Thursday, May 23, 2013

Gretchen Becker's Posts

The Crunchies

I follow a low-carb (LC) diet, and it works well for me. I’m never ravenously hungry.   But sometimes I want something crunchy. That’s one problem with LC diets: most crunchy foods are laced with carbs. Think of potato chips and other snack foods. They’re not just salty or sweet, but in most cases they’re... Read moreChevron

Is Eating Meat Dangerous?

A recent study reported that l-carnitine supplements improved patient outcomes after heart attacks. The supplement readily available and is claimed to increase energy, weight loss, and athletic performance. Carnitine is also found in high amounts in red meat.   But wait! A week or so before this story appeared, another study was published... Read moreChevron

Will Betatrophin Cure Type 2 Diabetes?

What if our beta cells, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, could be instructed to multiply so they could produce more insulin when we needed it? That’s what happens when women are pregnant and need more insulin because of their increased weight.   Harvard scientists think they may have discovered how to get this to... Read moreChevron

Swinging Arms for Exercise

Some years ago, I somewhere got a little booklet describing Chinese “swing exercises.” These were simple movements swinging your arms that were supposed to get your circulation going. People pointed out that orchestra conductors, who swing their arms vigorously, tend to be long-lived.   Then I forgot about the booklet, and now I... Read moreChevron

Visualizing the A1c

Most of us have heard of the hemoglobin A1c test. That’s what measures our average blood glucose levels over the past several months. But how many of us really understand what the hemoglobin A1c is?   To help us understand, Casey Steffen , who has type 1 diabetes, has come up with rubber models of both the hemoglobin molecule and the... Read moreChevron