Diabetes Prevention and Management

Diabetes is a hormone disorder that can cause problems with the kidneys, legs and feet, eyes, heart, nerves, and blood flow.Diabetes can cause many complications. Acute complications (hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma) may occur if the disease is not adequately controlled. Diabetes is on the increase, probably because people are living longer, getting fatter and leading increasingly inactive lifestyles. Diabetes, without qualification, usually refers to diabetes mellitus, but there are several rarer conditions also named diabetes. The most common of these is diabetes insipidus in which the urine is not sweet; it can be caused by either kidney or pituitary gland damage. The term "type 1 diabetes" has universally replaced several former terms, including childhood-onset diabetes, juvenile diabetes, and insulin-dependent diabetes. "Type 2 diabetes" has also replaced several older terms, including adult-onset diabetes, obesity-related diabetes, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes.

Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus--formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), childhood diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus--previously known as adult-onset diabetes, maturity-onset diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. Most people affected by type 1 diabetes are otherwise healthy and of a healthy weight when onset occurs. Diet and exercise cannot reverse or prevent type 1 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by recurrent or persistent hyperglycemia. Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. About 54 million Americans have prediabetes. Medications have also been shown to provide similar benefit. Both diabetes drugs metformin and Precose have been shown to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in people with this pre-diabetes condition. A group of medicines known as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors are sometimes used to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular complications in diabetes and can also reduce the risk or progression of kidney and eye diseases. Microscopic or nanotechnological approaches are under investigation as well, in one proposed case with implanted stores of insulin metered out by a rapid response valve sensitive to blood glucose levels. Medications to treat diabetes include insulin and glucose-lowering pills called oral hypoglycemic drugs. Insulin preparations differ in how quickly they start to work and how long they remain active. Stop smoking, which hinders blood flow to the feet.

Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Diabetes is usually controlled by a healthy diet and regular exercise.

2. Magnesium may play a significant role in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

3. Use of metformin, rosiglitazone and valsartan.

4. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes.

5. Glucose in the blood is produced by the liver from the foods you eat.

6. Oral medications are still insufficient, insulin medications are considered.

7. Maintaining an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

8. Strict control of blood glucose, or blood sugar, as well as blood pressure

Juliet Cohen writes articles for home remedies and homemade recipes. Learn how to give first aid in emergency situations.

Diabetes - Causes and Prevention

Diabetes mellitus (sometimes called "sugar diabetes") is a condition that occurs when the body can't use glucose (a type of sugar) normally. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body's cells. The levels of glucose in the blood are controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Insulin helps glucose enter the cells.

In diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body can't respond normally to the insulin that is made (type 2 diabetes). This causes glucose levels in the blood to rise, leading to symptoms such as increased urination, extreme thirst, and unexplained weight loss.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes)

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.

Type 2 diabetes (previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes)

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.

Causes Of Diabetes

Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.

To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:

A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.

An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally, or both.

There are three major types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are needed to sustain life.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 and makes up most of all cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to the insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to the growing number of older Americans, increasing obesity, and failure to exercise.

Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.

Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. About 54 million Americans have prediabetes. There are many risk factors for diabetes, including:

1. A parent, brother, or sister with diabetes

2. Obesity

3. Age greater than 45 years

3. Some ethnic groups (particularly African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic Americans)

4. Gestational diabetes or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

5. High blood pressure

6. High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)

7. High blood cholesterol level

8. Not getting enough exercise

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults over age 45 be screened for diabetes at least every 3 years. A person at high risk should be screened more often.

How To Prevent Or Control Diabetes

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a long, healthy life.

Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your GAME PLAN to Prevent

Watch Your Diet

There is no one magic diet that works for everyone. Nor is there a single diet that works best for one individual over a long time. Pay attention to your genetics, and to your ethnic group's traditional foods. If you are African American, that does not mean overcooked vegetables or pork rinds. Such garbage came on the nutritional scene only recently, and is not a true ethnic food. The same is true for Italians who overdose on pepperoni pizza. Being Italian myself as, well as having enjoyed fantastic African cuisine, I can tell you there is a lot more to these diets than the recent introductions often associated with these cultural groups.

Except for Eskimos and a few other highly specialized ethnic groups, all diets must adhere to the same few macronutrient rules. For example:

Eliminate as many processed carbohydrates as possible.

Don't eat carbohydrates 2 hours before bedtime.

Balance your fat/carbos/protein in a roughly 30-40-30 ratio (this is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule--it doesn't work for everyone).

Eat at least 5 or 6 small meals a day.

Always eat a high-protein breakfast.

Did you know that the peanuts offered on airlines are LESS fattening than the fat-free pretzels?
It's true. Stay away from fat-free foods--they make your insulin levels do a yo-yo, and that makes you put on fat. Yuck. Worse, it sets the stage for adult-onset diabetes.

Do NOT eat white flour, bleached flour, enriched flour, or any other kind of wheat flour that is not whole wheat. The glycemic effects of such flours will work against you. Eat whole grain flours, and try to get a variety. Amaranth and soy are two good flours. Eat oat groats instead of oatmeal. In short, get your grains in the least-processed form you can. This holds true for everyone, regardless of genetics (unless you have a malabsorption problem). This one "trick" will help you keep your insulin level on an even keel, and that is paramount to diabetes prevention and management.

What also holds true for everyone is: drink lots of water! Fill a gallon jug twice a day, and make sure you drink all of it. Once you get as lean as you want to be, cut back to a single gallon if you want to. For added fat loss, drink chilled (but not super cold) water. Sodas do not count. Such beverages are extremely unhealthy, for reasons I won't cover here. However, I will say that if you want to get osteoporosis, soft drinks are for you. Soft drinks make for soft bones.

Make sure to eat at least 5 or 6 small meals a day, rather than one big one. Doing so levels out your insulin and your blood sugar. Forget about that full feeling. If you find yourself overeating out of anxiety or boredom, fix the underlying problem -- don't add to it by poor eating!

Stay Healthy.

My Name is Abayomi Aje, I have written many articles concerning weight loss and other health related articles some of which can be found on my blog at http://yourhealthdoctor.blogspot.com

Dietary Fiber Is Natures Miracle

• Every Other Day Diet


• Simple Trucker Diet
  

Dietary fiber is a natural substance obtained from fruits, vegetables and cereals. Dietary fiber is the term used to describe the total fiber content of food. Dietary fiber is made up of two main types, insoluble and soluble. Dietary fiber is known to enhance intestine movement to help people keep in shape and prevent the hardening of arteries by lowering cholesterol in the blood. Dietary fiber is the part of plant materials that our body cannot digest. Dietary fiber is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. Dietary fiber is widely recognized as an important part of the treatment and prevention of diabetes, colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity.

Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a full feeling because of its water absorbing ability. Fiber is essential to human health in a number of ways. Fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can slow the absorption of sugar, which for people with diabetes, can help improve blood sugar levels. Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Fiber ensures that the waste products move rapidly through the colon and in one way, they also help to prevent your risk of developing colon cancer. Fiber, especially in the absence of adequate water intake, can be so binding, as to cause severe constipation. Fibers that lower blood cholesterol levels include foods such as apples, barley, beans and other legumes, fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, oat bran and rice hulls. Fiber also appears to interact with intestinal bacteria and bile acids to process certain food substances. Fiber helps with lowering the risk of diabetes and heart problems. Fiber should come from a wide variety of natural foods. Fiber absorbs or binds with harmful fats, cholesterol, and toxins in the digestive tract, helping to carry them out of the body. Fiber has also demonstrated the ability to lower the risk of prostate cancer progression. Fiber supplements work by increasing the body's fiber intake.


Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Dietary fiber provides a feeling of fullness and adds bulk in the diet. Dietary fiber is a complex mixture of plant materials that are resistant to digestion by humans. Dietary fibers promote beneficial physiological effects including laxation, blood cholesterol attenuation, and blood glucose attenuation. Caution, dietary fiber also slows stomach emptying, which may worsen delayed gastric emptying.

Foods high in Dietary Fiber, especially fresh fruits and veggies, are low in calories. Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Foods that provide dietary fiber can be found in three of the four food groups such as whole grain breakfast cereals, whole grain bread, fruit, vegetables, cooked beans, peas and lentils. Research proves that the higher the viscosity of soluble fiber, the better the control of blood sugar level in patients with type 2 diabetes.


Health benefits of a high fiber diet is widely recognized as an important part of the treatment and prevention of diabetes, colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity. Healthy eating is especially important in mid life and later. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. Healthy men and women who were overweight or obese but susceptible to diabetes were tested in a recent study. They were all given a dietary supplement that was high in soluble fibers. All the tested individuals showed reductions in the levels of blood sugar and insulin production as a result of the supplement use. Fibers are an essential nutrient for good health and are helpful in practicing preventive health care.

Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flax seed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber has some additional benefits to heart health. Soluble fiber has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes by reducing total blood cholesterol and regulating blood sugar levels. Soluble fibers also may help control the rise in blood sugar following a meal and reduce insulin requirements in some patients with diabetes mellitus.


Fruits and vegetables are overflowing with high fiber. Fruits are generally high in pectin while vegetables contain a high percentage of cellulose. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain products and nuts provide fiber.


Insoluble fiber helps bind water in the intestine and expands the volume of the intestinal contents, resulting in more frequent and softer stools. Insoluble fiber is most frequently found in whole grain products like whole wheat bread. Insoluble fiber passes through your digestive tract mostly intact. Insoluble fiber acts as a natural laxative that speeds the passage of foods through the stomach. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water and consist of cellulose, lignin and some hemicelluloses. Insoluble fiber such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin aid digestion, aid elimination, promote regularity, and contribute to bowel cleansing. Insoluble fiber is primarily found in chewy foods like whole wheat products, wheat and corn bran, the skin of fruits, and certain vegetables.

Eating too much fat or cholesterol, has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Eating 3 grams a day of soluble fiber from oats or 7 grams a day of soluble fiber from psyllium has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. Eating a high fiber diet can also help improve your cholesterol levels, lower your risk of coronary heart disease, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, and assist with weight loss.


Research proves that the higher the viscosity of soluble fiber, the better the control of blood sugar level in patients with type 2 diabetes.


Increase your consumption of dietary fiber very gradually to avoid digestive discomfort. The suggested goal for fiber intake is about 40grams a day, from various sources. Increase dietary fiber in your diet gradually over a period of a few weeks.
Coconut
Coconut dietary fiber has a higher fiber content than many other fiber supplements. Coconut dietary fiber especially, is highly effective in controlling blood sugar. Coconut has one of the highest percentages of fiber among all plant foods. Coconut does not contain phytic acid and does not remove minerals from the body.


Dietary fiber is not found in animal products, such as milk and meats. Dietary fiber is known to slow down the absorption of sugars thus helping to keep blood sugar under control. Dietary fiber is generally obtained from plant foods, and consists of that portion of the plant which is not digested by man. Dietary fiber is not digested by the small intestine; instead, it passes to the colon unchanged. Dietary fiber is a very important link in the weight loss puzzle. Dietary fiber is also lacking in the majority of junk foods sold at so many fast food places. Dietary fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. Dietary fiber is undoubtedly one of the most talked about nutrients for health promotion and disease prevention. Nutritionists recommend that we get 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Bran cereal, wheat bread, oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts are fiber rich.