Normal Blood Sugar Levels After You Eat

It's like a blow ─ today is the sixth consecutive day in which I have logged into my account and discovered that not 1¢ has been added to it.

I can't continue to expend my life like this.

I finished the new post at my website Latin Impressions this morning ─ I commenced work on the post on Sunday, and now have it published:  .

I hadn't slept well overnight ─ in fact, after that first block of three hours or so of solid sleep, I found myself feeling somewhat unwell.  It was similar to what one might feel with a morning hangover impending.

The day was grey when I rose, and I saw that my youngest step-son Pote was up.  That falsely led me to believe that he had to work today.

Instead, he must only have been up because he had earlier driven away his girlfriend in his older brother's car ─ she had spent the night here.

Thus, I have had both step-sons home with me today.

There are still no employers lining up outside the door to offer the oldest lad work ─ Tho is well into his third week of unemployment after quitting his job.

Yesterday, 18-year-old Pote had asked me about his income tax refund ─ in reflection together, it seemed to us that must surely have had his income tax return now for about a month.

I had failed to record just when it was that I dropped off the return at Surrey Taxation Centre.

Well, this morning I discovered that my wife Jack had been given a federal-sourced direct deposit yesterday of exactly the figure I had worked out was going to be Pote's refund.

The amount was far too unlikely to be a coincidence ─ a direct deposit of well over $700 that was identical in amount right down to the penny?

But why had Pote supplied his mother's banking information on his tax return instead of his own?

I made an on-line transfer of the money to his account ─ sans $200 which he said to put towards the monthly mortgage that is due on the 21st or 22nd of this month.

Alas, even with his help, Jack and I are going to be quite a few hundred dollars short ─ barring some extricating miracle.

The overcast morning began to evince sunny breaks by midday.

I probably could have gone out into the backyard and sunned my paling face, but my eyes were too tired.  I needed some bed-rest in order to be in any shape to handle this post.

And so, well into the noon-hour, I sought my bed.

I cannot claim that I managed to sleep ─ I recall no dreaming; but I was in bed for well over an hour, and certainly had to apply myself to find enough rally to rise.

Without, the day was very sunny.

Tomorrow is being heralded as a purer day of Sun, so I will hope to feel up to sunning on that day, if nothing else intrudes to prevent it.

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Now this is interesting ─ it seems that the American government agency that gave the green light to marketing that new genetically engineered salmon that we've all heard about since last year MAY HAVE NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO EXTEND SUCH PERMISSION:

It may be the most terrifying fish to come out of the sea since Jaws -- and it could be coming soon to a dinner table near you. I warned you in November that the FDA had approved a new genetically-modified salmon called . Or, as lots of people have been calling it, "Frankenfish." It's bred to grow twice as large and twice as fast as a normal salmon -- and what happens when you eat one is anyone's guess. Now the biotech industry is itching to get AquAadvantage and other GMO animals into our supermarkets as quickly as possible -- but there's one big problem standing in the way. Because a major new lawsuit claims that the FDA didn't just put us all in harm's way when it approved GMO salmon for sale. It actually broke the law. No matter how safe they try to make it sound, our government is plenty worried about GMO salmon. You see, when AquAdvantage was first approved, the deal was that it wouldn't be produced anywhere near America. The eggs could be hatched in Canada and the salmon couldbe grown in Panama -- but those fishies had better be deader than disco by the time they reached the United States. That's right -- these DNA disasters were considered too risky for American fish farms. But somehow we're supposed to believe that AquAdvantage is perfectly safe to eat and feed to our families. And if that doesn't make a lick of sense to you... and you're wondering how these pseudo-salmon ever got approved in the first place... well, you're not alone. A dozen leading environmental and consumer groups have just filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the FDA had no authority whatsoever to approve AquAdvantage or any other GMO animal for food. In fact, it's starting to look like no government agency has the authority. You see, the FDA approved AquAdvantage based on a 78-year-old law that allows it to regulate veterinary drugs. Are you kidding me? This is a law designed for flea-and-tick collars! And they're using it to make major decisions that affect our entire food supply-- and, potentially, our health. That's not just stretching the law... that's like stretching a stick of bubble gum to the moon. George Kimbrell, senior attorney for , one of the plaintiffs in the suit, calls the Frankenfish approval "as unlawful as it is irresponsible." The groups are demanding that the FDA be stripped of any jurisdiction over genetically engineered animals until Congress acts to decide which agency has authority. That sounds like common sense to me. I wish I could promise you that this lawsuit was going to kill the Frankenfish once and for all. But we all know how powerful the biotech industry is, and they're going to fight this tooth and nail. Fortunately, there are a couple things you can do right now to protect yourself from GMO salmon -- or whatever test-tube meat they dream up next. and tell them to ban all approvals of GMO animals for food until we have a system in place that can prove they're safe. Tell them we shouldn't be making such important food decisionsbased on a law that was written when FDR was in office and there were only 48 states. Reach out to your local supermarket chain and let them know exactly how you feel about the Frankenfish coming to your stores. Already Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Kroger are promising not to sell it.

Lord, I hope that the Canadian government is not so bloody stupid as to allow that potentially dangerous crap to be sold here!

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It feels to me like I have endured depression since before adolescence.

Yet now that I am 66 years of age, less hope lies on the horizon.  When I was young, I at least had that ─ and would have it for years and years.

That's no longer the case, and there seems less and less to live for.

The worst of it is that everything plaguing me and bringing me down can be attributed to the root cause of financial inadequacy and an insurmountable debt.

It is ruining my health, and may have irreparably ruined my marriage.

That intro paves the way for this report ─ it seems that I may be well in line for dementia as the next thing to make my life worth not living:

What's the most embarrassing health problem you can think of? For most folks, it's not a sex problem, a weird rash, or even something like incontinence. At least most folks seek help for those conditions these days. No, the thing that very few patients want to talk about...the biggest source of their "secret shame"...is depression. For some reason, older folks -- especially men -- refuse to admit when they're down in the dumps; and because they won't talk about it, they'll never get help. Well, my friend, if you're one of them, it's time to get some help and get it fast -- because the latest research shows how a battle with the blues can do so much more than ruin your mood. It can absolutely wreck your brain and set the stage of Alzheimer's disease! The more depressed you are, the more damage you suffer upstairs. As a result, the study finds a deep, dark case of serious case of depression can almost DOUBLE your risk of dementia in the coming years. And the biggest risk of all goes tofolks whose depression is like the Obama administration: It just keeps getting worse. Don't waste your time on antidepressants. Most of them don't work...or don't work well...and come with big risks. And this newest study finds they don't do a thing to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. Depressed folks on meds suffered dementia at the same rate as everyone else, which means those drugs are EXTRA useless! The researchers say they're not sure which one's causing the other. Is depression the first warning sign of the onset of dementia? Or does depression and its brain-wrecking inflammation set the stage for dementia? I say it may not even matter, because I've got a delicious way for you to approach the battle from BOTH frontlines. That's right, my friend, BEEF is the answer! The smell of a steak on the grill alone is a mood-booster, but there's more to it than that. Beef is also loaded with the brain-friendly nutrients that can fight depression AND dementia at the same time: vitamin B12,zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. But that's only if you get the RIGHT stuff. Grain-fed supermarket cuts won't have anything close to what you need, but grass-fed beef has a milligram of zinc in every ounce. It's also higher in B12 and omega-3s (and I'll have more on that this weekend). Just to make sure you get everything [ sic] last bit of nutrients that you need, take some supplements along with your steak -- and if that still doesn't do the trick, seek the advice of a naturopathic physician, who can check you for other possible problems such as hormonal issues. Now go and get mooooooving... you've got a brain to save! Beefing up your brain protection.... 

This is the study, but only the abstract is available for free to the general public:  (doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0004).

But if you go to and plunk the digital object identifier (doi) ─ that is, 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0004 ─ into the search field, the study should be made available as a seven-page .pdf document.

A different report on that study is available at upi.com:  .

Photo by Ruslan Guzov/Shutterstock

I'm afraid that my budget does not allow for much in the way of naturally-raised foodstuffs such as grass-fed beef.

I would wager that  my depression is here to stay for whatever is left of my life.

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Diabetics may have some good news where coffee-consumption is concerned.

This is from : 

The morning secret to better blood sugar control

Visiting a doc when you've got diabetes is like getting arrested by the Fun Police. He'll tell you how bad every single last thing you love is supposed to be for folks with your disease -- and that it's time to quit them all. No more booze...no more bacon...no more coffee. If you've heard that song and dance before, I'm here with a new tune that'll really get you jumping for joy, because all that fun-killing advice is flat-out wrong! The latest research proves that coffee isn't just "safe" for diabetics -- it's downright essential! And it can even play a critical role in helping you get the upper hand on this disease. Coffee is a top source of , a potent antioxidant that can help control blood sugar in diabetics and non-diabetics alike, especially after meals. And if you've got diabetes, drinking coffee every day can pack some serious punch. Over the long term, three or four cups a day will cut your blood sugar levels by a stunning 20 percent. That's not all coffee can do. It can alsocut levels of the uric acid linked to both painful gout and diabetes complications by 15 percent. Not diabetic? Drink up -- because the same study finds that coffee can help you AVOID the disease! The blood sugar benefits aren't quite as big if you don't have diabetes, but a daily habit will still slash your levels by 5 percent. Even better, it can cut your uric acid by 10 percent -- so along with avoiding diabetes, coffee can help prevent a debilitating battle with gout. Naturally, the Fun Police will tell you that coffee still has caffeine -- and caffeine is supposed to be bad for you. I've even heard some of these hacks claim it should be regulated "like a drug" because of all the supposed risk. That's a bunch of bunk, and the study even proves it. In diabetics, you'd have to drink more than a half-gallon of coffee per day before problems like anxiety, restlessness, spasms, and more start to kick in! Even I would tell you that's probably too much coffee -- so keep it to a few mugsper day, and you'll get all the taste and benefits...not to mention a little pick-me-up from that eye-opening caffeine. And while you're at it, put the booze and bacon back on the menu, too. Wine is proven to cut heart risk in diabetics, and bacon is a terrific part of a healthy diabetes-busting diet low in carbs and high in fresh animal fats. Drink up... and dig in! Living the good life....

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To close today's post, an entry from my journal of 41 years ago when I was 25 years old, and living in a basement housekeeping unit in .

SUNDAY, April 6, 1975 In all, I shared the laundromat with three others; and cause I neglected buying detergent, I laundered without. It's a very sunny day. Towards 11:00 a.m. I lied down, gaining a very little sleep. Around 2:30 p.m. Bill came for a short while; he brought over Norman Mailer's Marilyn in paperback form. My sun lamp switch no longer functions, I found tonight.  I'll take it to mom's tomorrow and disassemble it. As sometimes occurs, I nigh practiced my great evil; fortunately I was too cool to bother.  But my mind was amiss.  I hope God lets me win the big draw, so all this may be of the past.

Sunday was generally the day that I did my laundry if I had any to do ─ I had to use a laundromat.  Strangely enough, though, I no longer remember just where the heck it was. 

My dear old friend William Alan Gill dropped by for a time, probably to show off that book ─ I once had a crush on her so intensely that for two years, I was convinced that I was in love with her.

I am sure that Bill left the book for me to enjoy ─ he truly was a dear friend.

The sun-lamp was an essential for me ─ for maybe five years I had used one during those months when there was not sufficient sunshine to keep my face nicely coloured.  Otherwise, my pasty complexion would be an excellent canvas for displaying the acne breakouts that I troubled over ever since my adolescent school years.

I tended to only use the lamp on my face, lying beneath it with the lamp only a couple or so feet from my face.

As the bulb would become ineffective in time from extended months and months of use, I would bring the lamp closer and closer to my face until finally I was lying with just the protective wire cage separating my face from the bulb.

Ultimately, I have to wonder what damage I may have done to myself?

Something else I struggled with was " my great evil" ─ i.e., masturbation.  It was five years since I last had anything like a serious girlfriend, so times could become intensely unbearable when one's sexuality was piqued ─ for whatever reason. Evidently my room that evening was a little too chilly for me to care to pursue the practice to the usual termination.

There never was any divine deliverance from financial need, and I am coming to the point where I will no more be able to live with the oppressive debt and the limitations it brings to my ineffectual life.

My old friend Bill will turn 70 years of age on Sunday.

I phoned his lady-friend Sandra Turner early last evening ─ tomorrow she plans to go over to from where she lives, and she will return on Friday.

Bill's cousin Darlene will meet Sandy after Sandy disembarks the ferry, and Darlene will take Sandy to the care facility where Bill lives now.

Sandy will have a few hours to visit with him, and then she will spend the night at Darlene's home, and have the chance on Friday to spend some further hours with him before she has to catch a ferry back to the mainland.

Bill is essentially bedridden, although he can be helped into a chair or wheelchair.

He always wears a catheter, and is having some problems relating to the constant presence of this device.

He has a host of medical issues, including a large tumour on a kidney that cannot be operated upon due to his poor health and age.

Sandy said that in her last conversation via phone with Bill, he told her that the doctor tending him said that there was nothing more they could do about the tumour.

Alas, I fear that Bill will not accumulate more years than his "threescore and ten."

It may have been in the latter 1990s that he and I last saw one another, and we are unlikely to ever see one another again.