The FDA warned that certain diabetics under certain conditions should not use certain test strips to determine their blood sugar. Though this page is not for those undergoing such treatment, you might take a look at MedPage's article on this.  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/15538

So, bloodsugar reaching 167 yesterday (see Editor's Brown Rice Diet, below), your alert editor suspended his Brown Rice diet, to be resumed if and when he ever gets down to 240 pounds. MUST get bloodsugar down. A friend, diagnosed with diabetes years ago, recently went off all his medications. He says his fasting bloodsugar is below 100 and that he is on a no-carb diet.

So, here goes: On July 11, 2009, your editor began a no-carb diet. NO CARBOHYDRATES. Period. None. No beer. No Guinness. No nothing, except meat/fish/cheese/eggs (and anything else he finds with no carbs), and except vegetables such as collard Greens, Avocado, Spinach, Chard and Broccoli, which have more fiber than carbs. And except hard liquor, now and then. (Your editor is no God). The plan is to try to keep fiber in the diet. The goal is to lose weight and drop fasting bloodsugar levels.

First full no-carb day was yesterday, (July 11, 2009) and this morning your editor's fasting blood sugar was down to 137. Better than 167, I suppose, but still way too high. So here goes.

"New studies have shown a "possible link" between the use of the diabetes treatment Lantus and cancer, a European diabetes association said Friday as it made an "urgent call" for more research."

For more info, see the article by Jeanne Whalen and Peter Loftu in the June 27, 2009 Wall Street Journal.

The goal of your editor's new diet/life style is to eat only brown rice - without doing too much damage to his ever-so-sparse social life, i.e. while continuing to enjoy an occasional cigar and Guinness. There are two parts to this:

A, Discretionary eating: Will-power permitting, no solid food other than brown rice (including occasional restaurant fried rice), olive oil, garlic salt, and occasional apricots, blueberries, greens and fish (preferably salmon) should grace your lips. If at a restaurant and acceptable food is not on the menu, eat a salad.

B. Non-Discretionary eating: If a prepared meal is served at a function you are attending, or when you are a guest at someone's home, eat what is put in front of you. Keep the EESQ diet rules in mind here. If you have not lost enough to be at your ideal weight, and can politely do so, pass on desert and starches.

C. The foregoing could probably be put into circle (bullseye) format, with brown rice in the center, salad/vegetables in the next circle, fish in the third, meat in the fourth and so on, the goal being to hit the bullseye.

Of course, it is important that you check with your doctor before undertaking any new diet. Now, here are the results of your editor's attempts at this lifestyle: (specific day-before cheating is noted at side)

(WEIGHT, FASTING BLOODSUGAR, CHEATING) - 2009