The Indiscriminate, Transcendental Low Blood Sugar

By Ryan Fightmaster on Mar 5, 2015

Photo Credit: Red Dirt Ruminations

Peace. Focus. Confidence. Ask a person with diabetes if those words are associated with low blood sugar. You’ll get a resounding no. If we look at it from the perspective of the brain’s energy needs in blood, 20 percent of each heart beat heads to that squishy mass. In that blood is energy in the form of sugar. Cut down the energy source to your brain and lose functioning power, like the ability to focus.

Science is wonderful. Yet, the phrase Albert Einstein is often credited with, Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted, applies here. (more…)

Zen and the Art of Diabetes Management, Part I

By Ryan Fightmaster on Sep 18, 2014

I’ll admit that I could be more without diabetes. Not acknowledging that, to be blunt, is ignorant. Don’t mistake me, I subscribe to the power of positive thinking, knowing that it improves the quality of each moment. However, I will not use that methodology to convince myself that my life is better with the disease.

Diabetes is a grind, never ceasing. Yet, it’s forged who we are. Most of us will give it responsibility for great things in our lives. Still though, deep down, on occasion or daily, we ask the question, “Could we be more without it?” Being content knowing that we could, that’s the Zen in diabetes. (more…)

How Going Vegan Changed My Type 1 Diabetic Life

By Ryan Fightmaster on Sep 4, 2014

In one year, my life with type 1 diabetes changed in ways I never thought possible.

After 12 months of eating a plant-based diet, my insulin needs decreased by 50%. As a 24 year old with Type 1 diabetes, I injected on average 60 units of insulin per day. Now at 25, I dial up 30 units per day. While defying conventional wisdom, I achieved these results while doubling my carbohydrate intake – effectively increasing carbohydrate consumption from 100 to 200 grams per day.

For those not familiar with Type 1 diabetes, let me clarify. People with Type 1 diabetes make no insulin. Every carbohydrate I eat is compensated for with insulin. We with diabetes do not know why our pancreas went on permanent vacation, but it did. I can exercise, eat right, and meditate until the proverbial cows come home, and I will still be using insulin.

How then, can we explain that I am eating more carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes) but taking less insulin? (more…)