This is the low-carb year, not week. At the start of this year the American Diabetes Association finally gave its limited endorsement to a low-carb lifestyle. It’s good for weight loss for up to a year, they maintain.

Going low-carb for a week just won’t cut it. But you might feel weak when you start.

When I started very low-carbing last year, I didn’t ever feel weak. But I had been on a rather low-carb diet for a couple of years, ever since starting on Byetta — when certainly did feel weak for a couple of weeks.

At the time I was concerned enough to ask my doctor, Jeffry Gerber, about it.

“Don’t worry,” Dr. Jeff told me. “You will work through it soon.”
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Lots of people write books about diabetes (myself included). Few have made diabetes movies. But only Gabriel Cousens, M.D., did both this year.

First came his book, There is a Cure for Diabetes (North Atlantic Books, ISBM 978-1-55643-691-8). Then on June 5 the Newport International Film Festival previewed his documentary, “Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days.”

Scott Mader, one of the film’s executive producer, subsequently sent me a “screener copy.” This 91-minute documentary just got here, and I have enjoyed watching it again and again in the last couple of days.

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Today I review the most beautiful blood glucose meter ever made. Not only does it look beautiful but it also works beautifully.

It’s the Bionime Rightest GM100. The Bionime Corp. in Taiwan makes it. Its appearance reminds me of Apple products, especially some of their iPods and remotes.
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Just as I was about to stop taking Pycnogenol, along comes a high quality study that convinced me to keep on using this supplement.

I have my suspicions about all supplements and have announced them here. My most recent previous article here shows that short list of those remaining in my favor.
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One of the questions that readers ask me the most is what supplements I take. While I respond to individual email requests answering their questions, until now I have resisted writing generally on this topic.

I do study supplements, but am no expert. Eventually, however, I’ve realized that no one is. Certainly not our doctors, most of whom don’t know or care the first thing about supplements.
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Santa Cruz, California — Shortly before I came back to California to cover the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions in San Francisco from June 6 to 10, I had the opportunity to listen to talks by the endocrinologists in my town, Boulder, Colorado. Like the emphasis on obesity at this year’s ADA, one of those doctors has the same focus.

That doctor was in fact my wife’s endo before my wife died last year. That doctor is still pushing bariatric surgery as she did to Catherine. That was the main reason why Catherine stopped going to see her.
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San Francisco — For the past five days people with diabetes have taken over downtown San Francisco. More than 20,000 diabetes professionals have been here for the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. Those of us wearing ADA name badges not only filled the exhibition halls but also San Francisco’s already crowded sidewalks.
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San Francisco — Some numbers that the American Diabetes Association told me today can give you a sense of the scale of its meeting here at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Its 68th Scientific Sessions started Friday and ends tomorrow.

The ADA’s press office says that so far they have counted 15,630 attendees. Most of these are medical professionals. But when they include exhibitors at the many booths, they’ve counted 20,912 people here so far.
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San Francisco — The best thing about going to the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association is to visit with old friends and to listen to the top doctors and professors in the field. The next best is to see and use the new technology exhibited by the companies making products for people with diabetes to use.

This year more exhibitors than ever are at the ADA. I counted 205 booths ranging in size from one-man stands to huge displays by the major pharmaceutical and meter companies with dozens of employees showing off their wares.
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San Francisco — Yesterday I was wearing Band-aids on six of my fingers. I had my A1C tested six times in one day with five different systems.

I’m in San Francisco at what is probably the only place in the world where I could have this bloody experience. It’s the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.
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