if  things started to go out of whack.  This was her hastag for me... #highmaintenancehubby  :) heehee

So I have been somewhat on a mission to figure out the best way to wear my Dexcom G4 and get the most out of each sensor.  Between working out, yoga and showers, it usually only lasts a few days before it starts to peel up.  I had received a bunch of 3M Tegaderm adhesive patches when I got my pump, so I made a little template and cut a space out and put it directly over the Dexcom patch (white adhesive part).  It helped with the skin irritation and the peeling versus medical tape that I used to use.  Once the Tegaderm started to peel, I was able to remove it and replace with a new fresh one. I was able to get 12 days out of the sensor and it made the Dexcom G4 feel a lot more secure.  

Below is after the second Tegaderm and 12 days. It came off really easy and only had a tiny bit of sticky left on my skin. It kept the sensor part much cleaner too.  

With my PALEO diet in full swing, it is important to plan ahead and make quick meals for the go! My amazing wife spent sometime getting me all set for the week!

I'm always looking for healthy snacks that I can bring to work because when 3 o'clock comes around, I'm starving.  If I don't have something near I usually will end up snacking on something thats not so good.  These egg muffins are not only great in the morning but also to bring with you for a mid afternoon snack.  The best part is that they are so easy to make and can be customized easily. The recipes we used are below but like I said, almost anything works in these!  

We cooked up a package of Trader Joes chicken breakfast sausage & a package of bacon and put one or the other in all of the muffins.  We also sauteed a package of mushrooms and an onion together.  Just pour a little bit of the egg mixture in the muffin tin, add the ingredients you like and then pour more of the mixture on top, leaving about 1/2 inch from the top.   You can get creative here, almost any ingredient would work.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until done). 

MEXICAN PALEO MUFFIN VARIATION:
allow about 1/2 egg for each cup

• bell pepper & onion,  sauteed + diced
  
• black beans, just a few (optional)
• breakfast sausage, cubed up
• cholula, added to the egg mixture ( you DO know what cholula is, RIGHT??)
• green onions, diced on top
• cilantro, in the egg mixture & garnish on top
• tomatos, chopped

*BAKE- 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until done).


HAM/TURKEY PALEO CUP MUFFIN VARIATION:
allow about 1/2 egg for each cup

• turkey or ham lunch meat, sliced thick
• breakfast sausage, cubed up
• crumbled up bacon bits, cooked
• mushrooms & onions, sauteed
• green onion, diced on top
• tomatos

we made a few of them lined with sliced turkey and some without, just to give some variation.  The edges of the ham/turkey will get crispy when baked.

*BAKE- 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until done).

We got a FoodSaver for Christmas this year and it has been amazing!  It vac-packs food to prevent it from getting freezer burned, which always would happened to us & we would end up tossing a bunch of food out each month!  We made a couple dozen of these egg muffins to freeze, making them a healthy snack to take to work. 

I usually go with my lower abdomen when thinking about where to put my sensor each week, but also wanted to try out other areas that a few readers suggested awhile back, and wanted to give my stomach a break.  It's currently in the back area of my arm and so far it seems to work pretty good. It isn't as accurate as when it is on my stomach, but much much more comfortable. 

I am not one to go to the doctor much, except to get my blood work done.  Well, mostly just to get my A1C checked but last year I still had money in my flex budget for healthcare expenses, so I thought I would try an at home A1C kit.  It comes with two tests and I think it was roughly $30, so depending on co-pays and lab fees, it might be well worth doing it at home.  Also, it is only a regular finger stick versus having blood drawn. 

Since I am typically most interested in my A1C, I think this could be a viable option for me to do maybe every other three month cycle.  However, I am not too sure how reliable these are.  I had a 6.9 A1C last year and then a couple weeks later had blood drawn again and had a 7.2 A1C.  Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with these kits? 

I found my kit this weekend in a box of diabetes supplies from our move to Canada and I decided to see how I was doing.  I am kinda bummed and feel a little disappointed.  I really thought I would be below 7.0, but then the reading came back with a 7.2, it was depressing!  I have been really trying hard and I have kept myself to a pretty strict diet (more lately).  I wear my Dexcom and have been having some really steady days.  Overall, it is just frustrating, I'm sure you can understand.