Showing posts with label eyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eyes. Show all posts
Metformin and PCOS Taking the Plunge with Googly Eyes
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all." -- J.K. Rowling
Ive been on every diet, I think. Every way of eating, or not eating, or thinking... or approaching. Ive had the most success with intuitive eating, and with mindful control of carbohydrates, or lowered carbohydrate eating... and I stick to that.
People will say do this, do that, do the other... youre not doing it right, you ought to do x, y, and z... (while they ought to shut their pie holes.)
Ive been on the chicken and lettuce diet, the LA diet, the beat juice diet, the LA Juice Fast diet... The 700 calorie a day, 36 grams of carbohydrate starvation diet... Weight Watchers, Doctors Weight Loss, etc, etc...
You name it.
But with intuitive eating, and lower carb eating, Ive lost the most weight and kept the most weight off long term -- AND, been happy.
Time passes by, however... and not in vain. Im no longer 15.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is taking its toll on me, and while Ive fought hard... with exercise, lowered carbs, birth control, and supplements for 20 YEARS.... I am now ready to admit that I need some help with it, and start a regular course of Metformin on top of my birth control regimen, and my Inositol.
A lot of people might see this as some sort of failure, or disappointment, but its not. Its just a next step in management -- and in GOOD health. And my blood glucose numbers are fine, actually... But the hair that keeps camping on my face (while leaving my head), the continuous acne, darkening Acanthosis Nigricans around my neck, and the weight Ive been putting on are NOT. I have MORE than paid my dues... and Im quite happy to accept some help so that I dont spend more hours than I need to plucking hair. >:S
I dont feel bad about this decision; I actually feel quite relieved... I feel like maybe my ovaries wont get crushed under this weight, and I might have a chance (not that I want to, right now) to have a brat or two, one day. Who knows.
Or... maybe I might find a man who loves me and gets to see me while I actually still look like a woman -- and not, you know... like Homer Simpson. (Though there might be men out there who like the Homer Simpson look... Again, who knows.)
In any case, I am officially on Met... and no, my goal is not to get off of it, somehow. I will likely never get off of it. Even if my blood sugars are perfect; even if I weigh a 100 lbs. PCOS is a vicious disease... And in these 20 years, Ive been so many different weights, its not even funny. 170, 128, 190, 142, 248, 170... I know its not going to go away, magically, with the next Dr. Douchebags Book of Eat Green Raw Crap From the Ground, and Cure All Your Ailments with Monkey Poop.
So... why not do the NEXT best thing? Yes, I know you know...
PUT GOOGLY EYES ON THAT BIG ASS BOTTLE OF METFORMIN.
One should always put googly eyes on things one is hesitant to trust
Whats in your pill and supplement arsenal? Ill show you mine, if you show me yours...
Eyes eye care
Monday, January 27, 2014
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| eyes |
Most computer users suffer from the problem of tired eyes, eyestrain, dark circles and headaches– when eyes feel achy, weak, or heavy due to intense use of computer. Fortunately, it is not a disease, and does not require medical treatment – but it never hurts to know how to prevent it.
Studies have shown that stress, active nightlife and above all, the fact that most of us spend maximum time in front of the computer lead to dark circles, puffed and tired eyes. Timely eye test & treatment is essential for such difficulties.
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| Tired Eyes |
Specifically with computer users, physical and visual discomfort is experienced by many after just a few hours in front of computers. It appears that PC users suffer from repetitive stress of their eyes and want an immediate solution to revive the tired eyes.
Studies show that most computer users start to feel eye-muscle stress after two or more hours at the computer. This usually starts with tired eyes. With more time at the computer, discomfort frequently spreads to the head resulting in headaches, burning of the eyes, blurred vision, loss of focus, double vision, and neck and shoulder pains. Before it is too late, your stressed out eyes need to be relaxed and revitalized so that you feel fresh later in the day.
Tips to reduce eyestrain
Modify your workstation. Adjust your workstation and chair to the correct height.
Use proper lighting.
Match the computer screen to the brightness of the environment. The contrast between the background and on-screen characters should be high.
Minimize the glare. Use window shades, blinds or drapes to block excessive sunlight or install an anti-glare screen to minimize lections.
Take frequent breaks. Full-time computer users should take a 10 minute break every hour.
Blink more often. Tears in the eye evaporate more rapidly during long non-blinking phases and cause dry eyes.
Get an eye examination or eye test done.
Re-focus your eyes. Look away from your computer screen every 10-15 minutes and focus for 5-10 seconds on a distant object.
Exercise even when sitting. Move about or exercise frequently.
Chamomile Tea May Lower Blood Glucose and Reduce Damage to Eyes Nerves and Kidneys
Friday, January 24, 2014
Its not a panacea. Diet and exercise play a larger role in mitigating complications of diabetes. But if you enjoy tea, or are open to having a cup with meals, choosing one with chamomile may help you manage your diabetes.A study from the September 10 issue of the American Chemical Societys Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported:1
"These results clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications."The researchers, from Japan and the United Kingdom, fed a chamomile hot water extract to diabetic mice for 21 days, after which the chamomile-fed rats blood glucose was found to be 26% lower than that of control diabetic mice. (I cant tell if they measured a fasting glucose. It looks like they did, since they er to glucose in the blood being derived from liver glycogen. In fact, one of their suggested mechanisms for blood glucose reduction was inhibition of hepatic glycogen breakdown. Indeed, chamomile-fed rats had consistently higher levels of liver glycogen, as did those who received quercetin, one of chamomiles major flavonoid components.)
The enzyme aldose reductase (ALR2) was also found to be inhibited by the chamomile extract. ALR2 converts glucose to sorbitol. In people with diabetes, sorbitol accumulates in greater amounts in cells and has been implicated in the development of cataracts, retinopathy, nerve damage, and kidney damage.
A few related points the study made:
"Chamomile is one of the richest sources of dietary antioxidants. [These compounds] are soluble in hot water, and the amounts obtained from frequent consumption of tea are not negligible."I just added chamomile tea to my shopping list.
"There is substantial evidence that these compounds have suppressive activity on oxidative damage to skins, membranes, proteins, and DNA by inhibiting free radical scavenging activity and contribute to protection against chronic health disorders such as atherosclerosis and hypertension."
"A recent study demonstrated that chamomile plant extract suppresses the growth of human cancer cells."
1 Protective Effects of Dietary Chamomile Tea on Diabetic Complications (HTML - abstract) (PDF - full article)
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