Risks And Complications Of A Diabetic

About 60-70% of diabetic people have some form of neuropathy. People with diabetes are prone to develop nerve problems, but the risks are higher based on the age of the person involved and how long has he been suffering from the disease. The highest rate of neuropathy is amongst people who had this disease for at least twenty five (25) years.
Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder brought about by diabetes. Diabetic people can eventually develop nerve damage all throughout their bodies without having any symptoms at all. Nerve damage can occur in each organ of the person, including the heart, digestive tract and sex organs.

Signs and Symptoms
This disease affects the peripheral nerves of the body such as motor neurons, pain fibers and autonomic nerves. Hence, it affects all the organs that are innervated. Depending on the nerve that is affected, the symptoms can also vary and they usually progress slowly over years. The general symptoms are:

Numbness and Tingling sensation on the extremities
Dyesthesia – loss or decrease of sensation
Diarrhea
Urinary Incontinence – loss of bladder control
Erectile Dysfunction
Impotence
Vision Changes
Dizziness
Muscle Weakness
Speech Impairment
Treatment Plan

Any diabetic patient with clinical manifestation of such disease is at risk for ulceration of the foot. This is true for the fact that the presence of neuropathy can affect the sensation of the foot and therefore is prone to injuries. Once injured, the risk of foot ulceration and infection also rises, which can eventually lead to gangrene and amputation if not properly cared for. Therefore, education on foot care is provided. They also require frequent check ups with meticulous inspection of the foot and reinforce the necessitation of habitual self-care.
Medications are also available for the remedy of diabetic neuropathic pain. These drugs include tricyclic antidepressant, pregabalin, topical lidocaine, duloxetine and gabapentin. Further medications are also used such as carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, opiods and oxcarbazepine.

Topical Medications also use such as lidocaine patches or capsaicin. They are helpful in some diabetic patients with localizes pains. However, bear in mind that all medications have their corresponding side effects if not used properly, hence, proper handling and usage of the medication is vital.
Prevention Is Better
The best way for a diabetic person from having a complication such as this is to control his/her diabetes. He/She should try to maintain a normal blood glucose or blood sugar level. Aside from this, keeping normal blood pressure and regular exercise is also important. Through exercise, you will be able to burn those excess sugar in you blood thus lowering your risk of developing neuropathy.
If a diabetic person smoke or drinks excessive alcohol, he or she should also put a stop to this because excessive smoking and alcohol intake can lead to neuropathy or it can make it worse. Instead, a healthy diet is necessary and frequent follow up appointments with you healthcare provider is a must.

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An Overview On The Types of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a cluster of nerve damage caused by diabetes mellitus. It is a common complication that injures the nerves responsible for your feeling sensation. There are many ways how diabetes damages these nerves, but it all comes down to one reason, a blood glucose level that has been too high for over a long period of time.

Manifestations of the Disease

Diabetic Neuropathy can lead to numbness, weakness and pain in the following area:
Hands
Arms
Feet
Legs
Diabetic Neuropathy: An Overview
It can also occur in any organ system of the body including the cardiovascular system, specifically the heart, the gastrointestinal system and reproductive system. It also appears to be widespread in people who have a hard time controlling their blood sugar levels, people with high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol, overweight and people over the age of 40.

The Common Types

The types of diabetic neuropathy are as follows:
Peripheral
Autonomic
Proximal
Focal

The most widespread type of diabetic neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy. It is also called as distal symmetric neuropathy; it involves the arms and legs and causes pain or loss of feeling in the toes, feet, legs, hands and arms.

Autonomic Neuropathy is a diabetic neuropathy that is responsible for the changes in digestion, sexual response, bowel and bladder function and perspiration. It also affects the nerves in the heart and control in blood pressure. This can also cause hypoglycemia unawareness wherein the person involved will not experience any warning signs of low blood sugar. With this predicament, a diabetic patient should always see to it that his or her diet is a balanced diet. Not too much or too little sugar is advisable .You can choose dish up a good meal from the thousands of diabetic recipes in the internet.

Proximal Neuropathy can also cause pain in the thighs, hips and buttocks. Usually the pain occurs on one side only. It can also lead to leg weakness and the common treatment for this physical therapy and some medications. The recovery period varies from person to person and the type and degree of the nerve damage.

Focal neuropathy can result in sudden weakness of a specific nerve or a bundle of nerves that causes muscles pain or weakness. Oftentimes it occurs in the head, leg and torso .It can cause eye pain, double vision, Bell’s palsy or paralysis of one side of the face. This type of diabetic neuropathy is oftentimes unpredictable but it is self-limiting and will not cause long-term damage.

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The Real Deal on Diabetic Food

A diabetic menu that comprises of foods low in saturated fat plus a controlled blood sugar level and exercise is a recommended regimen for diabetics.
What foodstuffs are considered to be a diabetic food? If you see the thousand of ads in magazines, newspapers and in the television, you will definitely see sugar free colas, sugar free ice creams, sugar free cookies and whole lot more sugar free foods. If you go online you can also see thousands of companies catering to diabetic individuals, and majority of them are distributors of sugar free products. They claim that their product is a diabetic food or so.

The Truth

Thousands of people believe that because a food is not made with real sugar, it is considered as a diabetic food. Nevertheless, what is wrong with sugar? The answer is simple; people with diabetes cannot utilize the sugar or glucose coming from their food intake because they have little or no insulin at all in the body. 
However this belief that a sugar free food is also a diabetic food is really twisted. As a matter fact, in May of year 1994, American Diabetes Association stopped advising diabetic people to avoid sugar. Instead, they recommend focusing your attention on the amount of carbohydrates in your diet. Everything was a mistake regarding sugar intake.
The main predicament with foods called as diabetic food is that because they sugar free you can eat them as often as u want and as much as you can. The truth is these so called sugar free foods have loads of calories and fats in them that are not good for a diabetic person.

Starch vs. Real Sugar

For how many years, people believed that simple sugars are to be avoided and replaced with starches. This belief is based on the assumption that simple sugars are digested faster that starches and with this; it easily shoots up the level of blood glucose. However, there is little evidence that supports this postulation.
What is more important than labeling or knowing if a food is a diabetic food or not is having discipline. Knowing the right amount of food to eat and at the right time is more important that getting sugar free product. If you know that this certain food is restricted by your doctor, then listen and follow. Don’t make excuses that just because it is sugar free or sugarless you can indulge in whatever your heart or your taste buds’ desire. Rest assured that as long as you discipline yourself you will not have any problems associated with your diabetes.

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Prevention and Management of Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the major health problems nowadays. It is known for its capability to hinder diabetic people from enjoying their life to the fullest. It is a disease that interferes with the blood sugar levels in the body; it can be either a drop or a rise far beyond the normal level that the body requires. Once a person is diagnosed with this disease, it is important to make changes in one’s lifestyle. These changes should include the person’s eating habits. A person diagnosed with disease should avoid food and drinks that can cause a rise in the blood sugar level and proper exercise is necessary. Regular medical check ups are also to be done in order for the doctor to assess if a person is improving or getting worse. With this at hand, the doctor can then evaluate what treatment is necessary.
Indispensable Drugs

Drugs for diabetes are just one of the most needed supplies. You can get these drugs from pharmacies or through the internet. Of course, before purchasing these drugs you should first consult your doctor on what type of drug is needed. Majority of these drugs are oral hypoglycemic drugs. They act by lowering the blood sugar level or they help in the production of the insulin in the body, which in turn will also lessen the level of blood sugar. At times, these drugs can also subject a person to side effects such as frequent headaches, liver failure and respiratory infections. Thereby, it necessitates proper evaluation on its effect to the person. However, there are also some instances or cases that oral hypoglycemic drugs can no longer manage the disease that is why doctors will resort or recommend insulin treatment or therapy.

Insulin is a hormone in the body that targets the excess blood glucose level. In a non diabetic person, the body normally produces insulin enough to burn the ingested carbohydrates or glucose but due to a number of reasons, a fluctuation occurs in the body. There is fall in the amount of insulin produced by the body that leads to diabetes.
Preventive Measures

A good thing is that, you can prevent this health problem from occurring. A non diabetic person can avoid it from ever developing. There many things that you can do to know if you are at risk or not. First is to take a diabetes risk test, its simple as getting a blood sample from you and then a they will measure the blood glucose level in it. If you have the disease, your blood sugar is above the normal limit. However, even before a person develops it, they almost have the pre diabetes blood glucose level. It is a blood glucose level that is slightly above the normal value but not high enough to cause full-scale diabetes. Ultimately, you can only put off diabetes from happening if there is willingness and discipline in making these lifestyle changes.

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Diabetes Ever Increasing Threat To Our Children

 

 Diabetes in children is also known as juvenile diabetes,
but most people know it as type 1 diabetes. It is the most
most common form of diabetes in teens with ninety to
ninety-five percent of carriers being under 16.

Juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the
pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease,
which means the bodies own defense system attacks the
body’s tissues or organs.

In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes had
increased dramitic rate in Europe and the US we are
now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time.

Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such a
rise in type 1 diabetes in children. It is understood that a
mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what
triggers juvenile diabetes. But the vast majority of kids
don't have a family history of diabetes.

The symptoms for juvinile diabetes are the same as in
adults. Thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination is
typical, but diabetes in children can also increase stomach
pains, headaches and behavior problems.

Doctors must into account the possibility of diabetes in
children who have unexplained stomach pains for a few
weeks, along with the typial symptoms.

When you suspect young teens may be experiencing these
symptoms you might schedule them for a thorough
examination and advise your Gp what you may suspect your
child may have. Be sure to tell them about any and all diabetes
symptoms your child may be experiencing. 

Learning about diabetes menu planning and cooking become
essential and there are a many sources for solid
information such as the diabetes association and personal
physicians. There are also several e-books on the market
about this subject.

Ther are many diabetes awareness campaigns that are designed
to help you focus on the main symptoms of diabetes in children ,
in addition to the simple lifestyle changes

Proper management is the key and can give you many years of healthy
living. Over 500 FREE Delicious Diabetic Recipes @

 http://weight-loss.nztip.com/diabetic-cooking

 

 

 

Diabetes Control Diet Will Help The Body Burn Fat; Not Insulin

When a person’s body begins to resist insulin that person will then be diagnosed as suffering from Type II diabetes, which in turn will lead to the presence of high levels of insulin in the body and that will then lead to the cells in the body being unable or even resist being able to absorb glucose. When this happens the blood sugar starts to reach heights that are not good for a person’s health, and that is when it becomes necessary to start thinking about diabetes control diet.

Starving Cells

When your body has begun to resist insulin your cells will then begin to starve, even if you have just eaten a meal. The starving cells causes the brain to interpret the starvations signals that it receives as being signs of real starvation and the brain will, in turn begin to release signals that cause a diabetic patient to feel hungry; especially for carbohydrates. The result? Stimulation of the production of insulin begins which then results in the cells beginning to absorb glucose.

The body must be controlled and prevented from burning glucose and this is where diabetes control diet comes in handy because it will teach you how to stop eating carbohydrates. What a proper diabetes control diet will do is help you channel the body’s intake in such a manner that it will start to burn fat instead of glucose. Use of a hormone known as glucagon (which is a hormone, like some others, that helps to make the body burn up fat) helps set off a process in which fat gets burnt up. In addition, glucagon also makes the body transform its existing reserves of fat into much needed glucose.

When the blood in your body contains insulin there is a cessation in the production of glucagon and when a diabetic has to inject insulin into the body he or she will inadvertently be injecting the very thing that is preventing their body from burning fat. A good diabetes control diet is the way out!

When you become aware of a diabetes control diet, you will immediately understand that it is necessary to lower the consumption of carbohydrates, sugar as well as flour, and instead, you must begin eating foods that contain more proteins. You would also do well to check out various kinds of diabetes diets and carefully evaluate each in order to conclude which of them the best diabetes diet is; and then follow the best one.

The main benefit to following a diabetes control diet is that you can get off taking in insulin and instead begin to eat low-carb foods which will help the cells in your body overcome their resistance to insulin and in turn, keep diabetes under control.

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Diagnosis of Diabetes

Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 20.8 million people in the United States—7.0 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 14.6 million have been diagnosed, and 6.2 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2005, about 1.5 million people aged 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When we eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

What are the types of diabetes?

The three main types of diabetes are

• type 1 diabetes
• type 2 diabetes
• gestational diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live.

At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body’s immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Type 2 Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, nationally representative data on prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth are not available.

When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes—glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.

Gestational Diabetes

Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Maintaining a reasonable body weight and being physically active may help prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes. As with type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes occurs more often in some ethnic groups and among women with a family history of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and nonpregnant adults. It is most reliable when done in the morning. However, a diagnosis of diabetes can be made based on any of the following test results, confirmed by retesting on a different day:

• A blood glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more after an 8-hour fast. This test is called the fasting blood glucose test.
• A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more 2 hours after drinking a beverage containing 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. This test is called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
• A random (taken at any time of day) blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more, along with the presence of diabetes symptoms.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed based on blood glucose levels measured during the OGTT. Glucose levels are normally lower during pregnancy, so the cutoff levels for diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy are lower. Blood glucose levels are measured before a woman drinks a beverage containing glucose. Then levels are checked 1, 2, and 3 hours afterward. If a woman has two blood glucose levels meeting or exceeding any of the following numbers, she has gestational diabetes: a fasting blood glucose level of 95 mg/dL, a 1-hour level of 180 mg/dL, a 2-hour level of 155 mg/dL, or a 3-hour level of 140 mg/dL.

What is pre-diabetes?

People with pre-diabetes have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. This condition raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Pre-diabetes is also called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the test used to diagnose it. Some people have both IFG and IGT.

• IFG is a condition in which the blood glucose level is high (100 to 125 mg/dL) after an overnight fast, but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes. (The former definition of IFG was 110 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL.)
• IGT is a condition in which the blood glucose level is high (140 to 199 mg/dL) after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Pre-diabetes is becoming more common in the United States, according to new estimates provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 40 percent of U.S. adults ages 40 to 74—or 41 million people—had pre-diabetes in 2000. New data suggest that at least 54 million U.S. adults had pre-diabetes in 2002. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

The good news is that if you have pre-diabetes, you can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes. Studies have clearly shown that you can lower your risk of developing diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight through diet and increased physical activity. A major study of more than 3,000 people with IGT, a form of pre-diabetes, found that diet and exercise resulting in a 5 to 7 percent weight loss—about 10 to 14 pounds in a person who weighs 200 pounds—lowered the incidence of type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent. Study participants lost weight by cutting fat and calories in their diet and by exercising (most chose walking) at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

What are the scope and impact of diabetes?

Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In 2002, it was the sixth leading cause of death. However, diabetes is likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates. About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes are attributed to heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with diabetes.

In 2002, diabetes cost the United States $132 billion. Indirect costs, including disability payments, time lost from work, and premature death, totaled $40 billion; direct medical costs for diabetes care, including hospitalizations, medical care, and treatment supplies, totaled $92 billion.

Who gets diabetes?

Diabetes is not contagious. People cannot “catch” it from each other. However, certain factors can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs equally among males and females but is more common in whites than in non-whites. Data from the World Health Organization’s Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes indicate that type 1 diabetes is rare in most African, American Indian, and Asian populations. However, some northern European countries, including Finland and Sweden, have high rates of type 1 diabetes. The reasons for these differences are unknown. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children but can occur at any age.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight, and occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, some Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos. On average, non-Hispanic African Americans are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of the same age. Mexican Americans are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. (Data are not available for estimation of diabetes rates in other Hispanic/Latino groups.) American Indians have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. On average, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.2 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. Although prevalence data for diabetes among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are limited, some groups, such as Native Hawaiians, Asians, and other Pacific Islanders residing in Hawaii (aged 20 or older) are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as white residents of Hawaii of similar age.

Diabetes prevalence in the United States is likely to increase for several reasons. First, a large segment of the population is aging. Also, Hispanics/Latinos and other minority groups at increased risk make up the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Finally, Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary. According to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes will affect one in three people born in 2000 in the United States. The CDC also projects the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States will increase 165 percent by 2050.

If you are suffering from Diabetes you should take Optimum Diabetics Health supplement which provides essential nutrients that may be lacking due to the strain diabetes can often put on the body’s health. Each serving provides a complete, full potency formulation of vitamins, minerals and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Formulated Nutritional Supplement For People With Diabetes

Diabetes and the pH miracle diet

diabetes I

In the United States diabetes is the third leading cause of death. Even more chilling, it is the first leading cause of death for children. Type II diabetes is a result of the rising rates of obesity in the country. Today, one in 12 adults are afflicted with the disease. This means that over 16 million people have the disorder, with 6 million of them walking around undiagnosed and unaware of their sensitive pancreas insulin condition.

Poor nutrition, obesity, high stress, no physical activity, and increased aging is a potent recipe for type II diabetes. All of these conditions can be traced back to one source…high acidity. Over-acid lifestyles and food choices have negative impacts on health, which is shown by the rapidly increasing diabetes rates in the country.

Diabetes is considered an aged condition. It has been known about for thousands of years and yet it is only today that it has become an epidemic. The problem is that even to educated adults, diabetes remains a mystery. People do not understand what gestational diabetes does in the body and how it’s metabolism affects the health. Even current medical science has some misconceptions about the true nature of the disorder.

For example, many in the medical establishment believe that obesity is the cause of diabetes. Consuming high amounts of simple sugars and complex carbohydrates is a direct result of obesity. The high rate of consumption of these products (which are made from the acidifying foods of sugar and processed wheat) leads to high acidity in the body. The body attempts to deal with the increase of waste acids by using fat to neutralize the acid. The fat is then stored as a safeguard for the cells in the body.

There is also a belief that insulin is needed to regulate blood sugar levels in the bodies. The term “insulin dependent” was created in the 1950s to create the impression that muscle and fat require insulin to take up glucose (the sugars created by eating high carbohydrate and sugary foods). However, current studies show that many different things in the body transport glucose. Cells require glucose for their cell respiration process. The body makes sure that the cells receive that, no matter how much insulin in present.

Insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type II diabetes, is brought on through a highly acidic lifestyle and acidic food choices. It occurs in the liver, muscles and fat cells. The body’s organs and tissues are stimulated by using stimulants such as chocolate, caffeine, carbs, and sugar. As the body is stimulated, the cells begin to release their glucose and this leads to the elevated levels of blood sugar that people see when they do blood sugar testing. The body cells are disorganized and the highly acidic state can lead to a host of problems overtime including premature aging, high blood pressure, inhibition of the release of glycogen from the liver, and the inhibition of the burning of fat.

Over stimulation of the bodily tissues through acidic foods can cause a lot of damage, and type II diabetes is just a symptom of an acidic lifestyle. In order to bring the body back into balance, you must include alkalizing green vegetables, green drinks and good fats in your diet. Plant proteins from grains and legumes also help restore the body’s previous homeostasis. The pH miracle diet includes a balanced plan for eating with your body, instead of against it. With the application of the principles of the diet, controlling and preventing diabetes is a simple matter of alkalized eating and living.

How The Athlete and Diabetes Relate To Each Other

Diabetics can be found in all walks of life, and the sporting arena is no different. Despite the seriousness of the disease, with knowledge, proper control, and support, the diabetic can excel in a variety of sports. There have been many successful athletes and sports personalities who have had diabetes but were able to control their illness enough to not interfere with their activities. Three famous athletes who had diabetes are the boxing great Joe Frazier, one of baseball’s top hitters Ty Cobb, and tennis star Arthur Ashe. For an athlete to be comfortable, that person needs to know that help will be available in the rare case of a medical emergency. As such, the coach or physical fitness trainer has to be aware of the athlete’s diabetic condition.

Athletes with diabetes compete in a wide variety of sports, including marathons, cycling, and football. What these athletes do, as should any person with diabetes wanting to compete in sports or exercise, is take responsibility for their disease. Taking responsibility means doing the following:

• Testing your blood sugar before you start playing and right after you stop
• Test every half hour while playing if the activity is intense
• If your blood sugar levels are too high, avoid playing until you have lowered them through medication
• Do not play immediately after eating.  A one-hour delay is advisable in most cases
• Wear proper-fitting shoes as diabetics tend to have poor circulation

To be successful as an athlete, even with diabetes, there must be collaboration and knowledge-sharing between your coach, doctors, and sports administrators. Because physical activities lower the amount of sugar in the blood stream, diabetic athletes should ensure that coaches know the symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Not giving people information should an emergency occur can place others in a bad position if you, one day, really do need help.

As a diabetic, you should know your body and its response to too much or too little sugar. Once you feel that something is wrong, stop and get medical attention. Wear a medical bracelet just in case something happens, so that medical personnel on hand will know what to do if you are unable to tell them. Lastly, discuss your plans with your doctor. If you are a teenager, getting involved with a support group of other teens with diabetes will be a great motivating force.

To learn more go to Diabetes Nutrition and at Gestational Diabetes

A Guide To Diabetes and your Diet

What you eat as a diabetic is the key to keeping your sugar levels under control. Ensuring that you maintain a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to control your diabetes and stay healthy. Having diabetes does not mean that meals have to be boring and, contrary to popular belief, the diabetic can generally eat almost anything thought they do need to pay special attention to portion sizes. The most important point that the diabetic has to bear in mind is setting mealtimes so that they eat less and at the same time each day.

The diabetic should include lots of whole grain, vegetables, and fruits in lieu of simple sugars, (such as pastries), starches, and fats. In fact, these dietary guidelines are worth being used by anyone who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle, especially those wanting to lose weight.

Another dietary change that some diabetics may need to pay attention to is calorie counting. Counting calories is especially helpful for diabetics who take medication to keep their sugar level in check. Beginners should get the help of a dietician or nutritionist to learn how to count calories properly and the best combination of foods for each meal time.

Eating properly can make a diabetic feel limited and chained to habits they don’t necessarily enjoy by choice. A diabetic must eat certain foods and avoid others, but avoiding resentment at the constraints can be difficult. Mealtime for the diabetic can be livened up and made more exciting by using the exchange-system diet plan. This system allows for interchanging or replacing one food within a predetermined group for another of similar nutrients from the same group; that is, a potato for a cob of corn.

To reiterate, the most important parts of the diabetic’s diet are:

• Having set mealtimes, even for snacks, eating at the same time each day
• Eating the right-sized meals
• Eating a well-balanced meal, incorporating foods from all food groups as per the diabetic food pyramid. The diabetic food pyramid, unlike the regular pyramid, groups foods together based on their starch and fat content. As such, starchy vegetables are grouped with starches instead of other vegetables.
• Reducing your intake of fats and sugar
• Eating smaller portions

The diabetic must ensure that meals consumed are smaller but are nonetheless nutritionally healthy, just as they would if they were diabetes-free. Paying attention to servings and meal times is vital to the continued health and well-being of the diabetic, as food is the main trigger for rising or falling blood glucose levels. Using the diabetic food pyramid as a guide, the diabetic can not only make meal time a joy, but also control their disease.

To learn more go to Diabetes Drugs and at Manage Your Diabetes

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