Is Metformin The Next Drug We’ll Have To Give Up?

Yet another NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) contamination announcement is upon us.  Many in the type 2 diabetes community have already been impacted by prescription drug recalls of blood pressure medications commonly prescribed to those who suffer from the illness.  The FDA reports that is has become aware of NDMA detected in Metformin in countries outside of the United States, and is currently investigating NDMA levels in Metformin dispensed in the United States.  The FDA’s most recent statement claims that there is currently no plan to recall Metformin.

N-nitrosodimethylamine has been identified as a probable carcinogen.  The FDA sets acceptable levels of NDMA in foods and drugs.  As of  now, the FDA claims that Metformin being dispensed in the United States is safe, and that type 2 diabetics who currently take the drug should continue to do so.  More than 80 million patients have been prescribed Metformin in the United States, and according to the American Diabetes Association each year the country adds 1.5 million new cases of type 2 diabetes.

Panera Bread Power Breakfast Egg Bowl With Steak

The low carb and paleo worlds have been buzzing about Panera Bread’s new hidden menu items.  A quick look through the list of meals revealed that, based on the Glucoholic’s standards, the breakfast bowls were the only truly low carb option in the group.  Eager to try one of the breakfast bowls, we headed down to the local Panera and ordered the Power Breakfast Egg Bowl With Steak.

The Glucoholic doesn’t eat tomatoes or avocado, and the fine folks at Panera were happy to prepare it with just the top sirloin and eggs.  The steak was very flavorful and tender, and the portion was adequate.  They really use the salt and pepper, so the steak has a little kick.  The eggs were a little rubbery, but still better than your average fast food attempt at eggs.  We would have preferred the entire meal to be heated, and we will probably ask for this next time.  There will definitely be a next time, because this was a pretty filling breakfast option, and priced to move at $5.29USD.

We’re looking forward to trying the Egg White Bowl With Roasted Turkey.  Try these low carb hidden menu items at your local Panera Bread, and let us know what you think in the comments! 

Sugar Ray Leonard Encourages Congress To Renew The Special Diabetes Program

Last week the great Sugar Ray Leonard encouraged Congress to Imagine a World Without Diabetes.  Particularly moving were his words about the decision to pursue professional boxing to help with the cost of treating his father’s diabetes.  He convincingly encourages Congress to act to renew the Special Diabetes Program by pointing out the following sobering statistics about diabetes:

  • The leading cause of kidney failure.
  • The number one cause of blindness in adults.
  • The cause of the majority of amputations unrelated to injuries.
  • Over the last decade, the number of children with diabetes has grown by more than 20 percent.

We join Mr. Leonard in encouraging Congress to renew support for the SDP.  The fight against diabetes is a hard one, but one worth fighting.

SoBe Honey Green Tea

Sugar Free Drinks - SoBe Honey Green TeaThis green tea is a little bit of a change for SoBe. First, they’ve chosen to use plastic for this bottle. It looks like a traditional SoBe glass bottle, but will probably weather a fall to the kitchen floor a little better than its predecessor. Second, this tea is sweetened with sugar alcohol and stevia. We were excited to see what impact this would have on the sweetness of this green tea.

Overall, green tea lovers will probably not like this drink. It’s probably most easily describable as uninspired. There is adequate sweetness, but the green tea flavor and honey are very weak. There doesn’t really appear to be much in the bottle except water. The green tea was certainly more detectable than the honey, but that’s not saying much. We were really disappointed given the pleasant experiences we’ve had with SoBe beverages in the past. We could only recommend this to a person who just does not like green tea and is looking for something not as strong as other green tea drinks on the market.