Well because there have been several studies (some listed here) over time that show the increasingly poor water quality provided by local governments.  Many studies show that the quality of the water can be out right dangerous to your health and thus can certainly perpetuate a chronic disease like diabetes.

While we are often searching for a  magic bullet for our health care woes we often forget the basics of health like a healthy and natural diet, good sleep, and clean water.  Take a moment to read some of the following articles and studies about what might be lurking in your municipal water.  I am not saying you have to buy bottled water from now on, but some type of filtration system to ensure your water is as clean as possible just makes good common sense.

Dr. Brandon Credeur, DC

I have provided a link today of an article on this very topic related specifically to diabetics.  I hope you take this information into consideration and most importantly implement the necessary changes.

Sweet Dreams

Dr. C

One of the big problems with diabetic recommendations from the mainstream is that they are overly general and often do not apply to you as an individual and in some cases the general advice could make you worse.  This is certainly the case with this piece of advice.  Let us first take a look at the statement itself…”you aren’t exercising enough.” Well then what would constitute enough?  The premise is you should do enough exercise to control your blood sugar.  But does this approach produce results and is it safe?

Well for many of you the approach does not produce the results of lowering blood sugar.  One of the reasons this may be is because your blood sugar is not high because of lack of exercise, others do not have the energy or feel good enough to exercise.

Is it safe?  For many diabetics exercise is the last thing they should do.  Why?  I know all you have ever been told about how to “manage” your diabetes is exercise is very important.  True, exercise can be a very important part of any health care regimen, but it can also lead to a worsening of the condition.  Exercise is a stress.  The question then becomes is the exercise going to be a good stress or a bad stress?  In other words will the stress and strain of exercise create a scenario where the body takes the stress and builds itslef back stronger and healthier or will the stress cause further degradation of health?

I submit to you that many people with chronic health problems (like diabetes) should not exercise until they are healthy and fit enough to do so.  In fact for new patients in my clinic it is off limits to exercise for the first three months.  PERIOD, or i don’t treat you!  And even though my diabetic patients do not exercise for the first three months they often lose massive amounts of weight.  GO FIGURE!

I learned a long time ago from one of my first mentors in healthcare…if you want to be closest to the truth just do the opposite of what the masses are doing.  I believe this piece of advice holds very true in this case.  After all look at what the masses are told to do regarding diabetes and look at the results we are receiving.  The proof is in the pudding as they say…

Yours In Health,

Dr. C

Under the category “what causes high blood sugar”…The first reason given in this article is“YOU DIDN’T TAKE YOUR MEDICATION WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TOO.” In yet another section titled “diabetes: handling your blood sugar” the article makes in my opinion a stunning statement…”The most obvious way to correct high blood sugar is with insulin.” Obvious to whom?

You may say…”What is the big deal?”  Here is my point.  The mass marketing of “anit-diabetic drugs” and insulin has created a standard of care in medicine that promotes a one-drug-after-another approach that often leads a diabetic down a dark and frustrating path.  A path that is often fraught with uncontrolled blood sugars, perpetual weight gain, less quality of life , premature death and the potential for serious diabetic complications.

Shockingly the article does not give you the real skinny on the potential risks of insulin therapy.  Insulin is a fat-storing hormone.  So while the doctor tells you to diet and exercise to lose weight they recommend a fat-storing hormone.  Insulin promotes one of the most common causes of type II diabetes, insulin resistance.  After all what sense does it make to give someone insulin who is insulin resistant?  Insulin also increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke only to name a few possible side effects.

Here is a novel idea.  How about finding out for each diabetic the root cause or mechanism involved in creating a situation where a person can no longer regulate their blood sugar.  Once those issues are diagnosed, allowing a “comprehensive diagnosis” to be achieved, then customize a plan for each diabetic that addresses each individuals root issues.  When this is done type II diabetics in most cases and in very short order are able to reverse their diabetes.

Don’t believe me?  check this out.

Yours in Health,

Dr. C

FROM
DIABETIC TO NON-DIABETIC

It was March 17, 2011 when Mr. Robert Gonzales walked into my
office.  He was diagnosed in 1992 with
Type II Diabetes.  When asked what he was
hoping would happen as a result of his consultation with me he said; “I hope to be able to treat the right problem.”
I don’t think he had any idea the profoundness of his request.

He reported symptoms of dizzy
spells, lack of energy, excessive thirst, weight gain, high blood pressure,
swelling in feet and ankles, sexual difficulty, muscle pain, numbness and
tingling, and depression.

He reported frustration with having
to pay for “drugs that don’t work” and
the fact that he was only being offered
more and more meds.  He was spending
up to $600 per month on meds!… and he had insurance!  He was taking 3 different oral meds for his
diabetes and the doctor was considering putting him on a fourth, which would
have been some sort of injectable.

His goals were very typical…He
wanted to get off meds, lose weight, and reverse his diabetes.  When asked what his real motivations were for
wanting to achieve those goals he stated he wanted to be able to be there for
his family, have a good quality of life, be able to hunt and fish, and travel
with his wife in his retirement years.
Basically the hopes and dreams of most Americans.  Seemingly not too much to ask for out of
one’s life.

His initial blood test revealed a
hemoglobin A1C of 11.2 and a fasting blood sugar of 208.  In addition his test results revealed
hypothyroidism which was previously not diagnosed.  Other markers showed increased risk for
cardiovascular disease as well as neuro-degeneratitve brain diseases.  His hormone profile showed estrogen levels
had increased above his testosterone levels a situation that created further
risk for heart disease and has been reported to also promote insulin resistance.  In addition he also showed significant
adrenal gland dysfunction and he was infected with two intestinal parasites.  Most of the above had never been tested for
and therefore he was unaware of the complexity of his health condition.

He was very committed to getting
better and making his health his number one priority so we decided to admit him
as a patient.

Four
short months later he had achieved non-diabetic status. His Hemoglobin A1C was now 6.1!  In addition he had achieved this result while
consistently decreasing his meds and eventually getting off the drugs
completely.

His total cholesterol dropped from
203 to 181…His triglycerides dropped from 292 to 95…His Vitamin D levels
increased from extremely low (24.9) to 86.7, which is very important for
diabetics…His thyroid was functioning normally again…

In short a miraculous return to good
health!  And he did it without drugs. He
was on a path of destruction and potential early death and only being offered
more and more meds and he reversed his diabetes to a non-diabetic state while
getting off the meds.

Just to show this is no fluke.  His wife was so impressed by the thoroughness
of the evaluation, from comprehensive blood tests to salivary and stool testing
that she asked if we would be willing to evaluate her.

Of course we agreed.  Low and behold she was diabetic and did not
even know it.  To make a long story short
she started with a Hemoglobin A1C of 7.3…and again 4 short months later her
hemoglobin A1C had returned to a normal 5.9!
Her fasting blood sugar had returned to normal (her last test revealed
97 mg/dl).  She did this without drugs

What a miraculous story of a husband
and wife taking charge of their health and beating the odds!  They committed themselves to their health
made it their number one priority, followed my recommendations, and got the job
done.

GREAT JOB YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!

I love food preparation and if I can do it on the weekend that makes the week easier.

We prepare a veggie mix with: sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, and sometimes onion, beets, & zucchini; covered in olive oil with salt and pepper.

• We use the metal disposable baking pans on the grill or in the oven, and get quite a few uses before throwing them away.
• The chopped up mix can be eaten cold with lunch, fried for breakfast or warmed over for dinner.

Kale Chips
1 bunch of Kale (can be dinosaur, purple, or green kale)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the center rib from the kale leaf. Tear or cut kale into 2-3 inch pieces. In a medium bowl, toss the kale with olive oil. Spread the kale in a single layer over a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until crispy, kale may need to be turned once. Lightly salt the kale chips and serve.

We bought a tall container to keep our kale chips handy on the countertop – I’ve been making two bunches of kale worth of chips and filling the container on the weekend.

• It’s a quick and tasty snack.
• They make a nice seasoning crumbled on top of a dish (nice on the veggie mix too!)

Here’s a couple favorite quick and easy recipes:

No Tahini Black Bean Hummus
By Jolinda Hacket, About.com
Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained (I kept some of the liquid and used what I needed to get the consistency right)
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried parsley (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. It really is that easy to make homemade hummus!

Balsamic Chicken Breast with Apple and Spinach (w/ Walnuts if you like)
That’s it! All the ingredients are in the title (1 chicken breast and 1 apple per serving… depending on the size of the chicken breast, & your appetite, it may feed you lunch too)

Preparation: put raw cleaned chicken breast in glass cookware, cut up apple into chunks (I prefer gala or fuji). Pile apple pieces over raw chicken, pour balsamic vinegar over all and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until done. Use the smallest cooking container you can, so the vinegar you pour over the apple immerses most of the chicken while it bakes.
Wilt, steam or fry Spinach. Serve the cooked chicken, apple & vinegar on top of the spinach. Sprinkle walnuts (toasted walnuts if you like) is a nice addition too.

Notes: If the recipe calls for xylitol, make sure it is made from birch tree also known as birch tree sugar. Do not use the xylitol made from corn.

Golden Turkey Stock
From Bon Appétit Magazine

You will need this turkey stock to make the gravy and baste the turkey. Must be made ahead, and can be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen or it will keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 days. I do not recommend store bought stock or broth unless it specifically says GLUTEN FREE. Homemade is always better!
4 ½ pounds turkey wings, cut in half
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
6 fresh Italian parsley sprigs (leaves removed)
1 fresh bay leaf
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ tsp whole black pepper corns

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange wings in large roasting pan. Roast until deep brown, turning once, about 2 hours total.
Transfer wings to a large bowl. Spoon 3 TBSP of fat from the roasting pan into a large pot (reserve roasting pan) Add onion, celery, and carrot to the pot. Sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables are golden, about 20 minutes. Add turkey wings to the pot. Add 2 cups of water to the roasting pan; place over 2 burners and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits. Add liquid to the pot. Add remaining ingredients to the pot and enough cold water to cover wings by 1 inch.
Bring water to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat, simmer uncovered and stock is very flavorful and reduce to 7 ½ -8 cups, about 2 ½ hours. Strain stock into a large bowl. Cool 1 hour, then chill until cold, about 3 hours. Skim off fat from surface before using.

Salted Roast Turkey with Chipotle Glaze and Caramelized Onion Gravy
This recipe calls for the turkey to refrigerate for 18-24 hours before roasting. You have to start the day before Thanksgiving.
From Bon Appétit Magazine

Southwestern –Spiced Salt
1 Tbsp– Cumin seeds
1/3 cup – mild oak smoked sea salt (found at Whole Foods or online at surfasonline.com)
1 Tbsp – smoked paprika
1 Tbsp – dried oregano
1 tsp – ground chipotle chili powder

Toast cumin in skillet over medium heat until darker and to smoke, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill or in mortar with pestle. Transfer to bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover, store at room temperatures.

The Turkey
1 14-16 pound turkey (neck, heart, and gizzard reserved)
¼ cup honey
2 tsp ground chipotle chili powder, divided
1 large onion, chopped
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups of Golden Turkey stock (see recipe)
Special Supplies
1 roasting bag
1 metal or wood skewer
Butcher’s string

Rinse turkey inside and out. Pull all fat pads from main cavity; wrap, chill and reserve fat for roasting. Place turkey inside roasting bag; sprinkle inside and out with southwestern spiced salt. Close bag. Place on a baking sheet; refrigerate 18-24 hours.

Position rack on the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Mix honey and 1 tsp on ground chipotle chili powder in a small bowl; reserve for glaze. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat very dry. Stir chopped onion, garlic, and 1 tsp of chipotle chili in a medium bowl to blend. Divide mixture between main and neck cavities. Fold neck skin under and secure with a skewer. Tuck wing tips under. Tie leg loosely.

Place turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Spread butter all over the turkey. Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in roasting pan; pour in 2 cups of Golden Turkey Stock.
Roast turkey for 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165-170 degrees, basting every 45 minutes adding water to the pan by the cupfuls if dry, and tenting the turkey loosely with foil if browning too quickly. 3-3 ½ hours longer.
Brush turkey with glaze twice during the last 30 minutes. Transfer turkey to a platter and tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 30-45 minutes. Reserve roasting pan with juices for gravy.

Gravy
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 ½ pounds onions, chopped
4 cups of Golden turkey stock (see recipe)
½ cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Bob’s Red Mill is what I usually use. Even though this is gluten free, the flour will make your blood sugar go up but not as high as if you used regular wheat flour. If you are a diabetic please use sparingly.)

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté until translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until deep brown, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard from roasting pan. Pull the meat off the neck, chop neck meat, heart, and gizzard and reserve for gravy. Pour pan juices into an 8 cup measuring cup. Spoon off the fat from the surface, reserving ½ cup of fat. Add enough turkey stock to the pan juices to measure 5 ½ cups total.

Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Add ½ cup of reserved fat and ½ cup of flour to the pan. Wisk until the roux is light brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in stock mixture. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits and whisking. Boil until gravy coats the spoon, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped neck, heart, and gizzard. Season with salt and pepper.

Spiced and Roasted Winter Vegetables
Serves 6-8
From Whole Foods Market
2 Butternut squashes, peeled and sliced into wedges
3 parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
3 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
3 carrots peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 cinnamon sticks
¼ tsp ground cardamom
6 whole star anise
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (thick woody stems removed)

Preheat oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl, mix the vegetables, salt and pepper with enough olive oil just to coat. In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. Put the vegetables in a roasting pan and bake for 25 minutes. Add the spice mixture to the vegetables, then add maple syrup. Stir well and continue to roast another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Melt the butter in a small pan and cook over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Stir in fresh thyme and pour over the cooked vegetables. Serve immediately.

Spiced Nuts
From Whole Foods Market
Can be made 1 week ahead. I usually make extra. This is a great snack food and guests like to munch on nuts before the main meal.
½ teaspoon of Stevia powder
2 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ to ½ tsp cayenne
1 large egg white
4 cups mixed nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and/or cashews)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk Stevia, salt, and spices in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk egg white until light and frothy. Add nuts and toss until evenly coated with egg white. Sprinkle Stevia and spice mixture over nuts and toss well. Spread nuts in single layer on baking sheet and bake until dry, 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool to room temperature.

Arugula and Endive Salad
From Whole Foods Market
4 cups baby arugula
2 large heads Belgian endive, cut crosswise into ¾ inch sections (about 4 cups)
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1 cup of spiced nuts (see recipe above)
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 -1/2 cup of balsamic vinaigrette
2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar

Toss greens together in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently until greens are evenly coated. Adjust seasonings

Brussel Sprout Hash
Serves 6-8
2 bunches of brussel spouts, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pkgs applewood smoked bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium-high heat until almost done, about 7 minutes. Add brussel sprouts and sauté over medium heat until soft, add garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until just brown. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cup mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
1 tsp Stevia or xylitol (1/4cup)
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 stick of butter
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook for 20-30 minutes.

Topping:
1/3 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup
¾ cup chopped pecans

Mix the butter and maple syrup thoroughly. Add pecans and toss to coat. After the casserole is golden brown add topping and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Diabetic Friendly Pumpkin Pie
¾ tsp Stevia or ¼ c of xylitol
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin puree
12 oz Coconut milk
Almond flour pie crust (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix Stevia, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and spice mixture. Gradually stir in coconut milk. Pour into pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Cut and serve.

Almond flour pie crust
From Dan Gauron, www.scdrecipe.com
1 cup almond flour or almond meal
1 egg
1 cap vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Maple syrup to taste
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together until they form a ball. The ball should have a little moisture to it, but should not feel soggy. Taste the mixture to make sure it has a hint of cinnamon and butter. Smooth pieces of dough into pie tin with fingers until crust is made. Bake crust until just golden brown.

Cranberry Relish
2 cups raw cranberries, finely chopped 1 TBSP lemon juice
1 cup apples, finely chopped pinch of salt
1 cup fresh pineapple, finely chopped 1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp Stevia, or ¼ cup of xylitol

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate. This relish tastes better if made the day before serving.

Pumpkin and Almond Bread
By Sandra Ramacher
4 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
¼ cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp orange rind, grated
½ tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 4 x 8 inch loaf tin with parchment paper
Combine the almond flour with the baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk the eggs with the butter and add the pumpkin, walnuts, orange rind, and ginger. Combine the almond flour with the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the dough into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour, until the top of the loaf feels firm. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

“Cinnamony” Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Juice from ½ an orange

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice potatoes your favorite way…can be thinly sliced, cut into fries, or squares.
3. Mix thoroughly with olive oil.
4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Cook, stirring often, about 30-45 minutes or until crispy.
6. Add cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and juice from ½ an orange.

Sweet and Savory Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp sea salt
¼ cup cilantro or parsley
½ cup balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice yams your favorite way…can be thinly sliced, cut into fries, or squares.
3. Mix thoroughly with olive oil.
4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Cook, stirring often, about 30-45 mins or until crispy.
6. While potatoes are cooking, reduce ½ cup balsamic vinegar over low/medium heat down to about 2 tbsp.
7. Add sea salt and roughly chopped cilantro or parsley.
8. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the potatoes and toss.

Sweet Potatoes w/ A Southern Twist (NO not with marshmallows and pecans )
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 poblano peppers
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cajun seasonings
½-1/4 tsp chipotle powder
½-1 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice potatoes your favorite way…can be thinly sliced, cut into fries, or squares.
3. Mix thoroughly with olive oil.
4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Cook, stirring often, about 30-45 minutes or until crispy.
6. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, roast the poblano peppers over an open gas flame or on the oven rack on the boiler setting. Roast peppers until charred on all sides.
7. Place the peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin and remove the seeds.
8. Cut the peppers into long strips.
9. Add the peppers to the sweet potatoes, with approximately 15-20 mins left to cook.
10. Remove from the oven and toss with paprika, cajun seasonings, chipotle chili powder (if you like it spicy), and sea salt (you can also add the seasonings before cooking to add more complex flavoring).

Kale Chips
1 bunch of Kale (can be dinosaur, purple, or green kale)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the center rib from the kale leaf.
3. Tear or cut kale into 2-3 inch pieces.
4. In a medium bowl, toss the kale with olive oil.
5. Spread the kale in a single layer over a baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes until crispy, kale may need to be turned once.
7. Lightly salt the kale chips and serve.

The Functional Endocrinology Center of Colorado specializes in helping patients with Type II Diabetes and Hypothyroidism.  To learn more about our services go to www.drcredeur.com.  To schedule a free consultation, call 303-302-0933.

The drugs — Paxil and Pravachol — belong to two of the most commonly prescribed drug classes in the United States: antidepressants and statin cholesterol-lowering drugs. When taken in combination, Paxil and Pravachol increased blood sugar by an average of 19 milligrams per deciliter among those without diabetes and an average of 48 mg/dl among diabetics.

The fact that the blood sugar spike was so significant in those with diabetes is concerning considering the American Diabetes Association notes that statins like Pravachol are the “most effective cholesterol-lowering drugs” to reduce the amount of cholesterol your body naturally produces” as well as to “reduce heart attacks and strokes.” They also note in this PowerPoint presentation that “most people with diabetes need medications to reach their target blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol (ABC) targets.”

This is debatable, but the point is that many diabetics are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, including Pravachol, by their physicians. Further, it’s estimated that up to one-quarter of people with diabetes also suffer from depression, a rate that’s nearly twice as high as it is among those without diabetes. So it’s safe to say that many diabetics are also prescribed antidepressants.

But taking this drug duo if you have diabetes clearly appears to be dangerous to blood sugar levels, and even if you don’t, the drug combo could potentially push your blood sugar into a diabetic or pre-diabetic range.

The finding was not a fluke, either, as in addition to analyzing data from human patients, the researchers conducted an experiment in mice. Once again, when taken together Paxil and Pravachol increased blood sugar, this time from an average of 128 mg/dl to 193 mg/dl — that’s a whopping 65 mg/dl increase!

Other drugs, ranging from corticosteroids to decongestants and cold remedies to statins on their own, can also wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels, so if you experience an unexpected increase in yours, always ask your health care provider if your medications could be to blame.

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics May 25, 2011

Medline Plus May 25, 2011

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The Functional Endocrinology Center of Colorado is passionate about improving the lives and lifestyles of individuals with Type II Diabetes and Hashimoto’s Disease. Call us at 303-302-0930 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Are you so fatigued throughout the day that you feel you could fall asleep virtually any time you sit down (and sometimes do), even when you’re in a meeting or while driving?

Do you no longer have the energy to do the things you love, such as exercise?

And is it often difficult to get through your day without a nap (or at least wishing you could take one)?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, there’s a good chance your fatigue is not the run-of-the-mill “go to bed early and the next day you’ll feel rested” variety.

Instead, your fatigue may be thyroid related.

Your thyroid gland plays an instrumental role in countless body functions, from influencing your heart and respiratory rate, to regulating the rate at which calories are burned to helping with growth, temperature regulation, fertility and digestion.

When hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) occurs, it means your thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormones and you’ve got too little in your bloodstream to keep your body running smoothly. The result is a major slowing down of many bodily systems … including your energy levels. It is very common for people with hypothyroidism to suffer from sluggishness, lack of energy and serious fatigue.

Differentiating thyroid-related fatigue from “ordinary” fatigue can be tricky, but one of the best gauges is feeling tired even though you’re sleeping well, or experiencing exhaustion for no apparent reason. These two scenarios are hallmarks of people with hypothyroidism.

If you’re experiencing thyroid-related fatigue, you may be desperate for more energy, but resist the urge to rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a solution. This will only provide short-term relief to your tiredness, as it is the lack of thyroid hormones in your bloodstream that is responsible for your exhaustion.

By addressing the hypothyroidism at the foundational level, and of course first confirming that it is indeed a thyroid problem that is causing your fatigue, you can restore your energy naturally, and often permanently.

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The Functional Endocrinology Center of Colorado is passionate about improving the lives and lifestyles of individuals with Type II Diabetes and Hashimoto’s Disease. Call us at 303-302-0930 to schedule your complimentary consultation.