**Things that Affect Blood Sugar Levels

This is a list from Everyday Health: Eight Things You Didn't Know Affected Your Blood Sugar:
Alcohol:  Alcohol comes with extra calories, and if you mix it with sugary substances comes with sugar.   At the same time too much alcohol can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Stress: Stress can directly cause a spike in blood sugar levels.  When I burnt my back by blood levels went way up.  I attribute this to the added stress of healing.
Feeling Under the Weather:  At the same time as the burn, I came down with a bad cold (which may have been attributed to the stress of the burn as well.)  These two things spiked my sugar and I had a difficult time  getting it back down.
Medications and Supplements"  Who knows what you are taking may contribute to blood sugar levels.  Best to tell your doctor and or pharmacist everything you are taking.  SOme cold medicines have sugar in them.
Coffee:  Just the coffee itself can cause a spike, but then often sugar and creamers are added.
Extreme Exercise:  this time the worry is sugar that is too low.  Check blood level before exercise and have a high carb snack available if needed.
Diet Soda:  Even with no calories and no sugar, these things can spike sugar in other ways.
Hormones:  Hormones can effect blood sugar.  Not everyone is effected, but if you are a good journal may help.

**Urine Color and Health

I always thought the lighter your urine the better.  That is mostly true, but this article from Everyday Health points out urine can be too light if you are drinking too much.  It also highlights other colors which can point to a problem.  Such as a syrupy brown color could point to liver disease.  Red color could be something major, or could just reflect what you have been eating like beats.  Very good article so check it out.
Update Jan 2017: Grandpa has been having kidney problems.  He has been told to drink until his urine is clear. It doesn't matter what he drinks so much.  He drinks lots of juice.  But water is also good.
I hers the same from Stan Dye as he prepared the Scouts for a winter camp.  He said you should drink water with the same result, clear pea.  That has become my goal as well, although I do not always accomplish this.

**Get Health, Save Money: Kick Cigarettes

 This is a bulletin hanging at Mental Health Urgent Care.  Tobacco use is the leading contributor in premature death of individuals with mental illness.  The bulletin is very large and these are my pictures of it.

 Rinancial benefits of not smoking are determined by how much you smoke.  A pack a day is almost $2000 a year.  That is a big wow!

The Health benefits form not smoking are even greater.
Within 20 minutes of not smoking your blood pressure and heart rate lower.
Within 8 hour the level of oxygen in your blood rises to normal.
Within 24 hours your risk of having a heart attack starts to drop.
Within 2 weeks to 3 months your circulation and lung functions improve.
Within 1 to 9 months you will have more energy and less coughing, sinus problems and shortness of breath.