I used to be pretty pedantic, and test 3 times per day - just to test what Carb food had more of an effect on my Insulin
You could easily test 2 - 1st in the morning and before bed
Some just test 1st in then morning
Eventually, you can Smell it (acetone)
The more you train, the more Carbs you need
You may also need more FATS in your diet if energy is low
Oh
Ketostix are great for measuring the effect certain Carb foods have on your Insulin
If you are taken out of Keto with an Hr or two - then that carb food causes your insulin to raise rapidly
I find, everybody is pretty much different to what carbs effect their insulin levels.
generally sugar residue sticking to cells which messes up ones insulin only occurs if sugar is consumed more than 17 hours after intense muscle contractions
double post
why all the spinning classes? is it something you are into or are you the person taking them?
This explains why you aren’t around much in July…you’re busy for about 3 weeks in France 
john alot of my work mates are into cycling in a big big way and last feb i started spinning. very tough to get into but after weeks of a sore rear end i started getting into it. i still do it as its fairly low impact on off days but still a hell of a workout. my #1 love is golf and always has been and all this training revolves around golf as someday ill be scratch bot getting cut 6shots aint easy!
In relation to what was said earlier in the thread about bugs being the source of sugar cravings, I have done some work with an RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist) who is also a future Naturopathic Doctor. My understanding is that the bugs are a bacteria known as candida that feed on sugar and are prone to very fast reproduction rates. They secrete chemical signals that cause sugar cravings and those signals get stronger as they continue to proliferate. Candida is also, as I understand it, highly linked to general inflammation and as such can hinder recovery. Candida proliferation is also apparently linked to a condition known as “leaky gut syndrome”. I hope this is helpful in understanding one of the possible roots of sugar cravings.
X, cycling is great I haven’t done spinning but have some really nice rides (60-120min) from home on a regular basis.
GOLF…oh man now you’ve opened a can of worms… Without doubt THE best info I have come across is from Wayne DeFrancesco
http://www.waynedefrancesco.com/
and the best book is
http://www.amazon.com/Golf-Winning-Formula-Nick-Faldo/dp/0091736994
If you look at Sean OHair (who is coached by Sean Foley who is now working with Tiger) in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNS9ZxE4ji8
the turn he discusses is described in much more detail in Faldo’s book.
Although I haven’t read much of his more recent stuff the best putting info I have seen is from Dave Pelz in
in reference to golf all ill say is TGM. it has taken 9months for me to grasp the different hinges and now BANG im playing great. if your big into golf and want to learn then just google TGM or lynn blake…i have a dream in golf and im gonna get it
Thanks for some great feed back on this topic.
And thanks also xman for trying keep our language boundaries on the site to a place that will be good for all to read.
When I met Charlie I started using less flattering language that seemed ok amoung the athlete set.
Twenty two years later I found that my life outside of and away from York is best received with language away from potty mouth stuff.
My family tree has db and have personally struggled my entire life with blood sugar issues.
From my experience here is what I can say for sure;
sleep plays a huge role in regulation of hormones overall and tops the recovery pyramid. Make sure you are getting enough.
Eat as many whole foods that are not changed by man as possible =
muffins are not as good as yam with skins for carbs. just one example
drink tons of clean filtered water often
training moves our hormones all over the place, high intensity the most and high volumes probably next. Balance or proper adaptation is tough to acheive for athletes especially without expert advise by self or knowledgeable coach
And the only thing left I’d like to add about the chocolate is =
I love chocolate and would agree with above statements but also just try and eat high quality foods in general. Care about the food you eat. Higher grade chocolate just tastes better. Not sure it has to be 70percent but good quality for sure. Try Whole Foods in US or specialty markets will have a seltection and make a ritual of your treats.