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Saturday, August 9, 2008

Diabetes and Recurring Candida and How to Fix It

Many people have diabetes and recurring Candida. This happens due to the imbalance in the sugar in their body. There are a few different options to solve this problem.

The reason that diabetes and recurring Candida happens is due to the sugar in their body. Candida thrives on sugar, and obviously, diabetics have issues with the sugar in their body.

As any diabetic knows, an appropriate diet is the best way to manage their sugar. The same is true when talking about diabetes and recurring Candida. The better they get at balancing their diet and their sugar, the easier and quicker they will be able to end recurring Candida.

It is best when dealing with diabetes and recurring Candida to have a diet packed full of vegetables high in fiber and low in starch. This includes such vegetables as broccoli, asparagus, turnips, and leafy greens. It is best to avoid any types of sugars, and carbohydrates as much as possible.

Carbohydrates metabolize in the body as sugar and are used as energy. This is why it is not good for diabetes and recurring Candida. Diabetics know that breads are not good for them. Luckily, the same foods that cause problems for their diabetes are also the same foods that help feed Candida. The foods that a diabetic should eat to keep their diabetes in check are also the same foods that will help cure their fungus problem. This is how diabetes and recurring Candida go hand in hand with one another.

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Tips For Incorporating Gestational Diabetes Diet Into Your Life

Gestational diabetes is one type that is quite unique on its own. This is because it affects only pregnant women. The main cause of the condition is actually the presence of high blood sugar levels during the period of pregnancy. Since this type can have adverse effects on the fetus and its development, and the mother as well, then taking on the proper gestational diabetes diet is a definite must.

To determine if you are indeed afflicted with this type of diabetes, there is routine screening for the condition that should be done during your second trimester. This way, if the condition is indeed determined to exist, precautionary measures can be undertaken to minimize the adverse effects of the condition on both the mother and the baby. The sad thing about this condition is that if it is not remedied, complications can occur, which include hypertension, congenital abnormalities, premature birth, infantile diabetes, large fetus size, and other sorts of birth complications.

The typical gestational diabetes diet comes with certain modifications that the pregnant mother just may not be used to at all. However, these modifications are necessary, if you want to control the manifestations of your condition. The dietary prescriptions here would inevitably be individualized in nature, based on the metabolic nutrition of the pregnant mother, as well as the lifestyle requirements entailed. Thus, it is important to consult your physician for this. The basic changes that come with the diet include significant reduction of the simple types of sugar, like white table sugar and syrups like honey and such.

The more complex carbohydrates take the place of simple sugars, and these should be meshed with the balanced consumption of nutrients. To make the whole process easier, exchange lists are utilized. Interestingly, exchange lists were created primarily to make diabetic meal planning easier. However, over the years, exchange lists have also been utilized for dietary recommendations and various food guides.

Aside from these, you also have to remember that the overall diet should take into consideration all sorts of requirements, ranging from physical and psychosocial all the way to educational. You should also consider enlisting the services of professional health care providers, to assist in the management of the condition. These health care providers are trained to deal with the condition, so it would be just apt to rely on these professionals. Doctors and nurses can also assist in reinforcing dietary needs, as well as in monitoring blood sugar levels and administering insulin shots when needed.

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Proper Diets For Those With Blood Sugar Issues

When you have blood sugar issues you need to scope out proper diets. Trying to lose and maintain weight with any type of sugar related issue can be very hard. Not only can the illness cause weight issues, medications can make things worse for many people. The right diet can not only help to maintain a proper blood sugar range, it can also aid you in losing weight and keeping it off. The key is to find the right type of diet for you that keeps your sugar intact. Low carbohydrate diets can be very beneficial, just be sure to allow for times when you will need extra sugar fast. If you know how to regulate your food correctly, then you should have no problem finding a good diet that works.

Losing Weight With Diabetes

When it comes to losing weight with diabetes, you can find that it is a real challenge. Many of the medications that help to regulate blood sugar promote weight gain. The best way to loss weight when you have blood sugar issues is to first make sure your levels are stable. Once you have done that, you can search for proper diets that could work for you. Exercise is also very important for those with diabetes. Circulation problems are common in diabetics, so plenty of exercise can help prevent problems later on. Do not be discouraged if the weight does not come off as quickly as you want. Many times you have to allow your body to adjust before you can see any results. Always be sure to talk to your doctor before trying anything new. It is not uncommon to need a medication adjustment as you lose weight.

How Low Carb Can You Go

Proper diets for diabetes not only includes limiting sweets, but also requires you to watch how many carbs you eat and when. Any diabetic will want to limit their carb intake to approximately half the allotted calories they are allowed to eat per day. Therefore, a person on an 1800-calorie per day diet can eat 900 calories of carbs. These carbs should be spread out over the course of the entire day and limited. The best types of carbs to eat are fruits, vegetables, and starches. It is best to refrain from refined sugars and alcohol, as they can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar.

The Key Is Exercise

The more exercise you get the better. Not only are proper diets encouraged for those with diabetes and other related blood sugar issues, good exercise regimes are as well. Circulation to the lower extremities can be a major issue to those with diabetes. This can make it hard to notice when you get a cut or other injury, and can lead to a major infection. Exercise along with a good diet can aid in increasing circulation and help to maintain your sensation longer. This will lower the risk of systemic infection and even amputation. While losing weight when battling with diabetes can be difficult, it is not impossible when you have a good diet and exercise plan.

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10 Simple Steps to Make Your Child His Own Diabetic Expert

Involving a children in their own diabetes care is critical. Sooner or later as a parent or caretaker, you have to give up your control of food, injection, amount and timing, blood glucose testing, and all the other tasks that are required for good diabetes care. When you do so, you want to know that you're turning over the care to a highly qualified individual, your child with diabetes

Before you turn over the care, you can do a lot to prepare your child by letting him participate in what you do for him. Start by asking for his ideas and views about how you take care of his diabetes. Be sure to listen to what he says and show that you take him seriously by turning his reasonable suggestions into reality. This collaboration will have many benefits for your child, including the following:

It will increase his self-confidence.

It will improve his communication skills.

It will expand his knowledge as you discuss his ideas and why they're appropriate or not. It will make him ready to take over his diabetes care when you think the time is right.

Following are the ten steps you should take to make him an expert caretaker of himself.

Set Some Goals for Care with Your Child:Your child probably doesn't know if he wants to be a doctor or lawyer at the age of 8, but by this time, he may have an idea of how to handle his diabetes. If not, this is a good opportunity to discuss the subject with him and to really listen and learn. If your child doesn't have goals for his diabetes care, this is a time to set some with him.

Show Your Child How to Test His Blood Glucose: Unfortunately, at least at present, testing blood glucose means pricking your finger. And that can hurt, although modern testing devices keep the pain to a minimum. As soon as your child has good hand-eye coordination (around age 7 to 10), start letting him prick his own finger for blood glucose testing. Remember, he may have to do this for the next 50 or 60 years. He needs to find out how to produce a drop of blood with little effort, to get the test strip ready for testing, and to get the blood on the strip with minimal effort.

Shop for Food Together: Although your child may initially think that all food originates in the super-market, having him join you there can be a very valuable lesson in choosing good foods and avoiding bad foods. Start this practice at age 4 or 5 because he'll soon have to make his own food choices at school.

Plant a Garden Together: If you have a little space in your backyard, plant a garden with your child. Your child will be amazed to find out that he can start with one small plant and end up with boxes of tomatoes! If you don't have the space, go cherry picking or apple picking or some other fruit or vegetable picking so that your child realizes that food comes from the soil.

Have Your Child Help with the Cooking: Food is such a major part of diabetes care that it's essential that your child be able to cook for himself and prepare healthy food. Letting your child help you cook has many benefits.

Exercise as a Family: Exercise, as you know, plays a key role in your child's health. You can't expect your child to want to exercise if he sees his parent sitting in front of the computer.

There are many happy stories of the closeness that has developed between parents and children who jog together, not to mention the stories of chubby, shy children who grew up into lean, assertive adolescents because they exercised with their parents.

Show Your Child How to Administer Insulin: You may want to delay the time when your child calculates his own insulin dosage until you're certain he can do it properly, but teaching him to administer the insulin is also something that should be done early around age 10.

Plan a Trip Together: Planning a trip is another chance to get good feedback from your child while you teach him what to be aware of when traveling with diabetes. He can start participating in the planning when he's old enough to go to school.

Have Your Child Do Household Chores: Involving your child in such tasks teaches him

A sense of responsibility

A sense of competence

A sense of self-reliance

A sense of self-worth

Encourage Your Child to Play: Video Games (Really!) Video games are a favorite pursuit of today's kids, and they have so many different games to choose from. Now there are video games that teach about type 1 Diabetes, Top games are Starbright Life Adventure Series, Diabetes and Packy and Marlon.

Cure For Diabetes - Step Toward Advancement

"Diabetes is irreversible". "Diabetes cannot be cured". We all know this well but still a question in the mind of every diabetic and his loved one is that how close are we to the cure for diabetes.

Actually it depends on our own mental level that is what we mean by this simple word CURE. Diabetes actually has many genetic and environmental causes behind it and therefore it has many ways of treating. Most of the research in the previous few years was for the prevention of diabetes and its management if it occurs. These researches are obviously very important unless and until the cure for diabetes becomes available. The final cure for this disease would be a replacement for the cells of the pancreas as it is caused by the malfunctioning of these cells that makes insulin. To do this an insulin pump would have to be inserted which would be regulated automatically by the glucose sensors. This pump has been invented and tested in about 500 people in different areas of world. But Glucose sensors are not yet developed but will be very soon.

Another approach which many of us are already aware of, is to transplant insulin producing cells into the person with diabetes it has been more difficult in humans, because human body looks at these cells as foreign invaders and tries to hunt them off. Many researchers are trying to overcome these problems it is here when we can say that we expect a cure of diabetes in the coming year.

Till the scientists, researchers find the cure to diabetes we have to to live with diabetes, we have to reprogram our minds so that it starts to believe that there is a cure for diabetes - its all about mind programming.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Diabetes Natural Treatment - Cures, Remedies For Type 1, 2

Do you know that diabetes mellitus is now the 5th leading cause of death in the United States? The good news is diabetes natural treatments that work are available.

Diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood glucose levels are high or above normal. Two things could happen. Your body cannot produce enough insulin or it cannot use its own insulin for cell energy thus causing sugar to build up in your blood.

Recent surveys disclosed that about 17 million Americans are sick with this disease. And the more shocking news is another 5.9 million people in the US do not even know they have it.

There are three types of diabetes. These are type 1 or the insulin-dependent, type 2 or the non insulin-dependent and gestational type which only pregnant women get. Another term for Type 1 is juvenile diabetes, because it happens more in children. The cause of this particular type of diabetes is the pancreas' lack of production of insulin.

Type 2 which is also known as adult-onset diabetes occurs due to the presence of insulin resistant cells in the body.

Although gestational diabetes develops in about 3 to 5 percent of pregnant women, it usually disappears once the pregnancy is over.

The best way to combat this condition is through natural treatment like naturopathy. Naturopathy makes use of water, light, air, heat, the right diet, and ample physical exercise as well as certain physiological measures. These methods do not require medication and surgical procedures which are not just painful but very expensive as well. Such procedures are not necessary with natural treatment because nature gives us the ability to fight diseases. Nature is a natural healer.

The best way to start the natural treatment to fight diabetes is to come up with the proper diet plan. Your diet should mainly consist of vegetables especially the dark green and yellow ones and whole fruits for an increased fiber intake.

Low fat dairy products, up to 3 ounces of cooked fish, poultry or lean meat, one egg, one quarter cup cottage cheese and one tablespoon of peanut butter are also allowed. Stay away from alcohol, sweets and fats.

A diet such as this, when combined with enough exercise can result in weight loss and cholesterol control.

You can use herbs known to cure Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes like Mango leaves, Asian Ginseng, Cinnamon, and Indian Gooseberry among others.

You can also use some of these herbs for natural processes like hydrotherapy, mud therapy, chromotherapy, and regular massages.

Lastly, remember that diabetes natural or green treatments are safe and healthy ways to maintain good blood sugar levels.

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Diabetes - A Metabolic Disease

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. The food that we eat is broken down into a form of sugar called glucose, which is the main source of energy for the human body. This disease does not allow the body to create enough or properly process insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas allowing glucose to enter all the cells of the body and be used as energy. For those that are diabetic, sugar builds up in the blood instead of moving into the cells. Some of the surplus sugar is carried through the urine, out of the body, wasting the energy, and resulting in the body losing its main fuel source.

Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes are three main forms of diabetes mellitus, which is the medical term for this sickness.

Type 1 diabetes is categorized as an autoimmune disease, in this case, one that attacks and devastates the beta-cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. These types of diabetics are dependent upon insulin. This form of the syndrome is commonly known as "Juvenile" diabetes, but is not the most common form, only attesting for about 10 - 15% of those suffering from the illness. Type 1 is more frequent among children. Some common symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus are excessive thirst and urination, distorted vision, sudden weight loss, and severe exhaustion. The symptoms of type 1 usually develop over a short period of time.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is often related to obesity, old-age, a sedentary lifestyle, genetic history of the disease, ethnicity, and a history of gestational diabetes. Those with type 2 usually have a pancreas that produces enough insulin, but the body, for an unidentified reason, does not use it properly. This improper use of insulin is commonly referred to as insulin resistance. Throughout time the pancreas will begin to fail in producing insulin and sugar will build up in the body, making this main fuel source unattainable. Being the most common form of the debility, type 2 accounts for 90 - 95% of the diabetic population, and is on the increase. Though this ailment is mostly widespread among obese adults it is also being diagnosed in children and adolescents. Some of the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus are severe exhaustion, excessive urination, distorted vision, and enhanced hunger. Compared to type 1, these symptoms develop at a more gradual pace.

Gestational diabetes is a form of the epidemic that can be acquired by women who are pregnant. This form of the condition usually disappears after the pregnancy is over, but leaves the mother with a 20 - 50% possibility of developing type 2 diabetes. Women who have a family history of developing the disease are, of course, the more likely candidates for diabetes. The disorder is primarily caused by hormones that are generated by the placenta and amplify the mothers' resistance to insulin. The percentage of pregnant women in the U.S. who will develop gestational diabetes is 3 - 8%.

There are a plethora of ways to help people who have diabetes stay as healthy as possible. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling your blood sugar, and taking any required medicine are all ways to tame the disease and keep living your life.

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Is Diabetes Care the Only Way For Survival

Diabetes care or what is commonly known as diabetes management, is one important aspect that needs to be taken seriously since it is through doing this that a diabetic patient can survive for long without major complications. To achieve it, the patient needs to have the right kind of attitude needed to oversee the whole process. This is why a clear understanding of diabetes is required since it will help build a proactive attitude in the patient towards its proper management. For this reason, knowing that diabetes is a health problem that allows your glucose levels in the blood to either drop or rise above the required levels, may actually help you manage your diabetes successfully.

Once diagnosed with diabetes, an appropriate diabetes care needs to be undertaken. This care may include; constantly visiting your doctor for checkups, changing your diet, engaging yourself in exercises, reducing alcohol consumption, taking appropriate medication, sticking to the prescribed course of treatment among many other forms of management.When all this is done, it will always be hard for the diabetes condition to get out of hand and cause you serious problems.

By constantly visiting your doctor for checkups, you will be able to always know what amount of sugar level is present in your blood. Having this knowledge, is something that will help you decide the next step of action to take depending on the results. In case your blood sugar level needs to be taken up or brought down, then the doctor will be in a better position to advise you on what to do once this check up has been undertaken.

Changes in food diets being part of the changes taken to manage diabetes, often works depending on the type of diabetes you are suffering from. For cases of diabetes insipidus (low blood sugar levels), food and drinks containing a lot of sugar are usually recommended by the doctors. These may include chocolates, candy, tea full of sugar and so on. However, in instances where you are suffering from diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar level), food and drinks that are very low or do not contain sugar at all, are the ones that doctors may recommend you to take.

Exercising is another way of diabetes care which involves making the body do some activities that make it burn some of the excess calories and fat. By doing this, you help the body reduce the resistance that insulin (a hormone that allows glucose to enter the body cells so that it can be used for energy production) faces when trying to act on the glucose brought in after eating food. Another way that exercises acts as a form of diabetes management is making the rate of blood flow increase. When exercising, blood seems to flow at high speeds. For this reason, it is able to reach its destination points faster, something that also help glucose present in it reach the body cells faster and be utilized at the same rate hence reducing its content present in the blood.

Another way of diabetes care is by taking medication that is appropriate for your diabetes condition. This way, you will be managing the disease by treating it either through the use of oral medicines or through the use of insulin injections. However, this form of diabetes care needs to be done in accordance with the doctor's instructions in order to achieve needed results and avoid being subjected to unnecessary side effects that can be brought by the medicine.

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Don't Be Scared If You Are Suffering From Diabetes Mellitus

A common type of diabetes that often takes place in people all over the world is the one which involves the patient's sugar levels rising up beyond the allowed levels in the body. This condition is well known as Diabetes mellitus. When a patient suffers from this kind of problem, he or she usually excretes urine that is full of sugar otherwise known as "sweet urine" by doctors. Other symptoms may include, experiencing moments of excessive thirst, irritability, experiencing nausea accompanied by vomiting, unusual weight loss and sometimes having a sweet smelling breath. As for men, this disease can make them have erectile dysfunction.

Diabetes mellitus usually occurs when the body fails to either produce or respond to insulin. Insulin is a hormone in the body that makes it possible for the glucose in the blood to enter body cells for it to be used for energy production. When this fails to happen, most of the glucose is forced to stay in the blood hence being saturated with sugar a condition that is known as hyperglycemia. For this reason, some of the excess glucose in the blood is forced to trickle into the urine and that is why you will find patients of diabetes mellitus passing urine that is full of sugar. Other problems that may occur apart from urinating sweet urine are such as, body cells experiencing starvation for energy or damaging of the kidneys, nerves, heart vessels and blood vessels.

A common way of diagnosing diabetes mellitus is through a test referred to as The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. With this test, the patient is required to fast for about 16 hours before the test can be conducted. An initial blood sample is then taken from the patient before several other samples amounting to at least five within a period of 3 hours are taken right after the patient is made to drink a solution full of sugar. Once this has been done, sugar levels in the blood get to be compared with the ones in the immediate previous blood sample that was taken.

For people without diabetes mellitus, the first sample of blood after taking the solution, will appear to have its blood glucose rise very sharply but as the doctor continues testing, the subsequent blood samples will appear to have their blood glucose levels also drop sharply until they return to normal levels. However, the same cannot be said for diabetic patients. Diabetes mellitus patients will in turn have the first blood test show that glucose content has rapidly shot up but unlike in people without this disease where the elevated blood glucose reduced rapidly in the subsequent tests, in diabetic people, the subsequent blood tests will show a slow drop of the glucose levels.

There are four main types of diabetes mellitus that exist today and Type I also known as Insulin-Dependent Diabetes mellitus is one of them. This condition often occurs in people who are below the age of 30 years and is usually caused by the auto-aggressive T cells in the body that cause the infiltration of the pancreas which lead to the destruction of the insulin-producing B-islet cells. Type II also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus is another type of diabetes mellitus that is usually caused by either inactivity, consumption of certain drugs, obesity or excess consumption of alcohol among other lifestyle habits. This disease is however common in people above the age of 30 years.

Another type of diabetes mellitus is known as Secondary diabetes mellitus. This condition develops as a result of a previous medical condition which may have caused a destruction of the pancreatic tissue that is responsible for insulin production. These medical problems may include, trauma, chronic pancreatitis not forgetting a surgical removal of the pancreas. To bring to four the list of diabetes mellitus is the Gestational diabetes. This is a problem for pregnant women which lead to both the expectant mother and the unborn child develop other forms of diabetes in future. An appropriate diet together with exercises may help to make this type of diabetes mellitus go away once the baby has been born.

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Thursday, August 7, 2008

Change of Lifestyle Can Easily Manage Diabetes 2

Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus commonly referred to as diabetes 2, is a diabetic problem that often occurs in people above the age of 30 years and usually runs in the patient's family. The condition can easily be triggered by the use of certain drugs, excess alcohol consumption, being overweight and so many other lifestyle activities. When you have diabetes 2, your blood glucose levels always tend to rise above the allowed amounts therefore forcing some of the glucose to spill into the urinal system. Once this has been done, the urine being excreted from the body appears to be filled with sugar hence being branded the name "sweet urine".

In most cases, patients suffering from diabetes 2 either do not have the ability to produce enough insulin responsible for the control of blood glucose levels or simply, do not have body cells that can respond to the hormone. This situation occurs as a result of a problem commonly known as insulin resistance, a condition which makes the muscles, fat cells and the liver not to utilize insulin properly. This condition usually occurs in people who are overweight or obese. The reason behind this is that, the excess fat in the body often inhibits the insulin from moving the glucose from the blood into the body cells. As this happens, the pancreas usually tries to keep up with the increased demand of glucose intake by producing as much insulin as it can. However, with time, the pancreas loses the ability to keep up with the ever increasing glucose levels hence diabetes 2 occurring. It is for this reason that people suffering from diabetes 2 are often advised to engage themselves in activities that make the body work in order to reduce the amount of excess fat deposited in the body hence increasing chances of insulin acting on the excess blood glucose.

Signs and symptoms that appear in patients with diabetes 2 include, having a blurred vision, experiencing excessive thirst, fatigue and having an increased rate of passing urine. Apart from having these symptoms, other complications may also occur in people suffering from diabetes 2. These complications include high blood pressure, stroke, kidney failure, heart problems, diabetic coma, dental problems, blood vessel problems, foot complications, skin complications and having a low resistance to infections.

In order to manage diabetes 2, lifestyle changes that support the reduction of fat levels in the body are usually encouraged to be undertaken. These changes could be anything from, exercising, eating food or taking drinks that are low on sugar and fat, reducing alcohol consumption among other things. However, when these changes prove not to work as needed, medical approaches may be sort in order to have satisfactory results. Among these medical approaches is the use of oral medicines such as Amaryl, a drug that works by enhancing insulin production in the body in response to any ingested meal and Avandia, an oral medicine that sensitizes the body towards insulin. Unfortunately, oral medicines come with side effects most of the times,like diarrhea, vomiting, kidney failure among many other problems. It is for this reason that proper consultation with your doctor should be done before you decide to use medication.

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Here Comes a Good Explanation on Causes of Diabetes

For many years now, diabetes has brought a lot of problems to patients suffering from it. This is a disease that allows blood sugar/glucose levels to either drop way below or rise way above the required levels. When the sugar levels drop below the levels they are supposed to be, the diabetic condition is usually referred to as Diabetes insipidus and when the sugar levels become excess in the body, the diabetic condition is usually referred to as Diabetes mellitus. For both these two conditions to take place, different causes of diabetes depending on the type of, have got to occur.

Among the causes of diabetes is the deficiency of the antidiuretic hormone also known as vasopressin hormone. This deficiency often occurs when the back or posterior part of the pituitary gland gets destroyed. It is from this place that the hormone is produced and later released in order to help the kidney concentrate urine and the blood with glucose thus enabling the sugar levels to rise up to the level they are supposed to be. Therefore, for patients suffering from diabetes insipidus, the antidiuretic hormone has to be induced iatrogenically through the use of various drugs from time to time so that the sugar concentration in the body can be boosted.

Destruction of the pancreatic tissue in charge of insulin production is also among the causes of diabetes. The tissue often gets destroyed after suffering from diseases such as chronic pancreatitis, trauma or after undergoing a surgical procedure to remove the pancreas. When insulin is not produced because of the destruction of the pancreatic tissue, the type of diabetes condition that is established in the body is referred to as Secondary diabetes mellitus. However, secondary diabetes mellitus can also result from other causes of diabetes such as hormonal disturbances or acromegaly (a condition where by there is an excessive production in the growth hormone).

For Type 1 diabetes, the main cause of the problem comes from damaging the pancreas itself. The pancreas is an organ that resides near the stomach and contains cells known as beta cells which are responsible for the production of insulin. This damage may originate from a small glitch in the immune system which may trigger it to attack the beta cells found in the pancreas hence hindering the process of insulin production. Without the production of insulin, glucose present in the body cannot be metabolized by the body cells and therefore, Type 1 diabetes is likely to occur.

Obesity may also be put in the list of the causes of diabetes 2. Obesity is a health problem where by a person accumulates a lot of body fat which makes him or her appear extremely huge or overweight. With excess fat in the body, insulin is often blocked from reaching the glucose present in the blood and for this reason, the glucose is not acted upon by the insulin hence making the blood get saturated with sugar. The moment this takes place, type 2 or what is commonly known as diabetes 2 can easily occur. Therefore, doctors often advise people not to eat food very rich in fat so as to avoid the possibility of having this problem.

A temporary form of diabetes known as Gestational diabetes which occurs in pregnant women can occur due to the presence of pregnancy hormones or a shortage of insulin in the body. If left untreated, gestational diabetes may cause both the expectant mother and the unborn baby to suffer from other forms of diabetes later in their lives.However, exercises and having a proper diet can ensure that this type of diabetes disappears once the baby is born.

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Do You Understand the Different Faces of Diabetes

It is common knowledge that the moment you hear the word Diabetes, the thought of sugar immediately comes to mind. However, what many people do not know is how this condition comes to be. Diabetes is a disease that allows the sugar levels in the body to either drop below or rise above the required levels. Both these situations are often determined by the response or sensitivity of the insulin hormone towards the ingested glucose in the blood system. Insulin is a hormone present in the body that is in charge of allowing glucose in the blood to enter the body cells for the purposes of energy production.

In cases where blood glucose tends to drop below the required levels, the disease is referred to as, Diabetes insipidus (DI). This condition is usually characterized by the excretion of huge amounts of extremely dilutedurine, which tends to come out in huge quantities even after reducing the amount of fluid intake. The major reason behind this action is that, patients suffering from this condition usually have their kidneys not being able to concentrate urine. All this is caused by a shortage of the antidiuretic hormone also known as Vasopressin hormone in the body. For this to happen, the destruction of the posterior or the back part of the pituitary gland where this hormone is released from has occurred. In addition to this, when a person's kidneys become insensitive to the vasopressin hormone, diabetes insipidus may also occur in that individual.

Once suffering from diabetes insipidus, signs and symptoms such as urinating excessively or always feeling thirsty and in need of ice cold water usually become eminent in a person. To add on to these symptoms, is that, dehydration may also occur in some patients because the body may not be in a position to conserve most of the liquids being taken in. Where children are involved, diabetes insipidus may interfere with their ability to eat properly, grow or even gain weight although adults may be able to stay with this condition for decades without being affected much as long as they maintain a high rate of water intake.Common types of diabetes insipidus include; central DI,
Nephrogenic DI and Gestational DI.

For cases where the blood glucose has elevated beyond the required capacity, the condition is known as Diabetes mellitus. Here, the disease is caused by either the inability of the body to produce insulin or the body's failure to respond towards insulin. Unlike in diabetes insipidus where the patient's urine is extremely dilute, in diabetes mellitus, the patient's urine is often characterized by high content of sugar levels otherwise known as "sweet urine".

When insulin does not act on the glucose present in the blood, then the blood system becomes saturated with the glucose content hence making the patient have excessive thirst, vomiting episodes, having nausea, experiencing fatigue or having unexplained weight loss. However, these are not the only problems that can be brought by diabetes mellitus. Other serious complications including; kidney failure, heart problems, blockage of the blood vessels among many other complications may also occur.

Diabetes mellitus may come in four different forms namely, Type 1, Type 2, Gestational and Secondary Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes often occurs in young people below the age of 30 years and is often caused by a low or no production of insulin by the body. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people who are above the age of 30 years. This form of diabetes mellitus often depends on the lifestyle a person has.When your lifestyle includes a lot of inactivity and eating food that is very rich in fat which can make you become obese or overweight, then you are a potential candidate of type 2 diabetes. The reason for stating this is that, once excess fat has been deposited in the body then it can easily block insulin from accessing the blood glucose hence making the blood get saturated with the sugar and ultimately make you suffer from type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes mellitus occurs in pregnant women and most of the time takes place due to the presence of pregnancy hormones or a shortage of insulin in the body while Secondary diabetes mellitus occurs as a result of another disease that may have previously occurred in the body.

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A Simple Guide to Diabetic Cooking

Diabetes is a very severe disease, but those afflicted with this condition can take precautions to perk up their health. Diabetic cooking is one way that people with this serious disease can improve their health. Those with diabetes do not have to bond to bland food if they have meals prepared with diabetic cooking essentials. Diabetic cooking should focus on healthy meals that are full of nutritious ingredients. Diabetic cooking does not have to leave out all the regular favorites, but it may need some exclusions. Diabetic cooking does not have to be very difficult. Following some basic rules should provide for healthy ingestion.

Healthy cooking involves choosing leaner cuts of meat such as low fat chicken and fish, while some other meats can also be chosen that do not contain high amount of fat. You could choose sirloin and round cuts when selecting your red meats and you should also ensure that you check and buy only meat that has low marbling and the fat content should also be trimmed off before cooking. You should also choose ground beef that is in so far as ninety-five percent lean when moving over to healthy cooking habits.

Diabetic cooking should have lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains for nutritious meals. Some superb planning should make for some delicious yet healthy meals for a diabetic. Good planning can offer for excellent meals that the whole family will enjoy. Diabetic cooking will be good for the diabetic member and great for all of the other family members too. Those people who follow the rules for diabetic cooking will probably lose some weight or sustain their healthy weight.

Diabetics should try to stick to a regular schedule for their meals and snacks if achievable. Each person with diabetes should check with their doctor about their condition and the eating requirements. Some doctors may advise that the diabetic lose weight although others will just have to eat nutritious meals all through the day. Those diabetics that need to lose some weight should obtain some suggestions from their doctor. Most diabetic diets suggest a set number of servings that include the major food groups.

Diabetic cooking should account for the carbohydrates in the meals during the day. There is information regarding carbohydrates on the label of each food product so this should not be difficult to calculate. A cautious balance of the carbohydrates in a meal will help those with diabetes. Plenty of starches are a good addition to keep a diabetic healthy. These can be included to the diet with cereal and bread. Most diabetics will have to cut out the sweets so people will want to think of some inventive desserts. There are so many fruits that can be a fantastic end to a delicious meal.

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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

High Blood Sugar Symptoms - Top 3 Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

In medical terms high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia and also called high glucose. The only way to know of sure if you have high blood sugar is to get a test done, so if you notice any high blood sugar symptoms just get it checked.

The reason I say get it checked is because the sooner you find out you have high blood sugar the sooner you can get it treated, because if this initial condition is not treated you have a risk of getting diabetes and will have to live with it for the rest of your life.

Top 3 Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

The high blood sugar symptoms may vary from person to person, some people show no sigh or symptoms while the others show these common signs, so look out.

1.Fatigue - One of the early sight to high blood sugar is fatigue, where you feel really tiered weak, and feel drained out. This usually happens because the sugar in the blood is not being converted into energy.

2.Thirst - When there is too much of sugar in the blood, the blood becomes thick and it tells your brain that your body is thirsty, sue to which you drink a lot of water in the hope of thinning the blood. But unfortunately drinking more liquids will not have the desired effect.

3.Urinating Frequently - One of the common signs is frequent urination, this happens because the extra sugar goes through the kidney, while the kidney absorbs the glucose it cannot absorb a lot of it and that is what causes frequent urination.

If you notice Increased thirst and frequent urination, this is a cycle and go together. This is because increase blood sugar makes you drink alot of liquids and urinate frequently, Drinking more will make a person urinate more. And more urination will make a person feel thirstier.

These are just 3 common high blood sugar symptoms there are many more, so if you have a slight doubt visit the doctor, because if you are wrong that is great news and if you are right hopefully you have realised it early and can cure it.

Three Natural Ways to Lower Blood Sugar

There are easy and natural ways to lower blood sugar levels and reap the health rewards.

The first thing you can do seems obvious. Reduce the sugar in your diet. Cut back on sodas and sugary drinks and snacks. Switch high-sugar cereals for high-fiber cereals. Cut back or stop eating sweets such as cakes and candy, and use a sugar substitute. Only indulge in sugary sweets on special occasions.

The second thing you can do is exercise. Exercise not only helps to regulate your levels, but it has so many other health benefits as well. Exercise is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. You don't have to jog five miles everyday or join a gym, but try to fit exercise into your daily life. Just going on a walk everyday will have great health benefits and help to regulate your hyperglycemia. Instead of watching TV or doing sedentary activities around the house, try to do something that involves physical activity. This can be anything from housework to dancing.

The third thing you can do is take supplements. You may not be getting all the nutrients you need in the foods you eat, so take a supplement to be sure. Chromium is one of the best minerals at helping to lower blood sugar. You can go to any store that sells vitamins and supplements and get a bottle of chromium picolinate.

Taking these three steps will be great for your overall health as well as helping to lower the levels of sugar in your body. You will lose weight, feel better, and your risk for diabetes and heart disease will be decreased.

Somogyi Effect and the Dawn Phenomenon

Diabetes is an illness that the patient must live with the rest of their lives. The key to living with diabetes successfully is tight glycemic control, or controlling blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels can vary from time to time depending on several factors such as stress levels, amount of food consumed, type of food consumed, amount of insulin used or insufficient insulin coverage and the time of day.

The human being responds to Circadian Rhythms. These are regular changes in mental and physical characteristics that occur in the course of a day. This term may be more familiar as the, "biological clock". A good example is that of someone working midnights for the first time. They find it very difficult to sleep during the day and stay awake all through the night. It is as if their body has a mind of its own. In fact, there is some truth to that statement. Bears hibernate because of their biological clock.

Circadian Rhythms combined with the above mentioned factors can produce wide fluctuations in the blood glucose levels of diabetics while they sleep. A diabetic's blood glucose level may be at 135 mg/dL prior to bedtime and at two A.M. may drop to 40 mg/dL, causing a severe state of hypoglycemia. The body responds to such a drop by producing glucose from alternate sources, since there is no source of ingested food. The only sources of glucose come from the liver via gluconeogenesis, lipolysis (break down of lipids) and glycogenolysis.

The body's hormones stimulate this cascading response to dangerously low blood sugar. The results of such a response, is that of high blood sugar. This rebound hyperglycemia can in turn causes ketosis. Ketosis occurs because the body is fooled into thinking that there is not enough glucose, since the cells are starved, and the glucose is floating in the blood stream instead of being utilized within the cells. The body then begins to break down proteins which in turn cause the release of ketones. The release of ketones causes the pH of the system to drop. If the pH of the body drops below 7.35, a state of Diabetic Ketoacidosis occurs, which can cause a diabetic coma.

This rebound hyperglycemia known to occur in response to hypoglycemia in the early hours of the morning between two and four A.M., is called, the Somogyi Effect. A good way of detecting the Somogyi Effect is to have the diabetic test their blood sugar during those hours. If their blood sugar is low, then they can correct it by eating a snack, before going back to sleep.

The Somogyi Effect can occur at anytime during the day, but is most often equated with the early hours of the morning. Symptoms include headache, nightmares and night sweats. The treatment of this phenomenon usually involves lowering insulin dosage prior to sleep.

Another disorder similar to the Somogyi Effect is known as the Dawn Phenomenon. Although most diabetics are affected by this disorder, it seems to occur more often in pubescent adolescents. Adolescents' blood sugar is affected adversely by their body releasing counter regulatory hormones. These counter regulatory hormones produce precipitously high blood sugar levels. It is thought that the growth hormone has some impact in relation to the production of counter regulatory hormones. Usually upon waking, the diabetic's blood sugar is excessively high. Correction of the Dawn Phenomenon requires an increase in insulin coverage prior to bedtime.

It is easy to see how both of these disorders can be mistakenly diagnosed for the other. That is why it is important for the diabetic to test their own sugar on several early morning intervals and present the results to their doctor. Correct determination of which disorder is occurring is crucial to continued health of the diabetic.

Understanding the Glycemic Index - For Diabetics

If you are diabetic, then your doctor, or dietician, will have discussed the glycemic index, and how important it is to eat foods that are low in this listing.

The gfi is a measure of the effect that carbohydrates have on blood sugar levels. A carbohydrate food, which breaks down quickly during the process of digestion, releases glucose rapidly into the blood stream, has a high GI.

Low gi foods break down slowly, and release glucose slowly into the bloodstream. Whether you have diabetes, or not, foods with a low index score have important health benefits.

A Doctor at the University of Toronto developed the glycemic index of food, during research into the best diet for people with diabetes. Foods which are low on the scale are not only slower in the digestive system, but also take the load off the liver.

A lower glycemic response means the body needs less insulin. A food, which is seventy or more, is high in the list. You may be surprised to find that cereals like Rice Krispies, and Cornflakes were rated as high.

Between fifty-six and sixty-nine is considered medium, and fifty-five or less, is low. You will be equally surprised to find the index number of vodka, beer, and alcohol is low, but this is because there are no carbohydrates in vodka. Fruits and vegetables all have low ratings.

If you are diabetic and need to eat a low GI diet, then there is a good deal of information available on the Internet. There are many websites, which display a comprehensive food listing.

This is especially useful as some foods, for example carrots and rice, have a large range of values. This varies according to the way you prepare the food, and is also because of natural botanical differences. Another example is the musa paradisiaca (banana). Research has shown that the carbohydrate content of bananas depended on how ripe they were.

On one website I found a table to calculate values, and a free calorie chart. There were ideas for recipes for those times when you need to create something special, and even a shopping list. You can save a lot of time, and frequent visits these websites, by making a printed copy of the food list. You can then refer to this guide whenever you want.

The gi diet has been incorporated into some of the top weight loss diets, such as the South Beach, and Atkins. This is because when your body digests foods, which are low on the index ratings, you feel fuller for longer. This allows you to eat fewer calories without the hunger pangs.

Body builders also use knowledge of the GFI in a product called weight gainer 1200, to feed muscle.

Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, so it is interesting to note that when you add a food from the low index chart to your meal, it lowers the level of the whole meal. Additionally research has shown that a 1000-calorie low index diet facilitates greater weight loss in obese adults with high insulin secretions.

If you are still confused about all this, you may like to consider buying software, the GI diet meal planner. This software doesn't show you how to calculate the values, but does it all for you.

3 Ways to Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Lower and in Check

One thing we as type 2 diabetics should always remind ourselves, is that type 2 diabetes, although it can be managed and managed pretty darn well. It can not be cured, not to the point where daily helpings of apple pie and ice cream used to be the norm.

Yes you will be able to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range, no you will not be able to revert to your old ways, forget what numerous books and flyers may tell you about treating yourself once a week. You are in this for the duration and you are now a soldier, fighting for your right for health, happiness and a long and plentiful life.

Ok, so onto our first part.

1.
Do not eat any food after 6pm, yes that will be annoying for a while, as all else around you are stuffing their faces. No you will not die. Maybe the first few days or even a week will see you grumbling and moaning but really it is nothing. Get used to it and get over it.

2.
Do no start your day with carbohydrates. Yes this sounds ridiculous and for reasons that will take up too much page space right now, your body and its diabetic metabolism will be a heck of a lot better off for it. Again, no you will not die.

3.
Try not to eat carbohydrates in any large amount at any one time. Little bits here and there will be dealt with by your body but flood it with two plates of pasta and you will be asking for it big time. The carbohydrates you do eat should only be of the low GI kind as well.

A Diabetic's Diet is Healthy and Tasty

Having diabetes means having to control your glucose levels. Failure to control your glucose levels increases your risk of heart disease, damage to your eyes, damage to your nervous system and organs. One way to control the glucose level is through medication, but the medication is often not enough and most doctors advise the patient complete a course in nutrition so the patient eats better and controls the glucose level better.

At these nutrition seminars diabetics are taught to eat in moderation and to eat more frequently. For many diabetics these courses are very disheartening, because almost everything a diabetic is accustomed to eating is taken off the list of foods that can be eaten. Interestingly diabetics find that everything they had been told were junk food are in fact junk food. The nutritional value of fast food, doughnuts, cakes, pies, ready to eat cereals, regular sodas, and fast food has so little nutrition that they are in fact junk food. The foods a diabetic should be eating are what we already knew was good food. The only exception would be bread and rice, which is high in carbohydrates.

Once a diabetic gets over the initials shock of the radical diet change, it is evident that there are plenty of good foods that can be consumed. There are plenty of good recipes that help a person lose weight, eat better, and also helps diabetics control their glucose level.

A diabetics diet is a very healthy diet that works for almost anyone wanting a healthier diet. The diet should contain lots of nutrients per calorie. A diabetic should consume plenty of vegetables, beans, nuts, cheese, milk, mushrooms, seeds, onion, garlic, peppers and a little fresh fruit. Fats, oils, and red meat should be eaten in small quantities. Fish has been shown to be rich in Omega-3 oils which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and should therefore be eaten regularly. A simply Salmon fish recipe for type 2 diabetes is as follows.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Salmon fish cut into 1-1/1/2 cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 medium onion cut into chunks
2 red peppers cut into chunks
12 cherry tomatoes

skewers

PREPARATION:

Rinse fish in cold water

pat dry with paper towel

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and vinegar. Pour marinade into large resealable bag with fish. Seal and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.

Soak skewers for 30 minutes (if wooden or bamboo)

Thread fish and vegetables on skewers

Oil steel skewers with olive oil
Oil grill lightly with cooking oil and place the fish kebabs on the grill. Cook for about 4-6 minutes each side or until the fish is done.

Recipes as simply as this one contains great nutritional value and great for diabetics and anyone wanting to eat healthy or lose weight.

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