Insights into my personal life.

This blog includes the personal details of my experiences as a recently diagnosed Type I diabetic and the impact of that diagnosis on my endurance athletic pursuits.

Please understand that I consider myself to be a work in progress. I am willing to share both my successes and failures, so please do not take my words to be professional dietary or medical advice. This is a blog, this is only a blog. I research my choices carefully, and take my health very seriously. The choices I make are my own, I am doing the best with the resources and support that I have. If you have questions or concerns feel free to comment, but please be constructive and understand that this is my life. I value it dearly.

My goal is to live a happy, healthy and active life where I can balance my internal drive to push my physical limits and the challenge of safely maintaining stability despite the challenges of Type I diabetes.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

BIG NEWS.

My first announcement is in regard to this past year. Only some of you may know that I have become a Nutrition Counseler following my recent diagnosis with type I daibetes.  Managing my Type I Diabetes is my first job, and now teaching others how to avoid continuing onto the path of Type 2 is my new job.  I deal with patients with other health issues as well, but it's shocking the high and ever increasing fraction of people who are heading that way! And the damned thing is, that this epidemic is due to previous nutritional advice to avoid saturated fat, eat whole grains, and consuming sugar is harmless.  ALL THREE OF THOSE STATEMENTS ARE FALSE!  We have all become sicker as a result.  I am so happy to be able to sit down and work with people on how to reverse this.  Prior to my diagnosis, I never would have guessed how wrong the conventional wisdom regarding nutrition actually was!  Seriously, this health issue affects nearly everybody.  I'd hate to see my friends miss out on the benefits that I have learned.  You are my friends (and family).  I care about your health.  Consider this my Public Service Announcement - for my friends.





So with that important announcement out there, onto my second BIGGER announcement.  (Again, some of you may already know).  But next year I will be participating in my 5th Ironman triathlon - and my second since diagnosis with Type I Diabetes.  On September 13, 2015 I will race Ironman Wisconsin and FUNDRAISING for a nonprofit called RIDING ON INSULIN. I will have 38 other teammates with type 1 diabetes along with a few others who are closely connection to the diabetes world (parents, family, friends - members we consider "Type Threes"). To learn more about it go to www.ridingoninsulin.org/ironman. Funds raised will help kids with type 1 diabetes go to camp.

My FUNDRAISING GOAL is $1500 as soon as possible!  I'm not dragging this fundraising thing out to keep pestering people, $1500 between the number of caring friends I have out there should be achievable. I'm asking my closest friends to donate $100 (minimum), especially you Epic folk.  As for those of you who I only see periodically I'm hoping you'll help to chip away at the total, How's $20 bucks sound? That's enough so that next time I see you in person you don't have to uncomfortably avoid eye contact.  And if this message is shared with you through a mutual friend...?  $10... $5?  Thank you!


Donate to my effort here!  https://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=334383


My PERSONAL GOAL is to demonstrate the advantages of the nutritional advice which I counsel.  I'm putting my money where my mouth is.  In my first Ironman as a diabetic I finished comfortably in the 13 hour range and fast walked most of the run.  My goal for this second effort isn't necessarily to go faster, although there is time to be gained from my walk with Bernice... My goal in 2014 is to repeat my successful blood sugar management.  If you read my race report from IMAZ 2013, you'd know I managed to maintain my blood sugar between 70 and 130.  Those numbers may not mean much to my non-diabetic friends, but it's damn impressive!  My goal here isn't to brag, but most diabetics would be happy to have that level of control on a day where they do nothing. Managing such tight control isn't due to that fact that I'm super smart or gifted, or even necessarily all that athletic.  It's simply due to the foods that I use to fuel myself.  It's actually quite simple.  Coincidentally it tastes delicious.  It's admittedly different than from what I thought "normal" food was, but knowing what I know now, even if I wasn't diabetic, I'd choose to continue to eat this way.

My goal is to share with a much larger diabetic audience, what I have learned that allows me such amazing stability.  I'll share it wiith anyone who asks.  I have a stable HbA1C of 5.1%, and my other metabolic markers have improved from already good, to better.  Of course I'll share this. If this can work for me it can work for anyone.  I won't pressure anyone - I know no one like's that guy!  I hope to simple demonstrate what I have learned.  Everyone should have the option to try this if they'd like - currently it's not even mentioned during treatment! It's not for everyone, but for those interested in athletic endeavors, I'd argue this way of eating provides performance advantages.  I do it for health reasons since it's enabled me to manage spectacular control though every event I have done since. For example, while I wasn't incredibly happy with my time at the Big Swell 2.4 mile swim this summer, I entered the water with a blood sugar of 82, and finish the race 1 hour and 14 minutes later with a 90.  That was fun!

So to summarize... Fork it over.  It's an excellent cause.  I'm not looking to make money here - it's for KIDS for crying out loud!!!  I was diagnosed as an adult, but I wouldn't have wanted to be the only diabetic kid at camp, nor would I have wanted to miss out!  I know some of you may not like kids... j/k.  Seriously, it's for kids, fork it over!  $100 close friends, $20 to be spared an awkward next meeting.   :)



Again, donate here:  https://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=334383