I just returned from a trip to Tokyo for work and am finally over my jet-lag and settling back into my old routine.  It was a crazy week: not much sleep, constantly walking, and encountering carb-laden foods wherever I turned. Soba noodles for breakfast, tempura with rice for lunch, dough-covered sweetened chestnuts for a snack — it was a recipe for disaster. And indeed that’s what I thought I’d be writing about for my first post upon my return. (I ate more noodles last week than I have in years.) But here’s...

A few days ago I wrote about my son starting to wrestle.  After our first three practices, I can officially say that he loves the sport.  The coaches think that he has a good center, stays in good form and always has a smile on his face.  He is having fun, which is the most important thing to me. Last night, at the end of practice, all the kids got to participate in King of The Mat.  My son, Sam, was first up.  He was set to battle Sienna.  Yep, you guessed it, a girl.  Not just any girl, but the coach’s daughter.  The contest...

Diabetics are more susceptible to some of the more dangerous complications of both the regular seasonal flu and H1N1, also known as the swine flu. That’s why medical professionals and government agencies suggest diabetics get both types of flu vaccines. It’s also important to stay on top of blood sugar management since the illness can mask symptoms of either high or low blood sugar. U.S. News & World Report recently published an article containing a list of six things diabetics need to know about the flu: 1 – Be careful...

It wasn’t what I expected to hear at 35 years old– I was a confident, strong, happy, business developer, except for one thing—my body had failed me.  I was diabetic.  I didn’t cry about it until years later, but I was shocked to hear that the dreadful disease that had taken my father’s right leg, half his left, and his eyesight, was coming after me. My first reaction was to try to make some sense of it all.  How did I get diabetes?  I was healthy.  Ok, I was a few pounds overweight, but I worked out and worked hard. ...

When you truly know a person, you know how he thinks and you can predict his actions.  When you truly know yourself, you understand the ebbs and flows of your moods and passions.  But a disease like diabetes throws a wrench in this.  Your body begins to do things that are alien.  You don’t feel like yourself. We researchers and health care professionals use scientific knowledge to create therapies and predict disease outcomes. For the non-scientist, however, understanding the science behind the disease is every bit as useful. ...