Let Me Be 83

I wanted to write a post about my friends’ charity ‘Let Me Be 83’ ..

I think Diabetes Awareness Week is the perfect platform to write this and for you to help me, to help her raise awareness of this great cause, AND for us all to share it with our friends too – please?

The name itself is pretty iconic in the Diabetes world:

Dr Bernstein regularly talks about 83 (83mg/dl = 4.6mmol/l) being the optimal blood glucose level for adult Type 1 Diabetics, he also recommends for a child, that number would be lower (around 73mg/dl which is 4.1mmol/l).

If you were to take the blood glucose readings of a healthy non diabetic, these are the numbers you would be looking at – therefore; why should someone have different levels; detrimental to health, simply because they are Diabetic? It’s so simple when you think about it – yes?

Dr Bernstein’s says: ‘my philosophy is that Diabetics have a right to the same blood sugar levels as non Diabetics, which is 83mg/dl for adults, 10mg/dl less for kids’

The link to Dr Bernstein’s YouTube Video where he talks about this in more detail is here: https://www.facebook.com/controversialt1mum/

Dr Bernstein also talks about the optimal blood sugar levels and achieving this in much more detail here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJGAbZIvRh8

Side Note: mmol/L to mg/dl is another important point – and difference to be aware of throughout the world of diabetes. You see; people reading this in the UK may not be aware of 83 and what that means..

Well: in the UK, Australia and Canada, we work in MMOL/L (millimols per litre), however in the US, they use MG/DL (milligrams per decilitre). To quickly switch between the 2 and work out what I’m on about when I say 4.6 you simply multiply that number by 18 and hey presto – it’s 83  – you just converted mmol to mg/dl. The same works by dividing 83 by 18 = 4.6…. It’s the same for all readings: a reading of 5.0mmol would be 90mg/dl.. So, now you know how to work out blood sugars on both metrics and are ready to go..

As 83 is the optimal reading, in the UK this is 4.6 for us but 4.6 doesn’t really rhyme with anything – we haven’t found anything yet anyway, so we stick with 83 too (knowing it’s 4.6). I did throw out ‘until there’s a fix there’s 4.6’ but no one responded on that post, so I realised it was pretty lame and moved on 😀

Anyway… The phrases ‘let me be 83′, ’83 with Dr B’, ’83 and me’, or ‘Dr B says 83’ are often thrown around somewhere and we take pride in a reading of 83 because we know – it’s a very good thing.

Well.. My friend Bethany went one step further:

Thrown into a world of Diabetes when her son River was diagnosed with Type1 when he was 5, she also spent a long time (as did I with my son Carter) feeding him exactly as she was advised by their medical professionals – until she found her way to Dr Bernstein. And. Then. YAY! River is now on a Low Carb Lifestyle and doing so, SO well!

He’s strong and healthy and AMAZING!

Bethany just had to shout about how she got her boy back, like – really got him back! Those beautiful blue eyes, the spring in his step and the happy-go lucky little cheeky chops that he is. It’s enough for any momma to want to shout it from the rooftops!!!

He took his health back and ditched all the sugar and he’s doing amazing. Of course she wanted to share this with the world – we all do!

AND… SHE did it in STYLE!!! She named her charity just that: LET ME BE 83 – I think it’s pretty cool!

And that’s not even the coolest part. There’s a MUCH bigger message behind the name:

The charity itself is so special and SO VERY IMPORTANT: it’s main priority being to provide each and every newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic with a copy of Dr Bernstein’s BOOK!!!

You see, when newly diagnosed, children receive a Diabetes Pack. In that pack they will get their JDRF bags, their RUFUS TeddyBears, manuals and meters. The parents also get a bunch of leaflets on diabetes management and dietician hand-outs covering nutritional advice.. They are taught ‘kid first, diabetes second’, ‘feed them what they want’, ‘don’t treat them any differently, just give insulin – it’s ok’ and we all know that’s a right old load of rubbish!

Ok, at the time it seems perfectly fine and sane and logical – but it’s not…

What they omit from their ‘newly diagnosed advice’ is anything about carbohydrates being SUGAR, that SUGAR is bad and that Type 1 Diabetics shouldn’t eat SUGAR.

Also, that Type 1 diabetics should count for protein, should manage insulin correctly (and how to do this), ensure they’re hydrated, learn about nutrition and simply give Diabetes the respect it deserves. They aren’t even taught what optimal range is and how to keep their children’s fasting blood sugars steady and safe – they probably aren’t even taught about fasting blood sugars. NOTHING! It is Brutal!!

They don’t teach anywhere near enough about this disease to newly diagnosed Type 1’s and their families, and then they send the kids home.. Off to live their lives… And these people set off into the unknown: blind, with a mind-set full of all the information they need to head straight down a dangerous road to ‘Blood Sugar Hell’! A rollercoaster of highs and lows.. It’s heart-breaking!  Then, within months the kids are sick and throwing out high blood sugars, regular hypo’s and the parents feel lost, guilty, exhausted, and have nowhere to go for advice because they are ‘doing what they were told to do’ by the professionals… That’s just all kinds of wrong..

So, it’s Bethany’s dream to end that.

By giving parents the knowledge and strength they need, and to empower them completely with all the information they would ever need – right from that very first moment – so their children don’t ever have to suffer. And by providing them with a copy of Dr Bernstein’s book – she can do this.. Amazing!

At very least, if they decide Low Carb it isn’t for them right now OR it’s a bit too much at that moment – they HAVE the BOOK, they KNOW there is a better way and they HAVE options (and will likely find their way back to us when the standard recommendations fail them and their kid gets sick).

This is a LOT more than we ever got – we never knew we had other options, that there was a better way, or that anything like this existed for over 6 months when my son was diagnosed. Some people don’t find Dr Bernstein for 20 years living with Type1, unfortunately some people never find him – and they suffer! We suffered, luckily not for long but it was long enough…

Finding Dr Bernstein changed our lives!

The hospital’s never mention Dr Bernstein because the DOH in the UK and the ADA in the US recommend a high carbohydrate Low Fat diet and expect the children to take a boat load of insulin and ride the high blood sugars; so they don’t hypo. But they do hypo; because they have a ton of insulin in their system to cover the high carbohydrate food they are advised to eat. Scary! Dangerous! Cruel!

So, Bethany is getting this book out there, into these peoples hands and it is so important – and she’s doing a tremendous job!

ALSO, the charity is not ONLY sending money to fund and distribute Dr Bernstein’s Book ‘Diabetes Solutions’.

Money is also spent on funding research to find a real, biological cure for Type 1 Diabetes – WOW!

So whilst a cure is being developed, we still have a way to maintain health and live a normal life by following Dr Bernstein’s Diabetes Solutions – What better charity is there out there?

Inspiring stuff – Yes?

You can donate to Letmebe83 here: https://letmebe83.org/donate/

You can view the full webpage here: https://letmebe83.org/

You’ll also find information and useful links where you can source suitable foods (keep an eye out for voucher codes too – some foods, if ordered directly through letmebe83 are entitled to set discounts or shipping reductions to the US). You will find a boat load of inspiration, advice, the link to donate to the cause and a page where you can purchase ‘letmebe83’ merchandise (which is very cool).

My son has a Let Me Be 83 hat that he won in a competition – he loves it!

The webpage has a very useful blog too; of tried and tested meals that Bethany feeds to her growing family and I love it because she is both honest and pretty much normal, just like me – I can relate to hating being in the kitchen on a hot day. But we do it, because ‘This is How We Live Now’!!

In addition to the Charity, Bethany also manages a Facebook Page where people can follow her boy’s personal journey, take advice, leave support, ask questions and socialise.

Here: https://www.facebook.com/riverandclover/

River is the same age as Carter, he too has an older brother and similar interests. It’s lovely to watch his world when they both have very similar lives, but in reality; are an entire world apart.

River also does his bit to raise Awareness of Diabetes too (very cute): https://www.facebook.com/riverandclover/videos/1114191862012596/

You should check out all of the above links, at very least have a nosey through the Let me Be 83 Facebook Page – it’s powerful stuff!

And, if you find yourself powerless against the pull of clicking on the ‘Products Shop’ then please send me a photo of what you get – we love to see T1’s and their parents/families in their ’83’ gear!

Please share the website too — it’s just another way we can all do our bit to help raise awareness for our precious T1’s and the new one’s finding themselves thrown into our world..

I can remember the beginning of our new world – trust me – all help is very welcomed!

‘Let Me Be 83’

Rose ❤