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diabetes supplement

David Mendosa's Diabetes Directory

Last Update: May 28, 2015

This is a directory of diabetes-related Web pages on this site and other Web pages written by me at the Web sites of the American Diabetes Association and elsewhere. I am a freelance journalist and consultant specializing in writing about diabetes, which I have.

Advice for Newbies

If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, welcome to the club that no one asked to join. But now that you are here, please start with Advice for Newbies.

You can find out more information about me and why I maintain this Web site on the following pages:

  • The Diabetes Self-Management blog published my article, "Why I Low Carb," in December 2008. You can read the mirror of this article here at mendosa.com/lowcarb.htm

  • Jimmy Moore recently interviewed me for his low-carb blog. You can hear the interview at David Mendosa Talks Low-Carb and Diabetes (Episode 169).

  • My "Keynote Address" to the Institute for the Future’s Health Horizons Program at the Quadrus Conference Center in Menlo Park, California, on November 3, 2004, is my most recent and most detailed presentation about my website and why I maintain it. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/keynote.htm

  • "Diabetes Pathfinder: My Life with Diabetes" is an interview that Gina Tuttle of HealthTalk Interactive did with me. You can read it and/or listen to it at
    http://www.mendosa.com/pathfinder.htm

  • This article, "Guest Writer David Mendosa," is an introduction to the April 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest, which I wrote. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/april_rick.htm

  • The American Diabetes Association's Web site in 1997 had an article titled "On-line Resources for Diabetics," that explains why I maintain these Web pages at http://www.mendosa.com/oldr.htm

  • The May 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest published my article about the "On-line Diabetes Resources" at http://www.mendosa.com/oldrdigest.htm

  • This article, "David Mendosa: Tapping the Internet's Potential," was written by someone else about me for the Diabetes.com Web site in 1997. The site ceased operations in 2001. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/dotcom.htm

  • DiabetesWebSite.com included me in its Board of Advisors and had a short bio on-line until the site ceased operation in November 2000. The bio is now on my site at
    http://www.mendosa.com/dws-bio.htm

My Diabetes Blog

In October 2005 I joined the growing ranks of bloggers. My blog is on the huge Health Central website at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/. My blog now has an RSS feed. Click on the “RSS” at the end of each article. I mirror those articles at http://www.mendosa.com/blog


On-line Diabetes Resources

The pages on my site most consulted by members of the Internet community are 16 pages that comprise "On-line Diabetes Resources." These pages are links to all the substantive resources on-line for people with diabetes. But unlike other such lists, all of these links are annotated to describe the resource. "David Mendosa's Top Ten Internet Resources" describes and links the best of these sites for Amira Medical at http://www.mendosa.com/amiratop10.htm. The Web site for the Glucose Revolution book has an earlier version of this list at http://www.glucoserevolution.com/links.html. I wrote another abbreviated version, which does include two books, for PrecisionTM TakeCharge News, on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/diabetes_resources.htm. The 16 pages of "On-line Diabetes Resources" are:

  1. Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Mailing Lists, Usenet Newsgroups, Internet Relay Chat, Prodigy, America Online, Delphi, and Local BBS's with diabetes-related topics: http://www.mendosa.com/faq.htm

  2. General—Web sites not classifiable in the following groups: http://www.mendosa.com/genl.htm

  3. Web sites of diabetes-related organizations and charities: http://www.mendosa.com/org.htm

  4. Web sites of universities, hospitals, physicians, and research institutions: http://www.mendosa.com/univ.htm

  5. Companies that have Web sites dealing with diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/company.htm

  6. Publications on the Web, including diabetes-related magazines, articles, books, and videos: http://www.mendosa.com/mag.htm

  7. Government Web sites: http://www.mendosa.com/govt.htm

  8. Personal Web sites concerned with diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/personal.htm

  9. Web sites in languages other than English: http://www.mendosa.com/nonengl.htm

  10. Medline resources: http://www.mendosa.com/database.htm

  11. Diabetes Medications: http://www.mendosa.com/drugs.htm

  12. Insulin: http://www.mendosa.com/insulin.htm

  13. Diabetes Software: http://www.mendosa.com/software.htm. This file has since February 9, 2003, been mirrored as the misc.health.diabetes newsgroup's FAQ at http://isc.faqs.org/faqs/diabetes/software/

  14. Blood Glucose Meters: http://www.mendosa.com/meters.htm

  15. Diabetic Neuropathy: http://www.mendosa.com/neuro.htm

  16. Diabetic Retinopathy:http://www.mendosa.com/retin.htm


The Glycemic Index

Judging from the number of hits and messages that I receive, the glycemic index is rapidly attracting the attention that it deserves from people with diabetes and others. The glycemic index, which shows how quickly different foods make glucose available, helps people with diabetes keep their blood glucose under control.

  1. The article on my Web site that is downloaded the most is my most detailed article about the glycemic index. It is at http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm. Likewise, MedicineCabinet.co.uk reproduces the article at http://www.medicinecabinet.co.uk/healthyeating_arch/v9i2_healthyeating.htm. There is even an Italian-language version of this article on-line at http://www.corpus-project.it/indiglic.html.

  2. The definitive list of the glycemic indexes—and glycemic loads—of all the foods that have been professionally tested is online at http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm.

  3. I know that some people would prefer the relative simplicity of a list of just the most common American foods. You can find such a list at http://www.mendosa.com/common_foods.htm.

  4. Some people like the ability to manipulate the list of the glycemic indexes and glycemic loads when it is in spreadsheet form. Correspondents Ralph Brown, Steve Dryja, and Mike Leach all contributed to http://www.mendosa.com/GI_GL_Carb_data.xls. It shows the Glycemic Index, the Glycemic Load, Diabetic Carb Choices, Serving Size in grams, Serving Size in ounces, and Available Carbohydrates per Serving for each tested food. The GI and GL columns are highlighted in green for low GI or GL, yellow for medium GI or GL, and red for high GI and GL. The column for Diabetic Carb Choices uses the same color scheme. You use Carb Choices with the Carbohydrate Counting method. Each “carb choice” has 15 grams of available carbohydrate—i.e. total carbohydrate minus fiber.

    The spreadsheet is especially useful if you have Excel on your computer. However, even if you don't, you can read the spreadsheet with a free program, Microsoft Excel 97/2000 Viewer. You can download this viewer at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=10.

    If you have a PC, you can unzip the spreadsheet with WinZip, available from http://www.winzip.com/. Otherwise you will need to use Stuffit Expander, available from http://www.aladdinsys.com/.

  5. My most recent article on the glycemic index reports on new potato research. Just because baked Russet Burbank potatoes are so high glycemic, you don’t have to forsake all potatoes. New research gives us new hope. See http://www.mendosa.com/cold_potatoes.htm

  6. Another of my articles on the glycemic index appeared on the American Diabetes Association's Web site. While the ADA has not often been especially friendly to the glycemic index concept, I featured Jennie Brand-Miller's GlycemicIndex.com site in my "About the Internet" column. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/glycemicindex.htm

  7. The NutriNews Web site featured the glycemic index in November 2000 as "The glycemic index: why everyone's talking about it." It is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/talking.htm

  8. DiabetesWebSite in October 1999 published "The Glycemic Index" before it ceased operation. It is now on my site at http://www.mendosa.com/dws-gi.htm.

  9. I look at its pros and cons at "The Glucose Puzzle: The Glycemic Index Pros and Cons" appeared in the July 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 3-5: http://www.mendosa.com/gi_pro_con.htm

  10. The April 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest published an abbreviated version of the article at http://www.mendosa.com/gidigest.htm.

  11. DiabetesWebSite.com published a comprehensive review of Jennie Brand-Miller's The Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index in October 1999 before it ceased operation. It is now on-line on my site at http://www.mendosa.com/dws-revolution.htm.

  12. The May 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest published my first review of Jennie Brand-Miller's The Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index at http://www.mendosa.com/glurevdigest.htm.

  13. In August 1996 Diabetes Interview published my review of the first edition of The Glucose Revolution, then titled The G.I. Factor, at http://www.mendosa.com/gifactor.htm

  14. Some foods that have a quite small amount of available carbohydrate aren’t listed on the glycemic index lists, and some people wonder why. It’s because they are the “free foods.” They don’t have much impact on your blood sugar level. Here is a comprehensive listing of those foods commonly eaten in the United States. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/freefoods.htm.

  15. How does the glycemic index compare with the insulin index? I look at that question at http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_index.htm.

  16. An article by Dr. Thomas M.S. Wolever, "The Glycemic Index: Flogging a Dead Horse?" is not a Web page that I wrote, but his rticle is otherwise unavailable on the Web and is reproduced here with his permission: http://www.mendosa.com/wolever.htm

  17. Likewise, Patti Geil's article "From Jelly Beans to Kidney Beans" is an outstanding article on the glycemic index that is otherwise unavailable on the Web and is reproduced here with her permission: http://www.mendosa.com/geil.htm

  18. By treating the body as a machine and characterizing the relationships between input (food) and output (blood glucose), Derek Paice, a research engineer who has had type 2 diabetes for more than eight years, was able to get excellent control of his diabetes by diet alone. Mr. Paice developed an alternative method to glycemic index for characterizing the glucose-raising effect of food. This "substance glycemic index" is based on a fixed weight of foods, independently of its composition in terms of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. By means of charts and graphs, more than 50 of his experiments are summarized and discussed. The effects of different foodstuffs are vividly presented in a way that is easy to follow. His methods and results will give you greater understanding of your own diabetes. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, author of Diabetes Solution wrote of the book: "I find it very fascinating." Derek has authorized me to make his book, Diabetes and Diet: A Type 2 Patient's Successful Efforts at Control available free online at http://www.mendosa.com/DiabetesAndDiet.pdf

  19. Thanks to correspondent Grant Spangler, we now have what some people will find is a more useful version of the complete glycemic index. This is a PDF file that you read with Adobe Acrobat. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/glycemic_index.pdf.

My Columns on the American Diabetes Association Site

Once or twice a month from 1997 to 2003 I reviewed diabetes-related Web sites for the ADA in my column "About the Internet." Those columns are now on my site:

2003 Articles

  1. Hypoglycemic Supplies: http://www.mendosa.com/hypoglycemic_supplies.htm

  2. Third-Generation Meters: http://www.mendosa.com/third_generation.htm

  3. Email News: http://www.mendosa.com/email_news.htm

  4. e-Patients: http://www.mendosa.com/epatients.htm

    2002 Articles

  5. Diabetes Searches with Google: http://www.mendosa.com/google.htm

  6. A1C<7: http://www.mendosa.com/a1c.htm

  7. Our Kidneys: http://www.mendosa.com/kidneys.htm

  8. Our Hearts: http://www.mendosa.com/hearts.htm

  9. Nutrition.gov: http://www.mendosa.com/govnutrition.htm

  10. DiabetoValens: http://www.mendosa.com/diabetovalens.htm

  11. Guidelines for Testing and Everything: http://www.mendosa.com/guidelines.htm

  12. Hanuman Garden: http://www.mendosa.com/hanuman.htm

  13. DrugDigest: http://www.mendosa.com/drugdigest.htm

  14. Diabetes Sight: http://www.mendosa.com/sight.htm

  15. Books on Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/books.htm

  16. Local Support Groups: http://www.mendosa.com/local.htm

  17. FDA Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/fda.htm

  18. Native American Diabetes: ttp://www.mendosa.com/native.htm

  19. INGAP Peptide: http://www.mendosa.com/ingap.htm

  20. The Monster Drug: http://www.mendosa.com/monster.htm

  21. Diabetes Tool Box: http://www.mendosa.com/toolbox.htm

  22. Diabetic Retinopathy: http://www.mendosa.com/retinopathy.htm

  23. The Varieties of Diabetes News: http://www.mendosa.com/news.htm

  24. The UKPDS: http://www.mendosa.com/ukpds.htm

  25. The First Year: http://www.mendosa.com/firstyear.htm

  26. Insulin Resistance: http://www.mendosa.com/resistance.htm

  27. Jewish Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/jewish.htm

  28. Hispanicsalud.com: http://www.mendosa.com/salud.htm

    2001 Articles

  29. Drug Interactions: http://www.mendosa.com/interactions.htm

  30. Taking Control of Your Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/tcoyd.htm

  31. InteliHealth: http://www.mendosa.com/intelihealth.htm

  32. WebMD: http://www.mendosa.com/webmd.htm

  33. Pedometer Power: http://www.mendosa.com/pedometer.htm

  34. Finding Official Information: http://www.mendosa.com/official.htm

  35. Second Generation Meters: http://www.mendosa.com/second.htm

  36. How Diabetes Works: http://www.mendosa.com/howworks.htm

  37. GlycemicIndex.com: http://www.mendosa.com/glycemicindex.htm

  38. Reality Check: http://www.mendosa.com/reality.htm

  39. Diabetes India: http://www.mendosa.com/diabetesindia.htm

  40. DiabetesOneStop: http://www.mendosa.com/onestop.htm

  41. Lifeclinic: http://www.mendosa.com/lifeclinic.htm

  42. iControlDiabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/icontrol.htm

  43. Merck Manuals: http://www.mendosa.com/merck.htm

  44. Quackwatch: http://www.mendosa.com/quackwatch.htm

  45. The Diabetes Mall: http://www.mendosa.com/mall.htm

  46. The Invisible Web: http://www.mendosa.com/invisible.htm

  47. Heart Rate Monitors: http://www.mendosa.com/heartrate.htm

  48. Native Seeds/SEARCH: http://www.mendosa.com/seeds.htm

  49. HealthTalk Interactive: http://www.mendosa.com/healthtalk.htm

    2000 Articles

  50. DiabetesWATCH: http://www.mendosa.com/diabeteswatch.htm

  51. Diabetes Genes: http://www.mendosa.com/genes.htm

  52. Sugar Bytes—Easy to Digest Information for Canadians: http://www.mendosa.com/sugarbytes.htm

  53. Diabetes UK: http://www.mendosa.com/uk.htm

  54. Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.mendosa.com/canadian.htm

  55. The ADA Itself: http://www.mendosa.com/ada.htm

  56. Inhaled Insulin: http://www.mendosa.com/inhaled.htm

  57. Alternative Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/alternative.htm

  58. Generalist Medical Sites: http://www.mendosa.com/medical.htm

  59. Alt.Support.Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/altsupportdiabetes.htm

  60. DiabetEASE.Com: Unique Tracking Software: http://www.mendosa.com/diabetease.htm

  61. Diabetes123: http://www.mendosa.com/diabetes123.htm

  62. Islet Transplants: http://www.mendosa.com/islet_transplants.htm

  63. Clinical Trials: mendosa.com/clinicaltrials.htm

  64. ePlanetCare: The site reviewed is no longer online.

  65. Diabetes Chat: http://www.mendosa.com/chat.htm

  66. CDC Diabetes Public Health Resource: http://www.mendosa.com/cdc.htm

  67. Kidney Directions: http://www.mendosa.com/kidney_directions.htm

  68. International Diabetes Federation: http://www.mendosa.com/idf.htm

  69. Avandia: http://www.mendosa.com/avandia.htm

  70. Lifetoolz: http://www.mendosa.com/lifetoolz.htm

  71. Rezulin: On-line February 1, 2000, and taken off-line March 21, 2000, when the FDA took Rezulin off the market.

  72. Actos: http://www.mendosa.com/actos.htm

  73. Exercise: http://www.mendosa.com/exercise.htm

  74. Islet Transplants: http://www.mendosa.com/isletcells.htm

    1999 Articles

  75. Monitoring Software: mendosa.com/monitoring.htm

  76. Blood Glucose Meters: http://www.mendosa.com/bgmeters.htm

  77. Controlling Diabetes with Class: http://www.mendosa.com/class.htm

  78. DiabetesWebSite: Site reviewed no longer online.

  79. Dietitians: http://www.mendosa.com/dietitians.htm

  80. Endocrinologists: mendosa.com/endos.htm

  81. MyDiabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/mydiabetes.htm

  82. Podiatrists: http://www.mendosa.com/podiatrists.htm

  83. Diabetes Educators: http://www.mendosa.com/educators.htm

  84. SciTalk Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/scitalk.htm

  85. AIDA On-Line: http://www.mendosa.com/aida.htm

  86. Athletes with Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/athletes.htm

  87. Telemedicine: http://www.mendosa.com/telemedicine.htm

  88. LifeScan: http://www.mendosa.com/lifescan.htm

  89. Stem Cell Research: http://www.mendosa.com/stem.htm

  90. Standardizing the A1C: http://www.mendosa.com/standardizing.htm

  91. Needles: A Memoir of Growing Up with Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/andie.htm

  92. MiniMed: http://www.mendosa.com/minimed.htm

    1998 Articles

  93. Financial Help: http://www.mendosa.com/aid.htm

  94. Novo Nordisk: http://www.mendosa.com/novo.htm

  95. On Health: Site reviewed no longer online.

  96. The Koop Scoop: http://www.mendosa.com/koop.htm

  97. Famous People with Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/famous.htm

  98. MEDLINE: http://www.mendosa.com/medline.htm

  99. News about Diabetes: Sites reviewed no longer online.

  100. Conferencing Web Sites: http://www.mendosa.com/conferencing.htm

  101. The Mining Company: Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/about.htm

  102. NIDDK Health Information: Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/niddk.htm

  103. Lilly's Managing Your Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/lilly.htm

  104. Ask NOAH About: Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/ask_noah.htm

  105. Diabetes Information at Mediconsult.com: Site reviewed no longer online.

  106. Becton Dickinson: mendosa.com/bd.htm

  107. Insulin-Free World Foundation: mendosa.com/insulin_free.htm

  108. Diabetes.com: Site reviewed no longer online.

  109. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: http://www.mendosa.com/jdrf.htm

  110. International Diabetes Web Site: http://www.mendosa.com/idc.htm

    1997 Articles

  111. Insulin Pumpers Mailing List: http://www.mendosa.com/pumpers.htm

  112. Santa Barbara Diabetes Project: http://www.mendosa.com/sansum.htm

  113. The Banting Museum: http://www.diabetes.ca/about-us/who/banting-house/

  114. Diabetes Monitor: http://www.mendosa.com/diabetes_monitor.htm

  115. The Diabetes NetWork (D-Net): Site reviewed no longer online.

  116. Medscape: http://www.mendosa.com/medscape.htm

  117. Kids Learn About Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/klad.htm

  118. Sapient Health Network: Site reviewed no longer online.

  119. Children with Diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/cwd.htm

  120. On-line Resources for Diabetics: http://www.mendosa.com/oldr.htm

  121. Misc.health.diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/mhd.htm

  122. Internet Mailing Lists: http://www.mendosa.com/mailing_lists.htm

  123. Diabetes on the Net: http://www.mendosa.com/net.htm


Meter News Column in Diabetes Health

With the initial issue of Diabetes Health in June 2004, I began writing a new column called "Meter News." Here are my columns for that magazine, republished here with permission of the editor:

  1. "Stripping Down the Cost of Testing" reviews the four meter systems with the least expensive test strips. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/metercolumn1.htm

  2. "10 Reasons You Love Your Meter So Much" is mostly serious. Diabetes Health published this article in its July 2004 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/10_reasons.htm

  3. "GlucoMON: In Touch When You Can’t Be" is a product review of an automatic and wireless device to send blood glucose readings. Diabetes Health published this article in its August 2004 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/glucomon.htm

  4. "Why Bother to Calibrate?" tells you why you (usually) need to calibrate (code) your blood glucose monitor. Diabetes Health published this article in its October 2004 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/coding.htm

  5. "Precision Comes before Accuracy" means that an accurate meter isn't worth anything unless it is precise. Diabetes Health published this article in its November 2004 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/precision.htm

  6. "The Medicare Mystery" is how to get what you deserve. Diabetes Health published this article in its December 2004 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/medicare.htm

  7. "The Noninvasive Dream" is to have some sort of beam that would test blood glucose without breaking the skin to take a drop of blood. It's coming. Diabetes Health published this article in its January 2005 issue. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/noninvasive.htm

  8. "Navigating Lows and Highs" originally appeared in the February 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  9. "Birds for Better Blood Glucose Testing" originally appeared in the March 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  10. "The Next Generation of Continuous Monitors" originally appeared in the April 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  11. "Tracking the GlucoLeader" originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  12. "The GlycoMark Option" originally appeared in the June 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  13. "Meters in the 21st Century" originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  14. "Viva Aviva!" originally appeared in the August 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  15. "Recent Research Reports" originally appeared in the September 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  16. "Setting Performance Standards for Continuous Monitors" originally appeared in the October 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  17. My article reviewing the work of the two leading organizations that evaluate blood glucose meters — DirecNet and Consumer Reports originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  18. My article about the new Sidekick meter from Home Diagnostics is a kick. The meter is not only the world’s smallest diabetes testing system, but also one of the easiest to use. It also carries a small price. Most remarkably, it is the first disposable meter. “You’ll Get a Kick Out of the New Sidekick” originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  19. Meters are too variable. We know that intuitively and now the scientists know that scientifically. Meter Variability originally appeared in the January 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  20. Educational Materials: Meters
    For those of us who are looking for educational materials about diabetes, it’s only people like us who use the Web are in luck. For my article about educational materials on meters please read it in the Fall 2005 issue of Diabetes Health’s “Diabetes Educational Resource Guide” or read it on my website at http://www.mendosa.com/educ_materials.htm

  21. HemoCue is Coming
    We have been waiting a long time for a really accurate and precise meter. It’s almost here, and it’s called the HemoCue Monitor. My article originally appeared in the February 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  22. A Meter That Talks Sense
    This article is about blood glucose meters for the blind or visually impaired. It is mostly about the forthcoming SensoCard Plus but includes all of the other talking blood glucose meters, including the brand new Prodigy. My article originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  23. Will Abbott Navigate With the Aviator?
    This article is about the pairing of Abbott’s forthcoming continuous sensor  — the Navigator  — and its proposed insulin pump  — the Aviator. My article originally appeared in the April 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  24. The JDRF Artificial Pancreas Project
    The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International has committed up to $6.5 million to fund research leading to an artificial pancreas system. My article originally appeared in the May 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  25. Why Patients and Doctors are Struggling with Meter Reimbursement.
    We are all struggling because nobody can keep track of all the different blood glucose meters and the complexity of health insurance. My article originally appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Diabetes Health Professional and is now also online here.

  26. Blood and Sweat without Toil and Tears.
    VivoMedical in Cupertino, California is developing non-invasive meter that measures glucose in sweat instead of glucose in blood. The trick is to correlate sweat with blood glucose. The company says that is pretty much what it figured out. My article originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  27. The Year of the Meter
    This may well go down in history as the year of the meter. Not since Tom Clemens patented the first blood glucose meter in 1971 have we seen such significant advances. These advances include both traditional meters and continuous sensors. And the year is only half over. My article originally appeared in the July 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  28. Pumping in Real Time
    The MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System is the first linked insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor. Olympic athlete Chris Jarvis tells me how it works. My article originally appeared in the August 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  29. The DexCom Continuous Sensor
    DexCom’s short-term sensor got quick FDA approval and even quicker distribution. I interviewed a most satisfied user, Aaron Kowalski of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In addition to telling Aaron his glucose values every five minutes, the DexCom sensor also gives him high and low alerts and a low glucose alarm. But he especially values the trend data, and feels in control of his diabetes for the first time in his life. My article originally appeared in the September 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  30. Transmitting Tests without Wires
    The GlucoTel is the first meter to wirelessly send blood glucose results. Developed by a company in Germany, it will work with your cell phone — assuming that it’s Bluetooth enabled, as almost all modern cell phones are. My article originally appeared in the October 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  31. The OneTouch UltraMini
    LifeScan promotes its new OneTouch UltraMini meter for people with diabetes who don’t have health insurance coverage. It’s that inexpensive. But my guess is that even more people will use it as a second meter to carry in their purse or pocket. It’s that small. My article originally appeared in the December 2006-January 2007 issues of Diabetes Health, and Diabetes Health Professional, and is now also online here.

e-Charged Newsletter

Every month until the company was sold I wrote LXN Corporation's newsletter. It included analysis of a news item of significance to people with diabetes, a related lifestyle item, and resources (links). It was called "e-Charged," because it was an electronic newsletter from the people who offered the In Charge meter for testing both GlucoProtein and blood glucose.

The issues I wrote were:

  1. August 2001. Everybody tells us that we have to stop eating so much of this or that. But there's one exception. Almost all of us need more fiber. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_august.htm. This article is also online as Soluble and Insoluble Fiber.

  2. July 2001. We all thought we knew that saturated fat was the worst for people with diabetes. In fact, the worst are trans fatty acids, also known as partially hydrogenated oils. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_july.htm

  3. June 2001. Most of us can't even pronounce it. But there is a dangerous link between homocysteine and diabetes. The good news is that we can control it easily and inexpensively. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_june_july.htm and http://www.mendosa.com/homocysteine.htm

  4. May 2001. The good news is maybe we don’t need to exercise as hard as we previously thought to stay heart healthy. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_may.htm

  5. April 2001. An inexpensive spice that many of us use often reduces insulin resistance, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The spice is cinnamon. While amounts large enough to bring down our blood glucose levels may be toxic, water-soluble extracts can overcome that problem. That's the news. The related lifestyle tip looks at herbs and spices to make the food you eat more appealing. The URL is either
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_april.htm or http://www.mendosa.com/cinnamon.htm

  6. March 2001. The news looks at a new article in The Lancet recommending low does of aspirin for most people if you have one of the major risk factors, which include diabetes. The related lifestyle tip is about medication organizers, also known as pill boxes. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_march.htm

  7. February 2001. The news looks at the forthcoming availablity of Starlix (nateglinide) to control blood glucose. The related lifestyle tip considers the growing movement toward blood glucose testing after—in addition to before—meals. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/newsletter_february.htm

Articles for DiabetesWebSite

Before DiabetesWebSite ceased operation in November 2000, I wrote several articles for this sorely missed site. They include product and book reviews, rebate information, and other articles.

  1. Here are the Product Review columns that I wrote for DiabetesWebSite.com:

  2. "Freebates" was my column on rebates and freebies for DiabetesWebSite.com. Just one of these columns remain relevant:

  3. Here are the book reviews that I wrote for DiabetesWebSite.com:

  4. "Taking Control and Winning" tells how Sonja Fuller reluctantly went on insulin—and controlled her diabetes: http://www.mendosa.com/dws-sonja.htm

  5. "The Glycemic Index" explains how not all carbohydrates are created equal at http://www.mendosa.com/dws-gi.htm with a table of some of the most important indices at http://www.mendosa.com/dws-gi_list.htm

  6. "Dave's Tuna" is an article about my favorite canned tuna, an important component of a low-carb diet: http://www.mendosa.com/dws-daves_tuna.htm

Articles in Diabetes Wellness News (and the former Diabetes Wellness Letter)
  1. “How Byetta Works” reports its well-known benefits for blood glucose control and aiding weight loss. But it also reports on a third, less well-known benefit  —  for our hearts. You can read this article in the September 2007 issue of “Diabetes Wellness News” or online here at http://www.mendosa.com/byetta_does.htm

  2. “A Pig for Every Pancreas” reports on the latest developments in transplanting pig beta cells into people who have diabetes. For this article I interviewed the world’s leaders in this field, New Zealand’s Dr. Bob Elliott, the medical director and cofounder of of Living Cell Technologies Ltd.; Dr. Bernard Hering, the scientific director of the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplanation at the University of Minnesota; Dr. David K.C. Cooper, professor of surgery at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; and others. You can read this article in the July 2007 issue of “Diabetes Wellness News” or online here at http://www.mendosa.com/pigs.htm

  3. “The Future of Pumps” is closely connected with the future of continuous blood glucose sensors and with scientific findings that even good fingerstick test results and great A1C level are not enough to prevent diabetes complications. Even apparently excellent A1C levels can mask a lot of highs and lows, which the scientists call glucose excursions. But now for the first time we are getting insulin pumps that work with continuous sensors to minimize glucose excursions. When the editor of Diabetes Wellness News asked me to write about what was on the horizon for insulin pumps, I reported that the horizon was very near. I wrote about “The Future of Pumps” in the July 2006 issue of Diabetes Wellness News. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/pumps.htm.

  4. We can get free disposable probes (monofilaments) to test our feet at home. They check for lack of sensitivity, which can be a warning of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and its consequences. These probe don’t hurt, don’t require a prescription, and are quick and easy to use. I write about them in the January 2006 issue of Diabetes Wellness News. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/probes.htm.

  5. Gadgets the count the calories that you use in your exercise — and lying on the couch — are the latest fad. I write about them in the November 2005 issue of Diabetes Wellness News. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/counting_calories.htm.

  6. Sleep apnea is an all-too-common but little known complication of diabetes. You can read a most personal article about it that I wrote for the November 2004 issue of Diabetes Wellness News. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/sleep_apnea.htm.

  7. One of the best strategies to save money on prescription medicines is little known. Diabetes Wellness News published my article about pill splitting in the July 2004 issue. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/pill_splitting.htm.

  8. Wearing a pedometer is a great incentive to get out and walk. One of these gadgets will count your steps, measure how far you go, and lots more. Diabetes Wellness News published my buyer's guide in the January 2004 issue. The article is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/pedometers_buy.htm.

  9. The Sleep Sentry, which can wake you up when your blood gluocose is going too low, is finally available again and at last my article about it can be published. The September 2003 issue of Diabetes Wellness News printed it. It is also available online at http://www.mendosa.com/sleepsentry.htm.

  10. "New Label for Worst Fat: The Secret Fat—Unmasked" says why trans fat is even worse for us than saturated fat and how to avoid it until new FDA labeling becomes mandatory. This article was published in the October 2002 issue of Diabetes Wellness News, page 2. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/transfat.htm.

  11. "The Painless Revolution" reviews the five new blood glucose meters that use alternative sites, specifically including the forearm, to test sugar levels. Because these alternative sites have few nerve endings, testing is essentially painless. This article was published in the June 2001 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 5, 8. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/painless_revolution.htm. Sergey Kapustin has also translated this article into Russian and published it on his http://diabet.apteka.ru Web site.

  12. "The Insulin Problem—How It Can Make You Fat" looks at the newly developed scientific evidence that improperly functioning beta cells can cause you to be overweight while at the same time causing diabetes. It's not that overeating causes diabetes. This article was published in the January 2001 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 1, 7. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_problem.htm.

  13. "Smart Drugs: Are We Ready For Them?" reviews the forthcoming oral agent Starlix (nateglinide) from Novartis. It was published in the September 2000 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 3, 8. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/starlix.htm.

  14. "AtLast You Can Be In Charge" reviews and compares two new blood glucose meters. It was published in the May 2000 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 1-3. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/2meters.htm.

  15. "Meter Memories" tells the surprising beginnings of blood glucose meters. It was published in the March 2000 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 1, 6. The article is available on-line at http://www.mendosa.com/memories.htm. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein reproduces this article on his Web site at http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/articles/meter_memories.shtml.

  16. For verbatim transcripts of the interviews on which the "Meter Memories" article was based together with photographs of the original meter, its patent, and its inventor see "The History of Blood Glucose Meters" at http://www.mendosa.com/history.htm. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein reproduces this article on his Web site at http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/articles/meter_history.shtml.

  17. "What Are Diabetic Foods?" was published in the September 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 6-7: http://www.mendosa.com/foods.htm

  18. I look at its pros and cons at "The Glucose Puzzle: The Glycemic Index Pros and Cons" appeared in the July 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 3-5: http://www.mendosa.com/gi_pro_con.htm

  19. "Software for Glucose Control: Part 2" was published in the April 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 4-7: http://www.mendosa.com/review2.htm

  20. "Software for Glucose Control: Part 1" was published in the March 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 4-6: http://www.mendosa.com/review1.htm

  21. "Better Control with Fructosamine?: New At-home Test Gives 2-3 Week Look-back" was published in the February 1999 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter, pages 3, 6: http://www.mendosa.com/duet.htm

  22. One of the most important recent advances in control of diabetes is the arrival of insulin analogs. I explore these exciting developments in "Insulin Analogs: Genetic Engineering for Diabetes Control" in the November 1998 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter: http://www.mendosa.com/analogs.htm

  23. "Beyond Sulfonylureas" is an article that I wrote for the May 1998 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter about the new drugs for blood glucose control: http://www.mendosa.com/newdrugs.htm

  24. "The Jet Injector Paradox" is an article that I wrote for the February 1` issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter. Michal Kafka translated the article into Czech as "Paradoxy Jet-injektoru" on pages 4-5 of the May 1998 issue of Dia Zivot (Diabetes Life), published in Prague, the Czech Republic. The article is on-line (in English) at: http://www.mendosa.com/injector.htm

  25. "The Race for a Painless Monitor" is an article that I wrote for the November 1997 issue of Diabetes Wellness Letter: http://www.mendosa.com/painless.htm. The article is reprinted with my permission at http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/dteam/1997-12/d_0d_28l.htm


Articles for NutriNews

  1. The NutriNews Web site published a suite of five of my articles on November 10, 2000. The lead article is "The diabetes epidemic: Are you at risk, and what can you do about it?". It is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/epidemic.htm.

  2. "'Poisoning by sugar' and the 'safe for diabetics' foods myth" is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/poisoning.htm.

  3. "Do 'heart healthy' diets cause diabetes? Some doctors claim recommended diets are doing harm" is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/heart.htm.

  4. "What is diabetes?" is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/whatis.htm.

  5. "The glycemic index: why everyone's talking about it. Easy-to-use carb-ranking tool promises to boost energy, help lose weight, stabilize blood sugar and reduce heart disease risk" is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/talking.htm.

  6. "Sugar overload—what's it doing to us and our children?" was the first article of mine that NutriNews.com published. It is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/overload.htm.

  7. "Are we overjuicing our kids?" is a sidebar to my sugar consumption article linked above. It is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/overjuicing.htm.

  8. "Are you at risk for diabetes?" although written for NutriNews.com, is on-line here at http://www.mendosa.com/atrisk.htm.

Important Articles by Others
  1. There have been many attempts over last few decades to find a means for measuring glucose without drawing blood or causing pain. But in spite of brilliant, determined, and resourceful investigators and the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, no one has yet succeeded. As a scientist and technical executive in the industry for many years, Dr. John L. Smith participated in the evaluation of more than a hundred such attempts, only to see the same technology investigated time and time again, primarily because no one had detailed why previous attempts had not succeeded. He is the former CEO of Fovioptics and earlier the chief scientific officer of LifeScan. In a 24-year career he professionally evaluated more than 100 noninvasive meter technologies. Dr. Smith wrote the first edition of a book on the subject in 2006, and I hosted it here. Nine years later, while we have yet to witness success, many more attempts have been made, and a fourth revised and expanded edition of the book, The Pursuit of Noninvasive Glucose: “Hunting the Deceitful Turkey," is now complete and has once again been made available for everyone to read. It is dedicated to the hope that someday, this long-sought goal will finally be achieved. You can read the entire book at The Pursuit of Noninvsive Glucose, Fourth Edition.pdf

  2. Stanley Kim is a practicing physician in Southern California who recently invented the smallest and painless lancets for testing our blood glucose. I wrote about this invention here this September. Dr. Kim has a dream of creating a charity hospital for homeless people in Southern California. He has such drive and dedication that I am sure that he will succeed in implementing his dream. Now, Dr. Kim has written about his dream and offered to share it with us here.

  3. Many, if not most of the scientific studies these days have observations as their basis. Much of what passes as the science of diabetes has observational studies, which we also call epidemiological studies, as their foundation. Now, my friend Steven Bratman, M.D., MPH, takes a close look at these studies and reaches a sobering conclusion. "Epidemiologic claims do not qualify as scientific evidence except in certain limited circumstances," he writes, "primarily those of the quasi-randomized natural experiment." Dr. Bratman's essay is a stark reminder to all of us to take this weak evidence as something on which to base our decisions.

    Read Dr. Steven Bratman's full paper: The Current Status of Observational Studies

  4. David Forbes, a friend of mine who happens to live in Perth, Australia, writes a series of articles about diabetes in his country. His focus is on the plight of the indigenous population, known as the aborigines. He is particularly interested in how using telemedicine can improve their control of diabetes.

    You can find his first two articles on my website:

  5. Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of nursing schools online, contributed a cogent summary of "The Challenges and Rewards of Managing Diabetes" at http://www.mendosa.com/holly.htm.

  6. Dr. Richard D. Feinman, professor of biochemistry at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, co-editor-in-chief of the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, and director of the Nutrition and Metabolism Society, kindly gave me permission to publish his cogent article, "Low Carbohydrate Diets: Why You Don't Want the 'Experts' to Tell You What to Eat" here at http://www.mendosa.com/feinman.htm

  7. The best article about how doctors diagnose diabetes comes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). They don't copyright it and encourage people like me to duplicate and distribute it. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/diagnosis.htm

  8. Alternative medicine comes in for a big dose of skepticism from a former believer in Steven Bratman's semi-autobiographical novel, "Confessions of a Quack." An M.D. who once believed in alternative medicine and practiced it, Dr. Bratman tells his story with insight and tremendous humor. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/Confessions.pdf

  9. We don't need any carbohydrates to survive and thrive. The famous arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson proved that a century ago and wrote about scientific tests of himself and a companion more than 70 years ago in these three articles:
    1. Eskimos Prove An All Meat Diet Provides Excellent Health, Part 1
    2. Eskimos Prove An All Meat Diet Provides Excellent Health, Part 2
    3. Eskimos Prove An All Meat Diet Provides Excellent Health, Part 3

  10. For those who take rapid-acting insulin at mealtimes and want any degree of meal planning flexibility, it is necessary to apply something known as insulin-to-carb (I:C) ratios. Certified Diabetes Educator Gary Scheiner explains a clear and easy way to do the calculations. His free Mealtime Insulin Dosage Calculator helps people with diabetes to determine their mealtime insulin needs. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_carb_ratios.htm

  11. Postprandial hyperglycemia refers to a high blood sugar spike that occurs soon after eating a meal or snack. For everyone with Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes, it is natural for the blood sugar to rise after eating. But if the rise is very dramatic, if can effect a person’s well-being and quality of life. Certified Diabetes Educator Gary Scheiner shows how post-meal blood sugar control depends on proper insulin timing. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_timing.htm

  12. If any place is a sacred monument in the history of diabetes, it must be the birthplace of the discoverer of insulin. Now, the place where Sir Frederick Banting was born is under attack more than ever. The 100-acre farm where Dr. Frederick Banting was born and grew to manhood, is threatened with being buried in a commercial housing development. An agency of the province of Ontario, Canada, called the Conservation Review Board will be hearing submissions regarding this historical venue, and will decide whether to support “designation” of the property (thereby preventing commercial development), or oppose designation. Dr. Peter Myles Banting, emeritus professor of marketing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, contributed this article. Peter’s grandfather was Sir Frederick Banting’s cousin. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/banting_birthplace_threatened.htm

  13. This website now features an important new book about the development of non-invasive blood glucose meters. Published here for the first time, this book is the contribution of the leading authority on these devices, John L. Smith. He is the former CEO of Fovioptics and earlier the chief scientific officer of LifeScan. In a 24-year career he professionally evaluated more than 100 non-invasive meter technologies. John kindly authorized me to make his book available here. If you have any questions about the book after reading it, please address them to me. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/The Pursuit of Noninvsive Glucose, Fourth Edition.pdf

  14. This website also features an important book by Derek Paice, an engineer who has diabetes and applies engineering solutions to controlling it. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/DiabetesAndDiet.pdf

  15. David Spero RN has written a great article about the connection between diabetes and stress, based on his book. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/stress.htm

  16. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has an excellent basic article about the A1C test that I mirror here. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/a1c_abcs.htm

  17. Dr. Bill Quick's article about who should go to an endocrinologist (in addition to a primary care physician) is one that I have referred people to many times, because it is so good and so important. So I asked him if I could reproduce it on my site, and he agreed. You can read it at http://www.mendosa.com/when_endo.htm.

  18. Author Cherie Burbach is a self-confessed workaholic. That would be problem enough, but she also has diabetes. "Suddenly," she tells me, "my body started arguing with me. My typical mind over matter approach to life suddenly didn’t work." She contributes her insight in an article on my website at http://www.mendosa.com/cherie.htm.

  19. Dr. Steven Bratman's article on double-blind studies in clinical trials is so well-written and so important that I asked his permission to reproduce it on my site. You can read it at http://www.mendosa.com/bratman.htm.

  20. One of Jan Chiat's first articles for Diabetes Interview magazine is the best thing that I have ever read about the problem of health insurance for people with diabetes. The magazine had the article on its website for months, until they revamped it. At that time I asked them to let me make it available here, and they gave me permission. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/chiat.htm

  21. Do you know what a nurse practitioner does? If you have diabetes, it could be important for you to know. This article by Jane Jeffrie Seley and Marie K. Medenilla will clear it all up for you. It is online here with permission of Jane Seley at
    http://www.mendosa.com/nursepractitioner.htm

  22. An article by Dr. Thomas M.S. Wolever, "The Glycemic Index: Flogging a Dead Horse?" is an important article is otherwise unavailable on the Web and is reproduced here with his permission: http://www.mendosa.com/wolever.htm

  23. Likewise, Patti Geil's article "From Jelly Beans to Kidney Beans" is an outstanding article on the glycemic index that is otherwise unavailable on the Web and is reproduced here with her permission: http://www.mendosa.com/geil.htm

  24. By treating the body as a machine and characterizing the relationships between input (food) and output (blood glucose), Derek Paice, a research engineer who has had type 2 diabetes for more than eight years, was able to get excellent control of his diabetes by diet alone. Mr. Paice developed an alternative method to glycemic index for characterizing the glucose-raising effect of food. This "substance glycemic index" is based on a fixed weight of foods, independently of its composition in terms of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. By means of charts and graphs, more than 50 of his experiments are summarized and discussed. The effects of different foodstuffs are vividly presented in a way that is easy to follow. His methods and results will give you greater understanding of your own diabetes. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, author of Diabetes Solution wrote of the book: "I find it very fascinating." Derek has authorized me to make his book, Diabetes and Diet: A Type 2 Patient's Successful Efforts at Control available free online at http://www.mendosa.com/DiabetesAndDiet.pdf

  25. "Can PKC-Beta Inhibitors Fight Complications?" is an article by C. J. Cahoon and R. Keith Campbell in the June 2003 issue of Diabetes Interview about how the enzyme protein kinase C-beta increases the formation of new blood vessels. When such formation is unwarranted and inappropriate, it can lead to trouble. Publisher Scott King authorized me to reproduce the article on my Web site, and the address is http://www.mendosa.com/pkc.htm

  26. In my opinion the best log sheet is one developed by Jean-François Yale, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Crabtree Nutrition Laboratories, McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, and Director, Metabolic Day Centre. It lets you enter blood glucose readings, insulin dosages, carbohydrate grams, and exercise (which you can put on a scale of 1 to 5) for any hour of the day. Dr. Yale authorized me to make his log sheet available on my Web site. Before printing the log sheets remember to change the page layout to landscape and when you are finished to change it back to the usual portrait layout. Two pages of the log sheet cover the seven days of the week. It is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, which requires the free Acrobat Reader, available at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html, if you don't have it already. Download the log sheet at http://www.mendosa.com/logsheet.pdf.

  27. A spreadsheet is yet another way to track your blood glucose readings, insulin dosages and ratio, carbohydrates grams, and exercise. Sally Hines developed this spreadsheet template and kindly authorized me to make it available here. To view it you need to have Microsoft Excel. The URL of Sally's spreadsheet template is http://www.mendosa.com/BGspreadsheet.xls.

  28. Before she became a famous author of great books about diabetes Gretchen Becker reviewed 10 glucose management programs for this website: Diabetes Mentor, Diabetes Partner, Diabetes Tracker, Diabetes Works, HealthDesk, HealthView, NovoLink, WinGlucofacts, In Touch,Diabass, and Balance.

  29. Al Behrens reviews the FreeStyle Connect glucose management program.

  30. Garrick Neal reviews the Latitude blood glucose meter.

  31. We all know how carbs affect blood glucose.  But what about fat?  It, too, influences blood glucose.  Gary Scheiner MS, CDE writes about how dietary fat is involved in digestion and insulin sensitivity, and what you can do to offset it. You can read his article here

Other Articles about Diabetes

  1. Me and My Byetta
    Weight loss is only an incidental benefit of taking Byetta. But for me it has been the main event. At the time I wrote this article I had already lost 48 pounds in my first 3 and one-half months on Byetta. My article originally appeared in the August 2006 issue of Diabetes Health and is now also online here.

  2. The First Book about Byetta.
    Strange that the first book about Byetta is for children. It’s strange because the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved Byetta for children yet. This lovely little book will, however, interest anyone who is using Byetta to control blood glucose or weight. It will also make a great present for any Byetta user.

  3. A Vase for Your Insulin Vials.
    A vase is good for holding more than flowers. If it is designed right, as the Vial Vase is, it can hold up to five vials of insulin in your refrigerator in a small space and more conveniently than leaving the vials in their separate paper boxes. This article originally appeared on my website at Vial Vase.

  4. The Uncommon Doctor: Dr. Joe’s Rx for Managing Your Health is an uncommon book about an uncommon doctor. One of the ways in which the book is different is because it is divided almost equally between Dr. Joe Prendergast the person and Dr. Joe’s endocrinology practice. You can read my full review on my website at
    http://www.mendosa.com/uncommon.htm

  5. My article in the fall 2005 issue of Type 2 Life magazine on “When to Test and Why” points out the evidence for the current shift to testing after meals, rather than before breakfast, at least for people whose diabetes is well controlled. This shift is good for Novartis and its Starlix, because that drug can help control mealtime highs. The URL is
    http://mendosa.com/when_to_test.htm

  6. My other article in the fall 2005 issue of Type 2 Life is about what is perhaps the most important treatment for diabetes — and probably the one most honored in the breach — exercise. Writing this article certainly was good for me, because I now exercise more. I hope that you will too. I coined a maxim for the article:
    It’s the Deed
    Not the Speed
    That summarizes the article, but there is a lot more here for anyone with diabetes. The URL is
    http://mendosa.com/exercise_type_2.htm

  7. The Disintegrator is a great way to dispose of used syringes and lancets. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/disintegrator.htm

  8. Extendbars really do help prevent overnight hypos. But do they really help control the dawn phenomenon? I tested a dozen of them and report my results at http://www.mendosa.com/extendbar.htm.

  9. Mangosteen is undoubtedly a tasty tropical fruit. But will it do anything to improve your health? I investigate the extensive claims that network marketers make for it at http://www.mendosa.com/mangosteen.htm.

  10. Are you a noncompliant diabetic? If that question makes you cringe, this article about "Incorrect Diabetes Terms" is for you. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/incorrect_terms.htm

  11. Statins are the medical establishment's drug family of choice for treating high cholesterol, a condition that usually goes along with diabetes. But some people, myself included, can't tolerate the statin drugs. Fortunately, there are many other treatments that work. See http://www.mendosa.com/cholesterol.htm.

  12. Alcohol and diabetes can be a mean combination. Or they can go very well together. Read how it is at
    http://www.mendosa.com/alcohol.htm.

  13. Dreamfields Pasta is a reality. This remarkable new product is very low in carbohydrates and glycemic index and still tastes great. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/dreamfields_pasta.htm.

  14. White tea may be the least known variety made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, but it has the highest levels of antioxidants, which fight disease and enhance insulin activity. See http://www.mendosa.com/white_tea.htm.

  15. People with diabetes are more at risk of frozen shoulder than most other people. That makes it, I think, a complication of diabetes. At least it is a complication of my diabetes. See http://www.mendosa.com/frozen_shoulder.htm.

  16. Can you really exclude sugar alcohols, glycerin, polydextrose, and fiber when calculating net carbs? While many vendors of low-carb products say that you can, it isn't always true. See http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm

  17. Acidic foods can help you control your blood glucose. These foods include certain vinegars, lemon and lime juice, and sourdough bread. You can read my new article about them at
    http://www.mendosa.com/acidic_foods.htm.

  18. Do you know the relationship between your insulin and glucagon levels? New research from the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute shows that too much glucagon compared to insulin in our blood might cause type 2 diabetes. It also elucidates the relationship between obesity and diabetes. You can read my article about it at
    http://www.mendosa.com/hormones_obesity_diabetes.htm.

  19. Perhaps half of all men with diabetes have this complication, but until now they haven't began to talk about it. The complication is erectile dysfunction, and men are talking about the three new drugs that can overcome it. See my new article about it at
    http://www.mendosa.com/erectile_dysfunction.htm. You can also find this article online as http://mendosa.com/viagra.htm, http://mendosa.com/cialis.htm, and http://mendosa.com/levitra.htm

  20. Novo Nordisk is poised to introduce insulin detemir to the American market. What everyone wants to know is whether it will be a significant advance or not. For my take on the question see
    http://www.mendosa.com/detemir.htm

  21. Everybody knows that the A1C is the most important test of their glycemic control. But did you know that home A1C meters and test kits are now available. This article compares the accuracy of these new products with standard lab tests. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/homeA1c.htm.

  22. Everybody knows that you can relax in a hot tub. But did you know that they might be especially good for people with diabetes who can't—or won't—get exercise? Please see http://www.mendosa.com/hottubs.htm.

  23. The Web has no monopoly on good diabetes information. We also have many magazines to choose from. Check them out at http://www.mendosa.com/magazines.htm.

  24. "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution," first published in May 1997, is already a classic. The revised and expanded edition will arrive in bookstores at the end of August 2003. I review an advance copy at
    http://www.mendosa.com/bernstein.htm.

  25. "Traveling with Insulin: Keeping Insulin Cool Without Refrigeration or Ice" tells you how you can be free of refrigeration on your next trip—no matter how long it is. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/carrying_insulin.htm

  26. Nuts, peanuts, and peanut butter are mostly fat. Several decades of indoctrination has taught us to avoid them. We have been taught to cut back on the fat we eat to avoid getting fat and developing diabetes. Now, our understanding of the different types of fats is more sophisticated, and we appreciate the good fats in nuts, peanuts, and peanut butter. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/nuts.htm

  27. The food police are everywhere. Even if you watch what you eat, you can be sure that there's someone else out there that willing to do the same. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/food_police.htm

  28. "Tagatose is Here" is about a newly-approved sugar substitute that has almost no calories. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/tagatose.htm

  29. "Advances in Lancets: Sharper, Less Painful Lancets are Here and More are Coming" is about the new BD Ultra-Fine 33 gauge lancet that just became available in early 2003 and the forthcoming Pelikan Sun electronic lancing device. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/lancets.htm

  30. "Lag Time in AlternativeLand: Are Alternative Site Meters Dangerous?" is a news report on a disturbing finding presented by two German scientists at the ADA Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia in June 2001 and responses from three of the companies that manufacture alternative site testing meters. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/alternative_lags.htm.

  31. "Chromium: Perhaps Good, Perhaps Harmful" is about popular chromium supplements, particularly chromium picolinate and GTF chromium. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/chromium.htm

  32. "Accurate Meters" is about the HemoCue 201 meter and the surrounding question of meter accuracy. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/accurate.htm

  33. "Advances in Lancets" is about the new BD Ultra-Fine 33 gauge lancet that just became available in early 2003 and the forthcoming Pelikan Sun electronic lancing device. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/lancets.htm

  34. "Take Your Vitamins: And Minerals Too" reports remarkable research on the importance of vitamin and mineral supplements for people with diabetes. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/vitamin.htm

  35. "Financial Aid" includes links to three of my articles and columns about how to get assistance. It also tells about savings programs, scholarships, health insurances, and prizes. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/financial_aid.htm. It is also available on the Diabetes Monitor site at http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/financial.htm.

  36. "Books on Diabetes" contains my recommendations for the dozen books that I think are the best and suggests how to get them. You can read the article at http://www.mendosa.com/books.htm

  37. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Robert Hocking" is the first message in a projected series of messages made available to members of the DiabetesWatch Web site. For your convenience I reprint the message here at http://www.mendosa.com/hocking.htm. This article is also available in Russian at http://diabet.apteka.ru/news/interesting/2002/18_02_1.htm

  38. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Carl Lau" is an article I wrote for the DiabetesWatch Web site. But because of delays in that site making it available, they have authorized me to make it available here. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/lau.htm

  39. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Derek Paice" is an article I wrote for the DiabetesWatch Web site. But because of delays in that site making it available, they have authorized me to make it available here. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/paice.htm

  40. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Gretchen Becker" is an article I wrote for the DiabetesWatch Web site. But because of delays in that site making it available, they have authorized me to make it available here. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/gretchen.htm

  41. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Ron Sebol" is an article I wrote for the DiabetesWatch Web site. But because of delays in that site making it available, they have authorized me to make it available here. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/sebol.htm

  42. "Dominating Diabetes: People Who Are Finding the Way—Teri Robert" is an article I wrote for the DiabetesWatch Web site. But because of delays in that site making it available, they have authorized me to make it available here. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/teri.htm

  43. "What You Don't Know About Insulin Resistance Could Kill You" has a heavier emphasis on the negatives of diabetes than my usual article. That's because my editors picked the title. I wrote my article to it—and they didn't change a word of it. The article was originally in the Diabetes Education Network of HealthTalk Interactive, but is now at http://www.mendosa.com/insulinresistance.htm.

  44. "The Mysterious Syndrome X" tells about the origins and components of our understanding of the most common cause of chronic disease. The article is the second in a series at the Diabetes Education Network of HealthTalk Interactive. It is no longer online there, and is now at http://www.mendosa.com/syndromex.htm

  45. "Controlling Insulin Resistance" explains how the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program showed how to do it. The article is the third in a series at the Diabetes Education Network of HealthTalk Interactive. It is no longer online there, and is now at http://www.mendosa.com/controllinginsulin.htm

  46. "My Favorite Low Carb and Low GI Foods" offers my personal suggestions. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/low_carb_low_gi_foods.htm

    The January 2002 issue of The JDA Connection, the official publication of the Jewish Diabetes Association, reprinted this article on pages 27-28.

  47. "The Diabetes Epidemic Hits Home" takes the diabetes epidemic to the neighborhood level. I wrote this short introductory article for the newsletter of the Rolling Green Estates Improvement Association in Aptos, California. I lived there and was the president of the association. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/rolling_green.htm

  48. "The GlucoWatch Biographer" is about the meter from Cygnus Inc. that the Food and Drug Administration approved on March 22, 2001. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/glucowatch.htm. This article is also available in Russian at http://diabet.apteka.ru/news/interesting/2002/04_02.htm

  49. "History of Human Development of Insulin Resistance" was published on the MyDiabetes Web site in August 2000. The URL is http://www.mendosa.com/ir_history.htm.

  50. "Insulin Resistance Part I: Overview" and a sidebar "History of Human Development of Insulin Resistance" were published on the MyDiabetes Web site in August 2000.

  51. "Catching Up With Dale Evans" is my article about the actress, singer, entertainer, best-selling author, wife of Roy Rogers for 51 years̶and a person with diabetes—that was published in the March 2000 issue of Diabetes Forecast, pages 76-78: http://www.mendosa.com/evans.htm

  52. "How to Talk to Your Doctor About Diabetes" includes some tips about this important relationship. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/talk_doctor.htm

  53. "HbA1c  —  the 7% Solution" is about the most important test for people with diabetes. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/a1c_solution.htm

  54. "Diabetes Treatment Is Getting More Convenient, Less Painful, and Less Expensive" reviews trends in new drugs, testing devices, and health insurance. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/new_treatments.htm

  55. My "Introduction" to Diabetes Online is about the development and future of the World Wide Web for a booklet published by the International Diabetes Federation. The booklet was published in early 2000: http://www.mendosa.com/introduction.htm

  56. "Neuropathy on the Web" was my first column for Diabetes Voice, Bulletin of the International Diabetes Federation, which is published in three separate editions in English, French, and Spanish. This article came out in the December 1999 issue on page 33: http://www.mendosa.com/neuro.voice.htm

  57. "Surfing the Net" was my second column for Diabetes Voice, Bulletin of the International Diabetes Federation, which is published in three separate editions in English, French, and Spanish. This article came out in the March 2000 issue on page 38. If you subscribe to that journal, you can read the article on-line at http://www.diabetesvoice.com/diabetesvoice/peng/issue/members/2000ni1/article11.shtml . If not, you can read it here: http://www.mendosa.com/surfing.voice.htm

  58. "Healthy Living" was my third column for Diabetes Voice, Bulletin of the International Diabetes Federation, which is published in three separate editions in English, French, and Spanish. This article came out in the June 2000 issue on page 34: http://www.mendosa.com/healthy_living.voice.htm

  59. "'IT' Spreads the Message Worldwide in 15 Languages" was my fourth column for Diabetes Voice, Bulletin of the International Diabetes Federation, which is published in three separate editions in English, French, and Spanish. This article came out in December 2000 on page 50. http://www.mendosa.com/websites.voice.htm

  60. "Shaking Up the Insulin Market" is just what Aventis did when it introduced a long-acting insulin originally called HOE901 and now named Lantus. Formed of the merger of Hoechst Marion Roussel AG with Rhône-Poulenc S.A., Aventis challenged Lilly's monopoly on insulin. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/lantus.htm

  61. "Waiting to Inhale" is what most everyone who injects insulin is doing as three teams of companies race for the goal of oral insulin. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/inhaled_insulin.htm

  62. "A New Star for Novartis?" is about that company's hopes that a new oral blood glucose lowering medication named Starlix will reach blockbuster status. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/novartis.htm

  63. Will islet cell transplants be "A Cure for Diabetes?" Since they offer the best chance, all the companies in that market are racing to be the first to bring a cure to the market. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/islets.htm

  64. "Jet Injector Blues" is about the unrealized potential of injecting insulin without using needles. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/jet_injectors.htm

  65. "Lilly Introduces Disposable Pens" and suddenly insulin pens become a popular insulin delivery route in the United States, as they had been all along in Europe. The URL is
    http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_pens.htm

  66. In May 1999 I reviewed four books about diabetes and one Web site for Diabetes Digest:

  67. One-third of the 16 million Americans who have diabetes don't even know it. And among those who have been diagnosed, more than one million of them aren't controlling it well. "Controlling diabetes" appeared in the December 7, 1998, issue of The Dallas Morning News:

  68. The popular eating plan that most closely follows the glycemic index is based on the new bestseller Sugar Busters!. My review of this book was published by Diabetes Interview magazine in its September 1998 issue, and an unedited version of what I wrote is here: http://www.mendosa.com/sugar.htm

    For this article I interviewed each of the four authors of the book. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews are on-line at the Sugarbusters Web site:

  69. If you are trying to lose weight—something of great interest to many people with type 2 diabetes—you may want to study my article about the satiety index, "What Really Satisfies," for the May 1998 issue of Diabetes Interview and reprinted in the June 1, 1998, issue of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: http://www.mendosa.com/satiety.htm. I wrote an abbreviated version for the April 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest: http://www.mendosa.com/satdigest.htm and http://www.mendosa.com/satrank.htm.

  70. My article, "Diabetes on the Internet" in the July 1997 issue of Two Types magazine is about the Diabetic mailing list at http://www.mendosa.com/2types.htm.

  71. My article, "Love on the Internet" also first appeared in the July 1997 issue of Two Types magazine and is online at http://www.mendosa.com/love.htm.

  72. Because of my personal research on stablized rice bran, the Children with Diabetes site referred a question about its use to me: http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/dteam/1997-08/d_0d_20c.htm

Chana Dal

A little-known bean has the lowest glycemic index of any food tested so far. Chana dal not only keeps your blood glucose level low, it also tastes very good.

  1. The main chana dal page: http://www.mendosa.com/chanadal.html .

  2. I wrote an abbreviated version for the April 1999 issue of Diabetes Digest at http://www.mendosa.com/chanadigest.htm and http://www.mendosa.com/chanarecipes.htm .

  3. Here are some of my favorite chana dal recipes:

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HealthCentral Top Site Award HealthCentral.com in June 2007 chose this site as a recipient of its “First Annual Top Site Award,” announcing that it makes it “Top Site Awards to the web’s very best small web sites and individual blogs dedicated to providing informative, insightful, and inspirational healthcare advice.”

award The Official Diabetes O.C. [online community] Website in January 2007 selected my blog as the “Best Adult with Type 2 Blog.” I also won “honorary mention” as the “Best Male Blogger.”





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