Thanks, @Nickyghaleb! Spring Energy Gels:
Rice, Organic Banana, Peanut Butter, Organic Honey, Molasses, Orange Juice, Lecithin, Oil, Chia Seeds, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sea Salt
@Eric it doesn’t show coconut oil @Nickyghaleb link. These ingredients look good, no? What is wrong with coconut oil?
@Trying, I’ll wait to hear back from @Eric, too before ordering. I never did get around to it last night, and now I have a longer list of things to try… but not before hearing about the coconut oil. I’m not sure what he’ll say about it, but from what I’ve read on it, it’s not supposed to be great stuff to consume. I actually use it from time to time as a mouth wash kind of thing, but it is very specific that you shouldn’t swallow.
And now that I’ve mentioned using it for gum cleansing, I’ll wait to get blasted. But it’s not cinnamon… and even though the process is super disgusting, my mouth always feels so nice and clean… but just don’t swallow. I know nobody asked for any of that. 
It is everywhere in health stores, but there is no good research in its benefits: imho an equivalent to curcuma and cinnamon as a “diabetes supplement”: worthless. On the other hand, it is very high in saturated fats (the bad ones). As for me, I avoid it, although I do use coconut for flavor in recipes when I need the taste, or in flour substitutes.
Here is a 2018 MYT article on the health benefits of cocunut oil (none proven is the summary):
In an online video that has gone viral, a Harvard professor takes on the popular food coconut oil, calling it “pure poison.” […]
But despite “a lot of hype about it,” said Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein, a Tufts University professor of nutrition science and policy who is vice chair of the federal government’s dietary guidelines advisory committee, “there’s virtually no data to support the hype.” […].
Refined, bleached and deodorized, or R.B.D., coconut oil, which has been treated with solvents and subjected to intense heat, raises cholesterol so reliably that scientists have used it as a control when running experiments on different fats. […]
So while coconut oil certainly isn’t the magic bullet some claim, there’s no need to avoid it completely, especially if it is used instead of butter or shortening in baked goods or to impart flavor in something like a curry dish.
@Nickyghaleb interesting about coconut oil used as a mouth wash 
I need to try that
@Michel wow, didn’t realize some think if it as poison. I’ve recently seen coconut being added to bottled water, but haven’t tried it, nor do I know why they add it!!
I guess if it is saturated fat, then best to stay away from it.
According to the maker, the oil they list in the ingredients is coconut oil. So I would steer clear of these.
Huma Gel is basically the same thing but without the coconut oil. So that would be my choice.
Oh, you are right, they only list “oil” as the ingredient, probably on purpose so buyers aren’t aware that it is actually coconut oil! Very misleading! I missed that! Thanks for pointing this out!!!
Any word on its benefit for oral hygiene?? It’s the only thing I use it for, and I did a fair amount of reading before engaging in the practice. And that sounds like I’m a daily user, but I only do it for a couple of days here and there when something is bothering me.
I’m not asking you, @Eric. Don’t worry. 
And thanks for the heads up. I’ll go ahead and cross those expensive gels off my list. 
Because of the toxin concern, you really have to be committed to doing it right. Or you might end up with a crucial bellyache OR a clogged kitchen sink. And the way you said that—- definitely makes me feel crazy for doing it AND stupid for putting it down in writing right here in my own thread.
But it’s so good. I don’t care. 
Only if it is proven to kill anaerobic bacteria, such as strep mutans and porhymoneous gingivalis, and others. Or breaks up the biofilm in which they reside.
From the literature I would guess that it does not, but I think the jury is still out.
I’m a Listerine guy myself.
So am I! I am carrying my little bottle of purple Listerine all around Europe and buying more everywhere 
If it made no difference at all, I’d just as soon do listerine. Even though I’m not a fan of any of the mouthwash, I’m less a fan of the coconut oil process. It’s pretty hardcore. 
No harm in listerine then?
I ran 10 miles today. 
It’s possible I did this when I was young, but I have no memories of doing it, so there’s some chance it’s my first 10 mile run ever, and I’ve been singing about it for hours.
I ALSO took down a whole lotta numbers during my run. Really, I did it because I find this stuff fascinating, but there’s also been discussion about CGM during running, so I was just doing my part. I do have to say this would’ve looked really differently had I had a fast drop in blood sugar. If I had taken this down on Monday, I’m sure it would be much more dramatic, but I do think this is pretty representative of how it looks on slowly dropping blood sugar.
Also, I did try two different types of carbs during my run, as this has been something I’m just learning about, and it didn’t surprise me at all the difference. I tried a CLIF gel and a CVS liquid glucose shot. The CLIF gel consists mainly of “organic maltodextrin”, and the liquid glucose shot was … dextrose???
Other tidbits: I did not repeat the same mistake today and avoided doing any boluses before starting. My blood sugar had been stable at around 85 for hours prior to starting. I did it again with the coffee though… and had one just before starting, but I decided I’d just ride the high. I know I’m not supposed to be doing that, BUT it worked out well. So it’s almost like it never even happened.
Starting BG: 85
Half mile: BG: 79
Mile 1: BG: 85
Mile 1.5: BG: 79
Mile 2: BG: 74
Mile 2.25: CLIF gel (~23g)
Mile 2.5: BG: 60
Mile 3: BG: 58
Mile 3.3: Glucose Liquid Shot (~15g) — symptomatic. Needed a kick.
Mile 3.5: BG: 64
Mile 4: BG: 73
Mile 4.5: BG: 78
Mile 5: BG: 82
Mile 5.5: BG 89
Mile 6: BG: 80
Mile 6.4: CLIF (~23g) — decided to use this since I didn’t need another fast boost but wanted a slower acting carb??
Mile 6.5: BG 75
Mile 7.2: BG 74
Mile 7.75: BG 78
Mile 8.3: BG: 73
Mile 8.8: BG: 73
MIle 9.3: BG: 74
*1.5 units
Mile 10: BG: 72 (done)
*.75 units
BG was already at 96 about 5 minutes after finishing, so I added another unit and had a banana a few minutes later. I had some chicken soup and salad maybe 20 minutes after that and really have kept an eye on things. It’s been a lovely line but with a tendency to drop. I decided on a 75% temp basal overnight just so I don’t have to eat sugar tabs all night. 1 hour and 37 minutes was my total time, and my RPE was a cool 6.
Now for the part you don’t need to see, @Eric. You can just not bother.
Here are the BGs up against my Dexcom values and Guardian values. And then it’s to bed…
I’ll list the values as BG (meter), D (dexcom), and G (guardian):
Start: BG: 85 D: 82 G: 73
Half mile: BG: 79 D: 82 G: 72
Mile 1: BG: 85 D: 85 G: 72
Mile 1.5: BG: 79 D: 84 G: 75
Mile 2: BG: 74 D: 77 G: 74
Mile 2.25: CLIF gel (slow acting carb)
Mile 2.5: BG: 60 D: 67 G: 68
Mile 3: BG: 58 D: 58 G: 55
Mile 3.3: liquid glucose shot (fast acting carb)
Mile 3.5: BG: 64 D: 53 G: 48
Mile 4: BG: 73 D: 57 G: 41
Mile 4.5: BG: 78 D: 63 G: 44
Mile 5: BG: 82 D: 70 G: 51
Mile 5.5: BG: 89 D: 74 G: 57
Mile 6: BG 80 D: 75 G: 61
Mile 6.4: CLIF (slow acting)
Mile 6.5: BG: 75 D: 74 G: 62
Mile 7.2: BG: 74 D: 71 G: 60
Mile 7.75: BG: 78 D: 68 G: 58
Mile 8.3: BG: 73 D: 67 G: 55
Mile 8.8: BG: 73 D: 65 G: 53
Mile 9.3: BG: 74 D: 65 G: 53
Mile 10: BG: 72 D: 64 G: 52
And the 5 minutes after finishing… when my blood sugar really took a quick jump: BG: 96 D: 66 BG: 47
Not as exciting as it was while gathering it, but a great day all the same. 
Congrats on the super run! And on all the data you got, that is great!
Your Dexcom worked very well all the way. You would expect it to be 15 min or so behind when you eat carbs for a short period: this is the reason for the difference on the last read. I am really impressed that you were able to have such a smooth use of the Dexcom all the way.
Thank you. The magic’s all gone this morning though. Time to get up and get stuff done. 
Yes, I do realize the Dexcom did well with that run. The Guardian, despite that overshooting the drop, also did well. Kind of. I decided I would track yesterday because I was hoping to show what they do on a fast rise. All of the sensors do it, Libre included. They latch on to a fast rise, and it sometimes launches them way higher than what I am. Exercise, with its ability to cause a fast turn in blood sugar, can really make for a mess on my CGMs. Yesterday I was just too stable to see any of it… and there’s no good complaint I can come up with about that.
I’ll put all the sensor stuff away again and just stick to my meter readings, but I’d love to see how long one of those overshoots takes to sort itself out.
IOB and the types of sources I’m using for raising my blood sugar are probably a better place to spend the energy. That’s what I’m working on going forward.
I’ve had coffee and was kind of responding to you and kind of giving myself a lecture.
Indeed! Very nice. I haven’t read every post so I probably missed something, but are these indoor or outdoor runs? If outdoor, how much do you find terrain and weather affect your numbers?
Incidentally, re gels and sports drinks, there was some interesting research out of Britain recently (which I could try to track down if you want) that demonstrated pretty convincingly that simply swigging and spitting out a sports drink or sugar solution boosted performance. You didn’t have to swallow, but just the taste tricked the brain into believing that you’d ingested carbs and so the brain made the body go the extra mile, as it were. Not sure how that translates for T1s, though.
Would a simple syrup, made with honey or sugar, work? I used to rely on that for long hikes over rugged terrain. (Those were the days!)
@Beacher interesting about the UK article tricking the brain to thinking it had carbs. I think for a T1 though carbs are really needed if already low. Maybe enough are getting through via the saliva??
Yes, I was thinking maybe just add something sweet to my water. Did you just add honey to water? I’ve read in the past some runners make their own energy drinks, but not necessarily for lows, but seems like it would do the trick as energy usually comes in the form of carbs!
@Beacher, I’ll be back to respond in just a sec. I’m hot in ordering my gels and want to out this in before I get it all confused.
Had to buy this from jet.com instead of from amazon. Amazon had one ordering option and it was for $76!
I’ve just gotta day that at these prices, I’m definitely motivated to just bring a box of Domino packets. 
Too funny!!!:)