Those who know me know that I have had Type II diabetes for about 10 years now. My blood sugars & A1Cs were fine, year after year when I had to be tested yearly for my husband's insurance. Only when I broke my back (shattered the L-1 vertebrae & bulged the disc between L-4 & 5) did I develop diabetes.  It was due to the trauma of it all, which affected my endocrine system, so they say.

I've been taking Metformin for the 10 years now, having added long-acting insulin twice during the years...once about 4 years ago & once this year. The insulin works for about 3-4 weeks & then my blood sugar starts to go up.  It keeps rising with every insulin increase I take until I stop taking the insulin at 6 weeks, which then results in my blood sugar dropping quickly.  Crazy, I know!  My doctor (a naturalist, open to alternative medicines & herbs & such) can't figure it out either.  

But it is what it is.

My osteoarthritis has ramped up seemingly overnight, since February of this year. It went from 10 MPH to 150 MPH in a matter of a few short weeks.  It's like my body is turning against itself.  Between that and the rise in blood sugar, I can't help but believe that the two are connected somehow.  I **do not like** prescription drugs even though I do take the Metformin & then a few more for my hypertension I've had for 31 years.  Other than that, I refuse to take anything else.  I'm a retired RN & I "know things" that perhaps other non-medical folks don't know.  My doctor gets frustrated with me but he understands...for the most part, the majority of the time.  He listens to my reasoning, agrees with me much more than he doesn't, and most of all respects my thoughts & views and makes me a part of my treatment plan.  He's a gem.

Did I mention he's retiring in November?  I'm not going to let my mind go there today!

When the insulin didn't work for the second time, I decided to do a little sleuthing online for natural remedies.  I also decided to clean up my diet as far as processed foods, artificial preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors & sweeteners, & toxins such as fertilizers and pesticides.  I thought we were always pretty good about eating "clean" until I started reading the content list of the foods we were ingesting.  And oh, that Equal I was putting in my coffee everyday...and those few sugar-free vanilla wafers I would enjoy with my coffee a couple times per week!!!  Oiyyyy!!!

I can't believe how much better I feel now.  It's actually incredible.  No, my arthritis isn't gone but boy oh boy, it's better...and my blood sugar is amazingly better too.  So I thought I would share with you the supplements I take everyday, in case any of you would like to try them also.  (Legally I should  insert here:  Consult with your doctor before taking any of these.)

My doctor suggested I try Instaflex the last time I saw him. He said he takes it & it has helped his arthritis tremendously.  I gave it a whirl & I'm on my second bottle.  It doesn't take the pain away, by any means, but it does help....a lot.  I would highly recommend it.

Metformin is known to deplete the body of B-12 so I've been taking this supplement for awhile now.  My symptoms of low B-12 were eased.

I take a good ole One-A-Day vitamin also & have been taking that too for awhile.

The big one is the Liposomal Berberine by Garden of Life.  Berberine is what some folks in other countries take instead of Metformin.  You have to take enough of it though or it won't work, from what I've been reading.  This one has 1,000 mg in two capsules, the suggested dosage.  I take one in the morning & one about supper time. It also contains chromium which studies show helps a lot to reduce blood sugar.  I take this along with my Metformin and I'll be dipped...my sugar has dropped significantly.  

Some studies show a strong link between the artificial sweeteners & increased blood sugar also, so cutting those out completely has probably helped as well.

Anyway, it was on my heart to share this information with all of you today.  Take it for whatever it's worth to you & I hope it helps.

Have a beautiful Sunday,  Andrea xoxo