Melting Mama | life after weight loss surgery, because it is for life.

Tiny tattoos could help diabetics ditch needles

As a hypoglycemic with blood sugar drops all day long  (just believe me, it does) who does NOT check her blood sugar anywhere near as much as she SHOULD -- I would jump at the chance to use an alternative method of testing my glucose levels.

This is cool:

Help may be on its way for Balobeck and other diabetics who must jab themselves as many as 10 times each day to get that critical drop of blood that will reveal glucose levels and indicate whether a shot of insulin is needed.

Scientists are starting to test a kind of sensor that changes color with rising blood sugar levels. The high-tech tattoo, which is about the size of the clicker on the end of a ballpoint pen, is made up of tiny spheres that are injected into the outermost layer of skin. These nanospheres contain a special kind of ink that reacts with glucose, explains the tattoo’s inventor, Heather Clark, a biomedical engineer at Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Mass.

Although the tattoo hasn’t yet been tested in humans, the early results in mice have been very promising, Clark says.

The new sensor may be more like a mood ring than a tattoo since it reflects changes in a person’s skin. As it turns out, when blood sugar levels rise, glucose levels increase everywhere else in the body, from the eyes, to the kidneys — even to the outermost layer of the skin.

Each tattoo sensor is made up of millions of tiny rubbery beads that can be injected into the skin like the dye that makes up a regular tattoo. The beads are so small that 600 of them placed end to end could fit across the diameter of a hair.

The tiny beads are infused with two substances. One is a molecule that can pull glucose into the sphere and bind to it. The other is a special fluorescent dye. With no sugar present, the two molecules bind to each other and turn the sphere yellow. When sugar levels rise in the skin, molecules with glucose attached jettison the dye and the sphere turns purple. 

Exactly what color you see in the tattoo will depend on how much glucose is available to be grabbed out of the skin, Clark explains. A healthy level leaves the tattoo with a kind of orangey color.

In mouse experiments, the tattoo color has tracked well with blood samples, Clark says.

The next step is to try the tattoo out on diabetic mice and if that works out, the researchers will be ready to test the tattoo in people. Clark isn’t sure when that will happen, but she’s hoping it will be within the next five years.

If the research pans out, it would be a welcome change for both patients and the doctors who treat them. Even if the tattoo turned out to be a little less accurate than the blood sugar test, it would be a big help, says Dr. Rexford Ahima, an associate professor of medicine at the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania.

“If there was a painless way to allow us to monitor blood sugar, that might encourage more people to stick with their treatment,” he said.

Julia Balobeck has her fingers crossed. “I just had my birthday and at my party I had to test my blood sugar five times,” she says. “It would make my life a ton better if I didn’t have to prick my fingers anymore.”

Linda Carroll is a health and science writer living in New Jersey. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, Health magazine and SmartMoney.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33831728/ns/health-diabetes/

Optimum Protein Diet Bars

It's that time again, I am out of all things protein bar.  I tend to bring one to bed, and nibble it if I wake up with a wonky blood sugar.  Last night, I brought this up to bed with me, frankly because it was the last one left.

 

I opened it right before I went to bed, and since I don't remember having one before, I figured I would you know, take mental notes for a product review.

The flavor read:  "Fudge Truffle," so I was under the impression it might be soft and, you know, truffley inside?  I know my truffles.  Then again, descriptive flavors don't always match.  

These bars are available in:

**I believe I MIGHT HAVE had the Toasted Coconut before, from Trader Joe's?  Do they sell these?  I am going to search my archives.

ON says:

"All the goodness of our Complete Protein Diet Meal powder comes in a convenient and delicious high protein bar. The Complete Protein Diet Bar is still the same delicious protein bar you have grown to love, but is now gelatin free, sugar free, and is up to 60% lower in fat. 18 g of carbohydrates in each bar are from glycerine and other sugar alcohols."

Nor could I read the nutrition information on the wrapper in the dark, so there's THAT:

 

>200 calories, 20 grams of protein.  Woot.  However 18 carbohydrates of which MUCH is maltitol and glycerine. 

It's a laxative!  Not always a bad thing, especially for us WLS'ers who don't poop.

The bar resembled, in the dark, a dry-looking  "Powerbar," sort of small and flat. 

Maybe like this, but all dark brown, and not glossy, and this is why I take photos usually:

It had a chocolatey coating, and smelled of whey protein, I could smell it, which is my first clue.  (I have an aversion to the smell of protein, some products don't hide it well, some do.)

I took a bite.  It was disgustingly thick, dry and crumbly.  I always give a bar the benefit of the "Maybe It's Expired" before I make a rating, but, it wasn't.  I also give it a "Maybe It's just Not Fresh," and it could have been.  It was in date and just, all dried out, unless that's just the way they are. 

The taste?  Bitter mildew-y whey protein with chocolate.  I LOVE me some bitter chocolate, but it wasn't that, it was just ewwyuck.  In fact, I forced myself to swallow it, and that's rare, look at the size of me.  :x  Gack

Optimium Nutrition makes lots of other products, so there's hope.  I will find more and move on.  :)

• Product - Optimum Protein Diet Bars
• Price - $1.29/each
• Via - I bought this at GNC
• Available - Amazon, Bodybuilding.com,
• Pros - >200 calories, 20 grams of protein, low "impact" carbs, cheap
• Cons - Sugar alcohols ahoy, tasted like a dirty mop
• Rating - Unpouchworthy, MM.
• Here's my review of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein - Gold Standard

Carb Sluts and Sugar Free Pie.

I got an email linking to a recipe for a Sugar Free Pecan Pie this morning. 

It can't be true. Mr will DIE.  He is such a carb slut, and PECAN PIE?  He'd hit it. Twice.

I click through - and find a major ingredient is sugar-free "Maple" Syrup.  This grocery store brand found, at $3.29 for $6.99 A BOTTLE?!

I have some of a different brand in my fridge, it's used here and there very sparingly, because it's made, basically of maltitol, which is one of the most HARSH sugar alcohols out there and causes some luscious gas.  But, I still buy it from time to time, just to HAVE it available, though it tastes like cat piss, I like to know it's there if I get a mad waffley craving or something, like, Low Carb Maple Pecan Pancakes?  (Or as the baby says, Puckcakes!)

But, this syrup is loaded with it too.  Nine grams of straight up MALTITOL in a single serving, and you need several to make that pie.

And then, you get to fart all over your friends and family and occasional girl in the elevator.

I know, I know, who needs a fucking pie ANYWAY?  If you need a pie, I mean, Really Need A Pie?  REALLY?

Sugar-free pie?  GACK.

I guess you might, really need a pie.

Okay. 

This seems, edible?

Southern Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked low-carb pie shell
  (See Pie Crust recipe)
  
• 3 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup DaVinci Sugarfree Butterscotch Syrup
• 1 teaspoon high gluten flour
• 1/2 cup sugar free Maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Steel's Vanilla Flavor Nature Sweet
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Beat eggs and salt. Mix in flour and Splenda. Gradually add syrups (previously mixed separately in a small bowl.) Beat well. Add melted butter and pecans. Pour into Pie Shell. Add a few decorative pecan halves to the top of pie if desired (I always do.)

Bake 45 minutes to an hour. Pie is done when top cracks.

The thing is, I wish more products were made more People Friendly, imagine the sweeter smell of WLSers everywhere, and more pleasant Diabetics! 

Imagine! 

Sugar-free without side effects?!  Someday.

(I know, you might have NO ill effects from anything made with 'ols, but many of us do.) 

You know when you come across a song that you immediately identify with?

You know when you come across a song that you immediately identify with?

This one immediately Bounced Into My Brain And Started A Slide Show.  I know, it's totally cheesy.  But, it did, it's like a country cheesy virus that's infiltrated my head, and now I have to put it with photos.  Ha.  I tend to do that.  (Wedding photos?  OMG, immediately.)

(Apparently it's already been done, see below. More than a few times. But it's now on my list.)

(Yeah, this one too.)

You memba what I said? Huh?

She's got to be one of us.  Gotta. 

You'd wear the shirt, I know it.

The grass, being greener, it's all pretty much the same isn't it?

Today is Mr's last day of work.  I don't know if I mentioned anything (did I?) because it seems ludicrous considering he just got this job, I know.  But, he resigned. 

The company was extraordinarily nice to him about it, asked if there was anything they could do to make him stay, and he had to really, really think it over.  This has been quite a process.  Please note, he's not crazy.  He is actually just going back to his former job, but in a different location seeing as they had to replace him.

Why?  From where I sit, I know that a big part of it is truly the commute.  He went from a job in the town WE LIVE IN to a very large town more than one hour away with traffic.  He was used to getting up and going to work just a few miles away, to getting up and leaving early and getting home late.  I told him he was crazy to take it in the first place, even if he money seemed better, it all washes out. 

I know lots of Moms + Dads commute and work far away from home, and work long hours, so apparently he was spoiled and it's not like he's making millions to make it worth being away 24/7. 

I tell you right now that if I landed a job say....pimping out dark chocolate!? in the city, for $XX,XXX a year, I would haul MY sorry arse to the train station at 5am if I had to, and I know lots DO, and that's why they have the big shiny houses not bought from a foreclosure sale, childcare and Range Rovers, too.  ;) 

Meet the Real Housewives of Massachusetts, right here.

He also got used to the opportunity to get HOME at the drop of a hat if I needed him, and the fact that I did not drive for a year, I really needed him to be available to get a sick kid, etc.  And, it's always a reality here...

I am sure I told you about the police coming to my house because I did not answer the PHONE last month or so?  Yeah, well.  That happened, and he couldn't get me by phone, email or checking in, so... he thought I had a seizure and died. 

Other than the obvious -- I think he was a bit underwhelmed or bored?  The thing is he needs to be busy -- and like projects and troubleshooting.  Sitting in a big, old-fashioned style bank, I think he was twiddling his fingers waiting for things to go wrong.  (I know, it sounds nuts.)  Consider the location, he should have been thankful he wasn't taken hostage, but he's got a few hours left.

So.  It's over, and things are left on a good note.  He starts back to his old company on Monday, everything will be the same just with a new location and staff.  After things get sorted out, he will be back to writing his own schedule and perhaps being available to us more, again.  It does work out a bit favorably, with a match in the pay he took to leave, and cutting the commute down, he's increasing his income.  With him working where he was, there was NO way I could consider taking on anything even part time (unless the above situation happened) but with this one, there's at least a slight opportunity.  Of course it's pretty unlikely with no extraneous child-care, but, I like to know that I have a LITTLE bit of time to consider it, you know... if the Willy Wonka company calls me.

You think you've got skin issues?

Guiness:

Garry Turner of Great Britain is able to stretch the skin of his stomach to a length of 15.8 centimeters (6.25 inches) due to a rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder of the connective tissues affecting the skin, ligaments and internal organs. The collagen that strengthens the skin and determines its elasticity becomes defective, resulting in, among other things, a loosening of the skin and hypermobility of the joints. In more serious cases, it can cause the fatal collapse or rupturing of blood vessels.

Dark chocolate every day may improve the metabolic response of people who report feeling highly stressed.

This just in from a huge manufacturer of CHOCOLATE.  O-o  They have just validated my, uh, habit!

Not that stuff, DARK CHOCOLATE.