The Circadian Diabetes Code – by Dr. Satchin Panda

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We have previously reviewed Dr. Panda’s “The Circadian Code” which pertains to the circadian rhythms (yes, plural) in general; this one uses much of the same research, but with a strong focus on the implications for blood sugar management.

It’s first a primer in diabetes (and prediabetes, and, in contrast, what things should look like if healthy). You’ll understand about glucose metabolism and glycogen and insulin and more; you’ll understand what blood sugar readings mean, and you’ll know what an Hb1AC count actually is and what it should look like too, things like that.

After that, it’s indeed about what the subtitle promises: the right times to eat (and what to eat), when to exercise (and how, at which time), and how to optimize your sleep in the context of circadian rhythm and blood sugar management.

You may be wondering: why does circadian rhythm matter for blood sugars? And the answer is explained at some length in the first part of the book, but to oversimplify greatly: your body needs energy all the time, no matter when it was that you last ate. Thus, it has to organize its energy reserves to that at all times you can 1) function, on a cellular level 2) maintain a steady balance of sugar in your blood despite using it at slightly higher or lower levels at different times of day. Because the basal metabolic rate accounts for most of our energy use, the body has to plan for a base rate of so much energy per day, and to do that, it needs to know what a day is. Dr. Panda explains this in detail (the marvels of PER proteins and all that), but basically, that’s the relevance of circadian rhythm.

However, it’s not all theory and biochemistry; there is also a 12-week program to reverse prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (it will not, of course, reverse Type 1 Diabetes, sorry—but the program will still be beneficial even in that case, since more even blood sugars means fewer woes).

They style is friendly and clear, explaining the science simply, yet without patronizing the reader. References are given, with claims sourced in an extensive bibliography.

Bottom line: if you or a loved one have diabetes or prediabetes, or just have a strong desire to avoid getting such and generally keep your metabolic health in good order, this book will definitely help.

Click here to check out The Diabetes Code, and enjoy better blood sugar health than ever!

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  • Radical Longevity – by Dr. Ann Gittleman
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    MSG vs Salt: Get the scoop on sodium content—MSG has just a third of the sodium in salt, with surprising comparisons to baking soda!

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  • Women spend more of their money on health care than men. And no, it’s not just about ‘women’s issues’

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Medicare, Australia’s universal health insurance scheme, guarantees all Australians access to a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost.

    Although access to the scheme is universal across Australia (regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status), one analysis suggests women often spend more out-of-pocket on health services than men.

    Other research has found men and women spend similar amounts on health care overall, or even that men spend a little more. However, it’s clear women spend a greater proportion of their overall expenditure on health care than men. They’re also more likely to skip or delay medical care due to the cost.

    So why do women often spend more of their money on health care, and how can we address this gap?

    Elizaveta Galitckaia/Shutterstock

    Women have more chronic diseases, and access more services

    Women are more likely to have a chronic health condition compared to men. They’re also more likely to report having multiple chronic conditions.

    While men generally die earlier, women are more likely to spend more of their life living with disease. There are also some conditions which affect women more than men, such as autoimmune conditions (for example, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis).

    Further, medical treatments can sometimes be less effective for women due to a focus on men in medical research.

    These disparities are likely significant in understanding why women access health services more than men.

    For example, 88% of women saw a GP in 2021–22 compared to 79% of men.

    As the number of GPs offering bulk billing continues to decline, women are likely to need to pay more out-of-pocket, because they see a GP more often.

    In 2020–21, 4.3% of women said they had delayed seeing a GP due to cost at least once in the previous 12 months, compared to 2.7% of men.

    Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has also shown women are more likely to delay or avoid seeing a mental health professional due to cost.

    A senior woman in a medical waiting room looking at a clipboard.
    Women are more likely to live with chronic medical conditions than men. Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    Women are also more likely to need prescription medications, owing at least partly to their increased rates of chronic conditions. This adds further out-of-pocket costs. In 2020–21, 62% of women received a prescription, compared to 37% of men.

    In the same period, 6.1% of women delayed getting, or did not get prescribed medication because of the cost, compared to 4.9% of men.

    Reproductive health conditions

    While women are disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions throughout their lifespan, much of the disparity in health-care needs is concentrated between the first period and menopause.

    Almost half of women aged over 18 report having experienced chronic pelvic pain in the previous five years. This can be caused by conditions such as endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea (period pain), vulvodynia (vulva pain), and bladder pain.

    One in seven women will have a diagnosis of endometriosis by age 49.

    Meanwhile, a quarter of all women aged 45–64 report symptoms related to menopause that are significant enough to disrupt their daily life.

    All of these conditions can significantly reduce quality of life and increase the need to seek health care, sometimes including surgical treatment.

    Of course, conditions like endometriosis don’t just affect women. They also impact trans men, intersex people, and those who are gender diverse.

    Diagnosis can be costly

    Women often have to wait longer to get a diagnosis for chronic conditions. One preprint study found women wait an average of 134 days (around 4.5 months) longer than men for a diagnosis of a long-term chronic disease.

    Delays in diagnosis often result in needing to see more doctors, again increasing the costs.

    Despite affecting about as many people as diabetes, it takes an average of between six-and-a-half to eight years to diagnose endometriosis in Australia. This can be attributed to a number of factors including society’s normalisation of women’s pain, poor knowledge about endometriosis among some health professionals, and the lack of affordable, non-invasive methods to accurately diagnose the condition.

    There have been recent improvements, with the introduction of Medicare rebates for longer GP consultations of up to 60 minutes. While this is not only for women, this extra time will be valuable in diagnosing and managing complex conditions.

    But gender inequality issues still exist in the Medicare Benefits Schedule. For example, both pelvic and breast ultrasound rebates are less than a scan for the scrotum, and no rebate exists for the MRI investigation of a woman’s pelvic pain.

    Management can be expensive too

    Many chronic conditions, such as endometriosis, which has a wide range of symptoms but no cure, can be very hard to manage. People with endometriosis often use allied health and complementary medicine to help with symptoms.

    On average, women are more likely than men to use both complementary therapies and allied health.

    While women with chronic conditions can access a chronic disease management plan, which provides Medicare-subsidised visits to a range of allied health services (for example, physiotherapist, psychologist, dietitian), this plan only subsidises five sessions per calendar year. And the reimbursement is usually around 50% or less, so there are still significant out-of-pocket costs.

    In the case of chronic pelvic pain, the cost of accessing allied or complementary health services has been found to average A$480.32 across a two-month period (across both those who have a chronic disease management plan and those who don’t).

    More spending, less saving

    Womens’ health-care needs can also perpetuate financial strain beyond direct health-care costs. For example, women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain are often caught in a cycle of needing time off from work to attend medical appointments.

    Our preliminary research has shown these repeated requests, combined with the common dismissal of symptoms associated with pelvic pain, means women sometimes face discrimination at work. This can lead to lack of career progression, underemployment, and premature retirement.

    A woman speaks over the counter to a male pharmacist.
    More women are prescribed medication than men. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Similarly, with 160,000 women entering menopause each year in Australia (and this number expected to increase with population growth), the financial impacts are substantial.

    As many as one in four women may either shift to part-time work, take time out of the workforce, or retire early due to menopause, therefore earning less and paying less into their super.

    How can we close this gap?

    Even though women are more prone to chronic conditions, until relatively recently, much of medical research has been done on men. We’re only now beginning to realise important differences in how men and women experience certain conditions (such as chronic pain).

    Investing in women’s health research will be important to improve treatments so women are less burdened by chronic conditions.

    In the 2024–25 federal budget, the government committed $160 million towards a women’s health package to tackle gender bias in the health system (including cost disparities), upskill medical professionals, and improve sexual and reproductive care.

    While this reform is welcome, continued, long-term investment into women’s health is crucial.

    Mike Armour, Associate Professor at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University; Amelia Mardon, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Reproductive Health, Western Sydney University; Danielle Howe, PhD Candidate, NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University; Hannah Adler, PhD Candidate, Health Communication and Health Sociology, Griffith University, and Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Asparagus vs Eggplant – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing asparagus to eggplant, we picked the asparagus.

    Why?

    In terms of macros, they’re very similar. Technically asparagus has twice the protein, but it’s at 2.2g/100g compared to eggplant’s 0.98g/100g, so it’s not too meaningful. They’re both mostly water, low in carbs, with a little fiber, and negligible fat (though eggplant technically has more fat, but again, these numbers are miniscule). For practical purposes, the two vegetables are even in this category, or if you really want decisive answers, a tiny margin of a win for asparagus.

    In the category of vitamins, asparagus is much higher in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, E, & K, as well as choline. Eggplant is not higher in any vitamins. A clear win for asparagus.

    When it comes to minerals, asparagus is much higher in calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, while eggplant is a little higher in manganese. Another easy win for asparagus.

    Lastly, asparagus wins on polyphenols too, with its high quercetin content. Eggplant does contain some polyphenols, but in such tiny amounts that even added up they’re less than 7% of what asparagus has to offer in quercetin alone.

    Obviously, enjoy both, though! Diversity is healthy.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Fight Inflammation & Protect Your Brain, With Quercetin

    Take care!

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  • Dial Down Your Pain

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    This is Dr. Christiane Wolf. Is than an MD or a PhD, you ask? The answer is: yes (it is both; the latter being in psychosomatic medicine).

    She also teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which as you may recall is pretty much the most well-evidenced* form of meditation there is, in terms of benefits:

    No-Frills, Evidence-Based Mindfulness

    *which is not to claim it is necessarily the best (although it also could be); rather, this means that it is the form of meditation that’s accumulated the most scientific backing in total. If another equal or better form of meditation enjoyed less scientific scrutiny, then there could an alternative out there languishing with only two and a half scientific papers to its name. However, we at 10almonds are not research scientists, and thus can only comment on the body of evidence that has been published.

    In any case, today is going to be about pain.

    What does she want us to know?

    Your mind does matter

    It’s easy to think that anything you can do with your mind is going to be quite small comfort when your nerves feel like they’re on fire.

    However, Dr. Wolf makes the case for pain consisting of three components:

    • the physical sensation(s)
    • the emotions we have about those
    • the meaning we give to such (or “the story” that we use to describe it)

    To clarify, let’s give an example:

    • the physical sensations of burning, searing, and occasionally stabbing pains in the lower back
    • the emotions of anguish, anger, despair, self-pity
    • the story of “this pain has ruined my life, is making it unbearable, will almost certainly continue, and may get worse”

    We are not going to tell you to throw any of those out of the window for now (and, would that you could throw the first line out, of course).

    The first thing Dr. Wolf wants us to do to make this more manageable is to break it down.

    Because presently, all three of those things are lumped together in a single box labelled “pain”.

    If each of those items is at a “10” on the scale of pain, then this is 10×10×10=1000.

    If our pain is at 1000/10, that’s a lot. We want to leave the pain in the box, not look at it, and try to distract ourselves. That is one possible strategy, by the way, and it’s not always bad when it comes to giving oneself a short-term reprieve. We balanced it against meditation, here:

    Managing Chronic Pain (Realistically)

    However, back to the box analogy, if we open that box and take out each of those items to examine them, then even without changing anything, even with them all still at 10, they can each be managed for what they are individually, so it’s now 10+10+10=30.

    If our pain is at 30/10, that’s still a lot, but it’s a lot more manageable than 1000/10.

    On rating pain, by the way, see:

    Get The Right Help For Your Pain

    Dealing with the separate parts

    It would be nice, of course, for each of those separate parts to not be at 10.

    With regard to the physical side of pain, this is not Dr. Wolf’s specialty, but we have some good resources here at 10almonds:

    When it comes to emotions associated with pain, Dr. Wolf (who incidentally is a Buddhist and also a teacher of same, and runs meditation retreats for such), recommends (of course) mindfulness, and what in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is called “radical acceptance” (in Buddhism, it may be referred to as being at one with things). We’ve written about this here:

    “Hello, Emotions”: Radical Acceptance In CBT & DBT

    Once again, the aim here is still not to throw the (often perfectly valid) emotions out of the window (unless you want to), but rather, to neutrally note and acknowledge the emotions as they arrive, á la “Hello, despair. Depression, my old foe, we meet again. Hello again, resentment.” …and so on.

    The reason this helps is because emotions, much like the physical sensations of pain, are first and foremost messengers, and sometimes (as in the case of chronic pain) they get broken and keep delivering the message beyond necessity. Acknowledging the message helps your brain (and all that is attached to it) realize “ok, this message has been delivered now; we can chill about it a little”.

    Having done that, if you can reasonably tweak any of the emotions (for example, perhaps that self-pity we mentioned could be turned into self-compassion, which is more useful), that’s great. If not, at least you know what’s on the battlefield now.

    When we examine the story of our pain, lastly, Dr. Wolf invites us to look at how one of the biggest drivers of distress under pain is the uncertainty of how long the pain will last, whether it will get worse, whether what we are doing will make it worse, and so forth. See for example:

    How long does back pain last? And how can learning about pain increase the chance of recovery?

    And of course, many things we do specifically in response to pain can indeed make our pain worse, and spread:

    How To Stop Pain Spreading

    Dr. Wolf’s perspective says:

    1. Life involves pain
    2. Pain invariably has a cause
    3. What has a cause, can have an end
    4. We just need to go through that process

    This may seem like small comfort when we are in the middle of the pain, but if we’ve broken it down into parts with Dr. Wolf’s “box method”, and dealt with the first two parts (the sensations and the emotions) as well as reasonably possible, then we can tackle the third one (the story) a little more easily than we could if we were trying to come at it with no preparation.

    What used to be:

    “This pain has ruined my life, is making it unbearable, will almost certainly continue, and may get worse”

    …can now become:

    “This pain is a big challenge, but since I’m here for it whether I want to be or not, I will suffer as I must, while calmly looking for ways to reduce that suffering as I go.”

    In short: you cannot “think healing thoughts” and expect your pain to go away. But you can do a lot more than you might (if you left it unexamined) expect.

    Want to know more from Dr. Wolf?

    We reviewed a book of hers recently, which you might enjoy:

    Outsmart Your Pain – by Dr. Christiane Wolf

    Take care!

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Related Posts

  • Radical Longevity – by Dr. Ann Gittleman
  • Stretching to Stay Young – by Jessica Matthews

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    A lot of stretching gurus (especially the Instagrammable kind) offer advices like “if you can’t do the splits balanced between two chairs to start with, that’s fine… just practise by doing the splits against a wall first!”

    Jessica Matthews, meanwhile, takes a more grounded approach. A lot of this is less like yoga and more like physiotherapy—it’s uncomplicated and functional. There’s nothing flashy here… just the promise of being able to thrive in your body; supple and comfortable, doing the activities that matter to you.

    On which note: the book gives advices about stretches for before and after common activities, for example:

    • a bedtime routine set
    • a pre-gardening set
    • a post-phonecall set
    • a level-up-your golf set
    • a get ready for dancing set

    …and many more. Whether “your thing” is cross-country skiing or knitting, she’s got you covered.

    The book covers the whole body from head to toe. Whether you want to be sure to stretch everything, or just work on a particular part of your body that needs special attention, it’s there… with beautifully clear illustrations (the front cover illustration is indicative of the style—note how the muscle being stretched is highlighted in orange, too) and simple, easy-to-understand instructions.

    All in all, we’re none of us getting any younger, but we sure can take some of our youth into whatever years come next. This is the stuff that life is made of!

    Get your copy of “Stretching To Stay Young” from Amazon today!

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  • Peach vs Passion Fruit – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing peach to passion fruit, we picked the passion fruit.

    Why?

    It wasn’t close!

    In terms of macros, passion fruit has more than 2x the protein, 2x the carbs, and 7x the fiber. That’s a big difference!

    In the category of vitamins, peach has more of vitamins B1, B5, E, and K, while passion fruit has more of vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B7, B9, C, and choline. Again, not close.

    When it comes to minerals, peach has more manganese and zinc, while passion fruit has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium—and most of those margins are “by multiples”, not just a fraction more. Again, a clear winner here.

    Adding up these three overwhelming wins for passion fruit makes for an obvious total win for passion fruit.

    As ever, enjoy both, but if you’re going to pick one, then one of these fruits is extra passionate about bringing you nutrients.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← peaches are on this list!

    Take care!

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  • Tiramisu Crunch Bites

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    It’s coffee, it’s creamy, it’s nutty, it’s chocolatey, what’s not to love? It has all the well-loved flavors of tiramisu, but this recipe is a simple one, and it’s essentially stuffed dates in a way you’ve never had them before. They’re delectable, decadent, and decidedly good for your health. These things are little nutrient-bombs that’ll keep you reaching for more.

    You will need

    • Coffee (we will discuss this)
    • 150g (5.5oz) mascarpone (if vegan or lactose-intolerant, can be substituted with vegan varieties, or at a pinch, pressed silken tofu)
    • 500g (1lb) dates (Medjool are ideal)
    • Twice as many almonds as you have dates
    • 50g (2oz) dark chocolate (the darkest, bitterest, you can find)
    • Edible flower petals if you can source them (some shops sell dried rose petals for this purpose)

    Method

    (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

    1) Take the mascarpone and whisk (or blend) it with the coffee. What kind of coffee, you ask? Many will use instant coffee (1tbsp granules mixed with enough boiling water to dissolve it), and that is actually healthiest (counterintuitive but true) but if you care for flavor over health, and have the means to make espresso, make it ristretto (so, stop it halfway through filling up an espresso cup), let it cool, and use that. Absolute bonus for flavor (not for health): if you have the means to make Turkish coffee, use an equivalent amount of that (again, cooled).

    You will now have coffee-flavoured mascarpone. It’s great for your gut and full of antioxidant polyphenols. Set it aside for the moment.

    2) Take the dark chocolate and melt it. Please don’t microwave it or try to do it in a pan directly over the hob; instead, you will need to use a Bain-Marie. If you don’t have one made-for-purpose, you can place a metal or heatproof glass bowl in a saucepan, with something to stop it from touching the floor of the pan. Then boil water in the pan (without letting the water get into the bowl), and melt the chocolate in the bowl—this will allow you to melt it evenly without burning the chocolate.

    You will now have melted dark chocolate. It has its own set of polyphenols, and is great for everything from the brain to the gut microbiome.

    3) Cut the dates lengthways on one side and remove the stone. Stuff them carefully with the coffee-flavored mascarpone (you can use a teaspoon, or use a piping kit if you have one). Add a couple of almonds to each one. Place them all on a big plate, and drizzle the melted chocolate over them. Add the petals if you have them.

    The dates and almonds deliver extra vitamins and minerals in abundance (not to mention, lots of fiber), and also are an amazing combination even just by themselves. With the mascarpone and chocolate added, this winning on new levels. We’re not done yet, though…

    4) Chill them in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

    Serve!

    Learn more

    For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

    Enjoy!

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    Learn to Age Gracefully

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