Before I got Soolin, my awesome Golden Retriever, I spent a couple of years running regularly for my health. It was pretty great – I was as slim as I’ve ever been as an adult, and in absolutely superb cardio shape. I was running this ~4 mile loop at least 3 times a week, and sometimes as often as 5. The move to NY and Soolin moving in with me mostly got me out of the habit, though I’ve tried now and again to restart including this spring. I thought of this today because of this recent study from the Stanford University School of Medicine that basically concluded ‘running is really good for you, long term.’ It’s worth a quick look.

Eat your broccoli. It’s already well known that broccoli is great for you, with its high fiber content, high vitamin c content, suggestions that it’s an effective cancer fighter. Now there’s evidence that it may be really helpful for folks with diabetes and heart disease. Eating green veggies in general is fantastic for your overall health – making sure broccoli is a big part of the mix is even better. Fortunately I love the stuff, cooked or raw, and already eat a lot of it.

I knew the headline ‘Good Cholesterol dementia risk’ was going to be a problem when I saw it, and clicking through proved me right. Research in Europe suggests a link between a lack of “good” (HDL) cholesterol and poor memory functions. Anyone who knows me knows I have a terrible memory for details. What they may not know is I have a chronic problem with low HDL cholesterol. When I was first diagnosed with diabetes years ago, my HDL/LDL ratio was atrocious, and despite years of experimenting with various diet and drug regimens, the highest I’ve ever gotten my HDL is 20. Anything below 40 is considered a risk for heart disease. I’ve been as low as 12. The only good thing about all this is I probably won’t remember it’s a problem in a month or two

The article’s over here, for those who are curious.

Some time ago I linked to a research study suggesting that eating curries helps stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s. Now there’s evidence that it can also help combat the effects of diabetes and obesity. Specifically, compounds found in Tumeric, a spice often used in curries, show promise. There are more details over on sciencedaily.com if you’re curious.

So this is only preliminary, and I’m a bit suspicious of one of the sponsors, but still, this BBC article covers research suggesting that drinking black teas can have beneficial effects for type 2 diabetics. Since I already like black tea this becomes an easy one for me.

And not for the reasons you think! There’s a lot of research on amphibians and type 2 diabetes these days because of the way they’re able to metabolize sugars. There’s a story over on the BBC covering research into a compound found in the secretion on the skin of a species of frog in south america shows promise for new drug treatments. Worth a quick read if you’re obsessed with diabetes-related news like me.

Here’s a potential game changer. Type 2 diabetes is not as well understood as Type 1. Recent research demonstrates a correlation between skeletal system’s secretion of a hormone and the metabolization of sugars. This is interesting on a couple of levels, first because it provides additional insight and avenues of research for understanding Type 2 Diabetes, and because it offers clues that there may be new possibilities for treatments.

It’s a single study, and a very small sample size, but still, this report on webmd
about a study demonstrating increased blood sugars in type 2 diabetics who use caffeine was a major bummer for me. Coffee is my number 1 vice these days, and it’s also the way I feed my sweet tooth. One small study is not enough to change my ways, but it means now I need to watch for more research in this area, and man what a bummer

And it’s true! According to this piece on the BBC News site covering research from the University of Wisconsin, drinking stout regularly provided dogs with reduced clogging in their arteries. Works for me – I already regularly drink stouts, this just makes it an easier decision to make when I’m choosing what to drink.

Here’s a super handy resource I use frequently – it’s a database maintained by the USDA that lists the nutritional contents of foods, both commercially prepared packaged foods and the raw materials they’re made of. I use it to check the carb counts of foods, but it’s useful to anyone trying to figure out what’s in a given food, from a twinkie to a stalk of celery. The interface isn’t much to look at but it’s speedy and has a ton of content.

A research study has shown that a tablespoon of buckwheat honey is more effective as a cough suppressant than cough syrup and more effective than the primary ingredient in cough syrup.