#568 Diabetes Variables: Full Moon

October 29, 2021Scott Benner

Diabetes Variables: Full Moon

Scott and Jenny Smith, CDE share insights on type 1 diabetes care

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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello and welcome to Episode 568 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Hey guys, welcome back to another diabetes variables episode with me. I'm Scott and Jenny Smith. Jenny, of course works at integrated diabetes, and you can hire if you'd like at integrated diabetes calm. The diabetes variable series has been going over listener submitted variables for type one diabetes, today's variable is a full moon. And I don't mean when you pull your pants down, I mean the thing up in the sky that's made out of cheese. Now that I've said the moon is made out of cheese, I probably don't need to tell you this. But just in case please remember while you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan are becoming bold with insulin. My friend Jenny Smith has had Type One Diabetes for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in human nutrition and biology from the University of Wisconsin. She's a registered and licensed dietitian, a certified diabetes educator and a certified trainer on most makes and models of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. If that's not enough, she's pretty freakin awesome.

This show is sponsored today by the glucagon that my daughter carries g vo hypo Penn. Find out more at G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. Jenny, is there any chance that a full moon is a diabetes variable

Jennifer Smith, CDE 1:50
in the grand scheme of considering everything, I mean, my mom was a school teacher, like elementary middle school teacher. She didn't have any kids who had diabetes. But she saw enough children. She she could put a finger on the date of the calendar when the full moon happened. Because of the way that kids acted. She knew it was a full moon time she just she knew it. I actually saw an article the other day is something about mercury being in retrograde until like October 18 or something this month. And so it was from school teachers. And they had noticed that their kids were much more irritable, anxious fatigue, not paying attention. Even the the highest rate graded kids in the classes were having like issues. So I mean, that has I don't think that has anything to do with the moon. But it's something in terms of like whole, like astrologically whatever.

Scott Benner 2:54
I don't know about that. I can tell you that a friend, a lifelong friend of mine is a police officer. I mean, lifelong, he's getting ready to retire is how long. And for as long as I've known him, there's a time where he'll just be like, hey, like, you know, sometimes people know cops, sometimes they stop at your house, he's standing outside your talk, but right. And as consistent as could be every month, he'd be like, I gotta go. He's like, tonight's gonna be crazy. And I'm like, why? And he's like full moon. He's like, he's like, there'll be more car accidents. There'll be more assaults. He's like, I just it's I don't know, man, he goes, it just happens, you know, so.

Jennifer Smith, CDE 3:31
So as a variable? Could it have some impact on blood sugar? I think not directly. But indirectly, as we've talked about all of the variables in diabetes already. Things like anxiety, things like appetite, or attitude, or fatigue, or I mean, all of these things, if they're being if they're being impacted because of the placement of the moon and the phase of the moon and whatnot. That could then impact the blood sugar, right?

Scott Benner 4:07
So there's no direct line. It's not like the moon and your blood sugar starts coming up for real physiological but what if a full moon makes you anxious or weight? Or something like what is it I mean, the moon for not

Jennifer Smith, CDE 4:21
sleep as well. I mean, we had a whole episode, we talked all about sleep and impact on blood sugar, so you're not sleeping as well or you're more tired or whatnot. All of that. Are there stress factor variables on the body? that could impact your blood sugar? So yes, there's not a direct like line from the moon to your blood sugar that's like, this is what's going to happen now. But indirectly, I think

Scott Benner 4:42
so. Maybe there are other ways that it impacts you. Okay, yeah. And so that's a funny one. Well, yeah, I mean, but it got set enough that it made it on the list. So I like you know, listen, in fairness, breathing is also on this list. That's people's people trying to be funny. You know, but I really just thought like okay obviously a full moon doesn't have anything to do with your blood sugar but if it is impacting people like you said like maybe there's other things that come from that that then in turn impact your blood sugar so they indirectly it does then right you know, right

Jennifer Smith, CDE 5:17
that's all I'm gonna What a perfect time of the year for talking about a film.

Scott Benner 5:21
I'm gonna put this up around Halloween and it gets Yes. All right, well thank you very much for doing that little care fairy welcome. Hey, don't go anywhere. I'm going to be talking more about the moon in just a second. g evoke hypo pan has no visible needle, and it's the first pre mixed autoinjector of glucagon for very low blood sugar in adults and kids with diabetes ages two and above. Not only is chivo hypo pen simple to administer, but it's simple to learn more about. All you have to do is go to G Vogue glucagon.com forward slash juicebox. g Volk shouldn't be used in patients with insulin, Noma or pheochromocytoma. Visit g Vogue glucagon.com slash risk. Alright, let's talk about the moon for a second. How often do you think a full moon occurs on Halloween on October 31? The answer is only once every 18 to 19 years. The first full moon after Halloween is November's moon, which is traditionally called the full beaver moon. Say Aren't you glad you waited? The full moon after Halloween is thought to be the time when the deer rut where mating season for the year is in full force. You know what I mean? Like they're out there just like Thumper and away. Thumper was the bunny and Bambi. I mean, for those of you who are not 1000 years old, okay, a little more about the moon. So as you may know, there is a lot of superstition around full moons. I've gone online and tried to find some fun things tell you about them. First of all, I can tell you with a fair amount of confidence that werewolves don't happen in full moons, but people think they do. werewolves are not real people. My God if you think they are, I'm so sorry. This here says oh, this is interesting. menstrual cycles are affected by the full moon 2011 study showed evidence that a full moon affects the periods of women 16 to 25 years old. They have no reason for this. It has not been fully explored. But the findings do point to a full moon influencing a woman's menstrual cycle, which I guess then technically would impact your blood sugar. So Ah, seems that sea turtles lay their eggs during a full moon. Because of the know the higher tide takes them further into shore and makes a better place for their nests. This is a little sketchy, but a recent study says that the gravitational pull of the moon may have something to do with the amount of births. Statistics have shown a high rate of babies being born on around the supermoon. They call it unexplained. And I can also find a number of articles that will say that that's absolute bs so you know greatest all. This is interesting one study monitor brain activity on sleeping participants and it showed that it took longer to fall asleep during a full moon than during other phases of the moon. It also found less brain activity related to deep sleep and shortened sleep times all around. There have not been many studies on it. But if you're having trouble sleeping during a full moon Hmm. I alluded to this earlier, emergency rooms get busy many er doctors think that a full moon really does have an effect on the number of patients admitted as well as the strangeness of the injuries that they see. Interesting little website. The crime rate goes up. I said that too. Oh, moods change. Research has shown that the moon's gravitational pull may very well be responsible for messing with our emotions. Those with unstable personalities or personality disorders may be extra sensitive to the moon's poll. So on average, the moon is 238,855 miles from Earth, and it seems it can impact things. One of those things might be your blood sugar, dum dum dum. That was supposed to be scary music I can't afford like sound effects and stuff. Although I did pay for this music. A huge thank you to one of today's sponsors, g Vogue glucagon, find out more about chivo hypo pan at GE Vogue glucagon.com Ford slash juice box, you spell that GVOKEGL you see ag o n.com. forward slash juicebox. I just want you to know that there are so many stories about the moon and weird sex stuff. I did not get involved in it while I was looking But turns out that might be something to, at least people think it is. Hey, make sure to check out those other diabetes variables. They're right there in your podcast player, and at Juicebox Podcast comm

you also don't want to miss the diabetes pro tip series, the defining diabetes series, how we eat after dark. There are so many to choose from. Check them out at Juicebox podcast.com and diabetes pro tip.com. And if you're a US resident, go to T one d exchange.org. forward slash juice box. Fill out the brief survey that helps people living with Type One Diabetes, super simple questions. Completely HIPAA compliant, completely anonymous takes less than 10 minutes, you can do it right on your phone, right on yourself. You're going to help people living with type one, you're going to support the podcast. I'm trying to get to 2000 completed surveys by the end of diabetes Awareness Month. So one month from now. Go go go. If you all stopped and did it right now. Just based on how many people I know are listening to this episode. Not only would there be way more than 2000 but you might you might hear a pop like an audible out in the world that would be the minds of the people at the tail end exchange just blowing they just be like Oh, I can't believe that happened. That'd be one day exchange.org forward slash juice box.