Healthy living is a habit. Spontaneity may be more fun but predictable, on-going habits ensure a more healthful lifestyle.
Good habits can do as much to help as bad habits can do harm. It takes a deliberate intent and plan to form those good habits. Continue reading
“Should I stop taking Avandia?” is probably the top question among diabetics prescribed the drug. The question arises on the heels of the FDA decision to restrict the medication and require documentation of the explanation of risks to the patient.
According to the FDA there is no strong link between Avandia and heart disease although there are many questions which need to be answered. Therefore the government has decided to restrict its availability.
If you are taking Avandia you should not suddenly stop taking it. Instead, contact your prescriber as soon as possible and seek guidance from him. It may be that your condition is such that Avandia is a wise choice. Of course it is also possible that you can change. But it is very important that your decision be made with your health care provider.
This is a perfect example of the need to cooperatively manage your own health with the assistance of your health care professional.
Diabetics should know that Avandia (rosiglitazone) has been restricted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and by European regulators. Concern over the type 2 diabetes drug have been mounting due to apparent cardiovascular complications that could develop in users of the drug. The evidence is not clear but until better safety evidence is provided the FDA has restricted its use. Present users should not suddenly stop the drug but should consult their health care providers immediately to determine a safe course of action.
From the FDA’s Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research:
“The evidence pointing to a cardiovascular ischemic risk with rosiglitazone is not robust or consistent (see Discussion of Available Safety Data below). Nevertheless, there are multiple signals of concern, from varied sources of data, without reliable evidence that refutes them. Additionally, evidence available to date, including a randomized trial in high-risk individuals4, does not reveal a signal of cardiovascular ischemic risk with the other thiazolidinedione (TZD)-class drug available on the US market, pioglitazone. Therefore, based on this safety information, it is necessary to restrict access to rosiglitazone until more substantial evidence of its safety becomes available.”
The FDA decision does not prevent users from continuing to take Avandia but does require that physicians explain and document the risks of taking the drug.
Avandia’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline had the following response from GSK Cheif Medical Officer Dr. Ellen Strahlman:
“The company continues to believe that Avandia is an important treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes and is now working with the FDA and EMA to implement the required actions. GSK will also work closely with other regulatory agencies to comply with any decisions made by them regarding rosiglitazone-containing medicines. GSK will voluntarily cease promotion of Avandia in all the countries in which it operates and will continue to respond to requests for information and support from healthcare professionals and patients.”
Avandia can be prescribed alone or in combination with the generic metformin in a product called Avandamet. There is no apparent issue with metformin when taken alone but combined with Avandia warrants a call to your prescriber.
Friday and Saturday are my off days. So I made the best of Friday morning with a about an hour walk through a nearby park here in Daphne, Alabama. It’s part of the Eastern Shore Trail which is a beautiful trek from Mobile, Alabama, across Mobile Bay and then south from Spanish Fort, through Daphne and Fairhope and then ends near Foley, Alabama.
So what’s the big deal? I was exercising! I spend most of my day sitting at a desk. When I get the chance to be outside and expend a little energy I do. You should too.
During my hour walk I boosted my heart rate and burned calories. In a small way I caused my body’s cells to become more sensitive to insulin and thus lower my blood sugar. Along the way I saw some beautiful sites and made a few pics. It was quite enjoyable.
You see fitness and diabetic health means more that a grueling gym session or depriving yourself of good food. A small increase in activity can make all the difference.
When I got back to the truck after my walk, I had a sense of accomplishment for doing something for myself. What about you?
Understanding nutrition labels is important for good health. Since what you eat is so important to maintaining the proper balance of calories and nutrients you must know exactly what is in your food. In the United States food manufacturers and packagers are required to provide accurate labeling for their products. One exception is for products bought in larger quantities not for resale. These are items you might purchase at Sam’s or some other wholesale club. The labeling will be on the package which contains the individual packages but not on those packages themselves. Another exception is the sale of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat products. Processed foods will have the label. Information is still available for non-labeled products. The website nutritiondata.org is a great resource for nutritional labeling.
I have a love/hate relationship with the leg press machine at the gym. I hate the pain that I know it will bring but I love the feeling of accomplishment when I beat it. I set my weights and reps and get to work. The only question: Will I finish or will I quit?
I usually do three sets of 20. The first set isn’t too bad. But midway through the second my quads are burning. The burn is worse on either side of knee. I mean it feels like it’s smoking, As soon as I finish the second set I stop for about 45 seconds and stretch a little. I have linguine legs and just hope I don’t embarrass myself by falling on the girl on the machine next door.
The third set is killer. At about the 7th or 8th rep I hear that voice: “Just stop at 12. You’ve done good. It’s been a hard day.”
So here’s the choice, finish the set or quit?
I want to finish – to complete what I started – to win. To finish is always best. It means I did not give up. Surrender is for another day but not today.
Don’t quit. Listen to the good voice, the one that says, “You can do this. Just a little more!” Then you will have the feeling of victory. You will have accomplished your task and can rest well.
There is no victory for the quitter. The greatest athletes do not know the meaning of the word. They will not stop until they have won. The reason championship ball games are so much fun is because the challenge is heightened. A victory over a tough opponent is better because there was the chance of failure – the chance of collapse, of surrender.
The quitter sleeps and dreams of what could be. The winner slumbers in peace with dreams of victory.
To beat the BellyMonster you must reject surrender. Every day brings a new challenge. Who will win? Sometimes the battle is day-by-day but often it is hour-by-hour or even minute by minute.
The choices we make will make us a quitter or finisher. What will it be? As for me, I plan to finish and win!
I just came from the YMCA. I noticed some people that I really respect who were working out. These probably are not the people you may be thinking of but they are giants to me.
I respect anyone fighting to improve their health and well-being. It’s not about looks but about self respect and determination. It’s intimidating to enter the world of atlas-like men and zero body fat women. But these people do it every day. Keep it up!
The path to good health is rarely a straight line. The diabetic knows that there are pitfalls and troubles along the way. I’ve struggled with good health for most all of my life and along the way I have distilled 10 reasons why I fail. I think you will agree.
Weight loss is an intensely personal challenge. We don’t loose weight because someone else wants us to. In fact we all know that any weight loss plan predicated on pleasing someone else is doomed to fail.
But last week brought stories of a government plan to monitor the body mass index of every American. I am not sure whether we should be concerned but at the moment I am not too worried about it. Many experts are beginning to question BMI as a measure of health.
My BMI is right about 40 which is much to high under any circumstance. I am reducing it not because of the government but because I need to and I want to. Health is about me – period. Unless I decide to drop the pounds nothing will happen.
Several years ago we began to hear about “sin taxes.” These are local, state and federal taxes added to things like tobacco and alcohol products. Now the idea is spreading. There is chatter in Illinois that the state should place a tax, of up $1.20 on 2 liter sugar drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and the like. The reasoning is that a higher tax will drive down consumption and create a healthier populace. This is foolish thinking. In the first place, it is not the governments job to hold my hand and tell me what I should and should not drink. It is an assault on the free market which provides only those goods people want. We should let individuals make those decisions.
Sugared drinks are not healthy but in moderation most people do ok. But the individual must make up his own mind. In the case of children I think they have parents? The government is not my nannie and needs to get out of the way.
Since too much red meat can raise cholesterol and triglycerides levels I wonder if we should slap a tax on the Chicago stockyards? Bet Illinois would love that!
