Two News Items

Good Morning! 
Two news items were brought to my attention by VMG Diabetes team members recently that I thought I should share with you. It's kind of a good news/bad news situation. 

Let's do the bad news first: the FDA has issued a drug warning for the diabetes medications Invokana (canagliflozin), Farxiga (dapagliflozin), and Jardiance (empagliflozin). These are a group of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors. 

The warning is being issued because 20 patients being treated with these medications were hospitalized with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). You might have heard of DKA happening to people with type I diabetes, and being associated with very high blood sugars. These cases were unusual because these were people with Type 2 diabetes, with relatively normal blood sugars. 

If you are taking one of these medications, you are not advised to stop taking it without speaking to your provider, but do be on the lookout for the symptoms of DKA, which the FDA lists as: difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, confusion, and unusual fatigue or sleepiness. You can read the full FDA warning here. 

photo from Weill Cornell Medical College's article

Today's good news? Changing the order in which you eat your meal may help improve blood sugar control! A recent study out of Weill Cornell Medical College found that eating protein and vegetables before carbohydrates resulted in lower post-meal blood sugars and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes on oral medications. 

They emphasize that more research is needed to confirm the finding and to explain why exactly this works, but I don't think it can hurt to try it out for yourself!

Any other big diabetes news you've noticed in the past couple weeks? Let us know in the comments section below!

Looking for Weight Loss Inspiration?

For those of you who may be trying to lose weight, I want to share some of my favorite online resources for inspiration, information, and support.

If you are a smartphone user, you probably already know there are many apps available to help you on your weight loss journey - maybe too many. These are the ones that I have seen the most people succeed with:

• Fooducate or Shopwell: Scan barcodes while shopping – these apps will help you make healthy choices.
• Myfitnesspal or LoseIt: Track your intake to meet daily calorie or nutrient goals
• HealthyOut Healthy Meal Finder: Search for the healthiest restaurant or takeout food options

If you are looking for trustworthy information, recipes, or community, these are some websites that you might want to try:

• CalorieKing.com: Find the facts on almost any food!
• Sparkpeople.com: A combination of an online food diary, informative articles, and a supportive online community.
• Mayo Clinic Recipes: Large database of healthy recipes from a trustworthy source
• Oldways: Not strictly for weight loss, this collection of Mediterranean Diet recipes may help you include more heart-healthy choices in your weight loss meal plan

My favorite weight loss resources of all, however, have always been first-person accounts of real life experiences. I think these blogs are inspiring, funny, and very helpful. If you have all the information you need, but could use a boost from a real person's story, check out these blogs: 

• Authentically Emmie: Cheerful and positive, documents the author’s journey down from 455 pounds.
• Prior Fat Girl: Honest advice from a writer who has maintained her weight loss
• Does this Blog Make Us Look Fat: Very funny take on weight loss, with some very good advice
• Can You Stay for Dinner?: Heartfelt personal story of weight loss and the author’s struggle with emotional eating and body image. Also includes many wonderful recipes!
• Cranky Fitness: This blogger doesn’t like to exercise either, but does it anyway.
• Roni’s Weigh: Inspirational story of weight loss, with lots of helpful tips.

Do you have any favorite online resources to share? Let us know in the comments section below!