I am looking around PubMed for other agents and found this:


Also another mineral has been looked at-- vanadyl sulfate.

However, I've been a bit leary of vanadyl sulfate.


There is really no concrete information about taking vanadium/vanadyl sulfate and the effects it has on bipolar disorder/mania.

This is what the PDR has to say:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/altme...&contentId=528

The University of Maryland is also guarded about this substance:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vanadium-000330.htm

Thank you everyone; special thanks to Mrs. D for the research.
Shelly, you asked if I have been dx'd with inulin resistence.
No...but I have been very curious since I gain weight unusually easily, especially after ingesting sugar. I am VERY careful with reference to the amount of calories I eat daily and I exercise regularly. However, I do have a sweet tooth. So, every few days, I might have some sugar. On these days, I might gain a pound. Sometimes, this pound does NOT come off and I am amazed...given that I eat small portions of healthy food the great majority of the time and do a LOT of walking on the treadmill (sometimes I jog). Most of my weight is in my stomach and I am prone to high blood pressure although I am taking a small amount of high blood pressure medication and getting good results with that.

I think I am getting stubborn or frustrated with all the supplements I am taking. Therefore, with certain things I am not consistent. However, lately I have been consistently taking chromium picolate and I think it is helping a little. I have a combo acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement that I take a few times a week. IT's hard to say if this is helping. I also put cinnamon in my tea and/or coffee a couple of times a week (don't drink much of these things). I've gotten some slight improvement.

Will take another look at taurine with inositol. Are these two supplements to be taken at night? If I recall correctly, when I tried them in the past, they made me a little sleepy.

I gained a pound... in one day like that... I think that is water weight gain,
not tissue.

I take my taurine in the morning. My husband takes his inositol in the morning too. Neither of us notice any sedation. I can't tolerate high doses every day
of inositol however. So I don't take it as often. It makes me jittery/over reactive.

Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only.
The R-lipoic acid I find, jazzes me up like caffeine, so I can't take that at night. I take my SAMe in the morning. Any B-complex and/or folate take early in the day.

In general when your insulin is working better, you will feel less tired, esp after eating. Anything high carb also creates sedation...because it stimulates serotonin. So save your "treats" for dinner (later in the day).

I find a high protein breakfast is best for me. I then eat a smaller lunch (sometimes much smaller) and a small dinner. I work best on a good solid
meal for breakfast. A high carb breakfast is just a bummer for me..I can go back to bed on one.

As far as cinnamon goes, only the CASSIA form has shown usefulness.
Cinnamon spice may be a mixture of other types.
And you need at least 2 grams a day.
This explains the types:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia
If purchased in capsule form, you can read the label and see what you are getting. Spice from the grocery store may not be what you think.
types:
http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/zimt/zimt.htm

Dr. Jensen-Kittley recommends both inositol and taurine in her book and online.
http://www.obesitysanswer.com/
That is where I found them!

Mrs. D.

You said:

"Methyl B12 and tryptophan can sedate. Take at night only"

I've been taking the Methyl B-12 when I first wake up in the morning (on an empty stomach). I believe I read this on the boards, that this is the way to take it. It gives me a lot of energy.

Now am I nuts, or did I read you correctly?? You say to take Methyl B-12 at night?? I know that tryptophan (the stuff in turkey), makes you sleepy, that's why everybody wants to sleep after Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

But why does Methyl B sedate a person?.

Never happened to me. It gives me energy.

Did I read you correctly?

Also, can you explain about the Cornell thing. I know they stopped the intensive part of the study and moved everybody over to the conservative part, because some people died of heart attacks when their a1c got lowered.

I really don't understand why this is so.

Isn't the a1c supposed to be lower than when one started in the study?? And what does that have to do with the heart??

If you could explain this, when you get a moment, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks much.

Melody

1) MethylB12 helps me sleep. It always has. It is the helper agent for the synthesis of melatonin from serotonin, which is the sleep hormone.
The other reason I take at night, is because it has to be on an empty stomach.
And that is when I am most empty. (I take a handful of other things first thing
in the morning, and don't want competition for the B12 absorption, etc.

2) Mel, you have to understand that our bodies are not cars. They do not
all perform according to someone else's plan. The theory to keep A1c at a certain level....is only a theory. Keeping blood sugar low, when the tissues need it as we age may upset some balance that our tissues need. It may put some kind of stress signals out, increase stress hormones which then hurt the heart. Or some other explanation we don't understand yet.

Medicine is a very imperfect discipline. There is little or no proof that lowering cholesterol past a chosen number will do anything. In fact lowering it too far can cause strokes. Now my doctor is pushing for getting my diastolic blood pressure to 70 instead of 80 and I can't function that low...can't do aerobics, or climb stairs. Already I am getting orthostatic hypotension standing up suddenly. We just argued about this on Weds. Just because some new idea came up and says keep that number LOWER.... Well, diabetics are dying on the aggressive ACCORD program, so I am not buying that a diastolic of 70 is good for me and quality of MY life.

Wow, thanks so much for explaining.

When I go to the Accord program, and my blood pressure was 102/62, they would all hoot and holler. I once said: 'why on earth are you hootin and hollering, I always thought that 120/70 was normal. I was then told: 'well, we now know that lower numbers are better, and especially for diabetics".

so they lowered the expected normal blood glucose level (I believe it used to be if you went over 150 they thought you were a diabetic). Now it seems if you are 105, or 110, they say "Oh you are pre-diabetic".

I'd like to know who to believe.

I know that we need cholesterol (some cholesterol) in our bodies. That's why I eat eggs once in a while (and for the choline for my brain). I want my brain to keep doing it's things.

I got my sugar down to 130 this morning. Believe me I was thrilled because, lately for whatever reason, it was 162, then 144. And all in the space of 30 seconds. I changed the batteries in my meter. Same thing happened.

Then I began taking the chromium picolinate. Started about 5 days ago. And I know it can't work that fast. Supposed to take 2 or 3 months to see any improvements. Well, when I go from 162 to 130, to me, that's a good thing. I don't know if I'll ever get down to 100. (Wouldn't that be something).

I lost about 7 lbs. That also lowers the blood sugar I've been told. A few pounds here and there, well that can amount to a better reading. That's fine by me.

Alan's blood sugar never goes over 85. NEVER. He's had more blood tests than I can remember. His blood pressure never changes either. The visiting nurse says "wow, this guy's pressure is always 100/60. EVERY TIME SHE COMES. It's amazing.

That has always been his pressure, even before he got the stent. He never had any kind of pressure problems.

I am to go to Cornell next week. I'm hoping to move it to the following friday because guess what?? ALAN GOT APPROVED FOR THE C.R.O.W. boot.

He gets it next thursday. So we shall see if he THEN CAN GO OUT OF THE HOUSE AND GO PLACES WITH ME.

For now, he's ordered to stay on the couch and not put any pressure on the foot ulcer. It's not bled for 7 days. But we've been through this before. As soon as he starts walking anywhere, the darn thing bleeds.

So his ortho feels "this taks a long long time to heal". "He needs a C.R.O.W. boot. I had never heard of it. But I have looked it up. It locks the ankle in place so he can't walk as he would like to walk. He has to walk a certain way.

so I guess we wait and watch.

Thanks so much for all the information on the a1c. I really am learning more and more every day from you.

Oh, I have two questions for you about juicing. I have NOT JUICED in 5 days (I was juicing vegetables and a small slice of apple), telling myself "well it's not fruit). Then when my sugar was 162, I said "better stop even this, wait until you find out if you can juice ANYTHING".

So here's question Number 1. Can juicing zucchini, celery, parsley, and any other green thing, along with a bit of apple, well can that raise one's blood sugar (or is everybody different, and there's no way to know except by trial and error???)

And the second question is: "I bought papaya enzymes from GNC". I was told "chew three of these", and whatever you eat, these will aid in digestion, and your body will absorb more nutrients than if you didn't take these enzymes."

These are really cheap at GNC, and they taste fine. But I have no idea if these 3 little chewable pills, well I don't know if they impact one's sugar. I mean, it's a fruit, I know, but it's not juice, and it's not concentrated, right?

Do you ever use these papaya enzymes??

Thanks much for taking the time to set us all straight about vitamins, and nutrition. It's much appreciated, believe me.

I've applied everything you have ever written.

Here is a recent example from Science News which came this week.

It is about diabetes....and why some people with tight control still get
serious other medical consequences, and some diabetics who do NOT have
tight control, have no serious consequences....it is about certain genes in their DNA.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/gene..._for_diabetics
This is a short quote, in case the link does not work, for non-members.

Now concerning the juicing...

The reason you are allowed an apple instead of an orange...is that the pectin/fiber of the apple, slows down the absorption of the natural sugars the apple has. All veggies also have some natural sugars. They lose their diabetic usefulness when juiced as well. (fiber removed by juicing)
I'd use the juicer for a once a day thing. Mix up your greens, etc for their antioxidant value...but do not drink these all day long, as they will affect your blood sugar.

As far as blood pressure goes.... I am not eager to lower mine to a value BELOW what I was when I was young and trim. I have never been below
80 diastolic, even in my middle trimester pregnant.
I am not intending to stumble around dizzy and weak with brain fog to achieve a 70 at this point in my life. Quality of life is important to me. What good is 70 if I can't get around and do things? Living like a slug and sleeping all the time?

Mrs. D...

I take my B50 and additional B12 in the morning. I might experiment taking the B12 at night. However, so far...I haven't detected a problem with taking them in the morning. I DO really like those B vitamins!

I do think this weight gain is largely water weight. This week I was religious taking the chromium and things were clearly better. I even ate some rice (found a great...more yummy and easy...product) and I normally don't indulge and did not have to pay my normal price. However, I also did not eat much actual sugar. My gut tells me to "watch out" for sugar due to the consistency with problems there.
Do you happen to know what supplements or foods act as diuretics?
I had a veggie smoothie the other day...cucumber, spinach, celery and ginger and actually that seem to help. However, it was NOT the most tasty thing I have ever had in my life. I had this in the morning...a huge drink and it filled me up. Usually, I too have protein in the morning and it is a great choice. Really filling.

RE: CASSIA
I checked at iherb. Saw lots of oils. Can you further elaborate?

Also, is there some sort of "combo" inositol and taurine product out there? I really like my acetyl L cartine alpha lipoic acid supplement combo and plan on taking it regularly.

Here is one that indicates it is for sleep (which is interesting, because I thought either T or I in the past made me sleepy): http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=1344
I don't know about the other ingredients listed...

All these supplements are making me batty...combo pills make sense to me. Even if they are not "perfect" it reduces the chances that I'm going to forget something or get overly frustrated.



Thank you.

Well, seems you are finding some solutions...
Taurine does not affect me one way or the other, sedation-wise.

The R-lipoic is vastly superior to alpha lipoic... I suggest when your combo is gone you switch to plain acetyl-carnitine and get the r-lipoic instead.
This will really put gas in your tank! It is like 4 cups of coffee for me!
So take it only in the morning.

I only know that the "cassia" version is the one used in the studies.
There are many kinds of cinnamon... I put that up in links.

The best diuretic I have found is the benfotiamine I started several months ago. Before-- I used to use Lasix twice a week, and after taking would go to the bathroom for hours...sometimes 6-8 visits.. I felt like I lost 10 lbs each time. But I hate diuretics since they upset my magnesium balance. Then I get thirsty later the next day.

Since starting the benfotiamine--- the Lasix does not get rid of any fluid anymore! This is very liberating. Even the doctor loved my trim ankles...she was surprised. (they never swelled much anyway --it is my hands that typically swell up).

High dose vit C will also act as a diuretic.

I have seen various foods listed, but I never had personal experience with them as useful. You can Google that.
What WILL help is removing foods that you are REACTING to...
The book Obesity's Answer by Dr. Jensen-Kittley goes into this in detail.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Obe...2479912/?itm=3
She has an elimnation diet that has lost water weight in her friends and patients up to 30lb a month! DRAMATIC... But the diet is VERY restrictive. This is the LAST diet book you will ever need!

I find the elimination diet brutal actually. Each person may react to only certain things...and not others. The trick is finding YOUR triggers. For example, I never realized I was reacting to onions...which I always used heavily. So now I rarely cook with them.

This is exactly what ws happening to me Mrsd....I would immediately want to and need to sleep after a meal. That symptom combined with the two hour glucose insulin test showed insulin resistance. And diabetes runs rampant in my family when women get to their 50's.