Unintended consequences

Even slight elevations in blood sugar have been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

~ David Perlmutter

Last weekend when my husband, son, and I were playing a board game, I got up quickly from a sitting position on a pouf, lost my balance and fell.

After verifying that I was okay, our clever son immediately joked that clearly I am the average of the five people I hang with most.

He was implying that because I spend a few days a week with our granddaughter, who started walking and falling a couple of months ago, I have lost my balance.

I do not drink. I can easily do the sit-to-stand longevity test. I am not sick. But, I had another minor tumble earlier the previous week when walking barefoot to the lake on a slippery slope. Although hazardous, I am usually strong enough to regain my balance.

The fall from the pouf left me wondering whether I might have lowered my blood sugar levels too much.

Those who read my blog regularly may recall when I wrote about my HbA1C (a marker for blood sugar levels over time) creeping to the at risk range.

Because I have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes, since then, I have been proactively taking steps to prevent blood sugar spikes. Since I do not track glucose levels, there is a chance I may have interfered too much.

I share this story as a cautionary tale because I have had several questions about all the supplements and drugs longevity “experts” are promoting.

Sometimes less is more.

What I do to prevent blood sugar spikes

If I could bottle the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in a pill, it would become a blockbuster drug.

~ Rajiv Misquitta

I maintain a healthy weight with low belly fat.

I drink apple cider vinegar 15-20 minutes before a higher-carb meal.

Breakfast starts with fibre-rich homemade foods that include berries, greenish banana, sprouted flax, chia and hemp hearts.

Later-day meals start with vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts or other cruciferous vegetables.

To lower the glycemic load of my meals, I add acidity (lemon, lime, vinegar), healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, avocado, organic butter), and protein (small amounts of sustainably raised animal products) to carbohydrate-rich foods (porridge, rice, potatoes, pasta).

Of course, we are all biochemically unique. Unless one wears a continuous blood glucose monitor, it is hard to know for certain what triggers spikes and dips in blood sugar levels.

Sometimes I do a brisk walk or light yoga-type workout after I eat so that my muscles can take up the blood sugar without the need to release insulin.

For a fresh start this season, I did a water only fast for 42 hours a week ago.

I continue to do four or five cold water plunges per week and spend half an hour a couple of times per week in a hot sauna.

I restrict my eating window to 8 hours, eating my first meal between 9 and 10 AM.

I have taken berberine on and off for years, including daily over the last month. After the falls, I stopped. Berberine is a supplement available at any health food store. It is highly effective at lowering blood sugar.

Interestingly not only have I regained balance, but I have not awakened at 4 in the morning feeling hungry the last few days.

Unintended consequences of off-label treatment

An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.

~ Nicholas M. Butler

Metformin can be lifesaving, helping to lower high blood sugar levels for those with Type 2 Diabetes. For approaching a decade, it has been prescribed by longevity experts to the general population to increase lifespan.

Along with a trusted kidney specialist, having observed how prolonged use of metformin impacted my father’s appetite, physical balance, kidney function, and B12 levels, I have discouraged people who are not diabetic, from taking it simply because they believe it's anti-aging. Recent research now questions its use for longevity.